car by ryan gossling. literally it actually just happened. this is not the first time he's jumped in to save the day. he broke up a fight in new york city last fall. >> don't run in the street, ladies. good morning. final report. the l.a. county coroner's office released its official findings on whitney houston's death. this morning the white powdery substance found throughout her hotel room and the last-ditch effort to save her life. worse than we thought. a detailed new account of the cruiseship disaster off the coast of italy that killed 32 people. it tells of glaring mistakes made by the captain before and after that accident and the lies he allegedly ordered his crew to tell. and "today" exclusive. nadya suleman, single mother of 14 children including octuplets forced to take government assistance after vowing she never would. a decision that's made her the target of serious anger and has raised questions about her kids' future.

she is here to talk about her choice and what's next for her family in a live interview today thursday, april 5th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this thursday morning. i'm ann curry. >> and i'm matt lauer. that final coroner's report on whitney houston's death, it is 42 pages long. it details exactly what happened to the singer in her final moments. >> and some of the details are pretty disturbing, matt. as you know, houston drowned face down in a tub of about a foot of water. at the time of her death, she had cocaine and other drugs in her system. police plan to use the findings to wrap up their investigation. so we're going to have the very latest on this straight ahead. also ahead, we're going to talk about an article that has a lot of people talking. it was written by a woman who

says because she is beautiful, some other women hate her. she's even been held back at work by insecure female bosses. thousands of you commented on this article on our website. coming up, we'll take a look at the backlash, and we'll hear from the writer for the first time. >> that's going to get a lot of us talking. and also coming up this morning, the latest on this case we've been telling you about, this nfl cheerleader and former high school teacher accused of sexually abusing a former student. and so the question is why she's now wearing a monitoring device and also has the text message function on her cell phone disabled. we'll get to that. let's begin with the final coroner's report on the death of whitney houston. we have rehema ellis here. >> good morning, ann. well, the report does not change the coroner's initial determination that whitney houston's death was an accidental drowning. it provides many new details about what was found in houston's hotel room. and it confirms that the singer's death was also caused by heart disease and cocaine use. >> yes, this is the final

report. >> reporter: nearly two months after whitney houston was found dead in her suite at the beverly hilton hotel, the coroner's report reveals what was found the day she died. among the items in the bathroom, a small spoon with a white crystal-like substance in it, close to a rolled up piece of paper. toxicology reports show houston had used cocaine before she collapsed and drowned in her hotel bathtub. in a nearby drawer, remnants of a white powdery substance and a portable mirror that contained more white powdery substance. according to the report, which never specifically identifies that substance as cocaine. the report details a virtual pharmacy inside the superstar's hotel suite, along with an open bottle of champagne, a table filled with prescription medications. beyond cocaine, the report says other drugs found inside the singer's body included marijuana, xanax, benadryl and a muscle relaxant.

>> anytime that you're combining medications, prescription medications, with illicit drugs, cocaine, and also with the presence of alcohol, it's really unpredictable what could happen. it's quite a dangerous combination. >> reporter: the report indicates that when police arrived at the suite, they found houston's body had been moved from the bathtub to the living room floor and rigor mortis had begun. also revealed, the body showed signs that a defibrillator kit had been used. houston's nose had been bleeding, and she had superficial injuries to her face, torso, shoulders, knees and back. the coroner noted marks of recent scalding to her lower body, scars from breast implants, dental prosthesis and that houston was wearing a brown wig. ♪ when all my strength is gone >> reporter: the coroner's final report on the tragic end to the life of one of the world's brightest stars. >> cocaine can set somebody up to be in a dangerous situation

like pass out and then be in the wrong place at the wrong time. >> so far there's been no comment from houston's family. the beverly hills police department said they need more time to digest the findings and will release a statement later this week. >> thank you for your reporting this morning. let's get a check of the other top stories of the morning. savannah is over at the news desk while natalie is off this week. good morning to you. >> good morning, matt and ann. in the news today, former penn state assistant football coach jerry sandusky is in court today where his lawyers are moving to have the child sex abuse charges against him dismissed. sandusky is set to go on trial two months from now. the 68-year-old faces 52 counts of alleged sex abuse. sandusky denies those charges. president obama signs the jobs act today. the legislation is designed to bolster small businesses and start-ups in a bid to create jobs. in the meantime, tonight the president is planning to host a screening of the film "to kill a mockingbird" at the white house in honor of the film's 50th anniversary.

five former new orleans police officers have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 6 to 65 years for their roles in the fatal shootings of unarmed residents in the chaos following hurricane katrina. the defendants were also convicted of civil rights violations and a cover-up. six unarmed civilians were shot, two were killed back in 2005. police in athens used tear gas and flash grenades to clear violent protests overnight. the fiery riots were touched off when an elderly greek man shot himself to death outside the greek parliament. he had said his pension was slashed amid the austerity measures there. now to wall street. cnbc's courtney reagan is at the new york stock exchange for us this morning. courtney, good morning to you. >> good morning, savannah. investors are looking for positive data to help lift sentiment after the markets posted one of their worst performances of the year so far on wednesday. retailers are reporting their monthly same-store sales.

many benefiting from one of the warmest marches on record and an early easter. and while the stock market is closed tomorrow in observance of good friday, the bond market will be operating on a half-day schedule, and the government will be releasing its monthly jobs report. savannah, back to you. >> courtney reagan on wall street, thank you. well, local officials are calling it a miracle that not a single person died when as many as 13 tornadoes tore through the dallas area earlier this week, leveling hundreds of homes there. but amid the rubble came a ray of hope wednesday when one of our local reporters found a puppy in hard-hit lancaster, texas. with a little help from social media, we were able to reunite brownie with his owner. >> thank you! >> oh, you're welcome. >> thank you! oh, hi, baby! >> thank you! oh, hi, baby! >> look, he's wagging his tail now. >> oh, i'm so glad to see you! >> his owner was not home when those tornadoes ripped through the neighborhood, but she says she believes the puppy rode out the storm outdoors.

and is there a new fountain at the white house? a construction crew hit a water main and sent a plume of water sky high. it was quickly contained, but the incident prompted some hard-hitting questions from reporters at the daily press briefing. >> you know, this would be a good chance for you to tell us what they're building over there. more than a year has gone by. >> we're drilling for oil. >> the so-called big dig has been a source of many conspiracy theories in washington. for years the construction project even features a mysterious tunnel, but we may never know. secret service is keeping details classified. it is now 7:08. back to matt, ann and al. i can tell you, reporters have been speculating for years. the leading theory, presidential man cave. >> in time for next year's super bowl. >> yeah. >> it's hard to hide it, though, when you walk by in the white house. it's a big, gaping construction project. >> never hire construction guys named howard fine and howard. >> back from arlington with a

blast, mr. roker, what's going on? >> geez! anyway, show you what we're looking at today. we've got more severe weather to talk about. that area that caused all the problems yesterday, it has shifted east. a lot more gulf moisture coming in. very vigorous low-pressure system, and that's causing risk of strong storms from new orleans up to knoxville and nashville and as far south as orlando and coastal florida. we already have, in fact, a few tornado watches and warnings out this morning that will continue on into the early afternoon hours. rainfall amounts anywhere from one to four inches of rain. that's what's going on around well, it's a cold start to this thursday. good morning, i'm meteorologist christina loren. we'll see the 60s. abundant sunshine later on and today marks the beginning of a warm-up as we head into saturday. up to 71 degrees. we get a little rain on the second half of easter sunday, but looks like it'll hold off beyond about 2:00 p.m.

62 degrees by monday, mix of sun and clouds tuesday into wednesday and spring-like temperatures in the 60s. that's your latest weather. matt? >> all right, al, thank you very much. now to presidential politics. mitt romney is taking aim at president obama on the heels of his sweep of tuesday's gop primaries, accusing the president of playing hide and seek with his agenda. chuck todd is nbc's political director and chief white house correspondent. chuck, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. >> mitt romney has said -- and i'm paraphrasing here -- that he would like to bring the primary season to an end so that he can start to focus on the general election. who can blame him? but it's easier said than done, isn't it? >> it is. right now rick soicantorum, he' like to sort of prove himself, win pennsylvania. it's a little bit of a redemption for him. remember, he got thumped out of office in pennsylvania by some 18 points. he'd like to have a little redemption there. but the problem for the romney folks is the reason they want santorum out now is not only do they want to focus on the general, but they want to avoid

santorum being alive in the month of may because here they could be the de facto nominee in the month of may and lose a slew of primaries because the may primaries are a lot more conservative and a lot more southern. >> what you're saying, mitt romney cannot focus solely on barack obama. he can't ignore rick santorum, newt gingrich or even ron paul. >> well, the problem he's got is, the best thing he can do is to focus on president obama, is to focus on the general. he also needs to start uniting the party. so he can't do what he's done before, i think, in other primaries, which is to start going negative on santorum, trying to drive up his negatives and try to eke out a victory, say, in pennsylvania. does he want to do that? does he want to alienate conservatives, or is he trying to bring the party together? that's the problem the romney folks have right now. the good news for them is santorum's taking five days off the campaign trail, matt. four days for the easter holiday, one for his daughter's 21st birthday.

there's been a lot of chatter that it's more than just taking time off for the holiday. it's soul searching. >> as you were speaking, chuck, we're seeing images of mitt romney and paul ryan together. they've spent about five days together. some people are saying they've got pretty good chemistry, and they're starting to talk about paul ryan as a possible candidate for vice president. is it a viable choice? >> i think it's a very viable choice. what's funny about paul ryan is he not only excites some of the conservative and intellectual base, you've heard president obama use paul ryan as the sledgehammer on mitt romney in that speech a couple of days ago. so it's one of those that would fire up both campaigns. i do think ryan's near the top. i think you'll see that he gets officially vetted. he comes from a swing state but doesn't overshadow the nominee. for the midwest, would put the budget and deficit front and center. there's a lot of positives that ryan would bring to romney, i think. >> chuck todd in washington for us, thanks very much, appreciate it. 12 minutes after the hour.

here's ann. >> thank you. now to the latest on the trayvon martin case. investigators are trying to retrace what happened on the night of the deadly shooting, but they're running into a few roadblocks. our kerry sanders is in sanford, florida, with details. kerry, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the challenge for the special prosecutor is to determine what really happened on that rainy night more than a month ago. there is only one eyewitness to the shooting, and that is george zimmerman himself. he's the gunman. and according to his lawyers, he's now exercising his right to remain silent. so if the sanford police followed protocol and videotaped his initial interview with them, that leaves the special prosecutor with the oortunity to compare what he told them to csi forensics to see if zimmerman's versions of events holds up. investigators may have no eyewitnesses to the shooting other than george zimmerman himself. he says he fired in self-defense which leaves detectives with a

puzzle of evidence including earwitnesses. >> so you think he's yelling "help"? >> yes. >> what is your phone number? >> just -- there's gunshots. >> reporter: physical evidence and a scientific challenge. can csi explain what happened? >> without eyewitnesses to contradict george zimmerman, forensic evidence is going to be critical because if you can show that zimmerman lied about what really happened, you can perhaps show that he committed a homicide. >> reporter: veteran detectives in florida say if sanford's major crimes unit followed protocol, they should have gathered trayvon's clothes and analyzed it for gunpowder burns. that could reveal how close both trayvon and zimmerman were to each other when the shot was fired. microscopic blood spatter on george zimmerman which will likely reveal not only proximity but coupled with the autopsy report, it should reveal if zimmerman was standing over trayvon down on the ground or if trayvon was standing over him on

the ground, or were both standing? there are evidence photos of the crime scene that should reveal in florida's sandy soil if there really was a scuffle. hal uhrig is zimmerman's newest attorney. >> you're going to find the two of them were closely engaged. it was a basic point-blank shot, but there's going to be evidence that the police have, and they don't do their investigation by sharing it with you and i. >> reporter: jeff dean is a former florida prosecutor who says not having an eyewitness is not uncommon, which often leads to expectations that csi forensics can fill in the blanks. >> there's no magic bullet here. the evidence is what it is. there's no computer that holds all the answers. there's nothing here that they can go and push a button and get some print-out that says yeah, he's lying or no, he's not. >> reporter: while state agents are examining evidence, the fbi is running a parallel investigation. but the justice department is focused on a possible civil rights violation. the feds are trying to answer the question, was 17-year-old

trayvon martin targeted by george zimmerman because of racial prejudice? zimmerman's two attorneys tell me that he is not a racist, and if the grand jury decides to charge him, they welcome the opportunity to defend him. ann? >> kerry sanders this morning, thank you. it is now 7:16. here's matt. >> health officials in washington say that whooping cough has reached epidemic levels. hundreds of cases have been reported this year. six times, in fact, more than last year. nbc's mike taibbi is in seattle's children's hospital with the story. mike, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. here at seattle children's, they've seen 35 positive tests for whooping cough just in the past three months and hundreds statewide. now, if you think of whooping cough as something almost quaint, listen to and watch what follows. it's disturbing video, but it shows that this infectious disease is still with us and still a potential killer. it was whooping cough that landed 2 1/2-week-old natalie in

intensive care. >> can you hear me? >> reporter: where she spent 72 days struggling to breathe. to rest without pain to survive. she recovered, but her mom, michelle, says it was touch and go all those agonizing weeks, and natalie still needs follow-up care. >> you never, ever want to see your child go through something like this. it's definitely a parent's worst nightmare. >> reporter: it was the same nightmare for heidi who passed the disease to her newborn daughter, caroline. before giving birth, heidi thought she just had a cold. >> i was nursing her. and she started to have one of these coughing episodes. she stopped nursing, and she turned blue and was coughing and choking and gagging. >> reporter: in fact, four children have died in the current outbreak, and the skyrocketing number of newly reported cases led state officials to declare an epide c epidemic. >> so far this year 640 cases have been reported and confirmed as of march 31st.

last year we had 94 in the same period of time. >> reporter: this march of dimes public service announcement can tell you what it sounds like. but in the so-called hot pockets in washington, oregon, and across the country in vermont where the disease is spreading fastest, it's a race to get as many people vaccinated as possible, vaccinated against a foe our dr. nancy snyderman says will sneak up on you. >> runny nose, fever, but all of a sudden that cough becomes a barking cough and then a real struggle to get air. >> reporter: for health officials, it's all about vaccination and booster shots, if needed. especially for those who come in contact with toddlers or infants, the most vulnerable victims. >> i had inadvertently given my newborn a potentially life-threatening illness that was so easily preventable by just getting my booster shot which i was unaware i needed. >> not only does whooping cough vaccine work, it's safe and it can save your child's life.

>> reporter: again, it's about vaccination. the experts say that when 90% of those in high-impact area get vaccinated, the epidemic begins to recede. matt? >> mike taibbi in washington for us, thank you very much. it's 18 after the hour. here's ann. >> thanks. new details are coming to the light in the case of the costa con docord concordia disaster. it ran aground, and the may issue of "vanity fair" provides the most details account yet of what happened. our reporter joins us now with details. marra, good morning. >> when the costa concordia sank, with became the largest passenger shipwreck ever. now almost three months later, we're learning new information about what the ship's captain allegedly did wrong, turning a dream vacation into a nightmare. >> reporter: today the costa concordia is in the exact same position as the night ran aground off the italian coast,

killing 32. now "vanity fair" magazine provides an exhaustive account, focusing on a series of unbelievable blunders allegedly made by the ship's captain, 51-year-old francesco schettino. it reads like a laundry list of incompetence. the captain was allegedly going too fast, navigating by sight, talking on the phone when the accident happened and took a spectacular wrong turn before hitting the rock that left a 230-foot gash in the ship's hull. afterwards allegedly saying, expletive, i didn't see it! but that was just the beginning. >> the mistakes that the captain made after hitting the rock were worse than actually hitting the rock. >> reporter: in an attempt to stabilize the already lifting ship, schettino lowered the ship's two anchors. but according to the article, he released way too much chain, causing them to fall uselessly to the sea floor. >> that's what caused the ship to plop over, that's why a lot of people drowned. >> reporter: schettino is also accused of leaving the ship

before all of the passengers had been rescued. claiming he fell into a lifeboat, then refusing to leave shore and go back, saying, "no, i want to stay here, to verify conditions on the ship." >> it's pretty clear he was stunned. he was startled. people talk about a deer in the headlights. it was that type of thing. >> reporter: but the article's most serious allegation is that schettino may have instructed officers to lie. one officer telling prosecutors the captain ordered us to say that everything was under control and that we were checking the damage, even though he knew that the ship was taking on water. in february, schettino's attorney defended the captain, saying he has been assaulted by the media and didn't do anything illegal that night but simply made a mistake. >> translator: he is a person who has worked for years with honor and competence. >> while captain schettino has not been charged, he remains under house arrest and could face multiple charges of manslaughter and illegally

abandoning his ship. as for that ship itself, it could be another year before it's removed from the shallow waters it's resting in. >> thank you so much. and still ahead, the octo-mom, nadya suleman, forced to go on public assistance. what does that mean for her family of 14 children? we'll talk to her about this live, but first, this is "today" on nbc.

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♪ who knew being natural could be so delicious? coffee-mate natural bliss. from nestle. add your flavor naturally. good morning, everyone, the time is 7:26. i'm john kelley. the search for sierra lamar continues today. about 20 members of the search and rescue unit went out to san martin and gilroy to look for evidence. this in advance of another volunteer search planned for this saturday. in an interview with nbc bay area, the father talks about the toll this search has taken on him and the rest of the family. >> every day that goes by, it gets harder. to be honest about that, it gets harder. but, yeah, i'm still staying

positive. and i think that's important. >> investigators say they have received more than 1,000 tips that they've gotten by phone and e-mail. right now, let's get a check on your weather outside. meteorologist christina loren here to tell us about today and beyond. >> yeah, good morning to you, john. good morning at home. clear start over this city of san jose this morning and the entire south bay. we have a few high cirrus clouds, but not much. deceptive sunshine. take a look at your temperatures this morning. cold in santa rosa, 36 degrees. weather headlines tell the story. patchy frost until about 8:00 a.m. for the next half hour or so, mild and breezy later on. and we've got a warm-up into the weekend. highs today pretty comfortable, even more comfortable as we head into saturday and hit the 70s. 61 today in san jose. up to 65 tomorrow. and then we do get showers over the course of easter sunday. we're going to hold them off until the second half of the day. monday, tuesday, and wednesday, mix of sun and clouds, comfortable conditions in the 60s inland. let's check your drive with mike. 680 northbound, a note for

you, we have an accident reported around the road on the northbound side, blocking lanes a couple of them. a big rig was hit by a pickup truck and now that pickup truck sounds like it's wedged partly under or below that trailer there. injuries reported. i don't know how serious. we're tracking that and slowing at the scene. we also have slowing for 580 westbound. 680, the big issue, an accident and a smoking truck. a live look shows you southbound moving to the left slowing all the way from pleasanton, john. back to you. >> thank you very much. for the latest news and traffic updates check us out on facebook. back in one-half hour from right now. ♪ okay, so who ordered the cereal that can help lower cholesterol and who ordered the yummy cereal?

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jeremiah. jeremiah. please, noah. >> that was what it was like in studio 1a last time nadya suleman was here. her octuplets in tow. this morning, things are a little less hectic for the mother of 14, but her life has taken a troubling twist. she is now on public assistance, something she promised would never happen. and that has made her the target of a lot of anger. she's taken other dramatic steps to make money for her children including posing for provocative photos. we're going to talk to her exclusively about that coming up. 7:30 now on a thursday morning. 5th day of april, 2012. i'm matt lauer alongside ann curry. also ahead, another woman who's

become the victim of some bitter reaction. >> i know, we're talking about anger to some degree this half hour this morning because writer and blogger samantha brick is now being blasted by critics for claiming in a recent article that other women hate her for being beautiful. she says her looks have created problems for her personal and professional life. we'll talk about that. also an insider's view of one of the most tragic moments in american history, the assassination of president kennedy. in a rare interview, mrs. kennedy's secret service agent who reached out to her on the back of the president's car opens up about what he saw and heard on that fateful day. >> a very emotional interview also. and also we begin this half hour with the latest on the professional cheerleader and former high school teacher who has pleaded not guilt counterto sexually abusing one of her students. we've got nbc's john yang in covington, kentucky, with this story. john, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. sara jones is scheduled to go on trial in this courthouse at the end of june.

that's almost two months away, but even with all that time, her defense attorney says he may not be ready by then because of the prosecution's reliance on electronic evidence, e-mails and text messages. that's sara jones, the nfl cheerleading captain and bengals beauty now charged with a sex crime. the former high school english teacher faces felony sex abuse charges. prosecutors say she was involved in a sexual relationship with an underage teenage student. >> i'm sheryl jones. >> reporter: sara's mother, a school official herself, was also arrested, accused of covering it up. both women say they're not guilty. the mother and daughter are out on bond, but they're being closely monitored. they have to wear electronic bracelets. their computers confiscated and text messaging on both their phones disabled. sara jones has between now and june to prepare her defense. that's when her trial is set to begin. her lawyer says the teenager and

his family are backing jones. >> the alleged victim's family is here supporting these defendants today, your honor. >> reporter: but even without the teen's cooperation, prosecutors say they have forensic evidence of the sexual relationship including e-mails and texts between jones and the underage student. she's not the first teacher accused of using social media in an alleged inappropriate relationship with students. this past winter, a teacher in california was arrested for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy. police say the relationship began through social media including the popular online game "words with friends." she's pled not guilty. in january, this former theater teacher in colorado was arrested for sexually assaulting one of her students after police scoured through text messages. she's waived her preliminary hearing. as for jones, according to published reports, she was briefly married, but the couple is now seeking an annulment. her estranged husband told "the cincinnati ininquirer," to be

honest with you, i don't want to talk about her. jones is free on $15,000 bond, but she is subject to home confinement. ann? >> all right, john yang, thanks. savannah guthrie is "today's" legal correspondent and star jones is former prosecutor and veteran legal commentator. good morning. >> good morning. >> what are the chances a prosecutor can have a successful case when no one in this particular case is willing to testify that there was, in fact, sexual abuse, and it appears they're depending on e-mails and texts. >> well, that's the key question that this case really brings up. can they prove it? maybe they can. if they've got e-mails, if they have text messages, if they have phone calls, but let's not kid ourselves, it makes their task that much harder, that you don't have an alleged victim who's willing to testify. and then you have the possibility, i suppose, since the family supports sara jones that the alleged victim could come on the stand for the defense and say this never happened. it makes the prosecutor's task very difficult. >> i've prosecuted cases where i've had a reluctant complaining witness, but i have not

prosecuted a sex abuse allegation when the complaining witness does not want to testify. usually prosecutors tend to shy away from that. but remember, the victim is allegedly was a child. so a child abuse really outweighs what that kid would want to do. the state has a bigger interest. the state's interest is in protecting all the children. >> you had mentioned the words doesn't want to testify. the teenager may not cooperate, but isn't it possible he could be forced to testify? >> he could be forced to testify. he could also take the fifth and not -- and then refuse to testify. but as a practical matter, no prosecutor wants to put on a complaining witness in the case who's not complaining and risk that backlash with a jury saying, wait a minute, he's coming on, he's saying it didn't happen. so i don't think they'd do it. >> this alleged victim's family has shown up in support of sara jones and her mother. doesn't that also work against the prosecutor? >> and the judge specifically has now ordered the defendant not to have any contact with the alleged victim or their family. so i don't know how you do that

when you're sitting in the exact same row in the courthouse. >> let's talk about the double standard. i mean, she's 26. he's a few years, really, a handful of years, younger. do you think that if this actually goes before a jury, as it looks like it probably will, that there's a double standard that the prosecutors may want to have to worry about? >> if it were a man who was 27 years old who was alleged to have abused a female student, i don't think that we'd even be questioning it. and that's where the double standard does come in. she's a beautiful, sexy teacher, female. the alleged victim is a young man. people giggle about that. but abuse is abuse. >> exactly, the law is the law. there's no evidence of a double standard in the prosecutor's mind. they're prosecuting this case and she's facing jail time. >> it sounds like you're both agreeing that the prosecutor has a mountain to climb on this one. >> a big one. >> thank you so much. good perspective. and now let's get a check of the weather from al. >> thank you so much, ann. we've got some folks here, where

are you from? >> chicago. >> chicago. so you couldn't get into jimmy fallon? >> no, i'm not old enough. you have to be 17. i just turned 16. >> you couldn't get on the nbc tour? >> sold out. >> but you got on the "today" show. >> yep. >> forget about fallon. he's no fun anyway. all right. now let's check your weather. that's right. today for all here, ladies and gentlemen. hey, look at these temperatures. 18 degrees above normal in pierre. a little chilly out west. reno going to be 15 degrees below normal. the pacific northwest not looking too bad. 50s and 40s there. 80s from gulf coast on into florida. 90s in southern texas. 40s and 50s here in the northeast. risk of strong storms through the southeast. gulf coast. wet weather into the mid-atlantic states. showers into the pacific northwest. we may have problems tomorrow in augusta, actually starting today, playing the masters. look for windy conditions down in southern we're going to see breezy conditions here in the bay area

today. good morning, temperatures will climb into the 60s. 62 degrees, you'll hit about 61 in san jose, meanwhile, upper 50s by the water, 59 in san francisco. the warm-up is on as of tomorrow. up to 65 degrees, 71 by saturday and easter sunday things start to change. we get a few more clouds and maybe some showers late sunday into monday. after that, we're going to see a mix of sun and clouds and temps in the 60s monday through wednesday. don't forget to get your weather anytime you want. go to the weather channel on table and weather.com. ann? >> duly noted, al. next, an exclusive interview with nude ya suleman, her 14 t kids, public assistance. coming up next, the woman facing major backlash on her article on how other women hate her for being beautiful. that's coming up right after this. ooh! hey, neighbor. hi. hi. that looks good. yeah, it's the new quaker cookie. oh, quaker's finally making cookies?

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it helps satisfy your hunger longer. [ telephone rings ] satisfaction. what will you gain when you lose? some of us may remember that ryan seacrest was here yesterday. it's hard to forget. he certainly made an impression, and matt's interview caught the eye of jay leno. take a look. >> this morning on the "today" show, matt lauer interviewed ryan seacrest about the rumor that seacrest might take over his job. here's a piece of the interview. take a look. >> ryan and i are friendly. we have talked about this, joked about this, there is no tension here. >> they went to commercial break. show what happened right at the commercial break. >> great to see you. >> thank you.

>> i think there's some tension. >> i can't believe they caught that! >> when you catch them off guard is when you have the best shot. >> high chair, it's easier for him to fall. you know, i don't know, whoever at leno, that editor, we need to hire that person. >> that's amazing. >> look at that! look at what a good job they did. >> we have never seen your catlike reflexes. >> like a gazelle. >> you're kind of like that deer kind of came across. >> he's like i am when they put that buffet out. >> i don't know about you guys, i really liked ryan seacrest. he was fun. >> yeah. >> but he wants my job, right? he and i are friendly. unless these rumors become true, then he's dead to me. up next, the huge backlash to a woman's article claiming other women hate her because she's beautiful. we'll hear from that writer for the first time right after this. ♪

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>> that's the one thing that i can't get out of my mind, the picture of him lying in her lap with his head exposed to me, looking into the back of his head, into his brain, his eyes fixed, blood and brains and bone fragments all over the car over mrs. kennedy and myself. >> reporter: they are the iconic images of one of america's darkest days. the assassination of president john f. kennedy. but for former secret service agent clint hill, they are haunting and personal memories. >> i had problems sleeping. i had nightmares. i went into a very deep depression and went into seclusion, got myself with friends and family. >> reporter: for the last 50 years, clint hill resolved never to write the story as the time as jackie kennedy's secret service agent. why had you vowed never to write about your experiences?

>> well, there were many, many happy times, but there were some very, very sad times, very depressing and just painful to do it. >> reporter: in 1960, agent hill, code name dazzle, was assigned to protect the incoming first lady, jacqueline kennedy. from the birth of son, john -- >> well, i was facing the floor like an expectant father, and i had only known her for two weeks. >> reporter: to vacations in hyannis port. >> they were always active, no matter how young or how old. they were always busy doing something. >> reporter: to travels around the world. >> she was very down to earth. you would never have known that she came from the background that she did. >> reporter: dazzle was always one step behind with a watchful eye. there has been a lot written and reported about president kennedy philandering, having extramarital affairs sometimes right under her nose, as it were. what's your reaction to that? do you think it's true? >> well, nothing like that ever happened when i was present.

and i'm not so sure that you can believe everything you read. all i saw was a husband who loved his wife and children and a woman who loved her husband and kids, and they were very, very close. >> reporter: hill says president kennedy and the first lady were especially close the weeks leading up to that fateful trip to dallas. did you have any kind of uneasy felling as you set out on that motorcade? >> none whatsoever, no. just a normal, big-city motorcade that you go through when you're dealing with the presidency. >> reporter: clint hill was riding on the sideboard of the car following the president and first lady when he heard the first shot. what followed was one of the most terrible images of that tragic day, clint rushing to the presidential limo as the president was fatally shot in the head and jackie kennedy climbing out onto the trunk. >> what was she doing? >> there was some materiel from the president's head that had gone off to the right rear, and she had come up on the back of the car trying to retrieve that materiel. she didn't know i was there. i finally got ahold of her and

helped her get it into the back seat. when i did that, the president's body fell to its left into her lap. >> she said something in that moment. >> she said, "they shot his head off and oh, jack, what have they done?" >> reporter: you arrived at the hospital. there was a moment where mrs. kennedy refused to get out of the car. >> i recognized that the problem was she didn't want anybody to see him because it was very -- it was a gory situation. and so i took my coat off, my jacket. and i covered his head and his upper back, and then she let go. >> reporter: the following days, clint hill witnessed some of the most heartbreaking scenes americans have never known about including a private viewing of the fallen president. >> mrs. kennedy and bobby approached the casket and stood there. about that time she turned to me and she said, "mr. hill, will you get me a pair of scissors, please?" so i ran back to the usher's office and got a pair of scissors, gave them to her.

and i stood there and i could hear clip, clip, clip. i knew what was going on. >> reporter: what do you think she did with the scissors? >> she cut a piece of his hair, i'm sure. >> reporter: when you were there and your back was turned and they were with the president in the casket, what did you hear? >> crying, the sign of great remorse, very sad. it was just no words were spoken. >> reporter: to this day, agent hill is moved by the thought of the scene that came to symbolize the grief of a nation, little john john saluting his father. that must have broken your heart. >> it still does. >> reporter: when you read the book, you write about her with such admiration and affection and almost, dare i say it, love for her. >> i've been accused of that. i think that's a little bit too strong an emotion. yes, i admired her a great deal. i really respected her.

i don't think you could really say that i loved her. >> reporter: was she your friend? >> very close friend. yes, we shared a lot of things together. we had a very, very deep bond between the two of us. >> clint hill worked with jackie kennedy's secret service agent for one year following the president's assassination. following that he only saw mrs. kennedy one other time, at the funeral of robert f. kennedy. >> he was where he should have been during that motorcade, and yet i would imagine he feels some guilt. >> he to this day feel some guilt. he talked about that overwhelming feeling of wanting to be there, to do something, but of course he couldn't. >> again, tomorrow, kim kardashian from reality tv star to marketing mogul. she reveals all about life, love this one's for all us lawnsmiths.

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good morning, everyone, time is 7:56. i'm john kelley. new details on who police say was the target of a shooting spree. the university director arriving at the memorial for one of the victims first said she was the original target. police say it was somebody else, but they are not revealing who that is to try and protect that person's safety. in the meantime, the suspect one l goh has been charged with seven counts of murder making his first appearance in court yesterday and showed little emotion as the charges were read to him. at this point, he has not entered a plea. right now, let's check on your forecast and say a warm good morning to christina loren. >> i need that on a morning like this. one degree away from freezing in napa. we are close to freezing in the

north bay. but, now the sun is out, we're going to start warming up. we're doing so in san jose. the winds will strengthen throughout the day today, by this evening turning downright blustery, but they'll drop off as we wake up and meet back here tomorrow morning. temperatures today, not on the warm side just yet, but they will as we head through tomorrow. from 63 degrees today to 65 tomorrow, to 71, brief warm-up through saturday. easter sunday, things start to change a little bit. few more clouds in the afternoon, maybe a few showers, light showers up in the north bay sunday into monday morning. let's check your drive with mike. >> we're still following this accident, christina. folks, if you're heading north of 680, still have that accident involving a car wedged under a big rig. debris to the shoulder slowing from the dublin interchange up the northbound side. southbound side of 680, an accident in the backup that typically heads into danville.

eastbound 237, another accident, unusual there, john. back to you. >> good stuff, mike. thanks a lot. and for the latest, check out nbc bay area on facebook. more local news for you in one-half hour from right now.

8:00 now on a t hu 8:00 now on a thursday morning. it is the 5th day of april, 2012. and we have made our way outside to the plaza to hang out with our crowd. looks like a banana in the audience. anyways, a lot of great people out here in the heart of midtown manhattan. along with matt lauer and al roker, i'm ann curry. this morning, we're talking about nadia suleman. >> that's right. she's the octomom. i'm not sure she likes that so much. when the eight babies was born, she had received a lot of

criticism. she had six other children at the time. she vowed not to go on public assistance. now, her life, in particular her financial life, has taken a dramatic turn. she is in fact taking public assistance and that has caused some more angry reaction. we'll be talking to nadia suleman about what she's facing and how she's trying to deal with it. she's made other fairly controversial decisions in terms of trying to support those children. so that's all doing to come up in a couple of minutes. >> a lot to get to. also, we should have mentioned this earlier in the broadcast, but a legend has returned to studio 1-a. of course we're talking about meredith vieira. she has a story of deception. and she's here to talk about it. >> it's a wild story. >> and talk about wild, have you heard about this woman who wrote this article that other women hate her because she is so beautiful. well, somebody over here said

that's me. well, we are going to talk about this very interesting story and find out what the backlash is all about. >> all right. mean time, let's go inside and get a check of the morning's top stories. savannah is in for natalie this morning. >> good morning. the final autopsy report on whitney houston confirms the singer drowned accidentally in a hotel bathtub in february and it provides some new details about the cocaine use that contributed to her death. she had cocaine throughout her system and that detectives found white crystals and powder residue in her room. although the report does not specifically identify it as cocaine. new concerns from the medical community this morning. sales of prescription pain killers soar. the pharmaceutical boon is fuelling addiction. and the state house voted on

the death penalty. and the latest photos of the notorious mass killer charles manson has been released ahead of his parole hearing next week. he's serving a life sentence for the 1969 murders of actress sharon tate and six others. in politics, mitt romney stepped up his attacks on president obama calling him quote, a hide and seek candidate who does not want to share his real plans before the election. in the meantime, challenger rick santorum who's under some pressure to leave the race says his campaign is taking an easter break to spend time with family and friends. now a quick roundup of what has you talking online. burger king has pulled a controversial ad for a new crispy chicken wrap and apologized to singer mary j. blige. blige said she never signed off on that version of the spot which burger king said was

released prematurely. google is out with a sneak peek at its augmented reality glasses on youtube. the so-called google goggles are connected to the internet so you can stay in touch with your social network while navigating the real world. parodies are popping up. some said it's another dangerous distraction. and matt lauer and ryan seacrest have the search engines chugging in high gear. seacrest visited on wednesday and goofed on the rumors that he was in discussion to take over matt's job. he will however be part of nbc's primetime coverage of the london olympics this summer. now 8:06. back to al for a check of the weather. >> oh, that seacrest, he's so crafty. thanks so much, savannah. we have honeymooners. when did you get married? >> we got married in august, but we're here. >> well, better late than never. happy honeymoon. what's your name? >> fumi.

>> where are you from? >> maryland. >> congratulations. having a good time? >> mm-hmm. >> let's check it out and see what's going on as far as your weather. ilcknvsole, florida, afternoon thunderstorms.nv 87 degrees for a high today. looking pretty good. you can see we have some heavier showers and thunderstorms firing up along the gulf coast. and wet weather in the ohio river valley. some wet weather in the pacific northwest. showers there. windy conditions down through southern california. breezy here in the northeast. temperatures nice and mild. upper plains. th it's a cold but clear start to this thursday morning. good morning. i'm meteorologist christina loren. we're going to see a nice afternoon but it's going to take some time for the sun to warm our temperatures into the 60s. breezy conditions later on. we'll keep that warm-up going all the way into this upcoming saturday when temperatures should strike 70 degrees in the south bay. 61 in san jose.

63 in livermore. 70s coming to the mix saturday. sunday, we cool you off. maybe a few showers up in the north bay sunday night into monday. weather. ann? >> all right, al, thank you so much. coming up next, we're going to hear from aftedya thmar ghriist after this. sears one day sale is this saturday, with friday preview. find the huge savings you've been hunting for

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in a delicious special k protein shake. with 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, it helps satisfy your hunger longer. [ telephone rings ] satisfaction. what will you gain when you lose? back at 8:09, when nadya

suleman gave birth to octuplets back in 2009, she insisted she would never take help to support her 14 children. but now the single mother is receiving assistance from the state of california and making headlines for her latest money-making venture. we'll talk to nadya exclusively in a moment. first, nbc's kristen dahlgren brings us up to date on her story. >> reporter: she's the woman known worldwide as octo-mom. famous in the tabloids, often vilified in the press. nadya suleman has always defended her decision to give birth to octuplets through in vitro fertilization. >> hi, maria. >> reporter: adding them to the six children she already had. >> i've chosen never to go on welfare. i feel as though it is my responsibility to do what i can to provide for my children. >> reporter: but recently suleman admitted to nbc news that she is receiving about $2,000 a month in aid from a state of california program that provides assistance to large families making less than $119,000 a year. and now suleman has a new source

of income. she says the latest public exposure in the british magazine "closer" isn't about fame. >> we've been in for "closure" for many nos now. >> reporter: she received $8,000 for the photo spread, a fraction of what it cost to raise her kids. according to the department of agriculture, the average cost of raising 14 children is an estimated $9,000 a month. >> whoa! >> reporter: "today" viewers witnessed suleman's hectic life firsthand last summer. >> jeremiah. freeze, noah. >> this is for the celebrity wrestling federation bing bang championsh championship. >> reporter: suleman has traded in on her feign before, turned down lucrative offers to do pornography but said she had to do this shoot. >> i can't allow my kids to be homeless. i've never been so terrified in my life. >> reporter: with her attorney saying possible eviction is only

weeks away and 14 little ones depending on her. >> we've got to go! >> reporter: the desperate mom says she'll do what it takes. for "today," kristen dahlgren, nbc news, los angeles. >> nadya suleman, good morning. good to have you with us. >> thank you for having me. >> i remember talking to you shortly after the babies were born. at that point i said, a lot of people are angry about this decision because they don't think there's any obvious way that you can support these children. and you said, "i'll prove them wrong." >> right. >> what happened? >> well, i have for over three years, and i was working, and still am, working as hard as i possibly can to support them. i made that call reluctantly, emotional support from family and friends and professionals saying they deserve it. they deserve it. you need to remove your pride. and i'm, like, it wasn't really just pride because i'm admitting part of it was pride. it was fear.

i was absolutely terrified and receiving thousands upon thousands of death threats. >> i'll get to that in a second. when you looked at this long term and thought you could handle this, do you think you were naive? were you in denial? >> all of the above. i didn't think i could handle -- i need to do prove to myself that i could. i was doing, in my mind, i was doing well. i really was, with the six. it's like three books in and of itself to get back to what my rationalization was where i wanted one more after six. but nonetheless, they're here, and i was -- i still do and i feel ashamed, but, you know, who cares how i feel? who cares about me? it's 100% about my children. they deserve everything. they deserve the best. and it's temporary. and if you don't -- there are so many people -- it's unfortunate how puzzling it is how many people do abuse the system, but if it is used temporarily -- >> you don't feel you're abusing it? >> i just started it. >> right.

>> it's only food stamps. and if you do it temporarily, it's a resource. >> and yet, nadya, as you know, there has been an angry response. almost an "i told you so" response. go ahead. >> it's incessant. it's nonstop. people are saying, you know, nadya, people think you have been on it. who cares if you even do this? they thought you were on it already. >> you say it's temporary. what are you seeing on the horizon that allows you to think you can reverse this? >> it's a priority. regardless of anything, priority is my children. their health, their well-being, their safety. that's number one always. the embarrassing thing i do, it's embarrassing to me. >> i understand. but you say it's temporary that you're taking food assistance and food stamps. >> that's not my thing. >> it's temporary. what do you see on your financial horizon that will allow you to reverse this? >> i'm giving myself -- i'm hoping it won't be more than another two months to be on it. and right now i'm doing octo-mom

tv and getting some advertisements, getting a little revenue that way. i'm also -- i was fortunate enough to do a little movie, and that's going to come out in the fall, "millennium." in addition to that, appearances. in addition to that, there's something called star, i'm far from a star, but i'm someone in the public people can call. >> you have received hate mail. >> thousands upon thousands, unfortunately. >> you have received death threats. what has it been like to go through this and still caring for your 14 children? >> it would take 10 -- it would take 14 books to even begin to tell you a few layers of the onion. there's multiple onions to my life. people -- not only do they not even know about one or two layers of what's really going on in my life, my family's life, but 95% of what's been out from the beginning has been erroneous. lies and rumors. >> these pictures that we showed earlier, you posed topless for this women's magazine. >> i didn't see it until just a

few days ago. >> in britain. you got $8,000 for it. >> $10,000, but 20% -- >> you ended up with $8,000 for it. it raises the question, what else would you be willing to do to make money? you have said you will never touch another person. >> i won't touch another human flesh. the only flesh i was touching was my own. >> pornography, off the table. >> $100 million, nothing. i would never, ever accept anything. >> what kind of other offers are you receiving? >> i will not lose the grip of my deeply indoctrinated morals and values. every choice we parents make is going to significantly affect our children for the rest of their lives. and it's going to haunt them forever. and also, they will interject our values as parents. so i have to be the ultimate positive role model. now, they know -- i raise them with 100% honesty and authenticity. and they know everything. so it's not like in 10, 20 years it's going to be a shock. yeah, i'm raising them openly. >> you're saying to these children as they get older --

>> communication. >> -- your mother was willing to do what it took. >> not when they get older. now. >> but your mom is willing to do what it takes to support you. >> yes. as long as i can. >> and you say that's something to be applauded. >> i believe in the future, people in retrospect will look back and that it will unfortunately take many, many years to get respect and to actually be -- because i have received many, many e-mails, you know, letters. i'm not -- from women and men -- saying they actually look up to me and i'm a role model and inspiration in regard to how to remain strong and being faced with such incredie impediments and adversity. >> in the 30 seconds i have left, nadya, are you at all worried this situation financially could deteriorate to the point where social services has to step in and break up this family? >> they -- that will never happen, and i can guarantee you on that. and the child protective services, they're open-minded. we talk. we've talked for years. they laugh at the situation, the

hundreds of people, random people, call on a daily basis, and it's sick and sad. and to me, unbelievably fascinating in regards to huchlity how many people are foaming at the mouth for my children to be taken away from me. and thriving, healthy, advanced, and i potty trained all eight on my own. i've had no help for a year and a half. nonetheless, i guarantee you this is the saddest part, 15 years from now when they're 18 and legal and in college, people will still be foaming at the mouth for them to be taken and they'll be legal. that's what's sad. >> nadya suleman, thank you. >> thank you for talking to me. 18 minutes after the hour. up next, we'll hear from the woman who's taking heat for her article on how other women hate her for being beautiful. it's right after this. [ female announcer ] it's 9:00 pm...

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[ chuckles ] isn't easter fun, red? [ grunts ] not from my perspective! ♪ back now at 8:21 with a woman who has set off a firestorm online and even some discussion here in our studio. she wrote an article entitled "there are down sides to looking this pretty. why women hate me for being

beautiful." it seems that everyone has an opinion about this. nbc's tamron hall first join says us with details. >> good morning. the reaction has been swift and emotional. some people saying, i wish i had her confidence. others slamming her. ♪ don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me ♪ >> reporter: you know the saying about beauty being in the eye of the beholder. well, this woman claims she is beautiful and has found herself in the eye of the storm after writing in a widely read article that she is hated for being beautiful. in the last few days, millions of women have read, forwarded, commented on and often criticized samantha brick's article in britain's "daily mail" newspaper. in it, brick writes that she is so beautiful that on a recent flight to new york, i was delighted when a stewardess came over and gave me a bottle of champagne. this is from the captain. he wants to welcome you on board. as i was walking through london's portobello road market,

i was tapped on the shoulder and presented with a beautiful bunch of flowers. even bartenders frequently shoo my credit card away when i try to settle my bill. nice perks of beauty? no, samantha who is 41 says she can't wait for some wrinkles and some gray because "other women hate me for no other reason than my lovely looks. i've been dropped by countless friends who felt threatened if i was merely in the presence of their other halves. insecure female bosses have also barred me from promotions at work." in an interview on british tv today, samantha had this to say. >> women do not like attractive women. and that has been proved to me by the messages i've had on twitter. there are thousands of vile e-mails of my personal account, the messages i've had on my iphone. >> did you ever think that maybe there's more to life than being really, really, really ridiculously good-looking? >> reporter: samantha, a british woman who lives with her husband in france, may or may not be beautiful, but her remarks have

caused a cascade of comments. over 5,000 on "the mail" website a alone. from supportive, this woman has everything. she has a face like a bulldog chewing on a watch. and even "i've heard of beer-goggles. samantha brick would appear to possess a beer mirror." that one got retweeted over 2,000 times. >> why is it in england that it's so outrageous to say you are attractive? she's attractive. >> you're dreaming. >> reporter: everyone, it seems, has an opinion. sfwhoo her pie >> even if you are the most beautiful woman in the world or the least beautiful woman in the world, if you write a piece like that, people are going to respond very poorly. >> reporter: samantha maintains the internet storm just proves she's right, showing that maybe you can be too beautiful, after all. ♪ to me in a follow-up piece, brick said

she never could have imagined the fury she would spawn. she add the the day after her article appeared was among the most horrendous of her life. >> tamron hall, thank you so much. my sense is when i first was hearing some of these comments that she wrote, i thought she was doing it sort of tongue in cheek. >> satire? >> yeah, that's what i was thinking. >> i think it was probably april fool's day. >> it was but then she hasn't backed off in further interviews and blogs. in a follow-up article, tamron mentioned one. in another, she said that this is not only a gender issue, it's a geographic one. she wrote, "i've lived and worked in los angeles. i doubt that such reaction to my piece would have happened there. for in the u.s. you're expected to look good and you're rightly applauded for it." so do you think this is geographical in any way? >> no. because there have been comments here, too. people thought it was offensive because she talked about how beautiful she was. >> i'm surrounded by beauty right here. coming up, prince william has opened up in a rare

interview about his grandmother after your local news. good morning, everyone. it's now 8:26. i'm jon kelley. police now have the driver in custody who caused a gas leak. victoria bristo was arrested. the 41-year-old now charged with driving under the influence. police say she crashed her suv right into a parked car and into a house near highway 85 and camden avenue. that crash dislodged the home's gas meter which caused a leak and forced an evacuation. hopefully nothing like that that going on today. mike inouye is here to tell us about the traffic. hopefully smooth sailing.

>> smoother. but look at the congestion. this is an accident causing the back-up. we expect that. there are a couple of accidents in the area but they are moving to the shoulder. going to the left side of your screen, that's northbound 17 and northbound 880 crossing over the freeway where northbound 880 continues on our maps. look at all this red. no earlier accidents near that interchange. there is one on great america parkway. south bay is slow, jon. >> appreciate the update. for the latest, make sure to check out nbc bay area on facebook. [ female announcer ] this is the story of sam,

who made an unexpected arrival. [ woman ] he was 4 months early, weighing 1 pound, 12 ounces. [ female announcer ] fortunately, sam was born at sutter health's alta bates summit medical center. [ woman ] the staff was remarkable. they made me feel safe, trusting, cared for. [ giggles ] they saved his life. i owe all of them my son. [ female announcer ] alta bates summit medical center and sutter health -- our story is you.

we are back now at 8:30 on a thursday morning, 5th day of april, 2012. start of the easter break for a lot of people. we've got a big crowd out on the plaza. happy to have these people here. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry. savannah guthrie and mr. al roker. and meredith vieira's back this morning, and she's bringing us the story that i think is absolutely unbelievable. it's a story about a woman who

in some ways became the face of the 9/11 attacks. she told an emotional story of her personal loss and recovery. the only problem, none of it was true. meredith is going to shed some light on why she did this coming up in just a little while. >> my goodness, it does sound like a head turner. by the way, i just want to make sure we all notice that meredith would no longer like to be called a legend. she wants to be called an icon. >> thank you. >> the word "icon," people. also, we're going to be talking about a book that's just come out about the queen. it marks her jubilee in her position in the royal family. and for this book, the author actually got the first interview for a book with prince william. we're going to find out what he had to say to the author who's going to be in our studio coming up. and then, if you're already still planning your easter menu, we've got some great suggestions from chef danielle bellews to bring you the perfect lamb dinner.

oh, my goodness. >> my segment. that is mine. i will be locking the door. >> no, no! >> we're all coming in on this one. >> is that really the easter spirit? >> that's my easter spirit. also, "today's professionals" are here. among the topics, parents making other parents sign waivers before playdates. and just not just parents who are lawyers, by the way. >> so you can't be sued. >> you are kidding me. >> i kid you not. i think the professionals will have opinions about this. >> i do myself. i've got an opinion about that myself. meantime, let's find out about the weather. >> i think that's a good idea, but i'm going to make you sign a waiver before i give you the forecast. for tomorrow, looking at wet weather in the pacific northwest. much of the country looking pretty good. a few morning shower as long the southeastern atlantic coast. then on saturday, we've got sunny but cool conditions in the northeast, ohio river valley, showers down in southern florida.

clouds in the pacific northwest coast. showers in central texas. on easter sunday, look for rain northern california into the pacific northwest. hit-or-miss showers and thunderstorms in central texas. nice and mild for your easter bonnet and mid-atlantic states into the northeast and the southeast. that's what's going on around the country. well, it's a cold start to the day. but we've got tons of sunshine out there this morning. good morning. i'm meteorologist christina loren. it's crisp out there. mild and breezy later on. temperatures touching on the 70s as we hit peak warmth saturday afternoon. 61 in san jose. 58 in san francisco. a little warmer tomorrow. to 65 inland. we'll hit 71 saturday. eerser sunday looks good. a few showers arrive overnight sunday into monday. have a great day. your weather anytime of the day or night whenever you need it. go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com. >> i love that. that's very useful. thanks so much, al. coming up, we want to mention that kim kardashian is going to be on our broadcast tomorrow. we want to make sure people mark their calendars.

there's a lot to ask her about including that flower donning as they call it. we've got a real icon in our studio, meredith vieira. >> no icon. >> she's actually the queen. she's the queen. >> with an important story coming up. but first, this is "today" on nbc. we love you, meredith! >> yeah, yeah. [ male announcer ] at green giant we know nature gives us the most nutritious of gifts. but only when they are ready to be given. that's why green giant picks vegetables at their peak. ...and freezes them fast, locking in nutrients ...for you to unwrap. ♪ ho, ho, ho. green giant this reduced sodium soup says it may help lower cholesterol, how does it work? you just have to eat it as part of your heart healthy diet. step 1. eat the soup.

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and receive $25 off your registration fee. because everyone deserves a lifetime. back now at 8:36. back now at 8:36. of all the survivor stories to emerge from the 9/11 attacks, tanya heads became well known. she described how she escaped from the 78th floor of the south tower of the world trade center but lost her fiance in the north tower. she became an outspoken leader of the world trade center survivors network. even giving a tour of ground zero to new york politicians like mayors giuliani and bloomberg and governor pataki. but it turns out head's story was completely fabricated.

now her tale of deception is outlined in a new book and documentary called "the woman who wasn't there." the documentary produced by meredith vieira productions, meredith serves as an executive producer. she's here along with rob and gaby fisher and the director who co-authored the book. good morning to all of you. >> good morning. >> good morning, matt. >> i read this and shook my head over and over again that how could this have happened? how did you find out about the story? >> it was funny, when this story was first reported in 2007 in "the new york times," i guess it passed over me. i did not remember it at all. angelo came to us with basically a promo reel, a trailer, for this documentary he was working on. and it blew me away. and immediately we thought, this is a psychological suspense thriller. >> the lengths that this woman went to to convince people that she was the center of this american tragedy, where exactly was she? did she say she was when these planes hit the world trade center? >> she said that she was in the

south tower, and she said she was on the 78th floor sky lobby, and she goes into great detail about how she walks the wing of the united airliner go through and how her assistant was beheaded. everyone around her was burned. >> she says she lost her fiance in the north tower. >> yeah. >> she talked about meeting a dying man on her way out of the building who gave her his wedding ring. >> yes. >> and asked her to return it to his wife. she told about a young man in a red bandana who helped her escape but died himself. turns out there was such a guy. but she never met him. she even contacted that young man's family and was invited to speak at his memorial service. the detail, angelo, is extraordinary. >> oh, it was -- it's hard to believe even to this day, even with knowing her and going through the process of writing the book and making the film, you still can't believe that she actually was never who she said she was. >> best guess right now, from

all the information you have, where was she, actually, on the day of those 9/11 attacks? >> my best guess is that she was in barcelona, spain. she was about to enter her -- >> thousands of miles away. >> oh, yeah, yeah. she was about to enter her second year of graduate school in the mba program at a very prominent school in barcelona. classes began on the 19th, so she made no mention of being in the towers or having suffered the attacks. >> she got a lot of these details by reading the newspaper, basically. so let's take a look at the clip from the documentary. here is tanya head. >> every year when i go to the grave, i bring a new york city cab and put it in the reflection pool so that he knows i remember him. >> you guys say this wasn't about money.

this was about acceptance. >> this was about -- i think it's about acceptance. why else would she do it? when she was growing up, she had a real craving, a real need for attention. and that just got bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger. she wanted celebrity. >> she was the person who created the world trade center survivors network. she became the voice of survivors of this tragedy. >> and she gave them a voice, which is why it's so confusing to them afterwards. then you find out she's lying. > . >> and that role did a lot of good things, actually. but she had no business being in that role. >> none. absolutely none. >> no. she really wanted to help. you know, to know tanya, there were two sides of her. there was this authentic humanitarian side that wanted to help people. and then she had another side where she had to be not just a survivor but the survivor. >> she was finally brought down by a reporter for "the new york times" who was researching a profile on her and realized this

story just didn't add up. what was her reaction when she was exposed? >> well, you know, i went to her apartment -- >> you got to know her. >> -- about the time the article came out, because we were good friends. and she could not believe what was happening at that point. and i saw the two sides of her. you know, there was a side that was completely disoriented and completely just -- she just could not believe that this was actually happening. and then there was the other side where she knew what was happening and knew that she was trapped. >> and she basically disappeared. however, you ran into her on the street a couple of times. the last scene in the documentary, you start with just the very beginning of an encounter where you took a come ra and confronted her. that turned that encounter into a bit of rage on her part, yet you didn't put it in the documentary. why? >> well, you know, in the book, the character of the filmmaker, my relationship with tanya was well documented. in the movie, there's just no time for that. and we felt like bringing it in

at the very end would have posed more questions than answers. >> meredith, real quickly in the ten seconds i have left, what's the lesson? what should we take away from it? >> you know, i hope it's not to distrust everybody. what i notice with the survivors talking after the fact when they realize tanya had been lying to them, many were angry. many were hurt. but the capacity for forgiveness was also there. and i thought that was fascinating. >> a remarkable story. remarkable. meredith, thank you, robin, angelo. >> thank you. >> and again, the book is "the woman who wasn't there." you can catch the premiere of the documentary on april 17th on "investigation discovery." up next, prince william opens up in a rare interview about his grandmother, the queen. but first, this is "today" on nbc. t, this is "today" on nbc. [ female announcer ] what would you call an ordinary breakfast pastry

that's been wrapped in a flaky crust stuffed with a gooey center toasted up all golden brown then given a delicious design? a toaster strudel. pillsbury toaster strudel. so delicious...so fun. [ 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? back now back now at 8:44. the queen is celebrating her

diamond jubilee this year, 60 years on the throne. now a new book is shedding light on the long-reigning monarch through the eyes of some of her closest family members and staff. and the book is called "her majesty." and the author is now joining us. his name is robert hardman. good morning. >> good morning. >> you call this not a life story as much as it is a portrait based on your unprecedented access to the queen's staff. who is the woman they reveal? >> what we see is someone who behind the veneer, a very traditional, very conservative figure is someone who's really been an extraordinary royal radical who's changed this institution on the inside more than anyone, really, in the last 100 years. >> how did she change it? >> she listened. the monarchy went through a bad patch in the '90s, no question. and rather than retreating, she decided we've got to change the way we do things, cut the staff costs in half, the way to the public is different.

and we're seeing the results now. she's much happier. she's smiling now. she's got the younger generation coming on. we've seen some great events over the last year or so. it's really coming together just in time for this great anniversary celebration. >> just at a time when you think she might want to just have a quieter life. the queen herself never get an interview, so you didn't get access to her. but did you get the sense that given you got this green light, that there was a story that the royal family, the institution itself, wanted you to tell the? >> well, i've been a royal correspondent for a number of years. it always struck me that the public persona is different from the private persona. i wanted to see more of that. i tried to get inside. luckily i was lucky enough to get two years of privileged access interviewing everybody from the prime ministers and the top officials all the way down to cooks and footmen and chauffeurs and members of the family. >> in fact, that's the most, i think, important moment, important point to make here is that you notably interviewed prince william for his first-ever interview for a book. were there any restrictions? >> no, not at all. he was very relaxed.

i wrote it -- it was after the wedding. look, i have been writing this book about your grandmother for two years. i'd love to talk to you. as you say, the queen's never given an interview. i wanted to find out what it would be like as a 25-year-old. you can't ask the queen, but here's a guy in his 20s who could probably answer that question better than anyone else. i had a lot chat in his remarkably small office, actually, quite a modest office. he shares it with kate, the duchess, and prince harry, it's almost like an episode of "friends." this little study, three desks, but they're never all there at the same time. >> where is this? >> st. james's palace, a very cozy setup. we had a really good chat and covered all sorts of ground. >> you talked to him for about an hour? >> yeah, we had a wonderful chat about the royal wedding because when he went to his first wedding-planning meeting, he was handed this long list of 777 people he had to invite. he said, i don't know any of this people. what do i do? he said, i know. he rang up the queen. he said, what do i do?

she said, this is your big day. does your friends first and then we'll worry about it. >> she did tell him what to wear, however. >> he said there were some things that you couldn't negotiate on. she was adamant on the uniform, the irish guard. >> you asked him about his -- wa sense of history he's getting from his grandmother who knew winston churchill, who's spoken to nelson mandela, clinton, obama. you also asked him about how he thinks about himself as being the future king. what was your sense about what he takes from her and his sense about whether he will take over after her? >> mm-hmm. he certainly has a sense that she really is the exemplar. he's very proud of the way she's handled her reign. he really looks up to her as, you know, he said if i could do it as well as her, i'd just be delighted. but he's in no hurry. this idea that somehow that monarchs these days are itching to get their hands on the

throne, once you're a monarch these days, you're constrained much more than the old days. he said these days i'm very happy flying my helicopter. he's with the royal air force. he just got married. he's very happy, building a family life. he's got no desire to get stuck into state affairs for a very long time. >> so did he actually say that he would be fine if his father became king first? >> well, he's accepted it. there's no issue in the royal family. it's absolutely what will happen. those are the rules. those are the rules of monarchy. you go from one monarch to the next. you don't skip a generation. and prince charles, he's been the longest serving heir to the throne ever. he really does get a very good sense of what he needs to do. so no, there will be no jumping a generation. he's going to wait, william. and when his time comes, i'm sure he'll be brilliant at it. >> after two years, the book is called "your majesty," thank you very much for this inside look at the royal family. >> thank you. coming up next, preparing a classic easter feast for your family. oh, salivate. let's do that after your local

news. this is "today" on nbc. ay" on n. when i take a picture of this check, it goes straight to the bank. oh. oh look the lion is out! no mommy no! don't worry honey, it only works on checks. deposit checks from your smartphone with chase quickdeposit.

just snap a picture, hit send and done. take a step forward and chase what matters. "today celebrates easter" is brought to you by m&ms. bring m&m's home this easter. >> this morning on "today celebrates easter," a classic holiday dinner. chef daniel is here with great

recipes that he features at his restaurant here in new york city. daniel, good to see you. good morning. >> good morning to you. >> happy holidays. >> how are you? >> thank you. we're making a classic leg of lamb provincial, and that is a huge hunk of meat. >> yes, it's beautiful, and that would feed a family for easter. first you take a leg of lamb about seven to nine pounds. >> can you get something like that at a supermarket? >> you can get that at the supermarket. you can ask and make sure you get that. >> all right. >> and then you season it the day before. >> with what? >> salt, pepper, rosemary, spice, a little bit of fennel, a little bit of cracked pepper. >> okay. >> and then you roast it. then you take it out. like you roast it on both sides. you take it out. then you put a nice vegetable, celery, onion, carrots and garlic. so this year we're celebrating 11th anniversary at the bearee .

>> congratulations. >> in midtown. and we have a wonderful chef from provence there. that's why i'm making leg of lamb. >> once you've herbed that, it sits in the refrigerator overnight in. >> yes. >> six hours or so. >> you take it out for an hour. >> get it back to room temperature. >> exactly. and then you roast it. and then you put the vegetable, you put that back. and now it's going to be between a roast and a braise. and then the leg of lamb gets deglazed with white wine around. like that. >> is this a really slow process in terms of this process? >> exactly. and the leg of lamb gets cooked at about 280 degrees for, i will say, between five and six hours. so when you get up in the morning, you stuff your lamb and you put it in the refrigerator. you have time to go to church, or you have time to do what you want in the morning, play golf. >> how do you know when this is actually done? do you use a meat thermometer? >> well, look at this beautiful leg of lamb here.

this is braised. what you do is you keep basting it while it's cooking. every half hour you baste it with the white wine and the chicken stocky put around. >> but you don't want to overcook this. how do you know you're not overcooking it? >> because you have the oven at 280 degrees which will carry slowly rather than too fast. >> okay. >> i mean, if you want to cook a leg of lamb like this in, let's say, an hour and a half, then you count about ten minutes per pound on the roast and about five minutes resting per pound. so that's kind of a good gauging. and you put the oven at 445 in that case. >> okay. >> but here it's twice the time. >> half the temperature. okay, good. >> absolutely. i have a beautiful vegetable. so this you see after five to six hours of cooking, it's really, really beautiful. >> that's my piece. i like the outside piece. >> and you want the lamb to be sightly pink but also totally

cooked to the bone. >> okay. >> and that's the beauty of that preparation. >> so you just mentioned the vegetable real quickly. so just talk about some of the vegetables. sundried tomatoes. >> it's springtime. so we have baby tomatoes, carrots, spring onion, and, of course, we have beautiful peas, asparagus and snow peas, tomatoes and zucchini. each vegetable on its own. >> oh, guys, gosh, i'm sorry. >> unlock the door! >> he looked the door! >> unlock the door. >> i don't think i'm supposed to remove that. sorry. let me go back to trying this. daniel -- >> so you can have that leg of lamb at b.b. bistro for easter. oh, look at that! my lamb. i want to give you the best part, al. >> oh, yes! >> it's what we call in french the suree, the little mouth.

>> that's what we call matt, actually. >> that's the rat. >> we never call you a rat. >> happy easter, everyone. just ahead, "today's professions"re. h r local news. good morning. i'm laura garcia-cannon. this morning, the man accused of brutally killing a family of five is due back in court in a san francisco courtroom. the charges make him eligible

for the death penalty. but the d.a. says he will not make it a capital case. let's check the forecast with meteorologist christina loren. >> it's deceptive sunshine out there. good morning. you can see, clear as a bell but very cold. temperatures still in the upper 30s in many cities across the bay. headed towards the 60s later on. 63 degrees inland. good-looking weekend ahead. showers hold off until the second half of sunday. happiness located? who owns it? who keeps it? if we fall down; if we fail; where can we fall back to, to that place where we are most happy? we think about these things when we make tillamook ice cream.

the purer, the happier, the very center... of happiness.

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honey nut cheerios. it's a win win. good? [ crunching, sipping ] be happy. be healthy. can i try yours? we're back now with more of "today" on a thursday morning. it's the 5th of april, 2012. it's a slightly brisk day here in new york city. about 43 degrees. a little cool. but you know what? it doesn't seem to matter. we're well into spring and having a good time as the easter holiday approaches. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, al roker and tamron hall. and coming up, nearly a month after the death of whitney houston, the coroner has now finally released a final report on her death. >> that's right. and we want to report to you that it's been confirmed that it was an accidental drowning and that cocaine was found in houston's system. and there also are some more details about drug

paraphernalia, what appears to be drug paraphernalia that was found throughout her hotel room on the day that she died. so we'll have more coming up in a report about that. and then on another note, we've got our "today's professionals" all convened once again. and they'll be tackling all sorts of interesting topics from the plunging necklines that girls are wearing to prom. should schools have something to do about that? no more short skirts or anything like that. also, why some parents are actually asking other parents to sign waivers before they allow their kids to have playdates. donny, dr. nancy and star will weigh in on that. we should make them sign a waiver before they start. then in "today's health," answers to the questions you're simply too embarrassed to ask your doctor, everything from a low sex drive to ingrown hairs and varicose veins. we'll have some of those answers to what could be causing a few of those problems. meantime, i'm having a total chick crush on tamron this morning.

look how great. because you look so cute. you are so beautiful! right? right? come on! come on! anyway. >> slightly awkward. >> we know what that means. anyway, let's get back inside. >> not that there's anything wrong with that. we're going to go inside and get a check of the morning's top stories. you guys stop. sometimes you just turn into juvenile delinquents. yes, all the time. savannah, save us. she's in for natalie. >> all right, thanks, guys. we'll get to the news. new details about the death of whitney houston whose body was found in a beverly hills hotel almost two months ago now. the final autopsy report was released on wednesday. and nbc's rehema ellis is here with more. rehema, what's in this final report? >> savannah, nothing changes with the coroner's final report, and the conclusion that it was an accidental drowning. we now know new details about what was found in her hotel room at the time of her death. according to the report, items found in the bathroom include a small spoon with a white crystal-like substance in it.

toxicology reports show houston used cocaine before she collapsed and drowned in the hotel bathtub. in a drawer they found remnants of a white powdery substance and a portable mirror. but that substance is never specifically identified as cocaine. the report also details a virtual pharmacy inside the hotel suite with pills used to treat such things as anxiety disorders and resistance to infections. and according to the report, police found houston's body had been removed from the bathtub to the living room floor and rigor mortis had begun. she showed signs that a defibrillator kit had been used. houston's nose had been bleeding, and she had superficial injuries to her body. houston's family has not commented so far. and the beverly hills police department says it wants more time to review the report before making any statements, savannah. >> thank you so much. the u.n. says it hopes for a cease-fire between syrian troops and opposition forces to be in place within a week. the u.n. statement came as syrian troops launched what's

described as a major assault on a suburb of damascus. today a pretrial hearing for former penn state assistant football coach jerry sandusky. he's facing 52 criminal counts for allegedly abusing ten boys over 15 years. sandusky is trying to have those charges dismissed. he's scheduled to go on trial in two months. five former new orleans police officers were sentenced wednesday to prison terms ranging from 6 to 65 years in connection with the deadly shootings of unarmed civilians in the wake of hurricane katrina. they were convicted of civil rights violations and a cover-up, conspiring to plant a gun, and fabricate witnesses to justify the shootings. police shot six people, killing two of them on a bridge less than a week after katrina hit. new census figures show that for the first time in more than two decades, more americans are staying closer to the big cities rather than moving to suburbs. economists say a struggling housing market and high gas prices may explain that shift. a state trooper says there

was something unusual about a car that cut him off and then drove into an hov lane in washington state. so he pulled the car over, and here's what he found. an inflatable doll wearing a sweatshirt. it turned out to be an expensive commute for the driver and his dummy friend. it cost almost $250 in fines. it is 9:05. back to al with a check of the weather. but it is tempting to do something like that, right? >> turns out he was the dummy. not really the way to go. where's waynesfield? >> just outside in ohio. >> you're not sure, though. in ohio. >> in ohio. >> in ohio. there you go. bright shirts. we've got another area of severe weather showing up. east of the where we saw severe storms the last 48 hours. look at all of that moisture coming up. and that's from new orleans, jackson up to nashville, out to

augusta where we could be looking at problems for the masters today. you can see those showers and thunderstorms firing up. gowey.rn've tot ado watches in effect throughout parts of the area as well. rainfall amounts anywhere from one to three inches along the southeastern atlantic coast back on into the appalachians. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your it's a crisp and clear start to this thursday morning. good morning. i'm meteorologist christina loren. still cold out there. you'll need the jacket. we'll hit the 60s later on in san jose. 61 degrees. 65 in fremont. and just the upper 50s in santa cruz and san francisco today. a little bit warmer tomorrow. up to 65 degrees inland. the 70s return saturday into sunday. maybe some rain showers for the second half of sunday. you should be a-okay for that early easter morning egg hunt. that's your latest weather. now here's savannah. ♪ and i be taking care of business ♪ >> so dramatic. now to "today's professionals."

our panel of power players weighing in on a hot topic making news. star jones is an attorney and author. donny deutsch is chairman deutsche incorporated and dr. nancy snyderman, not too bad either, nbc's chief medical editor. good morning, professionals. >> she gets more joy out of crushing sarah palin than me. >> you're her favorite person to punch. you always will be. let's start with the o.j. simpson case. it's back. there is a new book that's stirring some controversy, as you might expect, the author contends that he's done his own investigation and points the finger at simpson's son, jason. star, i'll let you start on this. >> you know, i feel like every time i try to get out of this case, they pull me back in. i've been covering it now for almost 20 years. jason had an alibi at the time. and he's the old of the son. and believe me, the police did more investigation than anybody could ever imagine on whether or not jason would have had the time to have left his kitchen and get there and commit these murders. i just think it's the most fascinating trial because people

still have their own theories of how it went down. >> which brings me to my point with donny. there's still a cottage industry around the o.j. simpson case. >> this is a guy selling a book. who are we kidding? i don't think anybody in their right mind thinks o.j. was innocent, even though he was found so by the grand jury. i do believe that, but they're saying their son is also african-american. my point is this is a guy selling a book. give me a break. >> i was just curious what star thought. she covered the trial. we've never talked about it. >> actually, i would have never found him guilty based on the evidence in the criminal trial. >> because of mark fuhrman? >> mark fuhrman was just one aspect. there was so much reasonable doubt in that courtroom. no question whatsoever. >> do you think he did it? that's a separate question. >> in the civil trial, i absolutely would find him liable, no question whatsoever, absolutely. the case went in perfectly in the civil trial. in the criminal trial, there was enough reasonable doubt that anyone could have found him not

guilty. >> there's a difference between innocent and not guilty. >> there's absolutely a difference, but that's the criminal justice system in america. >> you guys both think he did it? >> yes. >> okay. we'll move on, then. all right. prom dress codes. okay, it's prom season, everybody. so apparently there's been kind of a crackdown on how risque these prom dresses can get, and they can get pretty risque. west lawrence high school in dexter, georgia, actually created a slide show that showed appropriate and inappropriate, what you can wear, what you can't wear. nancy, do you think this is a good idea? >> i have no problem with this at all. this is not the "golden globes." there's are teenagers going to a prom, and the school's in charge. if there's a dress code, girls, suck it up and wear appropriate attire. >> even these are kind of sexy. >> look, i'm a dad of girls. >> but they aren't prom ready yet. >> thank goodness for that. my older one is. it's up to the parents. every time we do -- listen to me. >> i am. >> we put it on the media and we put it on the schools. to me, you are taking away what i think is the obligation of a

parent to make it happen. >> but donny, if the parents were rising to the occasion, maybe you wouldn't need these guidelines. >> look, save something that is pornographic or save something you couldn't wear on television -- it's a slippery slope. >> if sarah palin were here today, you and sarah palin would be on the exact same page. >> it's a slippery slope. to me, it's about the parents. my daughters would never be in an inappropriate dress because i am the parent. >> don't you remember that young girl, the one that wanted to have the high school picture with her booty up and i called it a stripper pose? her mother was sitting there right next to her, bravo, baby. >> i think this whole slutty dress thing is horrible. who draws the line? a skirt up to here? i think the school has a right, if some woman is wearing something that in any form would be -- you couldn't wear on this show because it's either showing something you couldn't show, but i think it's a dangerous thing, and it's up to the parents. and shame on the parents if they

can't take care of it. >> there is a double stashndard. if the photograph can't go on the mantel next to jesus -- >> i don't know if you've been to a bar mitzvah or not. >> sex symbol. >> the guidelines aside, do you think prom dresses, young women's dresses have gotten too sexy in. >> everything has. you go on halloween, it's not a nurse, it's a slutty nurse. it's not a teacher. slutty is the new black for women. >> wow, that's catchy. that's going right on bumper stickers. >> fashion is so wrong. >> our next topic. i know you'll weigh in on this. the masters tournament and women. once again, it's drawing criticism in some quarters because it still refuses to admit women as members. it's come up again because ibm, a longtime sponsor, now has a ceo who is a woman. and the head of the club is really peppered with questions from reporters about this. >> i think that what she's done

at this point is say it's up to the board and we're going to go sponsor. i think she's missing a tremendous opportunity. >> i agree. >> she's a ceo and a woman. to come out and say, hey, look. when you sponsor something, you are literally endorsing it. and to all of our female employees and our female customers, this is not the appropriate venue for us. they can find millions of ways to spend their money. i think she's missing an opportunity. >> by that measure, why doesn't every ceo who is a sponsor of the masters do it? >> by the way, i think the fact that she's a woman is a major opportunity for her on behalf of ibm -- i think ibm would look great in it. why don't they do it? we all know the reason. >> no, why won't they do it? >> ibm does not do the masters. >> you know why they lovitz sponsors? because they love going down there and taking -- by the way, you don't need the masters. you can spend -- you can spend that money any way and reach the same audience. >> let's let the ladies in on this. do you think the masters should

have to admit women? >> i don't think that they should have to admit women. >> you're kidding me. >> no. >> i think they should. >> it's a private club, but they shouldn't have to have my money. that's the difference. >> okay. >> see, they have a right to say -- their membership. >> i don't agree with that. >> it's a private club, so legally they have the right to say. >> how about morally? >> absolutely. >> but i wouldn't support them either. >> do you think they have a right -- >> the female ceo should set the trend. >> wait a second. >> it's an antiquated rule. >> do they have a right to say no blacks? >> no. >> you said they have a right. >> i do believe that they can distinguish. if they don't want blacks, they don't want whites. >> you're full of baloney. if this was about black people -- >> i just wouldn't play at their club. >> you'd be on here tooting your horn. and rightfully so. you'd have a right to. >> no, i disagree with you. >> it is illegal for them to say they don't want black people? >> it's illegal for race

purposes. it's illegally for you when it's a public accommodation. this is a private club. >> but if the masters says, because they admitted tiger woods, saying he was going to win, but they did it because they knew he had a chance to win. >> i don't know if they would have black people otherwise. >> they don't. >> no, no. i actually think -- >> this is -- >> it's antiquated. it's antiquated. >> are you going to boycott the masters and not watch? >> i have no masters. i think they have one jew, and i have a big issue with it. enough is enough. this is america, kids. we're in 2012. this is bad stuff. >> we don't think this is a good idea, donny. the point is, this is a private club. the law does not prohibit it. that's my point. >> so boycott the masters. >> there's your answer. >> are you here to have a whole debate on hot topics, and you have not disappointed today. star, donny, dr. nancy, thanks. coming up next, from cold sores to a low libido, we are answering your embarrassing health questions, the things you

don't want to talk about with your doctor, we're going to talk about them live here on television. and later, dressing to topress the next time you go out on a date night. but first, these messages. sweet, nutty crunchy nut... can't wait 'til morning. wait.

♪ it's morning in the himalayas... [ male announcer ] it's sweet. it's nutty. it's absolutely delicious. kellogg's crunchy nut. it's morning somewhere. and the family car to do an experiment. we put a week of her family's smelly stuff all in at once to prove that new febreze car vent clips could eliminate the odor. then we brought her family to our test facility to see if it worked. [ woman ] take a deep breath. tell me what you smell. something fresh. a beach. a clean house. my new car. [ woman ] go ahead and take your blindfolds off. oh! [ laughs ] look at all this garbage! [ male announcer ] introducing new febreze car. eliminates odors for continuous freshness so you can breathe happy.

carol. fiber makes me sad. oh common. and how can you talk to me about fiber while you are eating a candy bar? you enjoy that. i am. [ male announcer ] fiber beyond recognition. fiber one. # this morning on "today's health," your embarrassing questions answered. we all have health concerns, but some aren't exactly easy to bring up with your doctor. so here to help us out is dr. carrie peterson, an internist and contributor to "women's health" magazine. good morning. good to see you.

>> good morning, tamron. >> a lot to get to. and i love the fact that -- this is true -- a lot of people are too embarrassed sometimes to ask questions. >> oh, absolutely. we're talking about some touchy questions. >> touchy but real. here's the first one. my friend had a sip of my drink and had a cold sore. i kept drinking it. what are the chances that i get one? >> ooh, that's a good question. let's just talk about what we mean when we say a cold sore. a cold sore is the blister that happens outside the mouth. >> on the lip area? >> on the lip area. it's not a canker sore, which is the ulcer that happens on the inside of the mouth when you chew your lip or bite your cheek. so are cold sores contagious? they are. they are transmitted through skin-to-skin contact. that is pretty well known because the blisters can shed the virus. >> right. >> they also can be spread even if you don't have the blister. but here are the questions about are they spread? the answer is possibly. possibly. what we know is that the herpes virus can survive on surfaces in

warm, humid environments for four hours. studies have demonstrated that. now, is a cup warm and humid? no. but -- >> if it has hot chocolate, it is. >> exactly. feasibly if someone takes a sip, it gets transmitted, you drink it, you could get it. >> which means don't share the cup. >> take precautions. >> the next one is interesting. this person writes, i got married six months ago, and i find myself disinterested in sex. is there something wrong with me? >> oh, no. not at all. i mean, our sex drives fluctuate even throughout the month related to our menstrual cycle. >> so it's more common in women than in men? >> yes, it is more common in women. and there are so many factors involved. first, there's hormonal changes. be it your menstrual cycle or pregnancy or menopause. medications can do it like antiseizure medications, antidepressants and birth control. there's also medical problems that can do it like diabetes or an underactive thyroid and iron deficiency. other factors, if you're obese

or you're anorexic, these are actually cause fluctuations in your sex hormone levels influencing your sex drive. not to mention some women have self-image issues when they have these conditions. >> what about just being tired? >> that's a very common cause. women are exhausted. we spread ourselves too thin. that can absolutely influence your sex drive, stress, anxiety, depression. and even if you have an issue in your relationship, drug and alcohol abuse can do it, too. >> so before i get to the next question, though, you should talk to your doctor about this candidly. >> absolutely. your physician will need to rule out some of the things that can be treated. and if not, then it may be an option to speak to a counselor who does deal with sexual health. >> up next, this one's interesting. the person writes, i recently got a bikini wax and developed an ingrown hair. is that dangerous? first, what's an ingrown hair? >> an ingrown hair, very common from waxing. what happens when you wax is the hair cannot -- it can be removed from the root, brought it can break. and if there's a short, sharp edge, it can sort of turn on itself and embed in the skin.

and then that can cause a little inflammation. and it creates this little red bump like we see here on the visual. what can happen, complications are bacteria can get trapped under the skin creating an infection. >> that can cause an infection? >> a little infection from the bacteria that's on the skin getting under the skin. normally it goes away on its own. sometimes you just need to use a little warm compress. sometimes it can get a little more severe requiring antibiotics. and in the long term, what can happen if you get them often, it can cause the skin to pigment or to scar. so at "women's health," we recommend if you're getting them often, try to stop waxing and seek an alternative for hair removal. >> like laser. there are products they sell over the counter that are supposed to exfoliate the area. can that help? >> that can help. exfoliating can prevent the skin from building up over the hair. >> let me get to varicose veins. i'm embarrassed to bear my legs. how can i get rid of unsightly veins and prevent them from coming back? >> it's very, very common. first off, the initial treatment

is conservative just to prevent them from getting worse. that includes exercise. don't cross your legs when you're sitting like we are. elevate them. don't wear tight clothing. lose weight. also, you can wear compression stockings to try to help. but in terms of more invasive management to treat them, there's noninvasive and there's invasive. for noninvasive, we've got laser and sclerotherapy. these cause the veins to collapse. for more invasive, you can use a laser ablation or a radio frequency ablation. these go in the vessel. >> those are good options. thank you so much. a lot to get to. appreciate it. thank you. if you have any embarrassing health questions, head to today.com and send them in. still to come, two women get the ultimate surprise on the plaza, an "ambush makeover." we'll show you their amazing new looks after these messages. flo, and karen for a girls night out talking about activia. i tried it and my body felt so right, for a change.

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cominging up, easy easter

crafts to do with your kids. >> getting decked out for a date on a budget. >> and meals you can whip up in no time. first, your local news and weather. nual bonus. and who doesn't want 50% more cash? ugh, the baby. huh! and then the baby bear said, "i want 50% more cash in my bed!" phhht! 50% more cash is good ri... what's that. ♪ you can spell. [ male announcer ] the capital one cash rewards card. the card for people who want 50% more cash. what's in your wallet? ha ha. ♪ ourself ha ha. at olive garden. choose from 6 items like the new calzone, or half a flatbread, or a half panini. have it with unlimited soup or salad, and get plenty of breadsticks. it's your lunch, your way, and it's just $6.95 at olive garden. and who ordered the yummy cereal? yummy. [ woman ] lower cholesterol.

[ man 2 ] yummy. i got that wrong didn't i? [ male announcer ] want great taste and whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios. good morning. it is 9:26. i'm jon kelley. the search for 15-year-old sierra lamar continues today. teams fanning out across the areas just north and south of morgan hill. 20 members of the sheriff's search and rescue unit will be sent to san martin and gilroy to look for more evidence. this in the advance of another volunteer search planned for this saturday. in an exclusive interview with nbc bay area, the father talked about the toll the search has taken on him and the rest of the family. >> every day that goes by, it gets harder. it gets harder. but, yeah, still staying positive. i think that's important.

>> investigators tell us they have received more than 1,000 tips that they've gotten by phone and e-mail. and the search for sierra taking a high tech turn. san jose-based company child quest international assigning a q.r. code to the missing teen. that code is a series of printed squares. they appear on missing posters. people with free q.r. code apps on their cell phones can scan the code and be linked directly to a website with more photos and information about sierra. that code also includes a highlighted hotline number that immediately connects y w it police. we'll have a look at your weather and traffic coming up right after this break.

welcome back. 9:28 now. temperaturewise, it's still cold enough for a jacket but we'll hit the 60s later on today. temperatures warming nicely under full sunshine. 61 in redwood city. about 62 degrees in san jose and 63 for livermore.

warming up even more so for tomorrow. saturday looking great. peak warmth, 71 degrees. easter sunday, we'll increase the clouds just a little bit. but overall, staying nice and dry. we'll check your drive with mike. >> rough day for the south bay today. highway 17, 87 gets a break. look at that slow from highway 85 all the way up to the 280-880 interchange. 101's been sluggish. starting the ripple effect through the south bay. slow through fremont and newark out into milpitas. the northbound has had a nice break. >> thank you very much. thank you for joining us. another local update in a half hour. the "today" show rolls on. if my mom can fight and beat breast cancer, i can walk 60 miles. (woman) the fund-raising was the easiest part. people were very giving. complete strangers wanting to help. i knew someday i was gonna do this walk. if i can do this, you definitely can do this.

we can do this. we can all do this together. (man) register today for the... and receive $25 off your registration fee. because everyone deserves a lifetime. ♪ that's nicki minaj. she's got a new album out released just this week. she'll be here tomorrow on "today" exclusively to sing a couple of tracks for us live. ♪ sorry. i just kind of zoned out there for a second. also, we're keeping up with kim kardashian. the reality star and business mogul will stop by to tell us what she's got going on now. and at least 72 days into the future. that's all tomorrow right here on "today." >> al. >> what? >> you know what you did.

anyway, just ahead, if you're planning a night on the town with your husband or cocktails with your girlfriends, we'll show you the best beauty products, clothes and accessories to get you all decked out without breaking the bank. >> that is an adorable dress. and in "today's kitchen," if you're stuck making the same dinners week after week, we've got some go-to recipes that you can whip up fast without a lot of mess especially if you're a busy parent and, of course, easter is this sunday. >> yep. >> on an updated take on the traditional easter basket and some fun crafts that you can do with the kids because after all, after dinner, they're going to get bored because all kids become bored at some point. and then you can do these. >> or even before. while you're making dinner, they're bored. let's get a check of the easter weather forecast. >> let's look ahead, show you what's going on. for tomorrow, beautiful in the northeast. cool around the great lakes. showers in the pacific northwest. sunny and mild from the gulf into the southwest. then as we move on to saturday, we're going to see some clouds along the pacific northwest coast. looking for some chilly conditions in new england.

hit-or-miss showers, thunderstorms. then easter sunday, we're looking at some snow showers in new england. rain in central texas. some showers along the coast. and in the pacific northwest, we've got a big easter rabbit right there. that's what's going on around the country. an easter good morning to you. got a really good-looking day shaping up. it's going to be a little bit on the cool side. but overall, temperatures warming nicely. clear and crisp. dry conditions out there. mild and breezy later on. then we warm up all the way through the holiday weekend. 62 degrees in the almaden valley. 71 degrees on saturday. mix of sun and clouds. might get a few showers late sunday into monday. but they're looking light and mostly over the north bay. and by the way, we have a new backup dancer nor nicki minaj. >> who is that? you? you're going to dance with her tomorrow? >> oh, yeah.

♪ >> i just said, tamron, that's pretty good. she goes, pretty good? it's really good. >> why do you have to out me all the time? >> i don't know. >> you threw her under the bus, and i'm the one who brought it up. >> thank you, al. up next, looking hot for a date night. we'll show you what you need to get all dolled out. bust out your nicki moves right after this. signed up weeks ago♪ ♪ sunlight says get up and go ♪ mountain-grown aroma coming through ♪ ♪ a new challenge waits for you ♪ ♪ ♪ jumpin' into something new ♪ you really see all you can do ♪ ♪ ♪ the best part of wakin' up ♪ is folgers in your cup

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it reduces the urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these, stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these, stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, tell your doctor if you have new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack. use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. my inspiration for quitting were my sons. they were my little cheering squad. [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. [ female announcer ] gross -- i'll tell you what's really gross: used dishcloths. they can have a history that they drag around with them.

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introducing gold choice. the freedom you can only get from hertz to keep the car you reserved or simply choose another. and it's free. ya know, for whoever you are that day. it's just another way you'll be traveling at the speed of hertz. this morning on "today's style," getting decked out for a night out. whether you're going on a first date, downing with your hubby or grabbing drinks with the girls, you do not have to spend top dollar. today "us weekly" contributor jill martin is here with everything you need. good morning. >> good morning. >> you're ready for a night out. >> i'm ready for my nicki minaj dance. >> you'll be called for that in a few minutes. everything you see is under $100. >> i think everyone gets stressed out. you don't have. there's seven easy steps that will make you beautiful without breaking the bank. >> the first thing, what we eat.

>> i called in joy bauer and asked her what will keep us energized and our skin glowing? this is her beauty blend. you want to try it. it's fiber blus anplus antioxid. this will help you start your day and your skin will start to glow. i don't know if you can tell. >> you are glowing. >> blinding, right? that recipe is on today.com. start your day healthy with a smoothie. then this looks a little crazy. >> this doesn't look that attractive for a date. >> barenecessities.com, $20 and up. when you wear a dress, you want everything to be smooth. these are all seamless. seamless panties. they will not show any lines. all different colors and patterns. if you're wearing a low-cut dress but you still want structure and, you know, a little bit of help, this will -- and we just showed two different colors -- but you could wear a low-cut dress and sill have the support here. >> oh, okay. it's kind of like a slip. or a girdle.

>> a girdle that gives you support and look good. this isn't the sexiest look, you know. >> no, it isn't. keep your clothes on with this outfit. >> that's for a first date. >> next, makeup. >> this is so great. this is a new line, pixie glow, available at target, $8 and up. just have this on hand. look at all these colors you can experiment with and play. they have pixie dust that you could put on. it's really all about the experience of getting ready. and that's why we have flowers everywhere. you should just really make it fun. >> you could throw it in your purse. >> a fun, girly day. this is great. then we move on to sef fphora. have fun with your nails. it's a pop of color and a way to get in on a trend. this is all the different nail things from sephora and then shimmer. i always put shim other before i go out. >> and does that work? >> it works. does it work? how do i look? >> you're a man magnet. you look fabulous. >> i'll take man magnet. >> a little shimmer. >> what to wear.

>> this is amanda. she's wearing a jennifer aniston dress that was thousands of dollars. i think we have the picture of jennifer aniston wearing it. this is the same exact dress that was available days later. >> it's not a knockoff. this is the dress. >> so 10% of what the retail price is, you can rented it for. >> wow! >> this is gorgeous. another example is in the back. badgley mischka. >> also a rent the runway. >> $60 for my big night out. all dressed up and no place to go. hopefully after this segment. this is an amazing site. they also send you two sizes so you can, you know. and the ability with tape and ability to put it on you so it fits you perfectly. >> that's great. thank you, amanda. you look good. shoes, you've got to wear the high heels, i guess. >> but you don't want to spend designer prices. $60 and up, ninashoes.com. colors if you want to wear your little black dress and spruce it up. and bauble bar, all $50 and under just to get in on the statement jewelry trend.

baublebar.com. >> you could wear something plainer and have a pop of color. got it. >> almost to the end of our getting ready process, packing the perfect clutch which i know a lot of women have problems with. missandmisses.com. all of these things come in this little pouch. advil, dental floss, clear nail polish if you have a rip in your stockings, eye drops, even one for him. so if he has a little bit of a situation, you have everything. that will all fit in. and then sephora.com has mini br brushes and nail polish and never be in a bind. >> last but not least -- >> skymall.com, $59, i always run out of juice when i go out. i always run out of cell phone juice. keep a battery on hand or get a case with a battery in it, and you will be all set with your seven steps. >> but if it's a really good date, hopefully you're not texting and wearing down your battery. >> hopefully if it was great, you can call and kind of recap.

>> no, you can stare at your phone and wait for him to call. jill martin, thank you so much 367 for more, pick up "us weekly." next, go-to bus reciporre us parents any night of the week. that's coming up. wow! the best in the world. ...some chocolates swiss! ah...the best in the world. oikos greek yogurt from dannon. really? wait until you try it. so creamy thick and fresh tasting dannon oikos berry flavors beat chobani 2:1 in a national taste test. mmmm... this may be the best in the world. oikos greek yogurt possibly the best yogurt in the world. wait. ♪ it's morning in the himalayas... [ male announcer ] it's sweet. it's nutty. it's absolutely delicious. kellogg's crunchy nut. it's morning somewhere.

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this morning in "today's kitchen," what's for dinner? how about parent-friendly solutions. katie is the author of the "mom 100 cookbook" filled with go-to reci recipes. katie, good to see you. >> great to see you. thank you. >> this is a great idea. you know, you get into a rut. you're doing the same recipes over and over. what's great is they're quick and they're all in one skillet. >> exactly, one skillet to clean and quick and easy. everybody gets stuck doing the same five or so recipes. here's two to shake it up. we've browned a couple pounds of ground beef. >> you could use turkey. >> turkey, absolutely, chicken. we'll heat up a little olive oil in the same skillet that we browned the beef in. and if you would just add that in. >> what do you got? >> onions, carrots, peppers and garlic. right in the skillet. and we gist sauoug just saute t

or five minutes, get it a little tender. the ground brief which has been drained right back in the skillet. this is great. i'm not doing anything. this does not happen to me at home. you can come on over. >> the great thing is you're getting some vegetables in it. >> absolutely, vegetables are built right in. speaking of which, we have a couple cans of crushed tomatoes. those go right in as well. and we have worcestershire sauce. oregano. a little bit of chili powder. if your kids are heat averse, you can skip it but it adds a nice little kick. also, if you would add two cups of water. that goes right into the skillet. now, in realtime, we would simmer this down for about five minutes. here's the great part. the pasta also goes right into the skillet. >> uncooked. >> uncooked. that's going to cook right in the sauce. >> so you cover it up? >> we cover this up. let it do its thing for about ten minutes.

and then after ten minutes, this is what you have. >> nice and bubbly. >> exactly. and then the last thing -- >> oh, cheese. >> two cups of cheddar just sprinkle it right over top. >> two cups. four would be better. >> it would. and now you cover it. it would be better. >> wouldn't it, though? >> let it sit. the heat will melt the cheese right there. >> oh, oh! wow! you know, you don't even have to bring plates to the table. just set this in the middle and give everybody a spoon. >> you definitely want to put this in the middle of your table, no question. over here, a little more elegant but also still in one dish. we're doing chicken picatta. and first you take your chicken breast and you just dredge it in a little bit. you can poof up the flour like that. if not, it's your choice. dredge it in a little flour. then saute it in the skillet and set aside. you don't cook them all the way through, but you could if you have a kid who's a little finicky, just wants one plain chicken breast. now in the same skillet, sauteing up some garlic and

onion just until tender. and then we're going to add a little bit of white wine. >> deglaze the pan a little bit. >> exactly. and some chicken broth. and then the chicken breasts will -- if you can hand me the tongs, that would be awesome. >> we're running out a little bit. >> so the chicken breasts go right back in. finish cooking in the broth. the breasts go onto the platter. the sauce is reducing. we finish it up with a little lemon juice, a little capers and some butter. >> you could even serve it whole like that. >> exactly. >> with some rice. >> spoon the sauce right over it like that. >> you've got great brownies for dessert. >> one pot. >> katie, we'll put the recipes on our website. >> great. thank you. up next, we've got easy easter crafts for your kids. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

"today celebrates easter" is brought to you by m&m's.

bring m&m's home this season. ♪ happy easter ♪ happy easter >> we're getting a lot of mileage out of that song this week. this morning on "today celebrates easter," kid-friendly crafts. >> you all remember those woven baskets with goodies as one of the best things about easter. >> absolutely. and jody levine is editor of "martha stewart living," and she's here with the updated version of the easter basket. good to see you. >> you, too. >> you look beautiful in your top. these crafts look great, too. >> these crafts are really easy for easter because easter is soon. so we have great, great last-minute stuff to do. >> we'll put it to the test to see whether they're easy, whether we can do them. what's the first one? >> do you remember these? the traditional kind of fun way for kids to get treats. they're wrapped in crepe paper. they're surprise bulbs and they're wrapped in crepe paper. it's a fun way to give out treats. the treat's hidden inside a ball. >> cute.

>> they're made with these crepe paper streamers. let's just get started. so you take a little treat or a little toy or a little piece of candy. you can pick what your favorite is right here. >> what's the easiest? >> yeah, that's perfect. and just start rolling and rolling. and the goal is to make a nice big ball. >> okay. >> and it looks kind of crazy at first. but as you roll -- and then after it's pretty covered, you take another toy. taking a little yo-yo. and i'm just going to roll and roll and roll. >> i'm going to take this reptile. >> and this crepe paper you just get at the party store. >> okay. >> and the little treats, too. so it's one-stop shopping. you're going to keep rolling. it takes a little while. and i have one that's already done. >> okay. >> so i don't make you wait. when i got to the end, you don't have to use the whole roll, but when it's big enough, just take one little dot of hot glue and tack it down easily. >> okay. >> you can keep rolling if you want. so i'm going to take a dot of hot glue also and put the ears on. >> all right. >> these are made out of crepe paper. >> yep. >> and you just tack it on like that. >> do you need hot glue?

>> you can use white glue as well. >> cute. adorable. >> see how cute that is? >> adorable. let's see what else you got. >> these are little flower bulbs. they're really easy to make. they make a great centerpiece. >> so how do you do these? >> believe it or not, one of my favorite craft materials are coffee filters. i'll give you a stack. this is just food coloring and water. you can do it however you want. oh. that's good. i should have told you. sorry, my fault. the teacher's fault. just take a little dip like this. you see how it makes an edge like a daffodil with like the white center? and then just set it aside to dry. that's already dry. and then take one and fold it in half. i have one i folded in laugh. now, i took scissors and i just snipped that. you have some scissors right there if you want to get started snipping. >> okay. >> and then you round off the corners. >> i'll keep doing that. why don't you help tamron down

here. >> then you just glue the cup to the center. >> and you're done. and look at that. bingo. >> these are easy, too. take some shopping bags that you have like gift bags, lunch bags. >> perfect. anything you got. >> i drew a line on it already. >> okay. >> cut it off. i use these pinking shears. you can do one as well. >> okay. >> i have one there for you if you want to. >> i would love to. >> okay. and then -- see, these are easy, right? there's your easter basket. it's in the shape of an easter basket. you take a strip of paper. you can use grocery bags, whatever, to make the strip of paper. take a dot of hot glue. you can use white glue. and fill it with all these fun things and stickers. >> great job. >> adorable. >> thank you so much. coming up, "ambush makeover" for two lucky ladies today. >> of course. and we'll actually give them some of these baskets as presents. first, your local news and weather.

good morning to you. i'm laura garcia-cannon. we're learning new details about who police say was the initial target in the shooting spree at a small east bay university.

the nursing director at oikos university seen here arriving at a memorial for one of the victims says she was the target. but now police say it was someone else. they're not revealing who it is to protect that person's safety. one l. goh has been charged with seven counts of murder. he made his first court appearance yesterday and showed little emotion as the charges were read to him. he has not entered a plea. in the meantime, the search for the weapon used in the mass killings has been called off. a police diver checked the murky waters of the estuary along doolittle drive trying to locate the weapon the gunman used. low tide allowed more thorough search of the banks. a boat traversed the channel trying to detect any sign of evidence. soon after, the entire group packed up and left. let's get to the forecast with christina loren. >> it's gorgeous out there right now. but we have a little bit of

cloud cover starting to move in. looking towards a really nice day. temperatures in the 50s, will climb into the 60s. high right around 63 degrees in san jose. about 67 degrees today in places like livermore. we'll keep on climbing as we head into the upcoming weekend. good news is we have rain in the forecast that's going to hold off well beyond sunday. heading throughout today, 58 in concord. 63 in livermore. we'll have your seven-day forecast in its completion today at 11:00. let's check your drive with mike. >> not done with that south bay commute. that's sticking around. south bay 280, still have the slowing. an accident on the shoulder at saratoga for 280 causing distraction for the northbound side. recovering around the 880 interchange. north 880 and 101 still a little slower. smoother southbound coming out of newark and fremont towards milpitas. and things a little bit lighter the rest of the bay. >> for the latest news and traffic updates, check nbc bay area on facebook.

another local news update coming in half an hour. with all your car does for you, he really wants to hear those three little words: chevron with techron. care for your car.

captions paid for byn. nbc-universal television hey, everybody. so glad you're here with us. for thirst day, thursday, april 5th. so delighted hoda woman came back. you got a beautiful tan being down in palm beach. >> by the way, i just want to point out the tiny portions that have been happening on this show. this is the littlest glass of red wine i've ever gotten from jerry. this is a welcome back? >> well, we're getting back into the mode because for the last

three days we have been kind of dry around here. everybody's -- >> everybody's not drinking. >> pat o'brien and billy ray are both sober. and so -- >> so i'm back! >> that's a double reason i'm thrilled you're back. >> i did have fun in florida. spent a handful of days in palm beach and i'm working on another book. >> with jane. >> it is such a cool book. it is going could be called "ten years later." you find a significant event in someone's life, whether they won the lottery, lot of a loved one and fast forward ten years. >> see how it affected their lives. >> when we weren't working which was most of the time we ended up just having some fun in the sun. >> well, the weather was gorgeous! >> you know. this was a picture -- there's jamie on the left. and we listened to this guy named jimmy maz play guitar like james taylor in a ponytail and

he sings. it's beautiful. we sat outside, listened to music, sat by the pop. >> there's nothing better! >> it was great. while i was gone, were you singing. >> oh, oh, oh. at the end of yesterday's show, billy had said why don't you come in on the end of my song "hillbilly heart." i said i'll try to listen to the song and learn a little something. i had never heard the song before. >> what did you do? >> i just showed up. >> let's see. ♪ hey ♪ hey ♪ keeping it country ♪ hillbilly heart ♪ hillbilly hillbilly heart ♪ yeah ♪ hillbilly country >> i love that. i'm in. i'm in. >> the college i went to was called hee haw honeys and we

learned how to do stuff like that. >> that's a cool song. >> i actually did do hee haw honeys in 178. >> were those the people who popped out of the field? >> yeah, but it was a spinoff from that. it was a sitcom. i literally spent about a year down in nashville. every country star, every huge country star -- dolly, willie, everybody, they all came on and we had scenes with them. it was just like i was in hog heaven, so to speak. nicest people in the world. and they taught me courage. you know? they don't have to warm up, do all kinds of things. they just show up and then they play. >> i love it. every time we have someone here from the country world, by the way, they come to play. they are so polite. they love to -- they just enjoy themselves. >> well i don't sing professional anymore as you know and there's an example of why. what was great idea, for sheer genius. you missed a big week here. sarah palin was here.

ryan seacrest yesterday. you want to see how the two biggest pros in the business handle something, this is a press agent's dream. this was matt with ryan -- oh! no, we're going to do the other thing. >> no, matt and ryan, you saw. but what was so funny -- we all saw how great they were together. >> it was genius. >> jay leno decided to take their beautiful moment and make it ugly. let's look. >> this morning on the "today" show matt lauer interviewed ryan seacrest about the rumor that see crest might take over his job. here's a piece of the interview. >> ryan and i are friendly. we have talked about this. we've joked about this. there is no tension here. >> they went to commercial break. show what happened right as they went to commercial break. >> ryan, great to see you. >> that's a smack-down. >> that was funny. also on the show today, do you guys remember nadya suleman, the octomom.

she has a total of 14 kids. >> she had six and then she had the eight. what's that make? >> takes a lot of math, what that is. she came on to discuss her family, they're having problems with money. >> she's recently gone on public assistance. >> she was posing not nude but kind of. anyway, let's listen to her interview. >> it's 100% about my children. they deserve everything. they deserve the best and it's temporary. >> you posed topless for this women's magazine. >> i didn't see it until just -- >> in britain. you got $8,000 for it. >> $10,000 but 20% goes -- >> you ended up with $8,000 for it. it raises the question, what else would you be willing to do to make money? you had said you will never touch another person. >> i won't touch another human flesh. the only flesh i was touching was my own. >> pornography is also -- >> $100 million? nothing. i would never, never accept anything. >> what kind of other offers are you receiving? >> i will not loosen the grip of

my deeply indoctrinated morals and values. >> i ran into her in the stairwell. i said excuse me. i knew that it was her. she's very frail in person. tiny little thing. she didn't even look up and she was -- so i didn't actually have a chance to say hello to her or anything. but i sensed first of all her voice. she was very nervous. you could tell that. there's this desperation you can sense. lot of jokes and everything. i'll make a joke about myself which is this -- i don't know anybody that wants to see somebody's breasts after 14 children. i mean i've had two and you don't want to see mine. you know what i mean? so i just -- there's a sadness about it. there's a heartbreak about it that is -- and i don't know. i don't think she ever wanted to go on assistance but now she has to and you got let your pride go, your kids have to eat. >> she did that reality show. doing this thing called dial-a-celebrity -- >> dial-a-star. >> you pay per minute just to

talk to the person. i know she's trying to raise money for all those kids and i know she's got a lose to rate but she said she was getting thousands upon thousands of death threats. i mean that was weird. >> yeah. >> i don't know what the truth is. >> it probably seems like it -- i've had a couple. it seems like thousands when it's you. you know, that's the thing. when you're at the center of that storm, that's all you can see. other people go, yeah, i saw nadya suleman and they go on with their day. the hardest thing to do is not look, not listen. this is going to upset you. we're just saying before we start. a woman named samantha brick, 41. she's a columnist for "the daily mail." she wrote a column talking about how pretty she is and why other women hate her because she's so beautiful. there she is. we didn't show the most flattering picture. she's constantly receiving free champagne and wine she says -- >> does she work here? just kidding. >> when she walks down the street she gets gifts, flowers.

she says she's never been asked to be a bridesmaid among friends because she's just too pretty. >> take attention away from the bride. we haven't seen her friends, so in fairness -- i don't know. i think it was it was a universal turnoff from everybody that's watched this. first of all, there's no modesty involved at all. to me someone like angelina jolie who is one of the most beautiful women in the world you can't even imagine her saying such things. so when she talks like that it is so immodest and she really is -- i don't think she's a beautiful woman. she may be -- she's attractive, but let's be honest. she's not a drop-dead beautiful woman by today's beauty standards. >> plus, let's pretend -- >> they're probably going to cream me for that but that's my personal opinion. >> even if she were, nobody cares about beautiful people's problems really. we don't. they have too much going for them. i'm sorry you get too much champagne! i mean -- don't you get sick of really pretty people

complaining? >> hoda, i care about your problems. i mean it. >> you know what i mean? >> you're drop-dead beautiful. >> you know what i'm saying? those people who say poor me, it's just so terrible -- >> it sure did open a can of worms. everybody. yeah. >> it did. >> i just don't know. i just think it is so ungracious it's just like -- you cringe. >> she's still talking about it. >> it wasn't a april fool's joke which people thought because it came out on april 1st. no, it's no joke. the zoolander clip that -- >> can we just show real quick? >> so good. >> did you ever think that maybe there's more to life than being really, really, really ridiculously good looking? >> apparently not. all right, it is -- >> oh! i got to do -- wait, no. this will tee up. i promise. >> tee it up, baby. >> this is a play list, a song you're going to love. i've been loving lionel richie. >> i see the title. >> i don't know what it is. >> it's called "stuck on you."

it's lionel richie and darius rucker, the best blend of voices. they were meant to be together. please listen. ♪ stuck on you >> this is lionel first. ♪ got this feeling stuck down deep in my soul that i just can't lose ♪ ♪ yes i'm on my way ♪ >> darius is coming. ♪ i need a friend and the way i feel now i guess i'll be with you until the end ♪ ♪ yes i'm on my way >> get ready for darius. >> see, hoda, in the future, this is where we should have started. >> no. because we have to hear. get ready. darius, you're going to die. go! ♪ stuck on you ♪ been a fool too long >> that's where you should have

started. ♪ come on home yes i'm on my way ♪ >> it's good! it's just late. >> better than good. i disagree with you. it's fantastic. you're probably wondering what this is sitting here. yesterday you weren't here so we missed you for our matinee. went to see a terrific, terrific show i'll tell but in a second. but right before we went we wanted to go to a restaurant right close to where "newsies" is playing. it was called wolfgang's. i assumed it was wolfgang puck's. it's not. had a great lunch and all of a sudden this guy, emilio, brings up schlog. he goes, "you want some schlog?" we go, oh, yeah, bring it on. >> what is it? >> it's like the greatest whipped cream you've ever had. that's emilio. we schlogged.

then there's sonny getting schlogged. then i went around the restaurant at wolfgang's and schlogged everybody i could. a great time was had. i wish you could taste this. jimmy, somebody come over here and have this schlog. it is to die -- come on. come on, sara. tell me how amazing this is. went to "newsies." you guys are going to love it. >> you have to use jimmy's spoon. >> "news"newsies" was a broadwa movie. this young star jeremy jordan is brilliant! you just saw him -- there i was. cassidy's class was there with us yesterday. there's cass and her friend emily. that's cass on the right, emily on the left. you know what? it is going to be a big hit. it's got great reviews. it appeals to kids because it is about kids taking up against

injustice against the bad, bad big guys. anyway, congratulations to disney. they did it again! >> and congratulations to our girl, brittany. it's her birthday. >> yes, happy birthday! >> happy birthday. we can't sing to her but she can schlog her! here you go, brit. happy birthday. ♪ happy birthday to you brit, how old are you? >> i'm 25. >> happy 5th. we're so glad brit's on our team. go away, brittany. coming up next, they are out of the makeup chairs and ready for their close-ups. >> the spectacular results of our "ambush makeovers" right after this. we weren't always that adventurous

until we discovered k-y yours & mine. this one feels amazing for me, this one is fantastic for her. yeah. and when they combine it opens up a whole new door for us. i've come to clean your pool. what pool? [ female announcer ] k-y yours & mine. keep life sexy. what if the first step on that road is a bowl of soup? delicious campbell's soups fill you with vegetable nutrition, farm-grown ingredients, and can help you keep a healthy weight. campbell's -- it's amazing what soup can do. [ female announcer ] irresistibly touchable skin hour after hour. ♪ it all starts with new 48-hour nivea extended moisture

nivea. touch and be touched. now bring the world a touch closer. join our million moments of touch movement and be entered in nivea's daily date night sweepstakes. i like yoplait. it is yoplait. but you said it was greek. mmhmm. so is it greek or is it yoplait? exactly. okay... [ female announcer ] yoplait. it is so greek. its smooth taste spreads across your bread's delicate surface. while melting into those creamy mashed potatoes... bringing a rich, warm tenderness to your peas. ohhh! it's i can't believe it's not butter!

fresh butter taste with 70% less saturated fat than butter go ahead. cheat on butter. you naughty thing. it is time for "today's" plaza makeovers. you know what that means -- two lucky ladies were plucked from our crowd early this morning and we treated them to a brand-new look. >> here to show them off, our resident makeover team, "today" contributor and stylist to the stars louis licari la-la-la-la-la. and "today" and "us weekly" contributor jill martin. >> how was it out there today? >> great. we found a lady who believe it or not left her makeup at home. really? is that an emergency. and lady who looked like she might have been an extra on "dynasty." >> first up, nicola fuller from smyrna, georgia. she works from home. she dresses to impress herself

and with comfort by staying in her pjs. she's just thrilled as we approached her on the plaza. let's take a listen. >> all right, ethan. why does mommy deserve a makeover? >> she doesn't. >> why doesn't she? >> she helps me do my homework. >> she helps you do your homework? >> she makes me. >> you said she does. >> she does. not only does she work full time but she takes the kids home every day from school and makes sure that all her homework is done. she's a loving mom and loving wife and a beautiful lady so she just truly deserves this. >> we're going to pamper you for three hours. are you ready to go? >> sure. >> are you ready to see mommy all done up? >> yes! >> i bet you are, clair. here's her husband ryan, her kids ethan and clair. guys, please keep your blindfolds on until i ask you to take them off. here's nicola before.

all right, let's see you new you! >> oh, wow! >> all right. you ready, guys? take off your blindfolds. >> wow! >> all right, mom. you ready? >> all right, nicola, turn right around here. >> oh, my goodness. >> you look hot! >> you look awesome. look in that camera, please. so people can see the difference. >> i can just hear ethan, what did you just say, sweetie? >> she looks beautiful. >> that is a great haircut, louis. >> your mommy is beautiful. >> she just made her hair cut chic by giving it this simple bob haircut. highlighted it and the result is -- >> amazing. >> the dress is, too. i love the dress.

>> look at this body. anything we put on her looks fabulous. this is the first thing we put on. look at the back. >> you know what i love so much? it's so much nicer when we're telling you how beautiful you are as opposes to you telling us how beautiful you are. >> big round of applause for nicola. >> our second lady is stephanie, 44 from paducah, kentucky. the only person who's ever cut her hair is her mother so her daughter begged us to give her a brand-new look. let's listen to her story. >> all right, this one's hot stuff but we're going to do a make-under. i said to you i had this hair in the '80s. and you said? >> i've had it since then, too. >> so tell me what you want to look like. >> i just want to look more sophisticated, see what i look like with straight hair. >> well we don't want to give away any secrets but what do you think? >> my mom's so gorgeous already, i just think a new look would be

awesome, enhance her beauty. >> are you ready? you're not going to recognize her. >> yes. can't wait. >> it feels like mother's day already around here. she's here with her beautiful daughter mckenzie. let's take a last look at stephanie reese before we got our hands on her and now bring out the new improved stephanie reese. >> oh, my gosh! wow! >> mckenzie, you ready? all right, take it off, look at your mom. >> oh, my god. >> okay. go ahead, stephanie, turn and and look in the mirror. that sophisticateded enough for you? >> oh, yeah! >> look in this camera. wow! look at that. you look hot. >> incredible? complete color story. the hair color obviously made deeper to emphasize those blue eyes. the makeup. the haircut just made a fresh

shape and chic and modern. >> mckenzie, what are you thinking? >> she's so beautiful. oh, my gosh. >> well you are, too. >> you sure are. >> tell us about the outfit, jill, please. >> this is a way to transition fall into spring-summer. a color like gray you can spruce up with turquoise. >> under $50. >> come on out. >> congratulations, everybody. up next, we've got a baby of a west tested video. >> we like these. >> you guys lgr do your lashes want volume or length?

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[♪...] >> baby: my brand-new skin is ten times more sensitive than yours, mom. ...[giggles] [♪...] ...but somehow you just know it's best to use johnson's baby head-to-toe, the really gentle stuff. and let's not forget the rubber ducky. [♪...] ...[laughs] ...you're good, mom, and by good... i mean great.

[♪...] we are eback with our special series we call "webtastic" when our very own sara haines that digs up our next video that leaves everybody hitting send. >> do you remember how much it was to play with bubbles as a kid? well, i bet you didn't love bubbles quite as much as baby lennon does. check it out. he's now 2. he doesn't enjoy them as much but they started blowing them and all of a sudden his reaction was completely like -- they weren't expecting that so they grabbed the phone immediately and started videotaping. it now has over 650,000 hits. >> wow. >> that's a picture of joy

though, isn't it? >> it's almost like he can't control it. whoa, hi bubbles. >> i need to step in a little closer, people. >> i lot of bubbles. >> are we reduced to this? really? really? we'd rather have some schlog. easter party table ideas for the who. family. plus, "everybody has a story." just wait until you hear this one, guys. ♪

i've discovered gold. [ female announcer ] roc® retinol... the gold standard in anti-aging. clinically proven to give 10 years back to the look of skin. nothing's better than gold. [ female announcer ] roc® retinol correxion deep wrinkle night cream. i'm here with carol,] roc®flo, and karenxion for a girls night out talking about activia. i tried it and my body felt so right, for a change. and then there's you... why should i try it? my system gets out of sorts but that comes with age, right? wouldn't you like to feel great? just because we're in that over 50... what does that mean? are we done? activia helps regulate your digestive system when eaten daily. these could be our best years yet. activia good morning. 10:26 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. we have an update on the recent new details coming out this morning about the deadly

shooting rampage at oikos university in oakland. the "associated press" is reporting the suspect, one l. goh, changed his name ten years ago because he thought his given name sounded too feminine. his former name was su nom ko. we will continue to follow this story. in the meantime, also this morning, breaking news we're following, want to turn to mike inouye. a major traffic problem on the richmond san rafael bridge? >> they've completely closed the eastbound lower deck of that bridge. it's been cut off at san quentin, one of the last on-ramps. there's a truck fire report there had. the cab fully engulfed. smoke throughout the area. westbound, as i understand it, is still open. but you may want to avoid that bridge. use highway 37 or the bay bridge to the south.

we'll continue to update you through the 11:00 a.m. if we have anything to add. the southbound is continuing to be slow.ba to you. >> we'll go to break right now.

coming up on nbc bay area news at 11:00, investigators take advantage of a new tool in the search for sierra lamar. why they're using q.r. codes on posters. plus a brazen attack in front of a busy b.a.r.t. station. what police hope to find on

surveillance video. and a man impersonating a cop in the south bay. what officers say you should look out for coming up in a half hour. find all the bay area news on nbcbayarea.com. have a great day. we are back on this thirsten day thursday. if you're still wondering what you're going to do for your sunday dinner party. >> from baskets and beverages to sweet treats and scavenger hunts, elaine griffin is here to show you how it's done. >> gotny scl lchsclog. >> easter is about two things, family and fun. >> well, it's also about something else but we won't get into that. let's try not to forget that. >> i'm here to show you how to add a little style into the mix

because we still want it to be stylish. let's start with the grown-up's table. we're going with the festive colko color pallet of yellow, lime green, pastels. we're bringing the outdoors in with our twig placecard holders. you slice a little hole in it with a craft knife, then put a cut-out paper leaf with everyone's name on it. my favorite -- this is the centerpiece. it is a bird cage from the craft store. we spray painted it yellow. the beauty of this is that you can see through it. so it's not like those bad wedding -- and we decked it out with our cut-out little paper feathered friends. they are attached with toothpicks. >> cute. >> and the flowers really make

the table. >> take us to the kiddie portion of the program. >> i think you should have a kiddie table. >> you try to. because -- though sometimes i want to be with the adults, other times i love to have their crafts. >> i would rather sit with my cousins than my grandparents. so the secret to organized chaos because this is really a multi-generational event is to have an activity for your kids to do when they get there. have them make their own placecards. >> great idea. >> placemats actually. these are cut out, we have the templates on our website. they can decorate them with crayons and stuff. add fun bunny theme snacks that won't ruin their appetite. wind-up chicks just for fun. >> i always wanted a real chick as a kid. >> yeah. they're so soft. >> until they grew into chickens. >> what do i do with them? of course we have to have a cocktail. this is a mocktail. since this is a family event,

kids can have this, too. if you want to add vodka, that's optional. it is carrot lemonade. >> it needs vodka! i'm sorry. >> wow! >> it's got quite the punch. >> carrot juice, pineapple juice and lemon juice. these are our nest eggs. >> those are really cute. >> the tiniest chow mein mo noodles. easter baskets 2.0. we found these at the land of nod. they're actually storage bins that we've decorated with little festive cutouts. the best part about it, you can use it for storage in your kid's room. >> sweet colors, too. >> now it wouldn't be easter without the easter egg hunt. so we have a twist on it for this go-round. it is a combination egg hunt and spoon race. >> what do you do? >> kids are going to look for

eggs like they normally do. >> they have to bring it back on a spoooo >> exactly. using one hand. it is timed against the clock. so ladies -- >> we have a timer? >> on your mark, get set -- >> she's cheating. >> one hand -- >> are these cooked? are these cooked eggs? seriously, are they? >> yes. go, hoda, go! go klg! >> how long is this segment? >> long enough for me to get this one in. i think it's over. we're out of time! >> thanks, honey. >> the spirit of easter. all right, everybody. "everyone has a story" is up next. >> a terrific song. it will inspire you after this. ♪

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and that it put me at 5-times greater risk of a stroke. i was worried. i worried about my wife, and my family. bill has the most common type of atrial fibrillation, or afib. it's not caused by a heart valve problem. he was taking warfarin, but i've put him on pradaxa instead. in a clinical trial, pradaxa 150 mgs reduced stroke risk 35% more than warfarin without the need for regular blood tests. i sure was glad to hear that. pradaxa can cause serious, sometimes fatal, bleeding. don't take pradaxa if you have abnormal bleeding, and seek immediate medical care for unexpected signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. pradaxa may increase your bleeding risk if you're 75 or older, have a bleeding condition like stomach ulcers, or take aspirin, nsaids, or bloodthinners, or if you have kidney problems, especially if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all medicines you take, any planned medical or dental procedures, and don't stop taking pradaxa without your doctor's approval, as stopping may increase your stroke risk. other side effects include indigestion, stomach pain, upset, or burning.

pradaxa is progress. if you have afib not caused by a heart valve problem, ask your doctor if you can reduce your risk of stroke with pradaxa. ♪ everyone has a moment that changes their life ♪ >> it is time to meet our newest "everyone has a story" contest winner. >> before we meet her, let's listen to her mother who wrote to us about her daughter's struggle with a hip disorder called slipped capital femoral epiphesis. >> my daughter rian is only 13 but an intire to her entire community. horses are her passion. she's ridden since she was 4 and in the past few years has become quite competitive but on august 18, 2010, with family piling out of the car, i heard a

blood-chilling scream that stopped me in my tracks. she had been experiencing some pain in her hip and she had tripped. her hip was broken and required surgery to put her back together. doctors in the er told her she had a slipped capital femoral epipmesis. they told her she would never run, or ride a horse again. as tears streamed down her face i knew she would fiercely fight those heartbreaking words. rather than accept her surgery as the end to her competitive riding career, she saw it as the catalyst for a new beginning, committing herself to three months on crutches, one month learning to walk again, and over 1,000 hours of physical therapy. by february 2011 she was able to start riding. but the complications from the injury were starting. her hip joint was hardly receiving any blood. slowly starting to deteriorate. the next few months her hip pain lessened but the x-rays were not

good. in june we were sent to an orthopedic hip specialist. thankfully he told us her necrosis had stopped. rian had a successful show season but it soon became apparent she'd lost moelt and internal rotation to her hip. to equalize the rotation in both hips she had a second round of surgery. within three weeks she was riding again. people often comment how she is always smiling and positive. never once did anyone hear how hard it's been. her dream is to go to the olympics. with her determination and positive attitude, there's no doubt. >> they're here. your sister jalen? you are a young, beautiful girl. what did you think when the doctors told you you would never not just ride horses again but

even walk well or be able to play basketball or run? >> it was really hard to hear that, especially like because it hurt a lot and the pain. like that night was kind of hard. >> what did you say to your daughter when she's in that kind of pain and has just heard devastating news like that? >> i said it's going to be okay. and i'll never forget the moment she looked at me when they said that and the tears just started and then i started crying and i just gave her a hug and i said it will be okay. >> sometimes when doctors say to you, you're not going to do, a, b, c, you believe them, they're the doctor. why didn't you believe what the doctor said? >> as her parent, i knew how much she loved riding and so your mind works so fast. in my mind i remember thinking, no, that's not true, that's not true, that's not true. she's going to -- she's not going to listen to that. >> your daughter's made of tough stuff. she really is.

>> i remember after leaving the hospital it was about midnight or 1:00 and i just went home and i think i spent until 4:00 in the morning looking up everything there was about it. >> never heard of anything before this. >> never. i made a decision late that night that she was either going to have the type of surgery we needed to get done or we were taking her to boston. >> what's interesting, after you had the surgery and you were still experiencing pain, there was a second surgery and you raised your hand and said i want to have that. >> yeah. i couldn't ride as well as i used to before the surgery and that was like a big setback to still being able to ride but not get where i wanted to go. so i decided to have the bigger surgery. >> this is all you've ever wanted in your whole life. right? >> yeah. >> were you guys real supportive of your sister through this whole thing? is. >> yeah, definitely. >> well, it's a wonderful story of hope. >> it is. >> so many of the stories we do are real tough stories to tell. this one gives people a lot of

hope. when we come back -- >> you're going to get serenaded you guys by a terrific singer. her name is morgan james right after this. ♪ [ female announcer ] introducing new nature valley protein bars. 100% natural ingredients like roasted peanuts... ♪ ...creamy peanut butter, and a rich dark chocolate flavor. plus, 10 grams of great tasting protein in every bar. so it's energy straight from nature to you. new nature valley protein bars. find them in the granola bar aisle. but you've got a meat and potatoes guy? pour chunky sirloin burger soup over those mashed potatoes and dinner is served. four minutes, around four bucks. campbell's chunky -- it's amazing what soup can do. you're probably muddling through allergies.

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that's more than cable. [ female announcer ] at&t u-verse -- tv like you've never seen before. ♪ ♪ everyone has a moment that changes their life ♪ >> we're back with "everyone has a story" honoring rehian murphy who's here with her family. >> now it is time to hear a song david friedman and i wrote just for you, sweetheart. it is going to be sung by broadway's wonderful talented morgan james starring in "god spell" right now. the song is called "my dream." ♪ ♪ i knew that it wouldn't be easy moto easy ♪ ♪ i knew it would take all i could give ♪ ♪ but i knew in my heart that it

would be worth it because without it how could i live ♪ ♪ they told me i had to stop dreaming ♪ ♪ they told me i had to find something new ♪ ♪ but i knew from the start that nothing could stop me from doing what i had to do ♪ ♪ my dream my dream it's all i ever hoped for ♪ ♪ my dream my dream what i was born to do ♪ ♪ my dream my dream was what i had to go for no matter the pain ♪ ♪ this much i knew ♪ i could never give up my dream ♪ ♪ when they said it would never happen ♪ ♪ when they said that i needed to let it go ♪

♪ deep inside me i heard one powerful word and the word that i heard was no ♪ ♪ no i'm not gonna let this get me ♪ ♪ no i'm not gonna listen to what they say ♪ ♪ because what they think they know i know isn't so so i'm gonna do things my way ♪ ♪ my dream my dream is all i ever hoped for ♪ ♪ my dream my dream what i was born to do ♪ ♪ my dream my dream was what i had to go for no matter the pain ♪ ♪ this much i knew ♪ i would never give up my dream ♪ ♪ so i set out to win and i really dug in ♪ ♪ wouldn't let anything stand in my way ♪

♪ i stayed on the course got back on the horse and i'm living my dream today ♪ ♪ my dream my dream is all i ever hoped for ♪ ♪ my dream my dream what i was meant to do ♪ ♪ my dream my dream was what i had to go for ♪ ♪ no matter the pain no matter the strain ♪ ♪ this much i knew and it's true for you too ♪ ♪ no matter how rough the road may seem ♪ ♪ don't ever give up your dre dream ♪ >> yeah! woo! >> great job, morgan!

we'll be right back with a surprise. but first, this is "today" on nbc. >> nice job!

we're back with "everyone has a story" honoring a very, very special young woman. >> morgan james just performed a song and david friedman. thank you, guys. >> what did you think? >> i loved it. >> she's got that deep voice. it was kind of hard to hear at the beginning. i said just look at the words. >> beautiful. we always do something fun in the end. today we're going to surprise you. we're going to give you something -- we're so moved by your story and your letter. orbitz is sending you and your mom -- sorry, just the two of you -- to the hyatt regency, free three-night stay, horseback riding -- >> up the wazoo.

>> you two will have a fun kind of girls weekend and get some sun and ride your horses. >> got to finish up school a little bit and then do that? does that sound fun? >> maybe dad can cough up for the rest of the trip. i noticed in life that's what dads do. that's why god made them, just to cough it up. >> that's very true. well, thank you so much. it's great stuff. i want to congratulate our friend david friedman who just won a lifetime achievement award last week which is a huge, huge thing here in the music industry here. and so david, only took you how many years to get that? >> a lifetime. >> morgan, you are eight shows a week at the circle in the square. >> "god spell." it is a great show. we had such fun there. >> you know what, dad? you should cough up five tickets and stay -- >> extra night? >> we'll give you a tour. >> thank you, morgan. you're lovely. so talented. tomorrow, oliver platte is

with us. >> have a great day, everybody. >> have a great thirst day because tomorrow's try-day friday. >> you know what that means. [ older brother ] hey, that's the last crescent.

[ 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? and these are the ones you'll love as dinner. grands! mini pizzas. grands! biscuit dough... plus 3 ingredients make an easy dinner everyone loves. grands! mini pizzas... from pillsbury. see lioutdoors, or in.ight.

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