good morning. triple whammy. subtropical storm beryl picks up speed as she heads on a collision course with the southeast coast, as big wildfires rage out west. then there's that big heat wave gripping the nation's midsection. did the butler do it? new fallout this morning in a vatican scandal straight out of the movies. leaked secrets, charges of corruption, the pope's right-hand man under arrest. this morning the scandal could grow even wider. and near-death experience is the viral video that shocked the nation. an 80-year-old woman nearly falling out of her harness during a tandem skydiving adventure. we've tracked her down and

she'll tell us about her harrowing ordeal and why she has no hard feelings. "today," may 27th, 2012. good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a sunday. i'm lester holt. >> and i'm jenna wolfe. you can see that video a thousand times and each time it will just terrify you. >> there is a reason they put landing gears on airplanes so you don't have to jump out of the airplane. >> i get it, you would never jump out of a plane. i would. after seeing this, i -- it just absolutely blows my mind. >> but the first part and i think we'll show it later on is she doesn't want to get out of the airplane. it looks like she's kind of pushed and her knees kind of locked up. it all turns out safely. >> oh, this is hard to watch it. >> we'll show you a little bit more of that. >> if you haven't seen it enough. >> and then we are going to hear

from her about this adventure. >> we should mention she is okay, thankfully. it is memorial day, it's going to be a washout in parts of the country. subtropical storm beryl is due to hit the southeast coast later today. she's already bringing dangerous surf and drenching rains along beaches from northeast florida to south carolina. we've got it all covered and we'll get an update in just a moment. and it's said that april showers bring may flowers but all this warm weather we've seen is bringing something else. we've seen a lot of bugs. the number of insects expected to explode this summer thanks to the high temps. we'll tell you why you need to watch out for all those flying visitors. then a new look at the disappearance of missing utah mom susan powell. a documentary looks at the case from the beginning and uncovers several instances that might have saved the lives of her two sons who were killed by their father earlier this year. and later on, we'll take a big turn and take a look at your favorite viral videos, from fighting ballerinas to a very musical marriage proposal.

we'll have a round-up of all the best clips that have people talking. >> that marriage proposal is the sweetest thing i've seen in a long time, and i don't use the word "sweet" a lot. >> everybody is trying to top everybody else. >> this one does it. >> why don't you tell us how you proposed to your wife? >> no. we're talk to talk about the wild weather that's ruining a lot of plans this memorial day. subtropical storm beryl is bearing down. let's get the latest now with kerry sanders. >> reporter: from jacksonville to south carolina, beryl has whipped up the surf, creating dangerous rip currents. in georgia, life kbaurds have rescued more than 20 people caught in the powerful ocean action. officials in some communities have closed the beaches to swimming. coastal residents will experience up to 50-mile-per-hour winds as early as tonight. while beryl will ruin some barbecues and rooftop parties, there's also a silver lining. its rains will soak one of the

worst drought-stricken regions in our nation. it's the lack of rain that's making the battle of wildfires tougher in many states, including new mexico, arizona and michigan. in michigan's upper peninsula, holiday campers evacuated. so far 21,000 acres have burned. in arizona, 25-mile-per-hour winds are fueling the so-called gladiator fire. it's burned more than 16,000 acres so far. in orlando, a wildfire that had sent clouds of smoke towards theme parks has now been contained. a refrigerator is all that's left standing of what was once a home in rush county, kansas. as many as 30 tornados struck the area saturday. temperatures this weekend continue to be unusually hot, in the 90s in cities used to seeing 60s this time of year. in indianapolis, band members in wool uniforms used ice cubes to stay cool during a parade. and in pittsburgh, children and those acting like children are finding relief at water parks.

in miami shores, the heat drove ali williams' high school graduation party into the air conditioning. >> how was the graduation? >> it was really nice. it was indoors, so it was cool for everyone. >> reporter: memorial day weekend, the unofficial start of summer, with some memorable weather. for "today," kerry sanders, nbc news, miami. as subtropical storm beryl heads towards the southeast coast, the weather channel's jim cantore is in its path. he's on st. simons island. jim, what's happening there? >> reporter: good morning. it's a packed st. simons island too. it's hard to get a place to walk around, especially during the afternoon. this morning not too bad. people are out taking a jog at low tide. the wave action isn't too bad but kerry mentioned how many people had to be rescued yesterday. if you add up georgia, florida and south carolina, over 100 people had to be pulled from the waters. south carolina beaches remain closed. we expect the weather to change from where it is right through here, the center about 180 miles

offshore. being the fact that it's subtropical means we will have an extended period of rain and wind beginning around midnight tonight and lasting all day memorial day, unfortunately keeping a lot of these beachgoers inside. back to you. >> all right, jim cantore. jim, thank you very much. let's turn now to the weather channel's crystal egger who is tracking the heat wave and subtropical storm beryl as well. >> good morning. there's so much weather to talk about obviously for the holiday weekend. a full-blown heat wave making it feel more like the fourth of july in so many cities from the south through the ohio valley. look at these temperatures. this is 20 to 25 degrees above average for this time of year in so many spots. indianapolis, 96 today, 94 tomorrow. of course with the indy 500 under way, expecting one of the hottest races ever. tracking subtropical storm beryl still off the southeast coast and that's where most of the rain bands are right now. eventually moving onshore as we head into the evening hours tonight.

the track continues to take it in that westerly direction. notice all of those warnings and watches out across the beaches of northern florida, up into the southeast coast of georgia. wind, rain and an elevated risk of rip currents, surf as well, so it's going to be dangerous out in these waters. if there's one bright spot to this storm, it is the beneficial rain for this region. >> all right, crystal egger, thanks. we'll get back to you for the national forecast in just a moment. first we'll get a check of the morning's top stories from tom llamas at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. there's world outrage over one of the deadliest ataxes tacks i syria. richard engel has our report and we want to warn you some of the images you are about to see are disturbing. >> reporter: the scale of the atrocity is only hinted at by this long trench. a mass grave after a massacre that included dozens of children in the syrian town of hula.

u.n. blue helmet observers went to hula. they were shown a room full of bodies lined up in rows. the u.n. counted 32 dead children and 60 adults, but stopped short of specifically blaming the syrian government. >> the violence is unacceptable and it's unforgivable. the death of 32 young children, the future of syria. >> reporter: this video appears to show the moments right before the hula massacre during a friday afternoon anti-government protest. then smoke in the distance as syrian troops allegedly start shelling the town. after that, witnesses say, government-backed militias swept in and started stabbing, shooting and killing children at close range. richard engel, nbc news, cairo. back here in the states, the sisters of the man charged in the 1979 disappearance of etan patz now acknowledge their

brother had said things years ago about hurting a child in new york. pedro hernandez has confessed to luring the 6-year-old into the basement of a convenience store where he worked and strangling him. neighbors are putting up a memorial in front of the building where hernandez says he killed patz. vice president joe biden says the united states can now focus on a new global challenge after a long decade of war. speaking saturday at west point, biden said ending the long wars in iraq and afghanistan will allow the u.s. to replace and rebalance its foreign policy. biden delivered the commencement address to 972 jubilant graduates. and finally, michelle obama was with the single ladies this weekend joining 5,000 fans at a beyonce concert in atlantic city. the first lady was with daughters sasha and malia saturday night at the brand new resort where beyonce is performing her first concert since giving birth to daughter blue ivy in january. the first lady recently told "people" magazine if she could

be anyone else in the world, she would be beyonce. governor chris christie was also in attendance. luckily no reports of him doing the single ladies dance. so that's good. >> there are reports, however, that lester uttered those same exact words, if i could be anyone else, i would be beyonce. yeah, that's weird. >> i can't remember saying it but apparently i did. crystal is back and you've got the national forecast. >> that's right. boy, we have a triple threat as we head into the weekend. let's get right to it. we're talking about beryl, the threat of severe weather and dangerous heat. this is our risk area today for damaging winds, large hail and even isolated tornados. north texas all the way up into the western lakes. that could certainly impact your plans if you're going to be doing any dprigrilling outdoors. that heat wave across the south into the ohio valley. did i mention we even have snow falling across the northern rockies. that's a look and here's a great start to

the day for the 75th anniversary of the golden gate bridge. as we look at that forecast, we'll see some clearing skies just after lunchtime, but cool and breezy temperatures around the golden gate. highs close to 60 in san francisco indid not upper 60s to low 70s with morning drizzle. your seven-day forecast shows memorial day a bit warm e. then the summer-like heat comes back and then cool against toward next weekend. and back to you, lester. >> crystal, thanks. it's yet ear black eye for the vatican. the pope's butler accused of leaking confidential documents. the pope is said to be pained that one of his closest confidants is betraying him. duncan, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lester. these leaks started in january, rocking the vatican with allegations of corruption and cover-up. immediately the hunt started for

the source and finally last week police say they found hundreds of documents at the home of one of the pope's most trusted aides. it's like something from a hollywood movie. >> open the doors and tell the world the truth. >> reporter: a mystery at the vatican, complete with the accusation that the butler did it. pope benedict has been searching for whoever betrayed his secrets. all along it might have been the man closest to him. yesterday paolo gabriele, the pope's personal butler, was charged. the 46-year-old was always right there with the pontiff, up front at the popemobile or at his side during dinner. but what was he doing behind his boss's back? >> everyone who has known this young man, paolo gabriele, including me, is stunned by this. this is a pius, quiet young man

who's worked in the holy city 15 years. >> reporter: the scandal took a new twist with the publication of a book by an investigate i've journalist. there are letters to and from pope benedict, as well as allegations of financial corruption, many leaks seem to aim at undermining its secretary of state. some believe the leaks are part of a wider power struggle at the heart of the catholic church, perhaps wider than the work of one butler. >> it's clear that there is not only one man but a group of monsignors and employees of the vatican who are following a line of underground opposition to the secretary of state, cardinal bertoni. >> reporter: as the plot thickens in this conspiracy theory, the church and those who serve it, hope this case is quickly and quietly cracked. the investigation is continuing

into whether other people were involved. as for paolo gabriele, depending on the charges and if he's found guilty, he could face up to 30 years in prison. >> thank you. now here's jenna. there are new clues this morning in the disappearance of a young college student at the university of louisiana. 22-year-old mikela was last seen a week ago. veronica cruz has more. >> reporter: good morning to you. she was last seen leaving a house on may 19th around 2:00 a.m. and now some newly released surveillance video may offer some clues as to what happened to her. >> we just want her home. we just want to know something. somebody out there knows something, and we just want them to come forward. >> reporter: these grainy surveillance pictures are now the best hope of finding mickey. they show her riding her bike home from a friend's house late

last saturday. mickey, never made it home. family and friends are mobilizing in hopes of finding her. >> we are sending people to texas, sending people west, sending people to the border, to new orleans, north. >> reporter: last night police released more surveillance pictures of three vehicles traveling on the same roads at the same time as mickey. they want to talk to the drivers or passengers about what, if anything, they saw, and urge anyone who knows or finds anything to come forward. >> there could be potential evidence in and around that particular item that they found that we can use to hopefully point the investigation in the right direction. >> reporter: in the weeks since she's been gone, mickey turned 22 and her brother graduated high school. her family says it's not likely she would have willingly missed that. they're asking for everyone's help to bring mickey home. >> baton rouge, new orleans, shreveport, lake charles, everyone has been helping us out, forming search parties there. maybe mississippi, alabama, florida, all the states along

the border of mexico, if you know anyone in south texas, new mexico, arizona, california, just let them know what's going on. >> reporter: her cell phone was last used just after 1:00 a.m. on may 19th. since then there's been no activity on her phone and because of the phone's model, police are not able to track a signal to determine a more specific location. >> veronica de la cruz. thank you very much. up next on "today," an insect invasion. why warm weather we've had over the winter and into the spring means you'll have to watch out for some very unwelcome guests at your next picnic. that's right after this. about to explore. the world of new friskies plus. which is friskies plus more. more of the things alice desires. with all the nutrition alice requires. it's a world of shiny furs. of sparkly eyes and happy purrs.

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a lot of you will want to spend time outdoors this weekend. you've got three days off in some cases and summer is officially here, unofficially here. but as thanh truong discovered, you'll be dealing with uninvited guests. the flying, creepy, crawly dined. creepy-crawly kind. >> reporter: cockroaches. >> this is a major infestation of german cockroaches. >> reporter: argentinean ants. >> you will be overwhelmed. >> reporter: mosquitos. you name it and the bug experts are seeing it, lots of it. >> we're having almost perfect conditions for insect invasions right now. >> reporter: an unusually mild winter and an exceptionally warm spring kick-started the insect season. the bug control business is booming. >> the phone really has been ringing off the hook since early february. >> reporter: at this home in loganville, georgia -- >> this is what they do. >> reporter: -- termites are attacking. >> a few weeks ago, loganville

had some swarms come in to the area, and we got our share of it. >> reporter: it's a high-tech hunt. >> we are getting a small amount of movement. >> reporter: darryl kunia is using infrared and motion sensors to pinpoint the termites, which cause billions of dollars in damages each year. pest control treatments can require heavy-duty work and leave you with a hefty bill. those creepy-crawlers are not just a nasty nuisance, they're also a public health risk. in the southeast, they're already spraying for mosquitos. the biggest concern, west nile virus. no outbreaks have been reported, but the early activity doesn't bode well. >> so, if things get started earlier, that generally will fuel a west nile virus epidemic. >> reporter: in the northeast, the tick population is growing, and so is the potential for lyme disease. tick bites usually cause circular, red rashes. >> we think that the summer of 2012 is going to be the worst year yet for lyme disease, at

least in the northeastern and mid-atlantic u.s. >> reporter: emily miller says to protect her two young boys from swarming insects, she may cut back on the time they spend outdoors. >> one thing that we did today, although it's probably not what you normally would do on a hot day, is i put pants on my newborn. so, i wanted to cover up some of the exposed skin. >> reporter: miller isn't alone, and unfortunately, neither are these bugs. their numbers could explode this summer, but entomologists say that all depends on the weather. for "today," thanh truong, nbc news, atlanta. and as we continue here on a sunday morning on "today," disturbing, new information in the case of missing utah mom susan powell. were warning signs missed when it came to her husband? and could those signs have saved her kids? but first, these messages. aspirin, really?

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just in case you are wondering how we prepare and get ready for this show in the mornings, and i know some people like to take a peek into what happens at the "today" show behind the scenes, why don't we take a look? this is how we get our energy out. this was completely real and natural. there was no cheating involved whatsoever. lester, if you'd like to comment at any point here, go right ahe ahead. >> what you're about to see is me being chivalrous. >> oh, my arm. >> don't say i hurt your arm! i didn't even try that hard. >> you did hurt my arm. >> scoliosis, that's in my back right there. >> and my arm was wrong -- >> 15 excuses here. >> and the chair on my back -- >> go ahead. still ahead on "today," that may not have gone viral, but this did. brawling ballerinas, a marriage proposal that put others to shame. . see, airline credit cards promise flights for 25,000 miles, but...

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good morning. looking live at the golden gate bridge. it looks exactly the same as it always does, except that today is the 75th anniversary. it's official. thanks for joining us this morning. i'm kris sanchez look with rob mayeda. we always want to know about the forecast. there's a lot of stuff going on i want there's a bit of drizzle, 40s and low 50s outside, a blanket of low clouds all the way into livermore. know the futurecast here. if you're looking for sunshine, 12:00, 1:00. as we head towards 9:00 and 10:00 tonight, that's when the

fog will push back in toward san francisco. so your forecast will be a cool day, temperatures fireworks after 9:00 this evening. we'll see some patchy low clouds, fog probably spilling back in around 11:00, so all systems hopefully a go. upper 60s to low 70s, cool today even out by livermore. things broadband warming up toward the middle part of the week when the 80s and 90s come back. thank you very much, rob. new this morning san jose police are investigating the shooting death of a teenager. it happened just before midnight last night at a home on virginia avenue. police say they found two people wounded, including a 16-year-old boy who died at the scene. another man was treated for

non-life-threatening injuries. they're looking for suspects that they believe is a gang-related shooting. in san bruno, two men are behind bars and police are searching for a third after officers say they fired shots at them. it happened around 1:30 yesterday morning. san bruno police officers were trying to stop a car near bel air elementary school when they say three men ditched the car and then fled on foot. the officers were not hurt, but they did fire back. police say they don't know if one of the suspects was hit. a rash of car burglaries on the peninsula is now hoefr. 26-year-old matthew justin garcia is under arrest, accused of at least a dozen car burglaries in belmont, san mateo, redwood city and millbrae. he was arrested may 17th after several weeks of investigations after six agencies. coming up at 7:00 on "today

in the bay" golden gate ferry workers stage a weekend strike. will their labor dispute disrupt today's bridge celebration. we have the latest plus all of the day's top stories and more of what you want to know about the golden gate celebration. we'll see you back here in just 30 minutes. ♪

♪ ♪ we're back on a sunday morning, may 27th, 2012. we've got a lot of fun out here on the plaza. the united states navy band is

gracing us with theirs presence and their music, led by scott miceon. they're playing john philip sousa's "stars and stripes forever." our many thanks to them and you joining us this morning on a memorial day weekend. outside on the plaza, i'm jenna wolfe alongside lester holt. >> we always love gleam week in new york. we have the sailors, marines, they bring their families here, and we get to listen to great music. thank you so much. >> they are so much more pressed and ironed. they look great. thank you, guys. >> thank you. great job. nice to have your here. coming up in this half hour, we're talking viral videos, some of the best out there right now. >> a lot of the ones people are talking about. one we showed you earlier, this 80-year-old woman who decided to go sky diving. she was going to do a tandem jump and it was tandem, but she's barely hanging on for dear life, because somehow, she slips out of her strap. there's a happy ending to this. we're going to hear what she has to say about all of this. you look at that, why would you want to ever jump out of an airplane? >> or why would you want to do it again? she says she doesn't regret

doing that. we'll have to figure out why. that's not the only viral video we're talking about. there's some really cute ones and interesting ones out there circulating, from the cute little brawling ballerinas to the musical marriage proposals to a great father-daughter bar mitzvah dance. we're going to look at all of them coming up. very well choreographed. and memorial day weekend kind of kicks off the movie season, the blockbuster movie season. a couple big ones, "men in black 3," there's "the dark knight," "rises," two of the ones hitting the screen this we'll. look take a look at the movies hitting a theater near you. and it was raining here earlier, but it's cleared up and we're looking forward to a nice day. let's get a check of the weather with the weather channel's crystal egger. >> comfortable out here right now. you mentioned fleet week. there are so many men and women in uniform around new york city. let's not forget what this weekend is all about. i have a special guest, admiral shalanski. admiral, nice to see you on the plaza. tell us about fleet week and the

tons of people, obviously, around new york city for this week. >> well, thanks. first, of course, we're, you know, we're remembering all those that sacrificed all for our freedom and our country. and really, fleet week is about who you see here, our sailors, our coast guardsmen and our marines, and the great job and the sacrifices they make and their families make every day in defense of our nation. you'll see our coalition worships are here, the op sale is here. it's a great celebration of the war of 1812, where we as a naval service started our traditions of winning and our fine traditions that we carry on today throughout the world. >> admiral, thank you. and here's a look out from oakland to san francisco. a blanket of drizzle, but the skies should clear. upper 60s to low 70s, around san francisco you're looking at closer to 60.

mid 60s around the bay, for memorial day monday, a little bit warmer. if you want real warming, you'll have to wait until about wednesday or thursday when the 80s and 90s come back. >> and back over to you, jenna. >> all right, crystal, thank you very much. it's one of the latest videos to go viral and it's enough to want to make you cringe. an 80-year-old's attempt at sky diving that goes terribly wrong. at times, she's actually seen hanging upside down while falling out of a harness. and it seemed watching this uncertain how things will end. nbc's kristen dahlgren caught up with the dangling daredevil. >> reporter: it started as a lifelong dream. >> is this something you always wanted to do? >> for years. >> reporter: laverne everett wanted to go sky diving. >> whose idea was all this? >> mine. >> what's the reason? >> i just turned 80. >> reporter: but what happened next could have made that birthday her last. as she fell through the air in a tandem skydive, everett somehow slipped from her harness.

>> i think i knew something was kind of not right, but i didn't know it was as bad as it was, so to speak. >> reporter: as she dangled from the straps, the 80-year-old couldn't see a thing. >> because my clothes was up over my face. >> reporter: the videographer tries to get close enough to help the instructor, but as the pair tumbled, there is nothing anyone else can do. everett is still hanging as they finally touch down. >> hold on. >> oh, my god! >> reporter: one year after the fall, the video has gone viral, but the now 81-year-old everett says she has no hard feelings. >> i'm not sorry i did it. >> reporter: as for questions if the video appears to show her changing her mind about the jump and being pushed out of the plane, she says her knees went out right before she jumped. >> he helped me. he gave me a little boost with his feet. i needed that. he knew how bad i wanted to do

it. >> reporter: the faa is now looking into the incident and confirms it has proposed over $900,000 in unrelated fines for the northern california par chus center in the last two years. those cases are still pending. nbc news reached out to parachute center owner bill dowd, who would only say about everett's jump, no one got injured and the landing was fine. as for the daring senior, she says she has no plans to sue. >> i signed a waiver and i respect that. >> reporter: besides, she's too busy planning her next adventure. >> probably go in a race car. i think maybe that's my next thing. >> reporter: hopefully, buckled up a little tighter this time. for "today," kristen dahlgren, nbc news, los angeles. >> so, i'm wondering the whole time, is the instructor telling her, this is perfectly normal! this is how a tandem jump works. >> this is how it always goes! >> is it strange, i think i knew

exactly what to get my 80-year-old grandmother for her birthday. >> can i guess what it's not going to be? >> no, she wants to make 81. we want to talk about the interesting viral videos out there right now. have you seen the one, the ballerina, you think of it being graceful -- >> beautiful. >> this one's not. >> exactly not that at all. this is a dance recital only don king could appreciate. you have 2-year-olds in their tutus. the crowd thought they would see something like "swan lake." it turns into something like "rocky 4" with the taller one playing ivan dragon and then rocky balboa comes in. it gets nasty right about now. we're talking about a rapid fire slap hand. here we go, but she responds with the left hook and the little one comes around and gets her right there. the amazing thing is the crowd kept watching, looking at this laughing. finally, the dance instructors came in and broke them up. >> this is future "housewives of beverly hills." >> that's how it all started. >> should get andy cohen. >> they're 3 years old, so when something annoys them, they do a

little bit of this. they have yet to discuss and talk it through. >> and at 3, already wanting the spotlight. she says you're in my way. i want to get up front. >> why can't they arm wrestle to settle the difference like everybody else? and have you seen the proposal one? everybody likes the overtime proposal. this one, i got a little misty. >> yeah, really amazing. this is in portland. isaac lamb is an actor. we'll see him in the end. she got 60 friends and family together to basically do what he calls the first ever live lipped-up proposal. they did it to bruno mars' song "marry you" and the bride was in the back of a honda with earphones on. and ivsaac comes over and proposes. bruno mars tweeted and says that's the best video, says congrats to the couple. >> all right, so the whole thing happens and then he gets there and asks her and here's how the whole thing turned out. >> you have already given me a lifetime of happiness. will you let me spend the rest of my life trying to give you

the same? will you marry me? >> she said yes, of course! and if you don't have little goose pimples, well -- >> i think she said can i think about it? >> i think she said, can you put a little more into the proposal and then i'll get back to you? >> finally, the father-daughter dance-off. >> this one a lot of people are talking about. more than a million hits on youtube. this is out of rhode island. a father and daughter at her bar mitzvah. this is mike and jessica handley. jessica says she choreographed 70% of this dance, but look at mike go. he's a comedian, but he's really into it. the bar mitzvah's a coming of ages for people of the jewish faith. this was a dance of the ages, doing the solda boy there, a little l fnks mao action. >> if you're going to do this, you don't go 50%. if you're diving in to jamming at the bar mitzvah, you've got to go all the way. >> and guess who's on the plaza? >> i hope mike and yes ka. >> hi, guys, how are you?

>> want me to come over to you? >> whose idea was this? >> mine, i guess. >> who's the person not in the dance. >> how did you come up with the routine? >> it was all her idea, i'll give her all the credit. >> where did it come from and how long did it take you to learn it all? >> it took about three months to learn it and we picked out all the songs ourselves. >> yeah. >> we're going to kick up the band and let you guys dance away. >> you don't have to do it, but if you can just do the dancing, we would be really happy. >> that's good. >> here you go. ♪ ♪

>> mike and jessica, great job. congratulations. >> thank you. >> thank you. it's great to have you. we'll be back with more "today" after this. ♪ maybe it's time to recharge the human battery. only the beautyrest recharge sleep system combines the comfort of aircool memory foam layered on top of beautyrest pocketed coils to promote proper sleeping posture all night long. the revolutionary recharge sleep system from beautyrest... it's you, fully charged. right now, receive two free recharge pillows with the purchase of select beautyrest mattresses.

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it's memorial day weekend, which means we are kicking off the summer movie season. e-news correspondent and critic jackson murphy, aka lights camera jackson are here to preview some of the summer's biggest blockbuster. alicia and jackson, good morning. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> alicia, i'll get to you in a second. first i have to brag on this kid a bit. jackson, you are the youngest member of the broadcast film critics association. >> yes. >> how's that going for you? >> it's great to be a part of that and thanks for having me back on. you know, it's great to be a part of the broadcast home critics association. i'm now the youngest member and it's wonderful. i got to go on "jay leno" again

in february with meredith vieira, who's the nicest person in the world. >> how old are you? >> 13. >> at 13, who says that sentence? all right, let's get to the movies. alicia, "men in black 3" premiered this weekend. you have both seen the movie. >> yes. >> strong box office numbers? >> okay, it came in less than expected. it's supposed to make $9 million this weekend, supposed to make $75 million. but it's in 3d, first time we've seen will smith and tommy lee jones and it is fantastic. >> he's fantastic as a younger tommy lee jones, just perfect with the delivery and timing, just great. i enjoyed it as well. >> i actually enjoyed. he plays a 29-year-old, believe it or not. >> yes. >> so, we should go see this. >> yes, see it. >> next up "dark knight rises," the final in the batman series? >> it's supposed to be, but you never know. i hope it's going to be really good. it comes out july 20th in theaters and imax, and it looks great. i mean, i don't know if it's going to beat "the avengers,"

because that was huge, right out of the gate for the summer movie season. i don't know if it will beat "the avengers" at the box office, but i'm really looking forward it it. >> you saw the others. >> this was supposed to be the trilogy. anne hathaway is in this one as cat woman. pictures were leaked early. this is the one i want to see, my husband wants to see it. everybody is dying for this movie. >> next up, the animated summer movie. you both picked this one. >> it's a pixar movie and they have done so well at the box office. a lot of people didn't like "cars 2," last summer. i really enjoyed "cars 2." i'm looking forward to this, although it looks like another disney princess movie. >> it's the first time as a female heroine, and it's about girl power. >> remember "the hunger games." it's also the third pg-rated pixar film. that could be interesting to see if families will go to that still. >> next up, whitney houston's final movie, and this is "sparkle."

>> "sparkle." >> is this going to draw attention because this is her last movie? >> she bought rights to this and it stars jordin sparks, but all of her fans will go to the box office. this movie's going to be huge. >> for that kind of film, it will do really well. >> and you may not know him because you're a little younger, but there's a guy named, i think it's pronounced tom cruise? he's in a movie called "rock of ages"? >> yes. >> what are we thinking of this, all-star cast? >> yes, i'm looking forward to it. alec baldwin, russell brand, julianne hough and catherine zeta-jones, so many. i'm looking forward to it. watching the trailer, i really enjoyed the music, but for me, the story's going to have to do it if this is going to do really well. >> this was a big show on broadway. and tom cruise singing? enough said. they said he's been practicing for hours a day, got his body in shape. supposed to be really, really good. >> people will go just for tom cruise. >> we only have a few seconds left. you're graduating from eighth grade this year. if you could pick any gift in the world, what would it be? >> going to the movies and being here on the "today" show.

i love being here. >> happy graduation. >> happy graduation! > whoo! chhmual very. >> thank you. >> we'll take a break. this is my dad's car., look at the car! my dad's gonna kill me dude... [ male announcer ] the security of a 2012 iihs top safety pick. the volkswagen passat. that's the power of german engineering. right now lease the 2012 passat for $209 a month. and then treats day after day... well, shoot, that's like checking on your burgers after they're burnt! [ male announcer ] treat your frequent heartburn by blocking the acid with prilosec otc. and don't get heartburn in the first place! [ male announcer ] one pill a day. 24 hours. zero heartburn.

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♪ then we turned the page, creating the rx hybrid. ♪ now we've turned the page again with the all-new rx f sport. ♪ this is the next chapter for the rx. this is the next chapter for lexus. this is the pursuit of perfection. now to a case we've been following for years. missing utah mom susan powell. back in february, the entire nation watched these images in horror. inside this burning home, josh powell had just murdered his two young sons and took his own life. powell had long been considered a person of interest in his wife, susan's, 2009 disappearance. now, "e!" strocorrespondent lau

ling examines this. >> good morning, lester. i sat down with susan powell's family and friends to examine the red flags that were overlooked and conducted an interview with dr. james manley, the psyog who evaluate d josh powell for the court. by 2011, susan powell had been missing nearly two years. >> we're just asking the public to remember her. >> reporter: that september, susan's husband josh squared off in court with susan's parents over custody of sons charlie and braden. the judge awarded temporary custody to susan's parents. josh retained visitation rights two times per week. in an effort to regain custody of the boys, josh underwent a court-ordered mental health and parenting evaluation. forensic psychologist dr. james manly performed the review. he's never spoken publicly about the case until now. dr. manly, you were one of the few people allowed to look at these images. can you describe to me what you

thought? >> there was about 15 images that i found the most disturbing, and they were very lifelike, computerized drawings of adults and children having sex in various ways. whoever built these files had a clear interest in incest themes, which within a parenting evaluation did not bode well with me. >> did you ever get the sense that josh might have been exposing his sons to those cartoon images of incest? >> i didn't get the sense of that, but it isn't outside of the bounds of possibility. >> what was your recommendation? >> that we needed to know a lot more about mr. powell. and that's why i referred him to a psychosexual evaluation. there were a lot of missing pieces about josh powell. so, it is my opinion that he shouldn't have reunification with his kids. >> lester, even though a judge ordered josh powell to get that

evaluation, he was still allowed to see his children in supervised home visits. >> and laura, with all these red flags, were you surprised that josh was never charged? >> well, it's hard not to question why josh was never charged. an unfilled search warrant from the case indicated that susan powell's blood was found in the home. traces of the blood were found in the home the night she was reported missing. susan had apparently left a handwritten will in a safety deposit box, saying that if she died, it might not be an accident, even if it looked like one. so there were a lot of red flags, and sadly, two innocent lives were lost because, it seemed, the system failed here. >> laura ling in los angeles. laura, thank you very much. you can see the full story "e investigates: a family tragedy, the powell story" this tuesday at "e!." and we'll be right back after these messages. [ male announcer ] what's in your energy drink?

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let's go to washington and check with david gregory to find out what's coming up on "meet the press." david, good morning. >> good morning, lester. coming up, the economy is front and center this morning. i'll have a debate between former republican presidential candidate newt gingrich and maryland's democratic governor martin o'malley. plus, maria shriver and author michael lewis had some advice for the class of 2012. it's all coming up this morning on "meet the press." >> all right, david, we'll see you then. thanks. >> so, we had some special guests on the plaza today who will like to give a special shout-out to their friends and family back home. go for it, guys. >> i want to wish my daughter jasmine in jacksonville, florida, a happy 17th birthday. >> i want to say hi to my family and friends in lake city, florida, my wife and son in boston. you make my heart smile. love you. >> i just want to say to my friends, see you all at

christmas. >> i want to say hi jacoby and happy birthday ray. we love you. >> i want to say hi to my mom and my sister back in saranac lake, new york. >> shout out from south carolina, charleston, south carolina, that is. hey, mom, how are you doing? greenville, south carolina. we love you all. >> i want to thank all of america for supporting us, especially my family back at home in houston, texas. >> sergeant coast guard seneca, boston, massachusetts. give a shout-out to my wife, megan. >> we thank all of you for your service. thanks so much for being here. >> thanks so much, you guys. we want to say good-bye to you this morning with "today's life illustrated," our weekly look through your camera lens. in observance of memorial day, you sent your most patriotic pictures. many pay tribute beautifully it our servicemen and women, some of whom are standing right here. >> and next, a little pomp and circumstance. it's graduation season, so send us some shots of the grads in your life. >> submit them to todayshow.com. >> have a great sunday,

everybody. i'll see you on "nightly news." ♪ -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com ♪ i thank my lucky stars to be living here today ♪ ♪ 'cause the flag still stands for freedom and you can't take that away ♪ ♪ and i'm proud to be an american where at least i know i'm free ♪ ♪ and i won't forget the men who died and who gave that right to me ♪ ♪ i'll gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today ♪ ♪ 'cause there ain't no doubt i

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