days away, we've all finally days away, we've all finally made our way to london, today, wednesday, july 25th, 2012. made our way to london, today, captions paid for by nbc-universal television >> announcer: from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today," countdown to the olympic games with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from london, england. and good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on this wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. my third day here in london during the buildup to the summer olympic games. we're standing here at the tower of london. behind me the famed tower bridge with the olympic ring hanging beneath it as this city gets prepared to welcome the world here in just a couple of days. now, savannah, al and natalie actually arrived a little earlier this morning. but in typical fashion they decided they wanted to make a grand entrance.

here they come from a london cab. hey, guys. >> thank you. hello. >> good morning. >> hi. >> how are you? mr. roker, sir. nice to see you guys. welcome. >> thank you. >> it is good to be here finally. >> is anyone going to pay the cab driver? >> we put it on your tab. >> we gave him your credit card. >> we're big tippers too. >> how was the flight overnight? >> wonderful. we cruised down the olympic lanes and got here almost in time. good afternoon instead of morning. >> not so bad here. >> good hours. we like that. >> we want to mention the competition -- it does start after the opening ceremony but actually began today for some competitors. for example, in soccer the u.s. women take on france today, that's a highly anticipated match. by the way, take a look at the aquack tight centre, one of the great

venues over in olympic park and take a look at ryan lochte, one of the stars of the u.s. team getting a little warm-up action in over there. so things are really heating up. >> talk about heating up, there's going to be a fierce competition in the pool from ryan lochte and michael phelps. they will face off as soon as this week. speaking of ryan, another ryan joining us, our special correspondent ryan seacrest will give us the scoop at the aquatic centre. >> we'll be checking out another standout from the u.s. swim team, missy franklin, the 17-year-old known as the missile. she could swim away with seven medals in london. exciting to watch her as well. >> of course, the mayor of london, boris johnson, is quite a character. he's here playing it cool. he's going to be chatting with you a little bit. welcome all of us and welcome the world. >> he's been working on this for a very, very long time. >> we want to begin with what's being done to make sure the games are safe. we turn to nbc's stephanie gosk who has the latest on that. good morning to you. >> good morning, savannah. every city that hosts the games asks the same question, how are

we going to keep the games safe. in the last few weeks there's been a scandal with a private security company and has some people in the city wondering whether or not london was ready. those in charge insist it is. the largest peace time security operation in british history starts at the olympic park. this week athletes are pouring in. soon spectators will as well. so when the private security firm g4s announced four weeks ago they could not provide enough guards at the gates, the british military was forced to step up. 4700 troops now check bags and man x-rays. at venues outside of london, the local police have had to fill in. but metropolitan police xhanz commander bob broadhurst, says the g4s debacle has not compromised security. >> what it did do, people in all the agencies had to work a bit harder. >> reporter: the security guards are just one part of a much larger operation.

from this command and control center broadhurst is in charge of more than 9,000 officers, on the ground, water, and air. they are backed up by a military arsenal including surface-to-air missiles, typhoon fighter jets and the royal navy's largest ship the hms ocean. it's an historic buildup londoners have noticed. >> if something did happen, we'd be equipped to respond to it quite well. >> there are also multiple layers of security the public won't see, including new technology to remotely control vehicles if they get carjacked installed in thousands of buses. we were given a firsthand demonstration. >> it's measuring everything from speed down to how much i'm pressing the accelerator. >> reporter: at the side of the road a colleague took control of the car, from a laptop. >> really can't do anything with the vehicle. >> now we've come to a complete

stop. >> reporter: even more important than technology or fire power, say commanders, is experience. on july 7th, 2005, just a day after london was awarded the 2012 games, the city was attacked by a homegrown terror cell. 52 people were killed. >> terrorism has been a fact of life in the united kingdom since 9/11 and really before. but the security services because of that experience are as good, if not better, than any security service in the world. >> reporter: security officials say the likelihood of a large-scale attack is quite small. what they are more concerned about is the lone wolf attack, a person acting on their own. the best defense against that is public vigilance. matt. >> all right. stephanie, thank you very much. boris johnson is the mayor of london. mr. mayor, good morning to you. >> hi, how are you? >> i'm doing well. >> nice to see you again. >> had you in new york a while back. nice to see you in london. >> lovely to see you.

>> years in the planning. lot of ups and downs. here we are three days away from opening ceremony. you're going out to where the torch is being run through the streets of london a little later on. >> i am. i'm not going to carry it, i want you to know. >> are you not allowed to carry it? >> there's a no politician rule. >> that's true. >> if i tried to grab the torch, policemen would haul me off of it. >> you should do it. you would be on every newscast. >> but not in a good way. >> when you see the torch, is that the moment it will hit home this is happening. >> a lot of people have been involved in this a long time. four years we've been getting this thing ready. i went down to the village yesterday and it was like an incredible time share except more luxurious and with a better economic prospect. i felt very floaty because this is something so huge for london and the whole city. >> you talk about economic prospects. obviously it's about the spirit of competition, the olympic

movement, but it's big business for the city of london. what do you want people to think of your city after they watch this game. >> this is the number one commercial, cultural artistic city in europe. it stands in relation to the european continent as new york does to the united states. it's the number one banking finance center. it's the world capital. of sport. i'm afraid to say, i've pointed out before on your show, we invented just about every one of the sports including baseball, by the way. >> yeah, right. i think on my show you said you have invented everything useful to mankind. i think that's -- something like that, yeah. let's talk about security. serious subject for a second. some headlines made about some real blunders g4s the private company charged with providing security for many venues here. are you worried that someone sitting there watching those stories who might have been considering causing harm at these games, may feel em boldnd to do so now? >> i think on the contrary, they

will recognize what we've got is a very good relationship between the armed services, who were always going to be part of this thing, we were going to have loads of military personnel plus g4s, and the police. if you go around to all the venues and you look at how the teams are working, it's exceptionally -- >> on a local and national level you feel as if you've adequately plugged any holes that might have been created by that private company? >> the venues, the number one point, the venues are as safe as we can make them, matt. the thing about security is, politicians can never say the whole thing is 100% nailed down, because there's always a risk, there's always a nut case out there. of course that's true. the intelligence we're getting is that the overall risk has been downgraded from severe to substantial, the terrorist threat, that kind of stuff, and on the venue security, it's as safe as any game has ever been.

>> now they are whining about the sun. >> we should be olympic contestants for the art of winging. >> which is whining here, right? >> do you say >> they are also complaining about traffic. we zipped through these great olympic lanes, they worked for us, but the people upset about it are complaining. >> let me point out, when you zipped through the lanes as you did, they were open to everybody because they are open to everybody at the moment. actually so far it's working okay. the traffic system is not throwing up some of the problems that perhaps -- >> although you had a little bit of a rail problem the other night leaving the olympic park when people -- you're looking at

me and smiling. i have to mention it. >> that's all right. there was a rail problem on the central line but recovered. actually, the interesting thing was that london was able to absorb the problem and we got 64,000 people into the olympic stadium and out again without any problems at all. >> boris johnson, the mayor of london who will make headlines later today when he goes out and tackles the olympic torch as it goes through the streets of london. >> i'm not going to do that, matt. >> good luck. >> thank you. >> pleasure to be here. back to savannah. all right, matt. thank you. in other news, back at home, the investigation into the friday's colorado shooting is moving forward, this as survivors got a special visit from "the dark knight rises" star christian bale. nbc's mike taibbi is in aurora, colorado, again for us this morning. mike, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. one sign of how much people return the country are hurting for aurora, the state victims' fund that's been set up has reached $2 million with warner brothers, the studio that produced the film the victims were watching making its own sizable contribution.

of course, the aftershocks are profound here. gun sales here are surging even as the investigation continues into how the lone suspect could have caused so much misery. batman star christian bale came to town unannounced to visit injured victims, victims' families and first responders. it was the posted cell phone photos that got the story out. >> he was very nice, very sincere. and, you know, he wasn't there about himself. he was just there to show his support and show that people cared. >> but the theater where "the dark knight rises" may never open again. there and at the apartment home of suspect james holmes, prosecutors and fbi agents continued the collection of evidence. they will also pour over the records of the medical college where holmes had been a ph.d. candidate before dropping out, supported by a 26,000 federal stipend. school officials wouldn't say whether the suspect might have used thousands of those taxpayer dollars for the arsenal police say he assembled. >> that's the national standard for supplying living stipends

for ph.d. students so they could devote 100% of their efforts to research. >> reporter: nbc confirmed he connected on one dating site, called classic jim, on match.com, said sole penetrating eyes were his best future. and a question for any potential matches, will you visit me in prison? after the world got a first look at holmes in court there was a spike in gun sales and permit applications in colorado, a 43% spike in the week before the massacre. >> when i showed up, about 40 people standing outside waiting to get in. >> reporter: but there were also hopeful signs of renewal. katie medley in the theater gave birth to hugo jackson medley. her husband caleb was gravely wounded in the massacre. they are doing great.

the hospital reported. caleb's brother said he's doing better. >> he's still listed as critical but he is in stable condition and he's making small improvements, baby steps every day. >> reporter: baby steps in the city's recovery. one step at a time in the case against james holmes. next monday he'll be in court to hear the formal charges against him. and in the months that follow, the answer to two key questions, will the state seek the death penalty and will james holmes plead guilty by reason of insanity? savannah. >> a long road ahead. mike taibbi in colorado. thank you. we are all now here in london, so that raises the trivia question who is holding down the fort back at studio 1a in new york. at least temporarily is, ms. hoda kotb who is at the news desk with the headlines. how are you? >> how did you leave me and kathie lee here. we are trashing this joint. just the two of us. >> moments of insanity. >> i don't know how you did it. all right, guys.

in the news protests have turned violent in anaheim, california, over recent involved police shootings, including one that killed an unarmed man. last night, the city council asked the city attorney's office to investigate shootings. this story is pretty incredible, a newly released video shows an orca at seaworld tempting to drown her trainer. it has been made public in the investigation into the 2010 death of seaworld trainer dawn brancheau. in the video, the female or can drags him under twice as he struggles for his life. once they return to the surface he's able to calm the orca into releasing his foot and he swims frantically away. his foot is broken. but he is alive. the trainer believes that the orca would have released him if he remained calm. the poll on the race to the white house shows the president's negative rating is at 43% and republican rival mitt romney isn't faring much better,

he hit a 40% negative rating, the highest yet. but president obama is leading in the poll as 49% surveyed say they would vote for him versus 43% for romney. and now onto wall street, cnbc's courtney reagan at the new york stock exchange. another rough day ahead? >> it could be. hoda, good morning. on tuesday, dow closed are lower by triple digits for the third day in a row, something that hasn't happened since september, and even apple wasn't strong enough to escape the headwinds. it missed estimates by more than a dollar as those iphone sales came up short. investors actually looking to a stream of housing reports today for a little hope, a bright spot in the summer. >> thank you. three years after michael js

conflicts are taking center stage. police were called over a fight between his daughter paris and sister janet jackson seen here on surveillance video. over the weekend the family reported jackson's mother katherine missing. she has been found safe with her daughter in arizona. we're going to have more coming up in a live report. actor sherman hemsley, known as television's upwardly mobile george jefferson, died tuesday at his home in el paso, texas. he got his start as archie bunker's neighbor on "all in the family" but his spinoff "the jeffersons" that made him a household name. he was 74 years old. who could forget the deluxe apartment in the sky. it's 7:17. back to the gang in london. hey, guys. >> all right. hoda, thank you so much. al, we checked with you with the weather, this is doubling as a fan this morning. >> i know. moving around warm air but keep doing it. >> i was trying to help you. >> thank you. it's very nice. just keep going. let's see what we've got for you. here is the forecast for london over the next three days. we're talking about temperatures

staying in the 80s. chance of afternoon showers by friday. but the good news is those shower chances will start to decrease as we get on into the opening ceremony, 9:00, cloudy, just a 20% chance of showers. temperatures will be in the upper 60s. that's what going on around the country, here is what's happening in your ne good wednesday morning to you. 7:18. starting with a live look over san jose. mostly cloudy conditions. clouds will keep us cooler. take a look at your highs. this is really, really comfortable for this time of year where traditionally we're at our warmest here in the bay area. 74 degrees today. that's oakland. 78 in napa and just 79 degrees in san jose. now the warm up is on but not until this weekend. we'll hit the upper 0es by sunday, mid-90s return monday and tuesday. at's your latest weather. matt. >> al, thank you very much. 8s by n london one thing peo sunday, mid-90s return monday

and tuesday. 0s by sunday, mid-90s return monday and tuesday.

after your local news.

this time is 7:26. a car with a handful of children inside peppered with bullets after somebody started shooting on interstate 95. hercules police tells us three adults and four young children were inside that pontiac late last night when another car pulled up inside and somebody started shooting. the victims managed to drive their car into a nearby gas station for help but the suspect got away. a gas station attendant telecommunication us a man of hit in his hand, a woman was shot in her stomach and leg. none of the children were injured. a south bay highway was shut down overnight after a santa

clara probation officer apparently was shot during a search. this all started last night on highway 17 when south bay officers track down a suspect wanted on a weapons violation and somehow we're told a probation offer's gun accidentally went off hitting him in the upper part of his leg. the officer was airlifted to a nearby hospital. he's expected to recover. officers managed to arrest that suspect they were looking for without incident. time now for a check on your wednesday forecast. it is mid-week. christina loren says it's going to be a nice looking day. >> we're in the middle of summer. good morning. going feel much cooler than average especially right by the water where we have a full deck of clouds this morning and what's happening is we have a nice westerly flow so that pacific air will fill your inland valleys and take the temperature down by five to ten degrees. it works out like this. 58 degrees in san jose where it's 60 in sunnyvale, 70s in most of your inland cities. comfortable conditions.

high pressure finally starts to move out of the area. cool air from the pacific and bring your temperatures down. we'll have your seven day outlook in just a few minutes. >> the accidents have cleared from 101. look at the slowing here. heavier than we typically see at 7:30 on a wednesday. northbound 880 is at transition but 880 moves smoothly. slowing in the southbound direction. slowing through livermore not a problem northbound at 680 and bernel. the accident has cleared. for the latest in traffic, news and updates check us out on nbcbayarea.com. we're back with more. release me, momigus!

that's mom to you. and you should eat something that's good for you before you go outside. never! come on james. it's a new fiber one chewy bar. chocolatey and delicious. fiber one chewy bar, huh? mmm. refueled space captain james. [ male announcer ] new fiber one chewy bars. great taste kids love plus calcium and fiber kids need.

wednesday morning july 25th, 2012. it's 12:30 in the afternoon here in london. we could not ask for nicer weather, right around 80 degrees. sunny, nary a cloud in the sky. good morning to you. i'm savannah guthrie alongside

al roker, al roker and matt lauer. you said don't bring the weather. >> you did very well. i don't get to hear the word nary. >> it sounded british. >> i also told you to brush up on your nbc information book. >> here we go again. >> i have day three of my olympic quiz. this isn't just olympic quiz, just general knowledge. we all know here in london we're five hours ahead of new york time, right? in terms of time zone. what is the time difference between the site of the 2012 summer games and 2008 summer games. >> ask matt. >> seven hours. >> six. >> that is correct. seven hours. george bernard shaw once famously said england and america are two countries separated by what? >> the pond. >> english. >> we all know here in this country waiting in line is

called queueing. so when people use the word jumper, what are they referring to? >> a sweater. >> very good. >> finally paid off. >> what are they referring to when they say a kit? >> an umbrella? >> it's a uniform. wearing his or her kit. >> old troubles in your kit bag. >> that went better than i thought. >> one more. you're not out of the woods. what is the best selling motorized vehicle in the uk last year. >> ford fiesta. >> that was not in the book. >> it was in the book. >> ford is the number one and number two best selling cars. >> i think you guys did very well considering jet lag. congratulations. >> thank you. >> we get the gold medal. >> just ahead, one man could become the most decorated

olympian ever. we're talking about michael phelps. he needs three metals of any color. to accomplish that he would pass a female soviet gymnast. coming up, ryan seacrest will be talking to the man of the hour. in contention for the medal, the american women's soccer team. they will be in action today against france. the goalie has made some controversial comments. we'll get into that story as well. we're begin this half hour in california where an ongoing feud between the jackson family members is escalating. jason kennedy is in los angeles for us. good morning to you. >> reporter: hey, savannah, good morning. the jackson family feud that began this weekend with reports to police that michael jackson's mother katherine was missing has escalated into a face-to-face confrontation involving janet jackson and her niece paris. like the dramatic productions

we've come to associate with michael jackson, this new family conflict was caught on camera. surveillance video at the california home of katherine jackson shows an suv with randy, janet and jermaine jackson as it pulls into the driveway behind the vehicle driving michael jackson's three children home from summer school. at first the meeting appears cordial. prince jackson exits the front passenger seat and walks over to his uncle randy greeting him with a hug. paris jackson is also seen in the grainy video hugging aunt janet. moments later things got heated and police were called. >> jermaine, randy, janet and the kids, something like that. i'm thinking they are bringing them home. then they get out with their cell phones. they are filming, all this kind of stuff. randy calls prince over to him. he was like kind of pushing him aw away. janet ran up to paris and tried to take her phone.

she went back and didn't want her to take the phone. they diverted them in the house. it all happened at once. they all started to come in the door and things got crazy. someone called 911 and the police showed up. >> on tuesday randy jackson spoke to al sharpton and gave his account of what happened. >> we did got to the phone to let paris and prince know they can visit with their grandma at any time. we felt someone was trying to twist the story and make it though we were the problem, denying them access to their grandma. when we got to the home, we were kind of denied access to our own home by security. >> i told them, they are not going to come and take the kids out of here. they already took miss jackson out of the house. we're not going to let them take the kids out of the house. >> i just want to say i love him

so much. >> reporter: when michael jackson died his will left custody of his three children to katherine jackson. jackson's father and siblings got nothing. tuesday the executor of michael's estate issued a statement about the children. we are concerned that we do what we can to protect them from undue influences, bullying, greed and other unfortunate circumstances. >> there's a ton at stake with the estate. they certainly want to make sure not only the entire family is taken care of but they want to make sure the children's best interest are as well. >> it became public when trent reported her missing to police. an investigation found she was safe and with her daughter rebbie in arizona. as of last wednesday she had yet to speak with her grandchildren prince, blanket or paris, who has taken to twitter to urge that her grandmother come back home. >> i'm protecting her and i'm

looking out for her best interest. i don't have no motive behind what i do. she want me there, i'm going to be there. >> trent jackson told us after watching tape of the ugly incident at the jackson home, he's embarrassed and hopes his family can sit down and work things out together. but above all, he just wants katherine jackson back home with her grandchildren. savannah. >> all right. jason kennedy in los angeles. thank you. now we want to get a check on our lovely weather with mr. roker. hey, al. >> hey, guys, thanks so much. we are here along the thames. we've got some friends from minneapolis. hi, what's your names? >> julie. >> katie. >> having a good time? for the olympics? no? what? when are you going home? >> we're going to paris from here. >> not so bad. a nice consolation prize. >> the water is kind of low here but in phoenix just outside of phoenix, boy, was it wet.

you want to talk about flash flooding, because of all the burning going on, there was no vegetation to hold back the water. so you can see how quickly they had flash flooding here, really unbelievable. let's take a look and see as far as the heat is concerned again, a very wide area, very hot conditions, excessive heat watches and warnings, advisories in effect. temperatures continue into the upper 90s, well over 100. in fact, heat index's make it feel anywhere from 100 to 110 hearing those numbers, yeah, we're going to be the envy of the nation yet again here in the bay area. start with a live look at san francisco. temperatures tumbling by five to ten degrees from yesterday's highs. look at all those 70s. 79 degrees in san jose. 77 out in the valley. you'll hit low to mid-70s along

the east shore getting comfortable numbers in oakland at 74 degrees. as we head throughout the coming days, temperatures will continue to drop-off but spike again in the weekend. est her. savannah. >> all right, al. thanks. coming up next ryan seacrest sits down with michael phelps. coming up right after this. big year for spelling. par, here's what the kids will n-e-e-d. ♪ pens and markers, paper wide ruled. ♪ ♪ hoodies, sneakers, tape, sticks of glue.♪ ♪ large boxes pencils, highlighters. ♪ ♪ sneakers and t-shirts. ♪ notebooks and jeans, ♪ notebooks and jeans, ♪ notebooks and jeeeeans, yeah! ♪ ♪ notebooks and jeans! announcer: school takes a lot, target has it all. with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card, we earn more cash back for the things we buy most. 1% cash back everywhere, every time. 2% on groceries.

3% on gas. automatically. no hoops to jump through. no annual fee. that's 1% back on... wow! 2% on my homemade lasagna. 3% back on [ friends ] road trip!!!!!!!!!!!! [ male announcer ] get 1-2-3 percent cash back. apply online or at a bank of america near you. ♪ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . tums freshers. fast relief, fresh breath, [ female announcer ] take the pantene dare to compare challenge. get healthier, stronger hair in less than 7 days guaranteed. then tell us your results on facebook. pantene healthier hair in less than 7 days. but what about your wrinkles. neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair. it has the fastest retinol formula available.

it's clinically proven to visibly reduce wrinkles in just one week. "why wait if you don't have to." rapid wrinkle repair. neutrogena®. recommended most by dermatologists. you kids almost ready? i've got breakfast waiting for you. wooo! uh oh. what? mom's doing her exercise video again.

when mom's on a health kick, all of us are. and now she's made us breakfast. uh oh. [ male announcer ] eggo nutri-grain waffles. you know it's made with 8 grams of whole grain and is a good source of fiber. all they know is it tastes great. eggo nutri-grain waffles. use the points we earn with our citi thankyou card for a relaxing vacation. ♪ sometimes, we go for a ride in the park. maybe do a little sightseeing. or, get some fresh air. but this summer, we used our thank youpoints to just hang out with a few friends in london. [ male announcer ] the citi thankyou visa card. redeem the points you've earned to travel with no restrictions. rewarding you, every step of the way.

pretty shot of the river thames as we welcome you back to london. we continue the countdown to the summer games. michael phelps already holds the record for the most gold medals. he has 14. if he wins three gold medals of any color he becomes the most decorated olympian of all time. "today's" special correspondent ryan seacrest is standing with the man right now. ryan, take it away. >> here we are with as he said, the man, michael phelps. you got here monday for your fourth and what you say is your final olympics. how was it different the arrival emotionally for you knowing this would be the last one. >> it's kind of been weird. we've said everything, this is my last tuesday afternoon workout. this is my last double. yesterday was my last double. it's like it's cool to say but also kind of emotional. i think back over the last 20 years of what has happened through my career. it's been a lot of great memories. i think that's one thing that i'm looking forward to this

week, a lot of good memories and moments. hopefully i finish my career with some good swims. >> a few weeks back at the trials, you said there's more work to get done. you want to get faster. what have you focused on to do that? >> more stroke control, getting back to my old strokes. i really didn't feel like it at the trial. working on small things. breaststroke, i literally had to start from scratch and work on the entry and my hands, keep my hands together. a lot of little small things we've been able to tweak. >> where do you think you are physically and mentally? >> physically i'm a lot better than what i was. mentally, part of it is coming day by day, being able to kind of visualize my races and prepare myself for what could happen, what i want to happen, what i don't want to happen so i'm ready for everything. >> you have a chance to see the aquatic center, the pool? is it a fast pool? what's it like?

>> pretty cool. overwhelming. you look up on both sides of the stands and there's a lot of stands there. >> you like that, right. >> it will be cool. hopefully some loud cheering and the place will be rocking. i remember in 2000, the floor was almost -- you could feel like the floor shaking. more people here, hopefully a loud venue. >> stay with the other athletes in the village. >> we are. >> what are you doing in your downtime there? >> i've pretty much just been watching tv shows. i started the wire and catching up on breaking bad. a little bit of sitting around watching shows and movies. >> there have been reports of no air conditioning. is that true? >> we walked in and tried to crank the thermostat down. nothing was happening all day. they told us in a meeting we have no air conditioning. some of us are lucky enough to have -- i think everybody on the team has little like college dorm fans that rotate. so we have some air circulating.

>> more comfortable now. >> yeah. everybody has to deal with it. >> if you win three medals here in london, you go on to become the most decorated olympian of all time. have you stepped back to think about how significant that is in history, michael? >> you know, i think a lot of things i've done through my career haven't really sunk in yet. you know, i think i guess the more i move through my life, i think some of those moments will sink in more. i have a job to finish here. that's why i'm here, why i'm setting out on saturday to start my journey. hopefully it's a good one. i'm looking forward to getting in the water and race. the goal is as to try and swim faster here than you did at trials. if i do that, then i've made progress. >> what's the journey after this journey? i know you're looking forward to having a little bit of fun. if you booked any trips, made any plans? >> we have a couple of trips booked, looking forward to

relaxes, doing whatever i want to do, going wherever i want to go, just living life. having fun every day, have a smile, wake up, be lucky to be here. >> you deserve it. good luck. michael phelps, good to see you. >> thank you. >> matt. >> ryan, thank you very much. a little more from ryan later on. michael goes up against ryan in the 400 im. that takes place saturday. you will see it, of course, on nbc. another group of athletes making headlines. this time off the field, the u.s. women's soccer team. some of the comments captured in the headlines concern this program right here. we'll have more about that right after this. [ male announcer ] avocado season's goin' strong at subway. avocado on a subway club... now we're talking! [ male announcer ] this super-food makes a protein packed subway club super delicious. rich, creamy avocado has gotta be part of your training routine. great flavor, great protein. try avocado on any sub. [ male announcer ] like the ultimate veggie. your choice of freshly baked bread piled high with your favorite fresh veggies

and power-foods spinach and avocado. subway. the official training restaurant of laila ali... apolo ohno... michael strahan and athletes everywhere. molly, ordinary soap. would they switch? ♪ notice a difference? it feels a bit tight. [ female announcer ] soap leaves behind soap residue that can cause a tight, draggy feeling. with one-quarter moisturizing cream, dove cleansers rinse cleaner than soap. ♪ show us your skin and you could appear in a dove ad with thousands of real women, just like you.

just upload a photo of yourself and join the campaign at dove.com/showusyourskin. silver and bronze... ♪ it's the red. it's the green and yellow. it's the red, white and blue. because at the olympic games, it's not the color you go home with that matters. it's the colors you came in

and when colors mean this much, you can only trust them to tide. so help keep your country's colors true, with tide. welcome back to london, the opening ceremony of these olympic games is two days away. the competition actually begins today. all 12 women's soccer teams take the pitch including the gold meteorologist favorites from the united states. gold medal favorites from the united states. at the beijing olympics in 2008, the u.s. women's soccer team took home the gold and won the hearts of the nation. after the games, their winning streak continued. just last year the u.s. women made it to the finals of the world cup and captivated fans once again as they played their hearts out only to be beaten by japan in a nail biting penalty

kick shoot-out. >> they want to make up for that defeat at the world cup final last year by taking and defending their gold medal here in london. >> expectations are high for team usa as they take the field tonight, a team that has landed in the spotlight over the past few weeks for what has been happening off the field rather than on it. just weeks ago the team's controversial star goalie hope solo received a warning from the anti-doping agency after she tested positive for a banned substance. solo says the positive test was as a result of a prescription drug she was taking and was unaware of the substance. this after she admitted espn magazine she snuck nonathletes into the olympic village during the games in 2008. she said at some point we decided to take the party back to the village, so we started talking to the security guards, showed off our gold medals, got their attention and snuck our group through without credentials, which is absolutely

unheard of. >> we are here with u.s. soccer team -- >> reporter: went on to say she and her team showed up drunk for this appearance after their gold medal win. quote, when we were done partying, we got out of our nice dresses, got back into our stadium coats and at 7:00 a.m. with no sleep went on the "today" show drunk. >> this interview has to raise serious questions about judgment and accountability and responsibility and about the privilege of wearing team usa's uniform. >> with 11 of the 18 members of the team back in action, the women are hoping to defend their winning title and take their place once again on top of the podium. >> everybody knows hope is probably the best goalie in the world. you want to say the team is going to play well. they have won three of the last four gold medals here. they go home with anything shy of a gold medal, it's a disappointment. >> you can catch team usa against france live 11:30 eastern time on the sports

network. up next, international soccer star david beckham. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] school supplies... it's guaranteed they'll go through a lot. that's why you get guaranteed savings for back to school at staples. now, buy 2 hp ink cartridges and get the third one free at staples. ♪ at staples. mornings are a special time for the two of you...) and now you can make them even more special... with new fancy feast mornings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dient is love.

new pencils, new books... new backpack...looks good. just trying to look our best. gonna take more than looks. from what i hear, ms. haskins is a toughy. oh we had a good breakfast, so we're ready. gonna be another great year, huh guys?! you bet your 8 layers! yeah! long distance high 5. whoa! oh, careful. hey, watch it. [ female announcer ] packed with fiber and nearly a day's worth of whole grains, kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal helps keep your kids full and focused all morning long. now available in touch of fruit raspberry. keeps 'em full. keeps 'em focused. he thinks you're naked. it just looks like my milk chocolate is showing. only a fool would think i'd actually show up naked. so it's that kind of party...hit it! ♪ i'm sexy and i know it ♪ look at that body new venus & olay. olay moisture bars help lock in moisture... while five blades get venus close. revealing smooth and goddess skin begins. only from venus & olay.

hey lolo, pull that trail leg through. then i want you to punch that knee down the track. punch it. 'cause if you win gold, i could win prizes at mcdonald's. shin parallel to the track... then you just go -- that's a decent start. [ male announcer ] keep an eye on your us athletes when you enjoy select favorites under 400 calories at mcdonald's. when they win gold, you could win prizes. hydration, hydration, hydration. [ male announcer ] the simple joy of winning. i can't stress it enough. for their "destination wedding." double miles you can "actually" use. but with those single mile travel cards... [ bridesmaid ] blacked out... but i'm a bridesmaid. oh! "x" marks the spot she'll never sit. but i bought a dress! a toast... ...to the capital one venture card. fly any airline, any flight, anytime. double miles you can actually use. what a coincidence? what's in your wallet? [ all screaming ] watch the elbows ladies.

it is 7:56. good morning i'm jon kelley we can tell you protecting president obama and mitt romney at the very same time may have caused more headaches than expected for local law enforcement. the chronicle reporting san francisco police had to switch up gears at the last minute pulling officers that were assigned to romney in order to help cover the president's much larger motorcade. in oakland the city brought in 75 county sheriff deputies at a cost of $75,000 to help deal with the president's events. we want to congratulate you on making to it wednesday. as a bit of a regard, christina loren has some nice weather to tell you about. >> even though the president has left you still get the presidential treatment in the weather department. as temperatures approach the 70s and that's it for most of your inland cities. we saw from that last look,

cloudy conditions, not last all day. most of that marine layer will burn off by noon. look at those 70s. 73 degrees on the east shore in fremont, 79 in san jose and 67 degrees in santa cruz. better beach day this weekend and temperatures ramp back up before the next three days we're talking about a cool down that continues all the way through the week's end. we'll have your full forecast coming up. 7:57. let's check the rush hour drive. >> definitely rush hour congestion. northbound 280 just past highway 85, we have an accident, one car blocks two lanes northbound side. look at all the slowing for 280 from 101 all the way up to highway 85. 85 slow and 101 at guadeloupe top of your screen another accident. tough morning. we're getting another look outside and seeing how things shape up at the bay bridge toll plaza. east shore freeway speeds in the 30s and 40s but not so bad.

back to you. >> for the latest traffic and news updates check us out on nbcbayarea.com. we're back in a half hour with more local updates. the "today" show rolls on right now.

we are back now, 8:00 on wednesday morning, 25th day of july, 2012. as you look at the olympic rings hanging at tower bridge here in london along the thames as the world is now descending on this town. countdown under way. and for me, more importantly, the team is here. we've got savannah guthrie here, natalie morales here, meredith vieira was here yesterday. great to have you back here. and mr. roker is over on tower bridge just behind us. al, how does it look from there? >> it's a spectacular view of the tower bridge and of the thames.

this is a drawbridge. it splits in half right about here. so on this side, summer, this side winter. summer, winter, summer, winter. >> you've done that already. >> oh, yeah, sorry, sorry. >> all right, al. we're going to see you in just a second. meanwhile a lot coming up here. >> a lot's coming in. we're going to check in with 17-year-old missy franklin that could walk away or swim away with a lot of hardware. she's swimming in seven events. she may medal in seven events and she's made time for us. we're going to talk to her live in just a bit. >> also coming up, we'll talk to some of the women on the u.s. women's gymnastics team. they stand a good chance scoring a team gold which if they do would be the first i'm in 16 years. >> did you hear bela karolyi yesterday. he was very optimistic. i was wondering if he was maybe placing expectations a little too high. >> it's an incredible team of five young women. pa. >> we're going to catch up with soccer star david beckham.

he's an ambassador to the olympics. one of the people instrumental in getting the olympics here. a lot of people are hoping. it's been reported he might light the cauldron. matt and i know the answer to that, but we're not saying a word. we're not saying anything. he is playing an important role. reportedly in the ceremony. he has a real fondness for the royal family. he's going to talk about them, especially the queen. >> we have to be careful. we're taking part in rehearsals, what we do and do not say about the opening. one thing we can say for certain, ryan seacrest will not be lighting the cauldron, but he will be joining us right now from club speedo over in olympic park. ryan? >> i can't tweet away secrets. got you. here i am with some members of the u.s. swim team. say hi. >> hi. >> let's start with natalie coughlin. this is your third olympics. how is london different? how are these games different for you? >> it's amazing. compared to athens and beijing,

the village is incredible. the food's really good. i'm not going to lie, it's really nice to have english. >> brendon, you're back after retirement after beijing. >> yeah. >> here you go again. why the change of heart for you? >> it's one of those deals, i didn't want to sit at home and watch it on tv. i wanted to be here representing my country. just one of the things where every four years, you get that itch and i got it, and here i am. >> dana, you had gold in athens, didn't make it in beijing and you're back here in london. how do you feel and what does it mean to be standing here today? >> it's such an honor to be here again. to have gone through that experience and missing the team, i think i got that itch even more wanting to be here and represent the u.s. starting off with my favorite event and kicking off the meet, it's going to be great. >> what advice, natalie, are you giving the newcomers, since you've done it before. >> just take it like any other swim meet. there's so much that goes on with the olympics but you have

to realize it's the same 100 back and free you've always been swimming and have fun, represent your country well and enjoy the experience. take it all in. more than anything, the next three weeks will flyby so take a breath and take it all in. >> good advice. good luck to all of you. nice to see you. thanks for joining us in this wonderful heat. you want to get in the water, in the pool in this heat. back to you, matt. >> ryan, thank you very much. ryan seacrest at club speedo for us this morning. >> we want to check on the day's other top stories. we head back to new york where hoda kotb is holding down the news deck. >> you look great out there. good morning, everybody. batman star christian bale made a low key visit to aurora, colorado to comfort victims of friday's movie theater massacre. 12 killed, 5 wounded while watching bale in theda, knight rises." donations to a fund have reached $2 million. an official at university of colorado would not say tuesday if suspect james holmes may have used any of his $26,000 federal grant to purchase weapons.

now to the high-stakes contract negotiations for the hit sitcom "modern family." >> we adopted a baby. >> "modern family," among the most successful tv shows. >> didn't you teach him how to ride a bike? >> how could i? i don't know how to ride a bike. >> winning awards and making millions. >> yikes. looks like a light bright. >> five of the lead actors have filed a lawsuit in los angeles superior court against the producers of "modern family" 20th century fox television. sophia vergara, jesse tyler ferguson, eric stone street, tie burrell, julie bowen with the sixth lead actor ed o'neill reporting planning to join the lawsuit. even though it went on the air in 2009, the actors want their current contract voided, arguing it violates the seven-year rule under california labor code and therefore are illegal and wholly void. >> the "modern family" cast says

they've got a right to toss out their contracts because from the start of shooting their pilots to the end of their current contract, it goes longer than seven years. >> 20th century fox declined to comment. production was set to begin this week but is now on hold. who is going to give, the studio or the actors? >> here is the deal. the "modern family" cast is demanding a lot more money. on the other hand, they are irreplaceable. my prediction is they are going to be successful. because what's 20th century fox going to do? they are going to have to get out their checkbooks and pay up. >> according to neilson, modern family regularly draws more than 13 million viewers. jeopardy host alex trebek returned to the set tuesday for the first time since he suffered a mild heart attack last month. he began taping the show's 29th season. he's 76 years old. now a quick roundup of what you guys are talking on line. call me neighbor queen carly rae

jepsen is out with a new video "good time" a collaboration with al city. ♪ good time racked up nearly a half million youtube hits in the first day. one listen to e.t. the singing walrus and you'll know why he's a top attraction at the point defiant zoo and aquarium in tacoma, washington. >> growl. whistle. you've got to be kidding me. several t. was an orphan pup when he was rescued by oil workers in alaska 30 years ago. i feel like that some mornings. athletes on the team thank their british host biz trying to imitate the well-known cookny accent. >> hansal and gressal and make a nice cup of rosy lee. >> hansel and gretel and make us

a nice cup. make a nice cup of rosy lee. >> i don't want to hear you anymore. >> all right. they get a gold medal for just trying. >> it is now 8:07. i don't know what's going on in the studio but kathie lee -- >> hair and makeup in london, i have to help you. >> i know. getting taken care of al roker, how are you? honey? hello? >> wow, thank you, hoda. thanks so much. we are here at the tower bridge. as we mentioned, there are the olympic rings for all to see as boat traffic goes up and down the thames. as we look and show you our pick city today, basically again not a bad one here in london. it is a fantastic day. we do have a risk of strong storms back through the mid plains. we've also got record breaking heat again in the midsection of the country. look for a gorgeous day along the west coast.

we do expect to see some wet weather, strong storms moving later today in through the northeast. that's what going on around the country, here is what's happening in y good morning to you. 8:08 on a wednesday morning. just a beautiful day shaping up once we get rid of these low crowds clouds. a live look at san rafael, the low clouds, the natural cooling will keep the temperatures in the 70s throughout the silicon valley today. 79 degrees in san jose, 73 up the east shore, into preemt today, 74 for oakland and 66 degrees in san francisco. for the next couple days, temperatures drop even more and we boost you right back up in time for the weekend. and that's your latest weather. savannah. >> al, thanks so much. we're going to check in live with 17-year-old phenom missy "the missile" franklin coming up right after this. hi. i'm timothy. i came from the garden. [ cindy ] is he for us? mom, dad...

i'm getting that feeling. [ male announcer ] on august 15th comes the family movie of the summer. why are you smiling? i can only get better. [ male announcer ] and once you meet timothy green... [ laughs ] i never thought i'd hear that laugh again. [ male announcer ] ...you'll never be the same. that little guy of yours -- he's something special. [ cindy ] everyone he touches, he changes. [ male announcer ] "the odd life of timothy green," rated pg.

more generations of fleas. frontline plus uses two ingredients. one to kill adult fleas and ticks. plus another to kill the next generation, flea eggs and larvae. ask your vet about frontline plus. that magic does exist. it's called science! here's what they'll need.

♪ pencils, folders, notebooks. ♪ ♪ backpacks, denims, graphic tees. ♪ ♪ markers, calculators. whoa! ♪ ♪ converse one start tennies ♪ well, pencils, hair gel, binders. ♪ ♪ pencils, hair gel, binders. announcer: school takes a lot, target has it all. she gives me snickers peanut butter squared and i eat it. it's snickers with creamy peanut butter, would you like one?

let's just keep an open mind. [ groans ] [ male announcer ] if you like peanut butter and chocolate, you'll love peanut butter and snickers. try snickers peanut butter squared. you'll love peanut butter and snickers. celebrate the biggest sale of the year, the 25th anniversary sale & sweepstakes at petsmart. save up to 25% on thousands of items, and save $10 on all bayer k9 advantix® ii and advantage® ii flea or tick products in 6-packs and save $5 on 4-packs. at petsmart®. wednesday morning in london, the tower of london, for another day of olympic coverage. one of the names you're going to be hearing an awful lot about over the next couple of weeks is missy franklin. she's 17 years old. she's from colorado. she's still in high school and she is going to be one of the breakout stars of the game and missy joins us live. great to see you this morning. >> so great to see you. >> before we get to the fun stuff, we also want to remind people you go to school in

aurora, colorado, train there, liver in centennial a few miles away. there was tragedy there last week with the shooting in the theater. your thoughts there right now? >> my thoughts and prayers are constantly with the victims of aurora. hearing that news was so hard, because even a lot of people at home hadn't heard it yet because we were ahead in france, the time zone was so ahead. kind of waiting to hear from my friends and family to make sure they were okay was just miserable. >> you say your thoughts are there. i know they are. you come here to the olympics. focus is so important for you. has it affected your focus at all? >> it can't. i'm thinking about them constantly but i know that unfortunately the only thing i can do to make that situation any better is put my focus here and hopefully do the best i can to shine some light on colorado and make them proud. >> let me talk about expectations. have we been unfair to you? you know what i mean. we have hyped you, not just the "today" show, but the media in general has hyped you so much

coming to these games, is it unfair? >> i wouldn't call it unfair, absolutely not. i think it's so much support and at times could be overwhelming. i've said pit 100 times only expect as are my own. the only thing i care about is my own, my coach and my family. i know that's what you want me to do. >> you made history the first woman in the pool to qualify for seven events in london. that's an amazing accomplishment but adds pressure. >> definitely. it's hard coming to my first olympic games and swim thanksgiving many events. i have so many teams helping me, with me. michael is swimming seven. he'll help me out with that. >> you've been training with the team. have any of the older swimmers, i mentioned you're young, given you any advice that's useful. >> we have constant team meetings where veterans telling us what to expect, what to be preparing for when we get here.

it's so helpful. the best piece of advice i got is to take in every moment, enjoy every second. >> one thing we try to do on this program as we cover the olympics is break news. sometimes it's not great news, athletes blow a knee. you tell me you may have blown a fuse. tell me about this. >> we were straightening our hair to go on the "today" show. >> we meaning you. >> i plugged the converter in and heard a pop and our fan started to turn off. everyone is like, why is nothing working? i was just like -- >> you know half of london went da dark and has no air conditioning. >> all my fault. we went to athletes services. >> your parents such a part of your story, even sacrificed a lot to get you here. they arrived today? >> they fly out today and get here tomorrow. >> what do you think it will be like for them to see their daughter in an olympic pool for

the tiers time. >> i think they are so excited. i've been skipg them every day. they miss me so much, and i miss them. we probably won't have a lot of time this week but after this week we'll be together. >> missy franklin, you've been so generous with your time. i really appreciate it. you've already made us proud. go have fun. >> thank you. >> when we come back, meredith sits down with david beckham for a great interview. that comes after this. [ kristin ] i'm a grazer, i'm definitely a grazer.

oranges or just juice the acid that i'm eating could be causing damage to my teeth. the dentist recommended pronamel. he said that pronamel would help protect me from the effects of acid erosion. i feel like i'm doing the right thing for my teeth, and it feels good. with the azerbaijani wrestling team. ♪ can febreze air effects defeat the smelly air in their gym for good? [ man ] what can you smell? [ inhales deeply ] a lot of flowers. it's on the zingy side of floral. potpourri factory, maybe.

you can take off your blindfolds now. oh my gosh. [ laughter ] [ male announcer ] success. victory over odors, for good, both here and in your home. febreze. breathe happy. begins with back pain and a choice. take advil, and maybe have to take up to four in a day. or take aleve, which can relieve pain all day with just two pills. good eye. which can relieve pain all day with just two pills. are a sizzling deal, starting at 6 bucks. try our new lunch-size chicken fajitas, sauteed onions and peppers topped with grilled chicken, served with soup or salad. chili's lunch break combos, starting at 6 bucks. ♪ ♪ if somebody asked do you think you could say ♪

♪ the number of times that you click in a day ♪ ♪ clicks to email and tweet and to message and game ♪ ♪ 12 clicks just to look up that one actor's name ♪ ♪ ♪ it never occurs those clicks actually could ♪ ♪ click somewhere on something that does someone good ♪ ♪ but the next hundred days your clicks can decide ♪ ♪ which hundred nonprofits take home a new ride ♪

back now in london with the burning question here and around the world with opening ceremonies just two days away, who will light the olympic calderon. a lot of people are speculating it could be soccer sensation david beckham. meredith, opening ceremonies along with bob costas and matt. recently sat down with him. dug the answer? >> he's going to play a significant role. an ambassador, instrumental getting the olympics here. in terms of the calderon, he doesn't feel he deserves that honor because he's never been an olympian, which i didn't realize. never been in the olympics. i recently spoke to him about all things great britain. he talked quite a bit about his relationship with prince harry and william and his adoration of the queen.

>> the queen is someone that i feel that i've grown up with. i have great memories from we sit down on christmas day, and we've done this for years, it's a tradition. we sit down on christmas day and we listen to the queen's speech every year. my nan used to make sure that's what we do. i was brought up to love the royal family. we're big royalists. >> last year president and michelle obama came to london to visit the queen. the beckhams were invited to a dinner to welcome them to britain. >> that was a moment for me when i went to the ambassador's residence in london. there was a small room of four tables, 10 people at each table. i was thinking i'm going to be tucked in the corner somewhere out of the way. then i soot down -- >> i can't believe you would think that. >> sit me with the queen, next to the queen was the president. to my left was tom hanks. i was like oh, my god.

i don't think i spoke a word the whole dinner. i was just in awe of just being there and being opposite, you know, that person as a nation we look up to. >> see, they were sitting probably in awe to be with you. >> i very much doubt that but thank you. no, the queen means so much to us. she's an amazing woman with amazing strength. the family that she's created is incredible. >> you are friends with her grandson. >> yes. >> with william and harry and with kate as well now. how do you think she has influenced william, who will one day have to fill those shoes? >> william is an amazing person. harry is an incredible person. they both are. as brothers, they have gone through such a lot in their young lives. we've watched them go through what they went through. we've watched them grow into

young men. you've got harry, who is kind of cheeky. he's such a funny guy. >> if harry is the cheeky one, what about william? >> don't be fooled by william. william has got an amazing personality. he's a really strong person. harry is such a charismatic character but william is exactly the same. william has grown into this amazing ambassador for the country and so has harry. so we're very lucky to have two people that are going to lead our country. you know, they are both incredible. >> the beckhams had the honor of attending the wedding of the duke and duchess of cambridge. david wore his older british medal bestowed upon him by the queen. >> it was a special day. not many occasions i can wear it. it's not as if i can go and have pie mash wearing it. as i arrived at the wedding, i had it on one side. a military guy came up to me and

leaned forward, an older guy. he leaned forward and said, you've got your medal on the wrong side. i was like, okay. can you put it on the other side for me. so i slowly switched it. i think it had bee seen by then. >> did william ever tease you about that? >> no, he didn't. >> maybe he doesn't know. >> i think he knows. >> and william, harry, and kate are expected toafter tend a lot of the events, including rooting on their cousin sarah phillips, competing as an equestrian. her mom was in the montreal olympics and fell off a horse. hopefully she will do better. harry is attending beach volleyball. sitting between you. >> i'm a giver, i had an extra ticket. he talked about his medal from the queen being on the wrong

side. the olympic medals are right here in the tower of london. this is where they are housing them. >> like the crown jewels around here and they still let us on the property. crazy. meredith wants to wear the crown. >> not going to high pressure. >> com good wednesday morning to you. 8:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. a financial scandal involving the state parks department may be bigger than first thought. finance officials say tens of billions of dollars in so-called special funds are unaccounted for in many other departments. auditors say the departments were supposed to report them, but lawmakers say no one has been checking to make sure it's been done. the scandal first broke open after the discovery of millions of dollars in hidden parks department accounts. let's check that morning commute with mike. rolling slowly because a couple -- this car in particular is still not cleared from the roadway. this is northbound 280 on the left side of your screen.

foothill expressway. just past highway 85. look at all the slowing out of san jose. pretty much from downtown all the way up to the area on 280. expect more slowing as well on the surface streets as you head up to the area. but 85 is actually cleared and 101 not so bad now that the accidents have cleared past the airport. we're also looking at more slowing down the peninsula through palo alto in the southbound direction. construction a distraction on the shoulder, a big slowdown through the construction zone. a disabled vehicle on the upper deck causing some slowing. thank you very much. thank you for janing us. for the latest traffic and news updates, check out nbc bay area on facebook. good morning! wow.

want to start the day with something heart healthy and delicious? you're a talking bee... honey nut cheerios has whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol. and it tastes good? sure does! right... ♪ wow. delicious, right? yeah. it's the honey, it makes it taste so... ♪ well, would you look at the time... what's the rush? be happy. be healthy.

8:30 on wednesday morning, the 25th day of july, 2012. we have a beautiful view of the tower bridge in london. that's our home for the day. tomorrow we will all head for olympic park at the epic center of the action as the olympics get under way over the next couple of weeks. good morning again, i'm savannah

guthrie alongside matt lauer and natalie morales. we're missing somebody. al roker isn't here. maybe he'll turn up later. >> we have a preview of one of the "glamour" events of the summer games. >> swimming competition. gets under way with five rookies on the team. they are favored actually to win gold. they are led by two remarkable young women, gabby davis and jordan weaver. we'll catch up with them in a little bit. >> a courageous swimmer diagnosed with cancer before the 2008 beijing games. he competed anyway. good news, he is now cancer-free and he's back in a big way. we'll talk to him about his plans to win gold inland. >> we go on the road, we eat. it is the tradition around here. this morning we're going to try something called meat fruit, which does not sound all that good but it actually is food with a sense of humor. >> meat or fruit. >> the good news, i think we're finishing it off with ice cream,

which is good. meantime we'll check with al and the weather. back there clanging. >> you're kidding me. >> wow. >> you look good, al. >> it must be like 1,000 degrees in there. >> none some pass. >> what's the weather like inside your suit. >> it's actually -- i'm the original dark knight. >> how long did it take to get in that thing? >> two people and 15 minutes. all i can say is oil can, oil can. this is very uncomfortable. >> very slenderizing. it looks fantastic. >> well, it's like wearing metal spanx. it's fantastic. you've got to try this. wow. all right. anyway, let's show you what's going on as far as the weather is concerned. yes, i know it looks ridiculous, so just keep laughing, please.

anyway, i'm going to use this on myself. take a look at today, we do have a risk of strong storms making their way through the upper plains. more heat in the midsection of the country. then as we look ahead toward tomorrow, you've got more heat in the midsection of the country. no matter what they are feeling, is nowhere near as hot as inside this suit. a gorgeous day along the west coast, much cooler thank you, sir al. we've got a great-looking forecast today. you can see here, live look over san jose, gorgeous conditions to start. it's crisp out there. we're close to 60 degrees just about everywhere right now. and even in the heat of the day, only hitting 66 in san francisco, 67 in santa cruz, the east shore will hit the mid-70s, perfection in oakland at 74 degrees, and a little warm in the extreme east bay, 84 for livermore but not too bad. we continue to cool off for the next two days and we round the

numbers back up saturday into sunday. and that's your latest weather. the keeper of the weapons and the armory here at the tower of london. bridget, thanks for joining us. >> good morning. >> so these weren't just for, obviously, protection. they were also very ornamental, too, weren't they? >> yes. it fit the owner exactly. depends how much money you've got as to how much you can show off. very much like modern fashion. >> this is modern fashion. very nice. actually, this is modelled after the italian -- >> slightly after a germanic one. >> the zany version of armor or armani. >> so heavy they would have to wench a knight on his horse. >> you wouldn't be able to fight. theoretically you could jump on a horse in that. >> theatre equitily.

>> i wouldn't want to put you to the test. >> we have a sword. what else do we have? this isn't a can opener. >> all those flanges are going to get their way into parts between here. it doesn't actually open you up. it's actually going to if you wear it properly. >> thank you so much and thanks for your help getting into this thing. savannah, they have a lady's version if you want to try. >> is that a breathable metal? >> no, it's not. i don't have to worry about a tan, i have to worry about rust. >> thank you, al, very much. appreciate it, bridgette, thank you. when you gaze up at the skyline you see an imposing new edition, a tal tower of glass called the shard. nbc's michelle kosinski has the story behind this. >> you can't miss it. it was 12 years in the planning, just completed at least on the outside. it opened in february. it towers over london making it a little controversial. for the most part people seem to see it

as graceful, iconic and cool. rising 1,016 feet, part of london's south bank that could use developing the shard is development at its most daring. 11,000 panes of glass to glimmer in the sun and reflect the rain. after a very fast elevator ride to the 69th floor, eventually in the 70s, you see everything, the tower, olympic park, 45 miles around. >> nobody in london has ever seen london like this before. >> did the architect immediately know he wanted to build something glass that way. >> it was very interesting. he did an initial stretch on the back of a menu. within 15 minutes he had created what we have today. >> that was the architect that

designed structures in paris inspired here by old london, spires of churches, masts of ships and old paintings. when they dug the foundation, underneath was a roman villa. this is where london really began. >> this building was not to be a symbol of arrogance or power but more like a sparkling spine, floating with the weather. >> for years they had to face the weather but the shard also greatly appears to those who flirt with danger. >> climb the shard, why not? >> american bradley garrett snuck in and scaled the uppermost crane, capturing these incredible views. a base jumper managed to bypass security to hurl himself off wearing a parachute. not once or twice but four

times. most of us content to view it from the ground. behind the glass, that is its glory. >> you think those romans in the villa ever envisioned the shard? >> i shouldn't think so. i expect they thought they had a dominating view of london telt. >> it was financed by investors in qatar. it will house offices, restaurants and 10 very swanky apartments. you know what, right after it was built the city instituted height restrictions. for right now, at least, this is as tall as london will get. savannah. >> michelle kosinski, thank you so much. coming up next, gold in gymnastics, natalie introduces us to the women to watch for. first this is "today" on nbc. [ taste buds ] donuts, donuts, donuts!

who are these guys? oh, that's just my buds. bacon, donuts. -my taste buds. -[ taste buds ] waffles. how about we try this new kind of fiber one cereal? you think you're going to slip some fiber by us? rookie. okay. ♪ nutty clusters and almonds, ♪ ♪ almonds. ♪ fiber one is gonna make you smile. ♪ [ male announcer ] introducing new fiber one nutty clusters and almonds. with 43% daily value of fiber for you. crunchy nutty clusters and real almond slices for your taste buds. wednesday morning. one of the marquis events in any

olympic games is the women's gymnastics competition. by all accounts here in london, the u.s. has put together a very strong team. here with a preview of the competition is natalie. >> that's right, matt. the five women recently show cav cased on the cover of the magazine, as they come in as rookies, they come into the competition this weekend favored to win gold. >> no other gymnastics team, men or women, has won a team gold medal. >> it's been 16 years since that unforgettable moment. the first and only team gold the u.s. women have ever won in gymnastics. >> the women 2012 olympic team. >> experts believe that this year the team of five young ladies, gabby douglas, aly raiseman, mckaley maroney and kyla ross, all teenagers and firstime olympians could be

poised to do it again. >> they are undoubtedly the favorites to win gold come london time. >> emerged as leaders of this group, jordyn wieber champion in the all around. and gabby douglas, 16, from virginia beach. >> i feel so excited and ready to honor and commit to do my duties in london team usa. >> although they will be competing against one another in most events, national team coordinator mar take karolyi has made it clear team gold is the priority. >> they are very good friends. but all of them are going for the same goal. that goal is to make the u.s. team strong. >> both jordyn and gabby are expected to contend for gold in the individual all around, the

most prestigious title in the sport. three american women have won it in the past. mary lou retton, carly peterson. jordyn is the reliable powerhouse who has won every recent title. >> every since i started when i was 7 years old i learned to focus in on what i need to get done and stay in my zone during the competition. >> at olympic trials there was a different ending. >> gabby douglas is going to get that one guaranteed spot to london. >> i'm not really coming in second. it's my goal to come out on top. >> finish first, so grateful and so happy. >> some say this rivalry sounds familiar. going into the 2008 olympics, shawn johnson was the remaining all around champion. it was her teammate nastia liukin who walked away with the all around gold olympic medal.

shawn johnson's coach is now coaching gabby douglas. >> it's a great situation for team usa. they are pushing each other to be better and better. >> these two have quite a dual. >> the competition was really good not just for me and gabby but the whole team. >> we have all bonded. we're kind of like a family, i think. >> it's that attitude and bond that may just make them the second group of american women to take home team gold. >> to have those ladies heading into lobbed as a one-two punch, wow, look out world. >> well, the women's qualification round stars sunday, matt. definitely the team should be watching. we did hear from u.s. gymnastics mckayla maroney has a slight toe injury. she's taking it easy for practice and she'll be fine for competition. >> when we come back we'll talk

about team usa swimmer and cancer survivor going for the [ male announcer ] every day, your car takes you to work, school, practice, dance class, shopping, and more. so do something nice for it. chevron with techron. care for your car.

welcome back to london as we count down to friday's opening ceremony. american swimmer eric shanteau hopes to take home the medal this weekend when he swims the 100 meter breaststroke. you may remember him from beijing, he narrowly missed getting into the finals. he was battling cancer. he just finished three and a half years cancer-free and is ready to get in the pool and go for the gold. eric, good morning. good to see you. >> good morning. >> you feel pretty good. >> i feel great. a little bit different from last time. >> i bet you had a lot on your mind as we talked about. i know you had an opportunity to go over to the aquatic center. what do you think? >> the aquatic center is great. it's going to be an amazing facility when that place gets

packed with all the fans. it's going to be a good atmosphere to swim fast. >> i was going to say, you got to get in the pool. how does it feel? is it a fast pool? >> it's going to be a fast pool? any olympic pool is a fast pool. my teammates are set to go. >> for those not familiar with your story right before the olympic trials in 2008 you found out you had testicular cancer but decided to go ahead and compete. after the surgery you went through the treatment and recovered. how does it feel after going through all that. >> a weight off my shoulders. i'm walking around this olympic games with a lighter step. i'm able to enjoy myself a little more without having to worry about a cancer diagnoses. >> i heard you were back in the pool three weeks after your surgery. how hard was it to get back in that top shape? >> i wanted to return to normalcy. i was really looking forward to get back into training. it's funny how it worked out. that first year coming back was

faster than i've ever swum before. it was kind of crazy how i came back from cancer faster than i ever was. >> i was going to ask you about that. in fact, your career really took off in 2009, 2010, 2011. what do you attribute that to? you can beat cancer, you can get anybody? >> i got a new lease on life and racing. i learned to enjoy racing and swimming in general. i think taking that mind-set behind the blocks helped me take swiming to a new level. >> we remember getting to meet your dad in 2008 who had his own battle with lung cancer. we were sad to learn he passed away. i imagine you're happy he got to see you compete at the olympics. he's still at the forefront of your mind. >> he definitely is. i know he's proud of me right now, looking down with a smile and definitely be with me when i start racing. >> i heard you used to be superstitious about swimming. for example, you'd wear the same boxer.

you want to get into that? >> absolutely. >> are you still superstitious? >> no, i think that's one of the thing that changed. all the superstitions got to be exhausting. you learn to relax and just race. i think that's really been a big help for me. >> we look forward to seeing you 100 meter breaststroke against one of your teammates. right? >> yeah. i'll actually be racing brandyan hanson as well as a member from japan. >> we'll be watching and rooting for you. good luck eric. it's great to catch up with you. glad you're doing so well. we have a lot to catch up with in london, including a lesson from ye old hmm, it says here that cheerios helps lower cholesterol as part of a heart healthy diet.

that's true. ...but you still have to go to the gym. ♪ the one and only, cheerios

and this morning on "today's" olympic kitchen, a modern twist on specialty, here to tell us about meat fruit, we have to hear this. head chef at the london restaurant. good morning, it's good to see you. >> good morning. >> meat fruit. this was a favorite of henry viii. >> it was. made a cooked meat look like this. this is our interpretation. here we've got some chicken

pate. joined together still frozen with a stick. pop that in there. >> what are you dipping it into? >> this is a mandarin jellry. what we must do. >> let it dry off here. >> kind of like a candy apple. >> it might be a little difficult in the heat. basically we pull them off the stick, pop them onto the board, let them defrost overnight, put that in the top and there's the mandarin meat fruit. >> is this a popular dish at the restaurant. >> does it taste like chicken. >> chicken but looks like fruit. >> exactly. inside the pate >> looks like a mousse. >> serving it with some kind of crusty bread. >> a light bread. >> i'll try one. >> a little pate. did you do a lot of research creating this? >> we used it on tv programs then tried to figure out a way

to make so many. >> delicious and so light. >> i'm wearing the meat fruit. >> the british are great at the open pit roasting, spit roasting. >> yeah, back in the 17th century, we were considered one of the best in europe cooking in front of an open fire. many countries send their chefs over. >> you had cookoffs. >> exactly. >> the idea of the meat fruit, an amusement, surprise for guest. >> it looks like it's going to be, very simple, a technique behind it. >> ice cream. >> next thing we're going to do, make liquid nitrogen ice cream. we have a white trolley around the restaurant. >> do this by the table side. >> exactly. vanilla custard. >> why liquid nitrogen. obviously it freezes it. >> it freezes it quickly. >> what's the fun of it. >> you'll see the fun. >> this is minus 109 celsius. >> pick this up at any store?

>> not exactly. >> we don't advise it. >> and when made the ice cream at the table, apple candy, praline. >> and it starts with a vanilla bean. >> vanilla. very simple. >> you have to be very careful when you are doing that. >> takes about 90 seconds or so, right. >> you get the liquid nitrogen right down the aisle from the plutonium? >> that's right. you get the arc coming out of the machine. >> how do you know when it's done? >> i think that's ready. >> when it stops smoking. >> going to be worth the wait. >> still smoking like that. >> a fraction more. >> a little more. >> the great thing is you've got nitrogen at the table. >> i was working at the lab late one night. >> what happened to the first one? >> this whole mad scientist thing going on. >> let's try it.

twenty seconds. >> one little scoop. >> dip it right in there. oh, boy. go for it. >> that's fantastic! >> thank you so much. very interesting. coming up, we'll meet the youngest athlete on the olympic team. >> it's like carrying the torch. now you just need your armor. we'll be back after your local news and weather. be back after l news and weather. good morning to you. 8:56. i'm laura garcia-cannon. a rodeo bull fell into an irration well in fulsome, got stuck in about seven feet of water. rescue crews finally managed to free that frustrated bull after four hours, though. they had to lift him out, you

see there. still no word on how he ended up there. he may have been spooked and jumped in the well. kind of looks rough to see, but he's recovering there in a nearby field. let's check the forecast with meteorologist christina loren. what a beautiful story. good morning to you. temperatures are going to be comfortable today, in the mid-80s, and then warm across the bay, extreme east bay, 84 degrees, today 74 bayside and 63 at the coast. we'll cool you down through friday, then warm up for the weekend.

"today" this wednesday morning. two days to go until the opening ceremony of the olympic games. our whole game is assembled. good morning to you. i'm savannah guthrie alongside al roker and natalie morales. matt lauer left to get ready for the opening ceremonies. he's back looking at that briefing book to stump us with his trivia. >> perhaps. up ahead, one of the big

issues here is security, keeping the games safe. coming up we'll show you impressive new technology they are using to make sure everything goes off at planned. >> also catch up with some young u.s. olympians, five swimmers. one of them is the youngest member of team usa. >> you might be wondering, how will the royals spend the olympics, what venues will they be going to, can they get tickets? i don't know. the queen's granddaughter is competing. we're going to share their plans with you. >> good. we can follow them around, perhaps. first a check on the top news stories. we've got hoda kotb holding down the fort in new york. hoda, good morning once again. >> reporter: single handedly. officials are trying to find out if any taxpayer money was used to pay for the massacre in colorado. james holmes, a former phd candidate at a medical college had been supported by a $26,000 federal grant before dropping

out of school. officials are going over financial records. meantime, batman star christian bale visited wounded shooting victims tuesday. a pregnant woman in the theater at the time of the shooting has given birth to a healthy baby boy. her house, though, is in critical condition. at least five people are under arrest following more violent protests overnight in anaheim, california. demonstrators clashed with khris over recent deadly police shootings including one involving an unarmed man. police fired beanbags and pepper-balls into the crowd. it was the fourth straight night of protest in anaheim. the city council's office asked the attorney's office to investigate the shooting. an unusual announcement from north korea. for the first time the media says kim jong-un is married. little was known about the mystery woman that accompanied him. he took over as leader after his father died in september. it has been a year since gay

marriage became legal in new york. mayor bloom berlg estimated gay weddings had a big economic impact in the city bringing in almost $260 million including money spent on guests and transportation. it accounted for 20% of all marriage licenses issued in new york city in the last year. one man killed and a police officer hurt tuesday when both went over a retaining wall near niagara falls. the officer fell about 100 feet into the gorge. rescue crews used a truck and rappelled down to chase the officer. it's not clear why the man was chased. the incident is under investigation. the it happened about a mile from niagara falls. actor sherman hemsley has died best known for his rolling on the sit col "the jeffersons" he was found dead in his home on tuesday. he was 74 years old. chad everett who starred in the

medical series medical center died. he was 75 years old. they found a skeleton buried inside a monastery that may be the woman who inspired mona lisa. they plan to use carbon dating and other tests to find out if it is so. if so experts may try to use computers to reconstruct her face, smile and all. a trip to a goodwill star is about to pay off big for a north carolina woman. she bought a painting there for just over 10 bucks and found it was vertical diamonds by 20th century abstract artist. sotheby's will auction it off and predicts it will go for $20,000. twenty minutes past t-- back-of- time to head back to

savannah, natalie and al. >> just bought one that has dogs playing cards. >> to go with velvet elvis. >> hoda, thank you. we'll see you a little later and a check of the weather. >> of course we're talking about strong storms making their way through the midsection of the country. we're also looking at a lot of heat. first let's look at what's going on in london. next few days a gorgeous couple of days. even on into friday where we had a chance of afternoon showers. but by the opening ceremonies, the shower chance will decrease. temperatures will be in the 60s under partly cloudy skies. so looks like the weather will be nice 9:05 now on a wednesday morning. microclimates making for very different weather from san francisco to san jose starting in the city by the bay. as you can see, mostly cloudy conditions. those clouds will burn off by

about noon, but take a look at this. /spectacular sunshine already in san jose and we're heading toward 79 deegts, much cooler than average across the bay area, 66 in san francisco, 77 degrees in almaden valley, 79 in gilroy. next three days are cool. >> and that's your latest weather. savannah. >> al, thanks. more than 10,000 athletes here to compete. some 9 million tickets have been sold. how do you keep the city safe. nbc's stephanie gosk has that story. stephanie, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. every city has hosts the olympic games has to ask the same question, how are we going to keep the games safe a scandal with a private security firm has some people wondering whether or not london was ready. those in charge insist it is. the largest peace time security operation in u.s. history starts at olympic park. this week athletes are pouring

in. soon spectators will as well. when the private security firm g4s announced only two weeks ago they could not provide enough guards at the gate the british military was forced to step up. 1400 troops check bags and man x-rays. a at venues outside of london, the local police have had to fill in. metropolitan police commander bob broadhurst said the g4s debacle has not compromised security. >> what it did do, people in all the agencies had to work a bit harder. >> reporter: the security guards are just one part of a much larger operation. from this command and control center broadhurst is in charge of more than 1,000 officers on the ground, water, and air. they are backed up by a military arsenal including surface-to-air missiles, typhoon fighter jets and the royal navy's largest ship, the "hms ocean." it's an historic buildup londoners have noticed.

>> if something did happen, we'd be equipped to respond to it quite well. >> there are also multiple layers of security the public won't see, including new technology to remotely control vehicles, if they get carjacked, installed in thousands of buses. we were given a firsthand demonstration. >> it's measuring everything from speed down to how much i'm pressing the accelerator. >> reporter: at the side of the road a colleague took control of the car from a laptop. >> really can't do anything with the vehicle. >> reporter: now coming to a complete stop. even more important than technology or firepower, say commanders, is experience. on july 7th, 2005, just a day after london was awarded the 2012 games, the city was attacked by a home grown terror cell. 52 people were killed. >> terrorism has been a fact of life in the united kingdom since 9/11 and really before. but the security services

because of that experience are as good, if not better, than any security service in the world. prart large scale attack is considered unlikely. what people are more concerned about here is a lone wolf attack, a person acting on their own. the best defense against that is public vigilance. savannah. >> receive any gosk, thank you. up next we'll meet the youngest swimmers on team usa. we'll meet up with the royal family after this. . with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card, we earn more cash back for the things we buy most. 1% cash back everywhere, every time. 2% on groceries. 3% on gas. automatically. no hoops to jump through. no annual fee. that's 1% back on... wow! 2% on my homemade lasagna. 3% back on [ friends ] road trip!!!!!!!!!!!! [ male announcer ] get 1-2-3 percent cash back. apply online or at a bank of america near you.

♪ your mouth has sipped, snacked, ...yellowed... giggled, snuggled, ...yellowed... chatted, chewed, ...yellowed.

and over all those years, your teeth...have yellowed. fact is, if you're not whitening, you're yellowing. crest 3d white whitestrips remove over ten years of stains by going below the enamel surface. and, they whiten 25 times better than a leading whitening toothpaste. crest whitestrips. life opens up when you do. it's all the salad andfor $25. breadsticks you want. 2 appetizers made for sharing. then 2 entrées from 6 of our favorites. like new spaghetti with 4 cheese meat sauce & meatballs. 3 courses, 2 people, just $25. at olive garden. [ stomach growls ] [ female announcer ] skipping breakfast to get ahead? research shows that women that eat breakfast like the special k breakfast actually weigh less.

what will you gain when you lose?™ actually weigh less.

welcome back to london. the first gold medals will be awarded as soon as saturday. three swim teams have finals. some ladies joining us might come home with lard wear. we want to introduce them. ladies, good morning. first of all, just a show of hands. how many of you are either in high school or just graduated. >> high school. >> so pretty young. are you excited to be here at the olympics? >> yes. >> katie, not only are you the youngest swimmer on the team, you are the youngest olympian. >> yes. >> how does that feel? >> feels great to be here with older athletes and being around them and being able to compete with them for the u.s. really great honor. >> get some good advice. >> leah, you qualified to win in

the 4 by 100 meter freestyle. you're from new york city and not exactly known for competitive swimming. how did you get into swimming? >> i started when i was six. my friends in the first grade were taking lessons. they were like, you should join. i was like, okay, why not. my mother wanted me to be water safe. i joined and stikd with it. >> your friends did you a favor. >> what about you, rachel. as i understand it, up until the trials you had been competing at a junior level. you're kind of making your debut at the senior level we olympics. >> wen to the pan american games. this is my first olympics. i'm excited to be here. it's a huge experience for me. >> you are now going to be an olympian for life. what does that mean for you. >> it's crazy. i remember dreaming about it, for as long as i can remember, i guess. now that it's finally realized, it hasn't hit me. it's an amazing accomplishment. i couldn't be more proud to

represent the united states. >> elizabeth, you're the veteran of the group competed in 2008 in beijing. have you given them a lot of advice, what to expect and how to keep calm and cool? >> i think so. probably more of the older people giving better advice. for the most part is just enjoy it and take it in. four years ago i looked like a deer in last wills and testaments and didn't know what to expect. this time i'm trying to take it in. >> are you getting around town and seeing the town. >> this is our first time out of the village. it's cool we get to see a little of it. >> this is where they actually get the medals. there's two ways to get a medal, you can swim you're way there or break into the building. >> kaitlyn, you just missed the olympics in 2008. what have you been doing the last four years to make sure you're here in london and coming on strong. >> just a lot of hard work coming in. i moved from my hometown in tucson and go to school at uc berkeley. my coach has been a huge impact

on my life. i think that program in general has really like brought me to the next level. >> do you train along with natalie coughlin. >> yes. >> you're in good form. >> i have a lot of good people to look up to every day. >> have you checked out the aquatic center? >> yes. >> have you gotten in the pool? >> yes. >> how does it feel? >> fast. >> what does that mean? when you say it's a fast pool, what does it mean? >> you feel like it's all about your race. it's kind of a mental thing, i think. it's not really a fast pool. you just feel ready and prepared. >> we're so proud of you. we can't wait to see you swim. we hope you're standing up there on the podium this weekend. >> make us proud no matter how you do. >> thank you. >> good luck to you. >> thank you. >> coming up next, the olympic athletes show us their silly side. these kids have a silly side, too. this is your chance. is it done?

[ john ] no. ♪ were you just... no. are you supposed to be driving that in here? no! yo! teresa here? ♪ no. so is it okay if i stay out just a little bit longer? so...okay... so no. did mom say we could eat all that? [ john ] yes. [ male announcer ] in a world filled with "no," it's nice to finally say "yes." the new line of oscar mayer selects. the tastes you love and no artificial preservatives. it's yes food.

they're whole grain good... and yummy good. real fruit pieces. 12 grams of whole grains and a creamy yogurt flavored coating. quaker yogurt granola bars. treat yourself good. the moisturizer in other body washes sits on top of skin. only dove has nutriummoisture, which can nourish deep down. dove body wash with nutriummoisture. superior natural nourishment for your skin.

one thing we've already learned is that the olympic athletes have a pretty good sense of humor. we decided to ask them what they would do to make the queen's famously stoic guards laugh. >> maybe do a chicken dance in front of them.

>> probably start dancing around them. >> i'm just kidding. >> probably get in their face and stair. >> maybe i'd give a guard a kiss on the cheek. >> get in front of them. i'd be like -- >> we could always walk by in our bikinis. >> that would make them smile, no? >> i think those beach volleyball girls are onto something. make them smile by wearing a bikini. >> get a camera and all of a sudden everybody from america shows up. >> where are you from? >> originally nebraska but live here in england now. >> are you here for the olympics? >> yes. beach volleyball. >> young lady, where are you from? >> houston, texas. >> are you staying for the olympics? >> yes. >> you had to think about that for a second. yes. and what event are you looking forward to seeing. >> the swimming and running

events. >> was it hard to get tickets? >> actually we haven't managed that but we're hoping we'll get a view from somewhere. >> we'll put the message out. >> where are you from? >> north carolina. >> you're here for the olympics i take it. >> we're about to leave but we're here for the beginning of it. >> what do you think? is it pretty cool to be here with the excitement. >> it's so awesome, so cool, coming here and representing usa. >> do that again? bigger. >> we're ready for the olympics. from delaware? your whole family? you're here to see the olympics as well. >> yes. >> what event are you looking forward to. >> hockey. >> soccer. >> excellent. all right. >> excited about that game. can't wait to go to a public and watch it there. >> any excuse for the pub. >> how many have been to the pub

so far. >> i'm waiting for the pub call. >> every member of the crews is waving their hands. all right. coming up, the man on the brink of being the most decorated olympian ever, ryan seacrest catches up with michael phelps. >> i thought you meant ryan seacrest. >> right after this. matt. [ female announcer ] melissa posts,

"just started trying all the yoplait flavors! i love them." well ,we love that you started eating yoplait. but melissa, there's over 40 delicious flavors so you've got some catching up to do. yoplait, it is so good. to help keep stuff off their hands. ♪ this back to school ♪ there's a new routine ♪ grab a kleenex® tissue to help keep your hands clean ♪ ♪ every time you sneeze no matter where ♪ ♪ ya gotta shield sneeze swish like you just don't care ♪ ♪ shield sneeze swish ♪ check out my swish

♪ da da da da da, da da da da da ♪ [ female announcer ] only kleenex® brand has sneeze shield in all their tissues to help keep stuff off kids' hands. cleaning better doesn't have to take longer. i'm done. i'm gonna...use these. ♪ give me just a little more time ♪ [ female announcer ] unlike mops, swiffer can maneuver into tight spaces and its wet mopping cloths can clean better in half the time. mom? ♪ ahhhh! ahhhh! no it's mommy! [ female announcer ] swiffer. better clean in half the time. or your money back. ♪

good wednesday morning to you. 9:26. a big stink on the garlic festival. organizers for this one's event discovered someone stole $12,000 worth of tickets. several locked cases were broken into at the festival's main office and those tickets were spotted on craig's list. the money raised helps out local nonprofits and charities. >> they are taking money directly from local charitable organizations, and that's really the shame of all this. >> gilroy police say the stolen tickets will not be honored at the festival. ticket takers at the entrance

gates will be checking serial numbers. nearly 800 los angeles pot clubs have been banned. the l.a. city council voted last night to ban all marijuana dispensaries pending further legal clarification from the california supreme court. all of the affected clubs have been ordered to shut down immediately. clubs that don't comply immediately could be forcibly shut down and face other legal action. the supreme court has been asked to clarify the conflicting state and federal laws regarding medical marijuana.

9:28. welcome back. temperatures are nice and comfortab comfortable, but they are starting to climb in places like sunnyvale. 60 in santa cruz. as we head throughout this afternoon, temperatures will warm up nicely. if you've got tickets to that giants game as they take on the pads for the second time, first time's a win, hopefully this time, as well, 62 degrees, comfortable conditions. abundant sunshine, just a few

pa passing midlevel clouds. 66 in the heat of the day? san francisco. highs are coming in at about 4:00 p.m. this time of year, 79 degrees in san jose. that's cooler than yesterday by 3 to 5 degrees. we'll continue that cooldown thursday and friday down to 80 degrees inland. that means san jose come friday just 75 degrees. then we'll hit the weekend and temperatures ramp right back up. look at the difference between friday and saturday. but that's good news. if you want to take those kids to the beach? back to you. >> that game today would be a good one, too, if you're lucky enough to have tickets. go, giants. thanks for joining us.

you are looking at london's olympic park. one square mile. home to what will become the iconic venues of the game, the olympic stadium, aquatic center, velodrome. soon it will be our home for the next two weeks. good morning, everyone. i'm natalie morales alongside natalie morales and al roker. one of the biggest names in these games and the last games, too. coming up he's going to talk to ryan seacrest and how he feels about his competition. has he a rival in the pool.

we'll talk to him in a few months. >> you know what else is almost a competition, the royal watching. william and harry will be very visible. they will be cheering one of their cousins competing in the equestrian event. we'll tell you about other events and get a little lesson about the history of the tower of london. >> speaking of history, we'll look at the tower bridge, part of our backdrop. a lot of people confuse it with the london bridge, like some of those people did. there's a big difference. first we want to bring in mario. always good to see you. thanks for being here. >> thanks have having me, al. >> you captured gold in 2004 when women's saber made it to olympic debut, team usa's first gold medal in fencing in 100 years. four years later you do it in beijing.

now going for your third consecutive medal. >> do you get more pressure because you are favored to win. >> every olympic games is different than the last, different cultures, feel, first time, second time. i'm soaking in every moment. it's exciting. it's fun, i do my best for team usa. >> some kids play soccer, baseball, some swim. how did you get involved with fencing at age ten. >> i know. i did all of those sports, too. they bored me too much. my older brother wanted to sword fight when he saw movies. my mother signed him up. i had to learn self-defense, so i said sign me up. we were a disaster running around. >> you have a gutsy mom. >> i know. >> how are you different today as a fencer as opposed to four years ago. our sport is constantly changing. they are changing the rules, the timing. if you're on top like i am, you

have to make sure you're unpredictable. i'm constantly working on trying to improve, have tricks up my sleeve. myself as a fencer, i've changed a lot. >> you're going to try to make me a fencer myself. >> i heard you had on some armor. you've been in the ancient version, now the modern version. >> i can't even get the glove on. >> what do you call that? >> not a helmet, a mask. >> the glasses. >> can't see. >> go easy on him, we need him. >> that's good. >> we have our enguard position. this castle behind us, bend your knees. that's the enguard position. one of you fine ladies.

in french. engarde, press. >> if we were doing medieval fencing the most effective shot is the one to the head. that's the kill shot. >> don't do that. >> on their cue, show you what a fast saber thrust looks like. just like that he's out. >> in fencing i would score one point. in medieval fencing, i would probably just win overall. >> that's pretty much the way. >> good news for you, you survived. >> that you so much. we appreciate it. >> that's what going on around the country, here is wha good morning to you. we're taking a live look at oakland. we've got some good-looking conditions, mostly cloudy. san jose, show you how beautiful it is. yes, we're going to see really good clearing as we head through the next couple hours over the

bayside citieses as well as the coast, but fair amount of cloud cover hugging that coastline today in a westerly push putting that into the inland valleys. temperature 79 degrees in san jose today. we'll drop off through friday and warm up for the weekend. >> oh, look, i'm back tfrom the dead. >> you've been through a lot today. >> tell me about it. >> up next, how the royals are enjoying the olympic games in london. i don't want healthy skin for a day. i want healthy skin for life. [ female announcer ] don't just moisturize. improve the health of your skin with aveeno daily moisturizing lotion. the natural oatmeal formula goes beyond 24-hour moisture. it's clinically proven to improve your skin's health in one day, with significant improvement in 2 weeks. for healthy, beautiful skin that lasts. i found a moisturizer for life. [ female announcer ] daily moisturizing lotion. and for healthy hair every day, try new pure renewal hair care, with balancing seaweed extract.

only from aveeno. try new pure renewal hair care, with balancing seaweed extract. mommy! i went potty! that's great, honey.... where? for life's bleachable moments. it's creamy, nonfat, and it turns the next person you see into john stamos for five seconds. honey! i think i'm getting burned! heh! eat. ♪ tastes pretty good, huh? ♪ best yogurt ever. yeah! [ men grunting ] open! [ male announcer ] dannon oikos berry flavors beat chobani 2 to 1 in a national taste test. oikos greek yogurt.

possibly the best yogurt in the world. i was worried about 'em, you know? i mean for instance my mom went to bed tonight before making my dinner. which is fine, i mean i, i know how to make dinner. it just starts to make you wonder. is this what happens when you age? my friends used to say i was the lucky one. i had the fun parents. where's the fun now? night guys! [ sighs ] ♪ [ male announcer ] venza. from toyota. food you love is a blt with best foods. it's made with real ingredients like cage-free eggs for the unmistakable taste that can only be best foods. bring out the best. [ man ] excuse me miss. [ gasps ] this fiber one 90 calorie brownie has all the deliciousness you desire. the brownie of your dreams

is now deliciously real. welcome back to london as we count down to the olympics. throughout the centuries, the tower of london was used as a royal palace, a prison and eventually as a place of execution. today it still holds the royal crown jewels. now it also safely secures the 4,700 olympic medals which will be handed out during these summer games. a royal historian and author of several novels including "the other boleyn girl" nice to have you here. i'm a big fan of your work. >> thank you, nice to be here.

>> tell us about the history of this place, the tower of london, the royal palace, fortress. tell us what it was used for back then when it was the palace. >> it was the most secure place in london built by william the conqueror. so, this tower beheinz us dates back to about 1066. this castle behind us was back when he invade england and had to make london secure. since then it's been secure. any time the royal family has been in trouble, they have come back behind the river and this has been their safest palace. they have always used it in times of trouble. traditionally any member of the royal family in the olden days would go to the coronation from here. it's a big ceremonial place. >> the tudor period brought in darker times. this came in a prison and place of execution, as well, right? >> to be honest with you, it's always been a bit dark. this is british history. there is a lot of killing, murdering going on. this is a place people would

have been tortured, political prisoners would have been tortured. here about 60 people over the years, most recently the world war. this is where anne boleyn was put together and pretender to the throne mary tudor, lady jane grey was put to death. if anywhere you're going to see ghosts in england, it's going to be here. >> have you experienced ghosts here? >> no, but i met a very serious historian who said his children had picked up the ambiance of ghosts here. it's a very tragic place as well as a very historic place. it's been a tragic place for many people. >> let's talk about olympics. third time is the charm for the city of london. everyone is excited this is the third time they are hosting. we're expecting royal watching as well. the royals attending pretty much every day an olympic event. how much of a place in history

does this royal family have in comparison to past history? >> well, they are not politically effective anymore. so in a sense they are much more figureheads. they represent the people in a sense by the fact they are very well loved. i think everybody is really glad that they are turning out. to be honest, the younger ones, particularly, they like a good time. they love their sport. they are delighted to go. prince harry is going to volleyball, every young man's dream. a nice event for everyone and the royal family will clearly enjoy it. >> cheering on their cousin zara phillips, whose mother queen anne competed in montreal. here is a chance for her to compete and hold the crown high. in that regard, as well. >> both princess anne and her husband were serious competitors and zara should have made the olympics before, but the horse was injured.

everyone is really excited. she got a new horse and seems fit. in terms of katherine middleton, she'll be holding an important role here. >> it's the first year of marriage. you expect it to be nice. we're all still in love with her. it's a very happy time for england at the moment. >> philippa gregory, thanks so much for a great history lesson. >> thank you. >> thank you. and coming up next, ryan seacrest will catch up with michael phelps as he tries to score three more medals that will put him over the top making history as the most decorated olympian of all time. we're back after this. orated olympian of all time. we're back after this.

whether it's showing competitors' rates or striving to be number one, we're always up for a little competition. zap! [ sparking ] now, that's progressive. [ stomach growls ] [ female announcer ] skipping breakfast to get ahead? research shows that women that eat breakfast like the special k breakfast actually weigh less. what will you gain when you lose?™ it's all the salad andfor $25. breadsticks you want. actually weigh less. 2 appetizers made for sharing. then 2 entrées from 6 of our favorites. like new smoked mozzarella chicken. 3 courses, 2 people, just $25. at olive garden.

welcome back to london. michael phelps needs just three medaling to become the most decorated olympian ever. he was with us live.

our special correspondent ryan seacrest asked how his arrival was different emotionally this time knowing this will be his last olympics. >> it's been weird, my last tuesday, my last double. it's cool to say. but i think back the last 20 years what happened over my career, it's been a lot of great memories. i think that's one thing i'm looking nord to this week, having a lot of good memories and moment and hopefully finish my career with some good swims. >> a few weeks back at the trials you said there's more work to be done, you wanted to get faster. what have you focused on. >> stroke control, getting back to my old strokes. really didn't feel that great at trials. just working on small things. breaststroke, i literally had to start from scratch and just work on the entry and my hands,

keeping my hands together a lot of small things to tweak. >> where do you think you are physically and mentally. >> physically at my best. mentally, every day. visualize races, prepare for what could happen, what i want to happen. >> you've had a chance to see the aquatic center, the pool. is it a fast pool? what's it like? >> it's cool. overwhelming. the deck space is small. you look up on both sides of the stands and there's a lot of stands there. >> you like that, right? >> it's going to be cool. hopefully we'll have some loud cheering and the place will be rocking. i remember in 2000, the floor was almost -- you could feel like the floor shaking. more people here, hopefully a loud venue. >> you're staying with the other athletes in the olympic village. >> we are. >> what are you doing in your downtime there? >> i've pretty much just been

watching tv shows. i start the "the wire" and catching up on "breaking bad." a little bit of sitting around watching shows and movies. >> there have been reports of no air conditioning. is that true? >> we walked in and tried to crank the thermostat down. nothing was happening all day. they told us in a meeting we have no air conditioning. some of us are lucky enough to have -- i think everybody on the team has little like college dorm fans that rotate. so we have some air circulating. >> more comfortable now. >> yeah. everybody has to deal with it. >> if you win three medals here in london, you go on to become the most decorated olympian of all time. have you stepped back to think about how significant that is in history, michael? >> you know, i think a lot of things i've done through my career haven't really sunk in yet. you know, i think i guess the more i move through my life, i think some of those moments will sink in more. i have a job to finish here.

that's why i'm here, why i'm setting out on saturday to start my journey. hopefully it's a good one. i'm looking forward to getting in the water and race. the goal is always to try and swim faster here than you did at trials. if i do that, then i've made progress. >> what's the journey after this journey? i know you're looking forward to having a little bit of fun. if you booked any trips, made any plans? >> we have a couple of trips booked, looking forward to pretty much relaxing and doing whatever i want to do, going wherever i want to go, and just living life. having fun every day, have a smile, wake up, be lucky to be here. >> ryan seacrest with michael phelps a bit earlier. we're going to see michael in the pool this saturday. coming up next, a tour of our magnificent location today, london's tower bridge. but first this is "today" on nbc.

welcome back to london. a lot of americans confuse the london bridge with that bridge over there, the tower bridge. nearly half a million visitors every year go to that bridge, making one of london's most popular tourist attractions. of course it is part of this city's iconic skyline. between morning and night, 40,000 people drive, bike or walk across this london landmark. and three times a day, for six minutes at a clip, the hustle and bustle of the city slows to a stop. people watch and wait for the 2,000 ton roadway to split and soar open. it's the ships sailing below that have the right away. >> we only open it as much as we need to for the vessel to pass

safely. >> construction began on the bridge in 1886 and took eight years to complete. first two massive peers made of concrete sunk into the thames. 4,000 workers fastened 11,000 tons of steel to create the framework for the roads and towers. at the time the structure was considered an engineering marvel, the biggest combination suspended an bascle bridge in the world. it's like a seesaw, each side opening from a counterbalance under the span. originally the bridge was powered by a hydraulic system that used steam to drive pumping engines that would release energy into storage containers called accumulators. that would save until needed by a second set of engines that drive the bridge open and clothes. in 1876 oil and electricity

replaced steam as the bridge's energy. it's now computerized, only second in comparison to its beauty. its red, white and blue color scheme is a tribute to the queen's jubilee over 30 years ago. >> only a few things in your memory if you want to remember london. >> one of those memories, the view from the pedestrian walkway over 10 stories above the busy city. it's no small feat hanging those rings. he they had to put them on a bharnlg, down the thames, chains, then hoisted it into position. the rings actually rise and lower as the bridge does. >> the only thing harder was getting into the armor this morning, right? >> yeah. it was comfortable. very comfortable. >> how are you feeling now? >> you and i will check later. >> oh, gosh. >> only the beginning.

>> tomorrow beach volleyball, gymnastics, swimming. are you catching up with the beach volleyball girls. >> can we have the beach volleyball dancers again? >> those are the mares. >> we will see you tomorrow. hoda and keith lee next with bruce jenner's olympic picks.

good morning. it is 9:56. i'm marla tellez. the state's water wars are heating up today in sacramento. governor jerry brown wants to

install two huge pipes beneath the bay delta. the delta supplies water to millions of people from the bay area down to southern california, but constant pumping has damaged the ecosystem and threatened some fish species. another concern is the fragile levees surrounding the delta. some are more than 100 years old and could fall during an earthquake. >> if the levees do fail, we could have an outage of anywhere from six months to a couple of years, which would require us to have extreme conservation measures and would probably have a significant economic impact. >> supporters say the proposed pipes would be more reliable during the event of an earthquake and would pull water from the delta with less harm to the environment. but opponents worry the pipes will only increase the strain, allowing more water to be diverted away from the delta. governor brown and opponents will hold dueling press conferences today in sacramento arguing their points.

let's turn it over to christina loren now for a look at that forecast. good morning. >> hey, good morning to you, marla. good morning to you at home. look where our temperatures are right now and you're really going to like where we're headed. 61 degrees in san francisco if you're looking for a cooldown, especially inland, we hit the 90s in the past couple days. today we're talking about the low to mid-80s. if you've got tickets to watch those giants take on the padres at at&t park, gorgeous conditions. at 12:45, 60 degrees in san francisco, 62 at 1:00 p.m., and by 2:00, 63 degrees. hopefully getting another big win just like last night. 79 degrees in san jose today. 77 for los gatos. and 68 degrees in santa cruz. next three days work out like this. we are going to stay cool and then temperatures spike just in time for the weekend. back to you, marla. >> thank you, christina. for the latest traffic and news updates, check out nbc bay area on facebook.

[ female announcer ] now get high speed internet at home on our newly expanded advanced digital network, a connection you can count on. introducing at&t u-verse high speed internet with more speed options, reliability and wi-fi hot spots than ever. call at&t now to get u-verse high speed internet for as little as $14.95 a month for 12 months with a one-year price guarantee. it's the fastest internet for the price. our newly expanded advanced digital network gives you more of what you enjoy online. and with at&t, our wireless gateway turns your home into a private wi-fi hot spot that connects your wi-fi devices and can even save on your smart phone data usage at home. so call now to get at&t u-verse high speed internet for just $14.95 a month for 12 months with a one-year price guarantee. that includes access on-the-go to our entire national wi-fi hot spot network,

with over 30,000 hot spots. at&t u-verse high speed internet. now on our newly expanded advanced digital network, a connection your whole house can count on. ♪ it is a gorgeous wines-day wednesday in new york. it is july 25th. we're the only people left pretty much. >> we're in charge. >> which is scary. >> we're trashing the joint. nobody is here! >> and it's all the pregame right now. >> and the weather -- so glad

the weather is good. >> you know what's more beautiful than the weather? >> matt lauer. we're in love. >> he was on the screen with a tan jacket on -- look. excuse us, for a second, let's live here. >> we had to clean up the drool. it was all over hoda. >> i love that look on matt. >> don't you think he should do that all the time? >> right off the yacht look. >> and that tan on him. >> he's looking good. >> he looks great today, too. the opening ceremonies are two days away. matt will host it with meredith. it must be weird for the two of them. >> they know what's going to happen. >> it's a big secret for the rest of us. i'm excited. are you excited? >> i tell you what, i saw what we're going to wear. oh, my gosh. >> tomorrow, we're doing our show on the plaza. friday. we're doing an olympic theme

sho show. >> we need you guys to show up for us, please. >> it would be humiliating if we go outside. >> if we do our olympic stuff with nobody cheering us on in the ugliest track uniforms you have ever seen. >> they are hideous. >> like the old-fashioned from the '80s. >> jane lynch. >> and pull them up. >> never will we be more attractive than friday morning. >> come see us. we'd love it. >> you are actually going to the olympics. >> i heard that. >> your public demands it. >> we're doing a story. not sure what it will be n. people are writing in with all kinds of ideas. >> see that. you're not going to look that good friday. it will be the ugliest track suit ever. it will be fun. >> some people say maybe i should go to the gymnastics competition. i don't think that will be happening. >> why? >> i think it's later. >> while you're there.

>> kathleen thinks you need to have high tea, preferably with the queen. i did make a phone call for you the other day. i happen to know one member of the royal family. >> henry? >> spent a few days with him in scotland and fell in love with ed edinboro. prince edward is best friends with my long-time agent, sam haskell and we all went to scotland for three days and they were with us. i called sam to see if he could set us up, they're very busy. no, not going to happen. >> i was told to check out the u.s. swim team. that's always fun to watch. >> they make it look easy. we shall see. tonight, jimmy fallon has his own primetime music special. >> he is fun. you guys have seen him. he sings tv theme songs, sketches from different tv theme

songs and it's been a hit and he said, why don't we make it into a special. i think we have one of those. let's see what it is. >> ladies and gentlemen, bob dillon. ♪ our days and our nights and our wrongs and rights ♪ ♪ our wrongs and our rights now charles and me ♪ >> brilliant brilliant idea. i don't know why they haven't thought about a primetime special called "everyone has a story" because we have 40 of those! >> unusual how they scream like that when they're in london. money he nobody here. >> we have a nice group sitting with our news team. >> they must be nice, gave birth

to a really nice girl. >> her mom and dad are in the studio and we were wondering, who gave birth to joanne. if you could see what's happening, she's saying to them, wave, mom and dad. here they go, doing what she said. >> joanne has been doing an awesome awesome job for us. >> joanne, turn around. >> while tammy is on maternity leave with her second baby, illana will be coming back next week. we're not losing joanne or per parents, things will change for a little while. >> demi moore has a little bit of news today, doesn't she? it's hard to believe. >> yesterday, she was in a terrible depression. >> today, according to "life and style" magazine, she's been secretly dating a new zealand born actor 12 years her junior.

>> which is progress. how much difference was there between her and ashton? >> he's cute, very cute. they have been seen hanging out, martin henderson, and australian tv star. in a movie called "toxic". >> i love my husband. if anything did happen, i think next time, i would go young and australian. i mean, i'm not planning on it, but why not? >> you know who's here, curtis. >> i wasn't thinking of curtis. curtis is so taking. i was just saying, now my husband is watching, i'm going to kill her. honey, it's a little joke. maybe i'll go after bruce jenner, my long time friend because he's been having marital problems with kris, according o our show. frank, i'm bringing bruce home. >> we have talked about jay on

our program before, a beautiful great terrific relationship, even great relationships sometimes don't last forever. this was a great relationship i enjoyed very much while it was on, now we move forward. >> thank you for asking. >> i do want to say thank you from him. i came home and there was a beautiful bouquet of flowers for "scandalous" going to broadway. >> now, you're going to say, you didn't get me flowers. >> we all have those things, we think this is it, for nobody's fault ever, it's life. on that note, let's talk about dating older women -- this is olderwomen.com. near the cities -- >> the most cougars are. >> on the prowl. >> it's number 3. >> crazy! >> number 2 is houston, texas.

one is sydney, australia and the other is melbourne. >> number 1 is melbourne. >> what are they talking about? what are they doing there? >> i don't know. >> the other top two cities are chicago, l.a., australia, brooklyn, new york and atlanta. that's where the cougars are trolling. >> i think it's because of that guy on the mental list. what's his name, simon baker? so adorable. i think i'll go to australia and get me one of those. i'll take three. here's surprising news. ""america's got talent"" is a big big show on nbc. it's going along swimmingly and suddenly there was a tweet. >> a strange tweet from sharon osbourne. >> she wrote this, my darling, howard stern, money is not the reason i'm not returning t to @nbcagt, which is "america's got talent." it is because...

>> the producer said we don't know what's going on and it may be much ado about nothing. >> people are saying what they want with no publicist and nothing. >> it's a need to control things. so much in our life is not controllable. the one thing you can control is your own message. sometimes people tweet before they think, they don't think it through. maybe she sincerely wants to leave the show, which leaves an opening for aretha. >> r ♪ i would fit perfectly between howie, my old dear friend and howard stern. come on! >> it's made. >> by the way, we did reach out to nbc in our own building. >> no comment. they're all in london. >> they're busy. >> you will love this. every now and then, there is a great animal story. this is a great one. there is a singing walrus in a

zoo in washington. >> his name is e.t. >> the star attraction. watch what this guy can do. >> [ loud noise ]. >> talk. >> [ loud noise ]. >> growl. >> [ loud noise ]. >> bell. >> what was that? i want to hear the other one. >> she says words and he knows the sound. that looks like an old man. doesn't it remind you of an old m man? i had an uncle that looked just like that. that was very cold. where do you go, takoma, washington for that? >> can we talk about our -- >> shamelessly again. we know it's gross. >> no one's watching. >> everyone's watching the

olympics. let's talk about how many people are liking us. >> what's going on? >> we had 388,976. that's where we started. what do we have? >> we're up to 439,000. we were jumping like crazy during yesterday's show. >> because we were shamelessly begging people to like us. cheaper than therapy. >> i think the central time zone had the most empathy. that launched. those midwesterners. >> we want to thank a lot of people. >> debbie from east jordan, michigan said i wish i could like you more than once because i like you everyday. >> and chase from london. i just like wine so i love them. >> and from huo, why is there not a love button on facebook and we left out the other ones that weren't as kind. >> you know who you are.

>> we are keeping up with the olympics, people. this is wines-day wednesday. this is from the fingerlakes. why did i not want to say that? it just didn't sound like something you could say on television. >> but you did and there you have it. we're keeping up with the kardashians. olympic gold medal bruce jenner sits down with us. >> even though he's going home with me to say hello to frank. >> what is he eating? bacon, donuts. -my taste buds. -[ taste buds ] waffles. how about we try this new kind of fiber one cereal? you think you're going to slip some fiber by us? rookie. okay. ♪ nutty clusters and almonds, ♪ ♪ almonds. ♪ fiber one is gonna make you smile. ♪ [ male announcer ] introducing new fiber one nutty clusters and almonds. with 43% daily value of fiber for you. crunchy nutty clusters and real almond slices for your taste buds.

....... , ..... that moves with you. inspired by athletic wear, only stayfree has new flexible layers that move with your body. while thermocontrol wicks moisture away. so feel free to move the way you want. switch to new stayfree ultra thins. keep moving. for a strong bag that grips the can...a thins. get glad forceflex. small change, big difference.

because a chicken is what it eats. [ jim ] this seal verifies we feed my fresh all-natural chickens an all-vegetarian diet including corn, soybeans, and marigolds. no animal by-products. no meat and bone meal. when you put my chicken on the table, you know where it came from. [ molly ] wash your paws, mr. man! [ female announcer ] think your kids are getting a dependable clean -in the bathroom? -[ gasps ] [ female announcer ] think again. try charmin ultra strong. for a clean that passes inspection with fewer pieces left behind. its diamondweave texture is soft and more durable versus the ultra rippled brand so it holds up better for a more dependable clean. fewer pieces left behind. now who's the man? you both are. [ female announcer ] we all go. why not enjoy the go with charmin ultra strong?

bruce jenner brought home the gold, baby in the 1974 electroni olympics. look at that! what a deal. only chris can get those kinds of deals. you co-hosted with hoda. >> i did. >> and he's on the reality series, "keeping up with the kardashians." >> can i start something? is this your last week? is this your last week on this show? sn>> what? >> is this your last week? i was wondering, should we make the announcement i will replace her and the two of us will do the show together? you and i together? hasn't that been your fantasy

all these years, us working together. how long have we known each other? 30 years? 30 years and we've never worked together. >> never? >> we've done things a little bit but we never actually worked together. >> sometimes being with you when you've had a few is a lot of wor work. >> you're talking to my wife again. >> you're heading to the olympics. >> comcast bought nbc and now everybody is under the same umbrella. we all work for comcast. about six months ago, "e" called and said they will have a presence and send somebody over to cover the fun side of the games. bruce, will you go? >> you're the only one in the "e" family that's won a gold medal. >> it's kind of politically the correct thing to do. >> back then it sounded good. now, you would rather be playing golf, wouldn't you? >> i'd rather be on a golf course. >> what are you going to do on the fun side? >> from the celebrities to

interviewing the athletes, we will have the studio next to nbc and have the athletes after they're done. fun side in london, all the night life. >> when you watch the events, do you long for it again? >> no. >> really? >> honestly i don't. i was so happy, i had my day. i'm very satisfied with that. when i walked away, i kept thinking to myself, i am the luckiest guy in the world, not only because i was walking away, i was totally satisfied with everything. there was nothing left i hadn't done. had the world record three times and got the gold medal and did everything in my sport i could do. in my soul, i had accomplished everything i could possibly accomplish. the hard part was doing it again. >> isn't the hard part you get to the pinnacle, what do i do now while you're still young. in your wildest dreams did you think you would have a reality series with the craziest family on the planet? >> i started reality 36 years ago. >> what do you mean? >> first show i ever did.

>> what? >> "battle of the network stars." pepperdine university. me and howard cosell. that's reality television. putting together the stars. >> and "get me out of here". >> i've been doing this stuff. >> speaking ofr reality, what's going on with kris? >> it's wonderful. we've been together 21 years. i watched it, was it two weeks ago i watched it. had to become a lard and i'm on the other side. i'm a stickler for everybody has to be on time. i'm in boston with chloe and

cr khris. being late and i looked like the bad guy. >> what we read about yesterday you're saying chloe wants to sleep with robert. that was weird. why did you say that? >> i don't know. >> maybe you need to get off the road and whip that family into shape. >> obviously, when the cameras are there, they will find something. >> are my god daughters off the stripper pole yet? >> actually, they're doing extraordinarily well. >> a birthday for kylie. >> i will not be there. i'm sorry, kylie, will not be there for your birthday. >> you can catch bruce jenner's coverage at noon week nights and 7:30. those quirky off the wall photos that will make you say, why? [ male announcer ] food you eat is a blt.

food you love is a blt with best foods. it's made with real ingredients like cage-free eggs for the unmistakable taste that can only be best foods. bring out the best. nearly twice as fast as yours does, mom.

that's why you use johnson's baby lotion twice a day to keep my skin baby soft. you've really got this "mom thing" down. ♪ never beat around the bush. you'll just squash the berries. new triple berry newtons. ♪ made with real fruit, 100% whole grain, and fiber. it's one unique cookie. that's why i take new trubiotics. it's a daily probiotic that helps in two ways. one helps support digestive health, the other immune health. stay true to your health. new trubiotics. from the makers of one-a-day.

♪ [ female announcer ] repel mosquitoes without spraying your skin. try off! clip-on repellant. in minutes, its fan surrounds you, head to toe with effective odorless protection. whether it's at a game, enjoying family, or just relaxing, repel mosquitoes away without a spray. off! clip-on. keeps bugs off. sc johnson. a family company.

it is time to take a look at all those photos that make it you stop and say what the what. >> our sarah poured through every submission, and there are there were thousands to find the photos that would give you the best chuckle here with the week's topics. >> the vocabulary tees it up for me to take the fall. our first photo comes from maria from columbus, ohio. check that out, 100% beef made with all white meat chick. >> and all right, that does say what the what? >> full disclosure right there in case you're wondering. next from tony from burbank, california, who submitted this photo. this story knows how to celebrate special occasions, toilet paper. a little potty party. >> cute. >> pity party. >> the third photo is from beverly in texas. in most stores that aisle would read baby wipes.

but it says -- butt about wipes. >> i'm losing sight, as well. clearly we weren't picking our words. >> right next to your trash bags and your baby food. wow. >> they're telling like it is. >> what the what? side splitting. these are side splitting. >> what's the next one? >> trina from california sent us this is photo. >> for toilet humor. >> it's for 12 assorted flavors. bath tisch to you, 12 rolls. >> oh. >> can i say that? if you eat it. >> we get it. >> this show is in the toilet. >> you want to see the next one. >> no, i don't. >> dale from texas submitted this photo. a bean burrito only 79 cents, the cheapest gas in town. clever. >> muchos mi casa.

>> thank you, sarah. all right, you need a summer project? we'll show you how to turn worn out household items into new household -- let the games begin. len berman is here with our knowledge of all things olympic. we'll be right back. [ female announcer ] women have made it the number one selling anti-aging cream undeniably. it creamed unbelievably a 00 cream and now women have made regenerist microsculpting cream also unscented. women love it. in original and also fragrance-free.

[ slurp! ] [ laughs ] ♪ [ female announcer ] hey ladies. here's a little something you'll find irresistible. cinnamon toast crunch, with a delicious cinnamon and sugar taste that's amazing. crave those crazy squares.™ at 10:26, we are following breaking news out of san francisco, fire officials telling us that one person has died in a two-alarm fire at an

apartment building. now, this apartment building is on cleary court between geary and laguna right behind the cathedral of st. mary of the assumption. firefighters battling the flames say the fire is now contained. again, one person has died in a two-alarm fire. that is currently contained right now in san francisco. we do have a crew on scene and we will bring you the very latest during our next newscast, nbc bay area news at 11:00.

10:28. welcome back. mostly cloudy over the city by the bay. we are expecting them to break apart, but in another hour and a half. you cannot beat 80 degrees in concord. cooler than average yet again, and this is typically the hottest point of the summer. we'll heat you right back up as we head through this weekend and in particular monday into tuesday of next week. 10:29. let's check your drive. here's mike. we have an accident southbound 680 as you're coming through sunol right at andrade. reports of a car fire, but they're not sure. let's look at sunol and see how things are shaping up. southbound side to the left of your screen, very light, very clear, and i didn't see any smoke in the area. traffic is not having any problems here. we'll go to the bay bridge toll plaza where we have a backup in the cash lanes. fastrak a big advantage. metering lights will be turning

off after the cash lanes backup. like the fog, probably another hour, hour and a half. we'll have much more local news coming up in 30 minutes on nbc bay area news at 11:00. we are back with more today on this wines-day wednesday. we play the trivia game called "who knew." to get us ready, we will test our knowledge on everything olympic related, of course. kathie lee is across the street ready to hand out 100 bucks to those who get the questions right and to ones who don't, those lucky ones get a copy of kathie lee's cd. with us is our guest and sportscast sportscaster, glenn brooks.

>> what olympic event once involved animals other than horses. bull fighting, pigeon shooting, greased pig shooting or greyhound racing. you can smell that cd, can't you? >> i can. >> bull fighting. >> [ buzzer ]. >> no. good. she gets her cd. >> the correct answer is pigeon shooting? >> in 1900 in paris, live pigeon shooting. they decided never to do it again because they thought it got a little messy. can you imagine your olympic job, you finally get to work the olympics and your job is to clean the venue? >> back across to kathie. >> from nova scotia. who knew? which is the only country to win at least one gold medal at every summer olympics? these are hard, isn't it, great britain, the u.s., greece or

china? >> the u.s. >> good day for me. [ buzzer ]. >> the correct answer there, great britain. >> the u.s. boycotted moscow. that was the trick there. britain won five gold medals. >> how do you think they will do at the summer games? >> they will do well. the home country usually has an added boost. >> where did you say you're from? >> gainesville, florida. >> how old was the youngest person to ever win an olympic medal? 12, 14, 15 or 16? >> i will go with 12. >> 12. >> 12 years old. what was the sport? >> it was swimming. her name was inge sorenson from denmark in 1936. they have no age restrictions in swimming, unlike gymnastics. you have to be 16. they have those rules there. >> i have trouble here. he's from chicago here and he wants to meet you and i told him, no.

what will be the penalty for streaking? you'd be the kine that would do it, at the 2012 olympics in london. 30 days in jail. banishment from the games. a fine of 20,000 pounds, which is over $31,000, if you're thinking about it and charge with trespassing. >> i will go with the money, c. >> i think that's right. >> he's saying c, right? yeah! here's your money. >> you know why it's so much? >> why on earth is it so much? >> streakers often put advertising on their bodies and the olympics people don't want any ambush marketing. >> are you lying? >> no. they're very strict about ambush marketing. >> the streaking -- >> they don't care about the naked parts, they care about the signs. >> from georgia, from the olympic flag, why are the olympic rings black, blue, green, red and yellow? because the colors look nice together or there is no symbolism or one of the colors is on every flag in the world or the greeks picked these colors

at the first games? >> i will say c. >> you are going to be right! go, girl. >> i like to dance. more dancing. more dancing. >> one for every color on the flag. >> and for the five continents and they are joined for the games. >> who has won the most medals at the olympics. michael phelps, carl lewis, larissa or jenny thompson? >> michael phelps. >> nope, nope, nope. that's okay. it's a lovely cd. the correct answer. i don't know if i'm ignorant for not having a heard of her. larissa latinya. who is she? >> a long type gymnast for the soviet union. that contestant should comeback in three weeks. if michael phelps wins three medals, he will be there.

where are the drinks? >> i'm sorry. coming up, how to make household items into functional furnishings, right after this. k sperry top-siders were the right choice for my daughter. daughter + friend: *screamsá (in her head) nailed it. how'd you know mom? the styles they really really, really want for back to school are here. famous brands. famously easy. famous footwear. victory is yours. ♪ 'cause germs don't stick on me! ♪ [ female announcer ] band-aid® brand has new quiltvent™ technology with air channels to let boo boos breathe. [ giggles ] [ female announcer ] new quiltvent technology. only from band-aid® brand.

[ female announcer ] new quiltvent technology. mommy! i went potty! that's great, honey.... where? for life's bleachable moments.

the moisturizer in other body washes sits on top of skin. only dove has nutriummoisture, which can nourish deep down. dove body wash with nutriummoisture. superior natural nourishment for your skin. it's creamy, nonfat, and it turns the next person you see into john stamos for five seconds. honey! i think i'm getting burned! heh! eat. ♪ tastes pretty good, huh? ♪ best yogurt ever. yeah! [ men grunting ]

open! [ male announcer ] dannon oikos berry flavors beat chobani 2 to 1 in a national taste test. oikos greek yogurt. possibly the best yogurt in the world. oikos greek yogurt. now on today's home, we're making something out of nothing. >> you have odds and ends hanging around your house you can't bear to part with, there's a chance you can put those to

good use. >> celebrity designer and author of "dirty little secrets of design," frank fontana has great ideas to share with us. >> what are we going to do on the eve of the olympics. >> we start out with a shipping palate, i turned into an americana theme. this is a ship iping pallet. we will put "go america". >> i love the way you did this. >> i didn't want it so ditchy with stars and -- so kitchy with stars and stuff. before you start, get a ruler and drew yourself a pencil light line. mark your guide up, and stay with that, you'll never have a problem. >> all right. that seems simple, even for h d hodie. >> wines-day wednesday. i know you save the corks from

your wine bottles. >> we give them to charity. >> i'm sure you do. this is a nice cork-themed coaster. i found picture frames 3x5. cheapie $2. pour this cement in and wine corks and i know you will say, what if it's uneven. >> it's supposed to be. >> your wineglass might tip over. >> i made the wineglass so it fits on the lip of the wood so you're covered. >> it fits on the lip of the wood. >> this fiworks if it fits perfectly. but if it didn't -- >> why do you care? you're not going to make it. you're not going to make it. >> this is an old tequila box i love. one of my favorites. i love i kept this for year, how can i reuse it. i got decorative white sand. you have all this stuff.

>> you have people that do that kind of strange -- >> like "sanford & son." strange things. you take fake flowers, line it with plastic on the bottom. what you can't see on the int d inside, i printed out the species of flower and how to maintain it. a twist, right? >> it's a twist, make it real flowers. >> we're on tv. i'm lazy. this is one of my favorite diy projects. it's an old cigar box i converted into a lamp. >> how did you do that? >> look at the inside, i ransom wires, magic, hoda. switch that and boom. instant cigar box, perfect for the guy in your life. >> who wouldn't want that? >> i bet frank would want that. >> not after 26 years with me. no, no. >> this is a really cool project. i thought you would like this. it has a literary element to it.

take a hard bound book. put holes in it. and make two tiers and get nice flowers like those. >> are those real? >> look at the water driplets. >> my gosh, that's fake water? they're echo friendly. this is the first official diy throwdown right now on the show. kathie lee versus hoda right here. put your goggles on. >> but your goggles on. >> i'm afraid to get between you guys. you will drill one hole dead center. stick it in there. >> this one? >> yep. start drilling away. >> how do you turn the thing on. >> hold the top down. give you a little more pressure. push, push, push! keep going. you have to get about a good inch of this. >> i have to get rid of you is what i have to do. >> get that in the hole, screw away! >> what did he just say? >> mine is broken.

>> keep going, put a little oomp into it. five more seconds of this. stop the screwing, ladies. >> now what? >> get your tubes and jam it in the hole. >> get your tubes and jam it in the hole. >> i'm a little -- >> harder. >> this double entendre is grossing me out. >> you guys are great. organize your flowers into a nice little display. >> this is one i don't even want to win. i don't want to win it. >> my job isn't that hard, is it? right? >> that's great. >> who wouldn't want this on the kitchen table, i'm telling you. >> do you notice how buff frank is getting? >> too buff. >> this is designer muscle here. >> get ready to pop your cork. >> thank the lord he is here, with wines from all over the world just when we can't take it anymore. >> and curtis is here. there you go. all right? do i win? >> you did, you won. >> what do you mean won?

why did she win? ur wrinkles. neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair. it has the fastest retinol formula available. it's clinically proven to visibly reduce wrinkles in just one week. "why wait if you don't have to." rapid wrinkle repair. neutrogena®. recommended most by dermatologists. [ marcy ] it's like memory foam. [ female announcer ] the only pad made from a revolutionary material. [ erina ] it totally fits to your body [ female announcer ] it's incredible protection, you'll barely feel it. always infinity. tell us what you think.

[ humming ] [ male announcer ] kraft macaroni & cheese. you know you love it. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] you've been years in the making. and there are many years ahead. join the millions of members who've chosen an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. go long.

we are celebrating the olympics on this wines-day wednesday with our own competition with wines around the world. >> hoda and i can't get over fra frank. and we will have our table test and it's ray, and we adore him. editor of "food & wine" and everything else. >> i missed you at the food and wine class in aspen. a great event. >> we don't have high plans for this. >> i have confidence in you. there's only one gold medal winner here. someone gets a silver. you will taste each wine and decide what country you think it's from. olympic contending countries. >> almost impossible. >> the first one, speakerling, made from a combination of pinot

and chardonnay. guess. >> i will say the usa. california. sparkling. >> i will go with spain because of no reason whatsoever. >> what is it? >> france. >> no. i said america. >> you put the french wine out. >> that's what i meant. i said red, white and blue. that's what i meant. >> my god. >> next wine. slightly sweet. like -- you know -- >> never mind. >> too easy. >> i know, that's definitely -- >> this one's germany. i don't want to make a fool of myself again. >> germany. >> kathie lee wins. german risling. >> this is one of the things they try and prevent in the olympics is to rig the game.

next wine. it is a chardonnay. could be from many countries. a lot of chardonnay grown in the world. >> that's definitely u.s. >> you suggest what country? >> which is australia? i can't see that far. i'll say that for fun. >> hoda is catching up. the united states. >> la-la-la la la. >> now, we can -- >> i can grab a different flag. >> okay. >> garnotcha. >> god bless you. >> it happens to me. i'm not sure of the olympian level here necessarily. >> i'm going back to spain. where is spain? >> spain is the yellow orange one. >> am i right? >> it is spain. >> this is so rigged.

>> you can still tie. take this wine. it's beautiful and wonderful. garnacha. >> what do we have left? m >> italy and what's the other choice? we have to go. >> italy. >> you win! >> yeah! kathie lee wins the gold. >> on an empty stomach. >> curtis stone is here. >> curtis! >> thank you, baby!

i'm cooking with curtis, celebrity chef.

he's back in the kitchen and host of top chef mast eers. on bravo. >> newly engaged with a beautiful baby. >> 12 top masters will compete in the top cosmopolitan place also known as las vegas. looks like we have scallops. >> you like them? >> especially nantucket ones. these are a little large for nantucket. >> these are from maine. beautiful scallops. all you do is put them in a hot pan with a little bit of olive oil. do it with a tiny bit of sea salt, and they will be done. it's a quick dish. >> i don't like them mushy. a lot of people do. >> no. make them for hodie. i'm i'm a nicer person than she is, go ahead. >> scal-lop?

sn>> scallop. and shallots. >> lemongrass. >> garlic. >> chili pepper. you want to saute that a minute or so. i'm lucky i have a nice hot stovetop. a tiny bit more oil. saute that to get the flavors working. >> they're british scones and we love them. >> you add the coconut milk. people always associate coconut milk with being very rich. >> it's very healthy. >> very good for you. what we will do is put the coconut milk in and let those aeromatics flavor that. >> you're into smelly stuff these days. you've been smelling your baby's diapers a lot lately, is that why? >> i have actually. >> a little bit of salt and lime. >> always makes me nervous to

put in fish sauce. who knows where that fish has been, you know, think about it. >> kathie lee, stop that. >> she can't. >> i can't. i've never been more proud in my life than winning that one. >> you turn it, kathie lee, just in case they spit. >> they are already thickened, baby. beautiful. >> you want that nice golden color, caramelization. good job. over here, what you do with the sauce is turn it off, let the flifr steep. >> over here, i've got baby corn and a few of these. you put these together and get those nice and warm. they should be so nice and crunchy. just get over here. >> i'm sorry. >> they go straight into the pan. could you bring those scallops down for me? >> i'm cooking like crazy, all right! sorry, honey. it's just cooked, perfect. you go ahead and put them

straight -- >> looks perfect. >> straight into your pan. >> it's not cooked, i wouldn't eat that. >> she doesn't know how to cook. >> are you sure? >> top chef masters tonight at 10:00 central, any battery will do, consider the journey of today's athletes. their training depends on technology. and when it takes a battery, there are athletes everywhere who trust duracell. they rely on copper to go for the gold. duracell. trusted everywhere. and soon...even more reason to trust duracell. duralock power preserve. it locks in power for up to 10 years in storage. guaranteed. duralock. coming soon to every duracell battery.

>> reporter: an apartment fire kills one person here in san francisco. i'm bob redell. we'll take you live to cathedral hill. that story coming up. and i'm stephanie chuang live in hercules where two people were shot on a highway overnight with young kids in the back seat. and how one of the victims got help here so quickly. that's coming up. and the olympics opening ceremonies not starting until friday, but the first event going off this morning with u.s. soccer victory. we'll explain what's behind this early start. and here is a live look. this is across the golden gate bridge. this is in marin county right near mt. ham. looks like a gorgeous day shaping up on