nbcbayarea.com where we'll be streaming that live. good morning. breaking news. conditions beginning to deteriorate along the gulf coast right now as tropical storm isaac inches closer. it could become a hurricane within the hour. landfall now expected some time tonight near new orleans and president obama is expected to speak about the storm any moment. we will bring it to you live. in the spotlight, the storm shortened republican convention gets back on track today with the formal nomination of mitt romney as the gop's presidential candidate. matt is there live. and emergency, a television news helicopter with smoke billowing from its engine, forced to land in a los angeles parking lot. why its pilot is being haled as a hero today, tuesday, august why its pilot is being haled as a hero today, tuesday, august 28th, 2012.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television que hacer un aterrizaje forzado i'm savannah guthrie. >> i'm matt lauer. we'll have complete coverage from here at the republican national convention in just a couple minutes. but first, savannah, the first squalls from that tropical storm isaac are being felt. now they're in parts of louisiana and mississippi as we speak. >> wind speeds are at 70 miles an hour, a few miles per hour short of hurricane strength. the two biggest concerns with this storm, a six to 12 foot storm surge possible from mississippi to southeast louisiana, including new

orleans. and then flooding rains. the region could see as much as 20 inches over the next 48 hours or so. we'll get a live report from al in new orleans straight ahead. meanwhile, mitt romney and paul ryan are expected to arrive here in tampa today and security is very tight. an 8-foot fence is now surrounding what's called the secure zone, which includes this convention hall and the hotels that are being used by the romney campaign and the rnc. some 4,000 police officers are patrolling the streets of this city every day and they are definitely visible. i saw these guys just outside our hotel on monday and took this video. and coming up, we're going to preview tonight's big convention speeches, including new jersey governor chris christie's keynote address. and a little later we'll sit down with mitt romney's five sons to talk about their emotions heading into what is a very big week for their father, savannah. let's begin with isaac bearing down on the gulf coast this morning and new orleans.

al is there. al, good morning to you. >> good morning, savannah. you're right, you're starting to see the beginnings of isaac making itself felt all along the gulf coast, from louisiana, mississippi, alabama, and the panhandle of florida. here's the latest on isaac. right now, it's about 190 miles southeast of new orleans. it's got 70-mile-per-hour winds but we will have an update coming up in the next hour. we expect it will become a hurricane then. it's forward motion has slowed down, moving northwest at 7 miles per hour. we have hurricane warnings up from morgan city, louisiana, all the way to the alabama/florida border. and the path of isaac brings it onshore some time late tonight, early tomorrow morning, tomorrow morning as you heard, the seventh anniversary of katrina's landfall. it comes onshore as a category 1. don't let that fool you. just because it's a category 1, this can do a lot of damage. first of all, we have to worry

about this counterclockwise flow of either tropical force or hurricane-force winds. the tropical force winds extend out as far as 290 miles per hour and that's going to -- 290 miles. that's going to cause a storm surge of anywhere from six to 12 feet along the louisiana, into the alabama border there at about four to eight feet, a little bit less as you get on toward the florida pan handle. again, the other big problem, the rain. we are going to be talking about a prolonged period of strong driving, heavy rain. generally six to 12 inches, but we could be also looking at as much as 20 inches of rain in eastern louisiana, on into mississippi and alabama and that's going to cause massive flooding, savannah. >> al, we'll check back in with you in a bit. nbc's lester holt is about 12 miles outside of downtown new orleans, in belle chasse, louisiana. good morning to you. >> sa van na, good morning. just the last minute we were starting to get the first light

showers here, the wind picking up behind me, an auditorium that's been a shelter, about 300 people spent the night here, part of a limited mandatory evacuation of parts of plaquemines parish. plaquemines parish is the finger you see on the map that shoots out from the bottom of louisiana into the gulf. the mississippi river in the middle. there are levees on either side. some of those levees were reinforced after katrina but they're not done yet. some simply are too low for the tidal storm, the storm surge, that's expected here later today. the approaching storm is called isaac, but it's the legacy of katrina that has sent many fleeing to higher ground. >> why i'm leaving, me and my grandbaby. i can get another house, another vehicle but i can't get another life. >> reporter: plaquemines parish is where katrina first came ashore seven years tomorrow.

vulnerable then and parts of it vulnerable now. cars line up for the ferry to cross on the east shore of the mississippi to relatively safer ground, just hours after a mandatory evacuation order took effect. >> they're on edge. this is a big storm. nothing like katrina. but the whole south end of this parish was under water and people were kept out for months. >> reporter: in new orleans, devastated lower ninth ward, the scene of such bitter misery in 2005, and where a slow rebirth had finally begun to take hold, many of those new homes built by actor brad pitt, many by local residents, are now boarded up. the lower ninth and much of new orleans now sits behind stronger and higher levee walls. along with floodgates and better pumps, this time officials say the system will hold. >> we've already rehearsed, we've already checked out all of our systems and we're comfortable with our preparations. >> reporter: but lisa haywood would be more comfortable sitting out this storm elsewhere. she and her family decided on their own to evacuate.

>> i have faith in god. i'm going to have faith in those walls. >> reporter: the uncertainty of isaac's point of landfall has left the entire northern gulf on edge these last few days. states of emergency have extended from louisiana to florida. you'll be hard pressed to find water or batteries this morning in laces like gulf shores, alabama, and equally hard pressed to find someone in mississippi who doesn't have a harrowing tale of hurricane katrina. >> the day before katrina i owned three houses. the day after katrina i was homeless. >> reporter: hundreds of miles, the rituals of impending disaster, boarding up homes, topping off gas tanks, and then waiting. >> so the message for our citizens is not to take this lig lightly. >> reporter: and around here, that is the enduring lesson of katrina. >> i fear all storms. you never know what you're going to get. >> reporter: i've spoken to a number of people who have spent the night in this shelter and they're shaking their heads in

disbelief. many of them only got into their homes within the last couple years, after being evacuated from katrina and losing their homes. now they wonder what they will come back to here in plaquemines parish. keep in mind a few miles from new orleans where there is no mandatory evacuation, they are confident in the levee system there and they have largely asked people to just shelter in place and they're letting them know they could be without power and could have some flooding problems for a couple of days as this system moves so slowly through the area, savannah. >> all right. lester holt, thank you so much. we want to pause as we await a special report from nbc. this is an nbc news special report. here's matt lauer. >> and i'm matt lauer, live in tampa, florida, at the republican national convention.

tropical storm isaac is just starting to bear down on the central gulf coast right at this moment. president obama is about to speak out about that storm from the diplomatic room at the white house. let's bring in nbc's david gregory, moderator of "meet the press," and david, politics 101. you've got your opponents in tampa and mitt romney's about to tell americans why he should be elected president. if you're the president, you go out and act like the president. >> you do your job and talk about what the federal government is actually doing to help people who are in the storm's path. that's what the president is doing. and it happens as there's so much anxiety here among the campaign and the party organizers about how to approach this and the optics of a split screen storm coming and a big political party. >> yeah. obviously the timing of this storm bearing down on new orleans, all bringing back memories of 2007 and katrina, it presented an opportunity for the president, but if you fail to deliver the kind of response that's needed, there's an enormous price that will be paid. >> there is. i think frankly after katrina, you saw it when president bush

was still in office, any president takes an approaching storm very seriously to make sure the federal government is doing everything that the state needs and then some. and is even taking a bigger role. we've seen with bobby jindal, the republican governor of louisiana, thought to be on mitt romney's short list, it's very important. >> here's the president. >> keep people safe and minimize the damage. i just got an update from secretary napolitano, administrator fugate, the head of fema, and dr. rick knabb, the director of the national hurricane center, on preparations that are under way in the gulf. this storm isn't scheduled to make landfall until later today, but at my direction, fema has been on the ground for over a week working with state and local officials in areas that could be affected. from puerto rico and the u.s. virgin islands to florida and more recently louisiana, alabama, and mississippi.

yesterday i proved a disaster declaration for the state of louisiana, so they can get the help that they need right away, particularly around some of the evacuations that are taking place. and right now, we already have response teams and supplies ready to help communities in the expected path of the storm. as we prepare for isaac to hit, i want to encourage all residents of the gulf coast to listen to your local officials and follow their directions, including if they tell you to evacua evacuate. we're dealing with a big storm and there could be significant flooding and other damage across a large area. now is not the time to temp fate. now is not the time to dismiss official warnings. you need to take this seriously. and finally, i want to thank everyone who has been working around the clock to get ready for isaac. the hardest work, of course, is still ahead, and as president i'll continue to make sure that

the federal government is doing everything possible to help the american people prepare for and recover from this dangerous storm. and as we get additional updates from the hurricane center, as well as from fema in terms of activities on the ground, we'll be providing continuous updates both at the local and the national level. thank you. >> president obama, who is speaking in the diplomatic room of the white house this morning, before taking off on a three-state trip, talking about expressi expressions, david, we talk about how you go out and do the job as you put it. he said things like at my direction, fema is engaged. i approved a disaster declaration. as president, i'm making sure the federal government is doing everything possible. leaving no doubt in the minds of people out there who's in charge. >> right. you don't want to be too cynical about it but when the president talks about this is a big storm, no time to temp fate, there's serious potential consequences here. only underscores how difficult

it is for a republican party to move forward with this convention with that potential threat. >> understanding that so much media attention will be paid not only to what's going on here in tampa, but what's happening in the gulf coast with this storm, as the president takes off for iowa, colorado, virginia, would you expect to see him in the gulf coast region when this storm passes through? >> oh certainly. particularly if there's severe damage. i think that any president would want to be there and certainly in an election year to make sure they're getting everything they need. there is a republican governor as you mentioned, has been critical about not getting the support, the declaration of emergency support, he may need. i think that president would want to head that off. >> a big story being handled by the president from the white house. something that will be addressed, i would imagine, something going on in the gulf as the convention kicks off later today. >> for sure. >> david gregory, good luck tonight. we appreciate it. we'll have more on isaac throughout the day on msnbc and tonight on "nbc nightly news". some of you will return to your

reeg largy scheduled program. for those of you on the west coast, there is more of "today." i'm matt lauer. this has been an nbc news special report. and we are back now with more of "today" for those of you out on the west coast, and the republican national convention taking place here in tampa. tonight's keynote speaker, new jersey governor chris christie. we talked to him a little earlier this morning. >> it's just complete garbage. i mean in the two reporters who wrote the story know me and have my phone number and neither one of them ever called me to ask me about the story, to verify or debunk it. they wanted to put something good on the front page. i'm telling you categorically, absolutely untrue, i've been working hard for mitt romney for the last nearly a year traveling to 15 states across the country.

absolutely believe he can win and will win. >> when you give the keynote address tonight, it's obviously a key moment at the convention and also an enormous spotlight for you and a lot look and say this may be the moment he launches his bid for the next nomination. is there truth to that. >> i doubt it. i think mitt romney will be at the next convention in 2016 being renominated for a second term. you talk about 2020, long, long way away. >> you have said that you want to tell some very direct and hard truths to the country about the trouble we're in this speech tonight. will you also in this speech say that the only way out of that trouble is the republican way, solely the republican way, or will you strike one of your common themes of compromise? >> we'll wait until tonight. what i will tell you i'll use new jersey as an ill straytive experience about what can happen if you stick by your principles and look for ways to solve problems. >> except you're locked in a tough battle with democrats in your own state right now.

there's gridlock over your tax plan. is that the absolute right message to be sending now? >> sure it is. because if you look at over the course of two and a half years, we've compromised on significant pension and health benefit reform that few other people have done in the country, capped property taxes, done a number of different things that people said we weren't going to be able to get done. reform teacher tenure. it can be done but you have to be consistent and stick to your principles and send that message to the people. >> on the subject of compromise, the delegates attending here have been vocal. they've come right out and said they want a convention that takes a hardline against the democrats. if they win the white house, and they continue to control the house and perhaps even control the senate, if your party does, do you think that people in this party are going to be in the mood for compromise? >> i think what's going to matter what is the president of the united states is going to want to do. we've seen that the last four years. the president of the united states did not want to work with the republicans and didn't. and didn't reach out to republicans until they were in the majority in the house.

i think mitt romney brings a much different experience to the table. worked with an 85% democrat legislature in massachusetts. also stands for his principles. i think those are things both possible and we'll talk about that tonight. >> there is continuing pressure and talk about mitt romney and tax returns and there's more pressure not only from the obama campaign, but from conservatives within your own party to have him release more information. you gave a speech recently and you said you can't lead by being a mystery, you can't lead by being an inneg ma. by not releasing more information is he not creating more mystery than needs to be created and has he not become somewhat of an enigma when it comes to his taxes? >> i don't think so. he's been clear he's not releasing any more of his tax returns. i think at some point 70 days out, we have to take the man at his word he's not going to do it. i don't think he's been a mystery inning me ma of what he believes what i was talking about in that speech. i think the president has an a mystery to a lot of people in

terms of what he's willing to fight for and believes in. i think that's more important on policy than what are side issues. >> you're a savvy politician. >> thank you. >> and if you were a guy like mitt romney who had been in public office in and out of public office for ten years, who had been running for president for the better part of five years, wouldn't you have taken steps to take all of your money out of known tax havens just to avoid the appearance of impropriety. >> here's the good news. i don't have enough money to send them to tax havens. i never had to confront that issue. my general rule is not to answer hypotheticals. >> every once in a while comments on the trail crop up and governor romney made a comment at a rally i think on friday and said, no one's ever asked to see my birth certificate. an obvious reference to the birther debate. he says it was a joke. is it funny to kind of pay attention to a fringe group and question the very legitimacy of the president of the united states citizenship? >> yeah, but he hasn't. he has been the clearest and most affirmative of all the republican candidates who are

running for this nomination and saying he didn't think that was an issue. he believes the president was born in the united states and shouldn't be discussed. listen, i think if you get a chance to talk to governor romney he would tell you he wishes he could take that one back. >> is there going to be a line tomorrow that we're all going to be talking from your speech tonight? one great punch line? >> i hope a few. i hope a few. >> our interview with chris christie, the governor of new jersey, who will deliver the keynote address at this convention tonight. watch nbc's convention coverage, including that address, tonight at 10:00 eastern, 7:00 pacific, right here on nbc. let's get another check of the weather from al, who's in new orleans. >> all right, thank you so much, matt. of course, there is other news besides hurricane or tropical storm isaac. as we look out west we've got a fairly nice day, although it is a little on the toasty side. we're expecting to see los angeles with a high of 91 degrees today. medford, oregon, getting up to 85. a beautiful day in seattle, partly cloudy skies and temperature of about 73. the heat continues in los

angeles, 104. 107 in phoenix. salt lake going to see a high of 106, 102 degrees. denver getting up to 96. the rest of the country we are looking at a risk of strong storms and tornadoes possible through the gulf coast thanks to isaac. also expect to see sunny, dry conditions out west. beautiful weather around the great lakes on into the upper great lakes, where temperatures minneapolis sunny skies and a temperature around 76 degrees but the heat goes all the way up >> 7:20 on tuesday. good morning. i'm meteorologist christina loren. starting with a live and mostly clear look over the san francisco bay this morning, the city looks good, lots of sunshine coming in, already as you head throughout the day today, temperatures will be nice and comfortable in san jose around 80, 81 redwood city, 69 san francisco. we stay steady all the way through thursday, then take a look at the drop-off between thursday and friday, the upper 70s return.

>> all right. thank you. and still ahead, a heartbreaking story. a new bride drowns while posing for pictures in her wedding gown. the photographer who was there speaks out. but first, this is "today" on nbc. 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.

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and freshens breath. ♪ tum...tum...tum...tum... tums! ♪ [ male announcer ] tums freshers. >> good morning to you. 7:26. i'm marla tellez. a bizarre police chase in antioch ended with a man shot to death on the stranger's roof. police say it started with a call of a domestic dispute about 11:00 last night. when the officers arrived the man jumped in a car and took off. he led police on a chase through antioch before ditching the car and climbing onto the roof of a home. police say the man pointed a gun at officers and that's when police shot and killed him. >> i heard standing in my garage i heard gun shots go off, several shots go off. sounded like a firecracker. i knew it wasn't. i seen him running down the stwreet a gun. >> police say there was a toddler in the suspect's car.

the child is now safe. it's not clear if the child had any relation to the man. we are spoiled with a forecast that awaits us today. let's check it. >> this is what awaits you in san jose. good morning to you. completely clear conditions, a great day shaping up. it's upper 50s and low 60s to start out this tuesday, headed toward the upper 80s even in livermore one of the warmest across the area. you look to the key, you see where you get the oranges and yellows and you notice there 20 to 30 miles per hour sustained. right at the coast so wind will be a factor. you want to tie down loose objects. temperatures stead ed thursday into friday. we'll drop like a rock from 92 inland to 79 degrees on friday. here's mike. >> your south bay showing the rush hour, slow down traffic tuesday so northbound 101, 280

through the middle of the screen, very slow as well as 85 and 87. typical slow spots typically slow. out of hayward into fremont, slower drive and the build for the volume. evening out over toward 101, there is an accident clearing at the transition and slow south through palo alto at university and the marsh another issue. back to you. >> thank you, mike. find us on facebook. we'll be back. this is an rc robotic claw.

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♪ 7:30 now on tuesday morning. it's the 28th of august, 2012. that's the first and outer bands of isaac are just beginning to reach land, in louisiana. that slow-moving storm expected to hit new orleans and the surrounding area as a hurricane tonight. we're going to check in with al on the gulf coast again in just a couple of minutes. meanwhile i'm matt lauer on the floor of the republican national convention in tampa. savannah is back in new york. as we told you earlier, ann romney will address the convention tonight, but mitt and ann's five sons are already in town, savannah, and the question is, do they know what their mom will say tonight and are they helping their dad with his acceptance speech? we're going to talk to all five of them coming up. >> look forward to that. also ahead, you probably remember this story from

yesterday, a mother behind the wheel as her suv accelerated out of control, reaching speeds up to 119 miles per hour. this morning she joins us with a live interview and tells us what happened. a bit later on "today's" professionals are here. among the topics we're going to discuss a doctor who refused to treat patients who weigh more than 200 pounds. we'll get into that topic. we begin this half hour with the tragic death of a new bride who drowned posing for pictures in her wedding gown. mara schiavocampo here with this story. this is a sad one. good morning to you. >> good morning, savannah. a real sad story. the trend is called trash the dress. it's where brides will pose in their wedding gowns in unusual circumstances. in this case what started as a fun experience quickly turned deadly. in a split second a wedding photo shoot became the picture of tragedy. 30-year-old maria pantazopoulos drowned in quebec while posing in a river wearing her wedding

gown. louis pagakis is a friend and photographer. >> she had her wedding dress on and i said let's -- she said take pictures of me as i try to swim a little bit in the lake. so she went in. her dress got heavy. i tried everything to save her. >> reporter: reported by weighed down by her wedding dress the new bride was unable to fight strong currents. >> she was a small girl, 100 pounds. her dress got heavy. i jumped in, tried, tried, tried. i was screaming, yelling. somebody else came. we tried our best to save her but we couldn't save her. >> reporter: pantazopoulos's body was found four hours later. condolences poured on to her facebook page. friends, strangers, too, struck by the tragedy of her passing. her loved one who two months ago gathered for her wedding, will now gather for her funeral. the bride was taking part in a new trend called trash the dress. the idea has caught on with brides who after the wedding, won't wear the dress again, so

they take artistic photos in unique places like water, as keepsakes. within the industry, photographer john michael cooper is credited with starting the trend with brides several years ago. it could be anything, some photographers put them in the water, we've had them in the desert running, jumping through dirt clouds. it's not about trying to destroy a dress but about shooting something outside the box, something they haven't seen before, something that's memorable. >> reporter: investigators continue to look into the case trying to determine what exactly went wrong. safety experts say there's a lesson in the tragedy. >> you obviously have somebody in a full wedding dress, which is a lot of fabric and a lot of clothing there. the open water environment is very unforgiving. >> reporter: for the photographer whose idea became a national trend, a heartfelt message to a grieving family. >> first our hearts go out to the family when we first heard about it. you're heartbroken somebody goes

through that, being married so recently. it's hard to comprehend what the family might be going through. >> maria's family released a statement last night saying one thing that we are certain ability is our maria would never have put her life at risk. her love for life and her husband would never allow it. she trusted the location and felt safe enough to attend the photo shoot alone. the family asks the muse pal council to put in place stronger security measures to avoid future tragedies. >> thank you. we want to get a check of the weather now from al keeping an eye on isaac from new orleans. today's ather is brought to you by the u.s. postal service. >> and as we continue to track isaac, we'll be looking at another update from the national hurricane center in the next half hour. here's the latest that we have as the rain comes down. the outer feeder bands, 190

miles southeast of new orleans, louisiana, 70-mile-per-hour winds, slowing forward speed northwest at 7 and basically the path of this system brings it onshore, somewhere we're thinking just to the west of new orleans, some time late tonight, early tomorrow morning, the worse case scenario for new orleans. as you move to the east, mobile, alabama, that puts those areas in the strongest quadrant of the storm and so we have storm surges we have to keep an eye on anywhere from six to 12 feet for much of louisiana, four to eight feet for alabama, less as you get along the panhandle of florida. and the rain is going to be a big deal because this is a slow-moving system. it has the potential to dump anywhere from six to 12 inches of rain, but as much as 20 inches of rain in a driving, driving rain over a 36-hour period. >> 7:35 on tuesday. i'm meteorologist christina loren. not a cloud to be found over

mount tam this morning. beautiful clear start and temperatures are comfortable, the upper 50s and low 60s headed toward the upper 70s and low 80s. in most of the south bay cities, 80 in san jose, about 82 in los gatos, warm in the extreme east bay at 89 in livermore, 69 at the coast in san francisco. temperatures stay steady until thursday, and then we cool you off into friday. that's your latest weather. savannah? >> all right. al, thanks. the city of los angeles is facing a $50 million lawsuit from a high-profile banker who says he was brutally beaten at the hands of two police officers. nbc's kristen dahlgren has the details from los angeles. kristen, good morning. >> good morning, savannah. it's a complicated story with two very different versions. brian mulligan was once called one of the 50 most powerful men in hollywood. now he's asking for $50 million for what he says was an unwarranted and brutal beating

by the lapd. brian mulligan, a high-powered executive at deutsche bank, the former chairman of fox tv and former co-chair of universal pictures, next to photos he says were taken after an arrest by los angeles police in may. mulligan alleges he was beaten by police officers. his attorney, michael flanagan. >> they caused 15 nasal fractures. we think he has a broken eye socket, numerous abrasions and lacerations. i don't know why this kind of force was used, especially in view of the fact there was nothing for them to arrest him for. >> reporter: in a nine-page police report obtained by nbc news, officers state on may 15th, they responded to an attempted grand theft auto call

at an l.a. area jack in the box. reports say they saw mulligan, who matched the suspect's description sweating profusely and walking with an unsteady gait. according to the report officers determined mulligan wasn't under the influence but that he spontaneously stated he had ingested marijuana and approximately four days ago he ingested white lightning, a type of over the counter bath salts with an intoxicating effect. mulligan's attorneys deny he ever told officers that but admit mulligan had gone to that neighborhood to buy medicinal marijuana, legal under california law. >> he's got a prescription -- >> for marijuana. >> for marijuana. the store where he was was adjacent to his doctor's office. he doesn't smoke marijuana. but from time to time when he has sleeping difficulties, he can eat muffins that contain it. they didn't have any. he didn't buy any that night. >> reporter: the police report said officers took mulligan to this area motel to rest but later confronted him when they saw the bank executive back on the street contorting his hands in a claw-like manner while simultaneously baring his teeth

and snarling. the report continues -- i ordered the suspect to get on the ground at which point he attempted to strike me with both hands. after evading the blows, the suspect lunged toward me with both arms outstretched and attempted to tackle me. i pushed him with both hands on his back toward the ground. mulligan was arrested but never charged with anything. >> mr. mulligan denies charging at the officers. he yelled at them and tried to get away. if you consider that resisting arrest, perhaps that is what he did but he did not attempt to make physical contact. >> now, nbc news reached out to lapd for comment. we didn't hear back. a former lapd commissioner told me under new guidelines, it's likely an internal investigation is under way. >> all right. kristen dahlgren in los angeles. thank you. coming up next, matt sits down with mitt romney's sons at the republican convention in tampa. the story right after this.

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and welcome back. we're here with more from the republican national convention. ann romney will take to the stage to address the delegates and tell the nation a little bit more about her husband. she's being supported here, as is mitt romney by their five sons, tagg, crying, josh, ben, and matt. good morning. nice to see you all. >> good morning. >> your dad is going to take to that stage, your mom on thursday night. he's going to walk up to that podium and accept the nomination as president of his party. raise your hand if you're going to cry. you're the crier? >> absolutely. i'm already crying just thinking about it. >> like the national anthem at the game. >> get away. it will be -- this is a big moment. it's amazing to see this happen. none of us really thought this would happen. >> give me the range of emotions the rest of you will be feeling.

>> yeah, it's going to be overwhelming, just incredible amount of pride for your dad to see all these people who believe in a common cause coming together to support my dad. that will be, it will be overwhelming. >> the fact he was unsuccessful in his bid four years ago, does that change your perspective this time around and make it even sweeter? >> definitely it does. we kind of -- we debated a little bit whether he should run again. that was not a decision for them and it wasn't an easy decision for us. ultimately we decided no matter how it is for the family, it's great for the country. >> have you seen the speech in the not at all. >> he's kept it from you completely? >> we've seen 100 different versions. we have supporters e-mail us pages, here is what you're going to say. >> you're not the focus group before he goes on stage. >> he's doing it himself, home writing -- >> he's starting to write the speech? i was going to say there's the news flash of the day.

maybe i should get around to that. >> he's been working on it. he's obviously had some help and some people. it's mostly his stamp and staying what he wants to say. >> what does he need to say, in your opinion? what does he need to say at this convention of he's preaching to the choir in this room but to the people watching at home, what does he need to say that he hasn't said. >> i think he's going to talk about the big ideas he has for the future, his optimism for this country, how we're going to move forward and get out of this economic mess, his ideas to do that, some specifics on that. really just big ideas about what he'd like to do to change this country. >> over the years that i've been following him and the press has been covering him intensely, the knock against your dad is that he's not the greater orator. he's not a guy loose as a goose on stage. is it a fair knock or is it who he is? >> it depends what venue you see him in. we see him in a lot of different

venues. at home with his grandkids, he's completely loose. there's different moments. if you see him at a rally, just a few people and they are animated, he gets animated, too. he shows a lot of enthusiasm. >> i want your take on a subtle shift after months of nothing hearing from your dad about your faith, the mormon religion, he has started to talk more about it in the last couple of weeks, couple of days, an interview with brian williams, interview with a magazine. why the shift? why the change of course in the last couple of days? >> i don't know if it's a conscious shift as much as it is just an opportunity to let people see more and more about him. he said that all along. he's obviously not running for pastor in chief, he's running for commander in chief but he knows people want to get to know him on a deeper level. the convention is going to be part of that. i think he's going to let people get to know him in a much more intimate way. >> even as he's opening up agents more about faith, he gave

an interview with the "wall street journal," he seems to be pulling back saying, this isn't going to be one of those events where i go out there and tell about myself. i'll describe views and issues but i don't have a plan to take everyone to my childhood home and say here is where i rode my bicycle. there is a reluctance on his part to share too much. >> i think he's anxious to share his vision for this country. tagg mentioned he's in this race because he cares about the future of america. i think he thinks the american dream is in danger of being washed away. there's 23 million americans that are unemployed. has he a plan to get those people back to work. >> your mom, as i mentioned is going to take the stage tonight. she has an enormous opportunity to personalize your dad. how much pressure is on her, first of all, what would you like to hear her say? have you seen that speech? >> my mom is very naturally

gifted somehow at these things. she somehow doesn't feel the pressure. >> i started out asking about the emotions you'll all be feeling as you watch your dad take to the podium thursday night. your mom is going to get up there and stand next to him thursday night. they have been married for more than 40 years. they are about to take an incredible journey together over the next couple of months. what will you be feeling like that? >> whenever you see your home up there, walking around, look at her helt and how well she's doing, we feel an enormous sense of pride for her overcoming ms and battling that. she has to struggle with it every day. doing so well with that, being with my dad supporting him in ways she shouldn't be able to. we have a ton of pride for my mom. it's overwhelming, it really is, seeing them together. >> it's safe to say when you see them holding hands, the balloons and confetti drop, you'll be crying again? >> it's a good bet.

definitely. >> guys, have some fun this week and congratulations. nice to have you. >> we're going to be back with much more from tampa right after these messages. the capital one cash rewards card gives you a 50% annual bonus. and everyone likes 50% more [ russian accent ] rubles. eh, eheh, eh, eh. [ brooklyn accent ] 50% more simoleons. [ western accent ] 50% more sawbucks. ♪ [ maine accent ] 50% more clams. it's a lobster, either way. [ male announcer ] the capital one cash rewards card. with a 50% annual cash bonus, it's the card for people who like more cash. [ italian accent ] 50% more dough! what's in your wallet? it's guaranteed they'll go through a lot. that's why you get guaranteed savings

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♪ and i'm bringing you a love that's true ♪ ♪ so get ready ♪ so get ready back now at 7:51 with this wild ride for a mom we told you about on monday. laurie ulvestad was driving on a highway when her suv started accelerating out of control. >> i'm coming up on a bunch of cars. >> okay. >> i'm so scared. >> for more than 35 terrifying minutes she was forced to dodge other drivers at a top speed of 119 miles an hour until finally coming to a safe stop. laurie ulvestad, good to have you here. good morning. >> thank you. >> is it hard to watch that? >> it's harder to listen to the 911 tape. >> i can imagine. you must have been terrified. >> extremely.

yes. >> how did you notice something was wrong an when did you notice it? >> well, the steering wheel started shaking at first and i started losing power and it started accelerating going faster and faster and faster and faster. >> the first thing you did was call your husband who owns a body shop? >> he manages a body shop. very familiar with cars. when he ran out of ideas, he said call 911. >> what did you try that didn't work. >> i tried to make sure nothing was under the accelerator, move the gearshift. no p so i tried to push the button 10 seconds, 20 seconds, put the emergency brake on, slam on the brakes. >> i don't know. do you have any past experience as a drag racer, because here you are weaving in and out of traffic. can you believe you were able to do that? >> no, i can't. >> you called 911. i asked you this before. you weren't hands-free. >> i tried 911 and i lost the 911 dispatcher.

so she called me back and i had to grab the phone. i just held the phone and had to drive because when i went through the median, it was so -- the officer said it was like eight inches. so when i went back up, i had to have both hands on the wheel. i was scared to death. >> we can only manage. so finally the 911 operator tells you to basically put your foot on the accelerator, pull up and press the brake at the same time. >> correct. >> what did they say when you got out of the car? >> i had to do that multiple times. once the car slowed down i jumped out and they unhooked the battery. thank god it was over. >> how did you feel when your family came to pick you up. >> very emotional. yeah. >> you feel like you could have died? >> i did. i thought it was it. i mean, especially when i went underneath the bridge with the semiand the car. i thought that was it. >> we have 10 seconds.

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>> good morning to you. 7:56. i'm marla tellez. a judge is barring the oakland police union from participating in any meetings related to the federal probe of the city's police department. the judge says union members have no right to participate in the proceedings regarding court ordered reform to the department. the union's attorney tells the oakland tribune officers want to have a voice in the reforms. the police department faces a federal takeover as soon as december if it fails to fully implement the reforms which were supposed to be completed four years ago. >> former oakland police chief anthony bounce is getting a new job in baltimore. our nbc station in baltimore says he will be named the new police commissioner for the city. he left opd after enduring major cuts to the force and butting heads with city leaders over department reform. >> a nice day is in store for

us. let's check the forecast with meteorologist christina loren. >> good morning to you. taking a live look, you can see this camera has a bit of a shake, you'll also notice we don't have a lot of fog out there. that's because of the wind, keep that dense fog from settling so we're starting out clear and we'll stay clear throughout the day today. your future cast tells the story. really not a lot of cloud cover to report at the coast today. that means if you want to hit the beach, santa cruz, 74 degrees today. steady all the way throughout thursday, then drop off thursday into friday. mike's busy. >> north 87, capital expressway a new accident causing more slowing. 85, 280, 101, look at the speeds below 20. an accident northbound at hillsdale and slow for 880 between the bridges, south is a problem from hayward. >> thank you, mike.

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♪ ♪ >> 8:00 now on a tuesday morning, the 28th day of august, 2012. labor day weekend fast approaching. there's still some time to have summer fun, especially when it comes to music. we're going to start things early on thursday, a live concert on the plaza. from british pop sensation, so if you're a fan of brat, as she calls herself, come on down. friday, jason mraz taking to the holiday stage. bring a sign. jason will give one lucky fan free tickets to an upcoming show. good morning, i'm savannah guthrie outside the studio in new york. matt is in tampa for the republican convention. hey, matt. >> hey, savannah, by the way,

it's not all business down here in tampa. some people are having fun at the convention as well. 30 painted and embellished elephants are all around this city. they are sponsored by everyone from hooters to msnbc, the national watermelon promotion board. it livens things up. quick reminder, nbc's convention coverage, including governor chris christie's keynote address at 8:00 eastern, 7:00 central. coming up tomorrow we'll hear what he had to say. we'll sit down with florida senator marco rubio, the man who will introduce mitt romney for his speech thursday night, savannah. >> we'll look forward to that. matt, we're going to talk about the political convention with "today's" professionals and ask the question are they even necessary anymore. also talk about a doctor who refused to treat a patient who weighs more than 200 pounds. is it legal? ethical?

we'll ask our panel. first to today's top stories. natalie morales at the news desk. good morning. >> good morning, everyone. the gulf coast is bracing for high winds, heavy ran and storm surges as tropical storm isaac gains strength. janet shamlian in biloxi, mississippi, a city devastated by hurricane katrina seven years ago. good morning to you, janet. >> reporter: natalie, good morning. the gulf is in full preparation mode. a couple blocks inland, there are lines at the gas station and at the grocery store, some of which opened early today, carts full of water and other necessities. at the beach most of the marinas are empty. boat owners moved boats upstream already. the air force base moved c-130 to texas out of harm's way. the city says it is moving its fire engines to strategic places so it doesn't happen what happened in katrina when they lost many of their fire trucks due to the storm surge. there was an anniversary planned here in biloxi for the seventh

anniversary of that storm which did so much damage. that has been canceled. we are watching the storm. natalie, back to you. >> janet shamlian, can hear the wind kicking up there already in biloxi, mississippi. thank you. meantime at the white house president obama said emergency response teams are in place in areas directly in the storm's path. >> i want to encourage all residents of the gulf coast to listen to your local officials and follow their directions. including if they tell you to evacuate. we're dealing with a big storm and there could be significant flooding and other damage across a large area. and now is not the time to tempt fate. now is not the time to dismiss official warnings. you need to take this seriously. >> and the president has already declared a federal state of emergency in louisiana. a new breast cancer study

finds that obesity is an important factor in determining if a woman will have a reoccurrence. nearly 7,000 women with stage 1 to 3 breast cancers who required chemotherapy as part of their treatment. those who were obese at the time of diagnosis had a 30% higher risk of recurrence and almost 5 50% risk of death than women of normal weight. now for a look at what's trending today. a quick roundup of what has you talking online. oprah winfrey tops forbes.com list of highest paid celebrities. "forbes" estimates she earned $145 million last year thanks to her magazine, satellite station, and shows. runner up with steven spielberg. in third record producer dr. dre scored a fifth place because of his popular line of headphones. more than one way to wow on

lookers with your new yacht. the end of this viral video from russia. smooth sailing it was not. nelly the sea otter racked up more than a million youtube views with this cup stacking video we showed you a few weeks ago. now maybe the fame has gone to her head. she's getting lippy with her handlers. at the aquarium in tacoma. >> what? >> really? how come? really? you don't say? really? >> so is nelly trying to make pleasant conversation or maybe demanding an increase in her fishy treat allotment. who is to say? it's 8:05 right now. let's get an update on isaac. for that let's go to al in new orleans for a check of the rest of your weather. al? today's weather is brought to you by the makers of centrum, always your most complete.

and as we get the latest in from the national hurricane center, isaac is still a tropical storm. winds are at 70 miles per hour. the central pressure is still dropping. we are starting to see the intensification. it's not enough to catch up with those winds. it's right now about 165 miles south -- southeast, i should say, of new orleans, and it's picked up northwest at 10 miles per hour and you can see now the heavier bands, feed er bands, coming on in. we also have hurricane watches and hurricane warnings stretching from morgan city all the way to the alabama/florida border. the path of isaac brings it onshore just to the west of louisiana, of new orleans, i should say, some time around midnight or so tonight. and of course the seventh anniversary of katrina landing. isaac will be a slow moving storm coming onshore possibly as a category 1 storm.

now the big concern with this, the wind field is huge. it's about 250 miles out where you get to the center of the storm, tropical force winds and that counterclockwise flow will push a ton of water into the gulf coast. and so we have storm surges anywhere from 6 to 12 feet along the louisiana shoreline. we get to balabama, it's more like 4 to 8 feet and then less as you get to the coastline of the panhandle of florida. and a ton of rain. this is going to be a slow mover and so it is going to just keep pouring rain down. we're talking 6 to 12 inches of rain generally but some areas could pick up as much as 20 inches especially in eastern mississippi, western mississippi, eastern alabama and parts of louisiana. so a slow moving storm. it doesn't have to be a powerful storm, a category 2 or 3 to cause a lot óóóóóóóóóóóóóóóóóóóó 8:07 on a tuesday. good morning. i'm meteorologist christina

loren. taking a live look at san jose, completely clear. this is the calm before the calm. we have more beautiful conditions to tell you about as we head throughout the day today. we're getting spoiled here. the envy of the nation. with 80 degrees is the forecasted high. yeah, we're late august, as well, in san jose, 77 in fremont, 69 today in san francisco. and we stay steady, only going to cool you down as we head through thursday into friday. temperatures climb as we head into the weekend. and that's your latest weather. savannah? >> all right, al, thanks. coming up next, should airlines be able to tell you what you can and can't wear on a flight? we'll talk about that more with "today's" professionals. we'll be back right after this. all multivitamins give me the basics.

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very "fruit-ritious." or try ocean spray light 50, with just 50 calories, a full serving of fruit, and no added sugar. with tasty flavors like cranberry pomegranate and cranberry concord grape, it's like a fruit stand in every bottle. [ splashing ] just, you know, demonstrating how we blend the fruits. ahem. try all our tasty ocean spray 100% and light 50 juices. back now at 8:12 with "today's" professionals, break down hottest headlines that have you talking. star jones, danny deutsch and dr. nancy snyderman. guys, good morning to you. let's start with the political conventions. every four years we have the discussion, are they really necessary? there's no suspense. we know what will happen. big expense. tv networks barely show them anymore. donny is sleeping.

are you voting with sleeping? is there any purpose for them anymore? >> yes, because we're a democracy. it's still a great kind of celebration of who we are. a media observation of why they don't matter anymore. 30 years ago before cnn, fox, we didn't get to see hollywood and how it works. every day now, 24/7 we're peeking behind the curtain, there's nothing special about them. we're just going over everything happening in the media. >> outside my office are fabulous big pictures of huntley-brinkley, black and whites. you've seen them. they take you back to when there was suspense and roll call really mattered. sometimes we really didn't know who will get the nod. things are over. >> we've had many conventions since the primary convention began. >> for four straight years. >> everyone pays a close attention to politics, perhaps as the three of you, for a lot

of people this is the beginning. >> i would argue the opposite. it's the same 12 people in politics who think it's exciting. most people are thinking big yawn. >> one thing important is to hear both candidates go ahead and sell themselves in their major speeches. i'm not as interested in the ra ra of everybody else coming before them but both major candidates, i'd like to hear what is your plan for america. that should really begin the political season. >> when something, as an ad person, what should the campaigns be doing to make it more compelling? >> it is what it is. the interesting thing is not the current candidate, it's they key up the future, the keynote. i'm going to rest my case. >> we've got to get to the next one. airline dress code. a couple of airlines have kicked people off for what they are wearing, a t-shirt with an expletive, a controversial message that made fun of the screening process, one for

showing too much cleavage. airlines are within their legal rights to do it. >> 100%. counselor, they say you know good and well because they are considered to be a private company, a private entity, they can make a decision like a restaurant. if the restaurant owner doesn't want to you come in because your skirt is too short, they can refuse the right. >> i think there's a difference. technically they are private. i think the airlines are more of a public, i'm not going to say owned. a restaurant says that's bad, too much cleavage, something silly on a t-shirt. >> a restaurant can say no t-shirt, no shoes, no service, should an airline be able to do the same thing. >> too much cleavage. anybody in a restaurant say i don't like the writing on your t-shirt. that's ridiculous. no shoes, i get. >> i would like them to ban no funk. >> there is no dress code. if the airline enforces it, you

don't know. >> you can show up and think you're okay. then all of a sudden they say it's too much -- >> common sense for traveling and maybe a little class and maybe shorts that go up to here -- >> i don't think a flight attendant should be deciding how short somebody's shorts are. >> i don't know how people wear shorts on airlines. it's cold. >> i don't know why they want to. >> some people walk in with pajamas. okay. enough already. you're not 5. put your clothes on. >> lance's legacy. there's a question mark. lance decided to give up his fight the u.s. anti-doping agency stripped him of his seven tour de france titles. he maintains his innocence, says the process is illegitimate and will never get a fair result. what is the net effect? will people assume he's guilty? >> of course they are. this is a guy by nature giving up a fight. you can't help but believe he was cheating. that's tragic and sad. let me finish one second, sweetie.

no, mine, the guy has raised half a million dollars for cancer. let's give him the big kudos for that. barry bonds, the guys who define sports -- >> his sponsors like nike are keeping him. >> from a cancer perspective, he's done an amazing job. but think about this legally. the process is legitimate. legitimate means fair. it's the same process every single athlete has to go through. when it comes to lance armstrong, however, there were 10 to 12 witnesses prepared to come. even if they were telling the same lies that's compelling evidence. >> to give his tour de france winnings, the next person already convicted of doping, so everyone around him. the problem is he's unlikable but he's done a really fabulous job in creating an amazing foundation.

>> sponsors will stick with him. >> we'll see what happens of let's get to the topic quickly, the doctor will not see you a doctor turned away a patient in massachusetts because she's overweight and says anybody over 200 this doctor won't see. apparently it's legal and ethical. >> it's legal, it's not ethical, it's amoral. i'm sorry this doctor won't lose his license. >> her. >> look, if a person is obese, that person needs a doctor. for a doctor to turn someone away, that is unethical, amoral and the doctor should be -- >> 100% legally they can do it. one of the things that bothers me the most women by and large do not go and seek their own medical health information. with heart disease being the number one killer of all women, the thought that a female doctor would turn away a woman with a stroke or heart disease or cancer in her family, that's really unethical. >> well, star, donny, nancy, no harm done today.

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far. they say they owe it all to 13-year-old madison. >> we've gone through our share of hardships. it's this unit right here, this team, together we can do anything. >> reporter: they call themselves team maddie, born with severe cerebral palsy, maddie cannot hear or see or speak yeltsin she defines what this family is about. >> just who she is made us better individuals all the way around. >> reporter: four years ago maddie was given the opportunity to take part in a marathon. that's when they discovered she loves to race. >> it was that day i realized madison is not a burden. she's a blessing and that changed our lives and so many other people. >> reporter: rick quit chain smoking and took up the triathlon, not to go it along but have maddie by his side

every stroke and plgts. >> before madison showed me a healthy lifestyle, you could say i was running away from it. >> reporter: now it's a family affair. while she's towed in a kayak, rachel does the swimming despite her fear of water. >> i can go out there and be strong for 500 meters. i can do it for her. >> brother hunter does the running. >> whenever i just think i can't do this anymore, i look inside of that cart and i see madison laughing and smiling. i'm just like, i can do this. i can't give up. >> moammary keeps the whole team going. >> it's not about finishing first. it's all about crossing the finish line. ♪ >> reporter: something else keeps maddie going, too. her love of the music of rascal flatts which plays in her headphones along the way.

it's also what she listens to at home in her room where the walls are covered with triathlons of the past. while maddie competes, spectators who line the route cheers them on. >> when you see what we do as a team, it's about love. i think that's what the people see. >> reporter: when the race has been run, maddie gets her medal and a kiss and every one of us goes home inspired. for "today," kevin tibbles, nbc news, michigan. >> they are an inspiration. >> amazing story. i love to see the whole family. she seems to really love it. >> she does seem to enjoy it. the smile on her face. >> just ahead last-minute labor day travel deals and a live performance from "american idol" winner philip phillips after your local news.

good tuesday morning to you. 8:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. drivers across the state could soon find it easier to challenge red-light traffic tickets and actually win. the california state senate has approved a bill that would establish statewide standards for the installation and operation of red-light cameras. the new rules would require cities to install the cameras based only on safety considerations, not to make money. the bill would establish a smoother process for a people to challenge a wrongful citation. the bill is now waiting the governor's approval. speaking of running lights, no running lights out there. >> you have to stop on the freeway anyway because over here we have such congestion in the south bay. now, there's an accident involving a motorcycle, big red light for that.

but no injuries. good news north 880, a big distraction, but look at all the slowing, 280 off of south 680, slow all the way up into cupertino. 85, 87, 101 all jammed out of the south bay. 880 slow from hayward toward fremont. the bay bridge and the toll plaza jammed up. back to you. for the latest traffic and news updates, check out nbc bay area on facebook.

>> 8:30 on tuesday morning. it's the 28th day of august, 2012. you can see our crowd is mingling with "american idol" champ philip phillips. his song became number one on the charts, become an anthem during the olympics. he's here with us. savannah guthrie alongside natalie morales. matt is down in tampa, al is covering the storm in new orleans. we're having a bad hair day here

in new york. >> we've got a lot coming up ahead. also ahead in this half hour, talk about shaving years off your look without going under the knife. the top anti-aging beauty products tested, tried and true. >> if you haven't made plans for labor day weekend, apparently it isn't too late. great ideas, deals, getaways. we'll show you where to look. >> all right. and first, though, want to get the latest on isaac right now and its path. al roker is tracking it from new orleans. good morning to you, al. >> hey, good morning, guys. winds are starting to pick up just a little bit here on the mississippi river as isaac continues to churn toward us. it slowed down, though. that's a really bad sign. let's look at the rest of the country's weather. we do have a risk of strong storms from isaac along the southeastern gulf coast. we're looking at showers in the northeast.

beautiful day in the pacific northwest, sunshine, temperatures in the low 80s, nice and dry through southern california. 91 in l.a. for tomorrow, look for that risk of strong storms as isaac makes its way inland to stretch up into the lower mississippi river valley. sizzling weather for the western third and two-thirds of the country with showers moving into the pacific northwest. sunny and mild around the great lakes. plenty of sunshine returning to well, it's the clearest morning we've had in over two weeks. good morning. i'm meteorologist christina loren. this is a live look at alcatraz. you will notice this camera does have a bit of a shake to it, and the wind are clearing out. it's going to make for a lot of sunshine throughout this afternoon. 67 degrees today in san francisco. 74 in santa cruz. and 82 degrees in los gatos. not too hot inland and not too cool at the coast. temperatures are going to tumble as we head between thursday into friday. then we'll creep back up in time for the weekend.

>> that's your latest weather. don't forget with isaac out there, you want to check the weather any time, go to weather channel on cable, weather.com online. let's check in with big willie scott. hello, uncle willie. >> i like hot weather but arizona takes the cake. i love it out there. sand and weather, mountains, the stars. and i like sierra vista, arizona where sophie oreszak lives. happy birthday, sophie. loves to bake and is an eternal optimistic. the glass is always half full. steve wrubel from holiday, florida, 103 years old. says his best advice, tell your wife you love her every single day. and at night, whisper sweet nothings in her ear, like,

honey, would you get me a sandwich. mary dubowchik, 100 years old today. enjoys playing bingo with her many friends. i used to love to play bingo. i haven't played bingo in years. kate price, we love her. lives in alabama, athens, alabama. 100 years old today. owned and operate add restaurant. her special salad dressing was the talk of the town. a very tough thing to do. really good. and we have lucilla ervin doctor durham, north carolina, 105. enjoys going to church with her family. that's nice, too. harry hoffman. you know harry, he likes to play jokes. onawa, iowa, 100 years old. a practical joker. he likes to play it on people

younger. with him anybody is younger than him. >> willard, thank you. still looking dapper. up next, last minute labor day travel deals. first this is "today" on nbc. have you heard of the new dialing procedure for the 408 and 669 area codes? no, what is it? starting october 20, 2012, if you have a 408 or 669 number, you'll need to dial 1 plus the area code plus the phone number for all calls. o.k., but what if i have an 408 number and i'm calling a 408 number? you'll still need to dial 1 plus the area code plus the phone number. so when in doubt, dial it out! as part of a heart healthy diet. that's true. ...but you still have to go to the gym. ♪ the one and only, cheerios

you have a plan? first we're gonna check our bags for free, thanks to our explorer card. then, the united club. my mother was so wrong about you. next, we get priority boarding on our flight i booked with miles. all because of the card. and me. okay, what's the plan?

plan? mm-hmm. we're on vacation. this is no plan. really? [ male announcer ] the united mileageplus explorer card. the mileage card with special perks on united. get it and you're in. back now at 8:37. this morning on today's travel, labor day deals. if you're looking for one last summer getaway, there's still a chance to book a deal. travel and leisure. you mean ittish it's not too late? labor day is this weekend? >> we have last minute deals under $200. everyone needs to recharge their relaxation battery now and get some deals. >> your first one outdoors and adventure, oregon. >> this is in the high plains of central oregon. this is a brand-new resort taken

over by this property, they do hospitality right. they are being hospitable offering 41% off on junior suites rate, plus their outdoor activities. i've done a lot of outdoor activities. this is a place with an outdoor paradise, 300 days of sun, tons of beautiful weft and things you don't necessarily get. kayaking, two incredible golf courses, something called spelunking. >> in a cave. >> former lava. kids would love this. >> two california hotels, but different. first a ranch theme. >> rancho los palmoss. this is about big, 25,000 square foot spa, 27 hole golf course, tennis courts.

they are offering lots and lots and lots, piling on the additional parts of this deal we have for their family summer getaway package which starts $179 a night. one thing they are doing, dinner on the fair way. drive on a golf cart. >> the other hotel hollywood glam glamor, humphrey bogart. >> celebrities love to go to palm strings, it's so accessible. they are offering a great deal for couples who want to get away and reboot right before the beginning of the fall sets in. this is a deal where they are going to throw in not only your night's stay but a couples massage under the stars, some bubbly and breakfast in the morning. again, under $200 a night. >> when they do ask for those coupons, added amenities, is it worth the deal brf it's great when someone offers you something for free as long as something you want. look at the fine print and decide do you want 30% off yoga. are you not a yoga person, it's

not worth it. >> next, close to my heart, tucson, arizona. the ranch. >> i bet it was a property you went to maybe when you were a younger. this is a great resort if you're wanting to go and have outdoor activities, surrounded by the desert, lots of cactuses. >> cacti. >> this is a trip kids will want to rush back to school to tell friends about, hiking, climbing, horse back riding, you're going to be a little saddle sore, but the great kind, again, under $200 a night. >> personal voucher for sunsets in tucson, arizona. >> most beautiful in the country. >> south carolina, nice island. >> this is a resort readers are obsessed with. they love it, always voting it number one in our world's best

survey for family in the nation. they have a sanctuary that's fantastic, 500 vilas you can book from, much more value oriented. looking for a getaway, doing something where you can get a villa close to the beach, sand castle, kayaking you want to do and relaxing. that's the main thing, you need to relax, fall is coming. >> looks beautiful. can you still get a deal on airplanes. >> you can. fall is a great time to get airline deals. if you're not going to get away for labor day, september is a great, great time to get away. >> great ideas. thank you so much. thank you. coming up next, who doesn't want to look younger, the winners of good housekeeping's anti-aging award but first this is today on nbc. [ 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. beauty at 8:43, looking and

feeling younger, nearly 700 volunteers tested products for "good housekeeping's" annual anti-aging beauty award. here with results is editor in chief rosemary ellis. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> love when you're here, this segment in particular. this is true, tried and true. these have been tested. >> this is true. >> it take years off, perhaps not. >> they will definitely help you look better. we were a little skeptical, toif say, when we started anti-aging awards three years ago. we spent 18 months testing every product on the market that made anti-aging claim. skin care is different from makeup. we know our readers love getting information on what really works. frankly, most of this stuff does not work. so it's only through test ongoing hundreds of women we have -- >> you brought some back in to make sure -- >> before and after photos. we have machines that measure elasticity, firmness, color pigmentation, you can see if

dark circles do look better. these are the winners. these really work. >> ladies, without further ado, people at home are going tell us about the products. first off for undereye circles. you say the product that works is this one, age remind. >> it's 10 bucks. i love it. i'm using it every day. what testers love, the spongy applicator. helps it go on smoothly. very moisturizing, stays put. does have enough coverage to conceal undereye circle. >> for $10, it's an eraser. >> it is a good deal for $10. >> next foundation, some qualifications here, had to be spf 15 or higher and had to moisturize and firm. how long did you tess foundation. >> we tested them over a couple of months. typically we test for as long as the product says it takes to make a difference. we take their cue and say, okay, do you do what you say.

this is chanel, $55. >> top of the line. >> it's heavy enough to even out your skin tone but feels light, goes on velvety smooth. this is the only foundation we tested that scored a perfect score for firming skin. >> wow. >> helps firm your skin a little bit and moisturizes. i love it. >> with a name like that it definitely works. over here primers. a lot of people say if i'm using a good foundation, why do i need a primer? >> primers are great because they do two things. they help your makeup go on much more smoothly and also help it stay on. the whole day helps to keep your makeup from traveling into laugh lines, forehead creases. >> all those wrinkles. >> some primers are tinted, so you can use them instead of foundation, a sort of two in one. it worked very well. really helped keep things in place, light and moisturizing. >> to lipsticks, speaking of

moisturizing, you like this one here. tell us about it. >> all the lip sticks claimed to reduce fine lines. didn't work on any of them. they love this dior lipstick, moisturizing, stayed in place. the best lip sticks and liners keep from traveling, when it travels to the vertical lines around your mouth. these nicks that. >> liners, you like this urban decay. >> you want to define your lips. your lip line gets fuzzier as you get older. this helps feathering. >> over here to plumpers. a lot of people think a lip plumper, does it really work or is it a claim? >> it does. >> smash box. >> works very, very well harks a lasting effect. this is not a permanent effect. this is something you do just before you want your lips to be fuller, let it dry and put on your lipstick. it does last for limited amount of time.

>> mac wins for eye shadow. >> one of the things that works best is counter-intuitive to me, cream eye shadows. best anti-aging shadows don't crease, hold their tone through the day. this did that well. you want to use a synthetic brush when you put an eye shadow on, won't go into the brush, helps it go on more smoothly and stay in place. >> onhere here the brow pencil by lancome, brush applicator. >> helps smooth it after you put it on, also like how feather light. after a certain age you want a brow filler because your brows tend to get sparser as you age. >> mary, thank you. >> thank you. >> coming up next, a live performance from "american idol" winner philip phillips. first this is

>> announcer: the toyota concert series on "today," brought to you by toyota. >> back now at 8:50 with the reigning "american idol" champion philip fip phillips. his coronation song "home" used for u.s. gymnastics team has gone platinum. now he's at work on his debut

album. good morning. good to see you. >> good to see you as well. >> we were hoping to see you last spring for a performance but you had to have kidney surgery. how are you doing? >> doing good, taking it slow, trying to make it. >> people probably can't imagine you did what you did on "american idol" delivering so many flawless performances and yet you weren't even feeling at your best. how are you doing now? how has the tour been? >> it's going really well, having a lot of fun going to the different cities and seeing all these new people and new things and playing with these guys, just having fun. >> the song "home." is such a favorite, an anthem, especially around the olympics. i know you're working on your favorite, your songs. are you excited to get out there and show people what you write as a songwriter. >> i'm excited to tell my own stories. maybe people will connect with it and enjoy them like i do. >> we mentioned before, home went platinum. that's your first single and it

sold a million copies. >> yeah, it's pretty insane. i never thought any of this would ever happen so it's a true blessing. >> we wanted to show you something your record company wanted to surprise you with. you're a genuine star if you have one of these hanging in your office. guys like it. >> i haven't even seen it. this is a surprise. >> i know. it's a surprise. okay. you can feast your eyes on that. >> philip, i have to ask you, what is your middle name. >> we don't speak of the middle name. >> it's not philip is it? >> no. >> philip phillips with "home." congratulations. we'll let you take it away. >> thank you. ♪ ♪ ♪ hold on to me as you go as we roll down

the road although this wave. >> is stringing us along just know you're not along i'm going to make this place your home ♪ ♪ settle down it will all be clear don't pay no mind to the demons they fill you with fear ♪ ♪ the trouble might drag you down you get lost you can always be found ♪ ♪ just know you're not alone i'm going to make this place your home ♪

♪ ♪ settle down it will all be clear don't pay no mind to the demons they fill you with fear ♪ ♪ the trouble might drag you down you get lost you can always be found just know you're not alone ♪ ♪ going to make this place

your home ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> philip phillips. thank you so much. philip, do you think these "american idol" judges need to be a little tougher?

maybe you're just too good. maybe that's why they weren't tough on you. >> no. >> congratulations to you. you sounded great. we'll be back with more of "today" right after this. good tuesday morning to you. 8:56. i'm laura garcia-cannon. in san ramon today, city councilmen meet to discuss the fate of 80 trees. all the trees were slated to be cut down this past june, but an uproar from the community sent the city engineer back to the drawing board. new plan will be discussed today and is expected to preserve those trees. let's check the forecast now with meteorologist christina loren. how we looking?

>> we're looking good. any sort of gardening you want to do today, you are going to get treated with some very comfortable conditions. 67 degrees in san francisco, 74 in santa cruz, and we stay steady as we finish up the workweek. between thursday and friday, though, temperatures are going to drop off at 10 to 15 degrees. don't...it's a trap. find your inkjoy. 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.

back with more of today on tuesday, the 28th of august, 2012. we have a happy crowd, kicking off their morning with us in rockefeller plaza. good morning, everyone. i am savannah guthrie. al is in new orleans tracking the storm, isaac, expected to make landfall west of new orleans, expected to be a category one hurricane at that point. we're going to check in with al in a couple moments. also ahead, some advice for parents that like to hover. some research suggests it is actually best to let kids make some mistakes. we'll have some advice on that. also, ways to cut your grocery bill very sharply. some secrets you may not know about. and later, from beyonce's

new lips to angelina's moepy eyes, some celebrity makeup tips. before that, we check in with natalie morales at the news desk. good morning. isaac is zeroing in on the gulf coast. hurricane warnings are in effect from alabama to the florida border. president obama declared a state of emergency for louisiana, but officials aren't ordering evacuations in new orleans. by the time the storm is projected to hit later today or wednesday, it could be a category one hurricane. meantime, the storm forced most oil rigs in the gulf of mexico to halt production, and drivers may soon be feeling the pain at the pump. mitt romney set to be formally nominated for president at the republican national convention in tampa. the convention was called to order monday and immediately adjourned because of the storm threat. romney's wife ann and chris christie are scheduled to deliver their speeches tonight. a student shot at a maryland

high school remains in critical condition today as classes resume at perry hall high school. a 15-year-old boy was charged with attempted first degree murder and first degree assault in the shooting. esque held without bail. witnesses call the school guidance counselor a hero for grabbing the shooter and pinning him down. health officials say two guests that contracted legionnaires disease after staying at a chicago hotel have died. there are eight confirmed cases among guests that visited the jw marriott between mid july and mid august. the disease is usually spread through water sources such as air conditioning ducts, showers, and pools. health officials believe there's no on-going threat at the hotel. meantime, in california a rare disease carried by rodents killed two that visited yosemite earlier this summer. they warn park visitors that

stayed intent cabins at cur curry village to watch for the signs of fever and dizziness. and a tv news helicopter was forced to come down as the engine billowed smoke. the seasoned pilot is credited for the safe landing. and these are the first high resolution images sent back by nasa's curiosity rover and a picture of the mount sharp. and it will beam down will.i.a.m.'s song "reach for the stars." if there is any intelligent life on the red planet, let's hope they're fans of the black eyed peas.

mega star tom hanks proves he is a regular and spontaneous guy at heart. he object liked a young fan that saw him in the restaurant, borrowed his glasses and pretended to be drunk. hangs played along as they posed for bosom buddy pictures that are going viral. he got a good laugh. it is four minutes after the hour. back to al in new orleans. starting to look cloudy out there. >> starting to get the first squalls and some rain. shawn reese, the producer, and resident weather vane, what do you have wind wise? >> gusting to 30, staying consistent around 20. >> there you go. starting to see this now. this is the beginning where it gets started. this is the latest now on isaac, currently 105 miles south, southeast of new orleans. maximum sustained winds 70 miles per hour. has forward movement northwest at 7 miles per hour.

the hurricane warnings now from morgan city, louisiana to the alabama, florida border. and the path of isaac brings it on shore sometime late tonight, early tomorrow. of course, as you heard, if it comes on shore tomorrow night, that's the seventh anniversary of katrina. tropical force winds extend 250 to 290 miles, and that counter clockwise flow is what we're really concerned about because it is going to be relentless for about 24 hours. what that means is a storm surge of 6 to 12 feet around the gulf of mississippi. also louisiana, mobile four to eight feet. we also have to worry about heavy rains. we are talking about anywhere from six to 12 inches of rain, as much as 20 inches before it is all over in the next 72 9:05 on a tuesday. good morning. i'm meteorologist christina loren.

live look at sunol. completely clear. lots of sunshine for today. and a building breeze. those winds will pick up at the coast throughout this afternoon. highs, though, comfortable for august, 80 in san jose, 896 in almaden valley, and 74 degrees, comfortable on the sands of santa cruz late they are afternoon. as we head throughout tomorrow, just a touch warmer. we peak on thursday, and temperatures tumble from 92 degrees inland thursday to 79. the 70s return on friday. >> and that's your latest weather. natalie. >> al, thank you. this morning on parenting today can hovering over your children be harmful or helpful. in a moment we'll talk to the author of "teach your children well" but first nbc's kristen dahlgren talks to some teens and their parents who admit to holding back the helicopter in strength. >> reporter: at a time when

there's so much pressure on kids to be perfect. >> my mom asking me to take latin. >> do volunteer work and get a job. >> reporter: they are like a lot of teens. >> who feeling overscheduled. >> sometimes. >> yes. >> parents are pretty typical, too. >> whose standards are tougher, yours or your mom's. >> my mom. >> for gabby's mom, being a helicopter mom didn't seem to be working. even now she fights the urges. >> her coach says she's got some natural abilities here. my first thought was, good, i'll get her a coach. no, no. >> jessica's mom tina tries to stop herself from making to do lists for her daughter. >> here are the things i want you to do for today, or here are the things i want you to do for the summer. here are the things i want you to do during the course of

school. >> for ben's mom lisa, letting her son fail is one of the hardest things. >> when it was happening, we're going to have to let our son get hurt here. it was awful. there's nothing worse but you have to do it. >> carol studied child rearing for 40 years agrees. >> we've studied parents overpraising, and we're studying parents overdoing. it makes the child feel they can't do anything without the parent. >> says there is a place for praise but the kids say telling the parents what they need to be tough. >> they need to give us a little bit of room for breather, for us to make our own decisions. >> there's a point when you can be pushed too hard. >> parents say they are trying. >> moving away from parenting that is a huge relief and a huge joy to know you see your kids feel very differently learning about you.

it's a battle all the time. >> reporter: moms and dads learning, too, a little less parenting may get more out of kids. for "today," kristen dahlgren, nbc news, sausalito, california. >> clinical psychologist and educator madeleine levine, author of "teach your children well, parenting for success." good to have you here. >> thank you. >> i think we're all guilty of overparenting. how do you define overparenting, the helicopter overparent. >> there's three components to overparenting. one is doing for your child what they can already do. if you're hovering over their math and they know how to do math. that's overparenting. the tougher one is doing for your child what they can almost do. what's interesting about that, we think we should be helping, right, but i call it a successful failure. your toddler takes a few steps. have you a young child. >> a 3-year-old. >> remember he took -- >> boys. >> took a few steps, fell down.

took a few steps, fell down. come on, get up. you would never think of saying, you're going to be flipping burgers for the rest of your life right as they are falling down. we understood they have to fall down thousands of times. >> pick themselves back up and learn electric that. >> that's right. i think the most toxic part of overparenting is when the boundaries aren't good between parents and children. that is we're applying to stanford, columbia, hofstra. we're not applying. your child is applying. they have enough tasks without worrying about your application as well, your feelings about it. >> that's something that a lot of parents do, which we may sunk we're helping contribute to the success of the child but you say we could actually be hurting them fundamentally. why is that? >> because in life we all need to make mistakes. if you think of child development kind of as a stool with three legs. one part of development is cognitive and academic.

one part is social, one part personal. there's only 24 hours a day. if all the time is on the cognitive grade metrics, we're leaving out social development, how to get along with people, how to contribute to the house, how to be a good citizen, how to have character, all other parts, then the stool gets wobbly. >> sometimes parents guilty of extreme parenting. is there an argument to be made sometimes, though, kids aren't trying hard enough. >> sure. sometimes doesn't try hard enough. i think the secret adults have is we grow up and we do what we're good at. we are kind of average at a bunch of things and not very good at some other things. kids need to know this. nobody is expected to be 100% all the time. >> right. you advise parents need to take it down a notch. >> right. >> you say make sure they are

getting nine hours of sleep, especially teens, preteens. why is that number so important. >> it's what the american academy of pediatrics recommends. we have a boatload on the negative effects of sleep. the next thing parents need a life of their own. kids don't see adulthood of working all week long, being exhausted and then spending every hour on the weekend watching your kid hit a ball. spend some time with your husband or girlfriend or hobby or something that makes adulthood and growing up look attractive to kids. >> good advice. i hope, myself, my husband, we all need to be listening. madeleine, thank you so much. >> thank you. coming up next, secret ways to save big at the supermarket right after this. if you think occasional irregularity is no big deal, think twice. it may be a sign that your digestive system could be working better. listen to this. with occasional irregularity, things your body doesn't use could be lingering in your system, causing discomfort.

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this morning on today's consumer, saving at the supermarket. we all have to eat. you can't cut the grocery list out entirely. there are ways to cut the grocery bill with smart shopping tips. lucy mendes, host. good morning. >> good morning. >> grocery store has secrets to help you spend more money. that's no secret at this point. >> lots of secrets to help save money. number one, avoid inner aisles. >> why? >> that's where all the fun things are, things you don't need. stick to perimeter, dairy, produce. shop the list. if you shop the list, you won't have impulse buys. >> do not shop hungry. >> do not shop hungry. you will throw things in your cart. leave kids at home.

if you have kids, it's difficult, they can really rack up a bill. >> the first tip has to do with buying generic products. >> i know everyone is attached to their brands. but if you look at the packaging, compare the ingredients, make sure you're getting the same product. very often the ingredients can match up. you can save a dollar or two. you can see that here. we have generic cereal, save a few dollars buying the generic brand. >> i love to buy my toiletries at the grocery store because it's convenient. >> you pay a price for convenience. whenever possible you want to buy them at the drugstore. you will get a discount by doing that. >> is it a huge difference? >> it depends how much money your time is worth. in the long run if you stock up you can save a few dollars. >> another thing, the prepackaged food. >> again, so much easier to buy them prechopped. it takes three minutes to chop them yourself at home. if that three minutes is worth $3, it can be a big difference.

you don't have to use it at once. much better to buy the whole broccoli. >> rain checks, do stores still honor that? >> absolutely. go to the customer service center. you have something like olive oil that tends to sell out quickly. ask for a rain check. when the product comes back in stock they sell it at the sale price. >> comparison shopping. what is the best way to do the apples to apples comparison. >> there's a sale unit can you look at. i'm not a math person. it helps do the math for you. if you have something like big bags like this, smaller bags. you want to compare what you're charged per unit. >> sometimes the price of the item, then unit price, that's supposed to be ounce per ounce. >> smallest number possible. >> snacks. convenience is spending more money. i see we have some of my favorites here.

>> these are make of my favorites. these are a lot of people's favorites and this is really where you save the money. because if you are willing to make popcorn at home you can save a few dollars. you don't need to make it all at once and you get better popcorn. >> sorry orville. the old-fashioned kind is tasty. >> and takes just a few minutes. >> beans. this is another place to save money if you're willing to cook a little bit and not get canned items. >> can be intimidating, dry beans. you can get a great recipe online, you don't need to make them all at once. you can get multiple meals. even though it sometimes is more money up front for dry beans, ounce per ounce a lot more bang for your buck. >> another thing people say all the time, buy fruit in season. >> right now at the end of summer, at the end of fruit season. get blueberries now while you can, throw them in the freezer, have them through fall. >> i was surprised to read fine

to freeze. >> use them for pancakes and smoothies, whatever. you will save a lot of money. the price will soar as soon as we get to fall. >> last one is a good one. we love our bottled water. >> we do. really this is costing you way too much money. if you live somewhere where you can drink the tap water free, do that. otherwise something like britta filter up front investment can save you about $120 a month. >> thank you so much. coming up, five facts, how to deal with phobias, but first these messages. ♪ ♪ i woke up to a new day ♪ every little thing gonna go my way ♪ ♪ i woke up to a light bulb on ♪ every little thing is possible now ♪ [ female announcer ] kraft singles have no artificial flavors and they're always made with milk so all you taste is something amazing. ♪ life is amazing with the love that i found ♪

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coming up, when kids lie. how to know, what it means. from a detection expert. >> inside scoop from celebrity makeup secrets, from beyonce to angelina, how you can get their look. we'll show you the right products to get their look. ahead. ♪ olive garden's never ending pasta bowl is back.

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treat yourself good. good tuesday morning to you. 9:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. a bizarre police chase in antioch ended with a man shot to death on a stranger's roof. police say it started with a call of a domestic dispute around 11:00 last night. when officers arrived, the man jumped into a car and sped off. he led police on a chase through antioch before ditching the car and climbing onto the roof of a house. police say the man pointed a gun at officers. that's when police shot and kill him. >> i just heard, standing in my garage, heard a couple shots go off, several shots go off. it sounded like friar crairecra. but i enthusiastic it wasn't. >> police say there was a toddler in the suspect's car during the chase. the child is now safe.

it's not clear if the child has any relation to that man. this morning, local clergy will perform a blessing of the grapes at a winery in the east bay. it's a centuries-old practice honoring annual harvest. the blessing will be held at the vineyards in livermore. local growers are predicting a better harvest this year due to a much warmer spring and summer. the ceremony kicks off livermore's 31st annual valley harvest wine celebration. we'll have a look at weather and traffic after the break.

welcome back. tropical storm isaac now hurricane isaac, a weak category 1 storm packing winds of 75 miles per hour. al roeker is live in new orleans. we'll get to his report in just a few moments. our neck of the woods looks phenomenal for outdoor activities. late august, 81 degrees in los gatos. can't beat it. 79 in san jose and 89 degrees today in livermore. temperatures stay pretty steady through thursday, then we drop off into friday, 79. here's mike. just a lot of red and orange

on the map for the south bay. give you some live shots. this is 280 coming northbound at the 880/17 interchange, 280 jammed from 101 into cupertino, starting to recover bait here. north 101, a live shot here north of 680. just s.t.a.r.t.ing to move better than they have for the last 20 minutes. very slow, but now just from about capital expressway up toward the airport. that's a little bert. and looking at palo alto, southbound side, 101 jammed approaching university. northbound side a little slower than that, and 880 as well. back to you. that morning commute hanging on. thank you for joining us.

♪ >> she may have come in fourth on the "x factor," the british pop star is topping the chart and will be rocking our plaza with a special thursday concert only on "today." then friday more music, our concert superstar is singer songwriter jason mraz kicking off the labor day weekend. perfect song of the summer there. natalie morales with savannah guthrie, coming up switching gears talking about makeup secrets from the stars. >> from j. lo's glow, we all want that, to angelina's smoky eyes. we're going to show you how to get that perfect red carpet look

at home. also ahead, kids and lying. you know they do it whether it's homework or going out with friends. can you spot a fib and how do you deal with it? some expert advice. we'll have the polygraph out. just kidding. less aggressive techniques to spotlight. from heights to flying, clowns, pfeifer facts about phobias to help you cope. we all have something bordering on phobias. >> yes, we do. now to al who is tracking isaac from new orleans this morning. hi, al. >> hi, guys. we want to take a look at other effects around the country weather wise. isaac will bring a risk of strong storms around the gulf today. we've also got a risk of showers in the northeast. beautiful weather in the pacific northwest today. look for a warm, toasty conditions in the southwest. dry conditions in southern and central california as we move on into tomorrow, that risk of strong storms and tornadoes

makes its way into the lower mississippi river valley as isaac moves up and into the country. look for sunny and warm conditions through the great lakes, into the northeast. clouds and showers move into the pacific northwest, sizzling weather from the plains all the way into the southwest and southern california. that we're looking good in our neck of the woods. you really can't beat the temperatures we're expecting for a late august afternoon. temperatures today will be in the 70s and 80s in the south bay, that crystal-cheer shot from san bruno shows you we have a gorgeous day, lots of sunshine shaping up in san francisco. 68 degrees today, 81 in redwood city and 73 degrees down in santa cruz. we head throughout the next couple days, temperatures climb just a touch and then we are going to see temperatures really drop. 92 degrees thursday to 79 friday. >> and that's your latest weather. savannah. >> al, thanks. how to glow like j. lo and other

hollywood beauties. coming up some makeup secrets right after this. [ male announcer ] sponges take your mark.

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alec jr? a celebrity makeup artist and creator of mali beauty. she's worked makeup magic on some of hollywood's hottest a-listers. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> let's start with jennifer lopez, every woman would love to look like that, get that glow. you're going to show us that. >> we're going to give her shimmer, shape and glow. >> what's what you call it? >> it's a three-step system to get everything you want. first what you're going to do is take like a soft shimmer powder. okay. what you want to do is take that. i like to take it all over the lid and just around the corner, around the cheekbone.

what you're going to do. this is going to kind of make you look like you have a face-lift. lift everything up, encompass the entire area with luminosity. also make you look like you got a little sleep, which nobody does. i want to you make a fishy face. there you go. back when we used to put our blush on in the '80s. >> contour. >> exactly. contouring like a shaping powder. this makes you look like you've lost five pounds. hello. makes them pop. finally, here comes the glow. this the blush. the thing that kind of makes you look like you had that very romantic evening, if you know what i'm saying. right on the apples of the cheek, blend it in, shimmer, shape and glow. you've got that j. lo glow. >> she looks fantastic. another one of your client. she looks great. beyonce. she has the famously nude lip,

which is a look we'd all love to create but sometimes we can't find the right shade what do you do? >> number one, you want to use a great nude kit. something made for that nude lip. the secret you want it based in color. good catch. you go, girl. you want it to have a little bit of a color base as opposed to a flat brown or beige. this is based in a little bit of a pink or apricot. that's going to give you that perfect, perfect color so you don't look like night of the living dead walking around with nude lips. take nude lip sticks. i love to use a lip liner that matches your lip tone exactly so you can really, really work the shape of the lip. here is a big tip. you want to join the cupid, gives you that lip stung.

getting that high shine. when doing a nude, it's a good idea to make it glossy, so it doesn't look flat. >> that's a good color on you. >> exactly. >> thank you so much. over here, let's talk about the perfect eyebrow. so important, really does frame the face. lucy lu is an example. how do you achieve that look? >> the trick is about choosing the right tone of the brow. just because we have gorgeous brunette hair. my goodness. really dark. you don't want to necessarily match it. that's going to make the brow look groucho marxesque, not a look we're going for. you want a little lighter when you have dark brunette hair like this. >> the grooming of the brow important. >> keep it nice and groomed, nice and clean. sometimes do you that and kind of looking polished and done. another little secret i love, i like to marry a little bit of a

pencil and a powder. instead of just doing a pencil which can look harsh and a powder too subtle. >> powder softens it up. >> exactly. you can shake your booty in a rain forest. >> great. finally angelina jolie's smoky eye. you have danielle here to get that look. >> the smoky eye gets a bum rap. smoky eye, you look like you got punched in the face. >> i think it looks gorgeous. you are working it, let's be honest. the secret is this. you want to use an eye shadow base always. >> why? what does that do? >> you put that on first, dab it all over the lid. that's going to keep it from getting messy, keeps it professional and polished looking which is what you want when you're doing a smoky eye. make sure you use a base that

makes it not crease, stay where you want to put it. we have actually done a great soft smoky gray here. the trick is also you don't always have to use a dark color. you can do a great smoky eye in a gorgeous green or plum, something like that. >> shades of gray here. >> shades of gray. >> do you ever use an eyeliner. >> absolutely. a quick smoky eye, line with an eyeliner, smudge with q-tip or finger, good to go. >> you look great. mali, thank you as always. coming up next, when kids are pulling the wool over your eyes. you know you've done this. right after this. what's it like? yeah. the kitchen? it's amazing. lots of unexplored surfaces and tough, greasy messes to clean. oh. wow! [ male announcer ] now scrubbing bubbles has fantastik in a heavy duty spray that easily cuts through grease or a foam that lifts and penetrates grime. so all you do is wipe.

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hgotta start the day off right. wardrobe. cute. then new activia breakfast blend. a great way to help start the day. mmm... creamy lowfat yogurt with grains in yummy breakfast flavors, like apple cinnamon. its hearty, with twice the protein of regular lowfat yogurt and helps regulate your digestive system. our morning routines are important, aren't they? new activia breakfast blend. well, whether it's to avoid homework or get attention, children do lie for all kinds of reasons. how can you tell? what's the best strategy for dealing with it.

she has been protecting lives at the department of justice known as deception, protection expert. she's the author of "you can't lie to me" the legendary program, super charger, inner lie detector to get to the truth. good morning. >> good morning. >> short of having you move right in, how can you tell if your child is lying? children do tell lies? >> first of all, 80% of lies are undetected. adults lie one in five social situations, children's, one in three. >> you need these skills. good to know techniques. first you have to know baseline. >> norming, normal behavior. remember this game as kids, head, shoulders, knees and toes. you need to do that with your kids. you're tilting your head slightly to the right. is that your baseline or listening? you need to know their rhythm, tone, pitch, what word choices do they use. do they say i swear to god it's

so hot outside. i swear to god, i won't lie. what's their normal baseline. >> you're going to look for deviations for the baseline. you look for physical and behavioral signs, implosion and explosion. >> these kids, whether toddlers, tweens, teens, even adult kids, when they are lying we're looking for deviation of baseline. imploding is getting small. imploding they pull their legs in, here, they may cover their throat like this and pull their throat down. girls love this one. guys, hot air out of their collar, play with the t-shirt. imploding, bringing it in. literally sometimes will go into the fetal position. when you're talking to them, break eye contact and go down. exploding, superman pose, oversell you. liars try to convince. >> blocking behaviors, what is that? >> body blocking. your teenager comes in with a baseball hat. how was your first day of school? good. the hat is hiding their face.

sitting at the table like this when you're asking a question. i've got to ask you, is there any reason why -- you fill in the blank. they turn away. that's body blocking. >> bring me to the next, have you to ask open ended questions. this advice is a little controversial. sometimes you might have to tell a lie to fish out the truth from your kids. >> i say you have to lie to catch a liar. what does that mean? what that means if you think your kid is drinking and driving, making poor choices going into high school, driving with kids, skipping classes, smoking. lie to catch a liar. >> what you could say is -- >> you could say is there any reason why your teacher would call me today? keep in mind, cia and fbi, these are cia secrets for moms to keep our kids safe. at the end of the day we say to our kids what? tell them i'm not here right now. we ask our kids to lie on our behalf, sometimes we need to lie

on their behalf. >> casting out the reel and see what you catch? >> you want to protect your family. sometimes you need to do that. you weigh your options. >> you also say it's effective to ask the same question twice. >> this is one of my favorites, savannah. my son angus, he's seven. i said, did you feed the fish this morning? >> well, i went upstairs. >> you asked a closed ended question and they start with well. angus, did you feed the fish. he says yes and shrugs his shoulder. angus, why should i believe you? because i'm telling you the truth. repeat why should i believe you twice. this is a cia secret for moms at home that will get you the truth. why should i believe you? because i told you. why should i believe you. okay. >> i'm getting sweaty. angus better tell the truth. i could do a whole other segment

on this. thank you. five things you need to know about phobias to make coping easier, first this is "tod [ 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

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this morning on "today's" five facts, surprising steps about phobias, whether a fear of snakes like mine or a fear of bras like savannah's. anxiety is real and in some cases debilitating. dr. gayle is here, good morning. >> let's talk about phobias and why is it different from a fear? we are borderline. >> first let me say, this is the number one mental health diagnosis. 9.2 million american adults have phobias, which means an irrational fear that goes on for a long period of time, which elifts a panic feeling, anxiety to be around it to the point you try to avoid it. when we say specific we mean to

a thing, an animal or frog or snake or a dog or spiders are very common or a situation like flying, fear of flying, fear of heights, those kinds of things. >> we've all heard of claustrophobia, fear of small spaces, what are some other phobias. there's some unusual ones. >> there are unusual ones. a fact is 15% of people have a fear of clowns. you think they are at parties, so much fun. actually many people are actually tremendously afraid of clowns. >> after reading steven king's "it." >> it's actually when you see a body you expect the face to match it. when the face looks different it's terrifying to people. you can be afraid of anything. bizarre things like long words. you're not going to say that one.

>> clearly you're not having that phobia. common things like germs, close spaces. we're not talking about social phobia right now, social situations but just about anything. the dark, blood, needles, people have all kinds of phobias and they can be really debilitating if you have to avoid it and change your life. >> what causes these fears? is it something that triggers the event? >> another fear, phobias run in families. why? partially it's genetic. these are genetically somewhat passed on. also because in your family, right, your mom may have said don't touch frogs, they carry diseases. >> i remember that when i was a little girl, that's where it came from. >> you had a bad experience, a frog jumped on you and it was scary. >> on the therapist couch. >> runs in family. a fear of snakes.

do you see in your children -- >> i ran into a snake as a child, so yeah. close call. >> getting deep here. >> getting deep in. >> it starts in young kids. so another important fact is the median age of phobia begins at seven, which is really young. younger kids it tends to be creatures, spiders, which is incredibly common or animals. for you with snakes. for instance you were saying oh, don't touch the snake. your child might pick up on that. >> as a parent you don't want to -- >> you don't want to parent in a fearful way. actually things like flying and heights, those are situational phobias that tend to develop more in teen years, adult years. we see people who have difficulty going on business trips and so on because they are really terrified of flying. >> both men and women can get phobias, does it affect one more than the other. >> absolutely. women get phobias twice as often as men, which is really

impressive. partially because women tend to get anxiety orders more often. but men go in for treatment more often than women. >> really? why? >> exactly, important. culturally if you think about it, a woman going oh, a snake, a frog is unfortunately more acceptable than a man going, a spider, and running another way. hence women don't come in as often. get exposure therapy, try out virtual reality therapy or consider medication. >> good fun facts. >> hoda and kathie lee with the man show coming up after your local news and weather.

good morning. it is 9:56. i'm marla tellez. a judge is barring the oakland police union from participating in any meetings related to the federal probe of the city's police department. the judge says union members have no right to participate in the proceedings regarding

court-ordered reform to the department. the union's attorney tells the "oakland tribune" officers want to have a voice in those reforms. the police department stages a federal takeover as soon as december if it fails to fully implement the reforms, which were supposed to be completed four years ago. former police chief anthony bass is getting a new job in baltimore. our nbc station in baltimore says bass will be named the new police commissioner for the city. bass left opd last fall after enduring major cuts to the police force and butting head with city leaders over department reforms. a nice day is in store for us today. let's check your forecast with christina. good morning. good morning, marla. good morning to you at home. look at all these low 70s already this morning. we're at 72 degrees in sunnyvale, livermore, and concord right now, 73 in san jose and 70 degrees in novato. not too shabby in san francisco, already at 65. nice, clear conditions prevail all day long. we stop the clock on your

futurecast at 4:00 p.m., still not expecting the low clouds to return until overnight tonight. we veal your full forecast in just a few minutes. first your drive with mike. the south bay at least is starting a good recovery now as far as those speeds go in the northbound direction. bottom of your screen, 85, still move in the 40s, 280 now in the 40s, better than the 20s. 101 showing a good ease as far as the volume of traffic. we have slow driving northbound 880, north of where there was an earlier accident on the southbound side of stevenson. slow past decoto and possibly an issue in unit, you know, city and slow through sunol. a couple days ago there was roadwork for 680. none declared by caltrans but watch for slowdowns. op & go tra. you can't always avoid it. but you can always do something nice for your car. chevron with techron. care for your car.

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captions paid for by nbc-universal television hey, everybody, it's a big try day friday, june 22nd. welcome to an entire show dedicated to reinventing you. >> from everything to changing your career, your life to changing your look and living space. we get to test drive new careers. >> don't give this away. you gave yours away. >> other than this i wanted to do two things. one was to be a school teacher. i didn't think that would make great tv. i would just be standing there.

the other is to be a backup singer. >> what's more fun than that? >> this is lee brice, the coolest country singer going. he surprised me and we sat in his secret tour bus and did secret things. >> in the man cave. >> i know there's trouble brewing when you wear those tight white jeans in the summertime. every time you wore them trouble ensued. >> hold on. kathie lee, we asked you guys to give us guesses what you think her other career should be. she already knows. here are some of your pob lar guesses. rebecca from tennessee says a judge on "the voice." >> i would love that. >> tammy from louisiana, kathie lee could have been quite successful as a sommeller. and someone thinks you should be a motivational singer. kerry says interior designer. >> i would love that.

>> lisa says i think kathie lee would have been a pastor or a hairstylist. >> how about a pastor with a great hairstyle. >> anyway, one of you is right in that group. >> did you know the average person changes careers six to seven times in their lifetime? >> that's a lot. >> how many times have you changed it? >> does it start when i was scooping ice cream at scoops. >> i don't think that's a career. >> i haven't changed careers. >> oh, yes you have. you went from being an award-winning journalist to being you. now. say bye-bye to the edward r. murrah. bye-bye you pulitzer. never can be taken seriously again. >> what happened? it's gone. it does happen. what about you? if. >> yeah. i had so many. i was a singer first. i was an actress for a long time. a talk show host.

writer. playwright. a recording artist. fashion entrepreneur. my favorite, of course, is doing good deeds. >> you're ridiculous. >> it is. that's my great calling in life is humanitarian work. >> you know what, you do-do a lot of that. well, i feel very small now because i had one career and have not done much. i worked at scoops, ponderosa and tv. >> women have -- this one is fun. i can't believe it. now that i think about it, depends on how long you live. they say women have over 100 different hairstyles in their lifetime. bobbie thomas has had that within a week. we love toe see what bobbie is doing. >> there is the layered look, you color it. lots of them happen. they are talking between the ages 13 and 65 you change more than 104 times. >> when we do our makeovers,

it's always women who said i never changed my haircut since i was a teenager. >> do you regret your past hairstyles? >> there are a couple i regret. >> you regret that side bob? >> that was the day we announced our engagement. >> i like that one. >> yeah, yeah. >> is that natural? >> my hair is naturally very curley, but that one had a little help. >> what else? this is your here look. >> with the bangs. >> i like the bangs. >> why are we spending time on my hair when it's really all about hoda's. >> oh! you know what? >> look at you now though. come on. >> don't show the high school graduation picture. >> you give hope to women everywhere. >> i want you to look closely. don't even. i was actually on tv with that.

that was in new orleans. >> forget who would marry you, who would hire you. >> somehow there wasn't one flattering picture in the bunch. >> i'm saying it gives hope to people. >> kerotin, a gallon of gel. we know you guys are all changing. celebs are changing. >> any time a new album is coming out, a new tour. nobody is better at it than 53-year-old material girl. this is "like a virgin," which she wasn't even then. >> no way. remember the cone bras and all that stuff? >> that was one of my least favorite looks ever. who wants to cuddle up with that? you get pierced. and this is her now. >> with the cheerleading outfit at 53. >> with her moves and her body, all the best. >> cher has had quite the transformation. >> this is for joanne who is in

love with cher. >> it was sonny and cher. then she was an oscar-winning actress. you know the one. what was that, "moonstruck?" >> that's when she found out sonny wanted to get together. >> in 1999 she sang that song "believe." ♪ do you believe in love in love ♪ >> i love cher. she is the best live performer i have ever seen. she and bette midler. unbelievable. >> mike wahlberg was the lead singer of markey mark and the funky bunch. who could forget that when he was the underwear model for calvin klein in '96. >> when you have a chest like that, you don't look at the underwear. >> what is happening there? >> he's using every muscle he's got to keep those pants up. >> then his acting career.

he's the producer of the show "entourage" on hbo. >> and "boardwalk empire." and drew barrymore was an overnight success. she was a little girl. struggled in the '80s and the '90s with drugs and alcohol. now she is a very respected movie actress and producer. just got married and soon to have her first little baby. this one i especially love. >> robert downey jr, me, too. he shot to the '80s with his great talent. >> really battled serious addictions. now back on top with "ironman" and "sherlock holmes." he's married with a new child. there is hope for you is what we are trying to say. sitting there thinking, what's that got to do with me? everything. >> we also decided it was time to go out. when we were doing our ambush makeovers, we decided to find people who reinvented themselves. this is a before photo of julie

mccarthy from illinois. >> it's an interesting story if only we had it in front of us, but we don't. >> the other one you'll like equally as much. we don't know much about her yet either. we will when it comes time. >> you know what it's time for? friday funny. >> if you don't like this you blame patty skidmore on facebook. a teenage girl took her boyfriend to meet her grandmother. grandmother served soda and peanuts while they chatted. the boyfriend ate all the peanuts in the bowl. when they were living he thanked the grandmother for a nice visit and apologized for eating all the peanuts. she replied, i'm so glad you enjoy them. since i lost my dentures, i can only suck the chocolate off. >> that's disgusting. >> but funny. >> it's time for bobbie's buzz!

>> we love it. >> thank you. it's all about reinvention. i brought one of my favorite things. this book is the number "5." it's all about where will you be five years from now? another thing you can reinvent yourself with is make-up. i have to travel with a combination of fantastic. i am personally obsessed. thank you coolatron for inventing this this is a make-up station that folds into a bag. these are lights. whether you want to get out of the bathroom and give your husband time in the bathroom or in a hotel they don't have the right lighting, this bag detaches or stays put for this to all fold up together. >> that's great. >> into a bag that velcros. >> that is fantastic. >> another great little trick. this lipstick with the key chain is a secret bag. they call it the pucker-up

pouch. if i can get it out. if you want to have a table top anywhere when traveling, this is cool. this is the tripad. you can flip this on and have a place to write, work or do whatever when tlafling. >> what is this? >> it's an extra bag. >> who doesn't need one of those? >> everything is on klg&hoda.com. i give some things away. >> is there a date? get on it. next, sometimes the hardest part of reinventing yourself is just getting started. >> a boost by telling you how. and a police officer who turned her life and career upside down. >> and we get a shot reinventing ourselves. i get to play backup singer to one hot singer lee brice. and ambush makeovers. when they came up with this product, they were thinking about my family.

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i've never written a fan letter before, but you've done the impossible. you made gluten free cereals in a whole bunch of yummy flavors. cinnamon chex and honey nut chex are two of our favorites. when my husband found the chocolate one, we were in cereal heaven. the only problem is, with so many great flavors, you're making it very hard to choose. your fans, the mcgregor family. 'cause we love chex. ♪ [ male announcer ] and now try new gluten free apple cinnamon chex. if you've been sitting on the edge of your seat waiting to reinvent your life, why wait longer? >> we have a group of experts. marcy is vice president with encore dedicated to promoting your career. >> and editor in chief of "more" magazine and behind 287 secrets of reinventing your life.

>> she is here a lot because she is sleeping with somebody. and regina went from a police officer to a stand-up comedian. >> you were a lawyer for the first ten years. when you get locked into something, you become identified with it. >> and you hang around with a lot of people like you. >> that is a high-powered position that you worked very hard, probably spent a lot of money to achieve. why were you not happy? >> it wasn't that fulfilling. i had other passions. i wanted to be a writer. i kind of made steps in that direction. >> little steps though. >> little steps at first. hanging around with new people. >> i think some people get afraid because this is what they know and what they don't know is out there you obviously need a paycheck. you can't just up and quit something and start something. what advice do you have for people on the fence. >> what our readers say is the hardest thing is finding out what you want to do. she knew what she wanted to do

next. it's a crazy thing and we call it creating a board of directors, current friends, good friends and go back to your childhood. sometimes there are a lot of dreams you left in your childhood. some for good, some for bad. they're there for a reason. they need to remind you of things you might have left behind. you put them together and they give you thoughts about what you sort of left behind. >> you have an interesting story. were you as a young girl wanting to be a performer and said i think i'll go into police work? >> the bug for performing was always in me. the police officer thing, no, that was, you know, my friend would take a test. i said all right. i always went with the flow. this just came about. >> you are a police officer for years. >> 20 years. >> you did have your pension. when you were trying out the other, the stand-up comedian route you were okay financially. it's something you had to have courage to do? >> i would have been okay financially if i didn't decide to open up a business and lose everything. i should have went back to work. i did take a big leap of faith.

like you're saying, fear is -- >> how did you overcome that? a lot of people couldn't do it. >> i just did it. i went and i took a class. you just have to do the scariest thing. >> it wasn't one time you got up on a dare from friends some night at a club. you went to school for it. good for you. >> i did. >> how do you learn how to be funny? >> that has to come naturally. >> what are some of the biggest obstacles women face. a lot of women want to make the change. we are talking about fear is one of them. >> you have to have money. depending on the situation you're in. what we say is you've got to plan for at least a year of transition. you should have saved a lot of money. >> it's hard to save these days. >> the other problem, you're a woman. you have your whole network around you, your family. sometimes there is resistant to change among the spouse. i know you the way you are. i love you, but don't change. >> did you find that, marcy? >> i think if you find

nay-sayers, it's time to find people who are going to support you and encourage you. >> dump them. >> or maybe don't talk about your transition so much. >> everybody likes to be with a winner. >> that's the number one thing people say. we talk about reinvention a lot. there are a lot of nay sayers out there. it's that they are afraid when you change that means i have to change, too. all those dreams that i had, that i've been suppressing, i have to deal with. >> that can be threatening. >> thank you for coming to see us. >> congratulations. especially you. up next, if hoda had to reinvent her career, she would become a backup singer. we'll find out if lee brice was such a good idea. >> lucky ladies show off their brand-new look. and what kathie lee's second profession is. buying this juicer online was unbelievable.

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what will you gain when you lose?™ we are back with our special reinvention show. when hoda and i were asked what kind of career we would have, it didn't take hoda long to come up with one. >> i love music, i love to sing. i'm not great at it. i chose to be a backup singer. our producer set it up for me. what i didn't know was for whom and where i would be singing. take a look, but please don't listen closely. i've been in the car 4 1/2 hours according to the guys driving north, driving up. i don't know what town we're in

or b, what we are doing here. i imagine there will be some singing and dancing, but if these people are coming to listen to somebody, i mean, it can't be for, for god's sake. please, don't let it be me. >> i'm lee brice. since hoda is here, we are about to surprise her. she has no idea. ♪ last night hey, mama, how are you? you ready to sing? >> i could cry. i'm never surprised ever. today i was completely surprised. i am so excited. i am so excited. hearing him not just sing the lyrics in my ear but sing them in that sexy way lee brice does was so great. >> this is going to be fun. >> i could start crying. >> sing with me. >> no. >> you're totally singing.

>> trust me when i tell you, i'm not ruining anyone's day. maybe one or two notes, but those people paid good money to hear lee brice, okay? not the loud one drowning him out. ♪ i don't make it easy ♪ why do you do it ♪ i stood where you stood >> my voice is so bad. >> your voice is going to be so awesome. >> we start in five minutes. >> showtime, baby. showtime. >> i'd like to pause and say, oh, my god! >> a lot of people. >> please, please, give a big welcome for hoda kotb! come on, hoda!

♪ they want to change the things i see ♪ sometimes i miss you ♪ sometimes i don't know why you stay with me ♪ i'm in love ♪ i'm in love i'm in love ♪ say that you need me ♪ i'm in love ♪ don't make it easy ♪ i couldn't do it if i knew that you could ♪ i'm hard to love

♪ hard to love ♪ you say that it's easy ♪ i won't let you down >> give it up for my great friend miss hoda! >> that was so fun. i didn't know the words, i didn't care, he's so hot, the crowd, i get it. i totally get it. i'm in. totally in. >> so you're totally drunk. >> no. i was a little tiny bit buzzed, i have to say. it was so much better in my mind. when you hear yourself you want to shoot yourself. i'm sorry, lee. >> i'm so grateful there wasn't a stampede. people could have gotten hurt. >> i love lee brice. come back because kathie lee is going to reinvent herself. you voted. one of you is going to be correct. >> you have to see it to believe it.

that's coming up after your local news. let's see hoda again. look who we got here. put a little pepper on that. i'm a typical mom. i go to amusement parks. and my kid's games. and just like any typical mom i'm thrilled when my champion loves to eat something nutritious, like chobani champions yogurt. it's a good source of protein, and most important, he loves it. so even though i'm an olympian, around here, i'm just another mom trying to help her champion win the day. chobani champions. win the day. these are sandra's "homemade" yummy, scrumptious bars. hmm? i just wanted you to eat more fiber. chewy, oatie, gooeyness...

and fraudulence. i'm in deep, babe. you certainly are. [ male announcer ] fiber one. [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] if you have yet to master the quiet sneeze... ♪ [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] you may be an allergy muddler. try zyrtec®. it gives you powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because zyrtec® starts working at hour 1 on the first day you take it. claritin® doesn't start working until hour 3. [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] zyrtec®. love the air. join zyrtec® rewards. save up to $7 on zyrtec® products. good morning to you. it is 10:26. i'm marla tellez. drives across the state could soon find it easier to challenge red-light traffic tickets and win. the california state senate has approved a bill that would establish statewide standards for the installation and operation of those red-light

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10:28. welcome back. taking a live look from high atop san bruno mountain. i challenge you, find a cloud in

the sky. a beautiful day today. temperatures are going to be nice and comfortable. bright sunshine all day long. and we'll hold onto that clarity even tonight, which means if you wanted to go and see the stars, you have perfect viewing to do so. 82 in san jose, 82? los gatos and 71 degrees in san francisco. steady thursday into friday. temperatures tumble back into the upper 70s inland. the latest on what is now hurricane isaac today at 11:00. here's mike. upgrade to hurricane isaac. we have the explanation for north 680. just like a few days ago we had that closure of at least one lane heading north and that's causing a slow through sunol out of fremont. this may go on until 2:30 like the other day, throughout the noon hour at the least. north 101 clear up to the south bay, smooth flow to san jose and mountain view. a look at the bay bridge with the backup now just forming again, but it only goes back to the overkrozing and lighter coming off the turn. back to you. we'll be back in 30 minutes

with more of the day's top stories including the latest forecast on hurricane isaac. we are back with our special reinvention edition of "today." you may have seen my short-lived career as backup singer for lee brice is over. now it's kathie lee's turn. >> that's right. i opted for interior designer. there were a couple of distractions on my job site. they were tall, dark and handsome and go by the name of kitchen cousins. you can find them on hgtv. take a look. hoda had taken porn star so what was left for me was interior designer. i love interior design. i think i would have gone into it as a profession except i realized i would have to make my clients happy, not make myself happy and i'm so freaking selfish that wasn't going to work out. i come bearing gifts and come

looking for a couple of kitchen cousins. >> you're working with us today? >> i'm going to work with you today. >> hanging with us or working with us? >> working. >> she brought her tools. >> that's right. >> what do you think? >> i think we have a lot of work to do. and they've been living like this? >> she's been like this for a couple of months now. her contractor walked out on you. >> one thing for your husband to walk out on you, that you can live with, but your contractor? >> we have a surprise for you. >> hi, i'm kathie lee. >> oh, my god. >> please tell me she is happy. i get a manicure before i start these projects so i can point nicely and write checks. there you go. i'm exhausted. >> we could set up a tv for you and everything. i have cable coming soon. >> uh-huh.

what's on right now, "ellen?" what's the next step? are we going to take a look at the stuff? >> we'll start bringing it in. >> go ahead. bring it in. what was here before? >> before like a laminate. like 1950 style. >> watch it. i was born that decade. tired of that. all right. this looks interesting. it's a little on the modern side. is that what she likes. she likes contemporary? okay. >> she's more, she's younger -- >> what are you saying? >> no, no -- i'm saying her style. ♪

>> size 2, i swear. i actually find steaming, i love it. >> therapeutic? >> yes. i can do this to my face. >> da-da-da! >> oh, my god. >> two hours. >> new living room. don't look too closely at anything. thanks for letting me surprise you today. i hope you'll be very happy and very healthy. >> what are you doing? >> i could get used to that. up next -- >> we've got to thank ali berger. she did all the work. >> who are you, you pretty thing? who is this woman and what is she doing in my bedroom? up next, change starts at home, if you know what i mean. strength may come in all shapes and sizes.

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has your full house turned into an empty nest or found yourself alone after a divorce? instead of wallowing over the loss, why don't you change your space? >> guilt.com lifestyle editor is here to talk about the importance of changing things up. you look so pretty. >> thank you guys. >> you hit tough spots in life.

what can we do for them? >> exactly. bottom line, your home should make you happy. we want it to grow and change along with us. everybody goes through change. >> it's inevitable. >> exactly. an empty nester, the kids are gone and it's time to redo, rip off the plastic coverings. this is about you. >> we like to say paint is home decor's bff. it's the most affordable. fastest, easiest way to transform. if you don't feel like painting a room, paint a piece of furniture like we've done here. it's so easy. psychologists say color affects the way you feel in a room. do your research. cooler colors are about creativity and calm. warmer colors are about stimulation. another great way to bring color or pattern into a room is with a rug, area rug. throw it down. it's so easy. >> they are washable these days. >> exactly. this starts at $88.

we chose green. it's about renewal. >> life. >> yes, it is. >> and you need me time after that. >> yeah. a great way to do that is surround yourself with things you love. say footballs are flying through the house, you might not bring out your collection of china or tea pots or anything. we say bring them out and enjoy it. >> i'm glad the little note stickers are gone. >> exactly. another great thing when you have a little time on your hands, get organized. getting organized is like therapy for the mind and the body already. the first principle of feng shui, believe it or not. our motto at guilt is storage can be stylish. we love these storage ottomans. check this out. >> very cute. >> stash your things in here. they start at $249. >> let's go to the bedroom, shall we? >> isn't this fun and beautiful? the idea here, say if you're

going through another big change, a divorce, to create an oasis in your bedroom. create a beautiful place. >> it has a different use. >> exactly. philosophers have written books how beauty helps our species survive. don't feel bad. >> even if it's a small space. make it a beautiful space. >> the easiest way we know to do that is switch out your bedding. this is by john rob shaw textile. it is so gorgeous. we chose blue. hang on to the blues. blue is a very calming, tranquil color and the most popular for bedrooms. >> thank you, honey. thank you for coming to see us. >> next time don't be see cute. next, destinations to help you get a new perspective on life. yeah, he won the batting title way back in '35. actually it wasn't 1935, he won it in '38...

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>> next time don't be see cute.

on this special edition of "today's travel," places to reinvent yourself. sometimes you've got to get your courage up for real change. >> and there are many different places to go for people to get the help you need. "travel and leisure" magazine's digital projects editor is here with us again. we love her. "under the tuscan sun" that movie where she goes and gets -- there are places that feed your soul. >> exactly. there are so many places to rejuvenate, relax. whatever you're looking for. >> volunteering can reenergize you, can't it? >> exactly. volunteer vacations is a way to get a new perspective on the world. global aware is a great program. they offer one-week experiences in 15 different countries from costa rica to cuba, this is a great way to get back to teach english, teach computer skills, so many things we have that we can give back and find meaning. one-week trips are about $1,100.

very affordable. >> a lot of women want to change or improve themselves. you say going to the berkshires. >> kripalu is located in the berkshires. it's beautiful. they offer a health and yoga retreat and focus on different topics. in july is the science of happiness. you'll come away with positive thinking skills, optimism and a renewed perspective and see things perhaps a little bit differently. yoga and all that good stuff. >> good for your body. >> and one on the west coast? >> there is one located on big sur. on 120 acres. >> that is one of the most gorgeous spots on the planet. >> it's incredibly beautiful. their workshops are on specific challenges, whether it's grief or creativity, whatever you're looking for, you can go there and spend time two to 28 days. a great way to explore these things and come out with a different perspective. >> they are looking so spiritual. frank and i went there and

pretended we were meeting for the first time on a date at the bar. it was 26 years ago. >> what about jamaica. >> this is more laid back. jackie's on the reef, $150 a night. stay on the water. yoga in the morning. you can unplug. this is where you can do yoga in the morning, nutrition. >> you're so into yoga. >> i think there is a trend here. >> brazil is a good spot. >> if you're looking to feed your inner soul as well as mental soul. you can have an adrenalin-pumping experience with the body and soul adventure trip in brazil. ocean kayaking. this is much more active. a different way to build strength and feel strong when you return to your house. >> it's beautiful. what about destressing? >> a shah wellness clinic. this is a minimalist hotel located on the mediterranean. look at it there. it focuses on the microbiotic diet. all the food is nutritious.

>> yoga. >> you can learn about good things to eat. no coffee, no sugar. >> why would you want to go there? >> you'll feel great. a great way for you to travel and change yourself. >> a great way to transform your soul. up next, the amazing results of our ambush makeovers. these are going to be good. this is "today" on nbc. lots of prepaid cards

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it is time for a special reinvention edition of today's plaza ambush makeovers. today we pluck two lucky ladies from our crowd are both ready for big changes. >> our crack resident makeover team spun their magic. our "today" contributor and

stylist to the star louis licari and "us weekly" contributor and author jill martin. >> you had to find these. we've been putting shoutouts. >> and they came. they used the word reinvention. who doesn't want a rebooting, a restarting? >> i saw her with the hat on this morning. >> up first julie mccarthy, 48 years old from oak park, illinois. after being laid off of her job 14 years she decided to reinvent herself by receiving a doctorate degree. she begged us to help her shine on her new path. >> this is going to be a good one. break it down why mom needs a makeover. >> the hat, she just graduated. that's okay. we have the biking sunglasses which need to go. we have the fannie pack which i know you're a fan of, but personally, not my thing. lastly, look at the shoes. we're in new york. >> i love you. are you ready for a whole new look? >> whole new?

i'm kind of scared. >> she's ready. >> she looks beautiful. >> her daughter leah is holding the microphone. sit tight until i tell you to take off your blind fold. here is julie mccarthy before. let's see the new you. oh, oh, oh! are you ready, leah? take off your blindfold, girlfriend. >> oh, my god! >> mom has to see herself. are you ready? >> oh, my god. >> you look sensational. doctor, doctor. >> you look great. >> thank you so much. >> awesome. look right in camera 12. >> tell us about the hair. you look so good. >> the first thing i did, her hair -- the new trend is bold, brown dark hair. her hair was a little bit blackish. i evened it out.

made it a little bit softer. myiki trimmed it up. gave it this more controlled look. >> did you use kerotin? >> he didn't have time for that. >> are you freaking? >> i'm freaking. she looks like a new person. >> i have to say, she said i never wore spanx before. look at this body. everything looks fabulous. she wanted to impress her daughter which was so nice. this is from andrew mark and the hearings are h&m. >> you look beautiful. >> our second lady is joan. 51 from canton, ohio, where you can visit frank's bust at the football hall of fame. she always felt like a plain jane. after 27 years of the same look, she asked us to help her feel revitalized, renewed and reenergized about life. let's listen to her story. >> mom has cried. she stopped. she's crying again. you tell me why you want this for her. >> she worked really hard for us and she is a great mom overall.

>> i can tell you are going to be beyond gorgeous and hot. are you ready? >> yes, i'm so ready. >> are you going to stop crying? >> yes, i will. promise. >> she is here with her daughter madeline, sister karen and her mother martha. they are beautiful. a last look at joan before and bring on the the new and regenerated joan jellison. >> oh, my god! >> wow. >> take them off, baby. >> oh, my god! >> movie star. >> you look awesome. >> turn around and look at yourself. >> ah! >> she looks hot. >> i love it. i love it. >> you look sensational. >> look right at camera 12. you look awesome. look at the difference. >> forget about plain jane.

she left the building. right on trend to the lighter, brighter hair, a monochromatic. natural looking, but believable. her hair cut gave her fullness and body. both ladies have this new icy lip color. perfect. >> i like that. >> i love it. >> look at everyone crying. >> what do you think? >> she looks terrific. >> she was beautiful before. >> you do look like a different person. >> she looks like a movie star. >> you look gorgeous. >> thank you. i love it. >> and the hot little dress. >> i'm crazy about this dress. it's from maggie london. she put it on and said my daughter is going to love this. >> let's bring julie out. big round of applause. >> everybody is awesome. >> thank you for coming. >> we have a star-studded lineup. we just don't know exactly. >> i'm sure they'll be here. have a great day. god bless. bye-bye.

-- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

this is an nbc news special report: hurricane isaac. here is lester holt. good day from downtown new orleans. we are coming on the air to report that isaac has officially become a category i hurricane on its way to southeast louisiana or thereabouts. packing winds of right now 75

miles an hour and lots of rain expected to cause lots of flooding. we want to go to reynolds wolf of the weather channel, also here in new orleans, to give us more on the track of the storm. reynolds? >> lester, you are absolutely right. we will see more of the rain. our viewers at home may be able to see the telltale raindrops moving across the screen. here is where they are coming from. let's go to the satellite radar and you can see the deep tropical convection around the center. the stationary will move from the north-northwest. the problem is it will move at a very slow rate. at least it is forward progress. wind is an issue. a bigger issue, though, is the heavy rainfall and seriously, flooding has all been but a certainty. some places in louisiana anywhere from 10 to perhaps even over 20 inches of rainfall. yes, flooding will be a problem. lester, back to you. >> all right, reynolds. thanks very much. we will have continuing coverage on msnbc and, of course, full reports tonight on the "nbc nightly news." for now, i'm lester holt, nbc