our next newscast. marla tallez and i will have new details on the newly released oakland police report. have a great one! see you tomorrow. good morning. breaking news. a suspect charged in the cleveland kidnapping case in court moments ago, as disturbing new details emerge about how the victims were taken, their years in captivity and the daring rescues. >> we found them. we found them. >> ready to die? >> i believe death, i'd rather have my freedom as soon as i can get it. >> jodi arias speaks out about facing the death penalty after being found guilty of murder. and new this morning, a search and rescue mission in australia right now after two passengers go overboard from a carnival

cruise ship. an investigation under way thursday, may 9th, 2013. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> and good morning, welcome to "today" it's 7:00 a.m. on the west coast on a thursday. i'm savannah guthrie. >> and i'm matt lauer. we are getting a closer look at ariel castro, a judge setting bond at a total of $8 million for the kidnapping and rape charges against him. >> we're learning more about the treatment of the alleged victims for some ten years. it's even more disturbing than expected. let us getting right to "today" national investigative correspondent jeff rossen who is covering the story. >> reporter: good morning. ariel castro is doing some terrible and unspeakable things from thinks girls.

you'll hear the graphic chilling details in a moment. in court, as you mentioned within the past 90 minutes, he simply stared at the floor, looked down as the prosecutor laid out the charges against him. at one point the prosecutor said today the situation as turned, your honor. mr. castro stands before you as a captive. also this morning for the first time we are hearing from the victims themselves about life inside of that house. this as many of them wake up this morning finally back in their own beds. >> reporter: homecoming day for amanda berry, back with her family for the first time in a decade. across town, gina dejesus came home too, that's her in the neon hoodie giving the thumbs up, reunited with her mom and dad. >> i never gave up! never >> never. >> never gave up searching for her. >> reporter: as the families embraced in joy -- >> we found them.

we found them. >> reporter: overnight, new details emerging about what these girls say they endured before they broke free. according to this new police report, the victims opened up to investigators for the first time about how ariel castro kidnapped them, offering each of them a ride home. they all took it. instead, castro drove them to his house where the girls say he chained them up in the basement, eventually moving them upstairs to the second floor. ariel castro kept the doors locked. the girls were only allowed in the backyard wearing wigs and sunglasses. and had to keep their heads down. >> they've only known themselves to be outside of the home on two separate occasions. >> reporter: police say castro raped and beat all of them. according to the report, amanda got pregnant and had his baby, delivered in a plastic pool in the house. michelle knight said castro got her pregnant at least five times.

ariel would make her abort the baby. he starved her for at least two weeks then punched her in the stomach until she miscarried. brutality that is shocking veterans like john walsh. >> 25 years on "america's most wanted" and having talked to a lot of recovered victims, i've never seen anything as horrible as this. >> reporter: ariel castro's own family is horrid fills ed, too. this is his cousin maria. >> when you hear the details, what goes through your mind? >> i can't believe that anyone, even a stranger is capable of doing those types of things to three young, beautiful girls let alone someone that i know. >> reporter: and you're related to >> and that i'm related to. >> reporter: we're also learning exactly how the girls broke free that fateful monday afternoon. on this day, amanda told police, the big inside door was not locked. amanda saw a way out and took it. >> we've got a feel conscious and breathing, a young child with her. >> reporter: police then stormed the

house, guns drawn, michelle knight and gina dejesus jumped into officers' arms. all the girls saved and investigators moved fast arresting the castro brothers for the crime. but now police say two of them had nothing to do with it. only ariel is charged with the evidence pointing solely to him. >> reporter: the victims aren't the only ones talking. ariel castro, the suspect has given them a, quote, detailed statement at this point, matt, they do not believe he has any other victims. >> jeff, thank you very much. matt zone is the cleveland city councilman for the dejesus family neighborhood and has been part of the effort to bring gina home. councilman, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. >> let me start with -- you were listening to jeff's report, you're hearing some of these details now emerging. how do you even process these? >> well, the gruesome brutality that went on is unfathomable.

these are three young women, and to be held captive for ten years is just reprehensible. >> you've been with this family for those ten years since gina was abducted in 2004. describe the moments of anticipation yesterday as she was about to be reunited with her family? what were they going through? >> anxiety. i mean, the community really couldn't believe that this moment was happening. we heard that gina was rescued along with michelle and amanda on monday and to know that she was finally coming home to her own house, to walk through her front door to sleep eventually in her own bed was heartwarming. >> we listened to the cheers from members of the neighborhood and the community and she got inside with her family. can you tell us what were the first things they said to each other? what did they want to share with

each other? >> well, there weren't many words said. there were a lot of tears, a lot of hugs, and i think just subliminally you knew what the other person was saying. hugs all around, neighbors hugging neighbors, family members hugging neighbors. it was just such an emotional experience, one that i'll never forget. >> there are questions now about what happened over these last ten years and what the police did or didn't do. this was a very poor neighborhood where these girls were held for that decade. are you confident that the appropriate amount of resources and effort were put into this case as compared to if this abduction had taken place in a more affluent neighborhood? >> well, i will tell you, it wasn't for lack of being in the public realm. the family did an amazing job, i think, constantly keeping this at the forefront of the police department, city leaders. they were constantly holding vigils and rallies. i know that from everything i've

read so far that the police have never left one stone unturned. in fact, as recently as last summer on an anonymous tip and they eventually followed up several blocks from the location we're at right now, the city spent 48 hours digging through the night because we were told that the remains of amanda berry were in that ground. that cost the city nearly several hundred thousand dollars and that's just what we had to do. it was the right thing to do. >> councilman matt zone. thank you for your time this morning. our best to the family. >> thank you, matt. we're going to have more coming up including a live interview with amanda berry's grandmother in a little while. but right now, here's savannah. >> matt, thank you. we are hearing from jodi arias this morning following her conviction for the murder of her former boyfriend. that trial attracting attention worldwide. and now, the penalty phase begins. nbc's diana alviera is in phoenix covering the story. diana, good morning to you. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. just before the verdict was read outloud, jodi arias turned to

her family and smiled. well, that all changed after she heard the jury's decision when she says she did not deserve. >> i believe death is sealed with freedom, so i'd rather have my freedom as soon as i can get it. >> jodi arias just after hearing the guilty verdict against her tells local station ksav she'd prefer a death sentence to life in prison. >> as to count one first-degree murder, guilty. >> it took just over 15 hours for the jury to find arias guilty of killing her former boyfriend travis alexander, stabbing him 27 times, slitting his throat, and shooting him in the head. crowds gathered outside the courtroom reacted with wild cheers and applause. while arias called the verdict unexpected, saying she did not agree the killing was premeditated. the jury's decision brought visible relief to the family of travis alexander who have endured four months of evidence

and testimony, much of it often graphic. his brothers and sisters hugging and crying in the courtroom. >> justice for travis! >> reporter: alexander's best friend dave hall, screaming with joy as he left the courthouse. >> relief, relief. after three days of waiting not knowing if there was maybe a holdout or a hung jury or something like that, it feels just so good to hear those charges. >> the now convicted killer said she hopes the verdict brings alexander's family some sense of peace. but for arias' family seen just after visiting her in jail. they fear she'll face the ultimate punishment. >> reporter: and now the trial moves into the penalty phase. the state must convince the jury that jodi arias's crime deserves the death sentence. >> thank you. star jones is a former prosecutor and veteran legal commentator lisa bloom. >> good morning.both of you. >> good morning. >> star, let me start with you

and what jodi arias says. she prefers the death penalty. do you buy it? or do you think like some commentators do she's playing games with the jury in case they're watching, some kind of reverse psychology thing? >> well, if that's her attempt, i think it's not a good one. i think she'd end up with the pealable issue of ineffectiveness of counsel. >> you assume the lawyers let them because she didn't just do it? >> i can't imagine why a defendant in the middle of the case. the case is far from over, would give an interview saying anything that can be used against her. >> lisa, let's say we take her at her word and she wants the death penalty. could she instruct her attorneys not to offer evidence in this penalty phase basically not make a plea for leniency? >> well, she could, but i don't think that's going to happen as far as i know, everyone's going forward with the death penalty phase and the prosecution still has to prove up several steps before we get to the death penalty. they have to show this crime was heinous, that it was cruel or

that it was especially brutal. that's the first step if the jury finds that, they go to the next step and weigh aggravating factors against mitigating factors and that's where we're going to hear about her childhood. we're going to hear about any lack of criminal record, her age and any mental disorders she has. all of that has to be proved up before a jury can sentence her to death. >> and in the penalty phase of the trial, we start to hear the life story of the defendant and the attempt is made to humanize her. i want to know what you think of this quick verdict. given a four-month trial, four days of deliberations, this was a quick verdict. in your mind, since all the jurors agreed this was a premeditated, planned murder, do you think that makes them more inclined to the death penalty? >> absolutely. they are not believing jodi arias. i think that was very clear from their verdict. and what's going to happen is they have to look for mitigation from a defense perspective. the mitigation has to be some genuine sign of remorse. she's not shown that throughout the trial and certainly hasn't shown it afterwards.

>> let me put that to you, lisa. because jodi arias has the opportunity to testify again in this phase of the trial. and what do you do when she says she did the killing but tried to argue in the first phase it was justified. how does she get up there? do you think she sticks to the battered woman theory? does she offer remorse? >> she has to stick to the same theory to preserve her rights on appeal. how can she express remorse when her theory all along has been self-defense? and she has automatic rights of appeal. i would expect her to say she's very sorry that travis alexander is gone, sorry for her role in it but cannot come out and look the jury in the eye and say i'm sorry i murdered him. >> well, actually, she can because jodi arias has changed her story so many times throughout this case, we're not sure what she'll say. >> well, one thing that did come out is she is definitely a liar and had to admit that many times on the stand. star jones and lisa bloom, thank you very much. we should mention, there'll be much more on the jodi arias case tomorrow night on "dateline" at 9:00/8:00 central time. matt?

>> savannah, thanks. a frantic search off the coast of australia for a couple of passengers believed to have fallen overboard from a carnival cruise ship. nbc's kier simmons is in our london newsroom with details on that. >> good morning, matt. the couple have likely been in the water for hours. th were vacationing with family and friends, loved ones left waiting, hoping for news. a desperate search by air and sea for two passengers missing this morning. their disappearance discovered only when their ship, carnival "spirits" docked in sydney harbor at the end of a ten day day cruise. new south wales police says that a surveillance video shows the couple, a woman in her 20s and a 30-year-old man falling from the ship's deck wednesday night. the ship was 65 nautical miles off the coast. >> our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends and those two individuals and we're pulling out all stops.

>> reporter: the carnival "spirits" is owned by carnival cruise lines, a subsidiary of carnival corp., the largest cruise line recently plagued with cruising disasters. just this past february, carnival "triumph" in the gulf of mexico had no working toilets and limited food after a fire in the engine room. in march last year, costa alegia -- allegra, with no running water or air-conditioning for three days. and in january of last year, one of the most high-profiled incidents in recent cruising history, the" coalsa concordia" ran aground off the coast of italy leaving 32 dead. >> so far, no comment from carnival corporation, but in the past, the spokesperson has emphasized that the ships are extremely safe. the question, matt, is how did the couple fall overboard? no life preservers are missing, which might have suggested one person was trying to save the other, matt. >> kier simmons in london, thank you very much. meanwhile, the benghazi terror attack at the center of

emotional testimony in capitol hill. natalie is here with that story. good morning to you. >> very emotional testimony. as well as minute by minute detail at that congressional hearing examining the deadly attack on the u.s. mission in benghazi, libya, last september 11th. nbc news investigative correspondent lisa myers has the story. good morning, lisa. >> natalie, good morning. this was a rare moment in washington when political bickering was overshadowed by the raw emotion. career state department officials describe frustration over inadequate security and their inability to get help for colleagues that terrible night in benghazi. >> reporter: a few hours after the benghazi mission was attacked, the number two diplomat in libya, greg hitt, received a call that ambassador chris stevens was dead. >> i think it's the saddest phone call i've ever had in my life. >> reporter: as the battle raged on, he

says he asked the u.s. military to send air support and allow four special forces troops in tripoli to go to benghazi. both requests denied. >> lieutenant colonel gibson was furious. i had told him to go bring our people home. that's what he wanted to do. >> reporter: the pentagon says the special forces were needed to protect the embassy in tripoli and the f-16s, hours away. eric nordstrom, the top security officer in libya last summer, says it's inexplicable that an independent review of what happened didn't focus more on decisions by senior officials. he says getting to the truth matters. >> it matters to the friends and family of ambassador stevens, shawn smith, glen dougherty and tyler woods. they were murdered on september 11th, 2012. >> reporter: now, greg hicks says after he challenged inaccurate accounts of the tragedy, he was demoted. the state department denies punishing anyone. natalie? >> all right, lisa myers in

washington, thank you, lisa. boston's police commissioner tells a congressional hearing today that the government should increase security at public events in the wake of the boston marathon bombing. this as the widow of bombing suspect tamerlan tsarnaev hires a criminal lawyer with a background in defending terrorism cases. catherine russell was facing scrutiny and ongoing questioning from federal authorities. and take a look at this incredible video. it shows you that timing is everything. the clip appears to show an army paratrooper whose reserve parachute accidentally deploys while he is still inside the plane. he got sucked straight out into the air. the soldier was reportedly not injured. he did land about 30 miles from the drop zone. but unbelievable. they were shooting the whole thing, as well. 7:18 right now, back to matt and savannah. good thing, happy ending there. he's okay. >> oh, my goodness. thank you so much. well, it is day two of the epic event we call "wake up with al." this morning we find mr. roker

at a fire house in louisiana. sirens going out. what have you done? >> i'm telling you, we're in carlos, louisiana, as you mentioned. we have a huge crowd that's already gathered here to come and help wake up our fire department. 40 members both paid and volunteers. you know, volunteer and fire departments all across the country are the nerve center of their communities. it's no different. we're going to introduce you and meet the fine folks. the young lady that wrote the letter that got us here. and this is a 75-foot ladder. they're trying to get me to go up on that. we'll see what happens. here's what we've got going on, though. a lot of heavy weather happening in from texas up into the upper midwest. risk of strong storms from austin into oklahoma city, st. louis into indianapolis. you can see the storms already firing up from oklahoma up into the upper midwest. we're looking at temple to shreveport to springfield. anywhere from 3 to 5 inches of

rain. we're going to get your local forecast in a moment. but first, this message. springfield. from 3 to 5 inches of rain. first, this message. ted! it's a! i'm going to college. it's official. [screaming] i'm going to college! [screaming] yeah!!! i'm going to college! ♪ 7:20 on a thursday morning. so close to the weekend. this is the bay bridge. we have that may gray this morning. two-hour flight delays out of sfo. highs today will be comfortable, because of that additional cloud cover. 73 degrees in livermore, 73 in

san jose. mother's day, mid-80s. maybe some showers wednesday of next week. >> and that's your latest weather. matt? >> all right, al. the best to our folks down in louisiana. coming up, a medical mystery solved. the remarkable 4-year-old boy we met last month who keeps suffering strokes. is today the day martha meets her match? we'll introduce her to two possible dates live in the studio. it'll be very romantic. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

coming up, amanda berry's grandmother speaks out. >> after your local news. [ male announcer ] this is bob,

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call 1-888-xarelto or visit goxarelto.com. it is 7:26. i'm jon kelley. a man was+kú stabbed at his ow 21st birthday party near doerr park. after searching yard to yard, police arrested that suspect about three hours later. a new critical report on the oakland police department will be released this morning. it criticizes leadership at the top suggesting a complete restructuring of that department, because investigations can't be conducted properly under the current system. coincidentally, oakland's police chief, howard jordan abruptly announcing he is leaving on medical leave and retiring. the city of san jose

enforcing a law meant to keep us safe from wildfires. no weed can be taller than six inches. anything more is considered a fire hazard. w jose and santa clara county conduct monthly checks of all empty lots to make sure they are being maintained. let's take a quick look outside. christina loren, what's happening out there? >> we do have lou clouds. 53, livermore. 54, san jose, 56 for oakland and 53 in the city by the bay. we're going to see a cool, on shore floor. low clouds carried all the way inland. it is going to take a little while for them to burn off. probably about 10:00 to noon today. redwood city, you can't beat 70 degrees as we head into mid-may. the giants are back at it. 7:15 this evening. they are taking on the braves at at&t park. you can catch that game on our

sister station comcast sports. you will hit the 80s this weekend. rush-hour. mike is busy. let's check on the drive. >> 101 just starting to bog down approaching allen rock and mckie. we do see that is the area of congestion. i will let you know if there are any things reported. 280 and 85, slow north past 17 and 880 respectively. slower drive down east. 880 slow past the san mateo brinl. 680 coming down towards san ramon. watch for that. we will return you to the "today" show.

7:30 am en esta mañana de it's the 9th day of may 2013. you're looking at images of one world trade center. that is the tower that is rising in the location where those buildings were lost on 9/11. and tomorrow morning, we will be up there live as they put the final piece on the spire atop that building. i'll be coming to you from 104 stories in the air. and when they put that final piece in place, that building will then be 1,776 feet tall. it's a symbolic, but significant development in lower manhattan in the healing process for so many people who suffered in the wake of 9/11. >> a lot of people looking at

the cityscape will have an extra bit of pride tomorrow when we see that spire finally go up. >> i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie. >> good morning, everybody. also ahead, we have new details on a medical mystery. a 4-year-old boy who has already suffered six major strokes. well, now, after his appearance on the "today" show, his family finally getting some answers. we'll tell you about it. and a little later on, martha stewart will come face to face for the first time with two of the men who reached out to her on match.com. we'll get to meet them. they entered their profile, and matt put them through an extensive screening and background check. >> right now they're in the witness protection program. >> the question is, of course, will they be martha's match? we'll have that later on. let us begin this half hour with more on that troubling kidnapping case in cleveland. in a moment, we'll talk to the grandmother of one of the victims amanda berry. but first, kristen dahlgren has new information about the man charged in the case. kristin, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, matt. yeah, this morning, we are

we got our first extended look at ariel castro, but the picture being painted by police very different than what neighbors and relatives thought they knew about this man just a few days ago. >> this is how the world knows ariel castro now. but for years in his cleveland neighborhood, castro was seen as anything but a criminal. >> he had always been a loving cousin, a loving father, a loving grandfather. you know, also very popular member of this community. >> on a facebook page apparently belonging to 52-year-old castro, he posts pictures of guitars, writes about being a grandfather. and on may 2nd, days before the women's rescue, in his last post he ironically writes, miracles really do happen, god is good. >> he's cool as a cucumber. >> reporter: charles ramsey made that dramatic rescue and call to 911. he and some of castro's other neighbors spoke with savannah at

cleveland airport. >> did you see anything that would make you suspect? >> they saying nothing and i'm saying nothing. must be good, right? >> reporter: over the years castro also appeared to be a concerned friend. when his daughter's friend, 14-year-old gina dejesus disappeared in 2004, castro comforted the family. >> ka leaf samad helped organize vigils for dejesus and says castro was there. >> ariel castro was there from day one. >> gina's friend ashley described castro as their cool bus driver. >> he used to wear sunglasses and see him on the steering wheel. >> reporter: but employment records obtained by nbc news, castro was cited four times for breaking the rules. he was fired last november. and in a petition for a protective order filed by castro's ex-wife in addition to claims he physically assaulted her, is this chilling claim -- respondent frequently abducts daughters and keeps them from

mother. now, that request was eventually dismissed. castro and his ex-wife were did have a long-standing custody dispute, and, matt, we will likely learn a lot more as this case moves through the court. >> kristen, thanks very much. amanda berry's grandmother, spoke to amanda by phone shortly after she was freed. mrs. gentry, nice to see you. good morning. >> good morning. >> i know you got a phone call a couple of days ago. someone said to you watch the news, there's incredible news about amanda. what was it like to see with your own eyes that she had been freed? >> i just couldn't -- i just couldn't believe it. it's unbelievable. just unbelievable. >> you had a chance a couple of -- a little while after she was released or freed to talk to

her by phone. can you tell me about that phone call? >> well, we just got on and we were crying and happy. just thankful she got away. and all the good stuff and she told me about the little girl and i asked if it was hers and she said, yes, it was. so we've got another one into the family. so we've got two now. >> she said the little girl is mine and she's a joy, i think you told me she said to you. >> yes, she did. >> you hadn't spoken to her since she was 15. did she sound the same? >> yes, she did, yes. i knew that was her voice. >> i know you've said you don't plan on asking amanda many of the details of what happened to her. is that to save amanda from having to go through it or in some way to save yourself from

having to hear it? >> well, i can hear it and if she needs to talk to me about it, good, that's fine. but no, i'm not going to bother amanda until she's ready. till amanda's ready to talk and i give her room and space. she'll know when to do it. she's a tough girl. she'll know. >> you know, amanda's mom passed away during this ordeal. and lieu -- louwanna never gave up looking for her daughter. she organized vigils, was on the phone with the police and fbi. she passed out flyers, even bought her daughter presents every year. i'm sure you must have thought about what her reaction would have been had she been around to see this joyous occasion. >> oh, my gosh. i don't know. she probably -- i don't know. it about got me. i don't know, you know, i'm strong but she wasn't as strong.

i think she gave up at the end. and she did do everything she could do. i know that much. she kept at it, kept on it. done everything she could, but i wish we could've done more and got her out a lot sooner or something. i really do. >> people say she died of a broken heart. do you think that's true? >> part of it yes. yes, sir. yes. i think we all pretty well died of a broken heart, though, really. i mean, when my granddaughter's missing that long, there's no rest for you. you carry it with you. >> are you going to get to see her in the coming days? >> it's over now. sorry, i didn't understand. >> are you going to get to see her soon? >> i don't know. i don't know that right now. i don't know. >> well, we hope you do. fern gentry. mrs. gentry,

thanks for spending time with us this morning. i really appreciate it. >> you're welcome. >> obviously it's still very traumatic for this family even though there's been a happy outcome, they're still living with the trauma that's happened over ten years. >> good news, of course, but it's so incredibly overwhelming. and we hope amanda's just surrounded by love from now on. we take a turn now and get a check of the weather from al and he's in louisiana for day two of "wake up with al." >> today's weather is brought to you by jared the galleria of jewelry. a truly unique selection to help you find the perfect ring. that's why he went to jared. >> and good morning from southwestern louisiana, we're here at the fire department, day one, they wrote in a fantastic letter. we're going to meet the young lady who did that. and i want to talk to a veteran firefighter here. what is this piece of equipment, seth? >> right now, you're sitting on

our ladder truck that we use for structure fires and high rises. >> how high does this go? >> i can push you out 75 feet. >> let's do it. >> all right. >> here we go. you're going to run those controls. >> hit it. >> push you out. >> push me out. wow. so long, we're going up. i love this. as we continue on our way up 75 feet, let's take a look and show you what's happening weather wise. the heat is on, especially in the pacific northwest. seattle, nine degrees above normal, portland, almost 80, yakima, washington, up to 90 degrees, that's 25 degrees above normal, spokane pretty hot too. in fact, southwestern texas, going to be pretty toasty as well. temperatures into the 70s and 60s in the pacific -- i should say in the northeast. also a lot of rain there today. and warm weather making its way through the gulf coast. that's what's going on around the country, her

7:39. i'm meteorologist, christina loren. this is the golden gate bridge. getting a lot+ of sunshine. we still have two-hour flight delays. we'll let you know when it changes. 76, livermore. 76, gilroy. that's it for san francisco. you will need to bring a sweater or a coat to work with you. we will warm you up the next couple of days. low 80s tomorrow. mid-80s on the way for saturday into mother's day. hope you have a great day! that's your latest weather. of course, when you're up here this high, there's only one thing you can say -- my people! my people! my people! oh, by the way, matt. >> yeah. >> johnny carson called, he wants his jacket back. >> i knew it. you're 40 minutes later than i thought you'd be, al. >> that's the first chance i got. >> we'll see you in a little while. coming up next, new hope this morning for a 4-year-old boy we met here last month who keeps having major strokes. and what could be the

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>> reporter: when we first met 4-year-old kalin, his infectious laugh and love of fire trucks. >> there's nothing about him that has the word "quit" in it. >> reporter: his parents felt helpless. neither they nor his doctors near raleigh, north carolina, had any idea why kalin had suffered six major strokes leaving him blind in his left eye and weakened on his right side. but when his story first aired on "today" last month, a scientist at the national institutes of health in maryland saw it online. >> and i was like, wow, what is this about? >> reporter: turns out, doctors here had been studying four other children with multiple strokes and high fevers at an early age much like kalin. >> you could pretty much stack their mri images one on top of another and see the exact same findings.

>> so, kalin, come on in. >> reporter: so kalin and his family were brought in for testing and the doctors' suspicions are confirmed. he has an extremely rare genetic protein deficiency in his blood. >> we found the levels are extremely low or even close to undetectible. >> reporter: quite a discovery. the condition doesn't even have a name. these doctors might call it feof fever and early onset stroke. they're not quite sure how to treat it yet. although injecting fresh plasma is a possibility. if the fda approves. that could happen in several months. >> it's a step in the right direction. >> reporter: more than that, his parents say, it is the hope they've been waiting for. >> we should give him a full, long life. >> reporter: they are helpless no more as a medical mystery is one step closer to being solved. for "today," gabe gouldiers, nbc news. and still ahead, the long time tradition being cut from the miss america pageant. but first, these messages. n to .

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♪ coming up, is this the day martha stewart meets her match? we've got two very nice gentlemen lined up for her to meet. they are in the studio. >> she's studying their profiles. martha, are you in the mood for love? >> that was a no comment, i think. >> she just pled the fifth. >> yeah, exactly. we read the profiles of the guys. martha is now reading them. she's seen them in the past, two very nice gentlemen. and who knows, maybe a first date, maybe more. we'll get to that after your local news. beautiful, hand-crafted rings from hollywood's master of vintage glamour. at kay jewelers --

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7:56. i'm jon kelley. police have kacaught a serial c tle thief. he is suspected of stealing vehicles in sonoma, marin and santa cruz and monterrey counties. he is also suspected of attacking a police officer and robbing a man at gunpoint. twitter setting up shop in the south bay. published reports say the social network company, leasing an office in downtown sunnyvale. it's 8,000 square feet at sunnyvale business park near the caltrans station. the new office would have 40-50 employees. right now, twitter only has offices in san francisco. san francisco, san jose, everywhere in the bay area is going to be beautiful. christina loren, your better at telling us.

oh, come on now. 7:56. good morning to you, jon. i think you did a good job. we have clouds overhead. forcing flight delays at sfo. the sun is starting to breakthrough the clouds for a beautiful sunshiny day as we head through the second half. by about noon, most of the cloud cover will peel back out to sea. 53 degrees. two-hour delays out of is tsfo. mother's day weekend, count on delays there. . 60, san francisco. if you are staying local, it is going to warm up. 7:57, rush-hour. that's heating up. # slow 880 at 280. 280 coming toward us middle of your screen. on the middle of the map. we'll show you the northbound side with the red. a three-vehicle crash on north 880. all these northbound routes typically getting worse because of the incidents in the roadway. south 880 slow coming out of

hayward and north, heading into oakland, slowing down a bit. 680, slow in both directions to san mateo. look at them kids. [ sigh ]

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rethink possible. ♪ it is the 9th of may, 2013. another wet one here in the northeast. we say hello to a big crowd, a happy crowd out on the plaza. i'm savannah guthrie alongside matt lauer. >> those are nice. they really are. >> you have anything to say? >> those are about three inches down. >> matt doesn't like this outfit. he's just lashing out because we made fun of your plaid jacket. >> meanwhile, we'll go right past the jackets. do you have the first day jitters like i do. >> i do. i feel like there's another love in our studio. >> a little nerve-racking. we've been following martha

stewart as she has been very kind and generous with her time and sharing her experience as she looks for a couple of dates on match.com. this morning for the first time after narrowing down the possibilities, martha will meet two of the gentlemen that she has decided to go on a date of some kind with. >> and i can't think of anything more romantic than sitting around with you, matt, as you scrutinize and ask them questions. >> no, no, i'm just the facilitator here. >> we'll look forward to that. then later on we'll catch up with ryan seacrest. he has a great story about a young woman, just 24 years old has a series of popular books, a huge following, even a movie deal. first there was las vegas, then bangkok. what do the guys from the wildly popular "hangover" franchise have in store for part three? zach galifianakis will join us in a few minutes. >> coming up tomorrow on "today" an exclusive live interview with jimmy connors. we know the tennis legend.

he has an explosive new memoir. he opens up with his past relationship with fellow tennis star chris evert, his struggles with gambling and his fierce rivalry with john mcenroy. we'll talk more with him "rock center" with brian williams. stay tuned for that. natalie's got a check of all the headlines. >> good morning, matt and savannah. a court appearance today for the former school bus driver accused of keeping three women and a child captive in his cleveland home. 52-year-old ariel castro looked down at the floor and did not enter a plea. bail was set at $8 million. his two brothers arrested with him have not been charged in the kidnappings but were in court today on unrelated warrants. the victims have told police that they had been chained, beaten and starved. they only recall being allowed outdoors twice for a few minutes during their long captivity. jodi arias spent the night under suicide watch after a jury

in phoenix convicted her wednesday of killing her ex-boyfriend. today the jury begins the penalty phase, which could result in a death sentence. prosecutors said arias was in a jealous rage when she stabbed travis alexander nearly 30 times, slit his throat and shot him in the forehead in 2008. the body of boston marathon bombing suspect tamerlan tsarnaev has been buried, according to police, in worcester, massachusetts where the body had been at a funeral home. after their appeal for help an individual came forward to provide the assistance needed. the fate of tsarnaev's remains had been in question after several communities refused to accept them. now let's ahead to wall street where the winning streak is still going strong. we're at the new york stock exchange with more. >> good morning, the streak for the stock market continues. the dow jones industrial average, which is widely viewed as the broadest measure of health for the u.s. economy,

posted a fresh high above 15000 points. that's up 15% this year, that's double what it did all of last year and famed investors warren buffett think it could go even higher. we'll get a new read on how consumer pocketbooks are faring. gap, t.j. maks and victoria's secret will let us know how their businesses did in april. thank you. a choreographer who was a key defense witness in michael jackson's 2005 child molestation trial is now seeking permission to file a claim against jackson's estate alleging that he was abused by the pop star during a seven-year period when he was a child. that the singer had never improperly touched or molested him. jackson was ultimately acquitted. the song that's been a part of the miss america pageant since 1955 will not be included in this year's show. the song that starts with the words "there she is, miss america" has been dropped because of a licensing dispute.

now for a look at what is trending today a quick roundup of what has been talking online. the "jersey shore's" snooki is offering moral support and more to the state's governor chris christie. he recently had lap band surgery to lose weight. snooki tweeted if you ever hit the gym and need a workout buddy, call me. she dropped 50 pounds after having a baby last august. champion spearfisher kimmy warner looks to free dive. how the predator almost became the prey. she found herself face-to-face instead of swimming away, she felt drawn to the shark. she hitched a ride for what she calls one of the most intense moments of her life. and you thought your commute was rough. check out how these bridge builders in siberia get to work before the bridge is finished. they hitch a ride in the bucket of a giant excavator to get halfway across a river, then

they switch to a second machine to complete the trip. so enjoy your commute as you see that. it is now five minutes past the hour. hello? hi, jack -- zach. >> zach. >> a fly-by by zach galifianakis. how are you? jack's not here but zach is. he'll talk about the "hangover" in a little bit. but first to al who is in carlos, louisiana, with "wake up with al." today's weather is brought to you by the makers of nondrowsy claritin. you can experience powerful nondrowsy relief throughout your live claritin clear. bradley, bradley, no, just because zach did it, you don't have to do it too. you just stay there. we continue on day two of "wake up with al." yesterday we were in college grove, tennessee, some 700 miles away.

this morning we're in carlyss, louisiana n the southeastern part of louisiana, two hours west of baton rouge. their motto here, a few serving many. responders of the carlyss fire department are woken up, it's with an alarming tone and a great sense of urgency. last year they responded to 725 calls covering an 81-scare-mile radius protecting the 13,000 residents in the area. most were service calls made to assist other emergency departments like ems and the police. when it comes to a life or death situation, which they have faced many times in the past, they don't shy away from their responsibilities and are willing to put their lives on the line to save others. lori primo coleman is also a vollen tire firefighter in the area as is her husband patrick coleman and the chief of the department is james stanley, in charge of the carlyss fire department. welcome to all of you.

having a good time waking up with me? >> yes, i am. very much so. thank you. >> why did you want us to come here and wake up with you guys? >> because of you. >> that's awfully sweet. we wanted to salute you folks. >> yes. >> because you were a police officer and your husband convinced you to become a volunteer firefighter. >> yes, he's been doing it for a while. i saw that he was having fun, so i kind of joined in. >> patrick, you guys are actually a volunteer firefighters together in ward 6. you got a pretty hot relationship. >> you could say that. >> what's it like fighting a fire next to your wife? >> it's real, real interesting. >> we really don't think anything of it. >> you're just professionals out there. >> you would never know that that's my wife while we're on scene. >> and chief, this fire department, you got 45 fighters both volunteer and paid. how important is a fire department, a volunteer fire department to a community like this? >> big time. because you get part of the

community involved with itnd it's their family and friends that they're out there helping to protect. it's just a family oriented department. >> all right. we also want to say we've got a bunch of neighboring firefighters back here as well. showing you support. very nice, tha 8:09 on a thursday morning. you're so close to the weekend now. taking a live look at the bay bridge. mostly cloudy but the sun is trying to break through the clouds. we'll be at partly cloudy over the next few hours. 73 degrees for livermore today. 70 in fremont. 60 straight up in san francisco. you'll need the coat today. but heading into the weekend, you can ditch the coat. temperatures ramp up into the mid-80s. monday to tuesday, an area of low pressure approaches the area. maybe showers on wednesday. and yes, they do have a fire dog, savannah. however, not a dalmatian. it's sassy. hi there, sassy.

>> aw, sassy, i love it. coming up next the wait is over, martha stewart meets two of her potential suitors for the first time live in our studio. and then are you ready for round three? we will catch up with "the hangover's" zach galifianakis. and where you can find hot summer travel deals today at presummer prices. but first these messages. 17 days ! i'm still claritin clear ! 22 days of continuous relief. live claritin clear. is challenge: get continuous, non-drowsy allergy relief or your money back. go to claritinchallenge.com for details.

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♪ [ female announcer ] nothing gets you going quite like the power of quaker oats. today is going to be epic. quaker up. we're back at 8:13 now. over the past week or so, america seen a different side of martha stewart. we're used to seeing her cook or doing something crafty, but she's now taking a stab at online dating. and according to martha, it's all in the spirit of adventure.

martha, welcome back, good to see you. >> nice to see you. >> thousands of men after you put your profile on match.com, thousands of men reached out saying they would like to go on a date with you. we narrowed this down in stages to about 50 or 60, then to -- >> it was hard. >> what was so hard about it? >> well, reading the profiles and trying to figure out if there was something in common with about 1,000 different guys. so it was kind of difficult. >> and we've been stressing all along, this is not about finding love or a life partner, as i think sam, from match.com said, it's about trying to find a couple or a few nice first dates. >> yeah, i like to go out with men. i have so many great things to go to and you want to take somebody with you. so that's one reason. another reason is that i actually would like some day to find a match. >> right. >> and i just want to stress and you've been so good about this that this is real reality.

>> yeah. this is not set up at all. >> none of these have been set up. none of this is fake. and i want everybody to know that because i want other women in a similar situation, it can be done, i hope. >> and i've known you for more than 20 years, and i'm not going to say you're a ball of nerves because you're not, but it's outside your comfort zone. >> i'm slightly apprehensive, but nervous. >> let's not waste any more time. >> is there a difference? >> no, it's close. there's a fine line. let's get to meet match number one. before i bring stan schofield out, was there something that stood out in his profile? >> yeah, we actually had worked together in the past. >> you didn't remember this, right? >> well, no, i mean, just looking at him, no. but that he brought it up was interesting. and i thought, well, he lives nearby. so it wouldn't be -- >> convenient. >> yeah. >> stan, come on out. oh, sorry, hold on one second. let's first meet him. >> my name is stan, i'm a film maker, director, writer, do commercials, independent

features. probably one of the best jobs in the world. i do a lot of sports, stay active, paint, carpentry, i like to eat, have a nice glass of wine with dinner. i'd love to find someone with a great sense of humor. i love dogs, sunday afternoon sitting around, reading the paper and i love summer. >> i was so anxious, i jumped the gun. stan, now come on out and meet martha. >> hello. >> hi, stan. >> and he brought me flowers. >> good to see you. >> how are you? >> here you go. >> welcome. have a seat on the couch. >> we're going to talk to you in a second. but now we want to take a look at match number two. and was there something that stood out? >> he likes to hike and he likes -- well, he didn't say he likes animals, i'll tell you later, that was intriguing too. >> let's meet him. >> okay.

>> i'm larry, and i'm an international steel trading business. we buy and sell steel all over the world. i honestly love what i do and loved it every day of my life. love traveling, love the new york philharmonic, love walking, swimming. life revolves around the ocean. i live right near it. i have two children, a daughter and a son who are adult living in new york. i'm very close with my kids. what i'm looking for in a woman is somebody who hasn't lost the idea of what love is all about. with the right person, it'll be new all over again. >> all right, larry, come on out and meet martha. martha, this is larry. >> hi, larry. >> hi, larry, good to see you. >> nice to meet you. >> it's now official, i'm jim lang. stan, let me start with you. >> all right. >> what was it about martha's profile online? what is it about martha that made you think this was something you wanted to pursue? >> oh, i always really liked

martha. how could you not? >> did we have fun on the commercial? >> we did. >> we had a good time. she was great and turned out really well. it was a long time ago. >> yeah. fun. >> did you have interest in dating her back then? >> oh, i guess i shouldn't say. >> you can say. you can be honest. >> i might have. >> larry, what was it about martha made you decide to take a shot? >> when i read the profile, she expressed the same feelings i think all of us at this age have. a lot of trepidation and fear of it and we're usually not afraid of much. but then when she said learning, curiosity, adventure, you know, that's really what we're looking for. >> for either of you, any part of the fact she's so well known give you pause? >> no. >> no? >> yeah. absolutely. >> tell me. >> it's -- i think the -- it would look more like an opportunity, i would look more like an opportunist.

>> yeah. >> and that's not me. >> do you believe me that this is a real thing? >> yes, you express in your profile all of the feelings i think all of us have when we go on to something like this. we're used to being fixed up with people we know and a certain amount of comfort. >> hardly an effort. >> yeah. >> i'm really mad at all of them. >> stan? >> the funny thing is, when i saw your picture on match.com and i said well, that's a familiar face. i can't be who i think it is. >> oh. >> i didn't know all of this was going on. i thought, well, oh, she's on match.com, that's cool. so then we had a little correspondence and the next day somebody told me without me saying anything, oh, have you seen what's going on with martha stewart? and i go, what? and they go -- and i said you've got to be kidding. >> and now you find yourself on

the couch. >> can i say? martha is a pro at being in front of a camera. so this comes fairly easily for him. i'm very proud of you guys because i don't think this can be easy. >> not at all. >> to do this on national television. so congratulations for that. >> yeah, i think it's bold and nice, actually. >> and there are no winners and losers today. it's not like we're going to say you get the date, you don't. you're going to go out, coffee, whatever, separately. >> not together. >> no, not the three. guys, thank you so much. and we have one late addition, martha. >> oh. >> one other guy decided he would love to take you out. >> oh, my gosh. >> zach galifianakis is here. >> martha and i met once at a convention. >> i watched your performance in your last very big blockbuster movie and i don't think i would choose you. >> all right, guys. thank you. let's go over to savannah. >> larry, stan, live to see

another day. well, mother's day is this sunday. and in honor of this occasion, "today" national correspondent is introducing us to a truly super mom. jamie, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. just outside of philadelphia, we met an amazing woman dedicating her life to foster children who need to be adopted. and she and her entire family are leading by example. >> dancing, dress-up. even dinner, there's never a dull moment in this household. >> how did people react to your family when they see you? >> heads turn and stares. but also a lot of smiles. >> that this large family is african-american, hispanic, and white is just a small part of their story. what's special is how they all came together.

when valerie and larry married, they had already made families, three kids from her first marriage, three kids from his. >> "brady bunch 2." >> but it wasn't enough. >> within one year, you tell him -- >> i always wanted to adopt a little girl. >> and larry? >> he says, okay. >> so valerie responded to an ad for troubled foster children. >> she said i have a little girl for you, her name is angela and she asked me to come in and read a report. i read it and fell in love with her. >> she had been through ten foster families. what made you fall in love with her? >> i felt like she was talking to me through the words on the paper. i felt like she was calling for me. >> but at the last minute, the agency gave angela to another foster family. valerie was devastated. but her mother told her not to worry. >> she was standing in the kitchen and she said you are

going to get this little girl, mark my words. two hours after that, my mother died. got the call that evening and they said this -- we wanted to know if you wanted angie. and i said, wow, she knew. >> they just seem like they actually love me. i could trust them. >> then angela begged for a baby sister and she joined the family. >> that's when i came along. >> it wasn't always easy. >> angela pushed everybody's -- >> buttons. she would go into a temper tantrum to a point where she's tearing up her room. and i said why are you doing that? and she was just screaming, you're going to get rid of me, you're going to get rid of me. so i started tearing up the room with her. >> an inspired move. >> we tore that room apart. she looked at me and says,

you're weird. and i said but i love you. you going to get rid of me now? nope, you're not going anywhere. and after that moment she realized i was in it for the long haul. >> why did you know this was the place you wanted to live? >> because i felt loved. >> what is one word that you would use to describe your mom? >> caring? >> and they are both thriving. angela is on the honor roll with straight "as" and she has big plans. >> what do you want to be when you grow up? >> a doctor. >> as for their blended family, they admit it took some getting used to. >> some people go, oh, yeah, i can see the resemblance. >> and on this mother's day, they hope their mother will inspire others. >> all those kids out there need families and it's not about race. >> she always wants to rescue

people all the time, that's how she's always been, just a rescuer. >> she's everything you want in a mom. >> you going to cry? >> what kind of car did you want to get? >> larry, greatest lesson learned. >> more is better. when these guys are grown and gone, there'll probably be a whole new crew coming. >> look at how happy she is. she got her mother's day gift. >> she's super mom. that's my description of her. super mom. >> come on. >> and larry is a super dad, this is a super family. not only did they open their hearts, but valerie and larry have started a foundation called being beautiful to help foster children and promote adoption. and if i had to bet, there will be more children joining their family down the road. savannah? >> well, they've got the heart for it. jamie, thank you so much. now let's get a check of your local news.

good morning to you. 8:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. a vote tonight will give the 49ers' new santa clara stadium an official name. a special meeting will give exclusive naming rights to levi strauss and company which plans to use the name levi's stadium. the iconic clothing company paying the team $220 million over 20 years for the naming rights. let's check the morning commute now with mike. >> for 200 million$200 million, call me levi's if you like. 880, much calmer than an hour ago. calmer on the maps. but the big concern is 280 at 680. both directions away from 101.

northbound 280 approaching downtown, 680 still has crashes in lanes. that's been a tie-up for the last half hour, especially south 680 heading down north 880. looking at a smooth drive for the peninsula. not a major issue. smooth flow of traffic to the peninsula but 84 is looking heavier than typical. watch the dumbarton bridge. and the san mateo bridge looking good. >> thank you very much. we'll have another local news update for you in half an hour or so. enjoy your thursday morning. ♪

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tonight jay's new with the voice of shakira. >> hi there. it's time to go potty. on "fallon" jane lynch and lady antebellum. ♪ it's 8:30 on a thursday morning. the 9th day of may, 2013. plaza on a day that has rain and sun and a little bit of everything out there. 59 degrees on the plaza. our thanks to people sticking around. inside studio 1-a, i'm matt he tried to win a date with martha stewart earlier. didn't work out. zach galifianakis is here to tell us about the wolfpack's new

adventure in "hangover 3." >> he really try, but no dice for zach. people are clamoring to see "star trek: into darkness." captain kirk himself, chris pine, will be here to tell us about the starship enterprise's action packed voyage. also ahead -- like when you speak that way -- ryan seacrest introduces us to a young writer 24 years old. she has a large following and a nice big movie deal. voyage. now al is down in carlyss, louisiana. >> good morning. we're here in carlyss. this is southwestern louisiana. and these folks have all turned out, which is awfully nice, to honor their fire department. let's show you what we have as far as your weather's concerned. today we're looking at a gorgeous day in the pacific northwest with temperatures in the upper to mid-70s. we do have a risk of strong storms texas into oklahoma. also from missouri into ohio.

beautiful weather along the west coast. a nice day in the southeast with 82 degrees in atlanta today. tomorrow that risk of storms moves up into the northeast. also a slight risk down through southern texas. sunny and warm from the pacific northwest into the southwest. and a gorgeous day along the southeastern atlantic coast into 8:32 on a thursday morning. clouds are starting to thin out here along the golden gate bridge. but we still have the flight delays out of sfo. you want to check ahead with your carrier. still at two hours. likely to ripple out throughout the day. san jose will hit about 71 degrees. 73 for livermore. 77 in fairfield and 60 in san francisco. you'll need the coat today. but you can peel it off by friday. touching on the 80s inland. we'll be in the mid-80s saturday into sunday. monday to tuesday of next week, clouds increase, a few showers on wednesday. and that's your latest weather. savannah? >> all right, al. thanks. we're joined now by louise

rhodes the very fashional host of "fashion star." they're getting ready to crown a brand new king or queen of fashion that will be launched with a $3 million debut collection. good morning. good to see you. >> you too. >> i love this show because we see such creativity. for a designer, this could mean everything. put it in perspective in this industry to have a $3 million collection to start. >> it's huge. in fact, macy's an express shops sit on the runway. and when our designers create pieces, those stores buy them. what's cool is when you're watching, you can literally click on it and buy it. >> some of those have already sold out. >> completely. even between the three-hour delay between the east coast and the west coast, people in california are like, hey, it's already sold out. done really well. >> jessica simpson, nicole richie, what kind of advice do you hear them doling out? >> they're officially mentors. tomorrow night's finale they

have one contestant left from each team. it just happened to work out that way. by the tenth week they're very emotionally invested in these people. jessica got a little teary over stuff. because you've been reaching for this person, giving them experience, life advice, don't do that, do it that way. and they're putting their reputations on the line as well. >> they are. and they're looking not just for creativity because sometimes you have these designers who come on and i think they're artists and they think of these incredible fashions, but the judges are also looking at what's commercial, what can actually be sold. these buyers are pretty tough customers, right? >> it's hard to balance that. there's one guy in tomorrow's finale called daniel. he's the artist. he belongs in pair nis the couture houses, creating these incredible pieces. but to bring that down to a level where you can sell a dress for 40 bucks and can it suit every woman in america, it's hard to balance that. >> the finale is pretaped. i'm going to stare at your face,

any sign that you'll give away something. >> that's intense. >> she's staring holes in the back of my head. >> channeling it through. >> give us a hint. one morsel. >> it doesn't necessarily go the way you might expect like right up to the end it's a nail-biter. and it's pretty intense. >> you're a fashion expert, right, what do you think of this plaid jacket? >> louise, i'm closest to you, okay? remember. >> it's absolutely beautiful. it's bang on trend for spring. i can see a little hint of sage green in there. >> hold on. i'm going to tweet bang on trend. >> for car salesman or for everybody? >> oh. >> wow! >> on twitter, comment on her comment, all right? congratulations. great to have you here. and the season finale of "fashion star" 8:00, 7:00 central right here on nbc. today's great american adventure begins.

for the first time we hit the road to hawaii, yellowstone, chicago, orlando and back for the reopening of the jersey shore. plan your summer vacation with "today." we're back with much more. this is "today" on nbc.

good news. back for a brand new adventure in the "the hangover part 3." zach plays the odd but somewhat -- he's fallen on bad times and his friends intervene and get some bad news. >> phil? >> what, allen? skbl i was going to say i got this strange e-mail the other day, i'm not sure what it meant. but now i think it might be from chow. >> fatty, it feels good to be out. close by. tell no one. i'll be in touch. chow. this says chow. how did you not know this was from chow? >> at the time i thought it was

chow like good-bye. >> welcome back. good to see you. >> thanks for having me. >> let's set the scene here. alan's been off his meds for six months when this movie starts. i told you never to go off your meds, why did you do that? >> going off my meds is all part of the research. >> uh-huh. >> alan goes off his medication and the guys are worried about him. so they try to take him to an institution. >> well, they conduct an intervention. >> uh-huh. >> your friends and your family members are alan's friends and family members. have you ever been part of a real life intervention? have you ever been the subject of a real life intervention? >> i called my parents once and asked them to do an intervention on me. >> and they declined. who is this? >> yeah. no. i've never been part of an intervention. no, i haven't. have you? >> no. not yet. >> do you need one? >> different school of thought

on that. did you have any doubts about doing part 3? >> you know, it's hard to sustain, i think, for a third movie i think it's just hard to sustain, you wonder if the crowd's going to be interested in it, but ultimately i think it turned out really great. i'm really happy with it. >> i was reading some things before you came on today. and i actually found that you have an official website. >> i do. >> you have www.zachgalafanakis.com. it starts out by saying he's happy you found his site. though i read he doesn't have the ability to feel any shred of emotion for another human. >> uh-huh. >> is that true? >> i didn't write that. >> who wrote that? >> the internet. >> the internet wrote it? >> the internet wrote it. i don't know where that came from. who are these people? >> these are your fans.

>> there's only seven people out there. >> no, look that way. >> oh, there they are. [ cheers and applause ] that looks like a nightmare. >> this character, is there someone even remotely in your real life that reminds you of this guy that you can mention on the air? >> no, but i always think it's really funny when people are not self-aware. and the fact that alan is so stupid that he can say anything and it doesn't even have to make sense is really fun. unfortunately it's really easy for me to play. >> you seem to do it with all -- >> i don't know what that's about. >> when the group gets back together, since this is the third movie, is it seamless, does it take time? do you sit in a room and read lines again? or is this something you can do without all that much rehearsal these days? >> it's like riding a bike, kind

of. well, unicycle. we all keep in touch and have over the last few years. so it's kind of easy. we get right back into it. >> our friends at fandango.com did a survey and some people wanted questions asked of you. the pressing questions are have you had any of the situations in the movie happen to you in real life? >> no. no. but i do have a monkey and a giraffe. >> people don't know about the giraffe yet. >> oh, they don't? >> no. >> oh, i'm not supposed to say anything. >> no, that's in the new movie. you hosted "snl" recently. reviews were pretty good. one person said bearded economic gives near flawless performance. >> oh, i read that on my website. >> oh, the internet wrote that? >> yeah. it's fun to do. >> have you done it? >> no. >> would you do it? >> i don't think i'll be asked

to do it but i would if asked. >> okay. i'll see what i can do. >> if elected i'll serve. zach, good luck. "hangover part iii." your buddies will be stopping by next week. coming up next, a popular young writer on the verge goes face-to-face with ryan seacrest. but first this is "today" on nbc. ce with ryan seacrest, first this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:45 with the new "on the verge," face-to-face with ryan seacrest. ryan met up with veronica ross at the los angeles times festival of books and discussed her rise. >> they'll know all about the 24-year-old author of the wildly successful books "divergent" and

"insurge "insurgent" and probably tell you they can't wait for the third one "alliegent" due out this fall. >> it was a catch friz r phraph childhood. if you're bored, find something to do. that's what writing is about. >> so veronica wrote, coming up with the idea of her first book in college. crafting it over one winter break. >> it was really incredible. i mean, it was like one minute i was in my parents' house in my rubber ducky a jpajamas and i polished and sent it to agents and got one. >> so incredible, she made good on a wacky promise she made on her blog. >> you got into a tub of mini marshmallo marshmallows. >> some mega marshmallows. >> i kind of made a promise a couple months before i got the book deal. if this ever happens, thinking

it'll never happen. >> be careful what you wish for. >> be careful what you promise on the internet. >> it's that sweet quirkiness that endears her legions of fans. the dark stories are not light reading. >> it's a futuristic world that an attempt at a perfect society has been made and that attempt has gone awry. >> the teenage hero is faced with an impossible choice. spend the rest of her life safe with her family or choose the one she's only dared to dream about. empowerment that teens say translate into their real life. >> she was just trying to fit in, i think. we can all relate to that. >> what's going to happen in your life is maybe impacted by the choices you make now. >> why do you think that resinates with teens today? >> i think it suggests the kind of power that people of that age have. i mean, you're forming yourself, you're becoming an adult. that's why i love writing for teenagers because there's really no other age group that is that enthusiastic and engaged and absorbs what they read. >> and soon what they'll see,

"divergent" the movie is in production and stars kate winslet. >> what was your reaction when you found out they wanted to make your world a movie series? >> i didn't really believe it until i got to visit the set and i was like, oh, maybe it is happening. >> like her characters who confront their fears head on, veronica pledged to do the same. >> and one of the things you did was overcome your fear of public humiliation. >> right. i went with some friends and we jumped into the fountain with all the little kids because that's embarrassing to me. it might not be embarrassing for everyone, but i was afraid to do it. >> and now you have no fear of anything publicly. >> it's all gone. >> one thing she's not afraid of, her next book. >> "allegiant" a cap to the trilogy. the trilogy might be ending, but roth's career is clearly just getting started. ryan seacrest, los angeles. and coming up next, we will

catch up with "star trek's" chris pine.

the uss enterprise is ready to beam us up for a brand new adventure in the new movie "star trek: into darkness." the crew is almost as confident as they can.

take a look. ♪ ♪ >> i'm not sure that qualified. >> and chris pine is captain kirk again. chris, good morning to you. >> good morning to you. >> i was thinking about this. this is the second installment in the star trek sear prips you had all the intimidation of playing this iconic character. you did that well. you have to live up to the hype of the first movie. a little intimidating to get back in that suit? >> any time you step on the set there's some trepidation that you won't be able to -- especially because the first film, thank god, was received so well that you won't live up the hype. but j.j. abrams creates a very warm set.

it's a very easy set. a lighthearted set. whatever elements of responsibility that we might feel is taken off us, thank god. >> we see the continuation of your bromance with spock. >> the good old bromance. >> i feels like that chemistry is really at the heart of the movie. >> it is. it's two men in a great friendship that are trying to figure each other out. you know, kirk is ruled by his passions, he's ruled by his heart. spock obviously is a man of logic and reason. they come from these two completely polar opposites of the spectrum. a matter for them to learn how to work together, essentially. >> in real life do you feel like you have more spock-like qualities or are aw captain kirk type? >> i think it's a balance of both. i think that's the journey for these two men so to figure out some kind of balance between the body and the mind. >> j.j. abrams, great director of this. really gave you a great playground. he couldn't build you a spaceship, but the set is pretty

impressive. >> the set is incredible. i did one episode of "er" many, many years ago. stepping on to that set, it looked like a hospital, the complete thing. this "enterprise" that scott chambliss created is incredible. it has the corridors leading off of it. helps us play make believe. >> it's great to be in a huge franchise like this. you've been at acting a while. when you're in something like this, does it make you feel like okay, i've made it? >> i feel so lucky to be where i am. you know, again, it's really a credit to j.j. that, you know, going to work, even though it is "star trek" a big franchise, you're coming back after summer break and seeing your friends for the first time. you get into it. at the end of the day, it's fun. it's kinds of work, but it's mostly fun. >> are you the kind of person who thinks, boy, if i can do this thing or achieve that goal,

i'll know that i made it. i'm a big star? >> obviously, i'm ambitious, like anybody else is. but i think i've learned enough in my time that you reach that plateau. just when you think that this will give you that sense of, you know, you'll be sated, you look up and there's ever more platforms that, you know, to get to. so i'm enjoying my time. and i just hope to get some more opportunities. >> you come from a show biz family. >> yeah. >> you have -- both your parents were actors at one time. was there ever really an option for you? or was that the absolute career path? >> i think, you know, in hindsight, you know, around the dinner table i suppose if you come from a family of doctors or something, you talk about medicine. but at our dinner table, you talk about the day's work. and my father would invariably be coming from one set or another. and that's what we'd talk about. just through a process of osmosis, it seeped into my blood stream. but i wanted to be a baseball player, i wanted to be all sorts of things other than actor. >> you will now play another

iconic role, jack ryan. pretty exciting. you do like to set yourself up for big challenges. >> i don't know what it is in the stars that have aligned that i'm now taking on these two storied franchises and obviously great actors have played these characters before. and this newest installment is ken branagh directing, keira knightley is in it, kevin costner whom i love and i've watched his films forever. it's an intelligent thriller. it's a new kind of spy thriller that makes a lot of sense in 2013. >> chris pine, great to see you. we'll be watching that. >> star trek into darkness which opens in theaters and imax 3-d. thank you very much. coming up, how to unspoil your kids. by the way, we want to mention that great story jamie gangel brought us earlier about a mom who has dedicated her life to foster children, it's part of a documentary on our sister network oxygen, the untold stories of motherhood.

it coincides with the season premier of "i'm having their baby" on june 12th. a lot more ahead. we're back after your local news and weather. the dreamliner has been grounded since january after a battery fire in boston and an emergency landing in japan. we'll check the forecast now with meteorologist christina

loren. a nice day. >> beautiful day. good morning to you. temperatures will end up in the 70s. today, one of the coolest days in the extended period as we have a warm-up headed our way. back in the 80s by tomorrow. by saturday, the mid-80s return. sunday, area of low pressure arrives. could bring showers into wednesday of next week.

♪ >> welcome to "today" on this thursday morning, may 9th, 2013. another damp day in midtown manhattan. i think it's maybe a little better, and then it's back to the rain. >> you have the -- >> i wore my june clever dress. >> we're channelling the blue and white. >> i didn't even know that you were -- >> i thought -- >> you look great. >> every time you're here, i seem to not be here, so it's great to finally, finally, be here together. with the willy in the middle.

>> from ""access hollywood" live" you were out there in town all week. >> we're taping outside today because the rain is not going to stop us. >> i think it's going to clear. you'll be fine. al says you'll be fine. >> let's hope so. al is down in louisiana on the second day of the world tour, the wake up with al tour. he is in carlos, louisiana at the firehouse. we'll catch up with him and the firefighters in a little bit. we begin in cleveland where ariel castro was arraigned on charges of kidnapping and rape. jeff lawson is in cleveland this morning. jeff. >> hey, good morning, guys. the court appearance lasted only a couple of minutes as we expected it would in arraignments like this. ariel castro stared down almost the entire time. in the end he is being held on $2 million bond for each case. of course, there are three victims here.

that makes a total of $8 million. long story short, he is remanded. he is going to jail to wait this out. he did not plea in this hearing. he did not plea guilty. he did not plea not guilty. now it moves on to the next phase of what could end up being a lengthy situation for ariel castro, and this is -- we're getting new information from police reports about what he allegedly put these victims through. those three girls inside the house, including, of course, he is charged with rape and kidnapping, but it went well beyond that. in one case for michelle knight, she told investigators that he impregnated her five times and made her get abortions and made her miscarry. it's terrible and even graphic to say by punching her in the stomach. amanda berry, her baby was born. she says ariel castro is the father, and he made her deliver in an inflatable swimming pool in the house. according to the victims, they say that he wouldn't let them out. they were locked. they were chained up at first.

then they moved up to the second floor of the house. he would never let them outside rarely. only a couple of times if they were wearing wigs and sunglasses. disturbing details coming out. >> we should point out the two other brothers that were initially implicated in this, not brought up on any charges. >> that's because ariel castro, in his statement, said he has confessed to these crimes. he said his brothers had nothing to do with this situation. just as you read more and more into this story and you learn more and more of these details, it just makes your stomach turn, and i can't help but think of that poor young girl who grew up, was born and conceived in that and grew up seeing, you know, and witnessing that abuse. >> as a mother, it's unthinkable. that's a decade of their life. as a parent thinking you've lost your child and then to find this out. i hope the girls do not go to court. i hope he pleads guilty, and they can be left alone to heal. >> we'll stay on top of that story. we move to our take two. waking up with al in louisiana. al, you're spending day two of

your wake up with al series down there at the fire station. how has it been? >> well, it's been terrific. you know, i mean, volunteer firefighters are the backbone of a lot of communities all across the country. this one a mix of volunteer and paid firefighters, and daniel duhahn is one of them. why don't you introduce your friends here. >> on your right we have my brother, aaron. is he in the fire service for about five years now, and he works for lake charles fire department. over on my left we have garrett who has been with us for five years as well. >> how long does it take to get your gear on? >> it takes -- it should take you about 60 seconds to put all this gear on. >> 60 seconds? >> yeah, 60 seconds. >> i have gotten a head start because i'm in the boots already. you start with your boots in your pants? >> that's correct. we start with the boots in the pants. >> ready to start the clock? all right. start the clock. here we go. all right. ♪

>> they're winning right now. >> how much does that gear weigh? >> it weighs about 60 pounds. >> a good workout putting all of that on. >> and he got it backwards. >> i can live with that. >> details are overrated. go, al, go. >> yeah. yeah. >> got one more glove right here. yes, sir. >> now, it makes you realize how much they have to wear to protectively. it's pretty craze where i. >> you think -- you crushed it. >> 60 seconds. >> al roker. >> are you sweating yet? >> as i said, i am sweating like a pig. i mean, there's a barbecue pit over there, and i'm going to lay on it.

>> have you to go put out a fire, isn't that right, now that you have -- >> we're going to do that. we're going to put out a fire and go do some cooking. we're going to -- i can't breathe. >> all right, al. we're going to check back in in a couple of minutes to get the weather, if you can give it to us. >> great idea. >> let's go to take three and talk mother's day coming up this weekend. there's a new study out -- this is very interesting -- conducted by a marketing firm that showed a gender gap when it comes to mother's day gift giving, specifically for first-time expect yaant mothers. yes, expectant mothers? >> we're doing all the legwork. >> but when you were pregnant? i don't remember getting -- i feel like -- i didn't ask my husband for a gift. should i have asked? 61%, according to the survey of women said they do expect a gift when they're pregnant. 58% of the men say they're clueless about this, which i love. >> i don't think i've ever got the push gift, but my husband was so good. i had a hankering for fried chicken and he kept me well fed.

the chubby hubby and chunky monkey ice cream. he was always doing the little things. >> i can't imagine you eating chunky monkey -- you are so teeny. >> i was a weeble wobble. >> i wrote her a note about how excited i was. sfwroo i got a card. >> we asked you at today.com. as a whole you were more in line with the female point of view. 61% yes. yes. i expect a mother's day gift if i'm expecting. 39% said no. >> i don't remember. i did get like a push gift and all of that. >> i think i got a push gift with the first. by the third it was like high five, let's get back home. >> what's happening with some of the of other headlines. zoog today, of course, the sentencing phase begins now for the convicted killer jodi arias. on wednesday a phoenix jury found her guilty of first degree murder in the death of her one-time boyfriend during what prosecutes said was a jealous rage. she could get the death penalty

and has called death the ultimate freedom saying she "rather have my freedom as soon as i can get it." well, today congress is holding a hearing on the boston marathon bombing and testifying is boston's police commissioner who wants the government to step up security for big public events. on wednesday the focus on capitol hill was the september 11th attack that killed ambassador chris stevens and three other americans. the number two u.s. diplomat in libya testified that after hearing that stevens was dead, he asked for u.s. military air support and special forces. requests that were both denied. republicans on the committee have accused the administration of trying to cover up what happened. a desperate search is underway off the coast of australia for two passengers who fell from a carnival cruise ship. they were discovered missing when the ship docked in sydney after a ten-day cruise. surveillance footage shows the unidentified couple falling from the carnival spirit middeck during the night about 65

nautical miles off shore. the census bureau says for the first time on record the turn-out rate for black voters exceed thad of white voters in 2012. census numbers show that 66.2% of eligible black americans voted in that election compared with 64.1% of eligible non-hispanic whites. well, today yet another garment factory tragedy in bang wi bangbangladesh. the staggering death toll is growing by the day. 948 people were killed in the collapse of that building filled with garment workers making it the worst tragedy m history of the global garment making industry. today prince harry is coming to america for a week-long visit. he heads first to capitol hill to see an exhibit on land mines, a cause that was dear to his mother princess diana. during his visit, he will also go to denver for the opening ceremony of the warrior games,

an event for more than 200 wounded service men and women, and he will also go to the jersey shore to visit areas recovering from hurricane sandy. and some of the best talent during a recent soccer match showed up even before the game began. it came during the national anthem when 11-year-old lexi walker wowed the crowd. listen to her. ♪ and the rockets red glare the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there ♪ >> only 11 years old. well, she sang at a match between salt lake and vancouver. a match no doubt remembered as much for the song as the game. beautiful voice. wow. sign her up to america's got talent. she's incredible. all right.

you're up-to-date. right now let's go back to al. he is in carlos, louisiana, once again. get a check from him on your weather. >> today's weather is brought to you by massage envy. give mom the gift to relaxation this mother's day with a massage envy spa gift card. >> you know, when you have a part of your firefighting area is forest and wetlands, stuff like that, an atv like this is the way carlos gets in here. it has a bad ner here that holds water so they can fight fires, and a basket to take wounded folks out. it's really one of these do anything, go anywhere type fire trucks. cool stuff. let's see what we've got for you for today. we are looking at a risk of strong storms stretching from austin up to oklahoma city. st. louis to indianapolis, we could see some damaging winds, hail, and isolated tornadoes. you can see the fire -- the radar is firing up already.

heavy thunderstorms. we look for anywhere from two to three inches of rain making its way from temple all the way on up as far north as chicago. th good morning to you. 9:12 now on a thursday. still very foggy. because of all this low cloud cover, this is san bruno, temperatures only in the 70s today. you won't need the ac. that's good news considering we're now into may. 73 in livermore. 77 in fairfield. 66 in san francisco. temperatures comfortable tomorrow but warmer. up to 80 inland. 86 for saturday. mother's day looks great. mid-80s. hope you have a great day. in the next half hour we'll put out a fire. we'll start a fire and do some cooking. then we're going to leave. >> is that truck propping you up right now? >> he is tired. >> i think so. it is. hold on a second. yeah. >> all that gear weighs a lot.

weighs a ton. thank you, al. thanks to you, as well. good to have you here. come back any time you visit us. coming up next we have tips for unspoiling your kids right after this. >> i have to stick around for that one. i need good advice. fight. flat hair. fast. new volume extend dry shampoo, from garnier fructis. this dry shampoo absorbs oil. refreshes with citrus and grape. full body. no residue. for just-washed volume, all day long. fructis volume extend dry shampoo. the recent increase in cafeteria prices is not cool.

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♪ >> this morning on "parenting today" how to unspoil your kids. a harvard study found 88% of parents believe their children, their own children, are spoiled. the good news is you can reverse it. anna connery is content director for "parenthood magazine" debra tillman is the star of the lifetime series "america's super nanny, family lockdown." good morning to you. >> good morning. >> let me start with you, anna. that 88% number. >> yes. >> as a parent, that makes me

say, well, stop spoiling your kids if you believe they're so spoefd spoiled. why do we get the 88%. >> i think we get there because we can. it's so easy to be out and about, whether you are at target at the dollar store, and your kids wants something that will keep them happy, you endulling. we do it to save time. kids don't have a sense of urgency, right? when you ask them to do something, they often can take forever to do it if you have ever asked a little one to tie their shoes, you know what i'm talking about, you know? we swoop in and we try to take over the whole thing just to get it done, but that's not really teaching them over the long-term how to fend for themselves. >> debra, you flagged a few reasons why we spoil our kids. first one you talked about is guilt. >> guilt is really, really difficult. i mean, we spend at least ten to 14 hours a day away from our children. they're either in daycare or with nannies, and parents have that overload of guilt about not spending time with their

children. >> how about over indulgence. >> it's really just making no sense for children to have five pair of shoes at 1 years old. you can't wear them anyway. you have to give children what they need and not what they want. >> big difference. >> big difference. you see little kids nowadays. my son is 7, and he often walks around with a starbucks, and i think what am i doing? everybody at a younger and younger age, they're used to having almost anything and everything at their disposal, and it's a very different world that we're living in. >> it does a disservice to children. >> how does exhaustian play into all of this? >> we spend how many hours at work, and by the time we get home we're spent. we have nothing left to give to our children, and really what children need is love. what is love? to them it's spelled t-i-m-e. >> i love this one because it's important. choosing friendship over parenting. in other words, trying to be buddies with your kids. >> i think people do that a lot. especially as kids got older, they think they're going to connect more and be able to -- like your kid is going to come

to you more if they see you as their buddy. that's not your role. when you try to play the role of parent as they grow, i think it's harder for them to see you in that role and give you the respect that you deserve. >> a lot of the parents i deal with, they don't want to be seen as the mean parent, and really it's not about being mean. it's about being responsible. >> let's talk about unspoiling the children. we know how we did it. we asked the today.com whether or not children can be unspoiled. i think we've got the results here. 71% believe in this. that their child can be unspoiled. let's dig into that. we're going to start with the category young kids. up to the age of 8. values are a big important one. >> values are big. i think that you have to examine what are you placing value on? if you are the type of parent that's constantly looking for the latest gadget or the latest handbag, then your ridz kids are going to grow up valuing that. if you are somebody who says i value hard work and pride in a job well done, i'm going to give my kids tasks and praise him when he does well, and i'm going

to encourage him to enjoy that feeling of pride that comes with that, that's the kind of value that you want to instill. >> make a plan, you suggest. is that a good idea? >> make a plan is good, but my plan to turn off the technology and tune into your children. that's the bottom line. i mean, you want to connect and strengthen relationships and establish relationships with your children, and you can't do that if you are constantly on the computer, constantly on, you know, text messaging. children need to feel us. they need to communicate with us. the only way to do that is by listening to them. >> let's jump ahead to older children leading by example is the key here. >> i think that you are the ultimate role model, as debra and i were talking about earlier. you know, it starts in the home. i mean, don't wait for them to go outside the home to look for those role models. you are your child's latest role model, and they're going to look for you that way, and it really starts with you. >> you want to model the behavior you want to see. if they don't see loving parents, they're not going to be able to carry that out as well. >> i think we can do this. we can unspoil the 88% of

american children. >> it's never too late. >> anna, debra, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> coming up, al cooks up a louisiana favorite on his wake up with al tour. that's right after this. what makes your family smile? backflips and cartwheels. love, warmth. here, try this. mmmm, ok! ching! i like the fact that there's lots of different tastes going on. mmmm! breakfast i'm very impressed. this is a great cereal! honey bunches of oats. i hear you crunching.

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i don't think so. new great grains protein blend. protein from natural ingredients like seeds and nuts. good morning to you. it is 9:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. a man is in the hospital this morning after he was stabbed at his 21st birthday party in san jose. police say the man was stabbed at a home near dora park early this morning. after searching yard to yard, police arrested the suspect about three hours later. a new critical report on the oakland police department will be released this morning. it criticizes leadership at the top and suggests a complete restructuring of the department because investigations cannot be conducted properly under the current system. coincidentally the police chief abruptly announced yesterday he is on medical leave and retiring. city of san jose enforcing a law meant to keep us safe from wildfires. the city has a six-inch rule

meaning no weed can be taller than six inches. san jose and santa clara county conduct a monthly check after all the empty lots to make sure they're being maintained. we'll have a look at the forecast and the morning commute after the break.

welcome back. the time is 9:28. i'm meteorologist christina loren. taking a live look at the golden gate bridge. you can see we have mostly cloudy conditions, still dealing with those two-hour flight delays out of sfo. czech ahead with your carrier on time out of san jose and oakland. 73 in livermore. 76 in gilroy and 71 in santa teresa. if you're headed out to the giants game tonight, 7:15, they're taking on the braves, it's going to be a cold night. 50 degrees out there at the yard. next couple of days, a warm-up on our hands. in the mid-80s for mother's day weekend. it is busy out there this morning, mike. >> but. but it's starting to thin out.

this is a much better than a half hour ago. 101 has slowing. there's a crash on northbound 101 and there's a crash on tully at center. a major intersection. the intersection is itself open. the rest of your northbound routes looking all right except for 85 and 880. typically jammed up. northbound 85 at saratoga is where we're really focusing. southbound 880 and southbound 680, clearing up as the earlier crash cleared. the northbound side also quickly recovered. >> sounds good. we'll have another local news update for you in half an hour or so. enjoy this thursday morning.

>> this one is from dan mcdade. dan says, hey, jimmy, have you heard of close-up serenading? it's when a singer serenades you with a song, but stands only inches away from your face. can you make this happen for me with lady antebellum? are you here, dan? dan, yes. come on down. take a seat. come on down. ♪ and i don't know how i can do without you ♪ >> oh, god. ♪ i just need you now >> i would love to be that dan in the middle right there. >> if you are a fan -- >> i love lady antebellum.

that would be my dream. >> serenading. i'm willy geist. coming up, a little close-up serenading, and some simple ways to save extra cash. >> then we have a great panel of women lined up to tackle some hot topics. we're going to chew over a lot of different things. first, let's get a check of the weather once again from al in carlos, louisiana. good morning again, al. >> hey, talk about hot topics. this is a simulated lawn mower fire. we got the chief here. you are going to show me how to be the nozzle guy. what do i need to snn. >> to be the nozzle man, you are going to get a good grip on it and pull your valve back here. keep water on the base of the fire until you get it extinguished. >> here we go. all righty. >> go all the way around it. keep going around. ♪ >> there you go.

>> how many pounds of pressure is this? >> 125 pounds. doing all the good. we can swing around and get in the front of that engine compartment. >> all right. >> looks like you got it out. >> is it out? >> looks like it's out to me. push the valve back forward. >> that's how we do it here, laetsdz and gentle 9:32 now. you made it to thursday. so close to that weekend. want to start with this live picture coming in from san bruno mntd. you can actually see the birds fighting against the wind. but that wind is clearing out the fog. that bodes well for the two-hour flight delays we've been dealing with out of sfo. a cool day on tap. right around room temperature in livermore. 73 for now. 70 in fremont. 60 in san francisco. yu mother's day weekend, looking good, mid-80s.

hope you have a fantastic day. >> today is brought to you by kraft macaroni & cheese. delicious noodles surrounded by creamy, cheesy goodness. you know you love it. >> all right. thanks so much. all right. we can adjust my microphone. all right. in today's kitchen what's cooking, well, it's a hot time in the old firehouse tonight. fire chief james camry and jeff capman is making a fire wrapped pork loin. everything goes better with bacon. why is this such a great tradition for firefighters and cooking? >> i think it's because we get a lot of downtime, and we spend a lot of time in the station away from our homes, and it's stuff that we do at home, so we have to do it here. >> how are we making this? this is a dinner of champions. >> we're going to take a knife and cut the pork loan.

>> a boneless pork loin. >> a boneless pork loin. cut it all the way in thirds. here we have jalapenos. we cut them in half. put the jalapenos many. here we have cream cheese, feta cheese. we're going roll it up. >> it has a nice cheesy center. >> it has a nice cheesy center to it. >> roll it up and put that in the middle. i'm going to give you the pleasure of taking the southwest chipolte sauce, our seasoning, and put it all over. >> a nice dry rub. >> nice dry rub. okay. >> once you get done, we're going to give it to the chief here. >> a little arts and krafrts to this. you're going to make a lattice work. >> it's simple bacon weave. you lay your bacon out, and it's like basket weaving.

once you do it, you just every other one you do you just keep going back and forth until you get them all to whatever you need, and it's all good. >> it ends up looking something like that. >> that's the end product on that. then when your tender loin, you start it on the edge, and it's usually the kicker getting it all to roll up. you just keep on rolling. then that's what it looks like there. >> okay. >> then if we go over to the pit -- >> let me open that up for you. >> oh. >> we just center it on there, and -- >> indirect heat. >> indirect heat about 220 25, 250 degrees, about two, two and a half hours. or until it gets about 160 degrees on the inside. >> how many firefighters would this serve? >> depends on how hungry they are. sometimes one. sometimes three. finished product. >> all righty. i'm going to -- i'm going to get

this when i come back because i want to try out this atv. it's been fantastic. we've had a great time here in carla. hold on a sec. want to try to get this thing started. i got to get to beautiful downtown silver spring, maryland, tomorrow because i'm going to be waking up with somebody else, so here we go. oh. going to turn on the -- [ siren ] >> that's what i'm talking about. >> very cool. safe traveling, al. see you tomorrow. >> bye-bye. >> al, we'll see you tomorrow. >> job well done in louisiana. >> needs some emergency vehicles after that bacon wrap whatever that was on that grill. >> looked good, though. all right. coming up next, interesting question. could an affair be good for a marriage? an interesting survey. we'll put it to our panel of women who are going to weigh in on this. definitely a hot topic for sure. >> rites right after this. last time i was at a sleepover my parents

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from marriage to mothering and the friendships in between, we have wise women ready to share their wit and wisdom. dr. lisa thornton, and rachel is an author and political punt it, and host on the live well network, and audrey mcclellan is the co-founder of mom generation.com. welcome to all of you guys. a lot of great topics to chew on

this morning. let's start with this one, which is very interesting. i'm curious to hear your takes on this. this comes from a daily mail article about a new survey that said that one in three women say their own infidelity actually helped boost their marital sex lives and apparently more than half of the women said an affair made it easier for them to stay in their marriage. perhaps made them appreciate what they had more. who knows if they felt guilty. renee, you have an interesting take on this one because actually about a year ago when you were married for 18 years you were considering perhaps either an fair or leaving your husband. >> yeah, yeah. i mean, that's a hard thing to actually say out loud. >> but you have written about it. it's published. >> it's anot a secret. i've written about it on good enough mother.com, my blog. we've been married for 18 years. i was convinced at 18 years i was out of that.

yeah. >> what made you stay in? was it the thought that i might have an affair, or what made you decide to stick with it? >> the reason i can't get down with these women who are saying that i think that this is, you know, going to help my marriage is that i understood that i couldn't implode my entire family over that infidelity, which is really what it boiled down to for me. we went to therapy, and we worked through it, and now we've been married 19 years. >> the infidelity never happened. >> right. >> i think it's a great idea. >> what? >> if the guy has an affair too. as long as we're all in. let's everybody just have affairs, and then it's open. >> open marriage. >> really. if it's fwood for the woman, then it should be good for a husband. >> that's what i think is all wrong with modern women. not going to happen. i think what's wrong with modern feminism today is this idea that if we emulate men that somehow it's empowering even if it's something as ugly and destructive as an affair. self-reliance is empowering. you know, earned success is

empowering. having an affair, kind of like people saying a lap dance, learning that, is empowering. i don't find that empowering. i don't think that women -- you know what i'm saying? >> the main goal is we all have the right to have a happily ever after, so, you know, if you don't want to have it, if you're not feeling happy, then you get a divorce, you get separated. i feel like you either have open communication with each other, or you see counseling. it comes down to three different things. >> we have to move on. it's a good one, but we have to move on. this is a survey conducted by baby center. nearly one-fourth of all women reveal that family and friends aren't looped into the social media, then they're less involved in their lives. in other words, iffure want on my facebook, then you're out. >> this drives me crazy. >> what is this about? i don't get this. >> i don't like -- i like to multi-task, so if i'm sitting in front of a computer, then i can't load the dish washer or clean a toilet. i actually kind of resent that there are family members who only, you know, communicate via facebook. they don't call anymore.

i feel like you really don't want to have a conversation. that's the more how are you doing? no, really don't answer me. i'm just saying how are you doing? >> audrey, your whole career is based on social media. >> absolutely. >> you understand perhaps what draws people, and i guess people expect that you're going to be involved in their lives and know about their children's birthdays or -- >> absolutely. >> they want -- >> this is me. you know? i announced my pregnancy on facebook on my blog, on youtube. i made a video of my kids saying we're having a girl after four boys. >> people often say no more with you if you don't go to my blog or -- >> it's funny because after people -- i had people come up to me two months later, i didn't know you were pregnant. it was like -- i put it on my blog. you didn't read it? >> more pressure to, like, be connect and do this and do that. i just -- >> i feel a lot of mommy guilt already. >> why add another thing? >> i think social media is the new backyard fence.

that's how you -- we're connected. >> literally keeping up with the joness on facebook, right? well, ladies, unfortunately not enough time to talk more, but dr. lisa, thank you so much. rachel, renee, and audrey, great to have you all here. coming up next, we're going to make it easy to spend a little less money and save more. we'll show you how right after this. marjorie, i can't stand you. you're too perfect. even the inside of your dishwasher sparkles. okay. so i'm the bad guy for being clean. you said it. ladies, let's not fight dirty. cascade kitchen counselor. see, over time, finish gel can leave hard-water film on your dishes and dishwasher. new cascade platinum's triple-action formula not only cleans your dishes, it helps keep your dishwasher sparkling. so we're good? don't do that. okay. [ female announcer ] cascade's best is new cascade platinum. don't do that. okay.

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today's money is brought to you by mass mutual, a company owned by its policy owners. >> this morning on "today's" money tips to help you spend less. carl wra is a column mist for good housekeeping making sfwleen. >> we have club music to save money. i like the way we're coming in. >> bam. >> people just aren't conscience. you go out and you spend, and you don't often stop and make a plan, and a good place to start is when you go shopping for food. >> yes. i recommend that folks right down their expenses. you will be surprised how much money you can spend in one day, and here's the thing. you can save thousands of

dollars every year just by putting a couple of systems into place. for example, which food? did you know americans lose over $2,000 of their groceries to waste every year. >> really? >> it's simply about planning. plan your meals. there's a great app called food on the table. it has a meal planning app, which basically pulls together recipes, shops virtually at the grocery stores around you, gives you the best price, so it builds a shopping list for you. there's mother app push pen, and this one is all the coupons. let's say you have your shopping list. you go in, and you take the upc code, and you can the upc code, and you see the coupon. you get a local coupon. you can get a coupon from the manufacturer. when you go to the register, you just show them your phone. >> you can show it off the phone, and they'll take it that way? >> you know those little cards you have in your wallet, but the loyalty cards on your key chain, card star app will consolidate all those cards and put them on your phone. >> there's no excuse. they make it pretty easy. >> a lot of people don't think

about this. shopping for a bank. i go to the one closest to me, and it's on the corner. >> i'll take you shopping. here's what you want to do. the thing is that banks now on average $3 an atm withdrawal. $3 monthly maintenance fees, and we comparison shop the heck out of everything else. you should comparison shop your bank. it's a couple of hundred dollars in fees. go to my credit union.gov, and have a no fee bank. there are dozens out there. >> are there some that you recommend, a couple? >> a couple i recommend all the time allied bank, simple.com is another one. you just want to have free banking. it's out there. it's a matter of moving your money and finding it. >> let's talk about this one. this is interesting. shop locally. keep it in the neighborhood. >> well, a lot of the spending that we have is actually local in the neighborhood. for example, art classes for after school. my daughter went shopping around for after school programs. on my local yahoo message board. saves $350 in three months. it's a lot. also, handy man.

anything thaw have somebody in the neighborhood come into your home and do something, can you shop that around too. aol has patch.com. 900 communities. they advertise local businesses. you're going to save a lot of money. >> you don't hang your own chandeliers? >> i do not. i call my handy man. >> another one you have is automate your life. what does that mean exactly? >> how much would you pay for an extra hour of sleep? >> the game show. $1. go low. >> a lot. time is money. sleep is money. this is the way i quantify it. imagine if you were to pay your baby-sitter so you could take a nap, right? how much is that? let's say that's an hour. what if you automated almost everything in your life from the food shopping to the banking to other things, but also too what about amazon.com, wag, yoyo, soap.com. all these sites that you automate. toiletries, so they come automatically. consolidate it to a monthly shipment, and it's free shipping. >> put your life on autopilot at

that point. >> you will get an extra hour of sleep. >> one more thing, slightly off top ebbing here, but i think important. the emergency fund. i have always heard you should have different months ready to go. >> even more. lots of people depend on you. absolutely. here's the thing. all this money that you save, which is probably adds up to several thousand a year if you take all of this wonderful advice, you can go to choose to save.org, and it will show you how much of emergency fund you should have. make sure you keep all this extra money in another bank that you don't touch and it's not linked your checking. you won't be tempted. >> i'm going to go on-line and find you a good handy man. >> i'll find you a bank. >> carmen, thanks, as always. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

>> are you busting in on crystal geyser is always bottled at the mountain source. crystal geyser. crystal geyser.

crystal geyser. then we deliver it directly to you. good morning to you. it is 9:56. i'm marla tellez. police have caught a serial car thief. berkeley police arrested 42-year-old dmitri storm on tuesday for burglary and resisting arrest.

he's suspected of stealing vehicles in sonoma, marin, santa cruz and monterey counties last month. he's also suspected of attacking a police officer and robbing a man at gunpoint. twitter is setting up shop in the south bay. reports say the social network company is leasing an office in downtown sunnyvale. it's 8,000 square feet near the cal train station. right now they only have offices in san francisco. a cooler start to your thursday. let's get a look at the forecast with meteorologist christina loren. >> it's going to be a little bit cooler than average today in places like livermore. 73 degrees. 71 for santa teresa. 76 in gilroy and 60 degrees in san francisco. might need that coat but just for today. by tomorrow, high pressure takes over. and we're going to bring the numbers up by about 5 degrees on average. by the weekend, offshore flow returns and we are going to warm you up as we get into mother's day weekend.

84 on saturday. 85 on sunday. let's see how we're doing on the roads. >> a little gray. the clouds still hovering around but not a problem as far as visibility for drivers. a little gray at the eastshore freeway. west 80 you see the commute. you're at the limit eastbound, westbound still recovering. richmond, a crash still clearing to the shoulder. the other crash at poway has cleared off the roadway. debris to report at 13 at 24 and causing a bit of slowing around that interchange. the rest of the area through the peninsula, looking good. >> looks like the sun is peeking out there. we'll be back with our next local news update in 30 minutes. see you at 10:26.

oh, yeah. >> uh-huh. >> it's thirsty thursday. it's dreary and a little drizzly around mehere, may 9th, but we have a song in our heart. >> we are full of sunshine. >> how are you? are you doing well? >> i'm good. your cards match your dress? oh, my god! it is almost a perfect -- >> a tad off. >> so you were busy yesterday because you were reunited with your old lover. ♪ and it feels so good >> they called us both and you

said politely no, they don't want me and that's not true. >> "access hollywood live" wanted you. >> they're doing their show here right across the street. they said would you come by and surprise regis. so what am i going to do? i love the reg man, so we went. >> she's doing so great with hoda. i can't even get her name right. i love her, she's great. they're great together. >> see what she used to do for him? >> i need to step up my game. >> this is a great lead-in for your show. >> yeah. >> they're getting stronger all the time. >> the titans of tv and we just ride their wave. >> we love the coat tail. >> kathie lee was really one among -- well, it was a year and a half of other co-hosts before you wormed your way in. >> i slept my way in, and you know it. >> just keeping it straight, keeping it straight. it was a lot of fun.

i think we'll have a little news to tell you about in a week or two about billy bush and kit and me and you. it will be fun. we're going to do it later. >> so who wants to be a millionaire? that's another show -- >> a million doesn't go as far as it used to be. >> meredith vieira is -- was hosting it and we were on during that time. we played for a charity, a children's charity. >> the children's miracle network's hospital. >> it's airing tonight -- or tomorrow. let's watch. >> so have you had something to drink? of course you have. >> you know what, that's really none of your business, meredith. >> i can smell it. >> but that's brussel sprouts, okay? let's just remind you of all the time you went boozing with us. >> cops and robbers, an old married couple, meat and potatoes, kathie lee and hoda. >> wait. two friends who can't stop fighting. >> it wouldn't be cops and robbers. wouldn't be meat and potatoes.

>> on old married couple. >> but they're two friends. >> i think it would be d. >> we're in stereo. we think it's b, an old married couple, final answer. >> yes, it is. >> you're going to have to wait and see how much money we won, but it was a whole lot. >> and we weren't as stupid as we thought. we were worried. >> we love meredith, we wanted to do it. >> i love game shows for that reason. >> there's another one pretty soon. >> we have a lot of secrets we can't reveal. anyway, i want to say thank you to everybody on facebook who realized that i don't know how to feed blake properly, because i told you i was having trouble. i fill the bowl up -- >> 400 or so people. >> i fill the bowl up, put it down and he looks at me like and. so i pick it up and pretend to eat it with a spoon. whenever i eat something, he wants it. he looks at me, i put a little juice in the spoon and he licks

it. everyone said stop doing that. >> coddling him. >> but they have other suggestions of how to make him like the dog food. they say to add things into it. like -- >> that he can't separate out. he is cute, i've got to say. >> they say to add in cheese or scrambled eggs or rice. >> protein, chicken. >> sometimes i add baby food in it or some of the canned stuff. they told me to put baby food in it, that it was good. he likes it. i mix it all in there. but you said -- >> leave it there and when he's hungry, he'll eat. >> and some other person, who's like a shrink, said it's a control issue and blake does it because he can get all of your attention focused on him. >> so put the bowl down and walk away. >> leave. do you have trouble with the dogs eating or your dogs just eat? >> maybe. here's the trouble, once you start feeding them your food, they will never want -- why would they? they're not stupid. >> so you feed them table food. >> bambino sits in my lap and eats out of my dish. >> he does? >> christine thinks so.

no, it's not quite that bad but it's sorta that bad. >> so if you watched "the voice" last night. >> i don't because i can't wait to hear what you say. >> so they cut four of the singers last night. so of all of them that are there -- >> but that's one from each team, right? >> one from each team. people voted to save two and the coaches saved one. so here are the ones -- we thought we'd tell you about the ones that got cut. justin was cut from team blake. ♪ >> that was justin. >> he's very likeable. >> blake has all country singers. karina was cut from team shakira. she was kind of a rocker. >> because it's not just talent you need, you know? >> the right blend. >> boy, i like her voice. >> cathia was cut from team usher. let's listen. >> really?

>> yeah. >> she was fantastic. >> and how about caroline, she was cut from team adam. she was the one who was saved at the last minute. ♪ >> she's nice. >> it's getting good now. >> my gosh, if those are the people that are cut, i can't imagine the ones -- were there a couple that you thought deserved to be cut more than those? >> it was always a toss-up. >> it's a very subjective thing. >> and the coaches were freaking, especially adam at the very end. he was coming up on the end of the show and he couldn't decide who to cut and it literally went down to the last second when he made his cut. it's hard because they're nurturing these guys and then they have to look at them in the eye and say i'm sorry, you're not as good as the one next to you. you guys have heard of the kiss cams at ball games. please look at this one. this is at a minor league game in fresno, california. this is a couple caught on the kiss cam. clearly the woman wanted the kiss and the guy was very busy. >> he wasn't noticing, watch.

♪ >> maybe we know why he doesn't want to kiss her now? >> oh, my god. >> but he's on the phone. >> she's fun to be around. >> he's like i'm on the phone. >> we're on the cam. >> i'm on the phone. >> i wonder if they're married or just dating. >> i'd say dating. >> i bet they're not now. >> we don't know. >> wow, i think she did him a favor. >> you do? >> yeah. better to know people are psychos before you marry them. you don't pour water in somebody's face like that. >> okay, what if frank were on the phone and you were like hey, hello, honey, look. >> i might get up and walk away, i pour it in his lap but, no, i don't -- >> look at the woman on the right corner.

can we lose the bar for a second. look at the woman on the bottom right. everyone is like -- >> see, that's what you don't do. that's -- that's road rage when you're sitting still. what do you call it? stadium rage. that's stadium rage. there's no excuse for that. i'm sorry, hodi. she may be a lovely person, i don't know what the situation is. >> have you ever thrown a drink on anyone? >> yes. >> okay, there you have it. >> on heehaw honeys, it was my job, but i loved it. if you've ever been to an abercrombie and fitch, i don't know if you noticed this but if you looked through the racks of clothing, you might find out that there is not a bigger size than a 10. >> which is not considered big. i think the average size for a woman in america is 14. >> here's the biggest size they carry in jeans. okay, that's it. so if you're bigger than that -- >> i don't think i could fit in that. >> i know i couldn't. >> i know i don't wear a 10. >> well, they're trying to keep the -- it sounds like they don't

want the business of the bigger folks, of the bigger -- >> or they're trying to make it elite and most of their buyers are kids, right, they're teenagers. the beef that i've had with ann abercrombie and fitch all these years is the sexploitation to me in their ads. >> well, they carry the smaller sizes for women, the 10s and lower and the xxls for men. >> they want the athletes. let us know what you all think about that. we did reach out to them and they did not return our calls. >> but in 2006, the companies ceo who we have a picture of was quoted as saying they hire good-looking people in the store to attract good-looking people. they try to target all sizes. if you don't alienate anyone, you don't excite anyone. let's take a look at him again, shall we, just for fun?

bless you. it looks like he's sneezing. >> yeah. ever since he said that in 2006, it also confirmed that i didn't want -- yeah. >> you go to walmart and say hi, how ya doing, come on in. >> if you like robin thicke who's got a little bit of funk and a lot of sense yalt. >> i want you to see a video. this is called "blurred lines." it's a video. i can't get the song out of my head. ♪ get up, like it hurts ♪ like it hurts ♪ baby can you breathe it always works for me ♪ no more pretending ♪ >> here comes the chorus, it gets really good. >> are those her feet? >> yeah. ready? >> i've been ready.

♪ i know you want it, i know you want it ♪ ♪ you're a good girl wait, here comes the chorus. >> you could play it four more minutes, i wouldn't want it any more than i want it now. sorry, hoda, i'm happy you love it. >> what happened to the rest of the song? >> thank you so mercifully. i like robin enthusiastthick, n of music, i'm sorry. again, subject i've thing. >> absolutely. is it okay or not okay for moms and daughters to dress alike? all right. what we should explain to you all is when we get these questions -- >> please do not -- >> -- from the magazine, we don't know who they're putting in and what they're saying about them. >> so let's listen to what we said. >> what did i say? >> i don't know. >> i think over the age of 6 it's a little weird unless it's halloween. and even then i'm the last person my daughter wants to look like, believe me.

>> nothing is wrong with that. twinsies. precious. >> okay. we were better when we did it. >> we thought we were great last week when we did it. >> real quick, we went to see "matilda" last night. packed with kids, by the way. >> yeah. and of all the shows for this spring season, i've got to say i was anticipating going to see that. they got the best reviews, it got the huge hit already in london. and i was a bit taken back by it, i really was. i think it's a generational thing. i they're read the book as a child. i didn't see the movie. my daughter and her best friend loved the movie. i think it's quite dark. i don't think it's for all children, i truly don't. there's some scenes in it that are -- unless you know your child and your child is okay, there's some moments that are really quite cruel to the children, i think. it's all in the book so if they know what to expect i think it would be fine. >> there's a guy who plays the

headmistress and he -- when you see him, he is ridiculous and funny. >> and there are four little girls who play matilda. it's got a beautiful message at the end of the day about teasing and being smart. >> being strong. >> standing up for yourself. so it's good in that sense. all right, kids, are you ready for some surprises? >> no more surprises. >> "maxim" magazine reveals it's top 100 list. >> two women are going to come in from the rain and get some makeovers to look gorgeous right alright, kid, let's get ready for this morning's quiz. christopher columbus sailed the ocean blue... in 14 hundred 92. nice! follow me. the missouri river is this way! lewis and clark expedition of 1804. oh, he'll never get this. magellan, 1520. awww my 8 layers must've given it away. [ female announcer ] big days call for a breakfast packed with fiber and nearly a day's worth of whole grains. kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal. this is one giant leap for mini-kind. [ female announcer ] keeps 'em full. keeps 'em focused.

whoo-hoo! a regular guy with an irregular heartbeat. the usual, bob? not today. [ male announcer ] bob has afib: atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, a condition that puts him at greater risk for a stroke. [ gps ] turn left. i don't think so. [ male announcer ] for years, bob took warfarin, and made a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. but not anymore. bob's doctor recommended a different option: once-a-day xarelto®.

xarelto® is the first and only once-a-day prescription blood thinner for patients with afib not caused by a heart valve problem, that doesn't require routine blood monitoring. like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce the risk of an afib-related stroke. there is limited data on how these drugs compare when warfarin is well managed. no routine blood monitoring means bob can spend his extra time however he likes. new zealand! xarelto® is just one pill a day, taken with the evening meal. and with no dietary restrictions, bob can eat the healthy foods he likes. do not stop taking xarelto® rivaroxaban without talking to the doctor who prescribes it for you. stopping may increase your risk of having a stroke. get medical help right away if you develop any signs or symptoms of bleeding, like unusual bruising or tingling. you may have a higher risk of bleeding if you take xarelto® with aspirin products, nsaids or blood thinners. talk to your doctor before taking xarelto® if you currently have abnormal bleeding. xarelto® can cause bleeding, which can be serious,

and rarely may lead to death. you are likely to bruise more easily on xarelto®, and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. tell your doctors you are taking xarelto® before any planned medical or dental procedures. before starting xarelto®, tell your doctor about any conditions, such as kidney, liver or bleeding problems. ready to change your routine? ask your doctor about once-a-day xarelto®. for more information including cost support options, call 1-888-xarelto or visit goxarelto.com. the wait is over. >> i've lost sleep over this. >> we are about to find out which sexy celebs made "maxim's" coveted hot 100. >> who could it be? there's big surprises this year, so let's get right to it. ben bova is maxim's editor in

chief. >> what have i walked into here? >> you never know. >> 100 is a lot of people. >> i can barely count that high. >> did you have to whittle it down from a bigger group? >> yes. we put up about 150 names online and we encourage our readers to vote in. we got eight million votes for this. >> how old is the average reader? >> in their 20s. but eight million -- >> so their brains are not fulfilled yet either. all right. >> so we did hear from miley early. she tweeted -- >> what? >> yeah. it all came out. were you disappointed? because she said she's on the cover. >> she's number one she said. >> i'm here to confirm that yes, indeed, miley cyrus is this year's hot 100 number one. >> let's see. >> well, you see it up there. >> why is it in a plastic bag? >> because it's a secret that's not really a secret anymore. >> not any longer. >> but premature tweeting affects all of us. she tweeted out her picture, she let the world know she's

excited. we're excited to have her, so it's all good. >> why did you guys pick her? >> as i said, this was a vote. she got an avalanche of votes. but as well as any time this woman cuts her hair, whenever she releases a video of herself twerking -- do you guys twerk? >> every day. it's good for my sacroiliac. >> what is it? >> i have no idea. >> i would google it. it got eight billion hits. everything she does -- >> we're not doing enough twerking. >> what other people made the list? >> there are a lot of notable people on the list. one of them was actually an invisible person. manti te'o's girlfriend. >> the invisible girlfriend. she's number 69. >> we have an exclusive picture of her at the beach. >> she looks great. >> she looks amazing. never has an imaginary person besides snuffleupagas made the

list. >> i was surprised by another one, but delighted. >> who? >> number 79 was miss hoda kotb. >> what? >> yes. you are number 7 -- not in that dress. >> is that a joke? >> no, it's not. you're number 79, hoda. yes! you're on the list, baby. >> is this a joke? >> it's no joke. >> you just should have been higher up is the way i see it. look at that. >> oh, my gosh! i have never -- thank you. what's your name? thank you. >> you can wait for her in her dressing room, okay? thank you very much. >> thank you very much. i appreciate it, thank you. >> yes, go chill that. she likes it right after the show. >> i think that should last you through the rest of the show, but i'm not sure. >> pardon me? >> i'm sure that bottle should

last you through the rest of the show. >> was that really necessary? >> no, it wasn't. >> come on, you had to pick hoda. >> well, there's 100. she beat out -- i can't beat out the math. hoda, you're beautiful, you're hilarious, we love you. >> that's so sweet, i can't believe it. >> procrastinators, listen up, you'll want to check it out for mother's day. i'm so proud of you. right after this. linda obviously sacrificed a good haircut

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you know, "what are you thinking?" oh, i had a knot in my chest. i didn't really want her to go but...i knew she could do it. i felt like there were bigger and better things for me to do. [ mom ] she took what she was doing seriously. [ hosmer ] my self-confidence just went through the roof. [ dad ] it was awesome to see her transform from a girl, in a small town, to a soldier. [ male announcer ] you made them strong. we'll make them army strong. talk to your son or daughter about joining the army. find out how at goarmy.com/parents. talk to your son or daughter the rich dark chocolate. york peppermint pattie get the sensation. [ female announcer ] real fruit flavors. real tea leaves. and real honey. lipton tea & honey, it's all here. ♪ feel the refreshing taste of lipton tea & honey.

♪ i'm gonna use my two hands ♪ i'm gonna move a mountain ♪ 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 you can be sure there's no single thing better when you're grilling up a burger. ♪ life is amazing ♪ with the love that i've found ♪ [ female announcer ] pin for your chance to win a weber grill at kraftgrilling.com. time to get annppappy with . she digs up new cool apps on websites. >> you've got two free ones and we love free apps. >> with mother's day on sunday, i've got a free app called just wink. this is a greetings card that

you can send on the go. so first up you can see this is a really visual app that shows you all the categories you can send a card for. so i'm going to send mother's. typically an e-card can be impersonal but they let you personalize it. let's pick a random card. it allows you to upload a picture, put a little note. this is the cool part. you can sign it. >> oh! >> we need to work on the penmanship. >> this was my sloppy one. but you can also send it via text, e-mail or social media of any kind. if you're upping it and going to get a gift too, this is the red laser free app. it's a scanning thing. this one i love. so it offers you the scan. let me grab my -- >> cheerios. >> because that's a go-to on my shopping list. now, it will load that. it will show you in the area where you can get the best deals for the cheer yioscheerios. >> you're getting your mother

cheerios for mother's day? >> it also shows you all the different places you can get it, where you get your best deal. >> that will be some store's worst nightmare. it forces competition, which i love. >> if you don't have a scan, just go to where you're standing right now and it will show you all the shops in the area that are doing discounts and sales. >> you take your app to a store and say this is what it is. >> if you're going to a store that matches price, take this in. >> thank you, sara. we have a great mother's day gift for two women from our y co the natural energy of peanuts

and delicious, soft caramel. to fill you up and keep you moving, whatever your moves. payday. fill up and go! good morning. it is 10:26. i'm marla tellez. a san jose man is recovering after being stabbed at his own 21st birthday party. police say the suspect was his friend. according to police, the stabbing happened at 1:15 this morning at a small house party

on custer drive. police say the two got into a fight and the friend stabbed the victim several times with a knife. the suspect was found three hours later and arrested. the victim was taken to the hospital and he is recovering from nonlife-threatening injuries. he will be okay. we'll have a look at weather at traffic after the break. ♪ we don't have a ten step filtering process for our water. we don't need it.

because crystal geyser is made by nature, not by man. crystal geyser is always bottled at the mountain source. good thursday morning to you.

i'm meteorologist christina loren. these are the hills of sunol. starting to get a little bit of blue sky overhead. mostly cloudy over the greater bay area. highs comfortable today. we'll have your full forecast at 11:00. >> the toll plaza, still some cars backed up. let's look over to the toll plaza itself. a slower drive. a disabled vehicle on the upper deck. we see the eastshore freeway recovering. we have a recovery now, highway 13 at 24. we had basically a stall there heading up towards ashby avenue. but that's cleared in the last few minutes. the lest of your east bay, smooth drive. and the san mateo bridge finally smoother. >> mike, thanks. now a look at one of the stories we're following today. the demolition of a dome theater in the east bay is causing concern in the south bay. people are worried a similar fate could be in store for the iconic winchester theaters in san jose. what they're doing to save the domes coming up in 30 minutes at 11:00. jon kelley and i hope to see you

then. we are back on this thirsty thursday with more of today and the moment you've all been waiting for. >> what is it? >> our plaza ambush makeover. she'll never take it off. two lucky ladies get hot new looks, might get them on the "maxim" list. >> helping us it, that dynamic duo, lewis vivari and jill martin. it was rainy and icky, but you found two girls. >> it's a sunshiny day in new york today. >> so you guys had fun picking? >> we always had fun picking but today as a great day. it was raining, but woe found

two great makeovers. >> one is kim shropshire. she just lost 30 pounds and hasn't cut her hair in more than a year, so her friends begged her to give her a brand new look. let's take a listen. >> okay. kim is hyperventilating and keeps saying i'm so nervous. why? >> because -- i don't know. just nothing ever happens like this to me, you know. i'm from a small town, white pine, tennessee, yeah! >> when's the last time you changed your look? >> oh, years ago. >> never. >> she looked like that in fifth grade when i had her in class. yes. >> all right. what do you think about, you're going to see a whole new mom. >> i'm nervous, i'm going to be honest. i don't know. >> well, we're going to take good care of you, okay? >> okay. >> are you going to stop hyperventilating? >> i'll try. >> a great voice. >> i love her. >> kind of like brenda vaccarro.

>> so she's here with her son, will. you guys are so excited. please keep your blind folds on, okay? here is kim before. okay, kim, let's see the new you. >> oh, my god! >> are you guys ready? take off your blindfolds. >> you're beautiful! >> you do. >> spin around. >> oh, my god. >> you look hot! >> look at the difference. look back here and we'll show you the difference. >> you look hot! >> oh, wow! >> oh, my god. >> right there, sweetie. >> tell us about the hair for starters. >> okay, kim. come out of shock and hear what we did. >> okay. >> first of all, this is a great haircut. you know, why have hair this long when you can have this

beautifully shaped. you look fantastic. they lightened her hair. we updated your look. you look younger, you look fresher. >> you look like a different person. >> what do you think, sweetheart? >> it looks amazing. >> do you love? >> you're beautiful. >> they're not going to recognize her in white pine, are they? >> jill, that dress, adorable, perfect. >> i actually own that dress. turn around. how pretty is that zipper? this was a negotiation. she said i'll wear a dress but not heels or heels but not a dress. so this is from maggie lennon. >> love maggie lennon's clothes. >> a big round of applause for kim. all righty, who's next? >> our second lady is kim bach, 52 from round rock, texas. two southern ladies this time. she's had the same look as long as she can remember so she bedding us to bring her into the 21st century. let's listen to her story. >> now with kim number two, the

'80s have come and gone. my hair still hanging on. so i guess you really want this? >> yes, i really do. i am doing this because of one of my students. he -- i'm a p.e. teacher in round rock, texas, and he said, coach bach, you've had the same hairdo ever since i've known you, and he's 28 now. so -- and that was in the fourth grade. >> what's his name? >> chris loftus. >> all right, chris, we're going to do it. we're going to give her a whole new look. i think you're ready to do it. >> i am, very much so. i really appreciate this opportunity. >> very sweet. >> all righty, she's here with her mom dorothy and her friend, melinda. let's take one last look at kim before and bring the new kim right out here. >> wow! all right, ladies. take off your blindfolds. >> oh, my gosh! you look great! >> you're not making a lot of noise but they really do like

it. >> turn around, kim, and see what they're looking at. >> oh, my gosh. oh, i love it. >> it's adorable. >> sassy, very sassy. all right, what did you do, louis? >> okay. we started with a cut. again, we just had to give her style. she had a nice haircut but it just needed shape and style, makes all the difference. i lightened and warmed up her hair color, which was key. her hair was a little bit frosty looking, which can be a little bit ageing and she's a young -- look at that young face. of course accentuated with a new spring palette. >> and that darling twirl -- oh, mom, are you crying? >> a little bit. >> i'll go get some kleenex and we'll ask jill to describe that darling dress. >> it's peplin, obviously they in for spring/summer. >> a one-piece? >> yes, from maggie london. we tried on a bunch but felt sexy in this one. >> i love it. >> let's bring kim out. >> come on. come on, kim.

>> here you go for mom. >> a round of applause. thank you, everybody. all right, a little 7-year-old boy who is becoming a hero to his mom in honor of mother's day. >> oh, you're going to love this one coming up right after this. ♪ if loving you is wrong

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♪ >> and today we meet our newest "everyone has a story" contest winner. kathy kelm wrote into us honoring her 7-year-old son avery, who they call a.j. we'll meet everyone in a moment. >> first let's listen to what kathy had to say in her letter to us. >> my name is cassie joe kelm. i'm 30 years old and wroiiting about my son, a.j. he has a rare form of epilepsy. it is so rare they are having a hard time understanding it. he is currently on three medications that are supposed to help him.

he can have anywhere from two to ten seizures a day. every seizure is different each time. he can't do anything alone. every day is a challenge for him, as he cannot play outside. i have been going above and beyond for him trying to find help so he can be a regular boy. he has been having a very hard time learning, as his lgs epilepsy makes it a struggle for him. he has a very hard time learning by listening. he can bearely write his name a all and when he gets frustrated he cries, and i cry too. i love my a.j. so much. i won't give up trying to find help for him. he's not an only child. he has a 10-year-old sister, 4-year-old brother and 3-year-old sister. i am desperately searching for help to help my son. he is my hero and i would do anything for him. i am avery's number one fan. >> that is a mother's heart right there. cassie is here with her son a.j. and her equally wonderful husband, james. >> how is a.j. doing?

>> he looks to be doing pretty well. >> he looks darn good as spider-man. >> he's doing a lot better. when he was first diagnosed, he would have up to 30 seizures a day. as they upped his medication, it got better. >> so it seems to be on a good level now, right? >> well, when he's awake, his eeg is clear. sleeping, he's having two or three-minute long seizures. >> do you like looking at yourself right there? a.j., you flew up on a plane, right? have you been on a plane before or was this your first time? >> i had two plane rides. >> they had to make a connection coming in from illinois. >> was it fun flying here? >> was it cool to be so high up in the sky looking down? >> fell asleep halfway here. >> that's good. was this the first time all of you have been to new york? >> yes. >> now, as a family because obviously your other kids have to know what a.j.'s needs are, how do you deal with that with your other children?

>> my two youngest, i don't think they really know what's going on, but my oldest, our 10-year-old daughter, tessa, she no, sir if he has a seizure, she knows what to do. she knows if she has to tell somebody or whatever, you know, because if he falls or sometimes he runs, you have to grab him so he doesn't run anywhere. >> dad, i know it may be tough because your wife is home taking care of your son and you're off trying to make money for the family, how do you keep your spirits up around the home? >> it's difficult, but we just manage to deal with it and, you know, get the help we need. >> take it one day at a time. >> take it one day at a time. >> are you getting all the medical help you guys need? >> yeah, his doctors -- he goes to st. jude in peoria. >> fantastic. >> so he's really -- the doctors there are great. normally the doctors when they call, the doctors don't call you themselves, but his doctor calls me himself and talks to me personally. >> is this something he'll grow

out of? >> no. >> well, he's getting better, that's the good news. a.j., we wrote you a song, do you want to hear it when we come back? >> he said he likes the one hoda likes. >> it's not like that, i promise you. >> he likes adele too. >> we have a terrific broadway performer. we're going to sing a song for you, a special performance just for you right after this, okay? we'll be right back. smart tube technology. wow, why didn't they think of this sooner? oh benjamin, you have an absolute sea of treasures here. but that peculiar contraption there has caught my eye... ...would you indulge me? you see, the smart tube reaches the bottom so you can spray every last drop. that is magnificent. yes it is... isn't it? absolutely magnific... my bottle! my eagle! introducing... quick , get a rodent. uh, re-introducing ...a rodent, benjamin. smart tube technology.

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a.j. is with us and his mom and dad and we have a very special jesse mueller can be seen in why t"nice work" with j kay and she's going to be singing a song that david friedman and i wrote just for you, a.j.

it's called "for you." it's a song for you and it's called "for you." here's jesse to sing our song. ♪ i wanted to be a mother ♪ it always seemed clear to me ♪ that there could be nothing more filled with joy that i could hope to see ♪ ♪ and so when i had my children, they were my dream come true ♪ ♪ and if life isn't tough for us, it sometimes seems there's not enough for us ♪ ♪ there's nothing that i wouldn't do for you, my son, for

you ♪ ♪ for you i would go to the ends of the earth to keep you from pain and distress ♪ ♪ for you if it takes that, then that's what it's worth to turn every no into yes ♪ ♪ i always will be your mother ♪ there's nothing i'd rather do ♪ ♪ than spend every day planning every new way to make our dreams come true ♪ ♪ and together we'll weather whatever, my love for you will see you through ♪ ♪ because one thing will always be true, my son, the moment that

our lives are through, my son ♪ ♪ there's nothing that i wouldn't do for you, my son, for you ♪ ♪ there's nothing i wouldn't do for you, my son, for you ♪ >> beautiful. >> gorgeous, jesse. >> what a beautiful voice she has. thank you, sweetheart. come on over, we'll be right back in a moment. but first this is "today" on nbc.

♪ everyone has a moment that changes ♪ >> we want to thank jessie mueller for singing so beautifully. she's in "nice work" at the imperial theater through june 15th here in new york. also composer dave friedman is here, go to his website and dave wild, who's sweet enough to take time out of his busy hollywood -- >> did you enjoy your song? you did? >> i loved that. >> we like to do something nice at the very end too. this is our favorite part, a.j. your mom mentioned sometimes in school you have trouble learning, so the folks -- you're a visual learner, so the folks at ipad would like to help out. and so target electronics heard about you and they are sending you two mini ipads and an apple itunes gift card. so we want to thank the folks at target electronics for that. >> that's what you've been wanting, right? >> hey, a.j., i hear you also

have a message for somebody. who do you want to say something to? >> my grandma and grandpa. >> are they watching? okay. look right into that camera and we'll say it with you. on three. 1, two, three. >> hi grandma and hi grandpa. >> let's add love you too. love you! >> whoever grandma and grandpa are, they appreciate us. so glad we could be here for you guys today. tomorrow the winner of our most deserving mom contest, do you think you're the only one? >> and curbing those carb cravings that hoda has all the time. how do you think she got to be number 79. >> jimmy connors has a new book out. >> he has some explaining to do. >> come on, a.j., you want to dance? come on. come on.

♪ i'm going to pop some tags, i've got $20 in my pocket ♪ >> happy thursday, everybody.

good morning and thanks for being with us. i'm marla tellez. >> and i'm jon kelley. good morning, everybody. we have new details this morning from cleveland in that investigation of three women being held captive in a home for a decade. the judge there setting bond at $8 million for the man accused of kidnapping and imprisoning those women. ariel castro did not say a word in court. >> reporter: with his head lowered, castro made his first court appearance this morning. >> to date, the situation's turned. mr. castro stands before you a captive, in captivity, a prisoner.