inside san francisco city hall. we've seen the crowds gather this morning. also join us for special hour-long newscast at 11:00 a.m. slurs.

from nbc news, this is "today," with matt lauer, and savannah guthrie, live from studio o studio 1-a in rockefeller plaza. of course we will hear from paula deen. a lot of people waiting to see what she has to say. >> we were waiting for several days. she was supposed to be here on friday and she cancelled her appearance and she is now in the green room. >> it's a mbig day in the supree court. >> our justice correspondent, pete williams, is live. >> reporter: we just got the first of the two same-sex decisions. the supreme court the federal defensive act unconstitutional. this is the federal law that would have -- >> pete, hold on one second.

i will interrupt you. let's go to an nbc news special report. and welcome to this nbc special news report. breaking news from the supreme court of the united states. >> pete williams just reported the court struck down the defensive marriage act. >> reporter: the supreme court just struck down the defensive marriage act. it was passed in congress in 1996, and signed by president clinton that prevented the federal government from recognizing the validity of same-sex marriages where they are legal. the interesting thing here is that the court has said that doma is unconstitutional as a matter of equal protection

meaning it's discriminatory. if the supreme court struck it down on a narrow basis, by saying the federal government doesn't have the power and it's for the state, but this is not narrow. the supreme court is saying the federal government cannot make distincttions between same-sex and opposite couples in terms of what marriages the federal government will recognize, this is an opinion that can be used by proponents of same-sex marriage to attack laws in other states. so it's a significant ruling from the supreme court. we're still waiting for the decision on california's proposition 8. i would say that based on the size of this ruling, and the size of the dispense, that it's going to take the justices a long time to read their opinions from the bench. i would guess that they will read their discents as well. we have a period to wait here before we get the other

decision. >> pete, i just want to mention, obviously we are hearing reaction and seeing reaction in washington and elsewhere. i know that the court people camped out overnight to get a seat to go in and witness this historic ruling coming down. i want to ask you this, immediate impact, right now on the federal government, on the 12 states in the district of columbia that recognize same-sex marriage and on the states that do not, what is the immediate impact? >> well, the immediate impact is now the federal government will have to rework all of its regulations, and first of all, the woman who brought this case no longer owes the irs $300,000. her same-sex partner died and left her the estate. the irs said well, we can't recognize your marriage, so you owe us $300,000, and that's how the case got to the supreme court, so it's a direct win for her. in terms of the federal

government now, we have to rework all their regulations. what this means if a couple gets married in massachusetts where same-sex marriage is legal or any other 12 states or here in the district of columbia, those marriages were recognized by the state but not the federal government. we know of cases where gay service members would deplay to iraq and afghanistan and get killed on active duty, and their survivor would not be entitled to federal survivor benefits, and the military would not even tell them their spouse had died because they did not consider them next of kin. social security benefits and tax recognition by the irs, and veterans benefits, and all of those federal benefits were not available to legally married same-sex couples, and now they are, so it will take the federal government a while to rework the regulations and make things a reality, and beyond this, the practical recognition, it's the

force of this opinion. i see out of the corner of my eye, ted butros who is representing the couples in california. we are waiting for the prop 8 decision. ted, come up here if you don't mind. i am curious to ask you, now that the supreme court struck down the defensive marriage act, what do you think and saying so on equal protection grounds, what is happening to other couples. >> doma suggests everything should fall on all the grounds. and i think that the language that i have seen from the opinion is very strong on the equal protection issue, so we're very hopeful. >> quickly, before i go back to matt and savannah, the supreme court plainly says they are not proclaiming a national right to same-sex marriage. this decision by itself doesn't

say to the other states you have to allow same-sex marriages, but it's language that can be used by opponents to attack those laws. matt and savannah? >> yeah, and we will await the other one. and let's turn to our legal analysts. five votes to say this law, the defensive marriage act, violates equal protection and what will that mean for the next case, which is a direct invitation to the court that says any ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. >> this is a sweeping historic decision for gay rights. let's keep in mind it was ten years ago the supreme court in texas struck downstate laws that criminalized private consensual gay sex. we have gone from that to saying the federal government must extend benefits the same as to other partners.

>> there was speculation the ban might be dismissed, and maybe some on the court had regretted taking the case, and they were not sure whether there would be a ruling on narrow grounds, and don't you think what happened in the doma case changes things? >> they are just not ready to do that maybe, and we will have to wait and see. and one thing, in the doma case, under the federal law, states don't have to recognize same-sex marriages, and that was not before the court on the doma decision, and that still remains. i would expect that to be struck down in a further challenge. >> let the layman jump in between two lawyers here. and based on what we heard on doma, it would be a contradiction in your opinion if they did not strike down proposition 8? >> no, because they could say it

on technical ground, the party did not have standing to bring the case, and recently the courts have done that. they don't want to decide cases on the merits unless they absolutely have to. >> and it's a hint perhaps they will go further than expected. let's go back to pete.

the guy rights groups are saying to the obama administration you should let the federal recognition follow the cup wherever they live rather than deciding issue based on where they live. that's the next question for the obama administration based on the ruling. >> take us through logistics. we know the decision on this, the doma -- >> matt? >> go. >> we have -- you're just predict. we don't have it.

>> explain to people, pete, you're hearing from producers in your ear waiting for the next decision. >> here it is. so here's the deal. the defense in this case refers to the prop 8 case. and it suggests -- let me make it clear -- we don't have the proposition 8 ruling yet. but based on what the dissenters are saying in the doma case, it appears that what everyone predicted is going to happen the supreme court will say that the people who brought the prop 8 case to the supreme court had no legal standing. that will mean that same-sex marriage can resume in california. it will be a decision affecting only california. it won't say anything about whether other states have to recognize same-sex marriage. >> and -- >> we have a bit of a predictioi based on the dissent. >> if they were to dismiss on the technical grounds explain what the problem is with regard to the concept of legal standing, whether the proper plaintiffs were before the court, whether they had the legal right to come before the

court. >> right. the case got here in an odd way. same-sex marriage began in california in 2008. then the voters went to the polls, 52% approved prop 8, stopped same-sex marriage in california. prop 8 challenged in court. when challenged state of california said we're not going to defend it, we think it's unconstitutional. the people who got prop 8 on the ballot, the proponents came in and said we want to carry on the battle. and they were allowed to do so. and they came here to the supreme court. under normal rules, you can't file a lawsuit like this, you can't bring an appeal unless you show specific injury to you. it isn't enough to say this makes me mad. i'm a taxpayer. this is bad policy. you have to show specific injury to you that's different to somebody else. merely saying this make me mad i don't like it, it's a bad idea, may not be enough, and if that's the basis on which the supreme

court disposes of this case, then it has the effect of removing the stay on the lower court decision that had declared prop 8 unconstitutional. >> we'll come back to you as soon as we have heard on a ruling or decision on proposition 8. to peter alexander at the white house for reaction in terms of the political side. >> reporter: the president is traveling to africa. from top advisers they're monitoring the decision on air force one. i heard from the senior adviser to the president who said at present direct the department of justice will take the lead on analyzing the decision and issues that need to be worked out for implementation. the next question for the administration is how they go about trying to implement the decision we heard from the

supreme court, declaring doma to be unconstitutional. they need to rework rules and regulations as they apply to things like social security benefits and taxes. the question is, will the administration create some form of working force, a working group to analyze these things? s that done a thing right now? will as gay rights groups asked, will there be executive orders? does it take legislation that involves congress or executive ag action, orders signed by the president himself. >> we have seen the president himself evolved. to use his word on this issue in 200 8 campaign. he did not support same-sex marriage. later he did. the department of justice defended the law, doma, just struck down and stopped defending it but the administration's still enforcing it. >> exactly right. this is personally satisfying for the president who is only a year ago during the course of the campaign in a decision, ultimately that seemed to be

made has a tily as a result of biden on "meet the press" the president said he has had this personal evolution on the topic and said he nor his attorney general eric holder would defend the defense of marriage act. a california state law. what's the reaction so far in terms of the striking down of doma as unconstitutional? >> matt, good morning. a huge cheer that went up inside san francisco city hall just a few minutes ago. hundreds of people have packed the rotunda awaiting two rulings. as you mentioned, doma struck down. waiting phone proposition 8, california's ban on same-sex marriage. this -- rulings come on an monumental week for san francisco. this is also the week of the city's 43rd annual gay pride

parade. events begin thursday run through sun. 1.4 million expected in the city. the administrator says that if prop 8 is struck down, this would be huge for the city. probably a 30-day waiting period before marriages could begin in california. in preparation, the city has been training volunteers, 50 or so, to act as deputy clerks in order to handle the rush of marriage licenses. however, if proposition 8 is up held and the ban in place, legal experts believe the same-sex marriage supporters will try to bring this issue before voters again. recall in 2008 it was voters that actually passed proposition 8 in the first place but same-sex marriage supporters believed that in the five-years since then, attitudes towards same-sex marriage shifted. here in san francisco city hall, hundreds of people awaiting the proposition 8 decision to see how historic this in fact is.

back to you. >> we'll come back to you in a decision on proposition 8. >> we want to turn to lisa bloom our nbc news legal analyst and one of the holdups in the court is that justice scalia is reading a lengthy dissent from the bench. something justices do when they feel impassioned about a case. >> doing that all week. >> let me read you a quote of what he said. he said the court's opinion, the one striking down doma, springs from the same diseased root exalted notion of the role of the court in american democratic society. in other words, justice scalia saying the court shouldn't have been involved here, should have left the issue to the democratic processes. >> deciding equal protections cases for over a century and the advocates of gay marriage saying it's in keeping with that. >> obviously this is an issue that came up of another big sweeping ruling in the court's history, roe vs. wade, one that took the issue of abortion out of the political process, out of

the democratic process. and even justice like ruth bader ginsburg said maybe the court shouldn't have stepped in and seems like justice scalia's dissent talks about that concept. >> that the argument. the idea behind equal protection clause to protect disenfranchised minorities from the will of the majority. is it appropriate for the majority of people in california or elsewhere to vote away the rights, civil rights of a small protected class? that's the issue. five in the majority said no equal protection laws apply to bay bridges and lesbians. this is the decision today. but this is going to engender more cases to come to further protect gay rights. >> back to pete. >> it's a very quick moving morning. a lot going on at the u.s. supreme court. an historic morning as well. recap. tell people what they need to know. headline here is -- >> the headline is the supreme court has declared the federal

defense of marriage act unconstitutional. that means that the federal government must now recognize the validity of same-sex marriages in the 12 states we think soon to be 13, in which they're legal and here in the district of columbia. we are waiting for the decision on california's proposition 8 that stopped same-sex marriage in that state. we have very strong reason to believe that the court is going to find that prop 8 is invalid because the people who brought the appeal didn't have the legal standing to do so. the -- one of the dissenters, justice alito, think is it's remarkable the court has said that the prop 8 proponents did not have the proper legal standing to come here. so he says that his dissent in the doma case. so, as a practical matter, what does it mean in almost immediately, same-sex marriage can resume in california. 18,000 same sex couples got married in 2008 after the state

supreme court said same-sex marriage could go ahead, and then in november, when the state passed prop 8. so, those marriages are valid. they're soon to be joined, we which will start almost immediately after the supreme court issues the ruling we're waiting for in the prop 8 case. what has to happen the federal government has to rework its rules to start the process of putting same sex couples on the same footing as any other married couple. if a couple gets married, you know, mr. and mrs. america get married anywhere, marriage is recognized in -- by the state and the federal government. now it will be the same for same sex couples as well in those states that have same-sex marriage. >> right. >> this decision -- neither of the decision is going to say anything directly about whether other states that don't have same-sex marriage, other 38 states, whether they have to now

allow same-sex marriage. as a legal matter, those -- these opinions will say nothing about that. as a political matter, as a boost, as a leg up, the decisions will be a huge boost to the people who are looking for same-sex marriage nationwide. >> right. let me go back to proposition 8 in california. defenders of that law have argued that the state has legitimate reason for treating same-sex couples differently because only couples consisting of a man and woman can produce children. quote this indisputable difference between same-sex and opposite-sex relationships demonstrates that proposition 8 is constitutional. oversimplification but it's a the core of it. >> reporter: it's one of the arguments used to defend prop 8 in california. it was rejected by the federal judge there who had a long

trial. the proponents lost on that point. they made the same argument here in the supreme court as one of the reasons why they thought the supreme court should uphold the other words a legitimate reason for government to make this kind of discrimination in es essence. 95q can discriminate if they have a good reason. they were saying it's not a sufficient reason a lot of opposite sex couples get married and don't have children and in many states, states that don't recognize same-sex marriage, same-sex couples can legally adopt. that argument did not carry the day for them in the trial court. obviously here in the supreme court either on the doma issue. >> as we await this next case, the prop 8 case, i'm told that scalia dissented 26 pages long. it may be a while, maybe what he read on the bench could be shorter. >> we have been standing by for rulings and decisions coming from the supreme court for the

last several weeks. they start reading decisions at 10:00. they're done with four, five, six even decisions by 10:20. the significance, the scope, the importance of this decision is evident in the fact it's a long decision. >> back to peter alexander at the white house. he's got more reaction. what can you tell us. >> reporter: we have now got our first formal react from the president of the united states, barack, as we noted is flying aboard air force one en route to his trip to africa. he tweeted, which shows not only how the issue has changed -- today's doma ruling is a history ex-step forward for #marriageequality and wrote #loveislove. we heard before that from the president. topped arider during his campaign, jim messina, who said supreme court gets doma right! clearly this is a content white

house on this day. >> peter alexander, stand bias we await the second decision. lisa bloom. it's interesting to see who wrote the decision. justice kennedy, often the swing vote. look at the court's cases where they've touched on issues connected to same-sex relationships, kennedy authored the two cases relevant. >> we knew he would be the swing vote and he was the swing vote. all three women on the court voted with the majority, they tend to be the pro-civil rights block. i think it's interesting talking about the political and the legal working together. you know the reason why there's no standing in the prop 8 case if that's what the court rules because the state of california refused to defend it in court as the federal government refused to defend doma. laws were passed a little bit of time goes by and the government says, we're not going to deagain this anymore ands that hey significant bearing. >> look at the week that we're having here at the supreme court when you think about the decisions that have come down, some have said it's the most

historic week in the court's recent history with affirmative action, voting rights act, proposition 8 still to come, doma, put it in perspective. >> right. heavy had to grapple with the biggestself rights issues of our time. the court has done what they're supposed to do look very, very carefully at the law and makes meticulous decisions that are hard for us understand. we would like broad pronouncements. we have that in the doma case. in the prop 8 case, probably less so, decided on technical grounds. what that will mean -- >> similar to the voting rights act in one area. >> even the affirmative action decision this week. >> do you see the three cases we saw this week together, put them together in an i logical box. >> treating gay rights differently than the right of racial minorities. that's the difference. what the court was saying yesterday 1965 is not 2013. got to keep up with the times. if you want to talk about keeping up with the times how about ruling in favor of gay marriage? it's a modern issue.

public opinions have change sod much in the last ten years. the supreme court you know they're human beings, too. i'm sure their opinioned have changed as well. >> a huge impact. striking down the defense of marriage ashtct. they have to confer federal benefits. >> this is good work for civil rights lawyers and family lawyers because there's a lot of unanswered questions remaining. >> we have the prop 8 decision. pete? >> reporter: the supreme court has decided that it cannot take up the challenge to california's proposition 8. it's another 5-4 vote. what this means the same-sex marriage is now once again legal in the state of california. it's probably the same lineup, i'm assuming, from the dissenters, that in the doma case. once again the court's liberals justice kennedy on one side -- >> go ahead.

>> reporter: justice kennedy joined in the dissenters in the case. that was -- the chief justice in the majority? so the chief justice in the majority on this one. so what this -- what the supreme court says here is that the people who tried to appeal this case didn't have the proper legal standing to be before the supreme court. this may strike you as an odd way to decide this case. but this issue of legal standing is a big deal in the federal court. and the courts are very reluctant to say you have right to come into court and shake your fist at a law unless it personally damages you in some way and they found that problem. i must say, this is also a great way for the supreme court not to have to decide the issue of same-sex marriage. it gives them an off-ramp but has the same effect of allowing it to continue in california without setting any nationwide precedent on what other states have to do. >> but, people does this issue come back to the court in another direction with a party

that does have legal standing? legal standing? >> reporter: well, never from california, because no party would presumably ever have legal standing in california, because the only party likely that would is the state, and this is a state constitutional amendment, and the state has said, we're not going to defend it. without the state being willing to defend it, i don't see how anybody else can try to bring -- who else would do it? i don't see who else would be suited to bring an appeal. i think this is going to be a subtle question. i don't think the supreme court will have another chance to review california's proposition 8. looking down the road if there are other same-sex marriage cases to reach the supreme court, they will be on the main question itself, people who brought this -- we have to say the people that originally filed this lawsuit hoped that they would get to the supreme court and that the supreme court would

decide the question directly of whether under the federal constitution a state can deny the right of same-sex couples to get married. the case got so twisted up on the way here, that that question was really never directly before this court and this court may well have been relieved at that fact that it has a way of disposing of this case without having to jump off that cliff and tell the rest of the country they have to allow same-sex marriage. to be clear, they are not doing that. all they are saying is that this case was not properly before them, and it's good for -- it's a ticket good for there is a crowd already there, and we have been told by our correspondent on the ground, this plan is for marriages to resume in 30 days or so. we talked about future cases,

and whether this issue will ever again be presented so squarely before the court. do you think this court has the appetite to take a case like this again, because, of course, it's in the court's discretion whether or not to hear such a case. >> reporter: matt? strike down prop 8, and marriage in california will be back soon. i think they will move quickly, and could happen within weeks and days. they will make an announcement very soon about what their intentions are. this means proposition 8 is dead and the doma decision lays the ground work in future equal

protection clauses to marriage restrictions around the country. this is a fabulous day for america and marriage equality and civil rights. >> what do you see, if you don't mind looking at the camera there, what do you see as the next cases on same-sex marriage? where does the action go now? will it be fought out in the states? >> i think doma creates the framework going forward for the challenges to the 36 states or so that have restrictions on marriage, and some states precluding civil unions. i think we will receive a wave in support of marriage equality, and it got a whole lot bigger, and it will sweep the country with other legislative challenges, and this is fabulous. the bottom line, my clients are going to get married. they have been waiting for a long time to do this, and i am over joyed about that. >> i said when you brought this lawsuit, you hoped the supreme court would get to the heart of

the case and decide whether there is a consequentitutional decision. >> marriage equality in california, and proposition 8 is dead, and in tandem with the decision in doma, and i only briefly read. i looked at what justice kennedy wrote, marriage restrictions, treating gay and lesbian as second class citizens is harmful, and so i could not be happier. we knew this standing issue was there from the beginning once the state officials recognized that proposition 8 was unconstitutional. we are extremely happy.

>> reporter: savannah's question, if that are willing to say that in doma, why not your case? >> court is taking it one step at a time. they are conscious of not deciding cases when the proper parties aren't before it. nobody was hurt. the parties who brought the case to the supreme court, the proponents of proposition 8 were not injured in any way allowing people to get married doesn't injure anybody else. i think the court's taking it one step at a time. that language in the doma decision on equal protect prote is so powerful and fits like a

glove, it sets the stage, paves the way for marriage equality and restrictions that fall across the country at some point. >> where are your clients today? >> reporter: inside the courtroom. they're guying to get out here. they're going to be out soon to talk to everybody. looking forward to it. >> we heard from gabe gutierrez and the doma ruling. i spoke with you a few moments ago and there was a huge cheer that erupted after the doma ruling, but when prop 8 decision was handed down, the crowd was a little uncertain. there was no clear reaction because they did want clarification on this.

we do have a live picture inside, so you can see what is going on. however, local officials say, and they plan to hold a news conference shortly, and they are going to discuss what exactly this means for california. the san francisco city administrator has said that marriages could begin within the next 30 days, but it's unclear exactly how it's going to work. again, san francisco has been traini traini training volunteers to handle what they expect to be a blood for marriage licenses. while we have heard a few cheers from passers by, and inside there was not such a clear-cut reaction as there was for doma. however later on this afternoon there are celebrations planned throughout san francisco, including the castro district. this weekend is the annual gay pride parade. this will certainly affect the

the case went up to supreme court, they decided it on narrow grounds hoping it would be upheld by the supreme court in just this way. a certain amount of legal gamesmanship. >> thank you. >> we want to give our thanks to gabe gutierrez, peter alexander on the lawn of the white house and specifically to our good friend at the supreme court, pete williams, who is listening to voices everywhere he could hear them for another great job. again, much more coverage on these two decisions from the u.s. supreme court on msnbc and

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morning. i'm laura garcia-cannon. breaking news, a live look from san francisco. history has been made as same-sex marriage will continue in san francisco. you see lieutenant giffords gavin newsom walking down arm in arm there with ed lee as well as one of the biggest supporters as well of gay marriage. a woman married to her partner and lost as well as they approach the podium, we are going to listen in. moment as way. so much of this has happened in san francisco where it all started. and now, same-sex marriage will continue on in the state this morning. reporters throughout the bay area this morning covering this for us as well as reports from

washington, d.c. as lieutenant governor newsom walks her down through the crowd. let's listen in for what ed lee has to say as well. also cheers. >> welcome to the people's house of san francisco! historic! historic day today for all of us, for the struggles, for many many years, i want to thank all of you for sharing this historic moment in san francisco, california. wow! it's been a long road. many years, but, bosh, it feels good to have love triumph over ignorance.

to have equality triumph over discrimination. to have that discrimination end here in san francisco, wonderful, wonderful. it's a great place to be today. in this hall, where so many marriages have taken place and so many people have loved each other and expressed that here. with the very first one with phyllis lyon! thank you, phyllis. thank you very much. and many more weddings to be celebrated in san francisco! many more.

i know all of you have lad some of these feelings before, just maybe over nine years ago. and then of course, again in 2008 when i had the privilege of sharing that moment with phyllis and dell. and i want to thank, first after all, all of the people behind me. they are incredible part of history with all of you in front of me. mayor willie brown is there. at the state level, way back in the years. all of our members of the board of supervisors, thank you. our elected officials from the treasurer to the assessor, our our elected officials from tass. yes. and commissioners and staff, everybody from the city family. our city attorney, thank you for your wonderful work. wonderful work.

ladies and gentlemen, in those times, in those moments, when people like phyllis stood up. when others stood up and said, we're not going to take discrimination. we're going to do something about it. when stewart and john said, we're going to do something about it and they looked, they looked for help. they looked for leadership. they looked for courage in people. and they found at least one person among many, one person who used the power of his office to make history but also, also, to express the love of the city because that's the most important thing. you love the city, you do what's

right no matter what the consequences are. and that is what gavin newsom has done. 2008. yeah! courage, respect, love for the city, love for the people. lieutenant governor gavin newsom! >> thank you mayor. how are you all feeling?,ñ what a day. a special day. let me -- thank you, mayor. i want to thank you, mayor lee, for your stewardship, your faith and devotion to the cause and thank all of the elected officials.

mayor brown, thank you for appoint me to the board of supervisors and one of the first acts i had the privilege of participating in right here at city hall in something called domestic partnerships. it seems so strange at the time. but nonetheless, appropriate. san francisco. a city that has long been a city that has prided itself on being on the leading and cutting edge. not a city of dreamers but a city of doers of innovators and entrepreneurs. it's a special place. and i think every single one of you understand core principal that defines our values in this city and the state and for that matter at our best, this nation. that is we don't just tolerate diversity, we celebrate our diversity each and every day. so that's what we're celebrating. but i'll be brief. but i have been -- i want to

connect a quick dot. you know i've been with all of you watching not just the proceeding of the supreme court, but what's happening with nelson mandela. i say this to make a point in in almost every scrawl about nelson mandela's critical condition, it doesn't say ex-president mandela. it says leader nelson mandela in critical condition. and it begs a question and the point, mayor lee was just making, that just because you have a position of authority, it doesn't mean you necessarily leave. it's folks that exercise not that formal authority but their moral authority that changed the world. and that's -- that's the life of gandhi, it wasn't president gandhi, it wasn't president lut.

people have changed the world. it's people like phyllis and dell that stepped up and stepped in a half century ago to these debates. that's why we're here. it's folks like that. they didn't wait for someone to tap them on the shoulder they didn't wait for permission. they stepped up and stepped in. it people like kay kendall and my extraordinary former staff joyce newstat. it's the folks on the stage, dennis herrera that stepped up and stepped in with theresa stewart, in a remarkable way. they didn't need to do it but they did it. it wasn't just interest. it was a true commitment to equality that brought us here. it was chris and sandy. it was the extraordinary leadership of many folks in this room, so many of you out there in the audience. so i just want to celebrate your wisdom, your faith, your

devotion as well to this cause. and to thank you for -- and i'll close -- for participating in this remarkable journey that we are still on. this sweeping journey. and like any journey, it's not linear. it's messy. it's complex. there are good days and bad days. but it's a worthy journey that we're on. and it's a journey that inspires. it doesn't coerce. we're not motivated by this cause of equality. we're inspired by it because it's a fundamental principle that defines best of who we are, human dignity, self worth, our humanity. thank you very much for your extraordinary work. congratulations on this special day. thank you. >> good morning.

my name is kate kendall with the national center for lesbian rights. [ bleep ] you prop 8! >> i know. okay. we apologize. >> we're taking a live broadcast from san francisco right now. we greatly apologize not expecting kate kendall from the national center for lesbian rights to use such language on the air this morning. we wanted to give you the very latest of what is going on in san francisco that was unacceptable. that's why we have muted at this time. fight for same-sex marriage mass raged on in california for

nearly ten years now. it started back in 2004 when then-san francisco mayor newsom asking county supervisors to allow same-sex marriage. the weddings were later stopped by the state supreme court. in 2008 same-sex marriage briefly became legal when california voters struck down proposition 22. voter passed proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage in california. today, the supreme court makes that ultimate decision on prop 8. the supreme court clearing the way for same-sex marriage in california by holding the defenders of california's gay marriage ban did not have the right to appeal. these are the plaintiffs in washington, d.c., in front of scotus. let's listen in here. >> today is a great day for american children and families. sandy and i want to say how happy we are not only to be able to return to california and

finally get married but to be able to say to the children in california, no matter where you lib new yo live no matter who your parents are, no matter what family you're in, you're equal and as good as your friends' parents and friends. bebelieved from the beginning the importance of the case was to send a message to the children of this country that you are just as good as everybody else, no matter who you love, no matter who your parents love. today we can go back to california and say to our own children, all four of our boys, your family is just as good as everybody else's family. we love you as much as anybody else's parents love their kids. we're going to be equal. we will be married and we will be equal to every other family in california. thank you. >> today we want to say thank you to all of you.

thank you to our supporters, our amazing lawyers, thank you to the constitution and thank you to justice that was served today in this court. an amazing day. we thank the justices for overturning doma. important for us and all families. we thank the justices for letting us get married in california. but that's not enough. it's got to go nationwide. we can't wait for that day! it's not just about us, it's about kids in the south, kids in texas, and it's about kids yaer where. we really want to take this fight and take it all the way and get equality for everyone in this entire country. thank you all. it's been a pleasure and honor to represent you. >> now hear from jeff and tommy, plaintiffs in the case. >> wow. i don't knneed these. our desire to do something and get involved in the case to beg

plaintiffs was very important to us. perry changed the conversation. it altered the game. it created a ground swell of momentum and passion that brought us here to the supreme court today. today, the court said that i am more equal, that we are more equal, our love is just like our parents and our grandparents and that any children that we may have in the future will be more secure. i look forward to growing old with the man i love. our desire to marry has only deepened the last four years, as has our love and commitment to one another. we look forward to using the words married and husband because those words do matter. they are important. i said it in my testimony in court, if they weren't important, we wouldn't be standing here today. i'd like to give special thanks to ted and david and the entire

legal time. but ted and david specifically because their passion for equal is only trumped by the size of their heart. i'd like to thank chris and sandy for taking this ride with us. chad for his strategy ex-vision. adam and the team at the american foundation for equal rights. and for the support that we have received from countless people that we don't even know but who will benefit just as profoundly from the ruling today. thank you very much. today's a great day to be an american. >> i'm not sure i can add anything after those three great statements, four, including our amazing lawyer. today's a great day. we -- we entered the building, we always see the words, equal justice under the law. and today we're closer to that equality. we're lucky. we know that the fight continues

across the country. we cannot forget our lgtb brothers and sisters. we will continue to fight until all of us are equal. prop 8 did one thing, it really helped us turn anger into action. it led to the foundation, the american foundation for equal rights. it led to this case and today's victory as well. we stand on the shoulders of so many people that came before us, people that risked their lives to stand up and be who they are. they gave us the legs to stand up on today. they gave us the momentum to run with and the voice to speak loudly and say proudly that we are gay. we are american. we will not be treated like second-class citizens. >> listening to the plaintiffs in the monumental fight that challenged proposition 8. live pictures from washington, d.c. back to san francisco. san francisco city attorney dennis herrera is speaking.

let's listen in there. >> representing the american foundation of equal rights, ted olson, david boyes, chad griffin, we all worked together. less continue to battle. thanks for everything that you did because we wouldn't have achieved a victory today without all of you. thanks very much. and i would just like to say, i'd like to ask terry stewart to come up for -- say a couple of words. our entire legal team worked day and night to bring the victory home. i want to give him a chance to talk a little bit. ing. >> thank you. >> you never see me at podium without the opinion in my hand.

i just want to add two words. one is that we're excited about getting marriage equality back and even though it's a standing rule, it's a victory and it upholds the district court decision. there was a parallel case as you know the doma case and a lot of people sort of thought about which case should go. >> as we continue to watch what is happening at city hall, want to take you live to san francisco's castro district this morning as well. there have been crowds throughout the bay area. what's happening there, terry? >> reporter: right now here at castro and market street across the street from me, a gentleman with a flag, waving that flag for well, let's see, however long it's been since the decision came down on prop 8. there for a short time. they were blowing whistles, cheering briefly and now just out there waving the flag and as cars go by you hear a lot of honking. joining me now a gentleman who

lives here in the castro.

>> thank you very much, terry. and no doubt, that will continue as they are setting up the stage there at market street tonight for a big celebration going on at 6:30. taking you back to city hall now, david chu is speaking. let's listen in to the attorney now. >> today, the supreme court has said our lgbt brothers and sisters have a right to the pursuit of happiness through marriage equality. and i just want to say one last thing. we have heard this phrase before, but as goes san francisco, so goes california. as goes california, so goes the country. thank you for being here. [ applause ] >> the famous words, as goes san francisco as goes california, as

goes california, the rest of the country, first spoken by now lieutenant governor gavin newsom, former san francisco mayor. he is there. taking now back live to washington, d.c. this is an attorney for the plaintiffs. >> fundamental point and it is going to carry the day. the wave that started four years ago in this country toward equality just got way bigger and it's going to sweep this country and we are going to have a quality across this country for all steps very soon. thank you very much. now we will take your questions. no questions? silence. >> we are on our way to california right now and we will see you in los angeles and san francisco in the next day or so. may the marriages begin.

thank you very much. >> may the marriages continue as they will in california. giving you a live look over the castro district in san francisco, as we have seen crowds gather there. most of them are at city hall as well as this morning, where they actually showed the big announcement on big screens there. this is just no doubt the start of the celebrations that will continue throughout the day in the city of san francisco, which is known really the birthplace of the big movement. right now, want to take you back to, in fact, san francisco city hall right now, listening in to david campose. >> i know that mayor newsome, governor newsome likes to use the word extraordinary, but what i think is -- what i think is extraordinary about this ruling is that the supreme court actually is sending the congress of the united states, including the senate, a message.

until recently, lgbt couples were being left out of immigration reform, but now that doma has been struck down, immigration reform has to include the lgbt community. [ applause ] and the last thing that i would say is that we are now gonna n end -- we are not going to end with marriage equality. there has to be equality for all of us, including our transgender brothers and sisters. [ applause ] we are not leaving every -- anyone behind. this is only the beginning. thank you so much. let's keep fighting. >> an epic ruling today. the supreme court clearing the way for same-sex marriage in california by holding the defenders of california's gay marriage ban. they didn't have the right to appeal lower court rulings

striking down the ban. the court's 5-4 vote, leaving in place the initial trial court declaration that the ban is considered unconstitutional. we are giving you glimpses throughout the bay area and really the nation here this morning. up on the left part of your screen, that is in the castro district of san francisco and at the center of your screen, to the right, i should say, is san francisco city hall, where we have really seen throughout the morning the crowds continue to grow out there. lieutenant governor gavin newsom, current san francisco mayor ed lee is out there, as well as phyllis lion. she was a woman who was the first gay couple to actually marry in california, first in 2004 at san francisco city hall. and then later in 2008, when california supreme court actually legalized gay marriage to her mate of oh so many years, dell martin. she unfortunately passed away.

no doubt, dell smiling wherever she may be at this date. same-sex marriage will continue in san francisco. we have a reporter in washington, d.c. wwashingto washington, d.c., who has been gathering information. reporter there as well to bring this historic case to the supreme court. and we will check in with her a little bit later. also have crews throughout the bay area. right now, scott wiener is speaking in san francisco. >> they are getting married as well. and because of today, those marriages, when we walk through this rotunda we see, those marriages are going to get just a little bit more diverse. so, thank you. [ applause ] and on a little bit more personal note, as a gay man who came of age in the 1980s, when things weren't going so great for our community, when people

were dying, when it was a time of fear, when we had a president that wouldn't even say the word aids or hiv, it wasn't clear what was gonna happen with our community and this community is so damn resilient and we fought and we built and we moved forward and we did it again here with marriage equality and we have more challenges to come but we are going to beat every single challenge that faces our community. i know we will, 'cause that's how we are. so, congratulations, everyone. >> same-sex marriage will continue in california. our continued coverage will happen right here on nbc bay area. you can also find the very latest on nbcbayarea.com, where we will continue to stream what is going on in san francisco throughout the country. so many people are using twitter as their avenue for conversation and communication today. we invite you to do the same,

using #sf prop 8 this morning. we are going to return you the "today" show, but please join us for nbc bay area news at 11:00 this morning. we are going to have a special hour-long edition of nbc bay area news at 11:00 this morning, as well as continued updates throughout the "today" show. deen sense apologized for her words. >> i beg for your forgiveness. paula was in our studio this morning, and i spoke with her when she told me she was too exhausted to appear last time. >> i was -- it's hard for me to even find the word, matt, that i was feeling. i was just overwhelmed. i was in a state of shock. >> still? >> somewhat, yes, because there's been very, very hurtful lies said me about. >> i want to get to specifics in

a second, paula. >> okay. the difference between friday and now is really on the business side of things. >> yes. >> food network says no more. smithfield foods is cutting ties with you, and y and qvc is weighing their options. do you think you have been treated fairly by your business partners. >> they -- let me say this -- before we even get into that, the main reason i am here today, matt, is it's important to me that i tell you and everyone out there what i believe and how i live my life. i believe that every creature on this earth, every one of god's creatures was created equal no matter who you choose to go to bed at night with. no matter what church you go to pray. i believe that everyone should be treated equal and that's the way i was raised and that's the

way i live my life. >> one of the headlines i read paula, said that millions of dollars at stake for paula deen in "today" show interview. are you here to express what you just said or are you here to stop the financial bleeding? >> i am here today because i want people to know who i am and people that have worked beside me, have walked beside me know what kind of person i am. and i'm so distressed that people i've never heard of are all of a sudden experts on who i am. and you know what distresses me the very most, matt, their words are being given weight. >> well, they're having an impact, paula. let's stay on the business side for a second. do you think you have been treated fairly by the companies that have now distanced themselves from you?

you're a cook but you're also a business woman. you're the head of a brand. you understand the bottom line. you understand imagine. >> yes. >> given the same circumstances, would you have fired you? >> would i have fired me, knowing me, no. i'm very lucky in this aspect, matt. i'm so fortunate that so many of my partners that know who i am have decided to stand by me. qvc has not dropped me. >> they say they're weighing their options. >> well, there's only two that has dropped me and i am so very thankful for the partners that i have that believe in me. >> right now as we sit here, it seems to me an informal jury of your peers and fans and business associates are weighing the question is paula deen a racist?

so i'll ask it to you bluntly are you a racist? >> no. >> by birth, by choice, you don't feel you have racist tendencies? >> no. as a child i was raised in a home that my father tolerated bad grades, he would tolerate maybe me breaking a curfew but he told me he said girl if i ever find out that you have behaved in a way where you think you're better than others or have been unkind you're butt is going to be mine. >> but you raised your right hand. >> yes i did. >> and you wore under oath that you have used a word that is the most offensive word you can use to describe an african american. and you talked about this wedding you wanted to plan, the plantation style wedding whether you used the "n" word or not. so how does someone use the "n" word whether in anger or in a joke or in private, the most offensive word to

african americans, and not be considered a racist? >> the day i used that word it was a world ago. it was 30 years ago. i had had a gun put to my head, a shaking gun because the man that had the gun to my head was my customer at the main office. >> but didn't you also admit to have used the word on other occasions? >> no. >> so other than the one time in the bank a robbery attempt you're telling me you have never used the "n" word? >> i have never. they asked me in all of my 66 years on earth had i ever used it? that man was so frightened that day he put the gun to my head because he was a customer at the main office. he was later caught and i had gone out on a limb for him and gotten him a loan and he was frightened that i was going to

recognize him. >> so you were asked in that deposition whether you had used the "n" word on other occasions and said probably or of course are inaccurate? >> no, i answered the question truthfully. >> so you have never used the "n" word other than the one occasion? of -- it's just not a part of who we are. >> let me ask you about this part of the deposition. you were asked whether using the "n" word in telling a joke was hurtful and you said quote, i don't know most jokes are about jewish people, red necks, black folks. i didn't make up the jokes. they usually target a group. i cannot myself determine what offends another person. that last sentence gets me. do you have any doubt in your mind that african americans are offended by the "n" word? >> i don't know, matt. i have asked myself that so many times because it's very

distressing for me to go into my kitchen and i hear what these young people are calling each other. it's very, very distressful. >> you never joined in on that language? >> no. absolutely not. it's very distressing. it's very distressing for me because i think that for this problem to be worked on that these young people are going to have to take control and start showing respect for each other and not throwing that word at each other. it makes my skin crawl. >> i want to read you something that columbia professor wrote for time magazine's website. he is, by the way, african american. he wrote people of deen's generation can neither change the past nor completely escape their roots in it anymore than the rest of us. they can apologize and mean it.

as deem seems to, and they also deserve credit for owning up to past since as deen did candidly when she could easily shall we say, whitewashed the matter. do you ever wish paula that when you raised your right hand and swore to tell the truth in the deposition that you fudged the truth? you wouldn't have been the first-person that ever lied under oath. given the fallout you have seen over the last week, given the fall out. do you ever wish you had fudged the truth? >> no, because there's a couple of kinds of people that i don't like that i am prejudice against, matt, and that's thieves and liars. and i'll tell you a conversation that i had when my 7-year-old grandson the other day. he had spent the night with me and i allowed him to stay up later than his bedtime and i said jack, honey you've me in

trouble with mommy and daddy when you told me that i had let you stay up late. and he was playing with my ipad and he put that ipad down and he looked up at me and he said giiny i don't tell lies. that's how i raised my children. that's how i was raised. and that's how my grandchildren are being raised. and i know as well as i'm sitting here with you, i know how i treat people. i know my love for people. and i'm not going to sit here and tell everything that i have done for people of color. i'm not going to do it. somebody else can tell that. >> there are a lot of people that have shown up at your restaurant to support you. the line versus grown. they have gone to twitter and they shr they have shown their support for you there, and some have called for a boycott of the food network.

>> and i don't want there. >> is your salvation in that core group of fans? can you rely on your base and focus to use a political term, on that base and survive this? >> i think that we can never underestimate the power of those voices. because these people who have met me and know me and love me, they're as angry as the people are that are reading these stories that are lies. these people reading the stories that don't know me. they don't know they're not lies. they have no idea. so they are angry. and on that same coin, the people that know me, they're just as angry. and i have apologized. i would never, never -- and i can truthfully say in my life --

i have never with any intention hurt anybody on purpose. and i never would. >> and there's not another side of this personality that we see on tv? this warm, sugary, sweet even sassy girl of the south? there isn't a side of you that is intolerant and views other as not equal? >> no. no. what you see is what you get. i'm not an actress. i'm heartbroken. i'm thankful for my partner. >> heart broken why? for yourself or your family? >> heart broken -- i've had to hold friends in my arms while they sobbed because they know what's being said about me is not true. and i'm having to comfort them and tell them it's going to be all right. if god got us to it, he'll get

us through it. i've had wonderful support from reverend jackson. i've had wonderful support and i tell you what, if there's anyone out there that has never said something that they wish they could take back. if you're out there, please pick up that stone and throw it so hard at my head that it kills me. please. i want to meet you. i want to meet you. i is what i is and i'm not changing. and -- there's someone evil out there that saw what i had worked

for and they wanted it. >> let's end it on that. paula deen, thank you for being here this morning. i appreciate it. >> thank you for having me, matt. it means a lot to me and it feels to strange to come to this wonderful happy place where i've always come so happy and to have these people believe these horrible, horrible lies when all you have to do is ask the people around me. >> paula deen. >> because i live my life the way i believe. and like i said, if you never committed a sin, please pick up that rock. pick up that boulder and hit me as hard as you can. >> we'll end it there. paula deen, thank you. we're back right after this. oh, hey, ladies. in the mood to make something special? ♪ i sure am. ♪

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good morning to you, 8:26 now, i'm laura garcia-cannon. breaking news we are covering, same as soon as weddings can resume in california. one of two rulings today in the supreme court, celebrated by supporters of gay ar imagine. the court clearing the way sore same-sex marriage in california by ruling prop 8 supporters did not have the right to appeal lower court rulings that struck down the voter-approved measure. former mayor gavin newsome, current mayor ed lee celebrated what they called a major victory for marriage equality. >> wow. >> welcome to the people's house of san francisco!

historic. historic day today. for all of us, for the struggles for many, many years. i want to thank all of you for sharing this moment, this historic moment in san francisco. >> celebration continued into san francisco's castro district. our cameras also caught the moment the justices overturned the defense of marriage act. they ruled legally married same-sex couples should get the same federal benefits as homosexual couples. i will have another local news update in half an hour. hope to see you then. have a great morning.

it's wednesday morning, 26th of june, 2013. we have a great crowd here in new york city. >> yeah. 90 degrees. >> we want to let you know on friday it will be hot on this plaza because american idol champ phillip phillips will give us a concert. >> yeah. remember the last week, the crowd started singing his song.

i'm savannah guthrie along side matt lauer and al roker and natalie morales. >> he is a great actor and vine and has been taking over our vine account this morning. he has been busy posting videos. >> who here knows me from vine? who here knows me as people's sexiest man alive? >> that's pretty good. >> quick punch line. >> we're going to see more from will sasso and vine in just a little while. >> all right. also entertainment weekly is out with it's list of top movies, music, videos of all time. >> we'll start arm wrestling on what is the best movie of all time. well, i don't know. i won't weigh in. >> we're giving them all away right now. >> okay. those are the nominees. >> also when it comes to summer

fashion we'll tell you the five must have items you should be getting. >> first let's get a check of the weather. >> we'll show you what we have. a risk of strong storms from the northeast, new england on into the ohio river valley. rain into the pacific northwest. showers in the ohio river valley. steamy and hot gulf coast into the southwest. for tomorrow, the eastern third of the country looking a little on the wet side. slight risk of strong storms in the central plains. more rain and cooler weather good morning to you. you are almost to the weekend. and we have some major heat headed our way. want to start this live picture, beautiful day shaping up in san francisco. we are done with the rain. the sun has returned. we are going to see temperatures five to ten degrees warmer as a result. 85 degrees in livermore, 79, fremont, 81 in san jose. a comfortable day in the city, 66 degrees for you. getting into the end of the week, the heat cranks, be in the triple digits sunday into monday.

that's your latest weather. matt, savannah. >> all right al, thank you. now to a project that's shining light on the self-doubt felt by some women when it comes to their bodies. >> erica hill is here with this story. good morning to you. >> good morning. we're bombarded every day by imagines of what we're told is beauty. but often those pictures are altered or enhanced so that prompted one woman to photograph women in a real way, natural, untouched, and pure. >> my name is jade, i'm photographer and i'm working on a book called a beautiful body. >> she is on a quest. to capture beauty in it's true form. >> excellent love. right there, good. >> reporter: redefining beauty. one unphoto shopped imagine at a time. stretch marks, scars, sags and all. >> we deserve to be called beautiful. all of us.

>> reporter: what began as a personal journey. >> i personally have struggled for nearly 30 years for feeling unbeautiful. >> reporter: soon became a beautiful body. a project dedicated to celebrating mothers and to helping them embrace their bodies. >> freedom from feeling too fat too skinny, too dark skinned too pale, too old, to wrinkley, too pimpley or whatever other story prohibits us from completely loving ourselves just as we are. giving birth and feeling the way i did after gaining 50 pounds, having a baby, having this newly shaped body, i had a lot of compassion and a lot of excitement to connect with other mothers and share stories and photograph them and show them how unique and irreplaceable they are. >> reporter: in little less than a year, thousands of women have shared their story. many, like alexis have offered

to be photographed for jade's book. >> it was extremely empowering to take those pictures. i thought it was a wonderful way to find a way to be okay with the changes your body goes through during pregnancy. >> i think it's important that women feel like they have the ability and they have the power to define what beauty is for them. >> reporter: one photograph, and one miraculous life at a time. >> when she completes this volume she is hoping to do others dealing with aging, illness and even men, matt. >> no i think a lot -- she just removed a lot of pressure from a lot of people which is great. >> she did. thank you. >> thank you so much. coming up next, how did our vine take over turn out? wil sasso's hilarious results.

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well, can you be funny in six seconds or less. al, stop vining. >> i can't help it. >> he has 1 million followers on his social media. some are calling will sasso the best viner around. >> vining as always. >> call it the six second challenge. the social media app vine is a video sharing site to catch the video's 6 seconds begging how much can you really accomplish in that time. >> what are you doing. >> al what are you doing? >> i'm vining. >> just ask al roker, our own in-house vine addict. >> he has commanded a concert audience. >> boogied in the anchor chair and exposed matt's vacuuming

skills. but almost no one vines better than actor and comedian will sasso. most recently starring at curly in the three stoogies movie. his followers have seen him channel singer michael mcdonald in the shower. >> egg rolls, fried rice. >> order chinese food as robert deniro. and resite steven segals favorite tv show. there's a lot you can do in six seconds. especially if you want to take arnold schwarzenegger for a drive. well, someone around here was brave or crazy enough to give him free range on our vine account. we gave you the password. >> i'll be using that weeks and weeks.

>> what makes a great vine? how do you do it? >> spontaneity. that's what the kids enjoy is doing fun stuff. for me, i just like to spring it on my friends. for example, i'll just take the thing and aim it at them and do one of my weird things i like to do is a crappy bill cosby impersonation so i would just go who is on the today show. >> but that's not bill cosby. >> that doesn't sound like him? >>. [ inaudible ] >> that's better. >> i would probably upload that right away. not that i would do that here. you don't do that on the today show. >> did you jump on vine right off the bat when it first became popular? >> yeah. again, i am not -- i am not launching that. i am not launching that right

now. i'm so sorry. i'm not going to be like al. yeah i think it started in december or january and i was like that's fun. i'm bored. >> so instagram just came up with with it's own video app. it's 15 seconds. will you switch? can it be 2.2 times as much fun or whatever it would be. >> i'm on instagram and i tried it out. i like to think of myself as a vine purist and that's the dumbest thing i've ever said. i prefer the six seconds for no reason at all. >> it's funnier in a way. >> your mom's from italy. you grew up in canada. you lie to your mom on vine. >> i sort of -- well, lie, meaning she doesn't know what words i'm going to ask her to repeat. my mother had an adorable italian accent but that's one of the things. look out mom. i love her. i always hug her and kiss her

afterwards. >> do we turn around that one vine? okay the other one who is a big viner is justin bieber. do you think you would win in a vine off. >> he probably does a better hulk hogan than me. >> how is your shirtless giggle. >> i do shirtless vines but beebs would probably have -- he has the female sort of the -- i would say the tween through the 25-year-old. i have the sort of 30-year-old to senior citizen female demo which is a little more powerful. >> the people who are new to vine or just getting on to it right now, what advice can you give them to create original content? >> i'm really impressed honestly by all the kids on vine. there's so many of them that i follow. i'm like they're so creative and i would just -- i actually told one of them i was going back and forth with one because he messaged me about something, i said just make you and your

friends laugh. because he is doing this stuff that makes everybody laugh. >> you mentioned hulk hogan a second ago. take a look at another vine from will. >> you're directed the "today" show brother. you have to press the buttons dude. you're directing the "today" show brother. >> you launch a bunch of lemons. >> yeah, i do. if i couldn't be any more embarrassed by making six second videos. i did this lemon thing. mostly because the kids were doing a lot of animation stuff. i was like if i cut a lemon in half and then i cut back and it comes out, genius. >> will, thanks for helping us lemon up our set today. >> if there were on oscar for vining, will, you'd get it. >> keep them coming throughout the morning. >> yeah. >> that's right. >> we'll be back with more right after this.

whether it's movies, tv shows or music, we all have our favorites but how do your picks stack up against the experts? this morning, the folks at entertainment weekly are unveiling their list of the all time greatest. good morning, good to see you. >> how are you? >> good. we should have a drink in our hand. this is the kind of thing people argue about at a cocktail party. >> it might get violent. >> we won't let that happen. 100 in each category. we'll go through the top five. >> start with movies. >> we'll go from number five. five to one. number five, a classic horror movie, psycho. >> psycho, 1960. we weighed three different

things. there was artestry, culture impact and entertainment value and this movie holds up in every single aspect. >> so does bonnie and clyde at number four. >> this movie helped usher in a new era of more authentic characters and story telling and warren beatty directed it. >> play it again, casablanca number three. >> which a lot of people would say is the best movie ever made. interesting movie with sort of another war movie off the warner brothers assembly line and it just turned out perfectly. >> all right. number two is a tie. godfather i and ii. i might have put it higher. why did you guys pick it? >> it was as brilliant artistically as it was big in it's ambitions.

it was one of the movies of the new golden era of hollywood. >> and the number one movie, citizen kane. >> citizen kane. so innovative at the time in it's cinematography and music it feels ahead of it's time. >> the most recent movie, time warp, but that's okay. >> a lot of newer movies on the list. only doing the top five. >> top five tv shows and number five, sopranos. >> this show really showed the appeal of the antihero. this extreme family dealing with basic things. it was brilliant. >> four is the mary tyler moore show and seinfeld at number three. proud of that here in the nbc

family. >> one of those shows you can watch over and over again. it's the most watchable show of all time. >> you give the simpsons the number two spot. that's a show that's still on the air. congratulations. >> yeah, 24 seasons now. a dysfunctional family never told better. a brilliant satire that appeals to everyone. and the number one tv show is "the wire". >> a lot of people may not have seen it. don't multitask. it is brilliant but it is dense. if you give it the time you will be rewarded 1,000 times over. >> let's get to music and albums. the most current album on the top five, 1984 -- you're telling me a lot about yourself. >> adele, kanye, they're on the list. >> the clash, london calling. >> number four thriller. >> great pop songs. >> number three, the rolling

stones exile on main street. >> they were high as kites when they made it and it's brilliant. >> you got me here, prince, number two, purple rain. >> sexy, beautiful. >> and the number one greatest album of all time, there it is, the beatles revolver. >> just great, there was a children's song called the yellow sub marine. it showed their talent and the things they could accomplish when they were getting along. >> look at the full list. 100 in each category and very modern list as well. good to see you. >> thank you, matt. >> you can check out the full issue of entertainment weekly right now. up next, summer's it list when it comes to fashion. the must haves at bargain prices. but first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪ 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. or how to keep from driving all over for deals for the 4th. you don't need to run around. safeway gives you real big club card deals each week. throw a holiday cookout!

thick, juicy new york strip steaks are just $4.99 a pound. get a great deal on arrowhead water, just $3.33 a case. and pick up cheerios for just a $1.88. real big deals this week and every week. only at safeway. ingredients for life. back now at 8:52 with today's style and this morning, five must have items for summer at bargain prices. she is the senior fashion editor for marie clare magazine. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> we're going to show these expensive designer looks and show how we can knock them off. let's start with the black and white dress. >> it's a big trend. all over the run way. it's a beautiful dress. it's got a mod 60s feel to it. the difference with black and

white this season, it's graphic. very graphic. >> that dress is rather expensive. we have seen the celebrities in it. tell me about this look. this is under $150. >> this is actually $76. it's a kaleidoscope print obviously. keep styling simple. and then a forever 21 version for $29 which is perfect if you just want to wear it for a couple of nights and never again. >> our next trend we see, i think victoria beckham is starting this. >> she has her own line. she has these amazing aviators and it's about the blue lenses. we're move agoway from the cat eye lenses and we have seen so many celebrities in it. >> so we have the less expensive and really less expensive version. >> these are at macys. if you like the trend and you want something quality these are the ones for you or we have the

pacsun version which are $15. if you're like me and break sunglasses, these are for you. >> they look good. the next thing is the floral blazer. stella maccartney did it. >> stella is great at prints but you do not have to spend hundreds of dollars to get the trend. >> tell me about this one. how much is this. >> this is $89. i love the fact that it's got the floral and masculine cut. plus in this weather it's freezing when you get in the air conditioning it's great and warm outside. >> it still feels springy and a less expensive version. >> $48 from macy's. dress them up or dress them down. >> do you want to keep it simple in terms of color? >> you can wear a bold color, simple solid underneath but yeah

do not try and mix too many florals at once. >> the next big trend is the bucket bag. i remember it from high school. that was the thing in the 80s. now it's back. >> it's back. he launched a bucket bag called the deigo. it's a great bag and very versatile. but you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars. >> show us the less expensive version. >> we have a great bag and it's also -- it's about the modern details on it. this is from kohl's around 68 dollars. then another version which is $48. >> we have the black heel. >> that is the chloe heel. it's the lower flatter heel. we're using the idea of the big heel. kirsten dunst looking fabulous

in them. >> feet are rejoicing up and down the planet. great version here. great with shorts or skirt. much more sophisticated than a steletto with a short. >> thank you so much. still to come from getting organized to getting more sleep. new gadgets and apps to make life easier. but good morning to you, 8:56, i'm laura garcia-cannon, we continue to cover breaking news this morning, celebrations continue at san francisco's city hall this morning. in case you haven't heard, two rulings today from the supreme court being celebrated by supporters of gay marriage. first, the court struck down a provision of the federal defense of marriage act and ruled legally married same-sex couples should get the same federal benefits as homosexual couples

much the report also cleared the way for same-sex marriage in california, ruling that opponents of gay marriage did not have the right to appeal lower court rulings that struck down a ban on same-sex unions. we will have another live local news outbreak for you in half an hour. remember, like to get your pictures and thoughts on today's ruling at #sf prop 8.

welcome back to today on this wednesday june 26th, 2013. inside studio a i'm natalie morales with al roker and carson daly helping us out while willie is on a nice beach in hawaii. >> he wrote me a nice e-mail last night. a much deserved vacation. willie, brother. >> hats off to you. >> this is your seat. i'll keep it warm for you. >> everybody is talking about it. the paula deen interview. we have two sound bites we put together for you. take a look first. >> do you have any doubt in your