good morning. on edge, a worldwide travel warning in effect this morning as u.s. counterterrorism officials try to head off a potential attack. and some are now calling this the most serious threat they've seen in years. going, going gone? a-rod's back at the plate hitting a hom run during a minor league game. but as he faces a possible lifetime ban, could it be his last? this morning, what the slugger has to say about those who don't want him on the field. and the best man, a 2-year-old given just weeks to live set to be the center of attention at his parents' wedding this afternoon as they celebrate his young life and share his story with the world. today, saturday, august 3rd, 2013.

>> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with lester holt and erica hill live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on this saturday. i'm lester holt. >> and i'm erica hill alongside jenna wolfe and dillon drier. >> calling the threat that prompted it real and serious says the u.s. cannot let its guard down. u.s. embassies around the globe are preparing to shut down tomorrow and possibly for even longer as the latest threat is investigated. >> kristen welker is live at the white house with the latest for us. good morning. >> erica, good morning to you. u.s. officials say the embassy closures the travel alert really coming out of an abundance of caution. but lawmakers who have been

briefed on the situation say this is really the most serious threat they have seen in years. so here's what we know. 22 embassies will be closed down in 17 countries. mostly in the middle east and north africa. now, officials won't go into a whole lot of detail about the nature of the threat. we know it's a possible al qaeda threat, but they say they are taking it very seriously, closing down the embassies. the travel alert is necessary. take a listen. it is a very serious threat. probably the most detailed threat or specific threat i've seen in the last five to ten years. >> reporter: so in terms of that, the threat seems to be coming out o the arabian peninsula. you'll recall president obama met with the president of yemen earlier this week. there have also been a number of drone attacks in yemen this past week alone. now the british also closing down their embassy in yemen for at least two days. we don't have any word on how long the u.s. embassies will be

closed. they will close down on sunday, possibly longer. we'll have to wait and see about that. we know that president obama has been briefed. he'll continue to be briefed throughout the weekend. now, if you or a loved one planning to travel overseas, u.s. officials say the best thing to do is to log on to the state department website, you'll find a lot of information there. you can also register your travel plans there. >> kristen, thanks. as these terror fears mount the u.s. embassy in cairo is one of the embassies on the list to be closed on sunday. near the embassy. ayman, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lester. the u.s. embassy behind me normally would be open on a sunday morning. it's the beginning of a workweek here. but instead, it's going to be closed in the wake of this emerging terrorist threat. finds itself in a unique position. not only does it have to deal with the possibility of a terrorist attack, it also has to deal with violence free protests.

the embassy here has been a unique position because it has been the target of many of these street protests. in fact, on september 11th of last year, demonstrators managed to scale one of the walls, tear down the american flag. but since then, additional security has been put in place. the u.s. embassy has diverted traffic, put up these blast walls and now there are more military units and police units. in addition to that, the political environment makes it very volatile. both sides, those that supported the military's action to oust him are blaming the united states government for taking the wrong side. and that makes it much more difficult because it means that the u.s. embassy now becomes the target of the demonstrations from both sides of the political divide here in egypt. lester, back to you. >> ayman, thanks very much. nbc news terrorism analyst is a former white house counterterror official. roger, good morning, good to see you. >> good morning, lester. >> you have worked behind the

scenes during other kinds of threats. tell me about the quality of the intelligence here that would spark such a broad worldwide caution alert. >> well, lester, there's four questions you ask. is it credible? is it specific? is it imminent? and can you corroborate it from other sources? and right now we have the answer yes to two of those questions. it is credible and it is imminent. so what's going on right now is working within the intelligence community to see if there's any additional information and then also to work with foreign liaison partners to see if they can corroborate it. given the credibility of the source and the time frame of this attack or these attacks may take place, that's why you've seen the government take the action they've announced. >> officials are pointing toward yemen and al qaeda in the arabian peninsula. we've heard from them before, haven't we? >> absolutely. the most active and really the most dangerous al qaeda affiliate. they had the attempt to destroy

the plane over detroit with the underwear bomber. we've had the attempt to try and destroy a cargo plane with a print cartridge that was created out of a bomb material. so they are active and they really pose the most dangerous threat. >> you know, this caution to americans traveling overseas. it's all well and good, but exactly how are you supposed to conduct yourself? if you're getting on a plane going overseas today or have loved ones overseas, what's the specific advice? >> well, you know, lester, really not a whole lot different than you would normally do. whenever you travel overseas, you're vigilant already. you're going to practice common sense, you're going to be smart about your safety and things like that. if you're going to travel to yemen on vacation, otherwise, most of the places you're going to go, continue to plan what you planned to do. >> is there an overabundance of caution given what happened in

benghazi? >> i think we're overrotating a little bit on the benghazi angle based on what i've seen in the press. this is a very traditional threat intelligence stream. the bureau of diplomatic security working within the inner agency security group, doing things that we've done in the past. benghazi is in the back of everyone's mind. since this is a credible threat emanating from most likely an al qaeda affiliate that has demonstrated capability in the past, that's why they're doing what they're doing. >> and what do you think is going on behind the scenes? they can't keep the embassy closed for months and months and months. >> no, they can't. the latest alert from now until the end of august. certainly the end of ramadan is a concern. one of the reasons they sent out this alert, of course, is to notify the american people the obligation to do so but also to buy the counterterrorism community more time. once this alert gets out there,

the potential bad guys might hear about it, as well, delay their plans. that allows the u.s. and foreign intelligence services to work together and maybe identify where this plot is actually going to take place and hopefully disrupt it before it does occur. >> thanks very much. >> you too, lester. he is one of baseball's biggest stars, one of the biggest stars baseball's ever seen. but in just days, alex rodriguez could be banned for life. he played in a minor league game last night and spoke out afterwards saying there are some in baseball who simply don't want him to play. ron mott is live in trenton, new jersey, with more for us. ron, good morning. >> good morning to you. as you know, there have been a lot of scenarios painted this week about when and how all of this will go down. here's the latest. sources are reporting that major league baseball has informed players caught up on this doping investigation including alex rodriguez that they have a deadline of sunday night to let the league know whether they are going to accept the penalty or whether they're going to fight it through an appeal or

grievance with a players association. and on monday, the league is expected to make this all public. nbc sports has heard that a-rod's name may not be in that release on monday because he may still be negotiating a deal with major league baseball. speaking of a-rod, he's here in trenton, new jersey, playing a couple of rehab minor league games. he got up to bat three times, walked the first time, hit a mammoth home run and then struck out. the crowd cheered and he's playing for their team. afterwards, he met with the media for 12 or 13 minutes, had interesting things to say. including this, about forces he says are trying to keep him off the field. listen. >> there's more than one party that benefits from me not ever stepping back on the field. and that's not my teammates and not the yankee fans. >> reporter: now, when pressed further to name names, he simply wouldn't go there. but he says it's not right for a player's contract to essentially be attacked in this way. and he said players coming into

the system should be very wary about this. >> what happens at this point? and we're waiting to see what happens, obviously, with the league, but could he be called back up to the yankees? >> absolutely. he hopes to be in chicago on monday. they're playing a final game tonight in san diego. but he's hoping to be on the field with the team in chicago on monday when all of this could be going down. it's going to be interesting to watch. >> that's an understatement. there'll be lots to talk about. ron mott, thanks. anthony weiner is back out campaigning today despite calls for him to drop out in the wake of his sexting scandal. our new york station wnbc sat down with him for a combative interview. >> it was. good morning. two weeks of scandalous headlines threatened to derail anthony weiner's campaign for mayor. there were new graphic pictures and explicit e-mails. but the former congressman insists it's an old scandal. i asked whether once and for all he's done with sexting.

>> when was the last time you sent a sexually explicit text or e-mail? >> at this period, a year ago or so. year or so. i don't have -- i don't have any of the records. i deleted everything. it was something i put behind me. >> so it's not going to be this year. not 2013. >> no. not. >> and you're not currently engaged in a non-explicit online relationship. >> 100% not. >> and with that, anthony weiner hopes to get back to the politics of running for mayor of new york city. the feisty new york congressman who used to be known for his thee y theatrics on the house floor now trying to get back on message with his embattled campaign. >> i made the decision -- >> his wife stood by her husband when the second texting scandal broke last month. since then, the long time aide to hillary clinton has stayed

out of the spotlight. >> a lot of people wouldn't want to annoy their wife's boss. but your wife's boss is hillary clinton. >> i have no reason to believe she's annoyed. >> i don't quit. >> weiner's campaign derailed when the new pictures and e-mails surfaced and a new time line. weiner continued sending racy messages for more than a year after his resignation from congress. when i asked him why he hadn't disclosed that before, he got combative. >> andrew, you can if you want use this entire interview to talk about the scandal. look, i know it's out there. i did these things. at what point do i get to say let me talk about the issues important to the city of new york. when do i get to say that, you think? >> and weiner says he thinks the scandal could help him in terms of showing his perseverance, dealing with pressure. basically, if he can handle this, he can handle anything as mayor. it's a crowded field and really anything can happen in a month. >> we don't see the apologetic

candidate anym calculated chang tone? >> well, the campaign reached out to us offering up the interviews and then he seemed irritated when we asked about the scandal. i think they do want to show him with the old feisty on the floor anthony weiner that he used to display in congress. >> what about -- you mentioned his wife will be back with him very soon. did he talk any more about her, though and how she's weathering this storm? >> he said she put in vacation from her boss for the next five weeks and that was long planned that she was always planning to join him on the trail as the primary got closer. he said you'll see her possibly this week and at more events. they're determined to be in this together. >> have the clintons been heard from? >> they haven't been heard from at all. we don't expect them to weigh in on this. there's one campaign operative with a different campaign put it. in five weeks, this is all over. they don't have to weigh in on it.

they really treat anthony's wife like a daughter. so they care very much about what's going on, but they don't want to be seen as meddling in it and they want to keep their distance. >> good to have you on this morning. there is new information this morning about that outbreak, the one that's now made hundreds of people sick. >> jenna is here with more on that and a look at the day's other top stories. >> good morning, everyone. so the fda has pinpointed the source of part of a massive outbreak of that pretty bad stomach illness. they say the parasite found in salad mixes that sickened people at national restaurants like red lobster and olive garden comes from taylor farms of mexico. 400 people in 16 states have become ill from the parasite but the agency does not say that all of those illnesses can be traced to this particular supplier. cleveland kidnapper ariel castro is now in a state prison isolated for his own protection. he was moved there friday just as one of his victims, michelle knight returned to the house

where castro held her captive for 11 years. the city's taking steps to demolish the house and build a park in its place. 10,000 inmates could be released from california's overcrowded prisons by the end of this year. the u.s. supreme court has rejected the state's appeal to keep the criminals behind bars. california's prison system is at 137% of capacity. and a federal court says it must be reduced. a big media deal announced overnight. the boston globe will be sold to red sox owner john henry. the 141-year-old paper is returning to local ownership after two decades under ownership by the "new york times." so the times paid over $1 billion for the globe in 1993. now they're selling it for only $70 million. can you say bargain? what? and finally this morning, question, what is the least practical way to get from cuba to key west?

the least practical. not the most. he's like this way, obviously, on a paddle board, duh. he became the first person to paddle on the board across the florida straits 110 miles, took 28 hours to cross the shark infested waters. he said he was doing it to promote peace and understanding between the u.s. and cuba. had he gotten bit by a shark, that peace and understanding might have turned to hindsight and 20/20. i should mention in case you're wondering, only one swimmer has ever done it, an australian swimmer and she did it with the help of a shark cage. cheating? i don't know. what? >> nice. jenna, thanks. >> good morning. >> good morning. nice to see you guys. and we're still talking about dorian. i feel like last weekend we were wondering where dorian was going to go now it's sitting off the coast of florida doing nothing but raining. and it's not really affecting florida all that much.

it's not moving all that much either. it is expected to take a turn to the north and east meaning it's no threat to land. so as it moves up to the north and east, it will start to rain itself out, passes just to the north of bermuda. it doesn't look like this will be much of an event. it really is just a nuisance at this point as it is a tropical depression. we are also seeing this cold front. now looks like a lot of rain, but we're not going to see a lot of rain in the northeast. a chance of a few scattered showers, clouds around today. but there is heavy rain back through southern missouri and northern arkansas where we could see flash flooding today. also a slight risk of severe storms and eastern colorado also across western nebraska. we could end up with heavier downpours, frequent lightning and chance for strong, gusty winds. in the northwest, about 77 degrees, looks nice and comfortable and chicago will be average today, highs in the upper 70s.

a high clouds from the west with temperatures in the trivalley does you will see low to mid-aches and the trend is turning a bit cooler into the beginning of income week. come, we'll catch up with our favorite 4-year-old mayor who is already up for re election. where has the time gone? first, this is "today" on nbc. so... [ gasps ] these are sandra's "homemade"

yummy, scrumptious bars. hmm? maybe. rich chocolate chips... i just wanted you to eat more fiber. and then the awards started coming in, and i became addicted to the fame. topped with chocolaty drizzle... and fraudulence. i'm in deep, babe. you certainly are. [ male announcer ] fiber one. fiber beyond recognition. try new fiber one peanut butter protein bars.

you may remember this little guy. he joined us in studio at the ripe young age of 4. he 's already the mayor of his town. dapper, too. >> now the little boy who hasn't

made it to kindergarten yet has made it to re election. kevin tibbles tracked him down. >> reporter: election fever hit dorsett, minnesota. population 22. >> hi, mayor. can i shake your hand? >> reporter: pressing the flesh and handing out cards is mayor bobby who is up for re election. this pint-sized politician is a hit. at 4 he already carries a big stick. heck, who can argue with his platform. if you are elected are we all getting a free ice cream cone? >> yeah. >> reporter: off to oh the parlor we go. >> how many scoops, bud? >> five. >> reporter: mayor bobby bellies up to the bar for a scoop of his favorite, butter brickle. he won last year when his name was pulled out of a hat. do you like being the mayor? why? >> because i do a good job. >> reporter: you do a good job. that's what everybody says. to vote it costs you a buck.

you can put any name in the box. all the proceeds go to the town fair. ballot box stuffing is encouraged in dorsett. >> i like meeting future mayors and future candidates of america. >> reporter: like most big shots bobby has a chauffeur. >> he was in london, germany. that's crazy. my 4-year-old is a world traveller before me. >> reporter: what time do mayors go to bed? >> 8:00. >> reporter: probing interviewers take a back seat to bugs and burtflies. >> i'm getting the dragon fly i see. >> reporter: i have had a lot of guys get up from interviews with me. >> i will give you my bestest. >> reporter: give me your bestest. hokey smokes, that went a mile. the mayor unwinds with his rod and reel on local lakes teeming

with fish. give it a nice cast. >> oh! >> reporter: you got a little bass. >> yeah. >> reporter: a little bass there. >> doesn't have any -- >> reporter: gently put him in. that fish was two feet long, right? >> 50. >> reporter: 50 feet long? now you sound like a politician. sadly, after a dip in the lake it's nap time and we take our leave. >> my name is robert and i approve this message. >> reporter: bobby won't kiss your baby but he'll kiss your fish. you're a good mayor. >> give me your line. >> reporter: kevin tibbles, nbc news, dorsett, minnesota. >> he's adorable. >> cute kid. good fisherman. >> kevin was adorable with him. they make quite a pair. >> absolutely. >> the election is set for tomorrow but it is an honorary thing. >> i think they will probably stuff the ballot box.

>> i don't normally weigh in on politics, but i wish him the best. >> how about tibbles teaching him to be a politician. that's not small. it's big! >> good stuff. >> adorable. >> exaggeration. >> still ahead, as the fda cracks down on foods labeled gluten-free, whether that restricted diet could be better

. >> good morning. look at the fog surrounding the bay bridge am a cool start all about the bay. thanks for joining us. the forecast is feeling like fall and not summer. >> it is. the mornings have been cooler too. some mist in a few spots. 53 in san francisco and chilly up towards santa rosa. once the low clouds break up, we will have sunshine and high clouds from the west today. a few clouds sticking around for the afternoon and temperatures in the 60s and 70s and most of the bay area in the 80s. south of cown town san jose in the trivalley and the east bay and the temperatures will cool

off. a little bit more to wrap up the weekend and looks mild in the valleys into monday and tuesday. >> thanks, rob. bart and union leaders ended talks without reaching a deal. they were expected to get back to the bargaining table at 10:00 this morning. the bart general manager said progress it being made, but tentative deals are in place and both sides are far apart on salary, medical, and pension. that leaves the bay area brising for life without bart on monday morning. >> expect crowding and no one will have a normal day. >> if there is a strike, we will have you covered on monday morning. today in the bay will start at 4:00 in the morning to avoid the traffic tie ups and have coverage throughout the day on air and online at nbcbayarea.com.

>> the u.s. issued a travel alert for those headed to the mideast or north africa. intelligence shows a risk of al qaeda attack on americans in that part of the world this month. 21 consulates will close because of that threat. the house voted to deploy more marines and hire contractors instead of relying on local militia who could be working with al qaeda. none of the reforms are in place yet. travel alert in effect through august 31st. coming up on today in the bay, police are warning the people in one bay area city to keep a close eye on bikes. thieves are stealing bicycles from carports and pattayas from a city on the peninsula. why locking your bike with a chain is not enough protection. we have more local news coming up in 30 minutes.

for now, enjoy the "today" show.

we are back on this saturday morning, august 3, 2013. hoping they don't need the umbrellas in the crowd. if they do, thanks for braving the rain drops. nice to have everybody out there. we'll say hello oh in a little . just ahead this half hour this is a crack down on gluten-free products. it seems there are so many these days, exploded in the grocery store aisles, many labeled gloochlt n gluten-free. now the fda is stepping in saying we want the same 1 standards for everything labeled gluten-free. >> plus, their bedrooms may look different from when they were little but more young adults are

moving back in with their parent. what this means for the parent-child relationship. >> your children aren't coming back home? >> actually my youngest got an apartment. we'll be real emp the ti-nesters. >> some families may need to take a clue from you. a look at the most dramatic photos you will see taken by regular people on vacation. this year's winner of national geographic annual travelers photo contest. >> we want to start with a day care warning. if you are like millions of families who need it, you know it can be scary the to put your child in someone else's hands. a cautionary tale from a couple who thought they did everything in their power to protect their baby girl. they are warning other parents before it's too late. here's janet shamlian. ♪ >> welcome to the world. >> reporter: for ellie and cameron, the birth of their daughter camden after several

miscarriages felt like a miracle. >> i love you! >> she was happy. she loved hugs and kisses. >> reporter: because they both work day care was a necessity. the virginia couple approached the search like a job. they talked to parents, visited home day cares and ran a background check on the woman they chose. then cameron got a frantic call from the day care. 3-month-old camden stopped breathing. >> it was indescribable, heart dropping. she was frantic. so i dropped the phone and drove over there. >> reporter: they raced to the hospital to find doctors and nurses trying to do what proved impossible. did you know you lost her? >> the doctor said, i'm sorry. there is nothing we can do. that's when i knew she was gone. >> reporter: her death was ruled sids but the family believes they lost her due to neglect.

they say police photos indicate she was on an adult-sized bed with a large body pillow around her. dangerous conditions for a baby. they believe she pushed herself onto the pillow and suffocated. police found marijuana and methamphetamine in the home. the caregiver is facing drug charges and has not entered a plea. her lawyer had no comment. >> reporter: you both did everything you could. you went beyond. >> we thought we did. >> yes. >> but we didn't. virginia doesn't protect its children and educate its parents. >> reporter: while the woman watching camden had safety training the family can barely believe she wasn't required to have her home inspected. her buzz was unregulated, unmonitored and all perfectly legal. that's because virginia is one of eight states allowing home day cares to watch up to seven children without a license. >> we need quality licensing and standards across the country. it doesn't exist. >> everything is the same.

this is the bib she wore the morning before she went to day care. >> reporter: it's been hard to move on, especially after they learned the caregiver used several aliases and had a long criminal history. nothing will bring camden back. they are channelling sadness and anger into action. they want the laws changed to require licensing, federal background checks, training and inspection. >> i need to know there are parents out there seeing this. grandparents seeing this and they are getting the warning we didn't have. >> reporter: there is no possible recovery from losing a child. for this couple, there is hope. ellie is expecting in december. for "today," janet shamlian, nbc news, virginia. >> such a tough story. >> it is. so hard for a parent to leave that you are child. for many of us it's necessary. in most families, both parents have to work. >> we want to get a check of the weather now. >> dylan has more on that. you have the umbrella. >> yes.

i'm disappointed because i was hoping the rain would hold off through the morning. we are seeing a lot of clouds in new york. scattered showers off and on. the heaviest rain will be in southern missouri and northern arkansas. we have flash flood watches and warnings up and down the mississippi river. they stretch west back towards wichita where a flood watch is in effect. the heavy rain is coming down in buckets. we had severe thunderstorm watches this morning. we are seeing the heavy rain now pushing into northwestern arkansas. we have frequent cloud to ground lightning and torrential downs. we'll keep an eye out for flooding for the next several hours. the showers in the northeast brought on by the cold front. clouds with spotty showers. the best chance of stronger storms besides areas in missouri and arkansas will be in eastern colo . we see temperatures around

the bay area in the 50s with low clouds and drizzle and mist around san francisco. notice the winds. very strongly onshore and in the north bay. the all day sea breeze. temperatures mostly in the 60s from san francisco to oakland and 70s and 80s south of downtown san jose and low 80s in the trivalley. the trend will continue into monday with a slightly stronger sea breeze that means more cooling early next week. that's your latest forecast. >> thanks. more people are saying they choose to go gluten-free because they think it could lead to a healthier lifestyle. for three million people living with celiac disease it isn't a choice. it's necessity. the fda is looking to protect them with new standards with what can be labeled gluten-free. here's more now from dr. nancy snyderman. >> for georgia clark knowing which foods are gluten-free makes a difference for her daughter's health. >> this is not a choice. this is a lifestyle they have to

live now for health reasons. so i'm personally choosing to buy products from those manufacturers. i know other people probably are as well. having the government put their stamp of approval on it, huge. >> reporter: both have celiac disease, an intestinal disorder in which eating gluten causes pain and even malnutrition. gluten is found in any product including wheat, barley and rye. but eating gluten-free is a fad and big business. a more than $4 billion industry and growing. you can see gluten-free food everywhere from the super bowl to the ball field, even on the menu in restaurants. a recent survey estimated one in five americans buys or consumes a gluten-free product. that's far more than the number of people with celiac disease. erin hanes doesn't have celiac disease but is a health conscious yoga instructor who

supplements with gluten-free food. >> i feel better when i don't have glouten in my body. i can digest easier. i don't feel as bloated or heavy and i have better energy after i eat. >> reporter: ex perts say gluten-free isn't necessarily better for you. >> gluten-free foods are becoming healthier. in the past they have been very low in fiber, high in fat and sugar, high in calories. you're not likely to lose weight because these foods have the same if not more calories than their comparable alternatives. >> reporter: anyone shopping for a gluten-free diet needs to read labels carefully to separate the hype from the true health benefits. for "today," dr. nancy snyderman, nbc news, princeton, new jersey. >> just ahead, why a growing number of 20-somethings are living at home with mom and dad. >> later, the stories behind stunning images taken from

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this morning on today's family you are apparently never too old to go home. if you have an adult child living under your roof you're not alone. a growing number of 18 to 31-year-olds, known as millennials are doing it. samantha from working mom's lifestyle is here to help. good morning. >> good morning. >> let me read the numbers. argt pugh research center 36% of young adults 18 to 31 were living at home last year, the highest number in 40 years. >> it is. >> is that a good thing? >> it's never a good thing. we don't raise our kids in the hope that they will return to the nest. that's never our dream as a parent. we want to raise children that are self-sufficient and self-reliant and able to get a job on their own and thrive.

these statistics respect showing that. >> a lot of young people will tell you the job market isn't what it used to be and salaries aren't what they used to be. moving out isn't always an option. >> absolutely. for a lot of kids in college, grad school, this doesn't reflect college numbers. it's not because more kids are attending college or grad school. we are seeing such a deep increase, a dramatic increase that it's about much more than that. i think it's a combination of economics and also parenting styles. >> parenting styles in that this is a generation of the helicopter parent. >> it's the first generation we are seeing that was the product of this hovering kind of parenting. we all know now that the helicopter parent leads to a less self-reliant child. >> that leads to my next question. in some cases is this delaying adulthood -- not having the

responsibility of paying rent, paying utilities and all the things that come with living on your own? >> sure. when you are living at hole you are not able to have a normal adult relationship. when you go out on a date, you go home to your parents' house. every part of your life is stunted when you live at home unless you have an exit strategy. for parents whose kids have a clear exit plan, i'm living at home for two years to save money, that's a different thing. >> the relationship is obviously different. this is an adult. you don't necessarily want to kick them the out the door. how do mom and dad and the the kids navigate this? >> it's about how ambitious your child is. if your child has no desire or motivation to leave, you have to be tougher. make some rules and set ground rules and have them contribute financially. however if your child is ambitious and trying to save money for a couple of years and has a specific exit strategy, there is no need to worry.

>> there is always rent. you can always collect rent, i suppose. >> exactly. >> great to have you on. up next, say cheese. we are checking out the best pictures from the national geographic photo contest. these are real stunners. we'll show you after this. what you wear to bed is your business. so, if you're sleeping in your contact lenses, ask about the air optix® contacts so breathable they're approved for up to 30 nights of continuous wear. serious eye problems may occur. ask your doctor and visit airoptix.com for safety information and a free one-month trial.

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the 2013 national geographic traveller photo contest. >> carlin fox over seas the contest. good morning. >> good morning. >> first of all, you have a ton of entries here. i don't know how you begin to whittle down through them . >> as we go along over the three-month process the judges pull out the best ones. they spend an afternoon figuring out oh who wins the two-week national geographic expedition. >> readers weigh in as well. first we have the readers' choice. a fisherman in industry knee shah. what do you think it was about the picture that spoke to readers? >> well, you know, people love pictures they can escape into. the other thing is it's a great time of day. you know, it's sunset. people want something that's not part of their every day life. >> do you find every year the bar gets higher with the pictures, that they are absolutely spectacular and it

almost surprises you. >> what's amazing about the photo contest is it's been 25 years. every year there are photos we all go "wow" to. >> still? >> for sure. >> let's start with the winners now. >> yes. >> i think we are starting with the third one. >> yes. >> which was the cheetah. >> cheetahs in kenya. this is a great photo. there is a lot happening in this photo. you will notice each person is reacting timpbt ining differen. i believe the woman in the middle is taking a selfie with the cheetah. >> i don't know if that's advised. >> i would be more worried about the cheetah on top of the car than taking a selfie. >> whatever works. >> that's a great shot. >> next we have a picture of the night sky in utah. as a meteorologist i have never captured lightning. how do they do this? >> the photographer hiked up to oh the runs because it is a great shot for a shot of the

milky way and happened to come across a thunderstorm. we love the contrast of the warm front and purple in the back. it's a beautiful image. >> it almost doesn't look real. >> yeah. >> the winner is one that came out of a race in brazil. when you look at this, it welcome looks like a drawing. >> like a charcoal drawing. >> some of the best photos don't look like photos. this is great. we love the action and energy of the shot. the buildings in the background make it more than a sports picture. it's a picture about the place in brazil. >> can i ask a silly question? were these all taken on nice cameras or are you seeing cell phone pictures that are kpet tors? >> most are on nice cameras but cell phones are upping the game. in the next few years we'll probably see more. >> the winner will be taking pictures on the two-week trip. not bad. >> nothing to shoot in the

galapagos. >> on the cell phone. >> thank you. just ahead, plastic surgery. a lot of people get toyota feit younger, more attractive. well, that may not be tend result. first, this is "today" on nbc. [ female announcer ] new nature valley soft-baked oatmeal squares. hearty oatmeal now softly baked with a drizzle of cinnamon. it's a brand-new take on a morning classic. soft-baked oatmeal squares. new from nature valley. ♪ you have to let me know [ female announcer ] when sweet and salty come together,

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still to come on "today," the latest of the worldwide travel warning at embassies overseas preparing to close in light of a potential terror attack. >>

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call to get u-verse tv for just $19 a month with qualifying bundles. rethink possible. . good morning to you. looking live before sunrise at downtown san jose and looks like clouds there if the distance. thanks for joining us. i'm chris sanchez and rob has a forecast as cool as the peculiar looks. >> it is cool for august standards. numbers maybe only in the 80s inland. low clouds stick around through 10:00 or 11:00. wauchl san francisco and the coast all day long. you look at the low clouds and fog persisting. low 60s and upper 60s near oakland. 70s in san jose. a few low 80s, but turning cooler and the sea breeze will dominate in the first half of

the week and turning warmer next weekend. >> bart and union leaders ended talks without reaching a deal. although the two sides are expected to get back to the bargaining table at 10:00 this morning, there is a large gap this morning. there is progress and several tentative deals on the table, but both sidesre far apart on salary, medical, and pensions. that leaves the bay area bracing for without bart come monday morning. >> expect crowding and no one will be going anywhere in the region and no one will have a normal day. >> if there is a strike, we will have you covered on monday morning. today in the bay will start early at 4:00 to help you avoid the traffic tie ups. we will have live coverage throughout the day on air and online. the u.s. government issued a worldwide travel alert for americans in and headed to the

mideast or north af. intelligence shows there is a higher risk of attacks on americans in that part of the world this month. 21 u.s. embassies and cons uls will close on sunday because of that threat. earlier the house voted to deploy mer marines and more contractors instead of local militaries that could be working with al qaeda as they were in benghazi. none of the reforms necessary place yet. the travel alert is in effect through august 21st. the tainted salad that made people sick in 16 states. bad lettuce is linked to tailor farms of salinas. the farm produced the salad mix. at least 400 cases of the inprotection have been reported in 16 states as of yesterday. they will conduct an inspection of the processing facility to

find the cause of the outbreak. police are warning folks in one bay area city to keep a close eye on their bikes from a city on the peninsula. why police say just locking your bike with a chine is not enough to keep it. that and the top stories at 7:00 here on today in the bay and more local news in just 30 minutes.

good morning. it's saturday august 3, 2013. here's a look at today's top stories. worldwide travel alert issued for americans traveling overseas. while u.s. counterterrorism officials try to find out more about a potential terror attack abroad. even a home run couldn't deflect attention from the possible suspension looming over a-rod's head. the yankee speaking out after a minor league game friday night says he's not planning on leaving the team for several years. but is he on the cusp of being banned from the sport for life? and a little boy, with just a few weeks left to live, the best man at his parents' wedding this afternoon. they weren't supposed to get married until next year but now they want to celebrate his life and make him part of their

special day. good morning, everybody. i'm lester holt. >> i'm erica hill with dylan dreyer. the follow-up to the death of one-time faux to whitey bulger. the potential witness was poisoned but the killing doesn't have anything to do with the trial. the latest on that is just ahead. is plastic surgery really a fountain of youth? most people spend money and endure the pain to make themselves look better and younger, but is it worth it? a new study suggests maybe not. >> we do begin with the embassies overseas preparing to close,s that new travel alert is issued. kristin welker at the white house with latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. u.s. officials say, the embassy closures are temporary, and out of an abundance of caution, lawmakers briefed on the situation say this is the most serious threat they have seen in years. it is highly unusual, tomorrow

22 embassies in 17 countries will close their doors. u.s. officials are particularly concerned about targets in the middle east and north africa from algeria to bangladesh. >> we take threats not only to our personnel but any american citizens overseas seriously. we take precautionary measures as necessary. >> reporter: the state department issued a worldwide travel alert warning of potential terror kaattacks by al qaeda. attacks possibly owe dccurring r emanating from the arabian peninsula. focusing on yemen, after president obama met with the president this week. >> it is a serious threat. probably most detailed threat, specific threat, i've seen in the last five to ten years. >> reporter: the state department officials say there could be additional days of closing, but they won't say much about the exact threat and it's not just the u.s. the british are closing their embassy in yemen for two days. analysts say the united states is mindful of what can go wrong especially in the wake of the

terrorist attack in benghazi which claimed the life of four people especially the u.s. embassy. >> concrete things that hearing about a plot. they know it's the middle east and august and heard enough to take it seriously. >> reporter: now the travel alert expires at the end of the month. it not clear how long those embassy closures will last. president obama continues to get updated on the situation. if you plan to travel overseas, officials say logon to the state department website first. erica? >> kristin, thanks. drastic steps taken as a threat is investigated. what sort of intelligence might the white house have to force those kind of moves? that's the question i posed to nbc news terrorism analyst and former white house counterterror official, roger cressey this morning. >> well, four questions you always ask. is it credible? is it specific?

is it eminent? can you corroborate it from other sources? we have the answer yes to two questions. it is credible and it is imminent. what happens going on now is working witness the intelligence community to see if there's additional information and also work for foreign relay zon partners to corroborate. given the credibility of the source and the time frame of the attack or attacks may take place, that's why you've seen the government take action it's announced. alex rodriguez back on the ball field and speaking out, vowing to keep fighting. the yankee hit a home run last night. but that wasn't enough to turn attention to way from the suspension or possible lifetime ban from baseball which loom over him. ron mott in frietrenton, new je. >> reporter: good morning. a-rod all smiles after the game last night. why not? he hit a rocket for a home run to help the home team win. in a matter of days or hours, he could lose everything.

a familiar night for alex rodriguez, autographs, warm-ups another mammoth home run. this one for the hometown tre trenton thunder. >> deep to left field. the ball is up and gone! >> reporter: a telling trouble, cheers when he struck out. major league baseball commissioner bud selig swinging hard to get him off the field with a lengthy suspension or lifetime ban. a-rod tooked a veiled shot at critics, likely the yankees. >> there's more than one party that benefits from me not ever stepping back on the field. it's not the teammates or the fans. >> reporter: the hitter has earned more than $350 million in 19 seasons in the big leagues. in 2007 he sign a record ten-year, $275 million contract. and is still owed roughly $100

million. but how much of that money he'll keep is the talk of baseball at the moment. the yankees value by "forbes" magazine at $2.3 billion, is the league's richest franchise and could sign a number of players with cash a-rod might forfeit. >> you lose a productive play like alex but they can save $20 million to $30 million which helps them on a variety of different fronts. >> reporter: at a little league tournament in miami where rodriguez once the high school phenom, potential stars of tomorrow are sounding off about a tainted hero. >> sports is about to have fun and give -- give what you have, right? and not to be cheating and stuff like that. >> it just ruins the sport because the whole part is to have fun and it just messes it up. >> reporter: media outlets are reporting major league baseball told the players wrapped up in the investigation they have

until sunday to accept the penalty or fight through appeal or grievance with the players union. the league is expected to make the big announcement on monday. >> we'll all be watching. there is another twist in the trial of alleged mob kingpin james "whitey" bulger. authorities say a man who once was a potential witness in the case was killed but his murder apparently had nothing to do with the bulger case. here's charles hadlock. >> reporter: while plenty of drama unfolded inside a boston courtroom where whitey bulger is on trial for mop mob style killings and corruption, police have had their hands full. stephen "stippo" rakes turned up dead in woods outside boston last month. the same day prosecutors told him that he would not be called to the stan to testify against bulger about alleged exstore. >> my store was never for sale.

>> reporter: rakes' sudden death had nothing to do with whitey bulger. instead the district attorney says rakes was allegedly poisoned by a longtime business partner, 69-year-old william, who claim lured rakes to a mcdonald's for a meeting. he owed rakes a significant amount of money. >> purchased a coffee for himself and mr. rake. the defendant laced one of the iced coffees with two teaspoons of potassium cyanide. >> reporter: prosecutors allege that he drove rakes around in his car for several hours, until rakes became sick, and died. and then dumped his body in the wood. until now, suspicions there was something more to the murder. >> anything to do with whitey bulger? >> our investigation commits he acted alone. >> reporter: charged with attempted murder. but prosecutors say charges will be upgraded to murder when the

medical examiner completes an autopsy.rles had lock, nbc news. >> a fascinating trial. new information on that cyclospora outbreak. >> jenna wolfe is here with that and more headlines. >> the fda pinpointed the srs of part of the massive outbreak of at stomach illness that happens affected hundreds of people. the psych clocyclospora comes fr forms of mexico. 400 people have become ill but the agency does not say all illnesses can be traced to the particular supplier. new york city mayle candidate and disgraced congressman anthony weiner vowing to stay in the race. on "today," wnbc today asked weiner when was it he last sent a sexually explicit text or

e-mail. >> this period, a year ago or so, year. i don't have any records. i deleted everything. it was something i put behind me. it was august, early september. >> so, it's not going to be this year, not 2013 in. >> no, no. >> you're not currently engaged in any nonexplicit online relationship. >> 100% not. >> weiner doesn't know if any more details of his online affairs will come out between now and the september primary. fema has said it will rebuild the town of west texas, the town devastated in april when a fertilizer plant exploded, killing 15 people. damage is estimated over 100 million. that fema money will rebuild three schools lost in the blast. finally one little pig went to market, one stayed home, one had roast beef, one i believe didn't have any, that pig had

none and one met up with his friends and went crazy. >> now we're talking. >> check this out. this bunn. of biggies got loose when a truck overturn odd a chinese highway. the mess took an hour to clean up while traffic waited. two bottom lines here. one, not a kosher situation. >> oh! yeah! >> and number two, when you go to market, always get the roast beef. >> which one ran all the way home? >> the little one. >> the little one. >> all the way home. >> it's sort of like instead of herding cats it's like herding piglets. >> yes. something like that i guess. >> thank you. >> that was very funny. very funny. >> it was kosher. >> yours was better. >> dylan dreyer's out of the plaza. >> we have a the of people braving the rain. the rain is off and on. we have steady rain off the

asof florida. this is remnants of dorian, now a tropical depression, it's sitting and not doing much. florida really a couple of thunderstorms in southern florida, but most of the activities moving out over the water and it's going to stay north of bermuda, even as we go into early next week. so, it's not going to be a threat to land but sitting off of florida right now. elsewhere, we are going to see the cold front bring spotty showers which we're seeing in new york city. clouds today. and the heaviest of the rain southern missouri, northern arkansas torrential downpours, strong thunderstorm. the best chance of strong storms today in eastern colorado. that's a look at >> here's a peek out the window of one of the buildings in downtown san francisco looking to the embarcadero. nothing said summer like the mist and low cloud cover. low clouds actually lingering around san francisco and the golden gate throughout the day today. we will get sunny skies inland.

as you can expect with the all day sea breeze, temperatures will be mild. 70s and 80s inland. temperatures cooling approaching monday and warmer for the second half of the new week. and that's your latest forecast. >> thanks very much. a story that is touching a lot of heart. a 2-year-old boy suffering from a terminal disease. he'll serve as the best man at his parents' wedding today. >> the couple was planning to get married next year but when they learned their son had just weeks to live, they knew they count wait. michelle franzen. >> reporter: christine is marrying the love of her life today. >> i have been waiting for this for a long time. >> reporter: the bride and her groom shawn have shared so much together already. raising three children, just outside pittsburgh, including little logan, who has spent the majority of his two young years fighting for his life. >> i'm so thankful my son's here

to join us. >> reporter: today, the couple says "i do" with logan stepping into the role as best man. >> he's my best buddy. i couldn't ask for a better best man and there wouldn't be any other man to replace him. he's the biggest man i know. >> reporter: logan was diagnosed at 14 months with a rare blood disease, after rounds of chemotherapy and daily doses of medicine, doctors say he only has weeks to live. >> it's supposed to be my and my fiancee's day but we're taking it out to be logan's day. >> reporter: the couple delayed getting married and had set a date for next year. along with his favorite stuffed animal bun-bun and his sisters logan will be part of the big ceremony taking place in the backyard. >> i'm going to carry my son down the aisle so we can meet his daddy. and to me that's special. >> reporter: family, friends and the community have help out,

too. donating many of items to help create the wedding of their dream. >> you know, he is our family. you know, our kids are our family. our lives revolve around our children. >> reporter: a time to celebrate family. >> we just want to cherish every moment with logan. that's all i want. that's all i want to do as a family with my son is just be there and be happy and -- >> just hold him. >> -- just hold him. >> reporter: and make joyful memories. for "today," michelle franzen, nbc news, new york. >> we're going to share moments of their special day with you tomorrow. that will be right here on "today." >> we'll be right back. ♪ [ female announcer ] what if breakfast was set free? ♪ where might it take you? ♪ where might you go? ♪

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the knife in the hope of looking or feeling younger. >> but plastic surgery may not have the impact many are looking for the. here's more. >> reporter: the quest for the fountain of oh youth is an obsession that never seems to age. don't believe it? turn on the tv. from the outspoken surgery supporter joan rivers. >> this is a town where someone says i haven't done any plastic surgery they mean today. >> reporter: to "sex and the city's" samantha. >> honey? i had a little something done. >> reporter: and reality show fixtures like these ladies. can a nip here and a tuck there really turn back the hands of time? >> i think 20 years might be overzealous. it's not unrealistic to turn back the clock ten years. >> reporter: contrary to what you may think a new study finds going under the knife won't ebb exactly make you wbetter lookin. 50 strangers where are asked to guess the age and rank the attractiveness before and after

cosmetic surgery. no individual saw both pics of the same person. the procedures, facelifts, brow lifts or eyelid surgery. on average patients looked only three years younger with minimal changes in attractiveness. so would you go under the knife? >> i wouldn't do it to look three years younger. i would if it made me feel better about myself. >> when you get to my age time goes so quickly. three years is over. >> different surgeons will get different results. overall the results are going to really be much better than that. >> reporter: with more than 14 million americans getting some type of cosmetic procedure last year, plastic surgery doesn't seem to be going away. at the end of the day, remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. for "today," new york.

>> if it makes you feel better. >> beauty is in the eye of the beholder. >> you have an issue with the marker on the face. >> but you told me that's the doctor's guide. >> he has no problem with the knife and -- >> doesn't want any markers on his face. >> right. plus i don't want a doctor playing connect the dots. >> paint by numbers, connect the dots. they always say if it's well done no one will know. >> that's the problem. >> what about you? >> i don't know what you're talking about. >> this is all me . >> very youthful. >> for better or worse. >> what to buy if you are going back to school shopping. the deals aren't exclusive to students. fir firz. first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪ all right, let's go

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living on cloud nine with that u-verse wireless receiver. you see in my day, when my mom was repainting the house, you couldn't just set up a tv in the basement. i mean, come on! nope. we could only watch tv in the rooms that had a tv outlet. yeah if we wanted to watch tv someplace else, we'd have to go to my aunt sally's. have you ever sat on a plastic covered couch? [ kids cheering ] you're missing a good game over here. those kids wouldn't have lasted one day in our shoes. [ male announcer ] add a wireless receiver. call to get u-verse tv for just $19 a month with qualifying bundles. rethink possible. ♪ ♪ still to come on "today" the latest celebrity to land in hot

water after using a racial slur. >> plus, simon cowell, lindsay lohan and ellen degeneres are ♪

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good morning. looking live at the golden gate bridge ask a blanket of fog. is it going to stick around through the entire weekend? let's find out. rob has the forecast for the weekend. >> san francisco mostly cloudy into the afternoon. you will see the fog sticking around. 9:00, 10:00 and lunchtime, we will see the low clouds in and around san francisco and hugging the coastline. we will see temperatures near 60. sunny skies inland and with the sunshine and mild temperatures, 70s and low 80s. the temperatures will stay fairly cool through the weekend. the numbers will cool off a little bit more early next week thanks to the sea breeze and

morning low clouds. >> breaking news where a 19-year-old w78 was shot in the person seat of the car. this happened between third and second in san salvador downtown. according to police was 1:00 this morning when a male suspect shot the woman in the chest and head while in the car. the woman was taken to regional center and died about an hour later. a second person was in the driver's seat of the car in which the woman was shot and not injured. this marks san jose's 30th homicide of the year. bart and union leaders ended talks without reaching a deal and the two sides are expected to get back to work at 10:00 had this morning. the bart general manager said there is progress being made and tentative deals are being made, but they are far apart on salary, medical, and pension.

that leaves the bay area bracing for without bart. >> no one will be going anywhere and no one will have a normal day. >> if there is a strike, we will have this monday morning and we will start at 4:00 to avoid the traffic tie ups. on air and on line at n br nbcbayarea.c nbcbayarea.com. >> the u.s. government issued a travel alert for americans in or headed to the mideast or north africa. there is a her risk on americans in that part of the world. cons uling will close early because of that threat. the house voted to deploy more marines and hire contractors for the most vulnerable posts they would be working with al qaeda. none of the reforeigns are in place and the travel alert is in

evening through august 31st. coming up this morning on today in the bay, police are warning people in one peninsula city to keep an eye on bikes because locking them up is not enough to keep thieves from stealing them from garages, carports and patios. where this happens and what you can do about it. we have that and more information on san jose's 30th homicide at 7:00. all the day's news coming up for you and right now here's the "today" show.

we are back on this saturday morning, august 3, 2013. a great crowd out here on the plaza with us. and the rain has stopped for a little while. that's good energy. it's good energy. still to come in this half hour of "today," when is an apology enough? one nfl player is the latest to say i'm sorry after he was caught on video using a racial slur. his team is making him take time off to enter kounscounseling. we'll take a look. >> then it's time for back to school shopping. some are taking part in a sales

tax holiday this weekend. could mean big savings for you. we'll let you know not only saving on clotheses but other items as well. >> unexpected stuff. >> are you curious about this? >> hi, lester. we call you little earl. ask me why. i don't have a microphone. why? >> you have an uncanny resemblance to my dad. he's no longer with us. but you look exactly like my dad. when he was young! >> oh, okay. well, i'm touched. thanks for coming out. >> we love you. >> you're sweet. thank you for noticing. >> that was sweet. >> i was so focused on the pig. over eric ka's head. >> behinde eer erica. >> also coming up in this half hour we'll dive into entertainment. ellen degeneres will have the best seat in the house for the

oscars. plus we'll get to simon cowell speaking out after we learned that he eel be a dad, fathering a child with the wife of oh one of his friend s. we have a lot of entertainment to get to. we'll round it up and bring it to you in this half hour. >> first another check of the weather. >> since we are talking about the pig we have to get tanner in here for his 13th birth today. he's the reason for the pig. >> now it makes sense. >> happy birthday, tanner. back here we'll see scattered showers today. they are taking a break in the northeast. we are looking at the chance of isolated thunderstorms developing this afternoon ahead of the cold front that is also bringing heavy downpour s to southern arkansas and missouri. stronger storms in eastern colorado. western nebraska, kansas, oklahoma as well. we'll watch for downpours, lightning and gusty winds.

tomorrow the threat spreads east from north dakota into the gulf coast states. scattered showers and storms. it looks cooler in the chicago area. should be in the lower >> good morning from the golden gate bridge. you can see the tops of the towers getting up closer to 600 feet. the low clouds and the big story with the weather. theo shore breeze keeping things in the 60s from san francisco towards oakland. 70s in san jose and 80s further inland. the trend is mild if not cooler than average for this time of year. the valleys for the first half of the weekend and warmer wednesday through friday of next week. today's top spot is from my old stomping grounds, nbc 10 in providence, rhode island. in newport it's the jazz festival. the annual event hosted legends through the years including miles davis and duke ellington.

this summer great performances by some of the biggest names in jazz today. if you are in the area, i recommend it. it's one of my favorite things. we have 26 people on a girls' vacation. they left the dads and husbands home. >> sounds like a great weekend. riley cooper is taking forced time away from football this weekend to focus on getting help after he was caught using a racial slur on camera. he's apologized but his future with the team could now be in jeopardy. here's miguel almaguer. >> reporter: entering his fourth season in the nfl, riley cooper left practice this week, some wondering if he'll ever return to his team. >> i was drinking. but that is no excuse for what i said and did. >> reporter: the eagles wide receiver has been, quote, excused from the team so they can meet with counselors just days after this video of cooper making a racial slur surfaced on line. the incident came after he was

denied entry backstage at a concert. >> i will come back there and fight every [ bleep ] [ bleep ]. >> i shouldn't have. i'm disgusted and i'm sorry. that's not the type of person i am. i wasn't raised that way. >> reporter: damage control for cooper was immediate. an apology, a fine by his team and now counseling. but is it enough? >> he was wrong in what he did. that doesn't mean we'll kick him to the street. >> there is no place for that type of language. >> reporter: cooper isn't the first celebrity to make news for using a racial epithet. celebrity chef paula deen lost her job at the food network and millions in endorsements when she used the the same slur. >> i will ask you bluntly. are you a racist? >> no, i'm not. >> reporter: deen made an immediate apology but the stigma

has not gone away. >> you can apologize. you can't take back that moment. >> 20 years down the road when you are talking about riley cooper hopefully he'll have a couple of oh super bowls in his pocket but this will come up. >> reporter: h this morning cooper is stepping away from the eagles. h he cannot escape the controversy and the fall it is out. for "today," miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. up next, simon cowell speaks out after learning he eel be a dad for the first time. could j. lo be back on the "american idol" judges panel? we'll find out after these messages. when i first felt the diabetic nerve pain, of course i had no idea what it was. i felt like my feet were going to sleep. it progressed from there to burning... to like 1,000 bees that were just stinging my feet. [ female announcer ] it's known that diabetes damages nerves. lyrica is fda approved to treat diabetic nerve pain. lyrica is not for everyone.

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time now to take a look at the week in entertainment. everything from simon cowell becoming a first time dad to ellen degeneres getting a high profile new job. time for the round up. good morning. >> good morning. >> a lot of talk about simon cowell who is now having a baby with the wife of a man who at least at one point was a good friend of his. probably not anymore. >> i will say not anymore. >> going out on a limb. >> they vacationed together. so his friend andrew and his wife lauren are getting a divorce. andrew cited simon and lauren calling it adultery. she's preg nant by simon. they have a 7-year-old child and

there was a statement saying we want what's best for the child. simon is supposed to give a press conference monday or tuesday. we'll hear more from him. >> what's the next move? >> child support. >> writing checks. >> in all seriousness he's named in the divorce papers. they said andrew is upset he was blindsided. his brother said this was the ultimate betrayal. he eel probably be publically embarrassed more. >> interesting story. >> moving on. osser cars. ellen degeneres is back. >> yes! are you excited? >> i love ellen. >> i like her. >> friday, march 2 she'll host. this is her second time. she hosted in 2007. she was nominated for an emmy. last year they said it was too mean. let's see what ellen can do. >> let's talk about lindsay lohan. we don't talk about her enough. back from another stint in rehab.

this is her, sixth time? >> she's got a lot going on finishing new projects. doing something with oprah's o.w.n. network. is that enough to keep her out of trouble? >> this is the sixth time. we hear she has a sober coach, that she's serious. 90 days in rehab. she hosted chelsea lately. they said she did a great job. it airs monday. she has a movie she's promoting and oprah is doing an eight part series on herment only time will tell. >> you want it to work. it would be nice if it worked out. >> finally, get it together. >> "american idol," the worst season of ratings in the show's history this past season. there is a lot of question about who will judge. we only know about keith urban. nobody else is confirmed. >> no randy, nicky, mariah carey. jennifer lopez is in talks. she said she doesn't know because it is time consumer.

it's hard to have another career, be a mother when you're doing the show. but the ratings are so low for "idol". >> jennifer hudson is possible? >> she's a possibility. we are hearing clay achiken. this year it will be more about contestants, not judges. >> that's the criticism. especially with nicki minaj and mariah carey. it was so much about them. >> people weren't tuning in. there was so much drama. people want to see the talent, the singers and the market the different. you have "the x factor" and other shows competing. "the voice," the best one out there. >> hello. >> giving love to nbc. >> it is my favorite. i have to admit. plus you can watch it with the kids. >> there is a lot of good stuff this week. busy, busy. >> good to see you. up next, back to school sales are in full force and

there is an extra incentive to start this weekend. we'll explain in a moment. first, this is "today" on nbc. [ slurps ] [ laughs ] ♪ [ female announcer ] hey ladies. you love it. you've got to have it. cinnamon toast crunch, 'cause that cinnamon and sugar is so irresistible. everybody craves those crazy squares.® made gluten-free cereals in a bunch of yummy flavors. like cinnamon chex, honey nut chex, and chocolate chex... we're in cereal heaven. so thanks. from the mcgregors, 'cause we love chex.

this morning on today's consumer, getting a head start on back to school shopping. there is an added incentive to start on the shopping because it's tax-free weekend. katy tur has more. >> reporter: they say nothing in life is certain but death and taxes. this weekend in many states even that's not true. right now florida, virginia, new mexico and eight other states are temporarily going tax-free. while six others, including connecticut, and texas have tax-free weekends later this month. it started in the 90s to help families save and retailers

boost sales. the 4% to 9% savings are drawing crowds. >> typically we see a surge are traffic. i would say depending on location it could be 5 to 10% which is significant for us over the weekend, particularly at this time of year. >> pens, binders, calculators, oh, my. back to school supplies are are some of the most popular items for this weekend. that includes clothes. but truth be told you will probably have to go farther than this aisle for the kid stuff. each state has rules for the weekend. watch for price limits on individual items of oh clothing and back to school supplies. >> are these tax-free items? >> absolutely. head to toe. each model is wearing items that are under $100. so the entire outfit is exempt. >> reporter: back to school spending can average $600 for the average american family. losing the tax could mean saving

$50. >> this will be an incentive for them to buy an extra item they may need or buy an additional piece of clothing for their children. >> reporter: an extra item for the kids or more yourself. what are you looking for -- for you? >> i'm focused on the kids now. >> reporter: you're always focusing on your kids. you're a mom. >> new shoes, that's true. for myself, maybe updating my fall wardrobe a little bit. >> reporter: a win-win for mom and dad. no taxes. and the kids are headed back to school, too. for "today," katy tur, nbc news, fairfax, virginia. "today" contributor and lifestyle contributor elizabeth payhew has more on what tax free means for you. >> thanks for having me. >> this isn't exclusive to just kids. we can all benefit in ways you may not have expected like halloween costumes. >> that's right. you will find surprising things. what i suggest is you go to the department of revenue.

11 states have it this weekend. really look at the items and print it ott. chances are the sales clerk won't know what you potentially know. they're not going to memorize the list. >> it is different for each state. so make sure certain things fall under that and what the limits are. >> all 11 states have different rules, different things that are tax-free. you will find different things. for example, you can gear up for halloween with costumes. your kids can commit to what they want to be. >> that's hard. this counts as clothing. >> it does. it has to be under $100 in most states. a couple states have one is more. like $300. another is $75. connecticut is $300. florida is $75. >> let's hope your halloween costume is under a hundred bucks. >> tights and hosiery. great time to stock up. >> diapers? i wish i knew this. >> tax-free diaper day.

>> jenna can stock up now. cleats, ballet shoes? >> check. it's not all states but hiking boots is in almost ever state. things like cleats and ballet shoes, a few states. look at this lists. you will get a great deal. feet grow so stock up. >> every penny you can save is great. we know about school supplies but a budding artist could save on art supplies, too. these usually fall in the $20 to $50 maximum range. most things are like that. whether it's scissors -- there are bizarre exemptions like some states won't allow you to buy envelopes or masking tape. it's interesting. you need to go line by line. >> print it and bring it with you. one of the things people tend to buy is a computer. especially a kid with a new laptop or a new family computer. >> laptops, electronics are in the category. even things like head phones or

speakers for the computer. it covers a lot under the technology department. those price ranges tend to be bigger. everything from 600 to $2500. >> it's 11 states this weekend but other states come up later in the fall. if you don't have it this weekend it might be soon. >> this is to gear up for back to to school and have incentive to buy what you and the kids need. >> i have a list for first grade. nice to see you. thank you. up next on "today," talking with extreme pogo jumpers. first, these messages. she just graduated

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pogo palooza took over new york city. an extreme competition on pogo sticks where they try to outdo

each other with phillips and moves. >> some of the winners are with us on the plaza. nick ryan is here as the cofounder of x-pogo. those pictures are amazing. >> we had the tenth annual world championships last weekend. it is the emerging action sport of extreme pogo sticking. it was insane. the guys went head to head in three competitions. they all took home medals. >> we were here once before. i'm curious. have you crossed the invisible boundary where you have gone into an extreme sport that's recognized? >> i think we have. this weekend was that moment. we graduated out of grassroots activity into a young sport. these guys are really, truly professional athletes. what they did was incredible to see. >> we wanted to see it here. it started raining so for your safety we'll show the video.

>> you set the world record in high jump? >> that's correct. >> how high did you go? >> 9'7" 1/2 over a bar. >> thousands watched him. he went over the bar at the last moment of the day. it was incredible. >> best moment of my life. >> did you surprise yourself? >> absolutely. that was a record i wanted for such a long time. to do it at pogo palooza 10, where it's a transition point. it was great. >> congratulations. next time we'll try not to have the rain good morning! wow.

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