back with more of "today" on this friday morning, july 3rd, 2009. these folks are kicking off the long weekend right here with a live concert with rob thomas. if you just missed the fun, he'll be back with one more song a bit later in the show. >> i love that last song that he just played. >> we'll hear that a bit later on. i'm lester holt along with natalie morales. coming up in this half hour, we have more of matt's interview with jermaine jackson just a week after his brother's sudden death. jermaine was obviously quite emotional. he very much wanted his brother to be remembered for the good times and the magic he brought

us all. we'll have more of matt's story inside of the gates of neverland and latest plans for a public memorial and we'll talk more about the fate of his children. also ahead on a lighter note, before you hit the road on this long holiday weekend if you're hitting the road, we'll help you get your car in check and ready for the long haul. we'll have the check list and gear you need to get your start of the summer road trip started off on a good note and later on i've been a huge fan of the show "america's got talent." if you were watching this week, you saw that man. he's from kentucky and he wowed the judges. could he be this country's susan boyle? you'll listen and be the judge. >> that's the fun part of the show. who will be the next rags to riches story. a lot coming up. let's get another check of the news headlines. let's say hello to amy robach. >> good morning, lester and natalie. good morning, everyone. there may be a custody battle

over michael jackson's children. his ex-wife debbie rowe says she wants custody. it is one of many new developments. jeff rossen is at the jackson family home. good morning to you, jeff. >> reporter: good morning to you. debbie rowe now says that she will do anything to get her kids back including a dna test to prove she's the biological mother. she's been in hiding since michael jackson's death but when debbie rowe breaks her silence, she breaks her silence. dropping a virtual bomb on the custody case. jackson's ex-wife now says she will fight for her two kids, 12-year-old prince michael and 11-year-old paris. she's also willing to take jackson's youngest, blanket, too. the 7 year old has a different mother. knbc anchor chuck henry spoke with rowe by phone. >> she made it clear that she wants the children. we had an agreement but he broke the agreement. he died.

>> reporter: custody is awarded to his mother, katherine and backup diana ross and rowe was cut out of the will entirely. legal experts say her case is weak any way. she gave up her parental rights in 2000 in a multimillion dollar divorce settlement. >> she has no relationship with these kids. these kids don't know her. it's not in the best interest of these kids to be with somebody they don't know. >> reporter: and still mourning their superstar dad. who just two days before his death was making moves you don't need to be a relative to recognize. concert promoters just released this video to prove jackson was healthy, thin but healthy, before he died. this is jackson rehearsing on june 23rd. 48 hours later, he was dead. >> i'm not a doctor. i'm not a drug rehab specialist. i could not tell if he was

taking painkillers or other medications as they say. >> reporter: it will be at that very site where jackson rehearsed where fans will say good-bye. a public memorial now confirmed for next tuesday at the staples center in los angeles. they'll issue 11,000 tickets free of charge. but it's the issue of prescription drug abuse poised to overshadow the tribute. overnight a law enforcement source told nbc news investigators did in fact find the drug diprivan inside michael jackson's home, an anesthetic so strong most doctors say it's used only in hospitals. now state investigators are turning up the heat. the california attorney general is using a tactic that helped to crack the anna nicole smith case. they're looking through a medical data base giving them the name of every doctor, patient, quantity and date for every prescription filled. they are hunting for the doctors who supplied jackson with his

pills. and as police look to question those doctors involved into the michael jackson case, there's a question about procedure. some say the lapd investigators allowed jackson family relatives back into the family home too early and that the crime scene was contaminated. the lapd responded saying they acted correctly because there were no signs of foul play. >> jeff rossen in california. thank you. the army unit viper company will spend this fourth of july holiday with their families. the soldiers returned home to ft. hood, texas, last night after serving one year in afghanistan. viper company became well known because of a picture on the cover of "the new york times" there it is showing a soldier engaged in a firefight wearing pink boxers saying i love new york. he jumped out of bed to help his fellow soldiers. a south carolina state inquiry shows that mark sanford did not use money illegally to

see his mistress. it was make way for ducklings this week when two young ducks fell into a storm sewer and had to be rescued. they were reunited with their mother and siblings. one good animal story deserves another. an adult skunk led the six baby skungs skunks across the highway because of flooding in albany, new york. not as cute as ducklings. sorry. it's six minutes past the hour. back to natalie and lester. >> how about the way she almost threw them under the bus there. something doesn't smell right about that story. >> rob thomas, we talked to him a moment ago. there's a lady down here that has rob's sweet. what did he say? >> right here. "today" show love. here's a photo for everybody. >> he sent a picture. it says blackberry.

cool. there is a picture. okay. there it is. all right. thank you for sharing. let's get a check of the weather. mike bettes is in for al. >> nice holiday to be off today. 78 to 83. slight chance for an isolated thunderstorm to the north. partly >> hot in louisiana and right here we have the fans. back to you, natalie. >> thank you, mike.

on thursday matt was live at jackson's neverland ranch where he sat down with michael's broth brother, jermaine, and got a look inside his home. ♪ >> i'm matt lauer reporting from neverland ranch. the only place that michael jackson ever called home during his adult life. he considered himself to be a modern day version of peter pan and, boy, did he quickly turn this place into a fantasy land. now let me take you inside. there was a pedestal here. on top of the pedestal was an academy war statue, an oscar from 1939's best picture for "gone with the wind." these were two of michael jackson's dog.

this is flower and joey that have been cared for since then by the people who own this place. michael jackson had a two-story bedroom. this is the main floor of it. this was the sitting area. boy, did he have a closet. this is a full cedar closet. you see another security panel and it reveals a secret section of this closet. this was the sleeping loft. this is the area that was went over by investigators back in 2005. after that trial michael jackson never returned to neverland. now to our exclusive interview with michael's older brother, jermaine. this family has been through hard times in the past. is there anything that you can compare to this? >> there's nothing to be compared to this. we lost our brother, our hero,

the world is mourning. we're mourning. the fans are mourning. it's unreal. it's unbelievable. to hear my mother say michael's dead, to feel and hear the tone in her voice to say her child is dead is nothing that anyone can ever imagine. >> how are the kids doing? >> they're strong. when i inteentered the hospital they were there. the therapist thought it was important to see their father so they could get it over and understand. >> they were taken in to see their father after he had passed? >> yes. >> that's a hard thing for kids. >> now they're fine. i know it's tough. i think it was the best thing to do. at first i was against it. what do you say if you don't show them? >> according to the will, michael wanted your mom, katherine, to care for his children. >> yes. >> your mom is 79 years old.

is she up to that task? >> she's capable and up to it. she's always with all of the grandchildren all of the time. she loves the laughter and crying and all the excitement. yes. she is. >> with such persistent rumors if the autopsy report comes back and toxicology comes back and it shows he was using or abusing prescription drugs, would you be surprised or shocked? >> i would be hurt. >> hurt why? >> hurt because michael has always been a person who was against anything like that. i'm not saying it's right because it's not right. but in this business the pressure you go through, you never know what one turn to. >> you're saying it's possible? >> i really don't know, matt. i really don't know. i'm being honest. i really don't know. i do know this. michael was always concerned

about everybody and to have that weight on your shoulders to have that kind of pressure, i don't know. i don't know. >> everybody was talking about the genius of michael jackson and then it seemed in the days since there has been a drip, drip, drip of more negative stories coming out, speculation. as a family, how are you dealing with that? >> i'm very angry, very disturbed. i tell you why. no one should be using this moment for self-promotion, self-gratification. i mean no one. we just lost the most incredible person this world will ever see. >> the accusation that became the trial took place here. did it change his love for neverland? did he look at this place differently after that? >> he felt that they sort of invaded his privacy. a place that was so beautiful. they wanted to turn it into

something so ugly. >> what did this mean to him? what did he find here? >> this was the ultimate happiness. he had some bumps with the county and the trial and everything. they humiliated him. but still the love that michael has in his heart and the love for people cannot be pushed aside. >> what is the legacy of michael jackson? he will be considered a genius always. a tortured genius? a flawed genius? how would you describe him? >> the legacy of michael jackson is michael being a wonderful person, a wonderful father, a caring person. a humanitarian. a person who wanted good for everyone. a person who would give his last whatever just to make someone else happy. >> when you close your eyes, jermaine, and you lie down in bed at night.

is there one song you'll hear his voice singing? >> yes. i love "smile." i'll tell you why. we were very close to charlie chaplain as a family. michael loved charlie chaplain. i sing it all the time in the shower. >> do it for me. ♪ smile for your heart is aching ♪ ♪ smile even though it's tough, matt. you feel him. you feel him in the music. you feel him. you ask the question. he did what he felt in his heart. ♪ >> so true when you hear his

music now, he's present in all of those songs. what's your favorite song of his? >> i go back to "i'll be there." >> i like the early stuff, too. "abc." a great song everyone can listen to. >> i downloaded "heal the world" yesterday. >> it puts it in perspective. despite things going on he was still part of someone's family and they love him and they miss him. >> he was definitely a genius. that's for sure. you can see more on the life and death of michael jackson tonight on a special "dateline." that's at 9:00, 8:00 central time here on nbc. switching gears, what you need to know before you hit the road on this long holiday weekend. announcer: there's a place called hidden valley. where kids not only eat their vegetables, they can't get enough. hidden valley ranch,

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>> announcer: today's travel tips is brought to you by goodyear. get there on new fuel max tires. ♪ just can't wait to get on the road again ♪ >> today's travel on the road getting your car ready for the big summer road trip from standard maintenance to increasing fuel efficiency, there are things you need to do before hitting the road for the weekend. good morning, david. >> good morning. >> this is great information. we all get focused on making reservations and making sure the hotel is ready and all things we'll do on the trip but not thinking about the car ride getting there. >> the worst thing you can do is be halfway there broken down in the middle of nowhere and that's ruins the vacation. >> that's a downer on the vacation. >> especially at the beginning. >> the first thing you say to do is check under the hood. if you're not an experienced mechanic, what should you be looking for? >> there's a number of things. this is a dip stick you'll see just the top of this poking out of the engine. the most important is to check the level of the oil and that

needs to be between these two levels. towards the top is better. don't overfill. >> okay. >> secondly, when you look at the radiator fluid, battery fluid, power steering, they come in these clear ones. they'll have a high mark and low mark. they should be closer to the high mark but somewhere in the middle is good. >> people think of their battery in the winter time but something to consider in the summertime. >> the worst thing you can do is get somewhere and then the car won't start because the battery is dead. check the battery. make sure there's no corrosion over the top of the battery. these terminals just a little baking soda and water to clean them off and dry them off well and check the battery is in good condition. >> check your lights while you're at it. >> the light, taillights, indicator lights, brake lights, all should be working. your brake lights aren't working and you get hit isn't a good start to the vacation. >> if you have puddles in your driveway or you smell strange smells, big signs there could be a problem. >> any leaks will drop down on

the driveway. if you see anything dribbling down from your car, take it back. >> let's move to tires and tire pressure. this is something you really need to do before you head out on the road. >> on the driver's door when you open the door, there will be a placard on the doorjamb telling you the tire pressures you should run at. don't go by tire pressure on the tire. it's on the door placard. we prefer these digital gauges. put it on. and read what it says. >> if you're low, you go to the gas station and fill it up with air. >> build it up to the right pressure. it will give you better fuel economy and also make a safer tire. >> let's talk about getting the car ready and what you need to bring with you and how this plays into getting your vacation off to the right start. >> i don't see the kitchen sink here which is what i normally pack in the car. what you need to do is put heavier items forward in the car as you can. get them between the wheels. that will balance the weight out.

the lighter items you can pack towards the rear and higher up. >> all about balance. if you're bringing bicycles lucky enough to have one of these fun summer vacations, what's the best way to bring these on your vehicle? i have seen it several different ways. on top, behind what do you suggest? >> the engineers spent years trying to smooth out the airflow and we put a big roof rack on top. it just kills your fuel economy. so we prefer them actually on the back of the vehicle. also, if they're on the top of the vehicle, we've had cases where people have gone through a mcdonald's drive through and forgot they were up there and you lost your bicycles. >> good advice. thank you so much. we appreciate it. nice to see you. coming up, match box 20's front man rob thomas is rocking the plaza with one more song. first, these messages.

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...lucky. babe... umm, i gotta go. (announcer) 28 delicious flavors at around 100 calories each. yoplait, it is so good. coming up, move over susan boyle. we'll show you why america has got talent, too. and science to your fourth of july cookout in today's kitchen. we'll have one more song from grammy award winner songwriter rob thomas. 'til we find the problem. this 60 year old tree might have to go. average repair costs six thousand dollars. monthly maintenance with rid-x? about six dollars. (announcer) rid-x uses 100% natural bacteria and enzymes to break down waste, even paper. use rid-x monthly to help keep your septic system

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condition after being caught in the path of gunfire. the girl was shot in the head by a stray bullet while walking with her cousin in the 300 block of south pulaski street just after 4:00 yesterday afternoon. two groups of young men were fighting in the street and after the fight broke up, one man came back with a semiautomatic handgun. >> i saw the little girl laying there. she had a hole in the top or forehead. the bullet list of one in one and came out the other side, because there was blood in the street. >> the search for the suspect continues this morning. police said they have crime camera footage from the area that they believe shows that the shooter leaving the scene. fred bealefeld says they will use that to track him down. let's look at the forecast with sandra shaw. the weather >> is actually going to cooperate for us. activity is raking to our north -- rotating to our north. a high-pressure will take over

for the first half of the weekend. today, good start for the holiday. 83 potentially in the downtown locations. winds like and out of the west. tomorrow, 83 and partly cloudy. >> thank you for joining us. another update at 9:55. travel, stress, eating on the run. diarrhea just stops me. (announcer) kao speeds to the source to shut down diarrhea and its discomfort. stop it fast with kaopectate.

♪ >> that is nashville local boys made good rascal flatts and next friday on "today" they're taking our summer concert stage for a live performance. before we go today, we'll send you off on your long weekend with one more song from rob thomas who rocked our plaza this morning. he says he's to the point where he sits around and wait for things to happen so i can twitter them. he did that this morning.

he twittered "today" show love. you can go to twitter to see that. >> a full-fledged obsession. >> when your life revolves around what you can tweet. speaking of music, check out this guy. he's a former chicken catcher from kentucky. i have no idea what that is. he blew the judges away on "america's got talent" this week. is he america's answer to susan boyle? >> i can't wait to see it. >> a great recipe to your july 4th festivities by a young cooking sensation turning heads including martha stewart's at the tender age of 14. wow. >> very scientific in his cooking. >> things could explode. a point of personal privilege we want to fill you in on what's coming up on weekend "today." a look at michael jackson's

relationship with the most important woman in his life, his mother, katherine, inside their deep bond coming up this weekend. >> celebrate fourth of july with a barbecue cookoff. two top chefs will fire up their grills for a battle. they love to pit us against each other. >> you always win. >> i was the champ. >> then i getting too inside what could be the future of firefighting. the world's largest aerial tanker. it's a 747 dropping water on fires. that's coming up this weekend on "today." >> all right. >> let's get a check of the weather right now from mike bettes filling in all week from al. >> so much happier now that the sun is out. it's not raining in new york. finally. >> tell me the pattern will hold for a while. >> no problem about it. we're definitely talking about warmer conditions and sunnier conditions. how about your july 4th forecast? heading out to the fireworks, you'll enjoy them especially here in new york. the barges will be a mile long

on the hudson. it's going to be awesome. temperature 71 to 75 degrees and partly cloudy skies. just enjoy the fireworks in new york city. fireworks across the country could be a few difficult spots that may include denver and salt lake city and >> hd doppler is clear over maryland. everything is fine as far as precipitation chances go. partly cloudy, 81, today. >> one thing we can say for sure, a hot fourth of july for millions of people. >> it should be.

okay. thank you, mike. coming up next, the country crooner who may be america's answer to susan boyle. we'll hear from him right after this. what do you see? what do you feel? sadness. loss of interest. what do they see? what do they feel? depression hurts. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is a prescription medication that treats many symptoms of depression. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens, you have unusual changes in behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing of the skin or eyes. talk with your doctor about your medicines, including those for migraine,

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your digestive system. activia light. ♪ activiaaa! the world went crazy when susan boyle burst on the scene. "america's got talent" judges were stunned when a chicken catcher from kentucky, kevin

skinner, took the stage and started to sing. >> do you do this for a living or do you have another job? >> yeah. i was a chicken catcher for several years. >> how many chickens did you catch in a day? >> i'm not real good at math. we caught about 60,000 in one night six guys. one person caught eight at a time. >> let's see the act. ♪ thought crosses my mind if i never wake in the morning ♪ ♪ would she ever doubt the way i

feel about her in my heart ♪ ♪ if tomorrow never comes will she know how much i loved her ♪ ♪ and did i try in every way to show her every day she's my only one ♪ ♪ if my time on earth were through ♪ ♪ she must face this world without me ♪ ♪ is the love i gave her in the past going to be enough to last

if tomorrow never comes ♪ ♪ so tell that someone that you love just what you're thinking of ♪ ♪ if tomorrow never comes [ applause ] >> that was so heartfelt. that's what moved everybody. you could see he was singing from his heart. >> it was a nice setup to the song. >> i don't do math too good. >> 60,000 chickens in one night was impressive to me. >> one guy got eight at once. >> if you want to see what happens to kevin, watch "america's got talent requesting "right here on nbc on tuesday and wednesday. and we'll have a young chef who is not even in high school yet right after this.

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♪ >> this morning in "today's kitch kitchen" a hot up and coming new chef. >> at only 14 he runs his own catering business and won the martha stewart scholarship at ross school. >> he's preparing a perfect fourth of july feast for us. greg, thanks for being here. congratulations. >> thanks. >> you have a different style of cooking. can we eat anything that you make? >> it's modern cuisine. a way of keeping classic flavors and changing textures around and enhancing the general dining experience. >> what was it like to be

recognized by martha stewart? >> it was amazing just to be noticed by someone of her caliber and it's amazing. >> you got a scholarship. you're 14 now. when did you start cooking in the kitchen? >> around 6 with my family. i remember being in the kitchen. >> i did, too. i didn't get past peanut butter sandwiches. >> this is a pork belly. this is belly cut of the pork. we'll rub this and cook it low and slow. it's a brown sugar based rub. it has cumin and other delicious spices in it. pork belly has a high fat content and a lot of flavor. we're going to rub this and let this sit overnight. this is what it looks like overnight after it is cured in the spice. you can take this. we'll cook it that means under pressure. so we're just going to take all of the air out. >> is that what this fish tank

looking thing is? >> you don't boil the goldfish. >> that's what went wrong. >> this is the way you can do it at home. a pot of water here with a thermometer. we're keeping it around 140 degrees. here's our circulating bath here which is the way i do it in the kitchen. >> the point of this is what? >> it's circulating the water keeping it at an compact temperature. we have our pork in a vacuum bag here that's been cooking overnight. >> how long does it need to cook? >> you can cook it around three to four hours and you'll be okay. >> if you don't have that kind of equipment? >> keep it in a pot with a thermometer and plastic bag. here we have bacon fat. we'll replace the bacon that's usually in the collard greens by replacing it with this. we'll make it into a powder.

we'll start whisking it around. >> how did you come up with this recipe? >> this is a technique that's used a lot. >> you didn't know that? >> no. i cook like this at home all the time. >> we'll start whisking adding the rest. >> we should look at the finished product. >> we're going to smoke our barbecue sauce with this smoking gun. >> you are really smoking it. >> you can find out more about these technologies. this will smoke the bark could you sauce. >> wow. >> really smoked. >> we have our pork belly here. we made a coleslaw glaze. >> let's move to the final product. >> we have our greens and pork glazed in coleslaw and apple crisp and smoked barbecue sauce and you need your sour cream. >> congratulations. good job.

happy fourth to you. coming up, one more song from grammy winning lead singer rob thomas. first, this is "today" on nbc. fios guy! where ya headed?

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plus get a free compaq mini netbook. just pay shipping, handling and taxes. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v before time runs out on this astonishing offer. still to come on "today," it's happy hour. hoda and kathie lee will get into the patriotic spirit with fourth of july cocktails and more. >> and the latest from michael jackson. >> first, one more song from grammy winner rob thomas. ♪ ♪ it's morning and i wake up with the taste of summer sweetness ♪ ♪ and it's a clear day in this

city let's go dance under the street lights all of the people in this world let's come together ♪ ♪ more than ever i can feel it can you feel it ♪ ♪ come on over ♪ down to the corner telling you to hold tight trying to find a better life. down to the corner come on over ♪ ♪ i know you want to let yourself go ♪ ♪ some people go all their lives and never know how to let love go ♪ ♪ it's all right now we'll make it through this somehow ♪

♪ we'll paint the picture perfect of the colors in this world ♪ ♪ come together more than ever i can feel it can you feel it ♪ ♪ come on over down to the corner ♪ ♪ telling you to hold tight be all right trying to find a better life ♪ ♪ down to the corner my sister and brother ♪ ♪ come on over i know you want to let yourself go ♪ ♪ let yourself go

♪ we may never find our reason to shine but here and now this is our time ♪ ♪ i may never find the meaning of life ♪ ♪ but at this moment i am fine i am fine ♪ ♪ come on over down to the corner with my brother of every different color ♪ ♪ telling you to hold tight it will be all right trying to find a better life ♪ ♪ down to the corner with my sister and brother care for one another ♪ ♪ i know you want to let yourself go let yourself go let yourself go ♪ ♪ on and on and on and on >> thank you so much.

[ applause ] >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. after a two-alarm fire swept through the top of the bethel church, and that fire officials believe it was a lightning strike that ignited the steeple.

as cleanup crews stopped at the charged pieces, the pastor was counting his blessings. >> because of your great and goodness, no life was lost, no major property damage. the sanctuary is almost untouched by smoke damage or anything. what could have been a major tragedy is really just the change. we are seeing this as positive change. >> mayor sheila dixon, a member of the church, praised the fire department for promising to help the church reopen its doors. the pastor has announced that it will hold one convenience service at 9:30 sunday morning at the pier 6 pavilion. the distance from the field to your table just got shorter. because at safeway there's always freshly picked... local produce at great prices. it's 100% guaranteed... to be fresh and ripe, every time. so hurry in for delicious goodness, all right down the street.

that's ingredients for life. that's safeway. right now, get northwest sweet red cherries -- just $1.99 a pound with your club card. safeway just lowered the price of summer. husband: wow this is really great. wife: it's a new recipe with chicken and chi chi's salsa. cyborg: i want chicken and chi chi's.... i want chicken and chi chi's. i want chicken and chi chi's. i want chicken and chi chi's. husband: look, you don't have taste buds, ok?

cyborg: i want taste buds. anncr: everyone loves chi chi's salsa. the great taste makes everything better. try new chi chi's fiesta plates microwave meals in your grocer's convenient meal section. >> let's look at the forecast with sandra shaw. >> it is looking great in time for the holiday weekend. looks like just a slight chance for an isolated thunderstorm to the north of the city, perhaps later on this evening. 7883, a very comfortable temperature range. here is what we have in play. high pressure will be building in from the west. the pressure will move offshore into england from the agenda out drying trend for the east coast this weekend. tomorrow, 83 for the forecast tie 381 on sunday. slight chance for a passing thunderstorm. >> have a great holiday,

everybody.