daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. and i just want to say i love him so much. >> his 11-year-old paris jackson talking about the side of michael jackson that really no one else could talk about, other than her two siblings, michael jackson as a father. it was probably the shortest speech at yesterday's memorial service, the one that's getting the most attention today. it is this eighth day of july, 2009. inside studio 1a, i'm matt lauer along with natalie morales and maria celeste from our sister network telemundo. and it was quite a moment. >> it was. when she got up there and she spoke, and you saw all the

jacksons sort of huddle around her. you knew she was kind of struggling whether she wanted to do it or not. almost seemed as i think toure talked about earlier, but when she got up there and said what she did, i think it really just broke everybody's heart. because if nothing else you could understand the emotion that a child goes through losing a father. >> no question. >> it was so moving. i think it was the most unforgettable moment of the whole day. >> and coming up we're going to explore more about this type of a subject. the plight of children left without the only parent they've ever known. we're going to discuss that in just a bit. >> also ahead, despite his passing, there was a case of that michael magic onstage at his memorial as thousands of people came together for a remembrance, a tribute fit for a king. we're going to take a look back, the pageantry, the laughter, and of course, the tears this morning. and then later switching to a happier occasion, the latest honeymoon trends from taking the whole wedding on the road to budget getaways after you say your i dos. >> but first ann is enjoying

some time off this week and so natalie has a check of the rest of the morning's top stories. >> i do. in the headlines this morning, the world economy, iran and climate change are the big top inks today for president obama as he meets with other world leaders in italy for the g-8 summit. they're also considering ways to help fight hunger around the world. the president meets with pope benedict on friday. officials are trying to find out who is behind a massive outage on government websites in recent days. the cyber attack hit several government agencies, including some responsible for fighting cyber crime. a similar attack hit government websites in south korea. officials there are investigating whether north korean hackers are responsible for it. and a rare public appearance today for north korean leader kim jong-il who paid tribute to his father, the country's late founder, on the 15th anniversary of his death. this morning the senate is holding a hearing on lapses in security at government buildings. general accountability office report says investigators were

able to carry bombmaking materials past security at ten federal buildings. they then constructed explosive devices, and even carried them around inside. security remains tight in western china, where ethnic unrest has claimed more than 150 lives. helicopters are dropping leaflets appealing for calm. communist party leaders say the government will execute those behind the unrest. also in china, flooding triggered by heavy rain has killed at least 15 people and triggered landslides that knocked out rail service. and americans are spending less time stuck in rush hour traffic. a texas transportation institute study finds the average u.s. driver spent just over 36 hours stuck in traffic back in 2007. but that is down half an hour from the year before. the average, though, is highest in los angeles, where they spent about 70 hours stuck behind the wheel. by the way, maria, in miami, you guys number 11. >> i don't know how many hours but it feels like it's a lot. >> miami is a lot.

new york is number 14 so we do a little bit better. >> long, isn't it? it's no picnic. let's get a check of the weather. al is taking some time off. we've got alexandra steele from the weather charge outside with the nice people out there. hi, alexandra. >> hi, guys. certainly we do. sophie is from the south. a lot of southerners here. so sophie, give me your best hey y'all. >> hey, y'all! >> where are you from? >> alabama. >> where in alabama? >> birmingham, alabama. it's been hot there, huh? >> where are you from? >> florida. >> and matt made your day, didn't he? >> he sure did. >> why did he make your day? >> because he gave me -- he didn't exactly get it, somebody else gave me this script. >> good for you. let's talk a little weather from alabama to florida. here's a look at what's happening around the country. of course it's the big story from showers and storms in the southeast, also in northern new england, a little bit of rain. but, on the whole, the country's pretty dry. a few scattered showers, and also a slight risk of some severe weather in the northern

plains. the heat inn >> i high today of 80 degrees and tomorrow only up to 78 all right, what are the green hats about? >> representing nbc with the peacock. >> oh, very smart. what's your name? >> evan. >> and alexandra. >> oh, i love it. all right, natalie, back to you. >> all right, thank you, alexandra. if you didn't see it for yourself, you probably heard by now, but almost 20,000 family, friends, and fans of michael jackson packed the staples center to pay tribute to the king of pop tuesday. meredith vieira takes us there.

>> reporter: hours after the memorial as the family returned home to the jackson compound in encino, the fans still kept coming to show support for the family on this day of mourning. >> michael, when you left us, a part of me went with you. >> reporter: the day began with a somber motorcade escorted by police as the jackson family wound its way to forest lawn cemetery for a private ceremony. then on to the staples center for the public memorial. ticket holders waited respectfully for the doors to open, while just a few hundred onlookers lingered outside the perimeter. inside, a gospel choir raised its voice as michael's golden casket was escorted in, flanked by his brothers, each with a single glove and sunglasses to honor their sibling. >> i loved him all my life. >> reporter: the star-studded salute began with mariah carey singing a classic jackson song,

she herself covered in 2002. ♪ where there is love >> reporter: one by one, a roster of stars paid tribute to jackson with poignant versions of his songs. ♪ i never dreamed >> reporter: singer usher broke down as he finished the michael song "gone too soon." 12-year-old shaheen, a finalist on "britain's got talent" who head been singled out by jackson to appear in his london concert, reminded many of a young michael. what influence would you say he's had on your life? >> he's had a huge impact on my life, and i think he's had a huge impact on everything and every individual. >> reporter: jennifer hudson melded her powerful voice -- ♪ you were my prayer >> reporter: with jackson's own

words. >> for you're always in my heart. >> reporter: among those remembering their friend, laker stars kobe bryant and magic johnson who recalled a very non-king of pop moment. >> michael, wait a minute, you eat kentucky fried chicken? >> that was the greatest moment of my life. >> reporter: brooke shields, fighting tears, gave a glimpse into the private life of these two very public child stars. >> there would be a picture taken the caption usually said something like an odd couple. to us, it was the most natural and easiest of friendships. >> reporter: and then jermaine jackson took the stage to sing a vintage song his brother helped make possible. ♪ smile though your heart is aching ♪ ♪ smile even though it's breaking ♪ >> reporter: and a passionate al sharpton delivered a fiery

defense of michael jackson. >> every time he got knocked down he got back up. >> reporter: and addressing michael's three children in the front row, he told them -- >> wasn't nothing strange about your daddy. it was strange what your daddy had to deal with. but he dealt with it. >> reporter: millions watched around the world, from london, to berlin, from moscow to dancing in the streets of harlem. as the two-hour celebration ended with friends and family flooding the stage, came the most heart-wrenching moment from michael's 11-year-old daughter paris. >> ever since i was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. and i just want to say i love him so much.

>> the moment that got us all. msnbc columnist and pop culture expert courtney hazlett was inside the staples center yesterday. she's in los angeles this morning with contributor rolling stone writer toure. good morning to you both. good to see you. courtney, let me start with you because i know you were inside the staples center. just as you were watching, i have to say, what i was struck by was how unrehearsed, how emotional, though, everything was, and just the anticipation of wanting to see what surprise would come next. what was it like being there? >> you really have the sense that you were part of the moment that was not going to be repeated again, in your lifetime. really when you think about it, and do the math, for somebody to have an impact like michael jackson did, you're talking about a person who's needed to be relevant since the '70s, let's be honest, a little bit off the wall, and strange enough to stay in our dialogue since the '70s. not to mention, have the musical reach, the technological reach,

to cross all the racial barriers that he did. there's just not going to be another person like him. and then when you start to watch the presentation, it was so real, and so human, this wasn't rehearsed. mariah carey, she didn't hit some of those notes because she didn't rehearse. she was the only artist who didn't get there in time. so, everything, from the production quality, to the people who spoke, it was so real. and you didn't feel like you were watching michael jackson, the icon, being memorialized, as much as you felt like you were watching a man, a husband -- i'm sorry, not a husband, a man, a father, a brother, a son. and that's what really struck me. >> and toure, it seems the theme really was to put a human face on michael jackson, present a side of him that none of us ever go to know, really, right? >> yeah. i mean, you know, when paris came out and spoke from the heart, you know, with the family surrounding her. i mean, who couldn't cry behind that? and who couldn't think, you know, this is a real person. like janet talked about, he's an icon to you, but he's a brother

to me. and that's real, and you know, this family together, the brothers all in yellow ties. you know, showing a certain unison that perhaps we haven't always seen from the jacksons. you know, we saw a real person who eats kentucky fried chicken, who's trying to teach brooke shields the moon walk in vain. it all goes to the real -- >> -- great. >> yeah, yeah. but i -- also that real moment of when he became a superstar. on the motown 25 special which of course was on nbc, berry gordy alluded to that, and also maya angelou through queen latifah alluded to that. took a pose on his toes. what a great poetic line that only dr. angelou could come up with. >> that's absolutely right. a lot of great performances, as you mentioned toure from mariah carey, stevie wonder, lionel richie, jennifer hudson. what moment stood out for you in terms of the musical performances we saw? let me ask you, courtney. >> well, i mean -- >> you know, i do, there are two that i really liked.

i definitely liked mariah carey for the reason i mentioned before, because it was so raw. she just wanted to be there. the fact that she showed up and did that unrehearsed, goes counterto everything they teach you on how to be a successful singer. you just don't do that no matter how talented you are. so this was just a human thing she wanted to do. i also loved jennifer hudson. we're talking about an american idol honoring america's idol. and it was just such a poetic moment, and it was perfectly, perfectly executed, and it was one of those times in that memorial service where you thought, if michael was standing here, he would have just been thrilled. to me, it was magical, really. >> toure, one of the moments that struck me, i'll tell you, is seeing the children not just there with jennifer hudson, but we are the world, of course, performing one of michael's greatest songs of all time, and heal the world, too. how much was having the children present here a statement from michael jackson?

>> oh, i mean, you know, again, it humanized michael jackson. it showed us, you know, a real person. you know, with real children. i mean, you know, you can talk all you want about, is his dna in these children? we'll never know. but he raised them. every day of their lives. so you know, will you tell adopted children this is not your real father? no. that's their real father. you know, when she call him daddy, like she's still speaking to him, i mean, you know, that sent chills up the spine. >> yeah. well i know we're going to be seeing probably this memorial service will continue to replay. i know it was on b.e.t. later last night. so it's going to continue to be on the airwaves. we appreciate your time with us this morning. courtney hazlett and toure, thank you. great job covering it, by the way. >> thanks a lot. >> coming up next, what's best for all three of jackson's >> coming up next, what's best for all three of jackson's children. h, you're up. hold on, i'm at capitalone.com picking a photo... for my credit card. here's one from my prom. oh, what memories.

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young children came out into the open for the most public and heart-wrenching debut. 12-year-old michael joseph jr., known as prince michael, 11-year-old paris michael, and 7-year-old prince michael ii, also known as blanket, were front row with their grandmother, katherine jackson. so, how are they coping with this enormous loss? "today" contributing sigh chi strist gail saltz has some insight. do you think this was a healthy thing to bring them there? they went from being completely out of the public eye to being center stage in front of a billion people. can this be a little bit traumatizing? >> i think because the funeral was a celebration of their father's life, that it wasn't a gory, grisly kind of thing, it was a happy event, i think it was very healthy for them to be there. they want to, need to, idealize their father in a certain level and i think in terms of the publics is expect, they've been around. i mean, while they've been covered with a veil, they've been around this kind of thing for their entire lives. so i don't think this is such a

big thing for them. i think it was healthy for them to be uncovered, quite honestly, and claim their identity. especially at this time when they lost their father. >> no doubt the most emotional part of the ceremony was hearing paris speak. let's listen to it one more time so we can make a comment about it. >> ever since i was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. and i just want to say i love him so much. >> gail, were you surprised that she spoke? and why did she, and not prince michael, who is the oldest child? >> well, hopefully they gave each of them the option to say something if they felt comfortable doing so. you wouldn't want to force a child to stand up in front of a group like that or to express their feelings if they weren't ready to. but she obviously was the one who did feel comfortable and able to do so, and it probably

was a very good thing for her. probably cathartic and brought people together and probably in retrospect, she'll be happy that she did. >> another moving moment was, we have it in a photograph, captured in a photograph, when the two older children were around little blanket, kind of protecting him. do you think they're going to have that tendency to always be like protective around him? >> you know, older siblings often are protective of younger siblings, even under normal, healthy, nontraumatic circumstances. certainly with the trauma going on, they're more likely to be even more sort of maternal, paternal. let me say that their relationship with each other, the three of them, that's probably the most important relationship they've got going right now. because these kids were home-schooled. so they really were a tightly knit, they've lost their only parent. whatever happens, they need to stay together. that's a very important relationship psychologically. >> we know that they're under the care of their grandmother, katherine jackson. 79 years old.

we hope she has a long, long life because we would hate to see another loss happen to them. >> this is something everyone's hopefully taking into consideration. when you have children you have to plan for guardianship. even if you are healthy and you are young. like if you're driving in a car, you put on your seat belt. not because you're expecting to have an accident. but because that's the prudent thing to do. but when you think about guardianship you do have to take into consideration the i age and longevity of the guardian. so life expectancy being what it is, you don't want these kids to have another traumatic loss. and that is something that we simply have to be thought about when thinking about where these kids end up. >> there's a big lesson for everybody here. thank you very much, dr. gail saltz, and we'll be right back with more of "today" right after this. - hello! - ha! why don't you try a home cooked meal... with yummy hamburger helper? oh! tada! fantastically tasty, huh? ummm, it's good. what would you guys like? hamburger helper. what?! one pound... one pan... one tasty meal!

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so all week long we're testing your newlywed knowledge with a little help from our friends at iq. >> and since today we've been asking you to vote on the wedding bling, we're going to test your iq about a famous celebrity ring. so when elvis presley tied the knot with priscilla, his ring had how many diamonds? now remember i said, his ring. not hers. your choices are "a," 12, "b," 24, or "c," 36. we'll be back in a few minutes with your answer. and you can get more wedding trivia, by the way, todayshow.com. >> plus if you're planning to get married, and want to save a little money on your honeymoon, we've got some good news. >> first though your local news and weather. dinner with the girls tonight. mmm... mexican, or italian? i really want dessert tonight. i better skip breakfast. yep, this is all i need. ( stomach growls ) skipping breakfast to get ahead? research shows that women that eat breakfast, like the special k® breakfast, actually weigh less. the special k® breakfast, now in blueberry.

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let >> good morning. it is not a clock 26. you might want to ease up on your gas. a proposal allowing speed cameras in baltimore has passed the first round of city council voting. that could be in use by october. everyone and exceeding the speed limit by 12 miles an hour would be issued a $40 ticket. parents and students are upset over the announcement to close thousand public -- towson catholic high school. is the oldest catholic school in the area. the archdiocese says vdot --

says the recession has forced them to close. many catholic schools are facing the same economic challenges. let's take a look in your forecast. >> right sunshine expected for today. how it looks like the winds will remain out of the west. there will be a high of about 80. when it is nowhere near the 87 which is typical for this time of year. we have low humidity and high pressure will build into our area. that will stabilize things further. we will stay dry at least through the first part of saturday. >> thank you for joining us public will another news update at 9:25.

♪ what hurts the most was being so close ♪ ♪ and having so much to say and watching you walk away ♪ >> that's rascal flatts getting ready to take a break from their summer concert tour for a stop right here in rockefeller plaza this friday on "today." if you're in the mood for good, family fun. pack your bags, come on down for a live could be sert. again, that's this friday, right here on our plaza. they always bring in a good crowd and they're such good guys. >> i love the music. >> they're really great. i'm natalie morales along with maria celeste. earlier we quiz you on some famous wedding ring history. >> the question was, elvis presley's ring had how many

diamonds, 12, 24 or 36? >> so if you guessed "b," 24, you were right. i was thinking more like 12. the perfect dozen. i was wrong once again. and at his 1967 wedding to priscilla presley, elvis wore a platinum wedding band encrusted with 24 diamonds. speaking of diamonds, we do need your help picking the wedding band for our lucky couple, leigh and nick, who are getting married one week from today right here on our plaza. >> monday you voted on the dress, tuesday the bridal party's wear, and today your turn to vote on the rings. >> take a look there, and for your very favorite to vote, logon to todayshow.com or text your vote to 46833. and as we are sticking with the wedding theme in this half hour, we're going to start talking about the honeymoon. because everybody wants to know where to go, and a lot of people, of course, saving some bucks these days with the economy the way it is. and some people even taking trips to give back. the options are plenty to consider if you're planning to tie the knot soon. >> and when it comes to giving back, "people" magazine is

highlighting some ordinary folks who have gone above and beyond. we'll hear about them some more. >> all right, first, after a nearly disastrous visit to tinseltown on last night's "america's got talent" the audience was finally treated to a passionate, moving performance by single lawrence beaman. tonight, the judges head to houston on the coast-to-coast search for the next talent. >> and you can catch an all n "america's got talent," right here on nbc. let's get another check of the weather for us. alexandra steele from the weather channel filling in for al. >> hi, guys. we've got some talented people outside. i've been meeting them all morning. >> absolutely. >> let's talk about the forecast and show you what's happening around the country. again, in the northeast, pretty cool temperatures. but we will see dry skies. the southeast from atlanta to charlotte. a chance for a few isolated storms. the heat blazing from oklahoma to texas and seattle to portland, expect a little bit of rain. tomorrow, again, the country's

pretty dry. but typical late-day showers and thunderstorms. again the southeast coast, r r a >> we are only getting cooler as the week progresses. low humidity and 84 on the shores of the ocean city perry approved it will remain son it's going to be a beautiful week for a wedding here in new york city. could not be nicer. no rain on the brides. hopefully that holds until wednesday. >> it will, i promise you. >> okay. >> thanks alexandra. up next, the latest in honeymoon getaways. that's right after this. got tr♪ ♪ but not today ♪ 'cause they're gonna wash away ♪

♪ they're gonna wash away ♪ ♪ ♪ they're gonna wash away ♪ this old heart ♪ gonna take them away [ quacks ] on tuesday i go in even earlier than usual. thank goodness for eggo, a nutri-grain waffle... with a quick smudge of cream cheese. at least that part's easy. there's only one way to eat an eggo... your way. l'eggo my eggo. one pound of ground beef, a packet of hidden valley ranch. ranch burgers! my family is so much more loveable when they're not hungry. announcer: hidden valley ranch. mix it up. i think for the most part, traditionally, men have ruled the world. i think that they're in control. oh dear.

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"today throws a wedding," ten years of i dos, brought to you by purina. your pet, our passion. this morning on "today throws a wedding," honeymoon travel trends. as you know, one week from today we are throwing a wedding livg on the plaza for leigh and nick. and if you're getting married and looking for a money mood destination, missy ewing from virtuoso travel has some great ideas. good morning. >> good morning. >> so given the economy this year, are couples cutting back when it comes to planning for their honeymoons? >> actually no. our honeymoon travel specialists tell us honeymoons remain one of the most recession resistant segments of tral. that's because couples may be willing to make conceptions on other parts of their wedding, less expensive dress or opting for a deejay versus a band. but they are not willing to skimp on their honeymoons. the memories are just too important to them. >> we have some good and some value options, as well. i'll mention. first, looking at the travel trends we're starting with the destination wedding.

this is a great idea for those who are trying to save a little money. the jamaica, the ritz-carlton. this combines the wedding and the honeymoon. >> it is. you will get your wedding ceremony, your flowers, the minister, your accommodations, all for $259 a night. and i'll tell you the best part of this, is that you also get a complimentary three-night stay a year later to celebrate your first anniversary. >> perfect. >> fantastic value. it's a wedding, honeymoon and first anniversary. >> take a look at the property there. you can't beat that. that's amazing. our next travel trend is all about giving back. and this is something that i think a lot of couples are thinking about, trend we're happy to hear about, as well. why the sudden interest? >> you know, this is really a trend in travel in general. but honeymooners are really embracing this, because it's sort of the first thing they can do together as a couple. as a family. >> and the first property you have selected here is punta cana dominican republic, the tortuga bay hotel.

>> the tortuga bay has this wonderful ecological program. and couples can get really involved and hands-on with it. you can work with marine biologists to help repair some of the reefs. you can work with wildlife biologist biologists. and right now when you say there you're going to get a fourth night for free. so the rate then goes to $435 a night. when it would typically be $580. >> oh, that's great. good. it's a bargain. more of a bargain anyway. next trend that we want to highlight is the extended honeymoon. and you say couples are now opting for much longer stays. right? >> they are. the norm used to be five to seven days. but now we're looking at 10 to 12 days. and the philosophy, if you're going to do it once, do it right. make it count. >> and here's a way to do it right. you selected a south american cruise. sounds perfect. >> oceana cruises has one from rio deej they're ra to buenos aires. you'll have 12 days there and the rate is really fantastic.

two for one fares. $1,000 reduction. free airfare round trip. and all of this is going to be less than $200 per person per day. >> what are the travel dates, though, because isn't this something to keep in mind when you're talking about a cruise? >> it is. this particular one leaves december 10th through the 22nd. which if you're planning your honeymoon, this is a great option for you. >> all right. you're going to see a lot of beautiful places. and okay, another travel plan for honeymooners is finding the ultimate value. and regardless of whether or not everybody's back on a budget, everyone always looking for more value. more bang for the buck. and you have a couple of properties that you've selected here. the first one is in mexico. the tides, the riviera maya, it's okay to go to mexico right now after the whole swine flu scare, right? >> it is. tightening your belt does not mean giving up your dream honeymoon and mexico is a perfect example of just how much value there is right now. staying at the tides riff lair yeah in maya, gorgeous property. i was just there in february.

one of the most romantic places i've seen. but the value is fantastic. you're going to stay one night. you'll get the next night free. so for less than $300. you're staying there. $300 a night. staying there. you're also getting breakfast. and typically this room would go for $585 a night. >> okay. important to think about, when you are booking, is what the weather is going to be like, as well. and so weather year round is going to be beautiful there? >> weather year round is gorgeous. this is valid through september 30th. so, you don't even have to go immediately. you've got a couple of months. >> okay. and then final option a little bit closer to home is a property in florida. >> mm-hmm. >> for less than $75 per night. and it is a waldorf-astoria property, the naples grand beach resort. >> it is a beautiful property. waldorf service as you would expect. right on the beaches of the gulf of mexico. and again, that rate is going to absolutely knock your socks off $99 a night. >> and $75 for the smaller rooms. >> or because of the fourth night free it goes down to $75 a

night. >> oh, that's great. and you're right there by the beach. >> right on the water. fantastic views. great swimming pools. >> misty ewing what else could you ask for? i know our wedding couple would love to go to any of those destinations. thank you. coming up next, ordinary americans who will make you want to be a better pen. okay, savory rice and lamb stew. [ barks ] you're right. tonight is a beef stew kind of night. you've made another fine choice. look at those beefy chunks all packed with protein, the real vitamin-rich vegetables, the wholesome grains. and you think you're getting spoiled. it's so good for you too. [ announcer ] beneful prepared meals. three new entrees. healthful. flavorful. beneful. new sunnyd smoothies. as much calcium and vitamin d as milk... and a taste so creamy, smooth and bold, they'll love getting calcium and vitamin d... to help bones grow. new sunnyd smoothies.

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new sunnyd smoothies. as much calcium and vitamin d as milk... and a taste so creamy, smooth and bold, they'll love getting calcium and vitamin d... to help bones grow. new sunnyd smoothies. this is america. we help each other out. and when you open a checking account, bank of america helps you with $100 when you use your new debit card and online bill pay. plus you get free services and products you can only get from bank of america. this offer's for a limited time so visit a banking center or log on soon. we'll give you a hand -- and $100. it all starts with a checking account at bank of america. when president obama put out a call for americans to help rebuild our communities through public service, "people" magazine and major league baseball stepped up to the plate.

through a campaign called the all-stars anonymous, they recognized and honor 30 people who are leaders in community service. "people" magazine's senior editor is here, good morning. >> good morning. >> so the big day is july 14th. president obama will be there for the ceremony. >> it's really going to be this historic event. on july 14th, not only will we have president obama out there throwing the first pitch, but we're going to have a video featuring the five living former u.s. presidents and obama, and they're going to be talking about the importance of community service, and spotlighting some of the honorees who have been selected as part of this initiative between "people" magazine and major league baseball. >> how were they selected? >> we had a grassroots campaign. we took nominations from across the country, we selected 90 finalists, and then fans could go to people.com and choose the stories that spoke to them the most. and out of that america picked the 30 most inspiring stories. >> still me about some of them. the first one is richard from san diego, california. >> he has an incredibly moving

story that's going to be featured in "people" magazine. after his young son emilio died of cancer he started a program the emal yo nares foundation that provides transportation to sick children. basically kids who couldn't get to their treatment otherwise. such a simple yesterday, and yet with really powerful results. >> makes a big difference. rob dixon from boston, massachusetts. >> through his program project rise he's targeting at-risk youth and giving them the skills they need to succeed in school. he has a tremendous track record. 90% of the kids in his program go on to graduate from high school. >> and the next one is a guy with a unique cause. brad from cherry hill, new jersey. >> what i love about brad is that he has down's syndrome. so he's someone you would think of needing the help but he's helping others. he was on the high school varsity golf team and he started a group called golf for life foundation that's drowsing other individuals with down syndrome to the game of golf. >> we have shelly friedman from

cincinnati, ohio. >> here again another simple idea. there are all these cultural events, sporting events where there are unused tickets. she collects those tickets and distributes them to underserved kids and exposes them to these things they otherwise wouldn't get to experience. >> and then we have tommy timber lake from tampa, florida. he's taking sailing to definitely another level. >> yeah, it's pretty funny. he himself is a sailing enthusiast. and he is now sharing that with people who have physical and mental disabilities and helping them to broaden their horizons through this love of sailing. >> i'm sure you had a hard time picking out of all those people that probably submitted other people? >> you're absolutely right. the stories are so inspiring. we're hoping that people will hear them, see how simple they are, and how accessible, and be motivated to get out there and start changing the world. >> and you can make a big difference doing simple things, as you said. >> just one small step. >> congratulations to all the winners and to you for the beginishive. thank you very much. up next, gone too soon. saying good-bye to michael jackson. but first, this is "today" on

nbc. pa

still to come this morning, hoda and kathie lee will have much more on the star-studded and moving michael jackson farewell. >> but first, a look back at the memorial's most moving moments, and the star's final tribute from his friends, his family and his friends. something unforgettable. >> and several celebrities as well. ♪ >> in our darkest hour, in my deepest despair, will you still care, you'll be there. in my trials and my tribulations, through my doubt and frustrations.

in my sorrow, in my anguish, and my pain, through my joy, and my sorrow, in the promise of another tomorrow. i'll never let you part for you're always in my heart. ♪

>> good morning. here's a look at some of our top stories. there were recent disturbing acts of animal cruelty. this morning, the mayor will announce the formation of an anti-animal abuse task force. the channel will try to prevent mistreatment of animals.

they will also suggest legislation to toughen the laws. baltimore county homeowners may see less fliers on their cars. that comes after the council approved legislation that limits the distribution of unsolicited menus and other circulars. that means businesses cannot leave leaflets. advertisers will now be required to provide a toll-free number that residents can use to stop delivery. violators would face fines of at least $500. the measure takes effect august 20. 20. a dull metal clanking sound. bear groans. ♪ ominous music ferocious growling. roaaaaaarrrrrrr!!!! ♪ whistling bluegrass tune

>> let's take a look of your forecast. >> it will be cooler and more pleasant than usual at par -- as july continues. you have to go back to 2001 when july was as cool. hmthere is high pressure which will give us mostly sunny skies, 79 degrees - 83 degrees. humidity remains low 82 degrees by friday and saturday will be a comeback with humidity. >> thank you for joining us. we will see you back here for a 11 "news at noon." 11 "news at noon."

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