od morning. hole inerror are. a football sized gash ope up midflight in aouthwest jet with 131 people on board fcing an emergcy ndin we'll speak with the passenger sitting right beneath that hole. what the motive? a fourth man charged in connection with the brutal murders of a florida couple who were the pariss of 16 children. and authorities say more arrests are on the way. and oops -- >> to pull our economy -- oh, goodness. >> one of president obama's teleprompter screens crashes down in the middle of a speech, he didn't miss a beat. but his favorite gadget's seen better days. "today," tuesday, july 14th, better days. "today," tuesday, july 14th, 2009.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning, i'm meredith vieira. >> and i'm matt lauer. the folks at southwest airlines this morning are inspecting all of their 737-700 airplanes trying to figure out what caused this hole to appear in the fuselage of flight 2294. >> 126 passengers and five crew members were heading from nashville to baltimore last night when the 1x1 foot hole opened up at 30,000 feet. as you can see from this photo taken by a passenger, the oxygen masks dropped. we're going to hear his remarkable story and get the latest on the emergency landing that followed in just a moment. >> i'm not sure if i were in that plane i would think to take my camera out and take a picture of myself. also this morning, nbc news has learned bernie madoff is on the move. the convicted mastermind behind a massive ponzi scheme is being

transported to a facility in north carolina. he'll begin serving his 150 year sentence. it's a place where the one-time billionaire can make up to 40 cents an hour doing various jobs. it's medium security. we'll have more on madoff's new home ahead. also we're hearing that the full toxicology report from michael jackson's autopsy could be released as early as this week. this as a key ruling is made when it comes to the late star's estate. we'll have the latest from los angeles coming up, as well. >> but we're going to begin with that terrifying emergency landing of a southwest airlines plane on its way from nashville to baltimore. nbc's tom costello has the details. tom, good morning to you. >> good morning. southwest airlines spent the night inspecting nearly 200 of its 737-300s after a hole opened up in this plane's skin. southwest flight 2294 took off from nashville at 4:05 eastern time on monday with 131 people on board the boeing 737-300. about 30 minutes into the flight, southwest says the

plane's cabin began to lose air pressure. because of a small hole that had opened up in the plane's fuselage. the plane's onboard, jen masks then dropped as the flight was diverted and forced to make an emergency landing in charleston, west virginia. the plane landed at 6:10 without incident. ambulances were on scene to greet the plane, but no one was hurt. once on the ground, passengers shared their pictures of the hole in the plane, said to be one foot by one foot. >> all of a sudden the loudest noise i ever heard came out of nowhere. there was no mop, no creak, no explosion like noise, just a loud roar and i look up and there's the sun coming through the ceiling. >> passengers flew onto baltimore on a new plane, leaving behind the 737-300, with this hole clearly visible in the fuselage, right in front of the tail section. an airport worker could be seen taking pictures of the hole as the investigation continues. southwest is the biggest operator of 737s in the word,

544 in total. while it's far too early to tell how and why this happened, investigators from the ntsb and southwest will clearly be looking at the potential for met cal fatigue. remember that in 1988, the roof of an aloha airlines plane opened up in flight, sucking a flight attendant out as the plane was over the pacific. 65 passengers and crew members were injured but that plane did land safely. meredith? >> tom, didn't southwest recently pay a big fine to the federal government for failing to inspect some of its 737s. >> yeah, it was a $10 million fine. it was cut down to $7.5 million for failing to check for fuselage cracks. about 145,000 passengers flew on unchecked planes over an eight-day period back in the spring of '07. and that then led, you may recall, to the federal government, the faa, stepping up inspections of all carriers, hundreds of planes were grounded back in the spring of '08. southwest insists that no passenger was ever in any danger. >> all right, tom costello, thank you very much.

it is 7:04. >> all right, meredith, thank you. michael cunningham's seat was right below the hole that opened in the fuselage of that plane. he snapped some pictures during the flight. michael, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. thank you. >> you're in seat 20-c and i understand you were taking a nap and boy you had a rude awakening. >> it was the most eventful awakening i've ever had i believe. i was trying to doze off on the flight. about an hour and a half flight from nashville to baltimore-washington. and i hadn't gotten a lot of sleep this weekend, so i dozed off, and next thing i knew, the loudest roar i have ever heard woke me up and people started to look up right above my seat. >> and you look up and you see the sun shining through a hole that's about the size of a football. obviously, the plane lost cabin pressure. michael did that go kind of the way it goes when they talk about it in the preflight safety briefing? you know, the masks will drop and you calmly put them on. is that what happened on that plane? >> it was actually a lot calmer than i thought it would be.

i was kind of expecting a castaway-like decompression of the plane but everybody just calmly looked up, figured out what was going on, and about ten seconds, at most after the hole occurred, the masks dropped down and everybody put their mask on. a couple of people were asking other passengers and the flight crew -- is the mask working, and if you are conscious by this point, yeah, the mask was working. >> a couple of things real quickly, did a member of the cockpit crew, pilot, co-pilot, come back to examine the hole? >> after we landed in charleston the pilot came out and looked up through the hole and everybody applauded, you know, shook his hand, a couple of people gave him hugs. but he looked up, and you could definitely see the sky through it. i could have put my arm out of it. >> did the hole get bigger in the process of landing? was the hole growing? >> i didn't notice anything. the outside of the hole was covered up by that ceiling panel

that got blown into it. but, i didn't hear it get bigger. there was no evidence of it getting larger. >> of course after you landed you had to jump on another plane to actually get to your destination. that was a little harrowing? >> it wasn't quick. it was going the speed that airlines go at. so it was about a three-hour wait in charleston. >> i'm glad you're all right. we're glad everybody else is all right. michael cunningham, thanks for joining us this morning. >> thank you. now here's meredith. >> what a story. all right, thanks, matt. now to the confirmation hearings for supreme court nominee sonia sotomayor. she faces formal questioning from members of the senate judiciary committee today after vowing in her opening remarks to apply the law, not make it. nbc's justice correspondent pete williams is at the supreme court with more. pete, good morning to you. >> reporter: meredith, good morning. sonia sotomayor spoke for only eight minutes, tracing her journey from public housing to supreme court nominee, and she stressed her loyalty to the rule of law. with opening statements out of the way, now come the hard

questions about what she might do if she becomes a supreme court justice. judge mosotomayor's family is wh her at these hearings, including her 82-year-old mother salina who nodded in agreement as senator charles schumer of new york emotionally traced the nominee's inspiring career. >> there are many more role models for a young student to choose from. with judge sotomayor foremost among them. >> reporter: in her statement, she said her single mother worked hard to make it all possible. >> i want to make one special note of thanks to my mother. i am here, as many of you have noticed, because of her aspirations and sacrifices for both my brother juan and me. mom, thank you. >> reporter: as for her qualifications, committee republicans said they're troubled by comments she had made that suggest she might be guided by her own experiences and biases.

>> do i want a judge that allows his or her social, political or religious views to change the outcome? or do i want a judge that impartially applies the law to the facts and fairly rules on the merits, without bias or prejudice? >> the constitution requires that judges be free from personal politics, feelings, and preferences. >> reporter: but judge sotomayor sought to reassure senators that she would apply the law, not make it. >> my personal and professional experiences helped me to listen and understand, with the law always commanding the result in every case. >> reporter: anti-abortion rights protesters briefly interrupted the hearing four times. capitol police said one was norma mccordy, originally the roe of roe v. wade. but it was a committee republican who offered a widely shared prediction. >> unless you have a complete meltdown, you're going to get confirmed. and i don't think you will.

>> reporter: republicans say they want this hearing to be civil, but they plan to question her sharply today about comments that she has made, mostly in speeches that they consider troubling. meredith? >> all right, pete williams, thank you very much. it is 7:10. once again here's matt. >> all right, meredith, now to what will soon be disgraced financier bernie madoff's new home. the butner federal correctional complex in north carolina. it consists of four main areas, two medium security facilities, a low security facility, and a hospital. and cnbc's scott cone is outside the gates. scott, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. the federal bureau of prisons website still has bernie madoff this morning at a federal penitentiary in atlanta. but sources say that is just a stop on his way here to butner where he's about to spend the first day of the rest of his life. he was accustomed to a penthouse in manhattan, a mansion in palm

beach, a villa in the south of france. but at least for now, bernie madoff will have to get used to life here, joining some 4,800 other inmates at a federal prison complex in the heart of north carolina. the one-time billionaire wall street icon will be able to make 12 to 40 cents an hour, cleaning toilets, doing laundry or groundskeeping. then retire to his cell, with a sink, a toilet, bunk beds, and a cell mate. but one prison consultant thinks it may be a temporary home for madoff. butner has a well-regarded medical center and madoff, at 71, is in questionable health. >> from what i understand, bernie madoff is having mental health issues, severe depression, a lot of things may be going through his head. and suicide may be one of them. >> reporter: madoff's attorneys had asked that he be sent to a prison in upstate new york. more convenient for his wife ruth to visit. instead, if she stays in new

york, her husband will be a two-hour flight, and another 30-minute drive away. no luxury hotels for miles. she'll have to visit him in a large, multipurpose room, along with other enmates and their visitors. and a number of visits per month may be limited. plenty of retirees call north carolina home. but it's surely not the retirement bernie and ruth madoff had in mind. but, the climate is nice here. pretty much year-round. and the local chamber of commerce calls this a truly beautiful place to visit and live. we're reasonably sure, matt, they're talking about the area outside the razor wire fence. >> probably so, scott. thank you very much. it's now 12 after the hour and once again here's meredith. >> matt, thank you. while you may be struggling financially these days, happy days appear to be here again for some companies on wall street. and now they are getting set to pay out some big bonuses. cnbc's melissa francis is at the new york stock exchange with that story. melissa, good morning to you. >> good morning, meredith.

one of those companies is goldman sachs. it reports big profits today. big bonuses could be next. not just at goldman. so on wall street, is it back to business as usual? with the nation's unemployment rate moving closer to 10%, a housing market still plagued by foreclosures, and households struggling to make ends meet, it might be hard for most americans to believe that it's back to business as usual on wall street. but at companies like goldman sachs and aig, both of which borrowed bailout money from the government, billion-dollar profits are back, and big bonuses could be next. in fact, goldman sachs is on track to pay out as much as $20 billion in bonuses for 2009. that's roughly $700,000 per employee, more than 14 times the average american household mc. experts say the situation is similar at other financial giants. >> there are top executives that are making more before lunch than the average worker makes in a year. however, many of these top

executives aren't the bad guys that caused the problems through recklessness. these banks are retaining the talent that we need and they're competitive on a global basis. >> reporter: remember aig? taxpayers still own 80% of the insurance giant, which took roughly $180 billion in government t.a.r.p. money. this week the company is asking governor pay czar if it can pay out more than $200 million in the coming months to award workers still on the job untangling the mess. >> the aig financial services group has been a source of much of the problem here. how much retention do we need with people we may not want to retain? >> reporter: unlike aig, goldman sachs has repaid the t.a.r.p. money. now the debt is cleared, along with the path back to big bonuses. even when those banks pay back the t.a.r.p. money, the government still owns a piece of them in the form of warrants at a right to buy stock. but companies like goldman sachs and j.p. marken are trying to get those warrants out of government hands.

>> melissa francis, thank you very much. dillon rat igen has covered wall street for years. he's now the host of morning meeting on msnbc. before i get to the potential bonuses, i think a lot of people are going to be saying wait a second, goldman sachs needed $10 billion in federal bailout money a short time ago and now they are set to record record profits. how did this happen so quickly? >> two things work in goldman sachs' favor just as a business. one when the credit markets seized up, business went away. so there's been a huge game of catch up as the markets stabilize again. we've watched the dow come back up. goldman sachs has benefited from a huge flow of business from all the business that didn't happen in those six or seven months. >> a similar situation with all the other banks? >> for sure. >> basically things are rolling again? >> for a moment. basically it's a huge refinancing. everybody who is borrowing money for short periods of time. like refinancing your house. it's like a refinancing boom on wall street. >> let's talk about the bonuses. goldman sachs has paid back the t.a.r.p. money so in some ways they are now outside of the

microscope. do they have a right, do they have the right to pay their employees anything they want to pay them? >> here's where goldman sachs runs into trouble. the united states taxpayer bailed out aig with $180 billion. goldman sachs is collecting 100 cents on the dollar from aig to the tune of $13.9 billion. basically taxpayer money going through aig, to goldman sachs. now i want you to think about how we treated general motors and we bankrupted general motors, and we're telling people nobody's getting 100 cents on the dollar, i don't care if you're a shareholder, bondholder -- >> -- we could rewrite the rules. >> that's why you do it. if you're bankrupt i can rewrite the contract law and say no, no, matt. >> by not bankrupting a company like goldman sachs or aig, we have -- do not have the power to rewrite those rules? >> the real question is why is the president, why is our congress, why is our treasury secretary allowing the financial

institutions to continue without being treated as a bankrupt enterprises, a la aig, that they are? >> real quickly, do the employees who are going to get those bonuses deserve them, in your opinion? >> the employees are a function of a system. in other words i can't say whether somebody deserves. it's not for me to say that. but what i do know is our government is not treating each situation fairly. banks are being treated differently than car companies. car companies are being bankrupted. banks are being supported by the taxpayer. and as a result the good times are back on wall street. the question is why does the administration think that's a good idea. >> dylan, good to have you hear. you can catch his she from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. eastern time on msnbc. let's head over to the news desk. ann? >> thanks a lot, matt. good morning, everybody. in the news this morning a sweeping health care reform bill is expected to be unveiled as early as today by democrats in the house. on monday the president said in his words we are going to get this done. he wants to see a senate health care measure ready this week and

he wants final congressional approval by the august recess. new government figures show the u.s. budget deficit has topped $1 trillion for the first time. one year ago, the deficit was about one quarter the size it is today. the military says two u.s. marines were killed in a hostile incident monday in southern afghanistan where a major operation is now under way against the taliban. former liberian president charles taylor took to the stand today in the netherlands. the first african leader ever to stand trial for war crimes. accused of instigating murder, rape, sexual flavory and conscripting child soldiers, taylor says the case against him is built on lies. a 3-year-old canadian boy is safe after disappearing from his camp site then apparently floating down a raging river in his toy truck. he was found almost eight miles downriver, and not a scratch on him. and today the president throws out the first pitch of the major league baseball's all-star game tonight in st. louis. on monday, it was his

teleprompter that was off base. it came crashing down and shattered on the floor during his speech. >> oh, goodness. sorry about that, guys. >> he finished his speech using notes and the other teleprompter screen. now let's go back to matt, meredith and al. who's got different kinds of words to say when their teleprompter fails. >> the one on the left went down, so does that mean the president is looking more to the right these days? >> oh. >> just read the >> thank goodness we have not seen any of those temperatures so far this summer. today is another pleasant one, with a high of 84 at the airport. not a lot of moisture out there could winds like an out of the northwest and another good one

tomorrow. that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you. and now to the mystery surrounding michael jackson's death and the battle over his estate. nbc's jeff rossen is in los angeles with the very latest. jeff, good morning to you. >> reporter: meredith, good morning to you. with all the talk about the drug investigation, and the custody battle, you cannot forget the hundreds of millions of dollars still hanging out there. the lawyers were back in court on monday, trying to hammer out who controls jackson's estate. and now they're one step closer to a final decision. when michael jackson died, his finances were in disarray. details about how much money he had, and how much he owed, are still murky. in his will, jackson names two

men as economic stores. a lawyer and a friend. now, michael's mother, katherine jackson, is fighting for administrative power, too. in new court papers filed monday, the judge shut katherine out, and sided with the men jackson named. they now have the power to obtain all documents and records relating to michael jackson, his entities, the estate, and its assets. >> katherine jackson is asking for a bigger role in the estate. she wants them to consult with her before they make any major decisions. >> reporter: as for the millions in the estate, sources familiar with the case tell nbc news it will be split like this. 40% to katherine jackson. 40% to michael's kids. and 20% to children's charities. >> unfortunately, the way this is going to play out is that the creditors and uncle sam are going to get paid before the beneficiaries. that's just the way it works. >> reporter: there are developments in the criminal investigation, as well. nbc news has learned partial

autopsy results are in. and the full toxicology report could come in as early as this week. nothing officially released yet. and we're learning more about jackson's history with prescription drugs. tom mesereau was jackson's attorney during the 2005 molestation case. >> on verdict day he looked terrible. but he confided in me quite often that he was having trouble sleeping, that he was depressed, that he was worried about his children, and that was understandable. i had heard rumors for years that he was using lots of prescription medication. i never actually watched him use it, and i never saw anyone give it to him. but i was told from various quarters that he was using it, and i hoped it was not to excess, although some people around him thought it was. >> reporter: with jackson's inner circle now under the microscope, mesereau says it was a problem even then. >> i wasn't sure how interested they were in his welfare, and i did voice my disapproval from time to time. >> reporter: in a paid interview with a british tabloid, la toya

jackson said her brother was murdered by his greedy entourage. >> when la toya used the word murder, i said to her do you really mean murder or do you mean manslaughter? and she said no, i feel that it was murder. that somebody gave him something, and that michael was worth more to some people dead than he was alive. >> reporter: monday marked what would have been michael jackson's opening night in london, kicking off his comeback tour. and so outside the o-2 arena, hundreds of fans came anyway with photos, with flags, with anything michael. >> i think people just want closure. no matter what really happened to michael jackson. >> reporter: now the entire criminal case rides on the cause and the manner of death. meredith? >> all right, jeff rossen, thank you very much. still ahead, the latest in the investigation into who killed the parents of 16 children. we'll talk to the sheriff in charge of that case, but first this is "today" on nbc.

still ahead the safety of those two-ounce energy drinks that are all the >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. passengers on the southwest airlines flight from national to baltimore are crediting the pilot and crew members for their safe emergency landing. all hole the size of a football depressurized the cabin. it was diverted to jager airport in charleston, west virginia. no one was injured. still unclear what caused the damage, but southwest airlines is inspecting nearly 200 planes in the fleet as a precaution.

time for the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> it seems like the white marsh area is where we are always seeing problems. here is your delay as a result. two lanes closed at the beltway northeast. live view of traffic heading out of harford, it is looking very light. no problems to report on the north side. westbound joppa at harford, another accident location in the parksville area. another problem spot is eastbound i-70 at 29, right lane closed with an accident there. we will plan at the closure of mount royal and northern ave. with other roads in the area due to artsape. >> a quiet morning, but a beautiful morning out there. 69 degrees downtown. coolest location is york with 52

right now. 62 at b.w.i. marshall. we're on the way to a high in the mid-80's yet again not a lot of moisture out there. northwesterly winds at five to 10 mi. power. sunsets that if of 33. warmest day of the week is thursday with 89 and morning thunderstorms. >> our next live update at 7:55.

what are you doing downstairs? what are you showing? >> snowing? >> that is not a live shot of rockefeller plaza. that's the live shot of rockefeller plaza. although it won't are far away. a tuesday concert out on the plaza this morning. we have a full house behind us to sequin it uple platinum grammy nominated band daughtry. they will rock the plaza in just about an hour. >> i know i'm chilly now. >> remember that winter. inside studio 1a, i'm matt lauer alongside meredith vieira.

when you feel down, you need a little energy. >> yeah. >> you drink, what is it, tea? >> tea. >> i drink coffee. do you ever try any of those little energy drinks? >> no, i've never had the urge to. have you tried it? >> no. >> but i guess a lot of people have. >> they're very popular. >> and adding more pep to your step with two-ounce drinks called energy shots. but how well do they really work and what are the health concerns? we're going to tell you what you need to know coming up. >> also ahead a popular actress opens up about a health care that is putting her upcoming series on hold. we'll tell you more about that. plus what you should do if you're faced with a bully, not in school, but at work. and you won't believe how often it actually happens to people >> first, new arrests and new information in the murders of a florida couple. the parents of 16 children were killed last thursday, and the surveillance cameras they used to keep their large family safe are actually helping to piece together what happened. nbc's mark potter is in pensacola, florida. mark, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning to you, meredith. of the four people in custody now, three of them are charged

with murder. one of those arrests was made last night, and investigators say there could be yet another arrest today. now facing murder charges after his arrest monday night is 30-year-old gary lamont sumner, a day laborer who officials say was identified after a routine traffic stop. he's accused of being one of the seven men involved in the home invasion last week near pensacola, in which byrd and melanie billings were each shot multiple times and killed. >> we hope to bring all of the suspects that we have identified early on in this case to justice very, very shortly. >> reporter: investigators say sumner is this man in a recent store security camera image in which officials say' peered with leonard patrick gonzalez jr., also charged with murder in the billings case. investigators now say the attack involved two vehicles, and two teams entering the house from different directions. >> you had four come up in the van. three entered the home, one remained with the van. we believe an additional three

people came in on the north side of the home, around the back. one remained with that vehicle, we believe, and two entered the house from the back. >> reporter: as seen on surveillance tape the attackers crept across the lawn. officials say they were inside the house for less than five minutes, during which the billings were killed. >> it leaves me to believe that this was a very well-thanned and methodical operation. >> reporter: as for why the house was targeted, officials say one motive was robbery. >> we believe that there are other motives that we have yet to confirm. >> reporter: three other men were arrested sunday, two of them on murder charges. the sheriff also revealed that three of the nine children in the house actually saw the attackers. none of the children was hurt, and all nine are now being cared for by relatives. now, authorities say they have identified the mastermind of this home invasion attack and that he is in custody. investigators say they are also talking to a person of interest now, and they are searching for two more. meredith? >> mark potter, thank you.

funeral services for byrd and melanie billings have been scheduled for county. escambia sheriff david morgan is heading up the investigation. sheriff morgan, good morning to you. >> good morning, maugham. >> this fourth arrest gary lamont sumner, we just heard that he is a day laborer. is he somebody that knew the billings? worked for the billings? >> only in a very casual way as we understand. these individuals that we're currently seeking, persons of interest, recent arrests, these individuals live in okaloosa county, which is two counties over from us. >> but you're not confirming that they did work for him or they did not work for him, the billings? >> we're not confirming that at this time. >> you said yesterday, ann interviewed you, you said it's a complex case that is evolving. you also said that you believed it started as a home invasion. do you still believe that, that robbery is the key motive? or was there something else going on here? >> we believe that, again, that is a motive. we are developing other motives

as this case progresses. and motives, to be very honest with you, will be outside the pursue of the escambia county sheriff's office. we held a joint meeting yesterday with many of the federal agencies in pensacola and we turned that information over to them. our part in this investigation will effectively come to a close with the conclusion of the murder investigation. >> but why are federal agencies involved, sheriff? >> well, of course, any time you move outside a state, outside a country, then you turn those investigations over to the federal government. >> but what moved out of state? i don't think i understand. why, again, would federal agents be involved? >> associations with individuals that have been identified as having association with this case. >> the robbery or whatever it was, they were in the house for less than five minutes. were they looking for something specific? >> we're not releasing the information at this time as to what was taken from the house, nor the items that may have been taken from the house. >> do you believe when they entered that house they intended to kill mr. and mrs. billings?

>> that, you know, excuse me, that would be speculation at this time. of course, sadly it did result in the deaths of these two individuals. but in working with the state attorney's office, you know, we're being very cautious at this time about the amount of speculation that we're doing, because it could affect the eventual outcome of the trial. >> there were surveillance cameras that caught images outside the house. there were cameras inside the house, as well, and if so, did they capture any images of these folks inside the house? >> yes, ma'am. video surveillance outside and inside the home, and some images were captured, yes. >> and do you believe that drugs may have played any part in this? a family member of leonard patrick gonzalez sr. says that he and his son were involved with drugs. >> we have no information at this time, meredith, that would lead us to believe that that was one of the primary motives, no. >> did it appear that the billings put up any resistance?

>> that's information that would be contained on an interior tape that we're not prepared to release at this time. >> and i understand that you're looking for up to seven people. can you tell us anything about the other people that you're looking for? >> well, again, they have an association, of course, with this. those seven people that we have identified and, of course, four we've currently have under arrest, are those that we have tied specifically to the home invasion itself. that we will tie directly to the deaths of the billings family. and we have another individual, of course, who's an individual of interest that, again, may have had some part in this but we've yet to develop that information. but these seven people we tied directly to the deaths that occurred in that home. >> sheriff david morgan, thank you very much. >> thank you.

>> no chances that we are going to see showers or storms today. up to 84. mostly sunny skies. lower-than-normal moisture announce in the environment. tomorrow, warmer, 87. tomorrow, warmer, 87. that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you. and still ahead, just weeks after filing for divorce, jon of "jon and kate plus 8" stepped out with a new woman. her connection to the soon-to-be ex-wife coming up. but up next, they give you a boost, but are they really safe?

what you need to know about popular energy shots.

this morning on "today's health," the popular new way to boost energy. the so-called energy shots. but are they safe? nbc's chief medical editor dr. nancy synderman is here with more on this. good morning to you. >> hi, matt. hasn't been long, but the first energy shot hit the shelves, the 5-hour energy drink in 2004, but

boy since then it has inspired nearly 100 other competitors. the new energy fix on college campuses and even in the workplace is no longer just a cup of strong, black coffee. it's jazzier, sweeter, and a two-ounce shot does the trick. >> it's good. >> i think a lot of college students are gravitating towards products to give them energy because they're often tired. they're really searching for something to give them energy and cough even if is a stimulant, and will provide them with a boost of energy in a short amount of time. >> i've used energy shots during football practice. generally when they're early. >> reporter: sales for these energy shots are expected to almost double this year to $700 million. at about $3 for two ounces they cost at least ten times more per ounce than coca-cola. even our own "today" show interns have used them. >> in college, for those long all-nighters i've taken a few of them. >> reporter: but what is the nutritional value? >> i have no clue. i never even looked. >> reporter: drinks vary, the

common ingredients include amino acids, vitamins like vitamin b-12 and caffeine. the one thing you won't find is sugar. >> these drinks are providing a stimulant in the form of caffeine that are giving people the ability to feel focused, and feel like they have more energy. but they're not giving them calories, which is a form of energy that enables people to do work. >> reporter: with some caffeine products, side effects can include dehydration, heart pappy tagss, jitteriness, insomnia and even headaches. 5-hour energy told us it works by helping people feel bright and alert when they can't afford a letdown. it's really a focus drink. one that has people willing to pay a premium for a jolt. >> talk about this more now with nancy and "today" nutritionist joy bauer and a registered dietitian. good morning both of you. ups and downs, what do you think? no pun intended. >> only in a decadent society could we have something like this. >> to put it into perspective,

they're called energy shots. but it's basically the same calf teen equivalent you would get in an eight ounce brewed of coffee. and we would never call our morning cup of coffee an energy beverage. these are stimulant shots or wake-up shots. >> that's interesting because calories are converted to energy and heat in your body. that's just the basic science. what joy said is really important. caffeine gives you focus and a little bit of a jolt but it's not energy the way you think, let's get ready for football or swimming or something. >> can you get addicted to these the way people think they're addicted and can be addicted to their morning cup of coffee? >> i think it's more of a psychological addiction. you know, clearly, like coffee, if you drink them day after day after day, when you stop drinking them, you're going to get some withdrawal symptoms. >> a massive headache. >> uncomfortable, fatigue, headaches, crankiness. >> so when some of these advertise that they contain "b" vitamins and amino acids it makes it sound like there are actually health benefits to these things. is that true or false? >> well, look, you're better off

getting your amino acids and your vitamins in food. the problem is, looking at these, some labels have specifics, some don't have much, and i am always, always, always skeptical about adding amino acids and stuff like this. i'm not even sure it makes a hill of beans of difference other than for marketing. >> the interesting thing is there's not an immediate cause/effect. in other words you can't just guzzle these drinks and expect these nutrients to jump into and extract themselves. >> i want to get to something important here. an article in "the new york times" over the weekend mentioned a col jt student who said that on his campus, it's fairly common for people to mix these energy shots with a drug called atarol. >> which is for a.d.d., attention deficit disorder. >> it's dangerous. >> why? >> you go ahead. >> i'm going to let you take that one. >> somebody take this. one is a prescription medication, which is not to be used without a diagnosis at all. two it's a stimulus that makes you hyperfocused and then you have these which jump it up a

notch. it can make you antsy, i think sometimes almost a little psychotic. these are not meant to be mixed together at all. >> real, real quickly, mixing these with alcohol? >> horrible. because when people use them to party longer and harder, you don't fully feel the effects of the alcohol, because you're wide awake, so you drink more and more and you get yourself into trouble. >> all right. >> and one final -- >> really quick. >> everyone's sleep deprived. these just make it worse. kids are too plugged in, don't get enough sleep and this puts them over the edge. not a great thing for our teenagers. >> thanks very much. up next a health care for a popular prime-time actress.

and we are back at 7:50. actress maura tierney has come forward to clear up why production is being delayed on her new nbc series. here's nbc's chris janson. >> how's that feel? >> reporter: she's one of hollywood's busiest actresses. best known as dr. abby lockhart on the iconic nbc drama "er."

>> i think things are going to be okay. >> reporter: now 44-year-old maura tierney is facing a real-life medical drama, saying in a statement, i have discovered a tumor in my breast which requires surgery. i will not know either my exact diagnosis or course of treatment until that surgery is performed. experts say typically surgery is only done after cancer is found. >> surgery would tell a surgeon with that size of a tumor, it will tell the rumor grade, whether it's aggressive or not, and it will also tell the surgeon whether or not the tumor has moved from the breast to the lymph nodes. >> reporter: tierney's private medical crisis became private news when it forced nbc to shut down production on the new drama. "parenthood." >> i'd like to talk to high daughter. >> reporter: "parenthood's" premiere has now been pushed back to early next year. her doctors have assured her her condition is very treatable. and already before the final diagnosis, it's shining a spotlight on the importance of

early detection. when caught early, the survival rate for breast cancer is 98%. a fact singer sheryl crow learned firsthand when she was diagnosed in 2006. >> my breast cancer was detected through a mammogram, caught very, very early. >> reporter: actress christina applegate was diagnosed early, too, through an mri. cynthia nixon and edie falco have battled breast cancer and raised awareness. >> every woman who examines her breast now because she's heard of this recent event can have her life span improving. >> reporter: websites have been filled with messages of encouragement from fans who know tierney from movies like "baby mama" and "liar liar" and her ten years at county general. >> i took a year off after "er" and i wasn't planning on doing another tv show. >> reporter: "parenthood" lured tierney back to television. she's hoping to be back on set in eight weeks. for today, chris jansing, nbc news, los angeles. >> and we certainly wish her the

very best. >> she's been a guest on our show a number of times. we'll keep our fingers crossed. also coming up, daughtry, out on the plaza, live concert in our 8:30 half hour. they're going to be rocking out there. first your local news and weather.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. want to get a check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> a lot of times this is in the white marsh area, heavy delays on southbound i-95. white marsh down to beyond the beltway northeast, much of it due to an earlier accident. you are still dealing with these delays this morning. take pulaski highway and philadelphia road as your alternate. the w parkway, right where it meets the beltway, heading

towards west nursery road, almost at a standstill. we have an exit westbound on joppa road towards harford road. on eastbound i-70, earlier accident. 19 loss per hour approaching 29. it will take awhile to get through this morning. 16 on the northeast outer loop. five-minute ride on southbound 95. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> we have a lot of dry air in place due to high pressure on our west. stable conditions, drier-than- normal air mass. humidity levels will be kept at it yet again today. high under mostly sunny skies, 84 degrees. when slight and at the nw at 5 to 10 miles per hour.

>> check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information. our next live update at 8:25.

back now at 8:00 on this tuesday morning, july 14th, 2009. monday's special concert by the fray was so much fun, we thought we'd have another one. coming up in our next half hour, daughtry performs live right here on the plaza. i'm meredith vieira, along with matt lauer. and i haven't had tea this morning. matt lauer and al roker. we've got a lot of good stuff coming up in the concert series. >> we have to make another big musical announcement. we like to cap off the concert series. mariah carey will be here for a concert on friday, august 2th. she's got a new album coming

out. this is a sneak peek of the individual know for her new single called ogs obsessed." so check her out in concert friday, august 28th, right here on the plaza. by the way you can see the entire video for "obsessed" tomorrow night right here on nbc during "america's got talent." >> very good. >> all right. >> meanwhile just ahead. it was just three weeks and one day ago when reality stars jon and kate gosselin, married for ten years with eight kids together, filed for divorce. but apparently jon already has a new woman in his life and she actually has a connection to kate. going to tell you all about that. getting really kind of bad. >> okay. and dealing with bulldies, we're not talking about kids. we're talking about you, at work. we've got meredith to deal with. >> hey, hey, hey. >> shouldn't have mentioned that. happens more than you think. we're going to tell you what to do if you've become a victim. >> and they say bullying in the workplace can take many different forms. we'll try and run down some of those. but let's go inside, ann is standing by with a check of all

the headlines. >> good morning once again, everybody. in the news this morning, southwest airlines inspected nearly 200 of its aircraft during the night after one of its planes was forced to make an emergency landing. because of a hole described as one foot by one foot in the ceiling. the 737 was flying from nashville to baltimore late monday when the cabin began to lose pressure, but none of the 131 people aboard the plane was injured. the tough questions start today as supreme court nominee sonia sotomayor's confirmation hearings. on monday sotomayor stressed the law would always come first in every case. a funeral service is being planned for friday for the florida parents killed near their home near pensacola. police say as many as eight people may have been involved. byrd and melanie billings were parents of 16 children, many of them with special needs. bernie madoff has been moved from a new york prison and according to sources he is now heading to a federal prison in butner, north carolina, to serve

his 150 year sentence for bilking people out of their life sentence in a ponzi scheme. now here's brian williams with what's coming up on "nbc nightly news." >> hey, ann, thanks. good morning, a lot of people are experiencing this. they call it the doctor drought. plenty of m.d.s are coming out of our med schools, but very few are choosing family practice. a lot of them going into research and surgery. why is it? and will folks have a doctor when they need one? that story and more tonight on "nightly news," ann now back to you. >> great, we'll be watching. lot, brian. now let's go back outside to matt and meredith. >> all right, ann, thank you very much. not a good idea.

>> for us it is a good thing, because we have been so pleasantly lay with a lower- than-normal humidity levels. constant state white will be plenty of sunshine. tomorrow, warmer and 87.

and that's your latest weather. now here's mr. lauer. >> all right, al, when we come back, martha stewart is going to share a recipe she promises will wow your guests at your next barbecue. but up next, jon and kate plus a date. jon gosselin's new girlfriend. nsaid pain relievers, tn like celebrex, ibuprofen and naproxen, help treat arthritis pain and have some of the same warnings. but since individual results may vary, having options is important. prescription celebrex has been the option for millions of patients for 10 straight years. just one 200-mg celebrex (once a day,) can provide dependable, 24-hour relief for many with arthritis pain, stiffness and inflammation. based on the available data, the fda stated that for certain patients celebrex's benefits outweigh the risks. if you are worried about stomach upset, you should know, in clinical studies, a lower percentage of patients taking celebrex reported stomach discomfort

versus prescription ibuprofen and naproxen. and if you are taking low-dose aspirin for your heart and need an nsaid pain reliever, celebrex can be used because it doesn't interfere with the effects of low-dose aspirin. but when it comes to relieving your arthritis pain, you and your doctor need to balance the benefits with the risks. the fda requires all prescription nsaids, including celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen and meloxicam, to have the same cardiovascular warning. they all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors for it such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. all prescription nsaids, including celebrex, also increase the chance of serious skin reactions or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. do not take celebrex if you're allergic

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they filed divorce papers less than a month ago and jon is already showing signs of enjoying the single life. >> kate and i have decided to separate. >> i'm not very fond of the idea, personally. but i know it's necessary. >> reporter: after announcing their plans to separate, their hit show was put on hiatus. the gosselins asking for privacy during this very difficult time for their children. they maintained a low profile, with kate and jon splitting the parenting duties for their eight children. and even celebrating the fourth of july holiday together. but now, they're back in the spotlight. just weeks after splitting from his wife of ten years, new pictures have emerged of jon vacationing in the french rivie riviera, holding hands with his new girlfriend, 22-year-old hailey glassman. meanwhile, kate was seen going to the grocery store, and having a picnic on her lawn with the kids, still wearing her wedding band. and kate coyne is senior editor of "people" magazine has followed the gosselins since

they became reality stars. good morning. >> good morning. >> we have to start meeting this way. >> absolutely. >> were you surprised by jon's re-entry into the spotlight? these pictures of him with what appears to be a new girlfriend? >> a little bit. if nothing else, i was surprised by how quickly we've now seen jon again. it's only been 19 days between when the separation was announced on the show, and this public emergence. >> and this young woman with him, hailey glassman, what can you tell us about her? >> well, there's a connection to hailey that goes back quite a ways. hailey's father, lawrence glassman, is the father who performed kate's tummy tuck. and kate actually recuperated from that surgery, part of the time, in dr. glassman's house. which is also hailey's house. >> so there's a real family tie there. >> there is. >> it originally started with kate, not with jon. >> it began with kate and jon, you know, does say that hailey and her parents have been longtime family friends. but, clearly, these pictures

have indicated the friendship has now grown into something more. >> and talk about the contrast. there's jon with hailey, meanwhile you have kate at home with the kids, or out doing some shopping with the wedding ring still on. she can't bear to take that off yet. is she -- i know when the show ended she said that she had been somebodying nonstop. do you know how she is doing now? >> well, clearly, she's just sticking to her routine. she's going grocery shopping. she's spending time with her kids. she is handling this by i think clinging to what is normal and regular to her. jon is embracing his new life, really with relish. >> and he's also going to start a fashion line of children's clothing? he met with a famous designer? is he qualified to do that? i'm just curious. >> the children's clothing line is not clear if it's going to stay a children's clothing line, if it's going to become something else. he's obviously been wearing a lot of flashier, more colorful clothing, and the designer, you know, is thinking that maybe this is a good opportunity to really broaden his line. >> he has eight kids by the time

he was what, 28, i guess it is. is it possible that this is his version of a mid-life crisis? >> he's clearly in some ways making up for the youth that he didn't get to have. i mean, he's living it up right now. the thing is, no matter how much partying he does, or where he goes, he'll still be a father of eight kids. he can't turn back time. >> and this show comes back the beginning of august. do you expect that there will be a conversation about hailey on the show? >> it's really not clear. you know, jon and kate both say whenever you ask them about the future, and what it will hold, that they're focusing on their kids. their focus is their kids. it's not clear if hailey's ever even been around the kids. so as long as the show continues to focus on the children, i don't know where she would fit in at this time. >> all right, kate coyne, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> and up next, how to handle bullies at work. right after this. ♪

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solar-powered ventilation... to help cool you, available on the third-generation prius. it's harmony between man, nature and machine. we're back now at 8:16. if you thought your days of dealing with bullies ended after middle school, think again. nbc's rehema ellis discovered that a shocking number of them are running rampant at work. >> i had my work -- >> reporter: colleen robinson said it happened to her. a piling on of mostly non-physical attacks.

>> my boss was a bully. >> reporter: no surprise when colleagues are the subject -- >> your competence does not interest me. >> reporter: the bully wears prada. but the putdown is the same. >> if i do something right, it's unacknowledged, she doesn't even say thank you. but if i do something wrong, she is vicious. >> reporter: concern about bullying in the workplace is more common than many people think. experts say 54 million people have been affected. meaning one in every eight workers has been bullied on the job. a recent study by the workplace bullying institute found bullying is done primarily by men. more than half of the targets are women, and overwhelmingly, women bosses target other women. experts say women bullies are mimicking behavior. >> they transform themselves from parent of the month in the car, and the parking lot, to when they get inside the corporate door into viper. and animal.

because, they're picking up the cues in the work environment. they're seeing what it takes to get ahead, and this particularly applies to women. >> reporter: the harm, he says, is a lot like what children experience from bullies, depression, anxiety, self-isolation, and for an adult, that means not going to work. painful consequences for workers, and a company. >> bullying greatly reduces a company's productivity, as well as increasing other costs like the cost of turnover. and the ability to retain very talented people. >> reporter: for robinson, her only option was to leave. >> i leave with the question of what is right and wrong? >> reporter: today she's planning to go back to school and possibly become self-employed. knowing better than ever how to spot a bully, and how that behavior is bad for business. for "today," rehema ellis, nbc news, chicago. >> nicole williams is a career

expert. nicole, good morning. >> good morning. >> here's the problem, in my opinion, if you're being bullied at work, that's bad enough, but if you're being bullied by someone who can actually fire you, that's a really difficult dynamic. >> it is a difficult dynamic. and you know, not to underestimate that but at the end of the day, you need to stand up for yourself. you know, there is the opportunity, and the responsibility on some level for you to defend yourself. >> before we get to that point, let's define what technically is and is not bullying. first of all, if you're being publicly humiliated at work. >> question. this is your boss walks into a meeting and belittles you. and it's not necessarily attached to your professional performance -- >> not constructive criticism. >> and not behind a closed door. this is in a group of people, your peers, your coworkers, and it's a blatant disregard. it's generally more personally oriented. it's kind of like my kid could have done a better jonathan you could have. >> also if you're being sabotaged by a co-worker. this apparently happens more often than people realize.

>> this is someone stealing your ideas, forgetting to invite you to an important meeting, changing, you know, the scope of a project, or inflicting a deadline that's absolutely unrealistic for you to achieve. these are the kinds of things that sabotage your ability to perform. >> another form of bullying might be confused with gossip. that is when you're being vilified by a co-worker. someone is spreading malicious rumors about you in the workplace. >> that's absolutely right. sort of a line between what is bullying relative to vilifying someone, and what is just, you know, appropriate compotiveness in the workplace, is it true or is it not? you know, the fact is, if they're spreading it untruth about you, that's a problem. but if the boss walks by and says, hey, matt isn't here and it's 10:00. well, matt doesn't come in until 11:00, that's appropriate. that's okay. >> when do you brush it off, nicole, and when do you say, okay, now i've got to actually take action here? >> yeah, and i love that question. because that's the problem with bullying.

for the most part you just eat it, eat it, eat it, and like they said in the clip, it can result in anxiety, in depression. you don't go to work. your ability to perform is impacted, and as a career expert, your primary career tool is you. and if you don't have confidence, if you don't feel motivated, you are at a loss. and your responsibility is to protect yourself. so enough is enough. >> not to get a lot of parents up in arms here, but when you're young, sometimes you tell a kid who is being bullied, the best way to handle it is to walk right up to the kid and punch him in the nose. and they'll learn quickly. what's the equivalent in a workplace? can you figuratively bully back? >> you can. i don't know that it's bullying back. it is standing your ground. it is saying i will not tolerate this. because bullies go after the weak. they sense out the weak and that is no different than the schoolyard. it's about power and control. and if you make it crystal clear that you are not going to engage in this game, you are -- they're going to find someone else. >> i know you feel you confront

the bully first and then go to a boss second. and only after you've documented some of the instances. >> absolutely. nicole, thanks. >> my pleasure, thanks, matt. >> let's go upstairs to meredith. >> matt, thank you. this morning on "martha on today" a zesty twist on the burger with just three main iningredients, martha stewart says you can can transform a chicken burger into something sensational. martha, good morning to you. >> ordinary chicken burger, but actually have you ever had a chicken burger? >> i have never had a chicken burger. >> so it's not so ordinary. when i saw the recipe developed by our everyday food magazine editors, oh, it was so delicious. >> and simple. >> so simple. here we have ground breast of chicken. >> yes. >> very delicious, fresh, fresh, freshly ground. >> did you season this? >> just salt and pepper. >> and you form them into nice burgers. >> hello. >> you couldn't resist, could you?

>> no. >> and then you have the poblano pepper. this is what a poblano looks like in the grocery, the nice, dark green pepper. >> are they hot? >> no, no, no, they're not hot. then when they're dried they're called ancho peppers. >> so you're burning it? >> so we're searing the skin on a griddle. you can do this right on the grill, too. after it's all blackened all around the outside, you just wrap it in a paper towel like this, or put it in a bowl like this, covered, so you sweat the skin off. now this, you can do this for me, because you just rub, you don't even get your hands dirty, you just cup the skin off with this, and then when you get the burgers right on here. have you ever had a chicken burger, matt? >> no. turkey burgers. >> but this is chicken. it's a nice way to use -- oh, i should put a little bit -- it has to sweat a little bit more. >> i'm sweating, too. >> don't sweat. >> just a little bit of olive oil. all right. and the chicken burgers right on the griddle.

>> martha, obviously people are going to say you have to be careful how to cook a chicken burger, you've got to get to a certain temperature, is that about right? >> yeah, you'll see. it won't be pink inside. >> has to be white inside. >> beautiful, all the way. now we have also a lovely onion all sauteed and the strips of a bunch of poblano peppers right in here. the burgers then, when they're cooked in turn, just put on a piece of yellow cheddar. this is so beautiful >> has to be cheddar? >> well, cheddar's good. and then on a toasted bun. take off your burger, add a little bit of your very nice, warm onion and poblano. doesn't that look good? >> it does, martha. >> it's extremely tasty. i always like to put a little bit more pepper. and then serving this, matt, you want that one? >> yeah, sure. >> that's for you. >> okay, i'm going to turn away.

>> oh, what a little chicken. >> serve this with lime wedges. dipped in ancho pepper. >> what do you do with this? >> what do you think? >> squeeze this on your burger? >> very good. >> do you like it? >> yeah, thank you. >> and a tomato salad, these are the cute little cherry tomatoes that come in all colors, just with a little bit of olive oil and maybe a little bit of balsamic vinegar, and watermelon wedges, and you have an extraordinarily delicious grilling. >> martha, they're very good. >> they are. >> could you have done it with hamburger and it would be equally as good? >> you can but the whole idea is that this is chicken burger. and you're not eating the beef. you're eating the white meat of chicken. i just think it's the -- i think it's a really great twist on a hamburger. >> martha was just in france. >> i was. >> really? >> fun or work? >> fun. it was so nice. a little bit of work. but we all work a little bit. >> did you go topless on the beaches? >> oh, absolutely, topless in

saint-trop saint-tropez.. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. police in southeast baltimore want to know who shot and killed a woman overnight and wide. the victim was identified as a woman in her 20s, and was found shot in the head just after 3:00 a.m. let's get a check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> still dealing with heavy delays out there, and a couple accidents. one at doctor hill and a towson. delays of the north side. in the red on southbound 95 of the white marsh area due to an earlier accident.

somebody lost a mattress in here. also, artscape closures in effect in events of artscape. mount royal in the mount royal cultural district. five minutes on southbound 95 the to the 895 split at the fort mchenry told. 95 and white marsh, barely moving. we will switch to a live view of traffic on the west side of the body. -- west side of liberty. >> temperature-wise, looking pretty good. 67 at b.w.i. marshall di. not a lot of moisture in the atmosphere. continue to enjoy it for today. presence and influence of high

pressure, and i will move offshore tomorrow. the front approaches us on thursday. morning showers and storms are possible. 89 is the high for thursday. >> we will have another update at 8:55.

we're back now, 8:30 on a tuesday morning. it's the 14th day of july, 2009. what we call all across the country, a chamber of commerce day in new york city. it is perfect. no other word to describe it, perfect. lower temperatures, low humidity, special blue skies. >> happy day to you, as well. >> let's go off to paris. i'm matt lauer along with

meredith vieira, al roker and ann curry. ann curry, by the way, hot stage this week. we had the fray here yesterday. we've got daughtry performing in just a couple of minutes out here on the plaza this morning. then coming up on friday, all-american rejects right here on the plaza. >> coming up tomorrow, not a concert, we've got a wedding tomorrow. >> that's right. >> nick and leigh are going to say their i dos on the spot. "today throws a wedding," it's the tenth anniversary. >> isn't that amazing? >> they're going to completely take all of this out and make a vineyard. >> very nice. >> there's a planting that starts tonight. >> and, we're going to get a last-minute check with them, how they're feeling. stuff like that. >> then later on, this is something they'll have to deal with down the road, we're going to find out when it's best to repair an old appliance or just get rid of it and get a new one. >> okay.

>> we really cannot call a hot, because even though the temperature will be in the mid- 80's, we are scared the moisture in the environment. clear stand on hd doppler. mostly sunny skies. mostly sunny skies.

here he is, ladies and gentlemen, live and in person, we are on, uncle willie scott. >> oh! >> wow. ♪ rock a-bye baby >> the man hug. >> glad to be here. glad to be with you. it's a pleasure to be a part of the wonderful group at the rock. >> you're here tomorrow for the wedding. >> yes, i'm here for the wedding tomorrow. are you ready? >> ready. >> turn that jug around. >> spin the jar. >> that's right. wheel -- of -- fortune! rose silvia, newport, rhode island. ever had rhode island clam chowder? >> i have. >> the best. exercises to make sure her legs work. >> 101 years old.

>> your legs look pretty good. >> thank you. >> and clayton shufelt, from windsor, connecticut. another connecticuter. secret to longevity is putting salt on everything. >> there you go. >> the american medical association -- >> makes the corn flakes taste weird. >> oh, it's good. and ice cream. ethel scott. remember her? great performer. >> yeah. >> rayland, ohio, 101 years old. >> this is her second try getting on. >> that's right. >> she made it. >> thank god we did something right. loves doing jigsaw puzzles. do you ever do a puzzle? >> i do. but i never finish them. >> stay up there, looking over. i never can make them work. ruth hale, lakewood, new jersey. >> 109? >> that's right. retired kindergarten teacher. >> keeps up with the garden, is known for being a dine mate player. >> howard martin, he's a friend of ours from dandy yeah,

virginia. home town, born and raised alexandria. 101. former pentagon worker, plans different events and activities. come on lucky sevens. and dealten and ruth conlon. >> claims longevity is loving a beautiful older woman, she is his senior by one week. very nice. >> isn't that sweet? >> oh. >> and they ever had a fight. >> where'd you get this crowd? >> it's a nice crowd. >> let's go over to matt. >> all right, guys. thank you very much. when we come back, the latest on the investigation into the death of michael jackson. what happened to his children, and then daughtry, live in concert out here on the plaza. ( dryer blowing, music ) you can probably imagine a lot of ways... to make land o' lakes butter spreadable.

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last december, author ian halperin wrote that michael jackson had six months to live. six months and one day later the king of pop was dead. his new book, "unmasked: the final years of michael jackson" hits bookstores today. good morning to you. >> good morning, meredith. >> let me talk about some of the articles that i read in the paper this morning. one was about a family source that says that debbie rowe has agreed to drop any custody challenge for the kids in return for $4 million. do you know if that's correct? >> unfortunately, there's so many rumors being bandied about right now, nobody really knows what to believe. and in my book, i just deal with the final years of michael's life, and what led him into this turbulent lifestyle, being around enablers, undesirables. but i would caution people to be careful what the newspapers are putting out. let's hope and pray that a proper investigation is done. the lapd, they don't have a stellar track record, especially when it comes to celebrity

cases. but hopefully they'll get it together this time, and we will get answers. the family deserves answers, and his fans. >> go back to debbie rowe for a second, are you hearing anything about the custody dispute? >> what i've heard right now is a couple of members of the jackson family are concerned because joe jackson's come out and made it clear that he might want to do something with the children. this is not the time to be planning careers, especially to take them on tours, or albums for the kids. they are in a moment of grieving. michael was an incredible father. the children just adored him. michael doted on the kids. and family members, they don't want joe creating another michael jackson, exploiting the kids so a couple of members have said, perhaps they might be better off with debbie rowe, a more sequestered lifestyle. more calm lifestyle. and a regular-day activity, and go to a proper school. >> you've also said that sources tell you that this family would be willing to pay a lot of money

for a doctored autopsy report or a medical report that would indicate that michael was healthier than you, in fact, claim that he was toward the end of his life? >> well, what i say to that is i was the person who claimed six months ago that michael was gravely ill, he should have never considered doing 50 tour dates. they should have -- all these people who are coming out of the woodwork now, where were they when michael really needed their help? michael, he needs to be in a hospital getting world-class medical attention. all these people, they rushed to his side to encourage him to do the 50 tour dates and they disregarded his physical -- >> but ian, what is your source for some of the things you're saying, like what i just said? >> my sources are from people in his camp who were concerned that the family was not treating him properly. and that people around him, especially, that these people had long disregarded michael's well-being, had almost encouraged him to take

prescription drugs, and they felt they were outnumbered, outpowered. they realized my investigation was sympathetic, and they gave me information to get the real story out. >> la toya jackson recently told a british tabloid that paid her that her brother was murdered, that's what she believes. >> i think it's terrible that a sibling, at this moment, of grieving, of tragedy, would come out and sell a story for a large amount of money and a sibling who's had a turbulent history with michael jackson. who has come out before and accused him of false things. to come out at this time, i think it's shameful, and i urge the family right now not to do such things, and to encourage joe jackson and people like la toya to take a back seat, let the police, let the coroner do a proper investigation and let's get some answers. >> finally, there's been some criticism, actually pointed at you by journalist roger friedman

of the hollywood reporter, among other things, he says that your book is riddled with mistakes, and your claim that michael only agreed to do ten shows in london and was angry and upset that he was going to do 50 is not true. what do you say to him? >> first of all, meredith, i will back up everything in my book. i also -- this project was a documentary originally. i have over 300 hours of footage. and to roger friedman i'd say this, he's the same guy, when i said that michael was ill in december, who criticized me and said he's perfectly healthy to go on a tour, to do his concert dates. this is the same guy, and now he's accusing me of this. i think people could see through this. i've been right all along. i was the person concerned for michael's health and well-being, not many other journalists were. and with all due respect to roger friedman, i urge him to read the book before making accusations like this. >> all right. ian halperin, thank you so much. >> thank you, meredith. >> again the book is called "unmasked: the final years of michael jack kwn st. and up next, daughtry live in

concerer

the toyota concert series on "today," brought to you by toyota. toyota, moving forward. >> daughtry's first album went quint uple plat mum and earned the band the first grammy nominations. here to perform one of the first hits, "home," ladies and gentlemen, daughtry. ♪ staring out through the night trying to hide the pain ♪ ♪ i'm going to the place where love ♪ and feeling good

don't ever cost a thing ♪ ♪ and the pain you feel's a different kind of pain ♪ ♪ i'm going home to the place where i belong ♪ ♪ where love has always been enough for me ♪ ♪ i'm running from no i think you got me all wrong ♪ ♪ i don't regret this life i chose for me ♪ ♪ but these places and these faces are getting old ♪ ♪ i'm going home the miles are getting longer it seems ♪ the closer i get to you ♪

♪ i've not always been the best man or friend for you ♪ ♪ but your love it makes true ♪ ♪ and i don't know why you always seem to give me another try ♪ ♪ i'm going home back to the place where i belong ♪ ♪ and where your love has always been enough for me ♪ ♪ i'm running from i think you got me all wrong ♪ ♪ i don't regret this life i chose for me ♪ ♪ but these places and these faces are getting old ♪ ♪ be careful what you wish for ♪ ♪ you just might get it all ♪

♪ you just might get it all ♪ ♪ i'm going to the place where i belong ♪ ♪ where your love has always been enough for me ♪ ♪ i'm running from no i think you got me all wrong ♪ ♪ i don't regret this life i chose for me ♪ ♪ but these places and these faces are getting old ♪ ♪ these places and these faces are getting old ♪ ♪ so i'm going home

♪ i'm going home >> we'll talk to chris and the band in a moment.

their first album was the fastest-selling rock debut in

history. now daughtry is out with their next effort "leave this town." good morning, guys. >> good morning. >> good to have you here. sophomore effort, scary at all? >> horrible. >> it was nerve-racking? >> we're so happy, we've put a lot of work into it. very proud of it. we were able to take all the time in the world to make it. and all these fans were very patient during the process. and the day has come. >> and by the way, there's a lot of different music on this album. you've got rock, ballads, country music. does it kind of tell us what the band is thinking? are you casting a wide net so you get as many buyers as possible. >> it's not so much about getting buyers as much as letting our fans see who we are, really, as a band. we went in and did this together. and after three years of touring, the first record we just wanted to do our personalities, let it out. >> and it comes across. what are you going to play now? >> we're going to play no surprise.

♪ i've practiced this for hours gone round and round ♪ ♪ and now i think that i've got it all done ♪ ♪ and as i say it louder i love how it sounds ♪ ♪ cause i'm not taking the easy way out ♪ ♪ not wrapping this in ribbons shouldn't have to give a reason why ♪ ♪ it's no surprise i won't be here tomorrow ♪ ♪ i can't believe that i stayed till today ♪ ♪ yeah you and i will be a tough act to follow ♪ ♪ but i know in time we'll find this was no surprise ♪

♪ it came out like a river once i let it out ♪ ♪ when i thought that i wouldn't know how ♪ ♪ held onto it forever just pushing it down ♪ ♪ felt so good to let go of it now ♪ ♪ not wrapping this in ribbons shouldn't have to give a reason why ♪ ♪ it's no surprise i won't be here tomorrow ♪ ♪ i don't believe that i stayed till today ♪ ♪ there's nothing here in this heart left to borrow ♪ ♪ there's nothing here in this soul left to say ♪ ♪ don't be surprised when we hate this tomorrow ♪ ♪ god knows we tried to find an easier way ♪

♪ yeah you and i will be a tough act to follow ♪ ♪ but i know in time we'll find this was no surprise ♪ ♪ our favorite place we used to go ♪ ♪ the warm embrace that no one knows ♪ ♪ the loving look that's left your eyes ♪ ♪ that's why this comes as no as no surprise ♪ ♪ if i could see the future and how this plays out ♪ ♪ i bet it's better than where we are now ♪ ♪ but after being through this it's easier to see the reason why ♪ ♪ it's no surprise i won't be here tomorrow ♪

♪ i can't believe that i stayed till today ♪ ♪ yeah you and i will be a tough act to follow ♪ ♪ but i know in time we'll find this was no surprise ♪ ♪ our favorite place we used to go ♪ ♪ the warm embrace that no one knows ♪ ♪ the loving look that's left your eyes ♪ ♪ i know in time feel find this was no surprise ♪ >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here's a look at some of our top stories. days after saying goodbye to his

friend and former teammate, the ravens wide receiver appears to be ready to hang up his cleats. he reportedly posted on a website that he and will be calling an end to his 12-year career. so far, neither he nor his agent had a file the appropriate paperwork. he is seeking an extension on his existing contract. bge says it can save consumers $2.6 billion with its new smart grid program. they have to install 2 million smart meters. they hope it will reduce rates by reducing energy consumption. the cost will not be@@@@@@

>> let's take a look at the forecast with sandra shaw. >> beautiful, high visibility, because we do not have a lot of cloud cover. not a lot of moisture in the environment. 84 in central maryland.

adt on the shores of ocean city. absolutely gorgeous. tonight, clear skies. below normal levels in most of the areas. 56 downtown in the eastern shore. as far as tomorrow, warmer, 87. partly cloudy. a front gets through here, stalls out. >> thank you for joining us. another update at 9: 25.