prisoner of the taliban. the pentagon condemns a hostage video showing a 23-year-old american soldier captured in afghanistan. >> i am scared. scared i won't be able to go home. >> as family and friends in idaho pray for his safe return. utter chaos. bystanders race in to save a mother and her two young children trapped inside their burning suv. this morning, an exclusive interview with two men who came to the rescue. "idol" threat. paula abdul's manager says she may not return for the next season of "american idol." we'll tell you why "today," season of "american idol." we'll tell you why "today," monday, july 20th, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

welcome to "today" on this monday morning. i'm meredith vieira. >> i'm lester holt in for matt lauer this morning. family of private 1st class bowe bergdahl obviously pained by seeing that video of him talking about being scared but they know he's alive, they are praying for his safe return. >> the 23-year-old disappeared from a base in eastern afghanistan on june 30th, but over the weekend concerns of bergdahl's safety intensified with the release of this 28-minute video made by his taliban captors. we'll have the very latest on his ordeal. we'll speak with private bergdahl's former boss just ahead. also ahead, a woman had survived her own terrifying hostage ordeal. nancy tyler was kidnapped by her ex-husband and held at gunpoint in the connecticut home they used to share for 12 hours. she managed to escape shortly before her ex burned that house to the ground and she's with us this morning for her first live television interview since that

agonizing day. >> she just told me she did not think she would get out of that house alive. she's a lucky lady. on a lighter note, rather intimate items of marilyn monroe's put up for auction. they include a bra that the iconic actress used to enhance her famous figure. we'll tell you all about that just a little later. we'll begin with the video of a u.s. soldier being held hostage by the taliban. nbc's george lewis is in hayley, idaho, the hometown of bowe bergdahl. >> we're in front of zany's river street coffee house where bergdahl worked before joining the army. his family and friends prayed over his safety, deeply worried about him after seeing the video. on the tape, clearly under duress, private bergdahl talked about his family here in idaho. >> i miss them every day. when i'm gone, i miss them and

i'm afraid that i might never see them again and that i'll never be able to tell them that i love them again. >> reporter: in his hometown of hailey, bergdahl's family remains in seclusion. family members issued a written statement -- "we hope and pray for our son's safe return to his comrades, and then to our family, and we appreciate all the support shown to us by our family members, our friends and others across the nation." family friend tim baker added this -- >> bowe, if you see this, know that we love you and we are praying fervently for you and prayers are going up for you from all over the world. stand tall and stand firm. >> reporter: bergdahl mysteriously disappeared from his base on the afghanistan-pakistan border june 30th. this video marks the first time he's been seen since them. >> we condemn the use of this video an public humiliation of prisoners. it is against international law. >> reporter: in the tape, werg

dahl's captors show close ups of his dog tags to verify his identity. and repeatedly prompt him about what to say. >> i am scared. i'm scared i won't be able to go home. it is very unnerving to be a prisoner. >> reporter: and very unnerving for his friends and family to watch this. interestingly, many people here in town knew about bergdahl's disappearance almost three weeks ago, but at the request of the family, kept quiet about it until his identity was revealed in the video. lester? >> george lewis this morning, thanks. as you mentioned, private bergdahl worked as a barista at zany's river street coffee house in hailey, idaho before enlisting in the army in 2008. sue martin is that coffee house's owner. thanks for being with us. >> good morning. >> i know you've seen private bergdahl's family. talk to me about how they're

doing and what kind of support they are getting right now. >> i spoke with bob bergdahl, who's bowe's father, and he expressed his gratitude that the press is respecting their privacy and they need to just remain private and they'll issue their statements, and they have asked us to speak with the media here and to allow zany's to be available for the community and nationwide really to show their support. we've had a lot of calls from all over the nation. >> and i know you probably know him as bowe when he worked for you in the coffee house. talk to me about what kind of guy he is. >> bowe's a very intelligent, capable young man. he's got a wonderful sense of humor that we all enjoy.

he's always going beyond what you ask him to do and do more. i wish we still had him here, obviously. >> it's difficult for all of us, even those of you who don't know him, to watch him in that tape, obviously speaking under duress. you know him, so tell me what you observe specifically as you watch that tape. >> i saw very little of the tape actually. and i saw bowe struggling, as anybody would well imagine you would be, as all of us are. >> tell me how the word circulated about his capture. was it rumor at first? how did you find out? >> it is a very tight community here, and we knew approximately where bowe was. his father had brought e-mails in and some of our previous employees had been e-mailing

with bowe as well. we were concerned it could perhaps be bowe. people who were connected with him on a personal level didn't get a response. it's pretty simple to put two and two together, but we kept it very quiet out of respect for the family and concern for bowe's safety. >> sue martin, we appreciate you spending some time with us this morning. thank you so much. >> thank you. it is now 7:07. once again, here's meredith. now to washington where president obama's full-court press to pass sweeping health care reform is meeting stiff resistance from both sides of the aisle. nbc's white house correspondent savannah guthrie has the very latest on that. good morning to you, savannah. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. some say this is the first true test of the president's ability to persuade. he wants congress to pass a first version of health care by august, but some republicans, and even some democrats, aren't sure they can deliver. back from a family weekend at camp david, the president focus

returns again to health care reform. a patient in serious condition after a pair of congressional office budget reports that the plan would add to the deficit and may increase health care costs. health and human services secretary kathleen sebelius on "meet the press." >> this is a work in progress. i think house leaders and senate leaders share the president's goal costs will come down. >> is it a wake-up call to the president? >> i think we know now that more has to be done. >> reporter: the administration is sticking to its call for both houses to pass the bill before their august recess, a deadline white house budget director peter orszag insisted can be met. >> we are working towards that. we have to remember, some are advocating delay simply because they don't have anything to put on the table. >> reporter: but republicans, and even some democrats, say it's a rushed effort and it shows. >> this is a bill that shouldn't pass at any point, either before the august recess or later in the year. what we need to come up with is

a truly bipartisan proposal. >> reporter: the president weighed in this weekend in his weekly address. >> i will not sign on to any health plan that adds to our deficits over the next decade. >> reporter: part of an intensifying public campaign. >> don't bet against us. >> reporter: the president was out every day last week, pushing reform, at times sounding like the old candidate. >> and i will not defend the status quo! we are going to change health care reform! >> reporter: and this week an assist from senator sed kennete kennedy -- "this is the cause of my life. this issue has more meaning for me than ever before." >> reporter: continuing the public sales pitch, the president's scheduled a prime time news conference for wednesday night and on thursday will travel to cleefd. part of the white house strategy to take this debate out of washington and take it around the country. >> savannah guthrie, thank you. i will be sitting down with president obama today at the white house to talk about health care and other key issues. i hope he knows that i'm coming.

you'll see that tomorrow on "today." >> he's probably watching like, what? that's what the 1:00 was. okay. let's get a check of the other top stories of the morning. ann curry's at the news desk. good morning, everybody. we begin with the dramatic guilty plea in last year's mumbai terror attacks. today in india, the lone surviving gunman in the attacks admitted his role in the deadly rampage that killed 166 people. after months of denials, there were gasps in the courtroom when pakistani citizen told the judge, "sir, i plead guilty to my crime." a british fighter jet crashed this morning at a military base in southern afghanistan. the two-crew members ejected safely on sunday. a helicopter crash at the same base killed 16 civilians. investigators looking into a weekend train crash in san francisco are trying to find out why the operator turned off the automatic controls moments before the accident.

at least 48 people were injured when that train struck another. crew members of the apollo 1 11 meet with the president day 40 years after the first walk on the moon. the astronauts had a rare joint appearance at the smithsonian's national air and space museum. they say the next giant leap for mankind should be mars. there is a deal this morning that could keep a big lending firm out of bankruptcy. cnbc's melissa lee's at the new york stock exchange with more on this. hey, melissa, good morning. >> good morning. cit has reached a deal with its major bond holders for a $3 million rescue loan which will allow cit to restructure debt and avoid bankruptcy. this is good news for small to mid-size businesses who would have had to scramble to find financing. >> melissa lee this morning, thanks.

famed author frank mccourt died sunday after battling meningitis and melanoma. he's most remembered for writing "angela's ashes," a best-selling memoir about his impoverished childhood, a book that won him a pulitzer prize. frank mccourt was 78 years old. a private funeral service is being planned for thursday in new york for former cbs anchorman walter cronkite who died friday at the age of 92. a public memorial for the broadcasting giant is expected in the next few weeks. journalistic integrity was his greatest legacy. back to meredith, lester and al. >> there will never be another anchorman like him, ever. so respected by the public and aide m admired by those who loved him. >> i moderated a q&a with him two years ago at a university out west. i remember the question came up about "that's the way it is," he said, well, we reached the end of the newscast and that's what came out and we stuck with it. >> it worked!

>> he will be missed. >> frank mccourt as well. congrats in order for you, sir. "wake up with al" premiered on the weather channel. >> i think they'll let us do it again tomorrow. >> that trough that al mentioned it will keep chance of showers in our forecast through the way. just a slight chance for central maryland. 82 with partly sunny skies for the most part today. showers and the forecast through

>> and that's your latest weather. lester? >> al, thanks. now the new television tied to the investigation into michael jackson's death and how prosecutors may handle it. this as we learn of more uncertainty for jackson's three children. nbc's jeff rossen is in los angeles. jeff, good morning. >> hi, lester, good morning to you. today was supposed to be the day, the custody hearing, finally an official decision about who exactly gets michael jackson's kids. but there will be no hearing today. the judge put it off again and this morning we have new information about what's really going on behind the scenes. the jackson kids enter another week in limbo. paris, prince and blanket remain in the care of michael's mother, katherine. sources familiar with the

custody case tell nbc news katherine jackson has realized that 79 years old, she can't raise the children alone and wants more time to sort it out. now two of michael's sisters are emerging as possible contenders for custody. janet and rebbie. rebbie the older sister was spotted with the kids in public just last week taking them to a jehovah's witness church. janet's reportedly been with them every day. >> the court would be very interested i think in having a younger person parent these children, provided that person is a relative and has a close loving and continuous relationship with the kids. >> reporter: but you can't forget debbie rowe. sources involved in the custody case tell nbc news both rowe and katherine jackson are negotiating a possible deal and those sources tell us joe jackson is a sticking point. rowe doesn't want him raising the kids, not after michael said this during a documentary. >> he'd lose his temper. i just remember hearing my mother scream, "joe, you're

going to kill him! you're going to kill him! stop it, you're going to kill him!" >> reporter: now "people" magazine reports joe jackson is willing to step aside so katherine can get the kids. but jackson's will has been accepted from 2002 but now a report that there may be a more recent will. "unmasked the final years of michael jackson" -- >> in 2007, my sources say michael jackson wrote another will which would put the 2002 will in jeopardy. the only problem it, it has to be determined whether or not this will is authentic. >> reporter: in it, he says katherine jackson gets nothing. he claims michael wasn't as close to his mother in his final years. we asked halprin where's the document. he doesn't know. then there's the drug investigation. law enforcement sources tell nbc news murder charges are unlikely even if the autopsy shows

jackson died from drugs, sources familiar with the criminal case say prosecutors have a new plan -- they'll take the case right to the grand jury to see what, if any, charges stick. tmz reports dr. conrad murray, the cardiologist who was with jackson when he died, just canceled an interview with police. he remains in virtual hiding but his lawyer denies dr. murray did anything wrong. as one jackson follower put it, this case is following the same course as michael jackson's life -- confusing and chaotic. in fact, sources familiar with the family now tell us that jacksons are still choosing a legal team and are currently interviewing lawyers, lester, in some cases at local l.a. restaurants. >> thank you. is paula abdul about to walk away from "american idol"? her manager is fueling speculation that his client won't be back next season. "today" national correspondent amy robach has the latest. good morning. >> good morning.

paula abdul has been with "american idol" from the very beginning but with recent reports of a big payday for host ryan seacrest and another on the way for fellow judge simon cowell, abdul's manager says she's hurt, she's angry and may not return for season nine. from the unusual -- to the emotional. >> you've moved me from the beginning. >> reporter: -- to the confrontational. >> basically what she's saying is you'd make a good rat. >> i didn't say that! no, i didn't. >> reporter: paula abdul has been a fixture on "american idol" for the past eight seasons but her new manager tells the "los angeles times" it appears paula will not be back on "american idol" next season, saying, "she's not a happy camper as a result of what's going on. she's hurt, she's angry." >> this is "american idol." >> reporter: so what is going on? show host ryan seacrest has reportedly signed a three-year, $45 million deal making him tv's

highest paid reality host. there is also talk of a major contract in the works for judge simon cowell. >> the timing of paula's "i might not be coming back" headlines is so sufficient because we just heard about ryan seacrest striking a three-year deal that nets him essentially $15 million per year. if paula abdul didn't try to put something on the bargaining table we'd all think she was crazy. >> reporter: abdul took to her twitter page over the weekend to thank her fans, saying i'm actually moved 2 tears upon reading the enormous amount of tweets showing me your kindness, love and undying support. god bless all of you. if it weren't for you in this specific time and situation, it would feel a whole lot worse." >> kara, were you happy with last week in general. >> no, some contestants were better than others. >> reporter: last season they added a fourth judge whose own future on the show remains in question. experts say further changes to the show could jeopardize its future success. >> the ratings have been slipping.

they don't want to see their rating gold, paula abdul, slip out the door as well. >> we reached out to paula abdul's representatives but did not hear back. the fox network declined to comment. but meredith, time is ticking. auditions for season nine begin next month but the show's set to return in january. >> amy robach, thank you very much. >> think she's putting a little pressure on the producers? >> i think she should. why not? she's very much a part of the brand. she's the unpredictable one. she makes it interesting. >> funny feeling she'll be there. but a little richer. >> good for her if that's the case. still ahead, the woman held hostage by her ex-husband in the home they once shared, a home that he would burn to the ground. this morning she breaks her silence about that harrowing day and she how escaped. but first, this is "today" onon

still ahead this morning -- i got to tell you -- this is an intense rescue caught on camera. a family's pulled from a burning suv. plus, why did members of

amanda knox's family pose for pictures in front of the crime scene. we'll speak with amanda's mother after your local news.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv and 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am lisa robinson. nine people, including seven children, are recovering from carbon monoxide poisoning this morning. baltimore city fire officials say a faulty water heater is to blame for the high levels in the townhouse. neighbors say that just last month, three dutch village residents suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning, and even more got sick at a complex in essex. both complexes are owned by the same company. officials said there was a proper monoxide detector in the home but it was not working. let's check on the morning

commute with sarah caldwell. >> we have a downed tree in the pikesville area, blocking greenspring valley at brookline. southbound 795 as you approach the beltway, accident coming in there. problem coming in with an overturned vehicle at long green pike at hines road. lanes closed in the area of the match will cultural district. wrapping up the artscape as the cleanup continues. 4:00 p.m. is when everything should open up again. new traffic pattern at 895 split. bit of a delay at white marsh. no delays at greenspring. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> a little bit of rain activity to our south. partly cloudy to partly sunny. 71 downtown. 67 at the airport.

mid-60's on the eastern shore. 80 to 84, partly sunny, a slight chance for a late a shower. >> thanks for joining us. we will see you back here in 25 minutes. (announcer) it's time to raise the bar and replace your old mayo with the full flavor of aft mayo with olive oil. made with the rich, delicious taste of imported olive oil. kraft mayo with olive oil is the new standard in mayo.

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7:30 now on this monday morning, july 20th, 2009. we are happy that some of these smiles and faces got up early to be with us on the plaza. we'll go out and join them in just a bit. meanwhile, inside studio 1a i'm meredith vieira, alongside lester holt. matt is off. coming up, nancy tyler was kidnapped at gunpoint, held hostage by her ex-husband for 12 hours and once tyler managed to escape, her ex lit the house on fire. just ahead, nancy tyler will be with us for her first live interview since that awful ordeal. we'll see you some home video of a remarkable rescue. a mother and her two young children trapped inside their burning suv. as you can see, bystanders raced to save them. we'll have more of this dramatic video and an exclusive interview with two brothers, off-duty firefighters who happened to be

just around the corner, raced to the scene and came to the rescue. a reminder, later this week, a worldwide exclusive. i sat down with susan boyle, the sensation from britain's got talent and we talked about everything from her wild ride to stardom to her time in a mental clinic following the show and then what the future holds. can you see susan boyle "daring to dream" a special edition of "america's got talent." at 9:00. we'll also have a preview wednesday morning on "today." there is also an exclusive clip posted on our website, todayshow.com. everybody's reporting how she seems so unstable. the lady i met was gracious, kind, full of fun. for what it's worth, she looked fantastic. >> is her life settling down a little bit? >> i think it is. she's cutting an album right now, she's very excited about recording an album and she just seemed to be in wonderful spirits. very, very lovely lady. i look forward to sharing that with you. but now to the connecticut woman held hostage by her ex-husband at gunpoint for 12

hours. we'll speak with nancy tyler in just a moment. but first, this will be her first live television interview since the ordeal. but first, here's nbc's peter alexander. peter, good morning to you. >> reporter: meredith, good morning to you. this is exactly where that bitter divorce nearly turned deadly. you can see all that's left here this morning is the rubble of the burned-out home. also this morning we are learning new details about warning signs that go back for years. in a 2006 application for restraining order, nancy tyler wrote that her estranged husband told her she had just one choice. stay with him or accept the consequences. nancy tyler knew she was trapped in an explosive divorce but never could have imagined it would take this dark a turn. authorities say tyler was kidnapped at gunpoint by her estranged husband richard sheng man. tyler was allegedly held captive for 12 hours in the couple's old home earlier this month. handcuffed to a bolt in the basement wall, she finally managed to escape before shenkman lit the house on fire

and surrendered to police. during the standoff, shenkman called a local reporter with "the day" newspaper. >> tell him to get the [ bleep ] out of the yard. >> reporter: he made ominous demands including asking for a priest to give tyler her last rights. >> i heard him say if you don't do this my way we're going to have a mexican standoff. it is a situation in which a lot of people are dying and nobody's going to emerge a clear winner. >> reporter: shenkman also put tyler on the line. >> i don't want either of us to be hurt. >> reporter: richard shenkman was suns a successful advertising executive who produced a tv show starring gayle king, oprah's best friend. those who knew shenkman say he was controlling and extremely difficult to work with. in court last week, shenkman looking disoriented and disheveled entered no plea. he's now facing attempted murder and kidnapping charges at the end of a rocky 12-year marriage.

>> richard was always making illusions to that movie "war of the roses" in which the couple that are divorcing both end up dead. >> reporter: shenkman already faces arson charges for allegedly burning down the couple's summer house in 2007. legal experts say shenkman's attorney has few options. >> the only place the defense has to go is that he was crazy and it was his medication that made him do it but that's not going to fly. >> reporter: more than a week later, shenkman's words are still haunting. richard shenkman is scheduled to be back in court here in connecticut this wednesday. he's being held on $12.5 million bail. >> peter alexander, thank you. nancy tyler is with us now along with her attorney, good morning to you both. nancy, just listening to this story, what a nightmare this had to be for you. how are you doing? >> i'm doing well because i've had incredible support. i have an incredible family and

friends and colleagues at work and the police have been amazing. so i've been very, very lucky. >> so our audience can understand the context here, you married this man in 1993. you filed for divorce in 2006. he fought you. >> every step of the way. >> every step of the way. were you scared for your life prior to july 7th when this all happened? >> i got a protective order in july of 2006 because of the threats. there were references to death even then. >> as if death do us part. he said that's the only way you'll get out of this marriage. >> the war of the tylers. the only way this marriage was going to end was by death. >> take me back to july 7th. you're at work. you see your ex-husband's car outside and you call a friend. >> i did. i saw his car. i didn't know why it was there. i called a friend and was talking to her about the fact that the car was there as i was going down to my car to go to court. i came out of the elevator, talking on the phone, and he came up and grabbed me with a gun and i screamed into the phone he's got a gun, call the

police. and he then took the phone away from me and forced me into my car and we drove to the old house in south windsor. >> what was he saying to you as you were driving the car there? was he threatening you, saying -- >> he said don't try to signal anybody, don't try to get help, i'm sitting behind you with a gun and i'll kill you where you sit. when we got to the house he spent most of the day telling me that one of us or both of us and a lot of police were going to die. >> he had monitors that were observing everything outside the house? >> right. he had monitors set up in all of the main rooms of the house so that he could see the front, the back, the side, everything happening outside, everything the police were doing. he had a hostage negotiator manual already printed out when i got there. >> he also said the house was bobby trapped. it turned out it was not but did you believe it was? >> i absolutely did. he said he had 65 pounds of explosives and propane pockets and all the doors wired and roof set up with motion detectors. i didn't have a clue where to go

because everything was supposedly wired up to explode. he was going to blow the house. >> he's so erratic. were there times in that 12 hours when he was kind to you, when he was -- or was he always being abusive the whole time? >> he was angry but what i was able to do was to talk to him. i talked all day because that kept him calm. but when he got angry and enraged, that's when the gun went to my head and there were several instances where there were countdowns, if the police didn't do something with the gun to my head, he was counting down and was going to kill me if they didn't comply with his demands. it got worse as the day went on. >> then he took you down in the basement. >> he did. he said we're going to the basement. there's a bunker set up down there. i'm going to blow the house from there. and he said get down there or i'll throw you down the stairs and he handcuffed me to a bolt that was already set up in the wall. >> so how did you get away? >> as he was screaming at the

police on the phone, i was using the handcuff to loosing the bolt. once it started loosening, i was untwisting it. this was one of the countdowns. he had the gun to my head, he was screaming for them to get the robot away from the front of the house and he was counting down from 20. then something happened. i don't know what. that diversed his attention from me and he ran out of the room. i could hear him running up the stairs. i yanked the bolt the rest of the way out an i ran out of the room, across the basement and to a door, little-used door that we had in the back and i went out. i didn't know if the door was wired to explode, but at that point, it didn't matter. it was either die with a gun to my head or maybe go out a door and die that way. >> fortunately there was no boobytraps, as we said. the police helped you get away. norm, there is a hearing tomorrow. what can we expect? >> it is a bond refb case hearing regarding the arson charge with respect to the beach home. the state has asked the court to

revoke bond to conclude there are no set of circumstances consistent with safety and ashunk mr. shenkman's appearance in court. it will be difficult to have no bond. a person is entitled to reasonable bond. we are asking the court to make a specific finding in this instance that given the history, the declared violence, the expressed violence, mr. shenkman should be held until the time of trial. >> you are afraid if he gets out he will go after nancy. >> absolutely. >> are you afraid of that as well? >> i'm convince of it. he's told me over and over again the only way this will end is by death, either his, mine or both of us, and whoever else has to go. >> how are you protecting yourself and your piece of mind at this point? >> pulling together with family and friends and waiting to see. i worked in the court system my entire life and i have faith that the court system will protect me now. it's just a matter of pulling together, praying and hoping for the best. >> we are praying for you as well, nancy tyler. thank you so much. i know it wasn't easy to relive

any of that. >> today just the slightest chance for a pop-up shower this afternoon. partly sunny skies, the low 80s,

around 80 degrees. tomorrow, a very good chance of showers and storms. we took the chance to the next seven days. >> and that's your latest weather. if you want to check your weather any time of day or night, go to the weather channel on cable, home of "wake up with al," or weather.com online. still to come -- the dramatic rescue of a family in milwaukee caught on camera. we'll talk with two of the men who raced into action right after this.

7:44. with a mother and her two children lucky to be alive after their suv flipped over and caught fire in milwaukee. in a moment, an exclusive interview with the two brothers who rushed to that family's aid. but first, the dramatic rescue captured on home video. we should warn you, it is graphic, intense, and dramatic. >> come on! come on! >> come on! >> come on, get the baby out! >> reporter: it happened sunday evening on the streets of south milwaukee. an suv flipped on its side and burst into flames.

neighbors rushed to the scene to help. >> did someone call 911? >> reporter: they quickly realized that a mother and her two children were trapped in the burning suv. two off-duty firefighters, brothers, who lived near by were driving by and saw the inferno. the wives saw this. they called their husbands to get to the scene before any fire trucks arrived. they were able to get the mother an one child out quickly but another child was still trapped inside. the brothers wasted no time jumping in to the engulfed suv. but the boy was still stuck, strapped inside. finally free, the 4-year-old was badly burned.

the off-duty firefighters got a hose from neighbors and as one brother held the boy, the other doused him with a hose to cool the burns. john and joel are two of the men seen in that video, they're with us exclusively. good morning to both of you. thanks for coming on. >> good morning, lester. >> we should note that the 4-year-old is listed this morning in critical condition and, john and joel, i see you both have bandages on your hands. you were both badly burned. how you doing? >> we're doing just fine. we're doing just fine. >> we'll be okay. hanging in there. >> we heard in the set-up that you both get this call from your wives who were near by. you were seconds away. described what you witnessed when you got there, john.

>> well, when we turned the corner on to where the vehicle was, we saw that it was fully engulfed in flames. there were a number of bystanders around the vehicle, trying to break the front windshield and then we -- when we arrived on scene, that's when i exited my brother's vehicle and ran to the front windshield, assessing the situation and realizing that with the people screaming that there's still somebody inside, that we needed to remove the windshield so we can gain access. >> at this point had the mother and the first child already exited? >> the first child was removed immediately. in fact, joel's wife was holding the baby. the mother, just as i arrived, she was coming through the windshield and by me helping to remove some of that windshield she was able to exit the vehicle. >> joel, the two of you then decided you obviously have to

get to this 4-year-old who is strapped inside. i understand as you're actually in this vehicle, there are parts of it melting. can you describe what it was like and what the situation that child was in was? >> absolutely. it was horrific. you had the car, it was ungulfed in flames and the child was just inside there screaming. all you could -- all i could see was that child's face who it seemed was perfectly fine but you could see the car seat around that child was burning and the child was literally burning in front of me. >> oh, goodness. >> it was very horrific. it just -- it compelled you to act. there was no question what we were going to do. >> you could only spend seconds inside the car each time. john, you finally get in there, you call for a knife and you were able to free the child with a knife. is that correct? >> that's correct. you know, the child was in a

booster seat with the seatbelt, lap belt, across the child. both joel and i were just trying to pull the child out and it was to no avail. you try looking for the seatbelt release and you couldn't find it in the mess and that's when i came out. i knew exactly what i needed and i was screaming for somebody to hopefully have something in their pocket. for me, unfortunately, i wish -- normally i carry a pocket knife in my pocket and at that time i didn't. so that to me was extremely frustrating. and that i didn't have that readily available. >> as i say, that 4-year-old is alive and in critical condition, alive because of you. we should note, there were a lot of people who performed h heroically. thanks so much for being with us and thanks for what you did. >> absolutely. thank you so much. >> thank you. we've got more to talk about this morning on "today." coming up next, the bra shedding

insight into marilyn monroe's iconic figure. right after this.

almost 47 years after her death, the public's fascination with marilyn monroe is as strong as ever. now an auction in london has uncovered secrets of her famous hourglass figure. nbc's john yang has details. >> that's a very interesting -- >> reporter: marilyn monroe in "the seven-year itch," a signature moment. and in "some like it hot," displaying her natural appeal. >> look how she moves. that's just like yellow on springs. >> reporter: but now it turns out she sometimes gave nature a boost, as with this bra which sold at auction in london this past weekend. >> it is a great souvenir of a sex symbol obviously. >> she had such presence and such magic. a perfect woman really.

>> marilyn monroe, the bra. >> reporter: the unidentified winning bid came by phone from hong kong. >> 3,200 pounds. sold. >> reporter: more than $5,200, well above the estimated selling price, for an undergarment that was ahead of its time. >> i should imagine it was made for her by the studio to go under a certain dress or costume. >> reporter: katie who designs and sells vintage lingerie at her shop in london designed the feature to make monroe's bust look larger. >> this sling goes both sides of the cup to pull the breasts up but because the top's open it actually gives the illusion that she's not wearing a bra at all. >> reporter: the result -- one of the most famous figures of all-time. >> this is sort of like breast enhancement before surgery. >> exactly. >> reporter: why would a movie sex goddess require such an elaborate undergarment? >> well, everybody needs a boost

occasionally. ♪ happy birthday mr. president ♪ >> reporter: even marilyn monroe, it seems. >> i'm going to get me one of those. >> i don't even know what to say. >> don't say anything. why amanda knox's family is under scrutiny in italy after your local news and weather.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am lisa robinson. and early morning accident at a catonsville shut down the inner loop of the beltway for much of the morning commute. around 2:30 this morning, a motorcycle collided with a passenger car. the driver of the bike was taken to st. agnes hospital, and the condition is unknown at this time. let's get a check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> thankfully, we're not dealing with problems on the southbound side of the beltway. as you approach the beltway, watch for delays there. greenspring valley shut down a broad lawn and sykesville.

an accident involving an overturned vehicle at heights road. 24 miles per hour is the speed sensor on the topside outer loop. speaking of 95, looking good in the white marsh area. southbound and fight at the 895 split, everybody at exiting to the right. at harford road, we are seeing delays. >> we are looking at a temperature range right now. basically in the upper sixties to low 70's. 67 at the airport this morning. low 70's downtown. slight chance of seeing an afternoon shower today. most of the rain will stop short or well to our south. partly cloudy to mostly cloudy skies on the shores of ocean city da today.

a better chance of showers and storms to barbara just a slight chance of seeing rain activity throughout the next seven days. >> check the bottom of your screen for updated news and screen for updated news and

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as you can see, we have a boisterous crowd soaking up the morning sun here in rockefeller plaza. coming up in this half-hour, the latest from the italian murder trial of american amanda knox. >> new questions have surfaced about possible evidence tampering, and also recent actions of members of knox's family. why did her sisters pose for pictures at the crime scene. her mother speaks out from italy coming up in just a few minutes. a little bit later on on a lighter note, a guy who lost 142 pounds the hard way. without surgery. we'll get his story. remember a while back when "today" was going to take a vacation but we postponed it because of some breaking news?

well, it is back and we are spanning out across the country. on monday ann i will to go to a popular destination. on tuesday you and matt will kick back in key west, florida. on wednesday, kathie lee and hoda pull on their cowboy boots do some two-stepping in san antonio, texas. then on thursday, natalie morales and amy robach take a trip to las vegas, baby. that is "today takes a vacation" all next week. whatever happens there, they're not saying. that's what they claim. ann is standing by at the news desk. good morning, everybody. in the news, a u.s. military says it is doing all it can to secure the release of an american soldier captured in afghanistan almost three weeks ago. over the weekend we got our first glimpse of the 23-year-old private 1st class bowe bergdahl from idaho on a video posted on the internet by the taliban. the u.s. military's condemning

the video as propaganda exploiting a soldier in violation of international law. the lone surviving gunman in the november terror attacks in mumbai, india, has admitted his guilt. it is not clear what prompted 291-year-old to contest. the rampage killed 166 people. president obama will keep pushing for health care reform this week. he meets with health care providers today in washington to get their ideas and he's scheduled a prime time news conference about his plan on wednesday evening. among those noting today's 40th anniversary of man's first step on the moon are the astronauts currently aboard the international space station. they're also having to do some important chores today, including fixing a broken toilet, an especially important task in space. a study suggests for the first time children exposed to air pollution before birth may have lower iq scores. researchers say the study of 249

children in new york city supports evidence smog may harm the developing brain. the latest harry potter film conjured up big numbers at the box office over the weekend. "harry potter and the half-blood prince" took it more than $79 according to early estimates. it is now 8:03. let's get a check of the weather from al. >> thanks, ann. got some north dakota ladies

>> a few more clouds rolling in today. very comfortable, temperature- wiseburg anywhere from the 80-84 degree range better chance of showers and storms brought the day tomorrow. >> and nothing says summer in new york city like a balloon head! what's your name? >> gracie. >> gracie. i like that. somebody just put that on you? well, you think about it. i'm going to throw to lester. >> al, thanks very much. still to come on "today" -- why did members of amanda knox's family pose for pictures at the scene of the murder? knox is accused of committing. we'll ask her mother next. knox is accused of committing.

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we'll speak with her mother in a moment. first keith miller is in italy. >> reporter: amanda knox remained relaxes during the proceedings but for the first time in this trial the legal teams were combative. the defense accused the prosecution of withholding evidence. the prosecution loudly challenged the accusation, leaving the judge to call for order in the court. the alleged evidence apparently concerned dna testing by the state. the judge suspended the hearings until the documents are turned over to the defense. >> i think the prosecution did hold back evidence. i think it was very clear. i think that will be very damaging to the prosecution, probably in the eyes of the jury, and i think that it will be grounds for appeal if they're convicted. >> reporter: both knox and her former boyfriend and co-defendant rafael could face 30 years in prison if convicted of murder and sexual assault. they claim they are innocent of murdering meredith kirscher in

what the prosecution calls a sex game gone wrong. before court was adjourned, a forensic scientist for the defense testified the dna presented as evidence was contaminated. for example, the clasp of the victim's bloody bra that reportedly has dna from rafael. it wasn't discovered until a second search of the murder scene more than a month after the murder was committed in november 2007. police procedure, according to the expert witness, was all wrong. what is certainly different is how the trial has dragged on. knox first entered the courtroom seven months ago and faces another four months in prison before hearing a verdict. >> in a normal judicial year would maybe be no more than two or three weeks in a court in the united states or united kingdom. >> reporter: knox, according to her family, is staying positive knowing she needs to be patient. >> that was nbc's keith miller. amanda knox's mother edda mellas

is in italy to be with her daughter. i spoke with her earlier and began by asking her how she maintains her patience during this lengthy legal process. >> well, we're all working really hard to stay patient. it's hard. everybody's gone away on vacation and we're sitting and waiting. >> is there a certain amount of frustration in that? they've gone away on this two-month vacation. this trial's already been seven months and no verdict is expected until perhaps november. >> right. yeah, it's very frustrating. i've never seen anything like that where you start a trial, and then the court shuts down for two months and then you resume again. it's definitely different. >> when was the last time that you talk to your daughter, and how is she tolding up? >> you know, amanda continues to be amazing. she was there -- i saw her on tuesday. on thursday i was driving her sister back to rome so i didn't see her that day. i saw her both days in court but the last time i had a long conversation with her was tuesday.

she's hanging in there. >> you and your family have been heavily criticized in the italian media, most recently for photos spread taken of you and your two younger daughters for an italian women's magazine. among the pictures is one of youryounger daughters, 14-year-old ashley and 20-year-old deanna, standing in front of the crime scene of the murder. the family attorney of the victim has called the photo macabre. this is particularly concerning i would think for your family because in italy juries are allowed to pay attention to view media coverage. given that, do you regret taking those photos? >> you know, it was an innocent photo that the girls were walking around. i wasn't this at that point in time. they'd walked with a photographer. he asked them to stand in this spot, they obliged. many people have been photographed there. it was really an innocent thing. and the good news is actually, it's only been kind of two tacky journalists that aren't even italian that have made comments

on it. everybody is really not said anything about it. and that was one british journalist and an american journalist actually. >> three weeks ago i understand ashley was removed from court because as a minor she's not allowed to listen to sex-related cases. then deanna raised some eyebrows for wearing what appeared to be like a hot pants outfit on july 4th when she was in court. there is a roman-based criminal lawyer who told "newsweek" magazine that juries in italy pay attention to more than just testimony. as she put it, the lawyers should take control of the client's complete image, including who attends court with her, not just the client's personal behavior. having said that, if amanda's lawyers were to say to you, "we'd prefer that you not be in court," would you oblige? >> oh, they've always really encouraged us to be in court. that's never been an issue. we were told that ashley could be in court but the judge has the discretion to say that she couldn't and he chose to do that, which was kind of a

surprise to us. deanna did not wear hot pants. it was 100 degrees that day and she had on a red, white and blue ensem bol. what's interesting to me is that they don't comment on what the prosecutor wears and what like the police officers would wear, which are usually very revealing, sequined, skin-tight. i think there is a little bit of a double standard going there where it is very common for them to be very provocatively dressed but only we get commented on. >> but they're not the ones on trial or the family of the one on trial. so -- >> right. you know, our lawyers have really just encouraged us to be who we are. they've just really encouraged us to be who we are and not listen to kind of that tabloid gossip kind of reporting. it is not important. what's important here is evidence. >> speaking of that, in court on saturday the defense accused the prosecution of withholding evidence. they also brought in a forensic scientist who said that some of the dna evidence was contaminated. what do you make of those

developments? >> well, it's absolutely -- none of the defense attorneys have some paperwork that obviously the prosecution had. and that was when the judge called a recess and came back and said they had to suspend court until the defense was given these really important dna documents. so it was very important. and if you look at the video of the handling of some of the very important dna evidence stuff, it is passed around from person to person, from glove to glove. it's put back on the floor, it's picked up. it's just all over the place. it is incredible. >> edda mellas, as always, thank you for your time. >> you're welcome. thank you. "tomorrow on today," is brought to you by -- tomorrow on today, we'll have an exclusive interview with

ryan o'neal. plus the latest on the investigation into the death of the king of pop, michael jackson. and on a much lighter note, the food to eat to boost your sex drive. all that and more tomorrow on "today." up next, why one critic is calling nbc's new show "the wanted" the neatest. after this. ♪ our natural sweetener comes with zero calories and a clean sweet taste. it won't insult your intelligence or make your butt look fat. it's the sweetness of the stevia plant served straight up, honest, uncomplicated.

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tonight nbc presents "the wanted," following a team out to catch a founder of a terrorist organization living in oslo, norway. take a look. >> i'm moving into the target area. let me set up the camera. >> good luck. >> relative leaving the target building. >> on target. they leave the house, they go to work, this guy is unemployed and apparently he doesn't like to go out very often. >> two members of "the wanted" team are with us. good morning to both of you. thanks for being here. roger, set the scene. this mullah wanted by the iraqi government for acts of terror and is living in norway under essentially asylum protection? >> he's been there for quite some time, many years. he's very well known in norway and the norwegian government has been unable to do anything. they've not arrested him, or taken action, they've not

deported him and aren't honoring an extradition request given to them by iraq. >> they don't want to extradite anyone to a country where they may be tortured. >> they're signatory to a treaty that doesn't allow them to do that. >> what sort of things was the accused up to in iraq? >> he's been alleged to start a terror group. it leads terrorist groups in iraq in beheadings. involved in ied attacks, suicide attacks and other plain violent acts of terrorism. >> scott, where do you guys come in? you travel to norway -- he's living in plain sight but rather secluded, i understand. >> yes. he's living there within the community. he keeps a fairly low profile now, doesn't go out very much, doesn't work. basically collects unemployment. does a lot of advising to folks that are still possibly working to cause a lot of hate and discontent around the world.

>> you not only find out where he lives, you contact him. and he says, come over for an interview. what was that like? >> that was very surreal. we spent the time that we were there just kind of making sure that he was in the area and making sure that he would actually be there before we contacted him. then set up the interview. >> at one point i think we'll see in the program, he unloads about what they do, terrorism, the need to kill american soldiers, the poison water that american soldiers drink. i don't want to be overly dramatic, but you're former special forces, you're former navy s.e.a.l. a couple of years ago you would have had this gun in your gun sights. you're listening to this. what was it like? >> it really was surreal. to listen to him talk about his war against america was

bothersome. but he said civilians are legitimate targets of war and said every weapon of war is also legitimate. this guy instead of saying i'm not doing that or this, he actually admitted to about everything and said, every rule of law -- or excuse me, rule of warfare that most civilizations agree to, i don't play by those rules. essentially he spent some time admitting to all his crimes that he's accused of and i think to being a war criminal. >> you also, we should note, challenge the norwegian government here at some point to say the iraqis said they won't torture or execute him. what was the response you got? >> it was also a nonresponse. adam's the third member of the team went to iraq and actually receivedwritten assurance from the iraq government he wouldn't be executed or tortured. we attempted to slide the paper over to someone from the norwegian government and she refused to look at or touch the paper. it was bothersome the government would not take action. >> you read the reviews. >> absolutely. >> they are mixed.

"the washington post" says its substance is strong and the overall effect, a highly charged knockout. washington globe, it is a documentary. what are the accusations? this is a show that could put other journalists in danger and let the bad guys think of the rest of us as potential cops or working for the government. how do you respond to that? >> we talk to our friends who are also journalists. i have a good network of guys who have been out to iraq, afghanistan, philippines, doing combat journalism. on the contrary. they've been very positive. they've responded positively to this show. they've personally don't feel like this show will put them in any danger. while i've heard those criticisms, the people that again we talk to are really not that concerned about it. >> i think the big controversy is the fact that these people are living among us right now. and no one's doing anything about it until we come along with this show. >> the show is two episodes. it's -- this monday and next monday. is this perhaps the pilot for something and we'll continue to

see these sort of pursuits? >> actually we have six shows. first two focus on terrorism and the four that remain after that focus on people who committed genocide in rwanda in 1994. if viewers like it, hopefully we'll get a few more. >> "the wanted" airs tonight, also next monday, 10:00, 9:00 central on nbc.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. three people were taken to hospital after carbon monoxide leak into their home early this morning. it happened in that 10,300 block of twin rivers road in columbia. a family of five was awakened by carbon monoxide detector around 5:30. fire officials are trying to determine the cause of the leak. let's get a final check of the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> rough ride on the north side inner loop due to an accident at loch raven. that has been clear, but we are still dealing with out of the delays as you approach province. exceptionally heavy approaching the 895 split. instead of acting to the left, you'll be exiting to the right. greenspring valley is closed upon and pikesville due to a downed we will get delays on the west side.

not bad at southbound 95 points to get past 895. 50 minutes on at a live northwest side. -- 15 minutes on the outer loop northwest side. live view of harvard, is very heavy towards providence. >> you can sit on the traffic cameras that clouds are starting to roll in. more clouds this afternoon. also, a slight chance for a shower. right now, its temperature-wise, it is milder. 71 at the airport. 68 on the eastern shore. we will only get a high of about 82 degrees and a central maryland. 20% chance of late afternoon shower. to better chance of showers and storms throughout the day tomorrow. clopper led a local hangout for the great lakes all week long. >> thank you for joining us. another update at 8:55.

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8:30 now on this mon morning, july 20th, 2009. yes, it's who you think it is. our yankee fans on the plaza on cloud nine right about now. that's because current yankee great alex rodriguez, cc is a baathian and mark teixeira have stopped by, all three coming off a great weekend. as you can see, a lot of people very excited. >> talk about something called post week.

we'll give you details. did you notice the little house on the plaza just across the way? >> what is that? >> it is identified as the kitchen of the year. they'll tell us how to make fabulous recipes whether you have the kitchen of the year or not. >> apparently also we have a segment coming up about how to make sure that we keep our dogs cool on a hot day. >> is that a big deal? >> yeah, it is. at the can overheat very, very quickly. >> again, congrats on the new show, al.

>> you see a chance of showers. we have the slightest chance for rain today. a better chance tomorrow. tomorrow, 80 to 84. a good chance of s of one of mankind's greatest achievements. 40 years ago man first landed on the moon. nbc's tom costello a is the tisr and space museum in washington.

>> reporter: good morning. it was 40 years ago at 11:00 eastern time that neil armstrong and then buzz aldrin first set foot aupon the moon. buzz aldrin coming down the ladder a few hours after neil armstrong. what they did will likely be remembered for hundreds, if not thousands of years. >> picking up some dust. >> reporter: even today, 40 years later, we seem to hold our breath when we see it. >> the eagle has landed. >> reporter: through a miracle of 1969 technology, nasa had defied the odds and landed two men on the moon. >> that's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. >> reporter: 600 million people around the world watched live as neil armstrong and then buzz aldrin took those first steps.

only 12 men ever walked on the moon. the last in 1972. the u.s. had won a key battle in the cold war. today the apollo 11 command module sits at the air and space museum in washington. >> by winning that space race, we demonstrated to our allies and potential allies, and indeed the whole world, that the united states was second to none when it came to science and technology. >> reporter: nbc's jay barbree has covered every u.s. manned mission ever launched. he's still on the job today. >> the hardest thing that people of knowledge had to try to understand was why did we go to the moon, and then abandon it? >> reporter: politics got in the way. hardly was envisioned in the 2001 "a space odysseodyssey" >> what we found out was that by the time we had just stood around in the cockpit for a couple hours, we were completely

adapted and when we walked off of the craft on to the surface, we already were right at home and -- you'd really like it! >> reporter: 40 years later, armstrong, aldrin and collins remain heroes. nasa is preparing for a return trip to the moon by the year 2020. meredith, consider this -- how much has the world changed in 40 years? 40 years ago when they launched this mission, 3 billion people lived on the earth. in just 40 years, the population on the earth has doubled. back to you. >> 40 years ago i was alive. that's depressing. thanks, tom, very much. up next, sugary-free weight loss. a man who dropped more than 140 pounds the hard way. but first, this is "today" on nbc. (announcer) it's time to raise the bar

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>> announcer: today's "joy fit

club" is brought to you by truvia, honestly sweet. this morning on "look at me now," the "joy fit club," a terrific weight loss story. in just under two years we've c inducted 73 men and women in joy's club. today we welcome our newest memb member, a 33-year-old engineer from washington. >> hi, my name is darren. i've been overweight my entire life. food was something that was always around and i frequently found myself eating when i had nothing better to do. at 27, i met my wife melissa and the trouble really began. she loved to cook, and i loved to eat. we were both overweight. her cooking combined with snacking skills that i'd honed over 20 years led to my highest weight of 378 pounds. i went from wearing size 46 pants to size 56. you would think that would have been enough to convince me it was time to lose weight. it wasn't. the kicker came in two stages. the first was when i had to

start picking up my leg with my hand to put my pants on in the morning. the second was after my annual checkup. my doctor mentioned various weight loss plans in the past but like every other time when he made a suggestion, i quickly forgot about it. this time, however, he talked about having surgery and that just scared me. surgery wasn't an option for me. i told melissa about the checkup. she immediately enrolled us in weight watchers online and she called her sister colleen, a newly certified personal trainer. eager to help, colleen put together an exercise plan that helped to lead us both to our new lives. >> what a great story. joy bauer is a nutritionist and "today" contributor, here to help us show off darren's new look. show what he looked like before. give me a quick build-up. >> true inspiration to all the viewers who are struggling with their weight. in seven months he shed 142 pounds. his transformation is going to blow you away. >> let's see. darren, come on in.

wow. >> darren! >> look at you! >> i love it. >> i wouldn't have recognized you. congratulations. what is some of the great reactions you've had to people who have witnessed what we just witnessed. >> my best reaction is probably no reaction at all. i've walked by people at work and they have absolutely no idea who i am sometimes. >> you feel better? >> yeah, i feel ebullient. it is incredible. >> more active, more exercise? >> yeah, i'm out doing things now i wouldn't have dreamed about before. >> and he has a 17-month-old son. >> you're eating better. we should credit your wife melissa. with we bring her in? >> melissa has lost 75 pounds. we only did this together as a team. >> congratulations. in terms of cooking, i understand you're a great cook but had you to really change your whole approach to cooking. tell me about what you did? >> i stopped frying foods and cut out a lot of the red meat, cooked us a lot of quicken and

ground turkey, lots of vegetables and focused on our portion control. >> but emotionally, you two focused on each other. you really decided to make this change. the discipline involved just blows me away. tell me about that conversation. >> well, i just -- just had an annual checkup for the doctor. they mentioned for the first time i might be a candidate for gastric bypass surgery. that stopped me in my tracks. i came home and told melissa and that's where it all started. >> recognize these, by the way? >> yeah. >> can you believe you wore those? >> no. >> talk about what you ate and what you eat now. joy's going to walk us through this. >> this is a snapshot of what darren would eat in one day in his heavier days. this is more than 10,000 calories and 500 grams of fat. just to put it into perspective, in one day he was taking in five sticks of fat and 2 1/2 full

pounds of sugar. can you believe? in one day. here's the whole positive turnaround. now in a typical day he's only taking in about 2,000 calories, a fifth of what he was taking in before and only 42 grams of fat. when you look at this food, it is high-quality, it's loaded in produce and fiber. it's lean. it's low fat. it's driving down his cholesterol. it's driving up his energy. it's all good. >> how long does it take you to lose the first 100 pounds? >> the first 100 pounds? about seven months. >> the overall trend was down? >> yeah. we had bad weeks. mostly they were good. >> what's interesting is a lot of couples will gain weight together. they did the total opposite. positive attitude and perseverance. they really, really were a team. >> you guys are an inspiration. terrific, terrific story. congratulations to both of you. to find out how you or someone

else could be considered for the "joy fit club," go to our website, todayshow.com. up next, the kitchen of the year. barefoot contessa's in the year. barefoot contessa's in the hunon car insurance.

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accidents can happen anytime. that's why geico's here 24 hours a day, every day. geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. >> announcer: today's kitchen is brought to you by -- all. choose all and win the battle for clean clothes. we are back with "today's kitchen," back to basics. this morning we stepped across the street to check out this year's kitchen of the year. that's right. it's literally been built in about a week in front of 30 rock and will be featured in "house beautiful" magazine. barefoot contessa is here, she helped design it and you are a contributing editor to "house beautiful" as well. good to see you. are you pleased with the way this turned out? >> it is amazing. i think the kitchen is really

the new living room. everybody believes that. when i built my dream kitchen in east hampton, i just thought i'm going to go for it. >> this is based on your kichen? >> exactly based on my kitchen. of course i don't have the same view. rockefeller center out there. >> but you have the beach. so it is a trade-off. >> what i did was put everything you do in the living room. big, long table for everybody to eat at and lots of stools in front of the counter. big comfortable arm chairs neck to the fireplace. everybody hangs out in the kitchen. there is lots of place to be. >> before we get to the recipe here, give me tips. >> first, two dishwashers. really critical when you give a party. also the dishes. >> dishwashers are here. >> white crate and barrel plates, great for family time, great for entertaining. they're right behind the dishwasher so you're not walking around. >> tell me about this sink. >> a great kohler sink. it's really deep so you can hide

everything while you're having dinner. >> you just leave the utensils on the counter? >> i put all the stainless steel ones together, i put all the wood and white ones together. a dual viking stove, gas on top, electric underneath. >> fantastic. >> you want to cook with me? >> absolutely. >> first thing is a filet of beef sandwich with black truffle butter, parmesan and arugula. there are those at the "today" show that love truffle butter. >> yes. >> i have nice big french baguettes. i'll smother with truffle butter. it sounds expensive but it's like $6. not bad at all. filet these. i cooked at 500 degrees, really hot temperature, and about 25 minutes. medium rare. it's perfect. first i'm going to do shaved parmesan. >> i notice you use a potato peeler. >> i do. that's the way you shave

parmesan. it's fantastic. then arugula. you've got an amazing sandwich. >> let's scoot over here for dessert. >> for summer dessert, it is the best. it is italian. appagato. >> it sounds like you're swearing at someone! >> hazelnut ice cream, vanilla ice cream and i poured hot espresso over the top of this. it melts it. you have that hot and cold thing together. i love these, chocolate-covered espresso beans. crush those up, put it over the top. if you want to really be decadent, have you a splash of tia maria. now who wouldn't want that for dessert? >> one more splash there. >> we have whipped cream just in case you need a little whipped cream at the end. how's that? you've got the best italian dessert you could possibly imagine.

>> thank you so much. more more information, go to todayshow.com. still ahead, we got three of the best out there. yankees. we've got cc, alex and mark teixeira. but fifi

we're back with some of the biggest names in baseball. new york yankees third baseman,

alex rodriguez, mets pitcher cc sabathia and mark teixeira, here to talk about something special called hope week. thanks for being here. tell me about what hope week is. >> well, the idea was presented to us at spring training. we were all very excited. no one blinked and everyone was very excited. we have a tight bunch of guys. it is just great that together we're going out and doing some great things in the community. >> we want to be careful because we don't want to give too much away, mark. it is a surprise but give me an example of some of the things you'll be doing this week. >> we'll be going out to little leagues, kids that maybe don't have the opportunity to come see yankee stadium, kids that have a disease that won't allow them to see a game during the day. we're bringing them there at night, we'll come after the game and a bunch of yankees will hang out and play baseball at yankee

stadium. >> it is good being a new player in new york to come out and try to give back to the community as much as possible. >> alex, i understand that the sign-up sheet -- we should note, you guys do stuff year-round like this. but the sign-up sheet went out for hope week and everybody snapped it up. right? >> yeah. everyone on our team is doing something in the community. the irony is we'll do so much good for these causes but we get as much out of it as well. because the platform the yankees provide for us is great for change people's lives. >> we're talking about this week but i understand there are long-term plans. >> it is hope "week," but at the same time we want this is be something the entire community in new york city becomes a part of. we want our fans to come out, help make everyone's world a little brighter. >> and maybe other teams around the country will give as well. >> it is not just giving of

money, it is giving of time as well. >> the three of you guys had awesome weekends. it is a big time for the yankees right now. you're what? a game out of first behind the red sox? >> right. >> thinking world series already? >> well, anything can happen. we have a special bunch of guys. >> you think about where you are this summer versus last summer, you like where you're going? >> the guys they brought in, it is really a dream come true to have these guys come in. it could be a very special year. >> you already got the bling. >> no, i need the real thing. >> guys, thanks for what you're doing on the field and certainly off the field. it is really important. you'll make a lot of people happy and change lives. >> talking about making somebody happy, our executive producer, jim bell, it is his birthday today. is jim out here? oh, he's across the street. there he is. there's mr. bell. you want to wish him a very happy birthday, guys? >> this is a little present from

the yankees organization for you. >> thank you very much. >> big happy birthday to our boss. again, thanks to you guys for making some folks happy. we'll take a break, back with more right after this.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. one man is dead and another injured after a double shooting in east baltimore. the police responded to a call in kenwood ave and east madison st. shortly after 10:00 last night. one man was shot and the head

and pronounced dead. another was shot in the leg. four people and a firefighter was taken to hospital after a fire ripped through a vacant three-story house at south carey street through west baltimore street. firefighters found two male victims on the first floor. a female victim suffered an anxiety attack and was treated at the hospital. one firefighter suffered burns and was transported to bayview medical center. the cause of fire is under investigation. sure, pal. let's just find a good spot. [ dramatic music plays ] a big day at the beach with the legendary taste of dunkin' donuts coffee on ice. this looks like a good spot. you kin' do it. america runs on dunkin'. treat yourself with an authentic iced latte today

for only $1.99. >> now let's take a look at the forecast with sandra shaw. >> comfortable out there again today. more clouds really thickening through the area this afternoon. cannot rule out a slight chance of an isolated shower. the chance of that is minimal. only about 20%. or cloud cover. ocean city today.

looks like an upper level low will be dictating the forecast throughout the week. much-needed rain through each afternoon. best chance of the stars and storms tomorrow. >> we will have another update at 9:25.