back now with more of "today" on this monday morning, july 20th, 2009. while these folks aren't walking on the moon, they are hanging out in rockefeller plaza celebrating e 40th anniversary of the famous first footprints put down on the lunar landscape by neil armstrong and buzz aldrin. still 40 years later, a breathtaking, amazing accomplishment. one that still to this day has ghefr been never been equalled. coming up in this half-hour, the latest in the death of michael jackson. major questions still swirling about the circumstances of his sudden death three weeks ago. we'll go live to los angeles for an update on the investigation. we'll also talk about later

this hour back fat. it is a problem all women know something about, unfortunately. it is those unsightly bumps and bulges you can't see coming. we'll tell you why it is so important to fight back fat. you might not be able to see, either, because it is on your back. we're going to tell you how it can actually affect your health and why it is so important to exercise. summer is fun in the sunl but it is not always fun for our pets. we have to keep them cool. we'll talk about important things to know if you're a pet owner in a hot climate. the latest on paula abdul. there are rumors out there she may not be back for the ninth season of "american idol." first let's get the latest in the news. ann curry's at the news desk. good morning, everybody. in the news this morning, the u.s. military's condemning as propaganda a taliban video of a captured american soldier. 23-year-old private 1st class

bowe bergdahl from idaho is seen saying he is afraid he won't be able to go home. he disappeared from his base in eastern afghanistan almost three weeks ago. the u.s. military says it is doing all it can to secure bergdahl's release. there has been a sudden guilty plea in last year's mumbai terror attacks. today the lone surviving gunman in the attacks that killed 166 people admitted his role in the attack telling the judge, "sir i plead guilty to my crime." the pakistani dicitizen had earlier claimed innocence. secretary of state hillary clinton tried to smooth ties with neighboring pakistan today as she held talks with india's prime minister. she's pushing prospects for giving u.s. companies more access to india's expanding markets. 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 train struck a parked train. at least 48 people were injured, including the operator. crew members aboard the apollo 11 meet with the president today 40 years after neil armstrong and buzz aldrin walked on the moon. last night they and fellow apollo 11 crew member had a rare joint appearance at the smithsonian's national air and space museum. they say that the next giant leap for mankind should be mars. a small dog interrupted a horse jumping competition recently in morrowco trying its best to keep up with one of the horses. track officials unsuccessfully tried to bring an end to what you might call a real dog-and-pony show. sorry, that was funny. it is now three minutes past the hour. back outside to lester and amy. >> al is standing by with another check of the weather. >> it is an international "today" show. you guys came here from france? are we big -- is "today show"

big in france? >> yes, it is. >> it is. you're lying through your teeth. everywhere! it's big on the moon! it's everywhere! let's get to your weather, see what's going on. for today, wet weather is moving its way through florida. strong storms firing up along the mid-atlantic coast. carolinas especially. looking at wet weather through the central plains. look for beautiful weather out west. lots of sunshine. we do have a risk of strong storms, texas on into the plains. but up and down the west >> starting with temperatures in the low 80s. 88 degrees for the high today. a slight chance of a shower later on this afternoon but other than that, a mix of sun

>> that's your latest weather. got some nice folks here. what's your names? >> john and milan. >> irving and gabelle. >> high five. already. all right. thank you very much. now let's go back inside to ann. >> as are you, al. thanks so much. now we're going to go to some new information on the michael jackson case. information about the drug investigation and how prosecutors may handle it. there's also some uncertainty about the future of the jackson children. nbc's jeff rossen is in los angeles with more on both of these developments. jeff, good morning. >> reporter: hey, ann, good morning to you. today was supposed to be the day, custody hearing. finally an official decision about who gets michael jackson's kids. but the judge postponed it 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 at 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 would 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 that joe jackson is willing to step aside so katherine gets the kids. but there could be another problem. jackson's will. the courts have accepted the draft from 2002, but ian halprin now reports there may be another will, more recent. he just wrote the book "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 is, 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. and then there's the drug

investigation. law enforcement sources tell nbc news murder charges are unlikely, not enough evidence yet, 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. just to give you an idea how up in the air this case is, sources familiar with the family tell us the jacksons are still choosing a legal team and are currently interviewing lawyers, in some cases as locatit local l.a. res. >> the deputy managing editor of "people" magazine, peter castro, hello. we heard about what "people" magazine's discovering about joe jackson. what's that reporting?

>> our sources tell us that joe jackson, knowing he is a sticking point in this whole thing, is willing to sign papers saying -- and he doesn't live with katherine anymore. and b, more important, he has absolutely no intention in being involved in the raising of those children. >> and how significant is this information? >> you know, this could have been a huge firefight in the middle of the bigger battle. so that fight is now removed. it paves the way a little better for the legal team to get this done. >> lot of people, especially now that we've seen images of the children, paris tearfully speaking at her father's funeral, are wondering how they're doing. they're in katherine's care. the grandmother's care. >> that's correct, ann. they're in the encino compound and the credo of the family right now is keep those kids busy. that's what the family's doing. among the aunts and uncles and 20 cousins, they're playing a lot of basketball, video games, water balloon fights and keeping them distracted from the sadness of this.

>> sounds like there is a lot of family support, not just katherine. people have asked questions because she is of a certain age, whether or not she can handle the rambunctiousness of three children. there is a lot of support? >> there is a lot of support. whatever you want to say about the jackson family, they are really showing their true colors right now in how they're handling these kids. by all accounts, it's a very close bond. >> normally in these kinds of questions about custody, it takes a while. what's different in this one obviously is that we're looking at it taking a while in front of cameras. so part of that is this question about debbie rowe. what is the latest information there? >> you know, she is still a player in all of this. and whether or not she is a player because she wants more money or just something as simple as visitation -- you know, she also has her own kind of image in mind and she does not want to be seen as a monster who completely abandoned these kids. so i mean i'm not a fortune teller but i would guess this probably may be less about money

and more about, okay, give me visitation rights and let's call it a deal. >> what about some of this reporting about the possible biological father of some of the children possibly throwing his hat into the ring. >> well, this would be dr. klein who was the dermatologist and he has not emerged yet and said anything. i mean if he is the father, ann, i would be very surprised if he ever said anything, because i would guess that there would have been some kind of agreement signed between him and michael, if it was a cash deal, where he would say -- where michael would say you can never talk about it, ever. >> but at this point he's not in the court papers so that's really a side-burner issue. >> that's correct. >> let's talk about the investigation into the death. i know that "time" magazine has recently reported investigators are looking at criminal charges, including homicide. where are we in terms of understanding who gets blamed, if anyone, for this death?

>> well, as you know, l.a.'s not exactly the model city for investigating crime. they want to get this right after a series of big failures. and what they did with the anna nicole case was really good. they took their time and they investigated it. it took two years. i think this is going to take a long time. i think homicide's almost out of the question. it is going to be almost impossible to prove that any doctor had a premeditated motive to kill michael jackson. michael jackson, after all, saw a lot of doctors over the years, took numerous medications, and it is going to be nearly impossible to prove that anybody wanted to kill this guy. i think involuntary manslaughter may be the outcome. >> so you think this could take two years? >> well, it could take two years in the case of anna nicole smith. >> you think it will take as much as -- >> i think if not a year -- i would not be surprised if it is two years. they want to get this right and this is going to take a lot of time. >> this is not the last we'll hear of it. >> oh, no. >> peter castro, thank you so

much. coming up here on "today," is paula abdul actually about to leave "american idol"? she's been a judge on the show since the beginning. but after eight seasons there are some questions about whether she'll walk out on the franchise. also coming up this morning, that ugly bulge we've all got at some point in our lives or another. how to get rid of back fat right after this. this is a typical snack bar. but kellogg saw an opportunity to plus things up. we took out their peanuts... because adding almonds would be a plus. we'd be better off with less sugar. we traded milk chocolate... for the delicious taste of dark chocolate.

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you may not see it coming, it sneaks up from behind but it is something you shouldn't turn your back on for the sake of your health, as well as look. "prevention" magazine has tips to help you get rid of that unsightly back fat. liz, good morning. we could pretend we don't know what we are talking about. but when you've got the bra and it hits you right in the back and you have that tight t-shirt and you think, it's happening to me. >> there are two areas right underneath the shoulder blades and where that bra hits. then right be neath the waist, right before where the pants hit. >> what causes back fat? when you are young, you don't have it. then all of a sudden, boom, it's there. >> it's a natural part of the aging process. we start to lose muscle tone, skin sags a little and as we gain weight, it makes it a little worse. but ill-fitting clothes can also be a culprit. >> that's when i take "this t-shirt is so not happening," throw it away. is back fat a hazard though specifically?

>> it's not. any excess fat on your body raises the risk of heart disease. we want to maintain a healthy weight but there is nothing inherently dangerous about back fat, unlike belly fat which can be very dangerous. >> is there an exercise you can target specifically to try and get rid of that back fat? overall obviously losing weight would help. >> you want to maintain cardio, five days a week, 30 minutes of heart-pumping cardio. you want to get rid of calories that are coming into your body. eat a healthy diet. but you can spot-tone, you can spot-deruse. but as you get rid of the fat over the muscle you want to target, strengthen and sculpt the muscles underlying. >> the more muscle you have, the more fat-burning potential you have as well. have you a couple of moves that we can try at home to tone the back. we have someone here nice enough to show us how. >> natalie, our fitness editor from "prevention." >> first the super man or super woman. >> this is the super man. you'll do ten reps of these twice a day.

you'll lift and lower your legs and your arms simultaneously and hold for a beat at the top and lower. this will target that lower part of the back that causes what we call the muffin top, the fat that spills over -- >> i didn't know what that is. >> yeah. we'll do ten reps of these. >> every day? >> two to three times a week. okay? the next move is a seated row. this is going to target the top, the middle and top part of your back. >> have you one of those bands can you get just about anywhere. >> almost any drugstore or sporting goods store. you'll hook them around the ends of your feet. put one end of the band in each hand, pull back smaimultaneousl the back of the shoulder blades. hold, then release. 10 to 12 reps, two to three times a week. the back fat, because we don't have so much fat, can you start to see results in two to three

weeks. >> that's exciting. >> the results happen fairly quickly. >> the next es exercise you cane with a chair or stand up. >> this is going to be a lat pull-down. again take the band, make sure it is pretty taut. raise your arms over your head. one arm will remain an anchor. it is going to stay in place. the other arm's going to come down to a 45-degree angle. you are working the entire arm. you see natalie's muscles bulging there. you are also working right under the armpit, the area that the bra can -- >> can you use weights with this or do you need the band? >> you can use weights as well if you hold one arm tight. then pull the other one down. >> you want to do ten of those as well if. >> yeah, do ten of those as well, twice a day. >> the last exercise, a bent-over row. here we have the weights. >> we'll bend over, keep your knees a little bit soft. the back straight. again you're going to be pulling both weights back and squeezing at the top. you're going to squeeze those shoulder blades together.

this again is going to target that muscle that's right under the blades so that if you have a bra that's too tight or too loose, the muscles underneath are going to keep things in place. >> that's great. thanks, liz. these are great exercises everyone can do. again you say you see results very quickly. >> you'll have better posture, you'll be able to move more easily throughout the day. >> and you can wear any t-shirt you want. >> and look fantastic. >> thanks, liz. still to come on "today," is paula abdul saying good-bye to "american idol"? her future as a judge is now in question. we'll find out more about that. question. we'll find out more about that. but first these messages. to break the bank. thatg you're in the right place. only progressive gives you the option to name your price. here. a price gun? mm-hmm. so, i tell you what i want to pay. and we build a policy to fit your budget. that's cool. uh... [ gun beeps ] [ laughs ] i feel so empowered. power to the people! ha ha! yeah! the option to name your price -- new and only from progressive. call or click today.

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is paula abdul about to walk away from "american idol"? her manager is fueling speculation that his client will not be back next season. but recent reports on 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 -- >> touchdown! >> reporter: -- to the emotional. >> you've moved me from the beginning. >> reporter: -- to the confrontational. >> basically she's saying you'd make a good rapper. >> 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. >> i do actually agree with paula. >> reporter: 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" headline is so sufficient because we just heard ryan seacrest struck 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 this specific time and situation would feel a whole lot worse." >> kara, were you happy with last week in general? >> well, you know, there were some contestants that were better than others. >> reporter: last season

"american idol" changed formats by adding a fourth judge, kara. >> ratings have been slipping. they don't want to see their rating gold, paula abdul, slip out the door as well. >> she'll be back. when we come back -- >> like arnold schwarzenegger? >> i'll be back. >> like arnold schwarzenegger? >> i'll be back. after your local news. bit of a trim. looking sexy! when you demand the very best... oh, yeah. it's a dog's life. you have to try cottonelle ultra toilet paper. come to papa. it's the ultimate way to be kind to your behind. i'm in the lap of luxury.

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edmondson and woodmore, where he shot and wounded officers curtis mcmillan and jerome charette. >> the officer wrote walked up to the explorer, the suspect open fire with a semiautomatic 9-millimeter handgun. if there were not there to stop this maniac, who knows what he would have done to innocent people on the street? >> sinclair has an extensive arrest record with convictions for drug dealing and possession. one of the officers is still recovering at shock trauma. sinclair is a hospital under police guard and will be charged with attempted murder. let's look at the forecast with sandra shaw. >> cloud cover this afternoon. partly sunny conditions this morning. temperatures remained in the load-80-degree range.

there is low pressure that is spinning off shore. a the above blocked over maryland. there is still high pressure to our north. later this week, an upper level low will develop over the great lakes. slight chance of showers today. >>k you for joining us. we will have another updapa

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in the last two years i love her more than i ever loved her. she taught us all how to cope. she's extraordinary. i don't know what i'll do without her. >> that's what ryan o'neal said just before his long-time love farrah fawcett love her well-documented battle with cancer. tomorrow on "today" he'll be speaking for the first time since her death about his love and his loss. tough time in all that. it's been some weeks now. maybe he's been able to deal with it. on a much lighter note in this half hour, we'll talk about summer. >> it is often called the dog days of summer. that doesn't always mean the weather is friendly to dogs. the heat can be very dangerous for your furry friends. we'll have tips how to keep them cool, comfortable and more importantly, safe this summer. >> maybe after you've done all

that, you can take them on a little picnic. we have tips for packing the perfect picnic. 'tis the season for outdoor dining but making your picnic prettier with trendy treats. we have some great ideas for you. also some ideas this morning about a room makeover. if you have a room that needs a new look but can't afford one, we'll have an exciting opportunity this morning. >> an interior decorator from hgtv's "rate my space" will bring his expertise to one lucky viewer. get all the info at todayshow.com. >> how about a weather makeover? >> for the week ahead, below normal conditions in new england, great lakes down into the lower mississippi river valley. above normal out west. much above normal in the interior pacific northwest. precipitationwise, looking a little damp along the east coast, especially mid-atlantic, southeast and down into northern florida. showers an plains, wet weather in the four corners area.

wet also in the central >> temperatures today remain in the low 80s. yesterday morning, we set a record low now a little bit milder, because of low cloud cover. slight chance of passing shower >> and that's your latest weather. coming up next, how to keep your pet cool and safe in the hot weather that's coming up re you keep the good memories... and forget the carpet stain.

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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. this morning on "today's pets," tips for keeping your hot pet cool. founder and editorial director of "animal fair" magazine wendy diamond has important hot weather safety advice for you and your four-legged friends. wendy, good morning. we've heard this morning over and over again but yet we see it when i'm walking in to the grocery store, you see people leaving their pets in their vehicles. >> absolutely. people don't realize that the car, even in the shade, can get up to 120 degrees. if you're sitting in the sun, they say ten minutes only. you absolutely should never leave your pets in a heated car. >> there are warning signs of

heat stroke for pets. >> absolutely. it's the staggering gait, when they walk they can barely -- heavy breathing, really loud breathing. also their tongue and their gum tissue is red. if that happens you should absolutely take them in to the shade, cool them off, put ice on their bellies, put water on their paws and make sure they're cooled off. >> we should point out, it is in the just leaving your pet in a hot care. if you walk them during the hotter hours of the day, it can be dangerous. >> absolutely. you should do it early in the morning. especially in new york city in central park, if you bring them earlier than 8:00 in the morning they can go free. it is very important you bring them early in the morning or later when the sun goes down. during midday, it is so hot, it can cause heat stroke. >> you have tips on providing shade -- these are little doggles. >> just like people, uv rays are bad for dogs. thee also protect from all the beach, the sand, debris.

they're actually comfortable for the dogs. he does not even mind! that's a great way to protect them from the sun. >> and she looks cool. >> another thing is this. sunburn. dogs -- some dogs who don't have all the fur to protect them actually get sunburned. like on their noses, spots where they don't have a lot of fur. >> these are cool collapsible water dish? >> when you're walking your dog and it is really hot, you need water. you grab the bottle. this fits in your back pocket. it is really important also, no metal. metal gets really hot tcan burn the dog. another thing is the umbrella. it is really important to shade them. when you're on the beach it is important just like people, put them under a tent, an umbrella. that's adorable especially if you're walking them. it protects them from the sun when walking. >> you say it is important to keep your vaccinations up to date. >> 100%. definitely in the summer there's

heart worm. it is cost by mosquitoes. absolutely you have to protect them from like four months, give them heart worm medicine. also fleas and ticks. keep them groomed. it is also important in terms of their safety. >> fleas and ticks. she's got none, right? >> make sure you also give them the frontline, protect them from fleas and ticks as well. >> we also know dogs hit anything that hits the ground. >> first, it is horrible to give them people food especially if they get into -- you're having a picnic, there's chicken bones, that could actually kill them. also citrus foods. any kind of fruit that has citrus, that's very toxic to a dog. >> i see little food pads over there for the dogs? >> those are good year-round. those are to protect them from the hot pavement, from the hot sand. also they can use those during the winter for ice and all the chemicals on the ground when

they try and break down the ice. those are a great product to have. >> we see a heavy screen on your window, it can save your cat's life. >> cats during the summer months get very anxious. during the summer months, it is a high probability that more so than in the winter months they'll jump out of the window. major, very important to make sure they have strong screens so your cats don't jump out the window. >> thank you so much for these great tips. thank you. coming up next, how to pack the perfect picnic. right after this.

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[ announcer ] you make healthy choices every day-- oh, max! and you want to do the same for your laughable, lovable dog. [ barks ] that's why purina fit & trim is specially formulated... with high-quality protein, including delicious real chicken, to help him maintain lean muscle and a healthy weight, so he can make the most of every day. long live your buddy. long live your dog. purina fit & trim. we have hit the height of summer. it is the perfect time to grab a basket, and pack a picnic. daily candy came up with a must-have for your next outdoor dining experience. danielle, good to see you. >> good morning, al! how are you? >> you say we're going to do the

perfect picnic. >> what could be more all-american, more summery? you know it is our job to find the latest and greatest stuff so i brought some. we're going on a picnic. >> start with the basket. >> of course, you need the basket. it is sort of the crux of the picnic. these are made by hand of river grass in ghana. so they are $30. all of the proceeds go back to the communities that make them. i think it is important to -- >> you having a good time? >> have a good time and think about helping others while you do it. toss everything in there and you are looking great. >> next something to sit on. >> of course, you can do the old bath sheet. that's cool, too. we found these really lovely turkish cotton woven things. these look super fancy and they're less than $40. they're from a store called distance in l.a. >> if you're going on a picnic and going with our director, obviously there's probably going to be alcohol. >> it is a likely scenario. >> but you don't want to carry

the heavy bottle. >> they always make me carry the basket. i'm fine with the gear but why not lighten your load? this is something you can get at outdoor stores. you pour the bottle of wine in here and you seal it. wine lovers will tell you it preserves the wine better than a recorked bottle. you lighten your load and you keep it tasting delicious. >> i love these recycled u tense les. >> they are made out of sustainabsustain a sustainable birch. they are about $8 for a trillion of them. >> a trillion! >> they sort of make it a little nicer and a little lovelier and you aren't wasting plastic. >> assume you are on a wine with our director. >> you just take a window marker and you write whatever you want on the glass to make sure -- it

will wash off but it will stay while you're using it. >> you say honey comb. >> this is really intriguing. you're like what in the world? it is visually delicious. savannah bee produces fresh honeycomb. that is the life's work of two bees. your guests can smear it on bread, fruit, with cheese. it is really the condiment to remember and it is good for you and it tastes great. >> you use a little bread and little apple slice and some honeycomb -- and you're set. >> what more do you need? you are going to love this dessert. crumb daddies. a really neat lady in new york make these, milton point sweep is the company. it's like top of the muffin but top of the crumb cake. it is all the top of the crumb cake. >> a great idea. what are some of the other desserts? >> all sorts of delicious

things. crumb mamas have chocolate and nuts an sort of jazz it up a little bit. but really delicious handmade sweets. >> this is the one we've been waiting for. >> everybody wants to think you'll be all set but there's always going to be a little spill. these are from flight one, a neat travel store. they come in the guise of a packet of pills. these take up absolutely no room. you throw a bunch of these in, then throw in a little bit of water. for that inevitable spill, you don't have to make anyone feel guilty. >> they look like mints. >> be careful, do not eat the towels. but dab a little water and you are ready. it is good to be prepared. >> look at that! whoa! just watch it! it's amazing! >> it can be your entertainment, too. >> wow! look at that! >> if you are suitably entertained and the pick lick lasts a little longer, you want some romantic light -- al, i told you this was going to turn into something special. >> these are solar powered?

>> yes. you set them out and they charge during the day when you're playing with towels, then by night they're ready to glow. they are from a store called bambico. all day, all night we are picnicking, having fun -- >> and you have these tissues that go in the water! >> it is pretty much a perfect day. >> thank you, danielle. back in a moment with kathie lee and her special guest co-host, tori spsp ♪ (announcer) worst-case scenario. so i'm thinking we need a better way to save money. better than subleasing office space? ideally. (announcer) best case solution. switch to verizon high speed internet and phone for business-- with a dedicated high-speed connection from our office to yours, so you won't be slowed down because your neighbors are online. as low as $79.99 a month

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all right. time to check in with kathie lee gifford and her special co-host while hoda takes a day or two off, the lovely, the talented tori spelling. >> so happy to be here. >> you look beautiful. both of you do.

>> we sort of knew each other through the years. >> definitely. >> we're going to talk about her reality series. we'll talk about yoga. i'm available. >> are you a big yoga fan, tori? >> i have a 2 and 1-year-old so i have to admit that i'm not very good at it. >> we have a script today. >> i was talking to a woman who said i went to go ask paul mccartney for an autograph and they said, i couldn't. i couldn't. because he was so -- can you imagine being a young group from dublin ireland and now you're opening for paul mccartney? come on. >> are you a little nervous? >> no, don't say that! >> it's too late. >> she knew she had to work with you. >> did you watch the show last week? >> no. >> do i always watch the show.

>> tell them what you told me. that ours is the favorite hour. come on! >> i didn't say that, ann. i didn't say that at all. i love every hour. >> i did mention she's a tv star? >> i just checked this morning, she has a pulse. >> are you thinking i really wish i had backed out? >> not at all. >> it's not too late, baby. >> been

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. nine people, including seven children, are recovering from carbon monoxide poisoning this morning. baltimore city fire vessels a said a faulty water heater is to blame. three presidents earlier seven carbon monoxide poisoning and others got sick at the complex

in essex. fire officials said there was a carbon monoxide detector inside one of the homes. four people and a firefighter were taken to hospital after a late-night fire ripped through a three-story house at south carey street near west baltimore street. firefighters arrived to find two male victims on the third floor. they were treated at a hospital for respiratory and cardiac arrest. fire officials say that one firefighter suffered burns and was transported to bayview medical center.

>> let's look at the forecast with sandra shaw. >> looking pretty good today. besser showers bring offshore. for us today, we are still filled by high pressure to the north. a mix of sunshine and clouds. only about a 20% chance of passing late a shower. enhanced chance for rain overnight tonight. 60 to 65 degrees. tomorrow, and upper level load develops. 60% chance of showers and storms. for the rest of the week, variable cloudiness. >> thank you for joining us. we will see you back for 11 news at noon.

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