been reached for custody of michael jackson's two oldest children. this morning, the details of the agreement. and a "today" exclusive, for the first time, someone who was inside jackson's home on the day he died speaks out. we have a live interview with the pop star's personal chef. she's alive. massachusetts police find a baby girl cut from her mother's womb and arrest two people in connection with that woman's murder. this morning, overnight details on the horrific case. and wild ride. the police chase caught on camera. the suspect evading officers, blowing through stop signs. and look who was behind the wheel. yeah, a 7-year-old boy who didn't want to go to church. police aren't filing charges, but we're guessing he is grounded "today," thursday, july 30th, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

and welcome to "today" on a thursday morning, i'm meredith vieira. >> and i'm matt lauer. this morning we have new information on the plan that is in place, apparently, for custody of michael jackson's children. >> the deal will be announced later today. but overnight nbc news learned of the details. and the key part centers on debbie rowe, the birth mother of the two oldest children, prince and paris. the deal will allow her to build a relationship with them. we're going to have much more in a moment. plus our exclusive interview with jackson's personal chef. she will reveal for the first time what went on in that home the day that michael jackson died. >> also ahead, today is the day that henry louis gates jr., sergeant james crowley and president obama will sit down at the white house and have a couple of beers. they're going to discuss gates' arrest and controversy that has followed that. we're going to have much more on that story coming up. and this morning, more of "today takes a vacation." this morning we are in las vegas, baby.

amy and nat, there they are at caesar's palace on the las vegas strip. >> you guys have not gone to bed yet, is that true? >> actually a little bit. >> two hours. >> we got stuck on the one-way yesterday. >> oh, gosh. looks like a lot of fun. you guys are being pampered appropriately. we're going to check in with them in just a little while. >> but let's begin with that exclusive information on the custody deal reached in the michael jackson case. nbc's jeff rossen has the details. jeff, good morning to you. >> reporter: hi, meredith. good morning to you. let's get right to it. here are the highlights. under this new custody deal, michael jackson's kids will live with their grandmother katherine, and debbie rowe will get visitation. but she won't ask for custody. michael jackson's kids were his life. since his death they've been in limbo. no permanent plan until now. in a new custody deal not yet

announced, nbc news has learned michael's 79-year-old mother katherine will get the children. 12-year-old prince, 11-year-old paris, and 7-year-old blanket. under the agreement, debbie rowe, biological mother to the two oldest, will retain her parental rights. but she agrees not to make a claim for custody. rowe will get visitation, but no extra money beyond the spousal agreement already in place. our sources believe prince and paris now know debbie rowe is their biological mother. in fact, as a central part of the agreement, they'll begin to have a relationship with her, now that their father is dead. a child psychologist will supervise the process, and sources say rowe believes she can develop a meaningful bond with her kids. >> i think it's interesting that she is going to try to establish a relationship with the children. that's somewhat surprising that after all of this time, reports have been that she didn't have a relationship. and the fact that she wants to start one up now, is a bit surprising. >> reporter: sources close to

the deal tell nbc news rowe did the right thing and decided the children are best off with katherine and the jackson family. the family they've always known. >> i think this puts to rest a lengthy and protracted piece of litigation. and i think the children are going to benefit from that. obviously. it orders their lives immediately and lets them get on with the business of being children. >> reporter: and this morning we're getting a rare look at those children, and michael jackson, the dad. happily playing with his kids on home video at neverland. here, jackson is celebrating his daughter's birthday. it was 2002. paris was turning 4. >> i love my daddy so much. you're the best daddy in the whole world. >> reporter: now, we're learning more about the man at the center of the criminal investigation, dr. conrad murray. according to court papers obtained by nbc news, murray has deep money troubles. even before jackson's death.

>> the resident of dr. conrad murray's -- >> reporter: he was about to lose his luxury home. the very home authorities searched on tuesday. dr. murray hasn't paid his $15,000 a month mortgage since january 2009. this month, as police targeted him in a manslaughter investigation, the bank wrote a declaration of default and demand for sale. foreclosure. nbc news has obtained separate court papers showing dr. murray was also a deadbeat dad. he owes back child support totalling almost $11,000. dr. murray was sentenced to 25 days in jail in 2007, and then sentenced to another ten days in jail just months ago, in april. doctor murray never served the sentence, allowed more time to provide proof of income. in may, dr. murray took the job as michael jackson's personal physician, reportedly making $150,000 a month. >> prosecutors who are making decisions as to what charges to file right now will automatically be thinking about

what a jury and how a jury is going to be able to react. they are going to look at the financial e6d as being very powerful evidence to help explain why dr. murray may have administered propofol and greed, financial dire straits and money are great rationale and great explanations that play great in front of a jury and great in terms of an investigation. >> reporter: late last night, dr. murray's lawyer conceded his client is facing foreclosure. and issued this statement. dr. murray has lost the ability to make a living as a result of this investigation. his hope is he can forestall foreclosure until he can once again begin working as a doctor. he wouldn't comment on the child support problems, and has said his client did nothing wrong in connection with jackson's death. the l.a. county coroner confirms to nbc news jackson's toxicology results are in, but won't release them until next week, pending further tests. we're, of course, all waiting for those results. but to recap a major overnight development, nbc news has learned there is a deal between katherine jackson and debbie

rowe. katherine will get custody of the kids. the agreement still has to be submitted to superior court for approval here in los angeles. that will happen first thing on monday morning. meredith? >> jeff rossen, thank you very much. it is 7:07. now here's matt. meredith, thanks very much. we want to warn you about this next story. it is extremely disturbing. a young woman, eight months pregnant, found murdered on monday. 23-year-old darlene haynes was discovered in the closet of her worcester, massachusetts apartment. her fetus had been taken from her womb. last night as neighbors and friends mourned outside her home, police reported the missing baby had been found alive, 130 miles away in new hampshire. an acquaintance of haynes, 35-year-old julie corey was arrested and charged as a fugitive with probable cause of kidnapping. sergeant kerry hazelhurst is with the worcester police department. sergeant, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. >> let me go back to monday when darlene haynes body was discovered in the closet of her apartment.

did your detectives immediately realize that perhaps the cause of death was related to the fact that a baby had actually been taken away from her, taken from her womb? >> matt, no, because upon the arrival on the scene, the woman was found in a closet wrapped in a blanket. and it was apparent that the victim had died several dies prior to our arrival. and usually in a circumstance like that, we'll leave the immediate scene untouched when the m.e.'s office was called on the scene, and they retrieved the body, they took the body and the contents, while she was still wrapped in the blanket, to the m.e.'s office for forensic examination. so, it wasn't until then, when they were able to examine the body that it was determined that the -- that the baby was missing. >> and then how did you get tipped off to this couple up in new hampshire that was in possession of a newborn? how did you come to be connected

with them? >> well, during the course of the investigation, information was obtained with assistance of acquaintances of the -- of the victim, acquaintances of the suspect. we checked this story out with the media outlets as soon as we possibly could, without compromising the investigation. and it was with some help with the media outlets that we were able to get the information out there that we had a 23-year-old victim, who was pregnant, that was murdered, and that the fetus was missing. and the acquaintances of the suspect were able to piece together a lot of the odd circumstances that led up to their friend, who happened to just have a baby around the same time. apparently the woman stated to a friend that she had the child late thursday evening, or early friday morning. but then several hours later, in the day on friday, she arrived

at the home with the child, which made it suspicious to a lot of her friends and family members that she had this infant home so early after delivering it. >> and so the baby is in what condition right now, sergeant? it's a little girl. doing well? >> yes. we just got off the phone with the officials up in new hampshire and the baby is in good condition. >> i mentioned that this 35-year-old suspect, julie corey, arrested, charged as a fugitive with probable cause of kidnapping. what about murder charges? will those be filed, as well? >> well, the investigation is still ongoing. there's still a lot of work that our investigators have to do on this. we're working closely with the district attorney's office right now, and, you know, we hope to get a conclusion on the rest of the investigation. >> let me just ask you -- >> clearly it's still -- >> but specifically do you think this young -- this woman julie corey and her male companion are the people who actually took the baby out of darlene haynes' womb?

>> well, at this point, matt, i can't really get into the specifics of that because this investigation is still very much ongoing, and we're only talking about a couple days into the investigation. so there's still a lot of work to be had here. but clearly it was key that we found this infant. it was a great thing that we're able to find the infant in good health, in a medical facility right now, where she belongs, and you know, we have a lot of work still to do on this. >> all right, sergeant, thank you very much for your time. i really appreciate it. sandy granmaison is darlene haynes' great-aunt. miss granmaison, our condolences to you, good morning. >> thank you. >> what was your reaction when you heard this little baby was found alive? >> i would have had liked to have heard it a little bit from the police department and not off the tv. >> do you think that information --

>> not from the police department. i got a phone call telling me to put my television on, that there was a possibility the people that took the baby was captured. >> darlene was 23 years old, the mother of three children. i know she was trying to get her life on track. why do you think she was the target of this crime? >> there's a lot of reasons. darlene lived a rough here with her boyfriend. finally, i think he misunderstood my message that she had to be helped. i told her to go to the court, get restraining orders, and -- >> let me just stop you for a second. do you think the boyfriend -- do you think the boyfriend had anything to do with this? i know he had been questioned by police. >> i cannot say or prove at this

time that he had anything to do with it. i can only go with the fact of what i know. >> you say that darlene had a heart of gold. what should we know about her? >> darlene did have a heart of gold. one, she loved her children. she never forgot their birthdays, their christmas. she could be down to her last dollar or dime in her pocket, and if you needed it, she gave it to you. she would give you whatever she had and go without. she wouldn't think twice about letting you sleep in her house, on her sofa, or her bed, while she slept on the floor. >> well, again, sandy granmaison, our condolences on the loss of your great-niece. we appreciate your time this morning. >> thank you.

>> and now here's meredith. >> matt, thank you. and now to the white house, where it is far from politics as usual today. while the president is pressing his case for health care, his poll numbers are sagging. but it's today's beer fest that is getting all the attention. chuck todd is nbc's chief white house correspondent. chuck, good morning to you. >> good morning, meredith. as you know the last week has been a distraction for the president over the gates thing. but, the last month or two, as he's been trying to push health care, has been very, very unkind to the president. tonight at the white house, the president sits down with harvard professor henry gates and cambridge police sarge ernt james crowley for what may be the most anticipated beer ever. some are calling it the picnic table summit because the three men will be drinking their beer at the same table where the president has huddled with secretary of state clinton. >> stupidly -- >> reporter: mr. obama is hoping the meeting will put this issue behind him after a week of coverage has sidetracked his push for health care. >> michelle's probably e-mailing me about grabbing some milk on

the way home. >> reporter: wednesday the president wasn't talking about beer. he went to a kroger's supermarket in bristol, virginia. the first town he visited during the 2008 general election campaign. this time, to campaign for health care reform. >> this is where change began. and that's why i've come back. >> reporter: it was just hours after some conservative democrats on capitol hill, known as the blue dogs agreed to a compromise that would cut the cost of the reform bill in the house. but is congress closer to getting something passed in september? >> i'm not thinking about the politics of this thing right now. >> reporter: republicans predictably argued the american people would not be impressed with the new compromise. >> millions will lose their current health insurance, and many americans will lose their job as a result of the higher taxes on businesses. >> reporter: the president mixed in an economic message by referring to the current cover of "newsweek," featuring the headlines "the recession is over." >> i'll bet you found this news a little startling. i know i did. >> reporter: he said the economic free-fall has stopped,

but that doesn't mean the tough times are over. >> we may be seeing the beginning of the end of the recession. >> reporter: but according to the latest nbc/"wall street journal" poll, more than half said the economy has not hit bottom. the combination of the sluggish economy, and the debate on health care, has been taking a toll on the president's popularity. for the third straight month the president's approval rating has fallen from 61% in april to 56% in june, to 53% now. and as uneasy as respondents were about the president, they why downright negative about congress. 63% disapprove of the job lawmakers have done. only 24% approve. now, meredith, a couple of points about the poll. one, everybody's got their jerseys back on, the blue team and the red team. we're back to sort of where campaign 2008 was. almost very much the polarized political environment. the other thing, sarah palin. more republicans told us they would not like to see her as president some day than told us they would. this is republicans.

>> since her decision to leave office. and finally beer fest. you think it will be the end of this discussion? >> well, we'll see. notice they're only going to get cameras in at the beginning of the discussion. apparently they don't want to let them comment after they've had a couple of beers. >> smart. because otherwise that would be stupid. >> teachable moment. there you go. let's ann's over at the news desk with that. good morning, ann. >> good morning, matt and meredith. in the news this morning, the list -- just who would get the swine flu vaccine has been made public. a government panel of experts made recommendations on wednesday, anticipating a vaccine may become available by the fall. nbc's chief science correspondent robert bazell is covering the story. he's got the details for us. hey, bob, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. swine flu continues to spread in the united states, and throughout the world. mostly it strikes young people. but there are the occasional hospitalizations and deaths. big outbreaks in the southern hemisphere warn of what could happen here when our flu season

returns. in argentina there have been shortages of icu beds and ventilators. a vaccine would be the answer, but it's not yet an option. there are serious production problems. as homeland security secretary napolitano warned. available before the school year starts. >> reporter: that's why a committee of experts met at the cdc to decide who should get the vaccine when it is available. the priority? pregnant women, because of the risk of complications. household contacts and caregivers for children younger than 6 months, because infants can die from flu. health care and emergency medical workers. people age 6 months through 24 years, because the virus strikes mostly young people. adults 24 through 64, with underlying health conditions problems, heart disease and diabetes. >> we've never really had to sort of make those almost rationing type vaccine for everybody, some of

those 120 million, not come un the main brunt of the pandemic is over. >> reporter: officials here at the cdc expect that when school is open, in some places as you know in a few weeks, there's going to be big outbreaks, maybe more school closings, and that hand washing and covering your mouth when you cough and sneeze. but it's going to be a bad, bad flu season starting very soon. >> all right, bob. thanks so much for the warning. bob bazell this morning. tensions are higher this morning between north and south korea, after strayed into its waters. south korea's demanding that the records on wednesday in parts of the northwest, where the temperature hit 103 degrees in seattle, and 106 in parts of oregon. severe weather ripped through parts of the northeast on wednesday, downing trees and power lines. this funnel cloud in northern

new jersey was caught on cell phone video. overseas markets are higher this morning, so are gas prices, now $2.52 a gallon for regular according to aaa. erin burnett is at the new york stock exchange with more. what's the focus there? >> ann, it's interesting you mention gasoline prices. oil plunged yesterday. eventually that will feed through to the pump. we're going to have a little bit of a rebound today. hope for markets as well as oil prices, hope that the recession is over. the latest survey of economic growth in this country came out midday yesterday, and showed the economy is not shrinking as quicklits an improvement, and second, this morning, the ceo of credit card company visa came out and said, quote, things are getting somewhat better. not somewhat worse. you may say those are rather lukewarm endorsements, but at least they're endorsements in any way at b through those comments today. a day after he lost his first major event in four years, olympic gold medalist michael phelps returned to his winning ways on wednesday, setting a world record in the 200 meter

butterfly. it was his 34th career world record, surpassing the number held by mark spitz. and as meredith mentioned earlier, there was an unusual police chase last sunday in utah, where police followed a car that was weaving back and forth, driving through stop signs, and when the car finally stopped the driver turned out to be a 7-year-old boy, who could barely reach the pedals. he ran off, as you just saw. he apparently said that he took the family's car because he didn't want to go to church. it is now 7:21. let's go to meredith, matt and al. >> he was still running. >> that could have been bad. really, really bad. >> it's not a joke at all. >> if somebody had been hit with that. luckily it turnene

>> the same range as pouring in new england will rolled through here. tornado warnings. but nothing making it the granted 88 to 92 today but it will be hot and humid and that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you. and just ahead, the last day of michael jackson's life. for the first time, someone who was inside his home that day speaks out. a live exclusive interview with his personal chef. but first this is "today" on nbc.

still ahead, viva las vegas. natalie and amy take on sin city. . >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore.

>> good morning. i'm stan stovall. new indictments have been handed up against baltimore mayor sheila dixon. she faces three counts of theft, three counts of misappropriation, and one of misconduct in office. a second indictment charges her with two counts of perjury, restoring allegations dismissed by a judge two months ago. there were obtained after a former boyfriend, a developer ronald lipscomb, agreed to prosecute -- agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. >> we are getting heavier delays on the west side outer loop. 22 to 25 power. we are looking at an accident at ingleside a hard well. so far so good on the j.f.x. park heights, a downed tree. still closed at old york road.

take the harrisburg expressway instead. drive times are pretty much up to speed except for the west side. to lie about 15 minutes. quick look at traffic on the west side. you can see the pace of things on liberty. southbound 295 looks good towards west nursery road. >> partly cloudy out there. very warm already. 71 at b.w.i. marshall. 82 on ocean city. we will surge to 88 to 92 degrees. no great chance of seeing thunderstorms like the last couple of days. a good chance tomorrow is another front passes through open increase in clouds and showers and storms. a little bit of relief on saturday. not quite as humid. >> check the bottom of your screen for updated news and

traffic information. our next live update at 7:55.

it's 7:30 now on a thursday morning. it's the 30th day of july, 2009. hard to believe, august just around the corner. actually, we're not finished with our july fun just yet, because the kings of leon will be here tomorrow, on the plaza, to wrap up the month with a live summer concert. if you're in the area, come check it out. meanwhile, inside studio 1a, i'm matt lauer alongside meredith vieira. and coming up in this half hour, one of the few people inside michael jackson's home on the morning the pop star died. >> her name is kai chase. she was jackson's personal chef. and for the first time she will talk about everything that happened on that tragic morning. what and who she saw, the chaos of it all, that's in our exclusive interview in just a moment. >> also ahead, it is the fourth and final day of "today takes a vacation." natalie and amy are living it up in las vegas with the juggling bartenders. the night club at caesar's palace. we're going to check in with them in just a little bit. but first let's begin with new information in the michael jackson case. nbc news has learned that a

custody deal has been reached. nbc's jeff rossen is in los angeles. he has the latest on the agreement. jeff, what can you tell us? >> reporter: hi, matt. here's what we know at this point. under this new agreement, michael's mother katherine jackson gets custody of the kids. debbie rowe will get visitation. have and build a meaningful that she is the biological mother to, that's prince and paris. we're told they now know she is their biological mother. important to note here, rowe gets no extra money in this deal, and retains her parental rights. sources say it was debbie rowe, in fact, who decided the kids are better off staying with katherine and the jackson family, where they have been. both sides will submit this deal to a judge on monday morning for approval, matt, and at this point, they believe it's a formality. >> let's talk about the criminal investigation that's also under way, jeff. any developments in that? >> reporter: yeah, we're actually learning more this morning about the man at the center of that criminal

investigation. the manslaughter investigation. dr. conrad murray, michael jackson's personal physician. turns out he was in deep financial trouble, even before jackson's death. nbc nbc news has obtained court documents showing he was about to go into foreclosure on his luxury home in las vegas. dr. murray hasn't paid his $15,000 a month mortgage since january. we've also obtained court documents showing his failure to pay child support, as well. at one point, he owed nearly $11,000, and was impoant to not never served any time. he was given mor proof of income. it was around there, in may, he took the job as michael jacks jackson's personal doctor. if prosecutors file charges, experts say they most likely would wait until the full toxicology report is released. that, we're told, will happen next week. a big week next week, and of course this week, as well, with the custody deal. >> jeff, sthangs very much. jeff rossen in los angeles for us this morning. 33 after the hour. with more on the story, here's meredith. >> matt, thank you.

kai chase was michael jackson's personal chef, and was in the kitchen of the pop star's rented home on the morning that he died and she's with us exclusively. kai, good morning to up. >> good morning, meredith. >> i'd love to start with this custody agreement. katherine jackson will maintain custody of the children. you got to know them very well in the time that you were at their home. you've actually seen them since their dad's death. do you think this is the right decision for these two kids? >> i believe so. oh, definitely. i got a chance to see the children a couple weeks ago, and just being in the home with the grandmother katherine was a beautiful experience. they had cousins and, you know, they're having a great time. they were wonderful, they're happy and i think it's a great decision. >> and that's their grandma. >> yes, that's their grandmother. >> the birth mom of prince michael and paris, debbie rowe, has asked for, and will get, children, so that they can get to know her.

did they ever bring up her name in the time that you were with them? >> you know, we never discussed with anyone else what was going on in the home. you know, food, break time games, but i never heard the name. >> you never heard them mention debbie rowe at all? >> no. >> how do you think they will handle that situation? >> i think it will be great for them. you know, they should know their biological mother. you know, i think that would be great. it will be wonderful for paris, growing up as a young girl. you know, and for the boys, you know. it's good to have a mother figure around. you know, she'll know. >> i want to take you back to june 25th, a truly horrible day. you were at the jackson home. for you, you came in every morning around 8:00, 8:30? >> right, exactly. >> when did you realize that something wasn't quite right or when did you sense that this was not a normal day? >> well, you know, i get the breakfast ready for the childre in the morning around 8:30, like that, nine o'clock.

and they're having breakfast, and time goes by, and putting everything together for them, and around 10:00, 10:30, and normally dr. murray, he would come down and -- >> dr. conrad murray? >> right, would come down and retrieve maybe something for mr. jackson to start his day off with. maybe one of the organic juices that i've made, granola with almond, something to start his day with. but this day, i didn't see th. so the hours kept going, so i prepared lunch. lunch should be ready by 12:30, something, so mr. jackson can have lunch with his children. >> which was normal? >> which was his normal routine, you know. before he goes to the rehearsal. and so around 12:00 i look at my cell phone, and okay, let meet ready r the lunch, and start preparing this lunch. and i wrap his plate for him, mr. jackson in saran wrap, because he likes to be treated

as if he were in a hotel. rved, uknow, veryspecial. and around 12:00, 12:10, dr. murray comes running down the stairs into the kitchen stairwell, into the kitchen, he comes into the kitchen screaming, hurry, go get prince go get security. >> so he's frantic? >> he's frantic, yeah. and so i drop everything at that point, and run to the den, which is not too far away from the kitchen, and get prince. prince hurry, come with me, dr. murray is screaming something may be wrong with your dad. prince goes and sees what dr. murray is asking at the stairs, and dr. murray runs back upstairs. >> and was prince following him? >> no, prince was downstairs. >> so he didn't take prince to the room? >> no, no. >> we had heard stories about that. >> i did not see that, no. that did not happen. and so, you know, a matter of minutes, minutes, you know, i see paramedics running up the

stairs, and security skipping stairs, running up the stairs, you know, this is, you know, at that point you could feel the energy change. >> what do you mean? >> you know, it was a happy home. you know, there's music playing throughout the house all -- his fireplace is roaring and beautiful laughter. and this wasn't that. it felt still. it just felt like it just didn't feel right. you know what i mean? so, i, you know, we're all panicking and wondering what's going on, you know. paris is screaming and crying, daddy, daddy, daddy. you know, the kids want to know what's going on with their father. >> they were being kept downstairs with you and the housekeeper and the nanny i believe? >> and the nanny. >> what are you all doing? >> so we're -- we're -- we're wondering what's going on. we come together and we stand in a circle, we start holding hands and we start praying. you know, we're praying, dear god, please let mr. jackson be okay, you know. and you know, we're sitting

downstairs wondering, an hour goes by. and security comes to us and asks us, you know, at this point, we're asking you to leave the house, leave the premises. and we asked is mr. jackson going to be okay? we're taking him to the hospital. >> so at this point you don't know anything? >> no. they still didn't know. we are in my car and i hear that mr. jackson's dead. >> what went through your mind when you heard that? >> i had to pull over. i had to pull over on the side of the road, because it just -- it -- why? who knew? i mean, i panicked. and i was crying. you know, this is a lovely man. you know, this man was sensational, you know. a love to everyone. you know, everyone appreciated the man's, you know, generosity, and his, you know, it's just fabulous father to his children.

>> i want to ask you about that, and we'll go back to the days leading up to his death. you first joined the family in march of this year. you had a phone call that there was a client who needed somebody who could prepare healthy meals. you get the job, and then you find out it's michael jackson? >> right. i couldn't believe it. i thought -- i couldn't believe it. i still feel that right now, you know, even though i -- i -- i told him, you know, the person who interviewed me. i thought the person interviewing me was the client. but it wasn't. oh, sure, no problem. my client's going to love you when can you start is what he said to me? i said, you're not the client? he said, no, no, no, this is who you'll be working for and they gave me his business card. i said you're kidding, no way. am i being punked? am i on candid camera? >> no, this is true, he wants you to come work for him. >> so you go to michael jackson's home, that he was renting, and the person who interviewed you there first, not michael jackson, his children?

>> no. >> his children? >> it's the children. and you know, i get to the house, and first person into the house and the people i'm greeted by are these adorable kids, you know, that i had heard were anticipating my arrivaarrival. can't wait to meet her. >> what do they ask you? what kind of questions? >> they were asking questions like, well, we like healthy food. so smart. so adorable. we like healthy food, can you cook healthy? what do you like to eat? we talked about everything from food to video games to animals, and we just created a instant bond right there. you know, so ice cream, candies, daddy allows us to have sweets when we ask. >> it was healthy living in that home. >> yeah. >> a few days later you met michael. impression of him, and him with his children? we are seeing video today of him with his kids taken back at neverland. i'm wondering what your impression of them was? >> you know, at the dinner

table, i would prepare the meals, and he would always make a great ambience in the dining room. turn the lights down, twinkling lights, turn up the music, 101 or rocki 'n' roll while they're dining. or in the daytime he would have maybe some of the art he enjoyed that he collected. and he'd have it around the dining room. so the kids had an impression they were eating in a museum. >> what did he say to you about what he felt your mission should be there? why was it important for him to have you there? i know he was building up to this tour. >> yeah. you know, i started in march. and i was let go in may. i was let go in may, only to return back in the beginning of june. and the third day there mr. jackson said, can he speak with you? i meet with him in the hallway.

and he says, i know you know what you're doing. you know, i know you're good at what you do. i need you to keep me healthy. >> i'm going to stop right there because we're going to take a break. but you left again, you left in may for three weeks because of a disagreement with i guess a contract problem. >> yes. >> but you did come back and when you came back in june, you saw a slightly different michael jackson, even though it was just three weeks between the last time you had seen him. we're going to pick up there when we come back in our next half hour. kai chase, thank you so much. for now let's get a check of the weather from al. >> thanks a lot, meredith. we've got a happy birthday. barbara, happy birthday. >> thank you. >> you look fantastic. good for you. and we've got a happy 16th.

>> speaking of the middle atlantic states, in maryland, i hop high of 91 degrees. factor in humidity and will feel more like 95 per 96. 88 degrees on the shores of ocean city. good chance of showe that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you. up next kerry sanders takes a look toe very real problems plaguing one state. pie thobs everywhere. right after this.

we're back now at 7:47. of course, tourism is very big in florida. but there are some unwanted visitors who have apparently overstayed their welcome. nbc's kerry sanders has more on that. kerry, good morning to you. >> well, good morning. i'm in the loxahatchee national wildlife refuge. quite literally. which is part of the everglades here. and i have some protection off camera and you'll understand why here in a moment. the problem begins in urban florida. at pet stores. people buy what some people figure are cute little pets. they are pythons, burmese pythons. but the problem is they go from here to here, and before you know it they're six, eight feet long. and the owners can't fathom the idea of killing their pet because it's too big. they come the to the everglades, they clear a little area and they'll let it go loose. that snake lays upwards of 100 eggs. and so now the hunt is on, because it's estimated there are more than 150,000 wild burmese

pythons on the loose. it may have been a bit of luck, but on the first day hunters hit the everglades, they wrestled an immense snake lurking under a board walk. >> he was on the move. he'd seen us out here. >> reporter: it's not just that the snakes are big. >> seven, eight. >> when i grabbed him he came around and just nicked me with a tooth. >> reporter: biologists say they're rapidly upsetting the balance of nature. alligators were once the top of the food chain here. but in this series of photos, the battle is revealed, the most vivid example, the python that tried to swallow a gator. the snake exploded and then died. just this month, a pet albino python slithered into a child's bedroom and killed the 2-year-old. >> this is what we have been saying was going to happen. >> reporter: florida senator bill nelson said it's only a

matter of time before there's another attack. >> sooner or later, for an unsuspecting tourist in the everglades national park, there will be an encounter with a human. >> reporter: attempts to rid florida of these exotics have included beacons and planted and captured snakes to trap them back to their nests. dogs like python pete, trained to sniff out the serpents. >> there it is. good boy. >> reporter: and classes. >> that's the way to do it. get yourself where you can lunge at the head. don't miss. >> reporter: where increasingly pythons are showing up. the battle is so serious, there are federal plans to take it high tech. >> there's a possibility of using remote controlled airplanes with thermal sensors to detect pythons. >> reporter: experts warn unchecked the pythons will spread beyond florida. but, they say, even killing every snake they can find may be a case of too little, too late.

>> this is just one tool that's going to be in the tool box. i mean, this is not going to be the silver bullet. >> reporter: how did the government let this happen? well, the state of florida three years ago complained to the federal department of interior and said we see a crisis coming. please stop the legal importation of pythons. the department of interior said let's study the problem. they've been studying it for three years and in the statistics available, in the last ten-year period, 99,000 pythons have been imported to the united states. so clearly, the government let something get out of hand now, and now the hunt is on, matt. >> kerry, it's an amazing story. meredith was just wondering if you could wade a little deeper in the water. >> kerry, i was not. there's only one snake at this desk, kerry. >> reporter: the snake is going to protect me from the gator? >> get out of there. just get out of the water. that's all we want you to do. >> you know, there's a lot of sharks in new york, too. >> oh, yes.

>> still to come we're going to have much more ahead with michael jackson's personal chef. but first, on a thursday morning, these messages.

natalie and amy are in las vegas. ladies, what's coming up? >> well, we've got showgirls, we've got donny and marie osmond. >> and natalie and i went to stiletto space girl and met our inner bond girl.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning.

i am stan stovall. let's check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> new accident coming in to us, harford county and edgewood. that is the eastbound direction of pulaski highway. completely blocked there. downed tree blocking forestal at park heights. free tanyard road and is closed from york road to free land road. take harrisburg expressway as your alternate. website out of it, a 15 minutes from 705 downed to 95. this july, prior to that, 795 down through to edmondson. you're looking at a slow at harford road and southbound 95. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> sun is up and it is very warm already. 73 downtown. low seventies to mid 70's on the

eastern shore as well. before it is all over, we will surge to 88, 92 degrees. more 92-ish downtown at the inner harbor. winds are generally westerly. another frontal system gets through here late tomorrow. that will bring more showers and storms. once the front gets through, we will be a little less humid on saturday. 87 and partly cloudy. sunday, 40% chance of late-day showers and storms. >> check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information. our next live update in 25 minutes.

8:00 now on this thursday

morning, july 30th, 2009. and this is what we like to see, a packed plaza filled with people waving hello to their family and their friends back home. and if they come back tomorrow, they can wave to these guys, the kings of leon will be here to put on a live concert here on the plaza. should be a lot of fun. >> it should be great fun. >> i'm meredith vieira along with matt lauer and al roker. much more with michael jackson's chef, including the cards and gifts michael jackson gave them. also find out what she knew about jackson's personal dr., conrad murray. we'll talk with her exclusively about all of that. that is a shot, as you know, of dr. murray at his home in las vegas. >> on a much lighter note it is day four of "today takes a vacation." for that we have sent natalie and amy out to las vegas. oh, i've got to see this. those were low kicks. >> you guys can do a little better than that.

>> they'll become showgirls. and part of their little quick vacation out there, they took a couple of classes at something called stiletto spy school. i don't know what that means but i'm sure natalie and amy will fill us in. apparently -- >> oh, weapons. >> yikes. >> all right. >> you can use a stiletto as a weapon. >> there you go. >> uh-oh. anyway, two words for you. rib showdown. >> oh, love this. >> oh, yeah. we've got the best of the ribs across the country. from north carolina to south carolina to texas and new york. we are talking barbecue. >> whoo! 33 >> you should smell it on the plaza right now. >> oh, it's so good. >> first let's get a check of the top headlines from ann curry at the news desk. >> hey, guys, good morning once again, everybody. in the news, the swine flu

priority list released on wednesday is recommending that pregnant women, health care workers and children be among the first to get a vaccine. the list from a government panel of experts anticipates the vaccine to become available as early as september to stem the pandemic. they are especially concerned about the spread of the flu when school starts in the fall, as swine flu is affecting young people disproportionately. the government estimates that about 120 million doses of vaccine will be made available in the fall. in massachusetts, tales of a terrible crime are emerging. darlene haynes was found dead on monday in her apartment. her fetus taken from her womb. the baby was found alive last night, 130 miles away in new hampshire. and police have arrested an acquaintance of haynes', 35-year-old julie corey. last night, neighbors and friends of haynes lit candles outside her home. tonight, president obama will be sharing a beer or two with harvard professor henry gates jr. and cambridge police officer sergeant james crowley, two weeks after an arrest

spurred a national debate on race. the president is hoping to maked incident a teachable moment. meantime the woman who called 911 about the possible break-in at gates' home has come forward and nbc's ron allen is in cambridge with more on this part of the story. hey, ron. >> reporter: good morning to you, an. lucia layen was very emotional and very upset because she had become a villain in all of this. she's been criticized for using what sounds like a racial stereotype to describe what she saw at gates' home that day, two black men with pack backs trying to break in. when it was gates and his driver. she said the words were in a police report, and whalen insists she never used them. and she came forward only after the 911 tape essentially proved her right. now she just wants to be left alone, and interestingly she said if she had to do it all over again, despite what happened she would make that 911 call again because it was the right thing to do. >> ron allen this morning. thanks for reporting on this story, ron. also in the news, four south

florida police officers have been taken off the streets and given administrative duties after video allegedly shows them trying to cover up what happened during an accident. our nbc station wtvj has more on this. >> reporter: it started out as a minor traffic accident. >> the cop was right behind me and crashes right into me. >> reporter: 23-year-old alexandra torrence villa was just accelerating at a green light when she had to suddenly stop. >> the cat decided to jump out the window. >> reporter: just after midnight on february 17th she's arrested for driving under the influence and placed in the back of a patrol car. even though officer joel francisco slammed into her for not keeping a safe distance. that's what the four hollywood officers on scene led by dui investigator tried to manipulate the evidence. >> we're going to try to bend this a little bit. to protect the cops. it doesn't matter. >> to avoid any civil liability on the part of the hollywood police department, the officer

who is guiltly of hitting her vehicle, they framed her. >> as far as i'm concerned, i'm gonna put words in his mouth. she went to accelerate, a cat jumps out, literally a cat jumps out the window at which time he thought it could have been a pedestrian. >> reporter: in the audio you can also hear him plotting to fabricate the incident report, covering up the fact alexandra had been in front of the officer's car. >> i'm going to word it that she was in the left-hand lane, that she -- when the cat jumped out she abruptly cut over to his lane and slammed on the brakes. >> for a simple traffic infraction, they have now placed themselves with the possibility of going to prison. >> that report from wtvj's amber asone. all charges against the driver were dropped on wednesday. now let's get a check of the weather with al. >> thanks a lot,

>> it is just hazy, hot, and humid odd ready. high of 91. partly cloudy skies. winds shifting to the southwest this afternoon. 88 on the beaches today. 88 on the beaches today.

our executive producer jim bell examining theup coming rib showdown. how do things look, jim? >> they're looking good. they're smelling good, and soon they'll be tasting good. >> it's interesting. during most segments i don't see you up here. >> i had to come up and see a guy about a thing. >> matt? >> a guy about a horse? >> a thing. >> okay, got it. when we come back we're going to have much more of our exclusive interview with michael jackson's personal chef. she was in the house on the day that he died. we're going to hear what she has to say. but first, these messages. imodium multi-symptom relief

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more of our exclusive interview with kai chase, michael jackson's personal chef. she was in his rented home on the day he died. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> when we left off, we were talking about the fact that you had left the home for about three weeks in may, came back in june, the beginning of june, and you noticed a change at that point in michael jackson's behavior and his appearance. tell me about that. >> when i was in the home in april, mr. jackson would come downstairs routinely, come downstairs, and before he went on his rehearsal, looking wonderful. and sharp. in a blazer, aviator glasses, going out, going to the studio, upbeat, chipper, eating. and you know, feeling really good about himself. but when i came back in june, i noticed he was a little thinner. and i was wondering, had he been eating? you know, had he been eating? and then i thought to myself, he's a dancer. you know, he's a dancer. his body is his tool. he's working very hard.

>> and he did say to you at one point, they're killing me in reference to the fact that he was working so hard? rehearsing so hard? >> yes, yes. he said i need you to take care of me. i need you to feed me healthy, like you have been. i need you to -- do you have my peaches in your refrigerator? yes, mr. jackson. i have food for you. they're killing me. they're killing me. i'm rehearsing very hard. you know. >> it was also around that time that dr. conrad murray became a fixture in the home there every day. >> mm-hmm. >> did michael jackson ever say to you why he would need a personal physician on a daily basis? was this something he had seen before? >> you know, mr. jackson and i never spoke about his personal physician. just mainly about the food, and keeping him healthy. getting him ready for the tour. you know. mr. -- >> the doctor? >> dr. murray, i saw him more

routinely in june. and he -- he was in the home, and taking -- doing what he was supposed to as his doctor. >> when did he show up? >> i would see him in the morning. i would see him in the mornings when i went up to the house. and around 10:00, or so, 10:30 i would see him when he would come downstairs to retrieve a juice or some type of breakfast. >> and you have said that when he would come downstairs, he would be carrying oxygen tanks? >> i saw sometimes the oxygen tanks that he would carry down the stairs. >> did you wonder what that was about? >> of course. of course i did. you know, i -- i -- i wasn't sure. i have never seen anything like that before. so, i wondered to myself, i wonder what those are used for. >> but this was something nobody else in the household spoke about? >> no. no. no one spoke about that at all. it's just probably something that he was taking care of mr. jackson with. >> from the time that you knew

michael jackson, did you ever see any evidence that he was on any kind of medication? >> no. >> none? >> no, not at all. he ate very well when i was there. and that's what we were promoting. that's what we were encouraging, and that's what he was doing. >> what about reports, kai, that he had an easing disorder? a serious eating disorder? >> i never saw any of that. i would actually see the man eat, you know, and getting healthy. he was excited about this tour. he was very excited about this tour. his kids were excited. we all were. you know, and he was doing a wonderful job. you know, he was -- would show some of his dance moves in the home to us while he was conversate with us and he was thrilled. >> the story is now circulating that he was on his drug propofol to help him sleep, this very strong sedative. did he ever appear to you to be somebody who had trouble sleeping? did he ever talk about sleeplessness? >> no, no. we never discussed any of that.

you know, sometimes i would see mr. jackson come downstairs in the evening when i would be getting ready to leave, after the dinners, and would watch that he would be ready to go, and he'd come downstairs in his pajamas, he was going to bed. we'd have some conversation and -- >> does it seem odd to you that all of this could be going on upstairs where you were never allowed to go? >> right. >> and you're seeing a whole different person downstairs? >> he wasn't that way. no, no. he was -- he was normal, i think. he was very excited about this tour. he was eating. he was interacting with his children. and game time, play time, and generous with his children and lunch with his children. i never saw anything different until when i came back. >> we're going to have more with you in the next hour. we so appreciate it. including these are just some of the notes that his children wrote to you. my favorite, thanks for getting me the apricots, daddy loves

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"today takes a vacation" is brought to you by expedia.com. it is day four of "today takes a vacation." and natalie and amy are taking in the sights on the las vegas strip. ladies, good morning to you and your friends. >> good morning, you're right. it would not be las vegas if you didn't have your set of elvis impersonators. right? >> whoo! >> whoo! >> and, of course -- >> what a cast of characters. nonstop action with the glittering lights. there is simply no place on earth like las vegas. ♪ i got my money

let's live it up ♪ >> reporter: just head down the strip and you understand why las vegas is called the entertainment capital of the world. from cirque du soliel to a-list headliners like cher and bette midler. odds are you'll find something here that suits your test. >> i think the level of service you get in las vegas is equal to or better than the service you get almost anywhere at any of the other resorts all around the world. >> reporter: and in vegas it may feel like you're in another world. with the fantastically themed hotels. there's paris. venus. rome. rio. and, of course, new york, new york. not immune to the economic downturn, the casinos suffered in 2009. taking in nearly 17% less revenue compared to a year ago. but smaller crowds and more hotel vacancies makes a las vegas vacation an offer you can't refuse. >> this is the best time ever to

come to las vegas as a tourist. the hotel rates are at the bare bones for magnificent suites and for wonderful rooms and great swimming pools. there's bargain after bargain. >> reporter: for those who still have money to burn, the barbie suite at the palms casino resort is a good place to do it. >> it's $4,000 a night for the suite. >> reporter: i'll be a brunette barbie for the day. while las vegas isn't known for its family-friendly activities, there are ways to entertain the kids. from lions and tigers at the mirage. to the sharks at mandalay bay or ride down the coaster on the strip. but for the ultimate rush that kids of all ages can enjoy, bootleg canyon flight lines in boulder city, just 25 minutes away, is your best bet. just strap yourself in, and hang on for the ride of your life. whoo!

plenty of fun to work up a good appetite, and for the foodies, as the divine miss m. knows, there's another shortage of celebrity chefs, too. >> the food is fantastic. great chefs are there. >> reporter: in the mood for italian, chef pellegrino at raos. sushi, phenomenal steaks, simon at palm's place is a good way to go. whatever your pleasure, they don't call vegas sin city for nothing. >> ooh you really got to hang out with that. >> something for everyone here, that's for sure. coming up, charo! your show just starred here four weeks ago. >> i came to thank you very much to the "today" show, because i was in new york promoting the opening of my show. we are the biggest success in my entire career.

>> and it's classic guitar? >> what has happened is i produce a show that is a combination of two different type of music. the first part of the program is music to make you dance, all of the hits in the industry. second part of the program, i put on a tuxedo and i play classical and flamenco. >> and you are fantastic. >> thank you very much. >> i was on the "today" show, and then brought this group called the soul of spain. and then flamenco. >> real quickly we know you as charo. but what's your real name? >> maria de la martina antana. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara.

most of the day will travel howard county highway, but at night, it has become any legal drag strip. road crews will close off part of the two-lane highway. the official said that it will not affect the normal flow of traffic but it will discourage the the gold racing. -- discourage illegal racing. >> traffic is easing up in areas. but at edgewood and harford county, east of pulaski highway, blocked at edgewood road to twin accident. delays with the ground tree at owings mills. take park heights as your alternate. speed sensors with a bit of a light on the northeast side. lingering volume on the out of about 40. really not too bad at all. harrisburg expressway. 15 minutes is that of light on

the northwest side. at liberty road, things are getting better on the west side. we will switch over to a live view of traffic at harford. >> nice sunshine out there this morning. it is very hot. we're looking at 75. definitely see me out there. 84 at ocean city. you are going to see a high between 88 to 92 degrees. we will have the humidity still in place not only today but tomorrow. tomorrow, high of 87. nice start to the weekend. >> we will have another update at 8:55.

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8:30 now on a thursday morning. 30th day of july, 2009. i have to say our crowd today with a lot of energy. there's ann saying hi to come people. i hope they come tomorrow and have the same energy, when kings of leon take to our summer concert stage. here on the plaza. in our 8:30 half hour. we'd love to see you down here for a great show. meanwhile, speaking of putting on quite a show, natalie and amy are out in las vegas this morning. day four of "today takes a vacation." >> yes, they are. with two of the biggest stars on the strip, you're looking at them, donny and marie. i'm told the osmonds have a big announcement to share exclusively with us. we're going to get to that, as well as natalie and amy's visit to a stiletto spy school in just a moment. >> man, does she look

spectacular. >> wow! >> she's always looked good. >> a little bit later on, you might have to loosen your belt after this. that's right we'e' >> a steamy start today.

pretty mild, into the mid-70's. 88 to 92, partly cloudy skies. they pay showers tomorrow as a front approaches through here. and that's your latest weather. now let's head down to washington, d.c. and say hello to willie scott! >> hey, baby. listen, great show from las vegas. i have a wonderful souvenir from las vegas. and it's just terrific. thank you very much, assistant. now happy birthday to all of our thousands of fans from coast to coast.

hardest-working people in the world, pr people. all the help in las vegas. mary wilkins, henrico, north carolina. active deaconess and serves as the mother of her local church. clean living, she says, that will do it every time. stich leach, sunland, california, 100. i like this because we love our company. he worked for rca, our mother company for years, making tv repair calls. clients buster keaton, nat king cole. that was a great day, rca tv. great, great city. trixie bulick of fredonia, new york. 101 years old. devoted member of the eastern star. and one of the oldest members of the good old salvation army. j.d. maccallum of lima, ohio. her father was a jury foreman for john dillinger's trial.

how about that? didn't they put him away? and then he got out again. jim dalton of collinsville, illinois, is 100 years old. worked as a chemical engineer until the early 80s and still drives to tutor high school students. what do they got dillinger? didn't they get him in a movie theater? joe and odell plungeett of boaz, alabama. both are 94. attribute their marriage of longevity to never having children. may be something to that. and thanking god they found each other. that's sweet. meredith, back to you. >> all right, willard, thanks very much. you like ribs? a rib showdown live on our plaza, but first, this is "today" on nbc.

"today's kitchen" is brought to you by her very's bliss.

it's not just chocolate, it's bliss. >> and this morning on "today's kitchen," we've got a rib showdown. we brought three of the best kit masters in the nation here to our plaza for a little friendly competition. let me introduce the competitors. chris willie, author of big bob gibbs' barbecue book. ken callahan the master of blue smoke here in new york city. and ed mitchell is pit master of the pit in raleigh, north carolina. meredith and ann are down at the judge's table getting ready to eat. al knows our competitors so we are going to take you out of the judging. >> okay. >> let's start with you, chris, talk to me. what's the most outstanding feature of the ribs you're going to make? >> let's make a quick run-through. first of all, a nice dry rub. dry rub on both sides of the rib before we put it on. put that rib on the cooker for about 2 1/2 hours on 250 degrees. >> all right still no sauce. only dry rub at that point?

>> only dry rub. then we're going to mix pineapple juice, black cherry juice, little more dry rub, balsamic vinegar and a little bit of garlic, and then we drizzle this over the rib that has been cooking for 2 1/2 hours. >> okay. this is going to go back on the grill? >> we're going to wrap it tight. about a half a cup of juice in there. put it back on this grill right here. >> for how long this time? for about one hour. >> we take it off this time, what do you do to it before it's ready to be eaten. >> it comes out of the foil, this is the wrap and then we want to paint it down with the sauce. this sauce right here is really special. it is a reduction of red zinfandel, black cherry juice. it's got jalapenos, cherries, blackberries. >> is this one done? >> it's ready to go, my friend. >> let me give this a try. >> notice the moisture from that rib. the moisture comes from the ceramic cooker. >> that is good.

chris, stand by. >> kenny callahan from blue smoke. good to see you. you're doing a texas thing. you're doing beef ribs. >> exactly. >> you start off with a simple dry rub? >> mm-hmm. very simple. i have some black pepper. traditionally a texas thing. we sell a ton of these at the restaurant. a ton of them with catering. start off with a very simple rub. a lot of black pepper. kosher salt. paprika. and a little bit of soft brown sugar. just want to kind of mix this sugar around. the sugar will plump up a little bit. >> when people put on the rug, do you have to massage it? >> i like to massage it. i like to get in there, throw it all around, rub it. you've got to rub it like you love it. and then what i'm just doing here, taking them liberally. >> what kind of wood do you use? >> i use hickory traditionally or a little bit of mesquite. >> you put those on the grill? >> i'm going to put those right on here. >> how long?

>> these are going to go for about six to seven hours. >> right. >> you can also do it at home and get started with a little bit of smoke and finish it in your oven. >> i can't see! >> can i take a piece? go go ahead. >> i think these are the same ribs that the flintstones did. >> they're brontosaurus ribs. >> oh, meredith's got the small one. >> all right. and what do we have? >> down south the first thing, we are empowered with farmers who grow our meat freshly daily and we get our ribs cooked any time we need them, all fresh. this is the 4 1/2 pound -- >> you're going to dry rub this? >> same basic thing. we have about five or six different ingredients, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, a little garlic salt, a little cayenne. >> that goes on the grill? >> that goes on the grill first. we rub it the same way, basically. >> okay, no problem.

>> how long do you cook before you take it out and do the next test? >> actually what we do, we fire hot. 30 to 35 minutes on each side, take it off and put it in and ready to go in two hours. >> a lot of debate in north carolina, eastern, western, who has the best sauce. you're in the middle of the state. >> i've got to go down the middle because i represent the best state in the country. >> what's in the sauces? >> we got two different kinds, our western stale here, which is the tomato based. and we have our vinegar style here which is the eastern style, which i cater to that a little more. >> put it back on the grill? >> put it back on the grill. give it a good layer, get a good flavor. then top it off with our vinegar flavor. >> how long does it cook for the second time? >> for the second time, the whole process takes about two hours and you've got the most tender rib. first it's the quality of the meat. >> all right, thank you. come on down here. >> all right. >> all right. >> here we go. >> meredith, ann?

>> the judges must confer. >> this is very moist. >> i'm going with number two? >> i'm here. i'm here. >> ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. >> all right. >> it was very close competition. >> yes. >> it wasn't unanimous. >> it was not unanimous. the judges were split, but we are going with rib number two. down the middle here. >> all right, kenny. >> good for you. >> that's yours. >> all right. >> congratulations. >> can i say, this sauce is fantastic? >> they're all good. >> and it was really -- >> that is some trophy. >> there you go. >> thank you very much. >> we will display it proudly at blue smoke. >> all right, there you go. >> ed, chris, kenny, thank you all very much. >> unbelievable. >> we'll be back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

"today takes a vacation" is brought to you by expedia.com. this morning on "today takes a vacation," it is all about vegas, baby. but leave it to amy and natalie to go to school on a visit to sin city. honestly, guys? >> okay, not that kind of school, exactly. this is actually stiletto spy school, teaching us how to become the perfect double agent. >> yes. we now can mix martinis. we can knife fight. we have firearm training. but, men stay home, because this weekend is for women only. ♪

>> welcome to vegas. >> how are you? >> good. >> thank you. hi. >> welcome to stiletto spy school. mission las vegas. >> i went around the world looking for top experts in the field who had incredible knowledge, who could deliver that knowledge in a really fun, but incredibly effective, concise way. so that the girls in a weekend can get incredible take-home value. >> from mixing a martini to fending off an attacker. this women's-only weekend is intended to bring out the mrs. smith in all of us. your mission is to have a really, really good time here. >> and to kick some booty >> yes, yes. >> are we ready to go, girls? >> yes! >> let's go. >> this way. >> objective one, picking out our secret agent code name.

>> imdirty sue. >> i am baby legs. >> so what are your hobbies? >> okay, amy, we don't have all day for you to come up with your spy name, okay? >> you go first. i'll go second. >> i'm just going to be bond girl. >> bond girl. >> bond girl. >> i decided my spy name could wait. it was time for our first mission, burlesque dancing. >> is anybody a trained dancer? >> not. definitely not. >> the bump. >> i love your giggle. >> our names should be giggle one and giggle two. i'm just saying. >> we can kill people with our laugh. >> next mission, poker skills. >> all right. >> woo-hoo! >> baseball, poker face. >> okay. >> no one knows what i'm thinking right now.

>> i'm ready. >> all in. all in. >> natalie morales is out. >> you've got to be in the game to win it. >> beat you with three of a kind. you hear that? >> all right. okay. >> whoo! >> there's no poker face there. >> i feel like after tonight, and my poker face, i made go with lady gaga. what do you think? >> really, we all know who has a better poker face, right? >> a toast to the first day of spy school and the challenges. >> bond girl. >> bond girl! >> whoo! >> and what's your name? >> lady gaga. >> is that your new name? >> we're working on it. >> next up, knife fighting. so you came all the way from

south dakota to las vegas to take stiletto spy school? why? how did that happen? >> i feel like such a soccer mom, and not that there's anything wrong with soccer moms but i want to be something a little bit different than just a soccer mom. >> you want a little edge? >> i want a little edge to the soccer mom thing. >> we just finished knife fighting. i think i've got some moves. >> just have to admit natalie was pretty good with the knife fighting. especially with that move. pretty impressive. but you know what? match out, because firearms are next. this is a mother/daughter trip. why did you think it was important for rachel to go through stiletto spy school? >> i think it's empowering women and giving them confidence, and the ability to protect themselves. >> it helps at any age to know how to protect yourself in the world. >> draw! >> i still don't have a name yet but by the time this airs, i'm so going to have my name. definitely.

>> call her killer robach. >> killer robach. shut up bond girl. >> you look great. >> you look just as good. >> down, down. >> okay. go, go, go! okay. set your guns. >> thank you very much. >> thanks. >> you're welcome. >> i think we earned a martini, though. >> poolside. >> stiletto spy school, where you get it shaken, and stirred. >> what happens in vegas stays in vegas. >> okay, mario lopez is not included in stiletto spy school. >> and we should mention you don't have to come to vegas to go to stiletto spy school, different states, different cities across the country. so if you dare, women, you, too,

can become and claim to be a bond girl. >> robach, what is your spy name? did you finally come up with it? >> i've given this a lot of thought. i think my name is going to be steady aim. get it, aim, amy? >> very clever. >> after all that. >> well i actually think that's very clever. i do. steady aim and bond girl. i love it. >> we're going to start calling you that on a regular basis now. >> uh-oh. >> uh-oh. >> all right, ladies. thank you very much. we'll see you in just a little while. >> bye guys. >> they are having fun. >> we all had fun. >> absolutely. >> so far so good. >> they're all over me. pa

i was just thinking, you know, watching natalie and amy, you know, hopefully people will get an idea that they don't have to go very far from home, and that they can have some time, some fun together. it really is about the relationship. >> but it's about relationships. >> absolutely. >> i think the relationship, they're with two people, probably the biggest stars on the strip right now. a long and enduring relationship. natalie and amy, take it back. >> yeah. >> good morning! >> how about this?

>> this wide awake at this hour. >> no, this is what i say. this is the "today" show but for us it's the yesterday's really, really, really late show. >> you guys didn't sleep, right? >> i haven't been to bed yet. >> and you've got to get used to this, because you guys are actually breaking some news this morning. >> this is breaking news. >> breaking news, everybody. >> breaking news they just extended the contract for another two years. two 2012. >> lots of time. >> i've got to work with her for another two years. how are we going to do this? >> they wanted us to go to the year 2012 but that would be six months before the end of the world, according to the mayan calendar. >> i heard that. >> what about doing this live show, you're workaholics? >> first of all the show itself is amazing. the costumes, the gowns, the beading, the feathers. and marie's costumes are just as good. >> ba-dum-bump. >> thank you. >> where's the drum roll? >> thank you. >> you know, it is a workout.

there's a lot of dancing, a lot of singing. and we enjoy working to the again. >> you know, it's been really nice because vegas has been terrific. they kind of opened up their arms, and we've got -- >> and that's an ego booster right there. >> right there. >> all right. we're going to have much more with donny and marie coming up in just a little bit. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. the baltimore city health department says a street employee was one of the victims shot over the weekend. health commissioner says that the individual is recovering from multiple gunshot wounds, said to be non-life threatening. say streets is one of the programs designed to reduce gun violence in the city.

officials say that it is a reminder that homicide is the leading cause of death for city residents between the ages of 15 and 34. howard county police are searching for the person or persons who stabbed a 19-year- old on a basketball court. police say that the victim was stabbed five times. no word on his condition or a motive.

>> now let's look at the forecast with sandra shaw. >> we will see pretty inching forecast from the mountains of western maryland. a pretty dry day. humid, though. 91 the forecast high. it will feel worse than the 91- degree temperature reading simply because you have an immense amount of moisture that is engulfing the state of maryland. 88 on the shores of ocean city. tomorrow, a good chance of scattered showers and storms.

>> thank you for joining us. we want another update at 9:25. because at safeway, there's always... freshly picked produce at great prices. it's 100% guaranteed to be fresh and ripe, every time. so hurry in for delicious goodness, all right down the street. that's ingredients for life. that's safeway. right now, get sweet blueberries -- just 99¢ a pint with your club card. safeway just lowered the price of summer.

♪ i found my way out of the darkness