good morning. breaking news. a deadly shooting inside a suburban pittsburgh health club. a gunman walks into an exercise class, turns off the lights, and opens fire. three women and the shooter, dead. at least ten other women injured. heading home. two american journalists imprisoned for 4 1/2 months in north korea are on their way back to the u.s. this morning an exclusive interview with secretary of state hillary clinton about their case, and how her husband

negotiated their release. and abdul out. it's official, paula abdul announces she is leaving "american idol" after eight seasons. and her bosses at fox are wishing her the best "today," and her bosses at fox are wishing her the best "today," wednesday, august 5th, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this wednesday mark. i'm meredith vieira, lester holt is in for matt lauer. he has made his way to the l.a. fitness center in bridgeville, pennsylvania, overnight, the scene of that tragic health club shooting. good morning to you, lester. >> meredith, good morning to you. this is about 13 miles southwest of pittsburgh. we can tell you the pittsburgh post-gazette is reporting this morning, at least quoting two sources who claim one of the victims was the ex-girlfriend of the shooter. the shooter, a member of this

club, who apparently walked in about 8:00 last night, went into an aerobics room that was filled with women taking a latin impact class, he had a duffel bag, apparently reached for some weapons and opened fire. two women were killed at the scene. he took his own life. a third woman died on her way to the hospital. >> i just kind hearing repeatedly blasts of, i guess -- >> reporter: michael hentosz was working out at the l.a. fitness center in bridgeville tuesday night when he heard gunfire. >> i just kept hearing shots, about 30 shots. i seen people running all around and i started ducking down running for my life. it was one of the scariest things i've ever seen. >> we saw people on the treadmills, one by one, everybody was going on. everybody was like, hit the floor, hit the floor. >> reporter: according to eyewitnesses the gunman entered the gym carrying a duffel bag, then proceeded into an aerobics room where he turned out the lights and started shooting. stacy faulk was inside that room. >> it was so loud with the

gunshots, i mean all you hear are gunshots. i -- and just, screaming, i was behind one of the girls in front that gets hit and then when he was in the opposite corner shooting, i bolted. >> reporter: outside, chaos and confusion. >> people were running about screaming, and some had fled throughout the various stores in the facility. and their first thought, and rightfully was, was to get medical help to the people who needed it. >> reporter: l.a. fitness issued a statement saying each of us at the la fitness family are shocked and saddened by the senseless acts of violence that took place at the bridgeville club in pittsburgh. our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and friends. members of the community hoping for answers as to what happened to turn their world upside down. >> surreal. absolutely surreal. pandemonium. never in a million years would i have thought something like that would happen, 8:00, 9:00 at night at a gym.

>> reporter: lisa mill and stacy faulk are with us outside the club. they were both in that aerobics room last night when the firing began. ladies, thanks for being with us. stacy, let me begin with you. you were at a class of, we're told at least 22. you think it was more people in there at the time? >> it was a full class. i think between 30 girls, maybe 30 to 35. it was packed. >> tell me what you saw when this man walked into the room. >> i was towards the back of the room. he walked in. he just seemed like he was working out, i mean, but we were going through our routine. he walked in the door. he went back towards the back of the room where there's weights, and he had a duffel bag in his hand, and i just thought he was going to get a weight or going to the punching bags for his workout, which, i mean, in aerobics you wouldn't expect somebody to be doing that. >> then somebody turned the lights out? >> he was in the room for like a minute, and i saw him walk in, he was in there for a minute,

and then a minute later the lights go out, and then seconds later you just hear shooting, and he's shooting all over the room. >> did the teacher had her back to the class when all this started. >> she was going through the routine when the lights went out. she still seemed like she was going through the routine, because we just thought that the electricity was going out or something. it seemed like she was turning, i don't know, but as soon as the gunfire went off, then everybody started running towards the corner, or i guess some people ran out of the room at that point. >> did you see people actually hit? >> yeah. yes. >> and then how did you get out? >> i was in the -- he was shooting like this, a bunch of us girls were hovered around each other. i mean, everyone just spread out in the room and i was behind a few girls and i could see like him shooting like this, and he started to shoot in the opposite direction, so i -- i'm thinking do i stay and fake dead or the

door -- the door was open, the door that he entered, and i just booked it. a lot of girls just stayed in the room. >> and lisa, you were near the back of the room. i understand it's a glass, double glass door and it's kind of really the only way out. how did you get out? >> when i realized that it was, in fact, a gun he had in his hand, and it wasn't just like a power outage i just turned around and ran. i grabbed my friend and just ran as fast as i could out. i fell right outside the door, hit the carpet, and just somehow picked myself back up and ran till i got to the parking lot. >> did he say anything or did anyone offer any hint of recognition? >> no. >> i didn't hear anybody say anything. i heard our instructor yell -- >> the gunshots were so loud -- >> it was so loud. >> i just wanted to cover my ears. you just hear round after round and it's so loud, that's all you could hear. if he was saying anything, i couldn't hear him. >> i understand this is a pretty tight group that attends this class, a very popular teacher.

>> yes. >> she's very popular. mary, she's awesome. >> and she had an announcement for the class. >> yes, she had told us before class started that she would not be back after this week, that she was pregnant, and was going to take some time off from teaching the class, because she needed to rest. so -- everybody was really sad that she was going because, i mean, she makes the class. >> she was one of those who was wounded. do you know any others who didn't get out? >> i know of one other girl that was wounded but is okay. >> what was the scene like in the parking lot as people began pouring out of the building? >> it was just people running in every direction. i mean, me and my friend found somebody that was getting in there car and asked if we could get in and jumped in the car. we didn't know if he was coming outside. it was just complete chaos. >> i just remember when i was running out of the room, i was screaming like he's shooting, he's shooting. i guess the employees at la fitness are telling people to leave, that they didn't know where he was. i was screaming like call 911. when i came outside there were people pounding on like fashion

bug and the doors by saying call 911. because you're working out. it's not like you have your cell phone. all of us were doing our routine. >> a lot of the confusion last night is because people obviously don't have their i.d. and phones with them, they were out here and no way to identify them. stacy and lisa, thank you very much for talking with us. we do appreciate. meredith, we should note the gunman apparently left a note and there were multiple weapons, according to authorities, found beneath him that he had brought into the room. >> thank you very much. we're going to check in with lester in just a little while. now to the other big story we're following this morning. that is the release of two american journalists imprisoned in north korea for the last 4 1/2 months. we're going to hear from secretary of state hillary clinton about her husband's mission to north korea in just a moment. but first nbc's chris jansing is at the airport in burbank, california, where they are expected to touch down in just a little over an hour from now. chris, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. you can just imagine how thrilled the families of laura

ling and euna lee are. they had worked firelessly for their release since they were arrested five months ago on the border of north korea and china. it took months of top secret negotiations and the intervention of former president bill clinton to bring the women's harrowing ordeal to a happy ending. late reaction to the release came this morning from secretary of state hillary clinton, who is traveling in africa. >> we have been working hard on the release of the two journalists. we've also considered that a totally separate issue from our efforts to re-engage the north koreans and have them return to the six-party talks and work toward a commitment for the full, verifiable denuclearization of the korean peninsula. >> reporter: after 140 days of fear and uncertainty, laura ling and euna lee walked away from north korea, free women again, looking well, and bound for

home. their release followed a stunning, unannounced mission to pyongyang by performer president bill clinton. after a meeting with the reclusive north korean dictator kim jong-il, the journalists were granted a pardon, dismissing a sentence of 12 years hard labor on charges of entering the country illegally. for the women's families, it was the end of a long and hart-rending ordeal. >> well, of course i'm elated. and this is one of the happiest days of my life. >> reporter: while jailed, lee missed her 4-year-old daughter hannah's preschool graduation. lee wasn't home for her fifth wedding anniversary. her sister lisa told the "today" show in june how agonizing the wait had become. >> it seems like we've been in this kind of perpetual holding pattern. we literally sit by our computers, trolling the internet for information, and wait for the phone calls to come, and we maintain our hopes. >> reporter: their hopes were realized after what nbc news has learned were months of secret

negotiations, including assurances that the former president would not come home empty-handed. al gore, the former vice president, and lee and ling's boss at current tv, personally asked clinton to go. for kim, the visit is generally regarded as a coup, at a time of heightened tensions over north korea's nuclear ambitions. bill clinton is extremely popular in north korea. his arrival was widely reported there. and this photo was released, of a smiling president kim. former u.s. ambassador to the u.n., john bolton, called the trip a propaganda victory for north korea, and a reward for hostage taking. but california senator dianne feinstein, who had pushed for a high-level envoy to make the trip, dismissed the criticism. >> i think that's nonsense. these are american citizens. what would you have us do? leave them there, do nothing? the trip was a success for the president. it's a success for the girls. my reaction is it's great.

>> reporter: also on that plane with lee and ling and former president clinton is former vice president al gore. we do expect to hear remarks from him when the plane lands, and then we're told, the two former captives from north korea, now again free american citizens, are going to laura ling's mom's house, which isn't far from here at the airport, for what you can only imagine will be a very happy family reunion. meredith? >> some good news. chris jansing, thank you very much. nbc's chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell is traveling with secretary of state hillary clinton. she is in nairobi, kenya, this morning, where she sat down with secretary clinton just a few moments ago. andrea, good morning to you. >> good morning, meredith. it is a very happy turnout for hillary clinton. clintons, secretary clinton, and her staff, were deeply involved in the negotiations. negotiations that ended with north korea saying that they would turn the women over to president clinton.

and once there were assurances that the women would be turned over, they decided to go ahead. but you could imagine her excitement today, as i talked about -- talked with her about her husband's very dramatic role. >> he was so relieved, and so happy to be bringing these young women home. i think it, in a way, is even more personal since we have a daughter approximately the same age, and he told me it was, you know, very moving experience. he can't wait to get them reunited with their families. so, on the basis of the humanitarian mission, we feel very good. but i want to be sure people don't confuse what bill did, which was a private, humanitarian mission to bring these young women home, with our policy, which continues to be one that gives choices to north

korea. they can continue on the path they are on, or perhaps they will now be willing to start talking to us within the context of the six-party talks about the international desire to see them denuclearized. >> your husband thent more than three hours with jim congrekim jong-il. he's the highest ranking person to visit north korea in decades. is that really a possible breakthrough? >> well, we don't know. i mean, that wasn't the purpose of it, and it certainly is not anything we're counting on, because the obama administration has to deal with north korea going forward. but i hope that north korea makes the right choice. >> so there were talks between the united states and north korea? that's a step. >> well, we do have some channels to talk with north

korea, and as the background briefing received from high administration officials made clear overnight, when the message came to us from the young women themselves to their families, to former vice president gore, and then to the administration, that sending my husband would be the best way to ensure their release, of course we took that very seriously, discussed it, the white house reached out, as they said, to my husband to ask him if he'd be willing to do that. there were briefings about it. but in order to manage the logistics of it, it did require communication with channels representing the north korean government. that's not the first time, nor will it be the last, that something like that happens. but we would like to see our conversations back in a broader context.

>> and as you can see, they were very excited but she's trying to send a signal that this could be a breakthrough if north korea makes that choice. i asked her also about the three americans, meredith, who are in iran, whether bill clinton could go to iran? she said that's way premature. they don't even know where or how these three americans are building held. but this advice from the secretary of state, don't go near a hostile country's borders. she said if you're a journalist, if you're an american, if you're a hiker, find another place to hike. just don't go that close to these borders because really bad things can happen. meredith? >> andrea mitchell, thank you. new mexico governor bill richardson is a former united nations ambassador and has negotiated previous releases of americans from north korea. governor richardson, good morning to you. >> good morning, meredith. >> i know, governor, that you were working with the administration to secure the release of these two young journalists and you knew about this potential trip.

so what can you tell us, if anything, about what was going on behind the scenes leading up to this? and also, why was president clinton chosen? was that at the request of north korea? >> well, it mostly like was at the request of north korea, because the administration had been negotiating almost for five months. a lot of envoys were presented to the north koreans. but i think kim jong-il, the leader of north korea, wanted president clinton, a man of immense stature, who would give kim jong-il a lot of credibility at home, would shore up his domestic base. they're having succession issue there. kim jong-il wants to leave one of his sons as the leader of north korea. so it's mainly domestic politics for kim jong-il to want and get somebody like president clinton. >> you know, governor, a picture is worth a thousand words as they say, what does that photo of kim jong-il smiling next to clinton say about how important all of this was for north korea, and him specifically?

>> well, the message is that north korea's saying i am a major international player, we have nuclear weapons. we've got a former president on our soil. if he wanted the american journalists, he had to come and get them. but there are a lot of winners here. the u.s. wins because we get the two journalists. a lessening of tensions. possibly we start talking to north korea. the international community wins because there's a huge lessening of tensions in this nuclear standoff. and then north korea wins, especially kim jong-il, because he shows his countrymen that he can deliver a former president, and that he's a major player on the world stage. so it's good news for everybody. mainly, getting the two americans home to their families. >> and yet some are suggesting, including president george w. bush as ambassador to the u.n. john bolton that this is a bad move, it's a propaganda victory for north korea and sets a dangerous precedent. do you believe that it does?

>> no, it doesn't. because right now the relationship is extremely rocky. there's no dialogue between the united states and north korea. north korea has shut themselves off. by having president clinton go and ease tensions, get the journalists out, the smiling pictures of the two leaders, there's a lot of tension that has been dramatically reduced. >> i understand that you have spoken to some of laura ling and euna lee's family members. can you share with us any of those conversations? >> well, yes, i talked to lisa ling. she and i had been communicating continuously throughout these five months. the family is ecstatic. they're relieved. there was enormous tension, because we didn't know about the women, whether they were going to the forced labor camps. apparently they've been treated well, with regular visits, and they stayed in a guest house, rather than a prison. so, hopefully they'll be able to shed more light on how they were

treated. but, there's enormous relief, not just in the families, but in america, that our government has gone to the well to release and help detainees around the world. and i think that's a very important message. >> all right, new mexico governor bill richardson. leave it at that. thank you so much. >> thank you. and now let's get a check of the morning's other top stories from ann curry over at the news desk. >> all right, good morning, meredith. good morning, everybody. in the news also this morning, today in iran, mahmoud ahmadinejad was sworn in for a second term as president. he appealed for unity, even as protesters outside chanted death to the dictator. opposition leaders claimed that ahmadinejad stole the election, and when asked if the u.s. now recognizes ahmadinejad as president, white house press secretary robert gibbs called him, the elected leader of iran. a suspected u.s. missile strike killed at least two people today in pakistan. among them a wife of a top taliban leader. louisville kentucky is

recovering from some severe flooding brought on by more than six inches of rain in two hours on tuesday. the storm swamped roads and homes and left thousands without power. fire at a fuel storage facility in michigan forced hundreds of people from their homes on tuesday. the fire sent exploding oil barrels flying into the air. today, president obama heads to northern indiana to announce more than $2 billion in grants aimed at creating electric cars and jobs. and a highway hazard in israel. look at this. three runaway harss found themselves in oncoming traffic. one of them ended up jumping over a car. the driver and the horse were only slightly hurt. ay-yi-yi. it is now 7:21. meredith, back to you. >> another ay-yi-yi. thank goodness everybody's okay.

>> we are in expecting showers and storms later on this afternoon through this evening. in the meantime, partly cloudy skies. 87 at 91. that will close down a bit tomorrow.

and that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you. and still ahead, new information on the deadly wrong-way crash in new york. police now say the driver, who killed herself and seven others, including her young daughter and three nieces, was drunk and high. we'll get the very latest.

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>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. here's a look at one of our top stories. city officials and the governor are calling it a valuable part of the economic stability of baltimore, but not everyone is

on board with the plan for an east-west light rail system. it would be called the red line. the governor wrote the light rail yesterday, saying that expansion is good for the economy and for future generations. but groups like the east -- like a west-east coalition are concerned that it would divide the corridor. they said a tunnel causing delays and possible collisions. let's check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> dangerous the situation on the ramp from the northbound 95 to westbound 32. disclosure is not very well indicated. we are watching is a lot of motorists are backing up on that ramp. want to use extra caution. only the shoulders are squeezing by. we are seeing delays developing here on out of the par-4 road. delays on the white marsh area.

other problems in the area of sock and to wonder 95, a vehicle fire there. south -- down 295, a vehicle fire there. less than no., yesterday closed -- westbound no., right lane closed. as you can see, five minutes on southbound 95. you want to be posted on those problems this morning. >> partly sunny out there. pretty you might as well. a 77 downtown, 83 degrees in ocean city. between 87 and 91. good chance of scattered showers and storms late in the afternoon and overnight tonight. >> check the bottom of your screen for updated is a traffic screen for updated is a traffic

7:30 now on this wednesday morning, august 5th, 2009. a sad morning in the suburban pittsburgh town of bridgeville, pennsylvania, where three women are dead, and at least ten others injured, after a man went on a shooting rampage inside a health club before killing himself. inside studio 1a, i'm meredith vieira, alongside ann curry. lester holt is in bridgeville this morning, filling in for matt. lester, good morning to you.

>> meredith, good morning. all the victims, women, all taking an impact aerobic class when this t this man walked in to start his shooting. we're going to start to someone who helped in the rescue even as the shots were being fired. >> also ahead, startling new information on the wrongway crash that killed seven people in new york. >> that's right, meredith. police say the mother responsible for the death of her 2-year-old daughter, three young nieces, and three strangers, as well as her own, was drunk, and high on marijuana at the time of the crash. we're going to get the latest on this and also hear from one of the investigators in just a moment. >> and then on a much lighter note, why paula abdul has decided to call it quits on "american idol." and we're also going to get a sneak peek at susan boyle's glamorous new photo shoot for "harper's bazaar." >> but first, let's begin with lester and last night's deadly health club shooting in pennsylvania. lester? >> meredith, we have learned from the pittsburgh "tribune review" they're reporting that the shooter is 48-year-old

george sadini. he took his own life after opening fire on the women in this club last night, about 8:00, he walked in. with apparently multiple weapons and a duffel bag, turned out the lights and opened fire. two of the women died here. a third died on the way to the hospital. and ten others were injured in the shooting rampage. one of the people who was here last night when it happened, richard walker. he joins me now. you were playing a pickup basketball game at the gym adjacent to the aerobics studio. what did you hear? >> heard two gunshots. and two kids coming running in the gym. but you wouldn't think they were gunshots. you know, just thought two kids banging against the wall. they come running in, so we're still pickup game still running. then about six, seven other gunshots. screaming, and everybody coming to the gym. >> so you come out of the gym now, and as people coming out of this aerobics studio. >> right. running into the gym where we were. >> at one point you encountered an injured woman. tell me about that. >> yes, she was -- everybody was running out the gym because of the side exit door, and she got -- she made it through the

door, to the door, and couldn't make it any further, draining blood. i picked her up and took her about 50 yards away from the fitness center >> she'd taken a shot to the leg? >> the upper thigh. >> you physically carried her out? >> picked her up. >> not out of this entrance but a side entrance. and the shots were still ringing out? >> yes, still ringing. everybody was running for the gym. probably eight or nine. by the time we got to the parking lot there was probably another ten more. >> you leave the building, other people are leaving the bimding, there's no police on the scene, you have no idea whether this guy is going to come out. >> exactly, no. all the coworkers were telling us to get in front of the building because everybody was lined up on the side, and kept hearing gunshots. >> no one really knew quite what to do. the woman that you helped. was she able to describe what she had seen? >> no, she just kept repeatedly saying, he's going to kill me. he's going to kill me. he's going to kill me. the whole time i was carrying her. >> did she know who he was? >> no. i kept hearing she said it was ex-boyfriend. she said it was some guy.

and i think it was an ex-boyfriend thing. >> that has been reported by one of the papers here. richard walker, i understand that it was a pretty traumatic night for you, as well. thank you so much for coming out and talking to us. >> thank you. >> meredith, we'll send it back to you in new york. >> lester, that note that was found in the shooter's duffel bag, do we have any more information about what that note contained? >> not much information. we know there was a note. we know that they found guns underneath his body. he apparently came in with multiple weapons in that duffel bag. police are still trying to put together what we know, as our guest just mentioned, one of the newspapers here is reporting that one of the victims was the ex-girlfriend of the shooter, but police are trying to piece together a motive and right now they're not specifically talking about one. >> all right, lester, thank you so much. what a tough story. and now we've got to make a tough turn and get a check of the weather from al roker who is in los angeles this morning. hey, al. >> all right, thanks,

>> a friend is on of the move. that is going to be showers and storms statewide today. chance late this afternoon in baltimore, scattered showers and storms. 91 ahead of that. on ocean

and that's your latest weather. ann? >> all right, al, thank you. and now to a stunning development involving the driver who caused a deadly wrong-way crash in new york. "today" national correspondent natalie morales has details now. natalie, good morning. >> good morning to you, ann. that's right. a toxicology report now reveals that driver 36-year-old diane shuler's blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit. police say she drank vodka and smoked marijuana before getting into the minivan to take her young son and daughter and three nieces home from a weekend camping trip. she ended up heading the wrong way on a suburban parkway for nearly two miles before slamming into an suv. >> diane schuler had a blood alcohol content of 0.19%. the legal limit for intoxication in new york state is 0.08%. >> reporter: shocking news from the police during tuesday's press conference. >> around that level of alcohol you also start to get what's called tunnel vision, where your perception is changed. >> reporter: police recovered a

broken vodka bottle at the scene and reported that alcohol was not the only substance in her system at the time of the crash. >> toxicology also reveals a high level of thc in her blood. thc is the active ingredient contained in marijuana. >> just one of those things that tragic no matter which way you look at it. >> reporter: these could be the first of many clues explaining why diane schulor, a 36-year-old mother, drove her minivan the wrong way on the taconic parkway, slamming into an oncoming suv. the crash killed her, her 2-year-old daughter, three nieces and three men. on july 26th, around 9:30 a.m., schuler loaded the kids into her vehicle and left camp ground in sullivan county, supposedly homeward bound. her husband daniel had gone on a fishing trip, and told investigators that everything had seemed fine. but at 1:02 p.m., schuler called her brother warren to say she felt disoriented. he offered to meet her but lost

contact. eyewitnesses reported erratic driving by the minivan, which entered the parkway on an exit ramp, then proceeded to head south in the northbound lane. schuler drove the wrong way for nearly two miles before the ordeal ended with the three-war collision at 1:35. mourners outside our lady of victory church in floral park last thursday heard this heart-wrenching plea from her brother during the funeral for his three daughters, niece and sister. >> love your children. cherish your children. kiss your children. and don't ever forget. >> reporter: meanwhile members of the bestardi family, the father and son killed in the crash, told reporters they are outraged, calling the accident a murder, not a homicide, and now they want to meet with prosecutors to discuss the case. as for the lone survivor of that crash, 5-year-old brian remains hospitalized in stable condition. ann? >> natalie, thanks. new york state police captain

arthur boyko is a member of the team investigating the crash. good morning. >> good morning. >> based on the facts, vodka in the van, a blood alcohol content of 0.19%, was diane schuler drinking while driving or was it possible she was intoxicated from the night before? >> no, we don't believe she was intoxicated from the night before. we have no indication that she started drinking until she started her trip back home. >> do you have any evidence that she has had a problem with drinking while driving before? that she had any problems with alcohol and drug use in past experiences? >> there's no history whatsoever that we've learned of any alcohol and/or drug abuse. from what we understand, as i said, she began drinking shortly after leaving the camp ground, headed back home. >> as you mentioned, she actually was with family at that campground, and that is going to make it even more difficult, the

findings that we're reporting this morning, are going to make the tragedy even more difficult for that family. she was with her husband that morning at the camp ground, she spoke to her brother before the fatal crash. do they know what led her to drink so much with five children under her care? >> no, they don't. we're still trying to get more information from the family. the cooperation we've received has been limited. and we hope to get some more information from them to learn a little bit more about diane schuler. >> can you explain why the cooperation is limited, sir? >> i -- i cannot. they're in the grieving process right now. it's a little delicate issue. so we're going to give them some time. but certainly we would like to learn as much as possible about diane and the conduct prior to the accident. >> have you been able to determine that she was or was not an alcoholic, or is that something still pending in your investigation? >> the investigation is still

ongoing. but there's no indication, as i said, of any alcohol abuse. that we've talked to so far. >> hmm. so, as you know, their one child survived this accident. is it possible that anything that you might find in your investigation might lead to criminal charges in this case? >> we don't anticipate any criminal charges at all. >> so, it's an ongoing investigation. what is your focus? >> well, we'd still like to learn about diane schuler. we'd like to speak to witnesses that may have observed her driving that morning. we're still doing the reconstruction of the accident, so those things are still pending. >> and there is hope, i suppose, in thank you at effort that some learning fact may come out of this, that there would be something that we all can gain from learning about what happened here? >> oh, no doubt. i mean here it is a tragedy. a woman coming home from a family vacation on a sunday

afternoon, and look at the devastation that it's caused. >> captain, thank you so much. and good luck in your investigation, sir, and thank you. >> you're welcome. thank you. >> and we'll be back right after this.

back now at 7:44. now to an "american idol" stunner. last night in a post on her twitter page, judge paula abdul declared she is leaving the show. >> you've moved me from the beginning. >> we watched her cry. dance. sometimes behave oddly. >> oh, my god, it's like the same place. >> and often battle simon. >> you know, i just want to -- >> now paula abdul is saying good-bye to "american idol." last night on her twitter page, paula posted a message to her

fans saying, with sadness in my heart, i've decided not to return to idol. i'll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all being a part of a show that i helped from day one become an international phenomenon. i do without any doubt have the best fans in the entire world and i love you all. >> we love her, paula abdul. >> tuesday night fox confirmed what many fans didn't want to hear. but the followers of "american idol" the news may come as no surprise. not after idol producers added a second female judge last season and gave host ryan seacrest a huge raise, reportedly leaving paula abdul angry and hurt. simon, randy and cara dioguardi will remain as judges, leaving the show without a pop star as it enters its ninth season. and leaving critics to question if, without paula, the show's sliding ratings will continue to suffer. sorry to see her go.

up next, a first look at susan boyle's new fashion spread in "harper's bazaar." that's right after this.

back now at 7:49. meredith, you interviewed scottish singing sensation susan boyle, who told you fame was like a giant demolition ball. >> look at her. she posed for an exclusive photo shoot for next month's issue of "harper's bazaar" magazine. special editor laura brown takes us through susan's incredible makeover. >> that's lovely. >> "harper's bazaar" did the first magazine photo shoot with susan boyle because we were all talking about her. who doesn't remember the time when she opened her mouth and sang on "britain's got talent" in april. ♪ i dreamed a dream in time gone by ♪ >> we called the article susan boyle, unsung hero, because she's lived 47 years without a

spotlight. she came onto the stage and just transfixed us all. everybody's heart soared when they saw her sing. the idea behind the shoot was a very, very simple one. it was to take gorgeous, glamorous, sensitive portraits of her. this is her first magazine photo shoot, so you can't do too much too soon. and she was thrilled with the clothes. she was like oh, these are really knockout numbers and she felt like a hollywood star. that's what we're trying to do. make her feel like she was a participant in the shoot. she has such a presence, and she was so comfortable. she actually did a little bit of moonwalking in her heels at one point. i think susan is getting more and more used to being in the spotlight. being on television and being photographed. i think in the last, since april, you've seen her look just day-to-day become more polished and refined. she's growing in her confidence with what she will wear and how she'll be perceived. what she did on our shoot is we gave her a little bit of a haircut, that was it. a little bit of a girl. just tidied it up a little bit

and paired it with natural makeup and she looks great. one of my favorite looks was the beautiful long-sleeved sequinned gown. she is a woman who lived very privately until now, very simply. you don't want to put her in a crazy couture dress. she would feel uncomfortable in it. another is a beautiful, classic purple michael kors long-sleeved dress with a groovy fun j. crew necklace. and you can tell in the picture she looks really confident, she feels really great. it was great to see susan so excited. when she saw the clothing she was thrilled. there were so many options for her to play around with and try. and she said i feel like a knockout in this. >> really feel like a hollywood actress. >> her laugh is quite, like a real robust scottish kind of cackle. when you hear that laugh, and you just like, i think everybody just lights up. i think susan boyle's greatest

beauty strength is the twinkle in her eye, honestly. she's so excited to be doing what she's doing. i think that enthusiasm was so infectious to all of us who watched her and will continue to watch her over the next few years. >> i think they captured her beautifully. >> good for her. she looks beautiful in the photographs. >> she did look beautiful. i love that mention of her laugh, too. still ahead the bank teller who lost his job because he ran down a would-be robber. >> you're going to meet him after your local news.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. you want to get a check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> dealing with a new accident in the westminster area. on northbound 27 in the area of

the key to render road, all areas are blocked in the northbound direction. we are still dealing with delays on southbound 295 in the area of 100 due to a vehicle fire. accident off to the shoulder. west on northern parkway, watch for the right lane closure due to the water main break. delay-wise, not doing all that bad. nothing major on a 95 coming out of the white marsh area. in the area of 32, that accident scene. what you can see is that there are any delays because of it. let's switch to a live view of traffic. there are delays on harford road heading towards providence. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> a whole lot of nothing over the state. but to our north, it would be sliding to the south today, and we will see strong showers and storms.

this is sliding to the south of the mid-tennessee valley. no real threat from that for us. a 60% chance as a result of scattered showers and possibly some strong storms. ahead about, 87 to 91. 84 tomorrow. 84 friday. >> check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information. ou

♪ and you're listening to jason mraz. the one and only jason mraz who is going to join us out on the plaza this friday for our summer concert series. the crowd here in new york city looking forward to that. >> we're going to see his smiling face out on the plaza and we're delighted to have them here with us any day of the

week. >> no kidding. >> it's a great crowd. >> you know, off camera, the crowd is really great. had a birthday last week. it's nice to have them here. >> all right a real life hero whose act of bravery cost him his job. >> that's right. his name is jim nicholson. he's from seattle. he made a split-second decision when a would-be bank robber came to his bank, and he ran after him. he ran after him, and got him and guess what? he's been fired for doing that. we have an interview with jim this morning. >> i know. >> oh, right? >> now wait. the bank has its own position on this. >> now calm down. >> calm down, everybody. >> we'll find out more about that coming up. >> also ahead, how far would you go to help someone you don't know at all. >> i would go as far as possible. >> in a moment we're going to introduce you to seven real-life heroes and the complete strangers whose lives they are credited with saving.

it is really a wonderful story. and the doctor involved in this case is a terrific, terrific guy. >> says a lot about what's fantastic about human nature. also coming up we'll be talking about on a much lighter note some things, one of the things we really don't have enough time -- to cook. so for the -- we're going to have ideas so that you can get in and out of the kitchen very fast. >> first a check of the top morning stories. ann is with me here. natalie inside at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. horror at a pennsylvania health club last night when a gunman stormed inside an aerobics class and began firing, killing at least three people before killing himself. nbc's lester holt is in bridgeville, pennsylvania. and lester, do we know anything more about the shooter and his motive? >> we don't know what the motive is. we know a note was left, natalie. we also know that, according to the "pittsburgh post gazette" the shooter's ex-girlfriend was one of the victims. another paper, the "pittsburgh

tribune review" reports the shooter is george sodini, a 48-year-old. we can tell you that there is a website linked to that name, aiths an online blog in which the writer talks about going to the gym, has some racist rants, and an inability to find women to date. again we don't know if, in fact, that is the shooter who wrote that blog. but it's interesting to note. police obviously are questioning people who were here. three women killed, the shooter killed himself. ten others were hurt. five of those, at least five of those were in critical condition when they were taken away from here last night. >> lester holt in bridgeville, pennsylvania. thank you, lester. a much-anticipated homecoming today for two american journalists arrested in north korea in march. arriving this morning in california, laura ling and euna lee, along with former president bill clinton. north korean leader kim jong-il pardoned the two women tuesday after meeting with the former president clinton. lee and ling were serving a

12-year sentence for entering north korea illegally. the national guard has been deployed in louisville, kentucky, after fast-moving thunderstorms callsed severe flooding tuesday. dozens of people had to be rescued from their homes. the flooding shut down the university of louisville and churchill downs horse track. in the michael jackson case, jackson's father says he wants no part in raising jackson's children. this, as we learned of new developments in the criminal investigation. nbc's jeff rossen has the latest once again from los angeles. jeff, good morning. >> reporter: hi, natalie. good morning to you. we've been telling you the entire criminal case rides now on the toxicology report. this morning, nbc news has confirmed the report is now complete, and the lapd is in the driver's seat. they could make the next move here. after 41 days, five search warrants, and countless subpoenas for medical reports, the criminal investigation is coming to a head. the l.a. county coroner now confirms they know what drugs were in michael jackson's system. but the lapd won't allow the

release. yet. >> the main reason to hold back this kind of information is so that law enforcement doesn't hit their hand to an imminent arrest, or future search warrants. >> reporter: court papers reveal authorities are looking into several doctors, but dr. conrad murray remains the focus of the investigation, as police searched his home and office, looking for evidence of manslaughter, and prescribing to an addict. the addict being michael jackson. frank dileo has been friends with jackson since the '70s and was his manager at the time of his death. do you think doctors who prescribed him medication when they shouldn't have should pay for this? >> somebody should pay. somebody helped a person die. >> reporter: if michael was dependent on painkillers, what do you think his level of responsibility was? >> well, he has some responsibility, too. he shouldn't have been doing that. if he was in that much pain, he should say something to other people besides doctors. >> reporter: maybe you? >> maybe me. why he didn't confide in me, i'll go to my grave wondering about that one.

>> reporter: he says michael was crystal clear about his children, though. he did not want his father joe jackson raising them. and it appears he'll get that. he signed court papers just this week promising to play a limited role in the kids' lives. >> jeff rossen in los angeles. thank you, jeff. and the president celebrated his 48th birthday at the white house by delivering a plate of cup cakes to veteran print journalist helen thomas, who shares his birthday and turned 89 on tuesday. and the president joked that he and helen share the same wish, world peace, and getting a health care reform bill passed. 8:06 right now. let's get another check of the weather from al, who is in los angeles. >> all right. thanks a lot, natalie. we've got a

>> a warm start. 77 downtown. 71 at b.w.i. marshall. going into the upper eighties to low nineties with a 60% chance of late afternoon and evening of late afternoon and evening and that's your latest weather. meredith? >> oh, actually it's me, al. thank you so much. still to come this morning, we've got a bank teller who was fired after foiling a bank robbery. that's coming up in the next few

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his story. >> reporter: jim nicholson has lots of time on his hands these days, after being terminated as a teller at a seattle bank. for taking on this man, shown in surveillance video pushing a backpack over the bank counter and demanding money. nicholson threw the bag back at the man and chased him out of the bank. >> i pursued him down an al why iway and then we went down main street. i felt confident that i could apprehend him, i could stop him from doing this again. >> reporter: and with the help of a passerby he did stop the suspect, identified as aaron sloane. while sloane has not yet been charged in this case, he is on federal probation for similar crimes. nicholson's reward for his actions? the bank fired him. why? a key bank spokesperson wouldn't directly comment, but did say, key's highest priority is to

protect the safety of its clients and employees above all else. this clip from the movie "out of sight" starring george clooney as the bad guy, illustrates what bank tellers are instructed to do, cooperate with the robber. >> your first time being robbed? you're doing great. just smile, already, so you don't look like you're being held up. >> in no way do we suggest physical confrontation with robbers. too many things can go wrong. >> reporter: still, some bank customers expressed shock at the firing of nicholson. >> i just can't believe that he would get fired for doing something that i feel was right. >> reporter: as for nicholson, he says despite being fired, if he had to do it all over again, he would. for "today," george lewis, nbc news, los angeles. >> and jim nicholson is now joining us. good morning. >> good morning. >> you'd do it all over again? why? >> i think i would. i know it's something that's in my nature. just kind of how i was raised. >> like justice thing or what's your deal? >> i think it's just, yeah, that

i have, you know, a feeling that i have to right the wrongs if i see them, you know. if something goes wrong around me i have to try to do what i can to make it right. >> this all happened very fast. >> mm-hmm. >> when you came up, a few words were exchanged, right? what did you guys say to each other? >> he put the bag on the counter. he said this is a ransom, fill the bag with money. i took the bag from the counter, i threw it on the ground and i said where is it referring to a weapon if he had one. he said it's a verbal ransom. >> wait, wait, wait, he could have had a weapon, jim. >> he may have. >> and you said where is it? >> yeah, that's what i was trying to see it. >> that is bad. you're bad like bad you know, behavior. wow, what made you do that? you're watching a lot of movies? or you just were angry. >> honestly, i wasn't angry at all. i was very calm, surprisingly. i just wanted to prevent him from doing this. i knew if i let him go, he could come back to the branch. he could go to another bank, do it again. so i felt i had to stop him.

go now your bank, i'm sure, they trained you to be a teller told you what you should or should not do under the circumstance. and what did they tell you to do? >> we are supposed to comply with what the robber says. we're supposed to hand it over, let them leave the branch, lock the door behind them and call the police. >> you thought you might be able to do that under the circumstances, circumstance happened and that's not -- >> it's one thing to receive training, but when it actually happened just something else kind of clicks and you just go with, you know, what comes to you. >> as george said the bank, you know, decided that you violated policy and said, you know, our policies and procedures are in the best interest of public safety and are consistent with industry standards. money, which is insured, can be replaced. lives cannot. so i know we're kind of smiling here but could you possibly have jeopardized life. have you thought seriously that maybe this wasn't the right thing to do? >> yeah. you know, it, again it's difficult when you're thrown into the situation, to clearly think of all the possibilities.

but, again, i feel if i let him go, maybe, you know, it could end up in a police pursuit. there could be a shoot-out. it could be just as dangerous to let him go without apprehending him. >> so when the bank fired you, how did you -- is it fair to say you were expecting a hero's welcome and you basically were -- what was your reaction? >> i knew what i had done was against policy. i hoped for a reprimand, maybe a write-up, something like that. i didn't expect to get fired. especially, i have good relations with the people who are in my branch. but unfortunately it's out of their hands. >> i know you're now out of work. i'd hire you. >> thank you. >> you maybe should think about the fbi. >> yeah. it's a consideration. >> yeah. well, george clooney in real life. thank you so much. >> thank you. >> thank you so much this morning. jim nicholson. and still do come this morning, how did the casting call for the next "sex and the city" movie go? we're going to show you. but nasonex relief may i say...

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this morning on "today's health," the life-saving kindness of strangers. in a moment we will meet seven people who donated a kidney to someone they had never met. but first nbc's tom costello has the touching story. >> reporter: 5:30 a.m. in washington, and larry is headed to surgery. someone, he doesn't know who, will soon get one of his kidneys. >> we're going to take good care of you. >> all right. >> once again you are a hero, my man. >> reporter: it's also deeply personal. larry's wife elizabeth is in kidney failure and on dialysis. >> i do not want to live like this. i want to go -- i want to die. that's what i said to myself. >> reporter: the trouble, larry's blood isn't compatible for a kidney transplant. but maybe he could donate to someone else. >> i live in the hospital for her and i hear her every night

crying and talking to god and there's nothing i can do. >> reporter: great grandmother linda russell is also here to give a kidney though no one she knows needs one. she's flown in from st. louis simply to donate. >> it's a beautiful thing. and like i said, it's a blessing for me to be able to do it. >> reporter: people like daysha pinker whose father gave her a kidney 14 years ago, but now that kidney is failing. >> it's very draining. it's no kind of life at all for anyone. >> "x" marks the spot. >> reporter: and jordan is here also donating a kidney simply because he can. >> i've got two and somebody can use one and makes me uncomfortable for a little while. seems like it's a -- like it's worth it. >> reporter: alsos there craig, dominic, terry, lori, brian, jacqueline, shawn and elaine. in all an unprecedented 14 surgeries over four days. with ambulances rushing kidneys

between georgetown university hospital, and washington hospital center. dr. keith balonson is the director of kidney transplants at georgetown. >> kidney disease is epidemic in this country at present. but especially in minority communities and most especially among african-americans. >> reporter: diabetes and high blood pressure are to blame. nationwide, 80,000 people are waiting for a kidney. 32% are black. and there aren't enough donors. here in washington, the need is especially acute. 6,000 people are on dialysis, a vast majority african-americans. yet doctors only perform 250 transplants each year. one big problem, minorities often build up antibodies that cause organ rejection. so the doctor helps pioneer a process to filter the antibodies from blood transma, making a transplant a reality. >> we think with this procedure we could perform thousands more transplants in this country. approximately 2,000 to 3,000

more transplants could be done every year. >> reporter: without the procedure, none of his seven patients could have received a new kidney. two weeks after their surgeries, they gathered for the first time to meet their donors. elizabeth's kidney came from jordan. >> elizabeth, jordan. >> linda's kidney went to olermie. and larry donated to daysha. for seven people, and seven more, the ultimate gift of life. tom costello, nbc news, washington. >> and those seven donors are with, jordan, craig, linda, larry, terry, brian, and shawn, as well as six of the recipients, elizabeth, dominic, olermai, daysha, lori and jacqueline, and they are joined by dr. keith balonson, director

of transplant surgery at georgetown hospital. good morning to all of you. may i say you all look terrific. >> good morning. >> doctor, if i could start with you. 14 surgeries in four days in and of itself is not typical. what else about these surgeries was so unique? >> well, basically, you know, i got to be in the cat bird seat because you saw seven wonderful individuals donate their kidneys to seven people that only were able to receive their transplants because they went to a revolutionary procedure that allowed them to receive this beautiful gift of life. so what made it unique was the fact that they had to go through a procedure prior to being able to receive a transplant. >> and obviously it worked very well. elizabeth, if i could talk to you for one second. you developed kidney problems in 199 and two years ago your kidneys failed you altogether. it has been a very difficult world for you with dialysis. what does having this new kidney

mean to you in terms of your life going forward? >> oh, my god. it just gave me a new hope. just like being reborn again. i haven't felt this way in a long time. coming from dialysis is the worst. i wouldn't wish that on anybody. and jordan gave me a chance for a new life. and so i appreciate that, and i'm going to treasure it for the rest of my life. >> i want to jordan for a second, because you didn't know any of the recipients here. certainly didn't know elizabeth. you just did this to do it. why? >> i did, yes. well, i heard about it on the radio a couple of years ago, and i wanted -- i'm big into research. so i researched it and found out about all these people going through the torture of dialysis, and it seemed like something that would allow me to -- to help and do something good for another person, and i was capable of doing it. i'm healthy enough.

and it's been an honor and a very humbling experience. >> i can tell you that elizabeth is very grateful as are all the recipients to all of the donors. doctor, very quickly, prognosis? >> the prognosis actually is very good. one of the things that has happened recently is that with these new procedures, these patients actually can have as good of a >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. attorneys for baltimore mayor sheila dixon will be heading back to court this morning. they will be asking a judge to stop prosecutors from further use of the grand jury in the ethics probe of the city hall. they argue that prosecutors are abusing the secrecy of grand jury proceedings to circumvent previous decisions that led to the dismissal of earlier corruption charges against the mayor. prosecutors maintain they have done nothing wrong.

let's get a final check of the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> problems still coming in. accident in the cockeysville region. watch for delays related to that. rick 27 and kate wagner road at westminster, accident closing. watch for a right lane closures here due to water main break repairs could checking drive times this morning, 16 minutes on the out of the west side. 11-minute ride on southbound 95 from the beltway's south was down to 32 in howard county. looking pretty good this morning, a bit of a delay beyond this point heading towards edmondson. let's switch over to a live in view of traffic towards harford. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> partly sunny skies right now. the temperature is 77 downtown.

in general, a mild and humid a start. this will generate some showers and storms throughout the afternoon. some of these could be strong. 87 to 91. thursday and friday, into the mid-80s. check out sunday, 95. >> we will have another update at 8:55.

8:30 now on this wednesday mark, the 5th of august, 2009. sunny start to the morning here in new york city, and what a crowd. lovely crowd, actually, out on the plaza. coming up on "today," my

kind of cooking. our friend mark bittman is here with us to talk about recipes that take less than 20 minutes, start to finish, and you won't be bothered with lots of measuring and ingredients. that is the best part about it. >> that's the best kind of cooking. also coming up ahead, some important advice, financial advice, our panel of experts are going to be answering questions on everything from savings plans and also mortgages and how to get a credit card if you don't have any credit. >> plus what does it take to be an extra in the next "sex and the city" movie? we'll see the auditions. people having fun there. but first, look who's here? marlon wayans plays the role of rip cord in the new movie "g.i. joe: the rise of cobra." there he is. >> is that your first action figure? >> yes, it is. they were going to make a doll but that was a little scary. >> now kids can have that wherever they are? >> it's got this great like

idea. but when you kind of -- they get mad at me, they think it's like a voodoo doll. il be somewhere and get a contradi crick in my neck. >> that's a big responsibility for you? >> i didn't want to disappoint the ladies, because i was really skinny. i didn't want people -- i take this, you know, hold the gun out, i didn't want to fall over. >> so you had to really seriously buff up? >> yeah, buff up. like i said, fee have a female demographic. >> and you're focusing on the female demographic. >> man, i like to get the whole -- the movie is for everybody. not just kids. i want women to come. i didn't want to have the belly, you know. nice arms and the belly. >> but there are a lot of cool gadgets. what was your favorite? >> probably the accelerator suit. the suit that you put on and you can run 65 miles an hour. would save me a lot of money in gas.

>> i imagine with all those muscles, you had to do a lot of stunts? sounds like it was a very physical role. >> it was really physical. personally i didn't want to do all my stunts. there was a couple i could have done. when the stunt man came in. bring him in. >> kind of dangerous? >> too dangerous? hanging from a building. crashing through windows. i was like, but there's only one black guy in prague. >> when you were a kid growing up, nine siblings, did you have g.i. joes? >> we couldn't afford the g.i. joes that had arms that moved. we had the army and soldiers that you buy the big bag for 99 cents that they're stuck in one pose like this. or they're down like this or tossing the grenades. so my friend would take the g.i. joes and just kick my around. mine was like a little toy. >> no more today. >> look at this now!

look at me now!

>> as we are taking a look at the forecast, 871091, scattered showers and thunderstorms. a front makes its way through maryland later on this afternoon. morning showers and that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you very much. coming up, dara

we are back now at 8:37. now let's head down to d.c. and our big buddy, weatheillard sco. >> hi. >> hey, willard. >> to be or not to be. >> you, you! >> i'm rehearsing for a play. anyway, thank you. >> very good. >> you've sort of interrupted me, but i'll forgive you for that. >> i'm sorry, willard, i apologize. >> i had you in san antonio last week. sorry about that. let's check our birthday buddies. i do know that. mine is still sharp. anyway, happy birthday from smucker's how sweet it is. margaret smith, hampton, virginia, 100 years old. honored as a diamond member of the alpha kappa kal fa sorority. she's written two books, too, i might add. rose schlesinger of new york, new york, 100 years old. retired musical company worker, enjoyed walking around the city with friends. that is probably the greatest,

one of the greatest, walking in new york is absolutely a tloil. roy jensen, willmar, minnesota. 100 years old. plays in a golf league of women, and he was 87 years old when he learned golf. secret to longevity is doing everything in moderation, including moderation. mary opiola and she is from san diego, california. prettiest town in the world. 101 years old. went on her neighbor's roof when she was 87 to fix the tv antenna and drove until she was 97. how about that? we have herman slumpff of brighten, michigan. and exercises daily by touching his toes. all ten of them. 120 times a day. how about that? my kind of guy. marcia rapelye of wilmington, north carolina is 100 years old. danced in the metropolitan

ballet, and was a ganda girl bach in the vaudeville days. we wish her a very, happy, happy birthday. that's it. back to the greatest city in the world and most exciting team in television. >> i think that's us. >> i think so. >> we love you, too. >> thanks, willard. >> and now check out who is joining us now, the iron woman of the pool, dara torres. at 41 she became the oldest swimming olympic medalist ever. she just got back from competing in the 2009 world championships in rome. nice to see you. >> it's great to be back. >> not bringing back any medals. but you made the finals of the 50 meters freestyle competing against a lot of people half your age. how would you assess your performance? >> well, it's tough because i always want to win. so getting aced in the finals was not easy. but, you know, if i look at it realistically, i am 42 years old. i have a bad knee and a lot of distractions this year. i was just happy to make it in the finals. >> eighth in the world. >> the kids are like 21 i'm

competing against. >> we've already known. but also one of the headlines from this big meet was this polyurethane suit, which i know that michael phelps' coach and others blame for michael phelps losing his first competition in years. what are your thoughts about it? it's banned from the 2010 competition, right? >> i'm glad. >> you're glad? >> first of all, just even putting these suits on takes about 30 minutes, you have bruises all over your legs putting them on. they're very fast. >> you wear one yourself? >> i wore one. i had to keep up with the competition. just about everyone was there except for me and a couple other people like michael phelps. they're fast suits. but i'm glad they're going back to the old suits and the world records are going to stand for a long time. >> why would they bruise you? >> because they're so tight that when you try to put them on you're lifting up your skin and you're pinching your skin. >> oh, my gosh. >> did you see rakey barrens, his suit ripped open. >> oh, no! >> oh, my gosh!

you're kidding me. >> the producers of the "today" show have been holding things out on us. >> that was a big news story. >> oh, man. >> we're going to have to rerack that tape. >> he was probably humiliated. >> what about the records set wearing those suits? do you think those are valid records? >> the problem is how far back do you go putting an asterisk. i think if they leave the records up it's going to motivate the swimmers to want to train harder to get those records back. >> last time you were here matt asked if you'd be -- you said i'm aiming for world championships so we'll see what happens after that. okay world championships are over now. are we going to go to london? >> i'm going to get my knee fixed and hoping that i can get back and train possibly. possibly for 2012. >> that smile suggests you're really hoping big-time for it. >> it would be fun. but i don't know how much my body withstand. >> you've been here before. so it's really about how much -- >> i think mentally i could do it. it's just a matter if my body holds up.

>> okay. >> always great to hang with you. >> thank you. >> all right. and still to come, what you would have -- would you have -- story. would you have what it takes to be an extra in the next "sex and the city" movie?

everything today" recipes for a quiet kitchen. the last thing most of us want to do is cook elaborate, time-consuming meals. mark bittman has come to the rescue. "the new york times" columnist is the author of "kitchen express: 403 inspired seasonal dishes you can make in 20 minutes or less." mark, to you. >> good morning. >> congrats on the new book. >> thank you. >> i notice the recipes are precisely imprecise. you don't have any clear measurements or ingredients or any of that stuff.

how does that help cook, especially nervous cooks like me? >> very informal. this came out of this series i'm doing for the "times," actually, in which we just kind of throw ideas out there. and my feeling is that, in a way, if you're too precise it makes people feel constrained and i have to do it this way, i have to do that. i need this ingredient. but if you say broil some squid, put it on some toast with tomato and garlic, most people can get that. >> it's less intimidating. >> if you have a little experience, it's a nice way to go and gives you a whole sense of flexibility of ease -- at least that's my hope. these are very simple. >> and we're going to get to that in just a second. but you also group these recipes by season. why do you do that? >> well, the best way to eat, of course, is seasonally. if you can get seasonal ingredients, even better local ones, you're going to be eating well. and you can treat them almost not at all. like if you can get good tomatoes, you're going to be happy. >> okay. this is one of the recipes in the book.

this is a grilled squid. >> grilled, broiled, whatever. it's a very simple -- we're broiling. take some squid. no one ever heard of squid until it started getting called calamari, right? >> exactly. >> take some squid rings, rosemary. >> can you just buy these or you get them frozen? >> you can buy them fresh or frozen. usually you buy the whole bodies and you cut them into rings. >> okay. >> salt, a little sherry vinegar, because this is spanish. >> and a little what you think is a little -- >> right. for the right amount. this is grandma cooking. >> that's right. >> that's what your gram ma said. don't ask me how much. just put some in there. >> a little pepper. i love the pepper. >> okay. >> and that's going to go in the broiler. and we have one in the broiler so we're going to take that one out and put this one in. >> oh, that smells so good. >> yeah, garlic, squid. >> you're putting it in?

>> we have to feed the crew, exactly. >> what was i thinking. smells great. how long did you leave that in there? >> should be only two or three minutes because squid overcooks pretty quickly. you just want to brown it a little bit. so this is a kind of -- kind of pan catalan, you take some toast, rub it with a little garlic. >> okay. >> piece of tomato. >> any kind of tomato you want? i notice you have a variety. >> you can also rub the bread with tomato, which is very catalan. but anyway, and toss it with the squid. and then you eat this with a knife and fork, obviously. not your hands. >> and it's a great lunch right there. >> it makes a messy plate. a messy counter. >> i don't know why we don't have plates for you? >> because i took them away before the spot. >> okay. all right going from a little lunch to a little dessert. we're talking ice cream, right? >> yes, these i have in here. hang on a second.

>> but this is not your traditional. you can use any kind of cookie, any kind of ice cream, sorbet, a jam? >> these are great. these are such no brainers. you take a cookie, like you said, any cookie you want, you can put some jam on, any jam you want. you can put some flower pollen on. >> never even heard of that. >> oh, i'm just saying. >> never mind, that's how stupid -- >> but just a tiny bit of -- a little bit of ice cream. >> stick it on top and you've got it. >> mark bittman. thank you so much, as with us. the book "40 4 inspired seasonal dishes you can make in 20 minutes or less." and still to come the two american journalists imprisoned in north korea returning home this morning. that is the plane about to land in california as we speak after leaving north korea oh, so many hours ago.

and we are back with good news. the two american journalists held in north korea since march now back in california, along with president bill clinton, who went to north korea to secure their release. the plane, as you see, has just landed in burbank, california. took off from north korea quite a few hours ago. stopped in japan to refuel, and is now back on american soil. >> news conference is scheduled. al gore, who coruns the company

that the -- >> the tv. >> is there. we understand he's going to be making some remarks at a news conference. and some -- from the sounds of it, it may be a fairly elaborate news conference that's currently being planned as these two young journalists are going to be welcomed back not only by their families, but also by the country. >> they have been held in north korea for 4 1/2 months. during that time we're hearing there had been negotiations going on behind the scenes by the administration to figure out a way to get their release. and apparently it was al gore who called bill clinton and said we want you to be the one to go. north korea had said that was the person that they wanted in north korea to represent the united states. >> that's right. >> we have chris jansing standing by for us live at burbank airport. chris, good morning to you. >> good morning, meredith. what a happy homecoming this will be. after 4 1/2 months of what was surely a harrowing ordeal for the two journalists, but also their families, who have been waiting and pushing very hard for an envoy to go to north korea to try to secure their

release. now, as we saw, the plane just landed. they will have to go through customs and take a bus over here for a brief ride. but, lisa ling, who is laura ling's sister, lisa the well-known journalist, said the family is beyond thrilled. imagine what it was like for them yesterday, both of the extended families were here together in the los angeles area. they were constantly on the phone with the state department, waiting and hoping for the word that finally came that a pardon had come through. of course, laura ling and euna lee had been arrested on the north korea/china border 4 1/2 months ago. they were convicted of illegally entering north korea and sentenced to 12 years hard labor. now they never went to those gulag-like camps but were held in a house there while this intense behind-the-scenes negotiation was going on. a number of names have surfaced to do this trip. but eventually, as you said, it was bill clinton who agreed when

requested by both former vice president al gore, and the families of the two women to come here. now lisa ling says it has been the most unpredictable and challenging 4 1/2 months of her family's life. what will they do once they get here? right now there are no plans beyond this news conference, which we expect any moment now. >> we are going to jump in here and take a pause while other stations around the country join us.

know, there were some statements released overnight when word came down that these two journalists were coming home from the families, they released a joint statement in which they said that they were so grateful to the president, obama, and also to especially to bill clinton, the former president, for his efforts in securing the release, and also a very touching ending, meredith, that said we cannot wait. we're counting the seconds before we can hold them again in our arms. talking about the two journalists. >> the administration said this

was a private mission. they repeated that over and over, but obviously a lot of negotiating going on behind the scenes. we understand it was al gore who actually called president clinton and said we'd like you to be the one to go. and that was on the -- actually the recommendation of the north koreans. that was their request, apparently, that bill clinton be the enjoy that was sent to rescue them -- or actually to secure their release. >> very interesting image released from north korea of the president sitting down with the leader of north korea, kim jong-il, and it was obviously a very important moment for north korea to be sitting with a former president. it looked as if the leader was enjoying very much the respect of that allowed him. and so the question is raised what else was discussed at that meeting earlier this morning. >> opened the door to a new diplomacy, actually, is what a lot of people are wondering. nbc's chris jansing is at the burbank airport for us right now. chris, good morning to you. >> good morning. well, beyond thrilled is how the family describes the words.

this plane is now here, that the two women journalists are fine. in fact, they were set to be enormously relieved and in very good health. laura ling, we know, has an ulcer that requires some medication, so there had been concern about that. over the past 4 1/2 months there had been only sporadic contact with their families. they had been pushing very hard for an envoy to go to north korea, and we're very happy when the call from vice president -- former vice president gore came in and bill clinton said he would be willing to go over there. he was on the ground for only about 24 hours or less. he had a three-hour meeting with kim jong-il, who obviously wanted to maked most of this opportunity, which gives him a little bit of a sliver of the recognition that he's been wanting from the international community, which has been working so hard to stop their nuclear ambitions in north korea. for the families here, you can imagine what the wait was like, as they were on the phone with the state department yesterday. both of the extended families of

these women got together, they were waiting for the final word that they would come home, and indeed, they have now landed. we expect that vice president al gore will make a few comments. current tv has waited until the plane actually left north korea before they even made a comment about the release of these two journalists, and now we're going to be hearing from al gore, and then they'll be going just a few miles from here. laura ling's mom is planning a get-together. a more formal family reunion in private for them. lisa ling has said we don't really have any plans for them. remember, they're going to need to decompress, they have been kept away from what's been going on in the west for such a very long time. they're both married, and euna lee has a 4-year-old little girl, hannah. of course she's been asking where her momma is. and her dad has been telling her that she's at work. so, you can only imagine what an

extraordinarily happy reunion it's going to be when they finally get to see their families. meredith? >> yeah, i'm sure there are going to be a lot of tears all the way around. laura ling actually was being held during her fifth wedding anniversary. she missed that, something that i'm sure she is looking forward to, as well. as you mentioned, that little girl, 4-year-old hannah, her dad had a beginning not really explain what was going on, but as the days went by, obviously became aware that her mom was really gone for a long period. it's going to be highly emotional. >> we just saw two gentlemen actually board the plane and i'm wondering who those two gentlemen might be. but obviously we're also waiting for the president, the former president bill clinton, and euna lee and laura ling to come off that plane. and into the arms of their family. it has been a long wait. they were very desperate, they said, and they apologized to the north korean government for any transgression that may have happened, as the two had, according to the north korean government, had crossed into