good morning. breaking news. the taliban's leader in pakistan, one of the most wanted terrorists in the world, reportedly killed in a u.s. missile strike. hidden message. an unpublished post on george sodini's blog reveals he admired a woman at the pennsylvania gym where he went on that shooting rampage, killing three women and injuring nine others. and not the wife he knew. the husband of the woman who police say was drunk and high when she caused that deadly

wrong-way crash speaks out for the first time. >> listen to this, i go to bed every night knowing my heart is clear. she did not drink. she's not an alcoholic. >> what he thinks really happened in a live interview with his sister-in-law "today," happened in a live interview with his sister-in-law "today," friday, august 7th, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this friday morning, i'm meredith vieira. >> and i'm lester holt. matt lauer will be back on monday. this morning, u.s. and pakistani intelligence officials are working to confirm the death of pakistan's taliban chief baitullah mehsud. >> he was reportedly killed on wednesday in a cia drone attack on the home of his father-in-law. mehsud is public enemy number one in pakistan. a man believed to be behind the deaths of at least 1200 people, including the assassination of former pakistani prime minister

benazir bhutto. we're going to have much more in a live report in just a moment. >> also ahead, lisa ling, the sister of freed u.s. journalist laura ling, will join us to talk about her sister and euna lee's release. also their celebration at home. and talk about the 4 1/2 months they spent in prison in north korea. and we're going to remember john hughes. the writer/director/producer of some of hollywood's biggest hits. the 59-year-old died on thursday of a heart attack. his films captured the essence of what it's like to be a teenager and inspired an entire generation. >> brought us many, many great films. on a lighter note, we're going to take a look outside right now. we've got a big crowd here to see jason mraz live in concert. he'll be taking the stage. >> as you said, he's bound to make you feel happy. but we're going to begin with those reports that the top taliban leader in pakistan is dead. nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel has the latest. richard, good morning to you.

>> reporter: good morning, meredith. u.s. and pakistani officials tell nbc news they believe baitullah mehsud was most likely killed by a u.s. drone attack. but confirmation has been difficult. because the attack took place in an area still under taliban control, so they haven't been able to recover a body. pakistan's public enemy number one, baitullah mehsud. his face rarely seen. the 35-year-old was the leader of a taliban coalition linked to al qaeda. with an estimated 20,000 fighters in the lawless border region with afghanistan. it was here in a village in south waziristan that pakistani officials say they believe an american drone killed mehsud, his brother, and wife, sometime on wednesday. it would be a major blow to militants in pakistan. mehsud was a charismatic leader, blamed for the 2008 bombing of

the marriott hotel in islamabad. and the 2007 assassination of pakistan's former prime minister, benazir bhutto. her husband ali asaf al zardari is now pakistan's president. for him, killing mehsud has been personal. revenge for his wife. the cia and u.s. special operations have tried to kill mehsud before. at least three times. in june, u.s. military officials tell nbc news an airstrike on a funeral for another pakistani militant just missed mehsud. but u.s. drone attacks in pakistan have been controversial. pakistan says they cause too many civilian casualties. but wednesday's operation could be a boost for u.s./pakistani cooperation in coin ter terrorism. a taliban source told nbc news mehsud was on the roof of his father-in-law's house at the time of the u.s. drone attack. meredith? >> richard engel, thank you very much. it is 7:04. now here's lester.

>> meredith, thanks. now to the latest on the gunman who killed three women and wounded nine others in that suburban pittsburgh health club. and the troubling messages that filled his home videos and online blog. nbc's mike taibbi is in bridgeville with more. mike, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lester. how are you? you know, it appears from studying the internet that george sodini spent many, many years examining his own increasingly unhappy life before spending the last year arming himself in the assault that he carried out tuesday night. just before the shooting started, police say he called his mother to tell her he was about to kill people, and expected to die himself. in videos posted on youtube, sodini had talked about what he wanted. >> my objective is to be real and to learn to be emotional and to, you know, to be able to emotionally connect with people. >> reporter: but he admitted that on any given day he hid from his emotions. >> and there you go. one more day. and one more day turns into one more year. >> reporter: finally, in the past year, he purchased at least three of his four handguns, and

also bought magazines and amo for them from the same green bay, wisconsin who supplied the virginia tech gunman who killed 32 people in april 2007. maybe not a coincidence, experts say. >> what we've seen in the past with mass murderers and other killers of his vein is that they have a tendency to study those that have gone before them. >> reporter: this mass murderer wrote that he chickened out the first time. and in a hidden message in his blog considered canceling the plan altogether for a woman he saw at the gym. he wrote, to get a friend like her, and for night time action, i would cancel this plan, or put on hold, at least for aheil. but tuesday night he opened fire. jo ann and her daughter julia were in that aerobics class. >> he was just shooting. he just started shooting randomly. he wasn't really, you know, aiming. he was just shooting. and everybody started running and screaming. >> reporter: on an older website called crazygeorge, last updated

in the year 2000, sodini answers yes to the question, is he really crazy? he describes his marital status as single bliss. but later adds, i am still single, so obviously nothing ever worked out. in fact, he appears in a self-help author's web workshop on how to do better with women. >> it's normal to be scared when you have been hurt by women in the past. >> reporter: the memorials have begun. many in this community saying they want to forget sodini and think only of the innocents he victimized. but not julia gazam, who says she needs to know everything about the killer she watched tuesday night. >> i honestly can't stop watching it, just to try to find out who would do something like this and why. >> reporter: four of the injured women remain hospitalized, and to this point no word from la fitness on when, or even whether the health center expects to reopen. lester? >> mike taibbi, thanks. it is now 7:07. >> lester, thank you.

now to the latest on the release of northern journalists laura ling and euna lee, who were detained in north korea for nearly five months. among the most grateful for their release, laura's sister lisa ling, who is with us now by phone. lisa, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> lisa, can you describe your emotions wednesday morning as you watched your sister laura step back onto american soil after 4 1/2 months in north korea? >> well, the whole thing was just so surreal and beautiful, and it was a day that our family has been waiting literally for 140 days. when laura and euna walked down the steps of that plane, i mean, it was truly one of the most glorious sights i've ever seen. and you know, her face just looked like she still was just in a state of shock. because she was actually there. and 30 hours before they were sitting, you know, in a facility and truly, truly thought that they would be sent to a labor

prison imminently. >> 140 days of being held against your will, much of that in isolation, has to take a toll on somebody. any sense talking with laura about her physical and mental condition, how is she doing? >> well, honestly, meredith, i have to say, she's quite weak, she's exhausted. and because she would literally go weeks without talking to anybody, because even though there were two guards posted in her room at all times, they didn't speak any english, so there would go days just in near silence. and so, even sort of getting sentences out is a little bit challenging, because she's just not used to talking as much. and so we're just taking things very, very easily with her. >> i know that she went to the doctor, i believe it was yesterday, and she has dealt with ulcers in the past. is she doing all right? >> well, she -- she still has the ulcers. they checked yesterday.

for the most part, she's doing well. i mean, she has endured a lot of trauma, and the level of stress was really incredible. but she says that it's nothing that home can't cure, it's just going to take a little time. >> i know, lisa, that you want lawyer ra to tell her story when she is ready to do so. but can you give us any insight into what happened to these two young women on the day they were arrested and in the days afterwards in terms of what they endured? >> you know, i have to be frank, when we talk about what happened, you know, laura is still, you know, she's still very tempered about what she says, and she, again, she really just wants to take time and we are not pressuring her in any way. because a lot of the things are very difficult to talk about. but she certainly does want to talk about it. i mean, i know that there are a lot of questions about it, and she has every intention of doing so and will probably write a piece about it.

and i really, really want to let her tell the story. >> yeah, and i understand that. i understand also that laura called home in july and she said to you that north korea would be willing to grant amnesty if former president william clinton were the one to seek the release of her and of euna lee. is that when the ball really started rolling, lisa? >> it certainly did. we were able to only get four calls from laura and euna during their 4 1/2 month detainment in north korea. and obviously the phones were very closely monitored, and there were things that were being communicated through her. and on that last call she very clearly stated that it had to be president clinton or they would still be there right now. and so, we immediately jumped into action, we called vice president gore, we let the state department know, and president clinton himself graciously agreed to go. and if he had not done so, laura

and euna would be still in north korea right now. >> before i let you go, have you spoken to euna lee and her family and how they are doing? >> actually they came over to laura's house last night. and laura and euna had their first pizza. and they just really sort of delighted in it. and hannah, i have never seen her so happy, euna's 4-year-old daughter. it was remarkable to see. >> we are very glad they're all home. lisa, we can't thank you enough for your time this morning. >> thank you, meredith. >> nice to hear they're all well. you get the feeling this story, when it's told in its entirety is just going to blow your socks off. >> i think so, as well. >> want to get a check of the rest of the top stories. we'll say hello to ann curry at the news desk. >> good morning to you, lester and meredith. also in the news this morning, sonia sotomayor will be sworn in tomorrow as the newest justice on the u.s. supreme court after the senate's historic vote thursday to confirm her. nbc's justice correspondent pete williams has more this morning. hey, pete, good morning. >> reporter: ann, good morning to you. hispanic groups this morning are

celebrating the vote that confirmed the first latina, and the third woman, to serve on the court, after months of debate she was approved by a comfortable margin. a smiling sonia sotomayor left the federal courthouse in new york after watching the final televised debate. >> judge sotomayor has demonstrated the very trait that she is accused by some of lacking. the ability to leave her personal opinions at the courthouse door. >> i believe judge sotomayor's philosophy of law, and her approach to judging, fail to demonstrate the kind of firm, inflexible commitment to these ideals, i must withhold my consent. >> aye. >> reporter: she won the support of all senate democrats, and nine republicans. >> the yeas are 68, and the nays are 31. >> reporter: hispanic groups

were watching around the country, like this one in los angeles. >> i knew i had hope that it could happen some day, maybe in my lifetime. and look, here it is. >> reporter: president obama said he was deeply gratified and praised his nominee's beliefs. >> they're a deals she's fought for throughout her career, and the ideals the senate has upheld today in breaking yet another barrier and moving us yet another step closer to a more perfect union. >> reporter: she'll be sworn in tomorrow at the supreme court by chief justice john roberts. but we won't actually hear from her until a white house ceremony next week. ann? >> all right, pete williams this morning. pete, thanks. today, new figures from the labor department on the nation's unemployment rate and analysts say that nearly 15 million americans are looking for jobs. and that the numbers are likely to keep growing into next year. last night the senate approved an additional $2 billion to extend the cash for clunkers program. the president hailed the vote saying the program is giving the economy a much-needed boost.

dramatic rescues in the philippines where flooding has killed at least ten people and triggered landslides. three villages are under water, and cut off. twitter is tweeting again this morning, after hackers disrupted it for hours on thursday. hackers also slowed down facebook for a time. and boxing great mohammed ali was on hand to help give an award to the new york yankees last night. but it was ali who ended up being honored by the crowd that began chanting his name as he neared home plate. one yankee player said seeing ali there was giving him chill bumps. yeah, he does that to people. it is now 7:15. let's turn back to meredith, lester and al. >> truly great. >> welcome back. >> thank you. i had a g g

>> we are going to be dealing with major sheet by the second half of the week. 83 degree forecast high for the airport. mostly sunny skies. not very humid. nice, nice, and that's your latest weather. lester? >> all right, al, thanks. now to politics and a mixed week

for president obama. on the positive side, he scored two big victories, judge sonia sotomayor's confirmation as the next skofrt justice, and the extension of the popular cash for clunkers program. but two new polls show his approval ratings have dropped to a new low. david gregory is the moderator of "meet the press." david, good morning. good to see you. >> good morning, lester. >> let me ask you about the polls. can you point one thing, a couple of things that may be hurting him right now? >> this is really all about health care. the white house will dispute some of the numbers you see in some of those polls. they think that things have evened out a little bit over a past few bumpy weeks for the president. but again, all were health care. this is not a pretty process. the deadline that the president set slipped. there's still a lot of disagreement about where they go for the fall to try to resolve the differences over health care. and the president's involved in that. trying to chart the course for what he wants, congress do its work. again, presidents get evaluated based on accomplishments. when they start getting into law making it's not a pretty

process. >> he was so focused and locked in on health care, then came the gates controversy, then came questions over whether there would really be a middle class tax cut or maybe a tax hike. how much of a distraction were those? >> well, i think those are distractions. and there's the larger overhang of the economy, and the deficit, and the question about whether the country can afford health care reform on such a massive scale. look to hear from the president and his top aides over the next several weeks, consumer protection. they kept to this message. they want to go out there and say to the american people, if you've got health insurance, you're not going to lose ground. you're not going to suffer a decreasing quality of care because of health care reform. that's the kind of reassurance campaign he's got to be on. >> you know it's amazing. congress has dragged its feet on so many issues, but cash for clunkers, they were quick to refund that. considered a big win for the president, as well. what does that say about future stimulus programs? >> i think what's going to be evaluated is what actually works. this is something that hit consumers right where they drive. and they could feel it.

it also shows how much pent-up demand there is on the part of consumers to go out and buy things but only if the conditions are right. because, i think consumers are so careful about spending money rather than saving money. this was an instance where, if you can show for sure that there's a real impact, because of a stimulus program, congress will be on board. still a lot of questions about where the immediate benefit is from some of the other aspects of the stimulus plan. >> what have you got this weekend on "meet the press"? >> we're going to have more on the back story of the release of the prisoners, of the journalists from north korea. we have the national security adviser talking about that, and the way forward with north korea. that's general james jones. also, the economy, the jobless numbers coming out today. two big key players, michael bloomberg of new york and newark's mayor corey booker. >> okay, david, we'll see you sunday. once again here's meredith. now to the tragic depth of john hughes, the iconic director, producer and screenwriter behind such hits as "the breakfast club" and "ferris

bueller's day off." the 59-year-old died of a heart attack on thursday. "today" national current natalie morales is here with more. natalie, good morning. >> and good morning to you, meredith. if you experienced it as a teenager, chances are john hughes wrote a movie about it. and if you grew up in the '80s, as i did, well his movies then became the sound track to your life. writer/director john hughes is credited with creating the teen angst genre in modern film. his movies were not only box office successes, but critical ones, as well, and often praised for their realistic look into the lives of modern teenagers. >> when you grow up, your heart dies. ♪ take it off baby now >> reporter: hughes' films served as a huge break for some of the biggest stars of the '80s, including matthew broderick. >> how could i possibly be expected to handle school on a day like this? >> reporter: and molly ringwald.

>> for five hours and he's got somebody. i live here my whole life and i'm like a disease. >> reporter: who appeared in three of his films, including "sixteen candles." >> my little brother paid a buck to see your underwear. >> reporter: ringwald went on to become part of hughes' legendary brat pack. >> does barry manilow know you raided his ward robe. >> reporter: immortalized in "the breakfast club," a story about a group of high school misfits forced to spend saturday detention together. for many young fans hughes' films made their teen years not only tolerable, but hopeful. which is exactly what john hughes wanted as he said in this rare interview. >> i think one of the mistakes that's commonly made in hollywood teenage pictures is that they're going for the bucks and they're not going for the heart. >> reporter: hughes got his start selling a story he wrote for the humor magazine "national lampoon" chronicling summer trips with his family as a

teenage per. that story inspired his screenplay of another hit, "national lampoon's vacation." >> crazy, crazy, craze ski! >> reporter: a vacation which may have led to another of his road trip comedies, "planes, trains, and automobiles." >> where's your other hand? >> between two pillows. >> those aren't pillows! >> reporter: after writing and producing the wildly successful "home alone" series in the 1990s -- >> aaah >> reporter: -- hughes largely stepped out of the hollywood spotlight to spend time with his family. leaving behind a legacy of not only movies, but this message to teenagers past, present and future. even though your parents may not understand you, a hollywood director once did. and john hughes is survived by his wife of 39 years nancy, two sons, and four grandchildren. sure gave us a lot of laughs. >> absolutely. >> she was his high school

sweetheart. >> a great story there. >> what's your favorite john hughes movie? >> i loved "national lampoon's vacation." but seeing it -- >> "home alone." >> "mr. mom" was great. michael keaton. love that one. >> never feed a baby chili. >> learned a lot from that movie. >> john hughes, terrific guy. we are back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

the husband of the wife who caused the horrible one-way crash speaks out. >> plus a live interview with crash speaks out. >> plus a live interview with his sisser if in law. - to paint with primer already mixed in? - ♪ yeah yeah yeah... - test samples instead of can commitments? - ♪ whoo! - what do you say we dip into our wallets less... - ♪ are you feeling it? - ...and grab ahold of the latest tools out there... - ♪ oh! ...so we can quit all that messing around with extra steps - and get busy turning our doing dials up a notch? - ♪ whoo!

♪ oh! more saving. more doing. - that's the power of the home depot. - ♪ yeah yeah yeah. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. city police officer is recovering from injuries after being struck by a car in east baltimore. the report was that an officer and a woman were struck by a

car. the officer was knocked to the gun and had a minor injury to his left leg. the woman, a passenger in the car, with was dragged when she tried to get out of the vehicle. [captioning made possible by constellation energy group] time for a check of the morning commute. >> we have an accident at joppa road, and i could a few minutes ago. -- that cleared up a few minutes ago. 95 southbound to and beltway and 32, 10 minutes there. 95 northbound between southbound beltway and fort mchenry plaza, 8 minutes. on the north side, you can see that things are moving smoothly on the inner and outer loop. 95 in the white marsh area, click top of the brakes as you had to the beltway. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11.

>> pretty crushing temperatures out there. 68 downtown, 52 sb of why marshall. mostly sunny skies. going to be a gorgeous one. 80 to 85 is the forecast high. sun not setting until endicott 12 tonight. -- 8:12 tonight. we will get warmer tomorrow. slight chance of isolated thunderstorms of the north of the city. hazy, hot, and humid on sunday. >> check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information. an ex live update at 7:55.

♪ 7:30 now on this friday morning, august 7th, 2009. sunny start to the day in new york city. perfect weather for a friday concert and we have a great one lined up. jason mraz is here. take a look at that crowd. i think it may be as big as the crowd we had last week. and that was huge for kings of leon. >> all the way up to 49th street. >> blocking traffic.

i'm meredith vieira alongside lester holt. matt is back on monday. and just ahead we're going to have the tragic wrong-way crash here in new york in which eight people died. police say the driver, 36-year-old diane schuler, was drunk, and high on marijuana at the time. but her husband came forward on thursday with tears in his eyes, insisting he had never seen his wife drunk. more of what he had to say in just a moment. plus, his sister-in-law will join us for a live interview. >> also ahead here this half hour, michael jackson's brother jermaine speaks out about the investigation into his brother's death, and how jackson's three children are doing. we're going to hear from him, and tell you where the family is considering moving a part of jackson's neverland ranch. and a programming note. monday on "today" a live exclusive interview with kate gosselin. her first since announcing her split with jon. that is kate gosselin live, monday, only on "today." but we are going to begin with the widow of the woman who drove the wrong way on a new york highway, causing a crash that killed eight people, including four children.

nbc's rehema ellis has the latest. good morning, rehema. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. daniel schuler spoke out for the first time on thursday. and refused to accept the autopsy report that showed his wife was drunk and high. at times schuler was emotional, as he talked about his family and that horrible crash. with his attorney and family around him, daniel schuler met with reporters to say his wife was a responsible woman, who would not drink and drive. >> she is not an alcoholic and my heart is rested every night when i go to bed. something medically had to happen. >> reporter: buttocks cog reports indicate diane schuler downed the equivalent of ten shots of vodka and had smoked marijuana, before her minivan going a wrong way on the highway for almost two miles, then crashed into a suv, killing her and seven others. >> i'm not saying that test is wrong. but something had to happen.

this is not a woman who would jeopardize five children. she was the one who chose to always drive. >> reporter: daniel schuler insisted that when he left his wife the morning of the fatal crash, she was fine. schuler's attorney said he may ask for a second, independent autopsy. as his client struggles to make sense of all that he's lost. >> my little girl, gone. i don't know what to say about that. a little girl. i promised my wife i will take care of my son the way she wanted me to. that's what i'm going to do. >> reporter: the families of the three men killed in the suv have announced plans to file a civil lawsuit. as for schuler's 5-year-old son brian, the lone survivor of the crash, his father says he remains hospitalized, but his condition is improving. meredith? >> rehema ellis, thank you very much. jay schuler is diane and daniel

schuler's sister-in-law. dominic barber is the attorney for daniel schuler. tom reston was hired to conduct a private investigation. good morning to you all. >> good morning. >> good morning, meredith. >> jay, first i'd like to express our condolences to you and your family at this terrible loss. >> thank you. >> i know that there was a news conference yesterday. you were there, and your brother-in-law daniel was there. in part to defend his wife diane, given all the reports that have come out since the accident that took eight lives. he said at that news conference that she was not an alcoholic, that as far as he was concerned, something medical had happened to her. something medically, he put it, happened to her. do you agree with that? >> absolutely, meredith. diane was a wonderful, loving, caring mother, friend, sister, sister-in-law, daughter. she -- i can't even explain to you, if we had a family barbecue, we would make one blender of pina coladas. this is not diane.

absolutely, 100% not. even her brother, her sister-in-law, everyone knows these things about her. that's why we're all devastated over the results of the toxicology. we just can't explain. >> what happened. let me ask mr. barber about that. because according to the toxicology report, diane was intoxicated and high at the time of the accident. so are you disputing, then, the results of that report? >> i think, meredith, what really is the issue is first of all, we all have to accept certain facts. number one, when she left the camp ground she was absolutely sober. when she went to mcdonald's, she was sober. and what should have taken one hour and 15 minutes took 4 1/2 hours, she was totally lost. we know that something happened to her. not alcohol or pot. if that occurred at all. this woman had some event mentally, and we now know that one of the children in the car

spoke to her father and said that her aunt was having problems saying words and seeing. that's not the actions of a person who's just simply drunk. >> but, again, i don't want to interrupt you -- >> you realize -- >> go ahead. >> i'm sorry, ma'am. no, no, please. >> i didn't mean to interrupt you, but the report clearly states that there was alcohol in her system, and evidence of marijuana in her system. >> well, we all know that that's what it says. and i'm not necessarily -- the family believes it's incorrect. i as a lawyer for 38 years have to look at it, and start to question it. but what you have to say to yourself is, this woman with five children in a car had to take ten shots of vodka, and after calling and saying she's having problems seeing, and she's having tunnel vision of

some sort, and i've heard various reports that that doesn't happen from a stroke, which is absolutely incorrect. but it does, and can happen from a stroke. we then have to think that after she called and said all these problems, she lights up a joint in front of these children? it's not even logical. to think of this in any way. in the morning. >> well, i know it's not logical, and it's tragic to think that this could have happened, but jay i have to ask you, there was also a bottle of vodka apparently found at the crash site. is it possible, as horrible as this may sound, that you didn't know that she had a serious drinking problem? the family wasn't aware of it? >> meredith, let me answer this question. the bottle of vodka wasn't necessarily put into the car as of yet. we haven't been able to determine if it was at the crash site or in the car. they were known, because they were not drinkers, to carry the same bottle of vodka for the whole season back and forth

because daniel liked to have a drink every once in awhile at home. so they would use the same bottle of vodka, they did carry it open, sometimes in the back of the car, in one of their bags. now daniel has said he loaded those bags into the car. he's not sure, for our investigation, if he loaded that bottle of vodka. we're determining that now. >> so what can you -- >> meredith, you have to think -- >> go ahead. >> meredith, i'm sorry. you have to think that it's illogical to you,age educated woman, that someone can down ten shots of vodka with five children in the car, and then light up a joint? >> and be at mcdonald's before feeding the children, five children. >> what we know now, meredith, is that there were four calls made to and from diane's phone over a period of an hour and a half, while she was lost. those calls, in one of those calls her 9-year-old niece emma spoke to her father and said to her father, aunt diane is having

trouble seeing and having trouble with her speech. we don't know what's happening. and then they lost the call. that doesn't sound to me, from my 31 years of law enforcement and private investigation experience, of someone who is drunk. it sounds to me like it possibly could be a medical event. >> well then very, very quickly, will you call for another autopsy? just to clarify this? >> we'll decide as the experts start to get us more and more information. but i think, and i know you're going to end me quickly, this family is clearly devastated for everyone. and i know this lovely woman wants to tell the other family, also, besides losing the poor, poor, poor little girls, there also were three people in the other car. seven dead people. and that other family, their hearts go out to them. but, does this seem logical that

happened, even from someone who is a drinker? >> well, i don't think -- >> even from someone who is drinking once in awhile. >> i'm not sure you can apply logic in situations like this. jay, i want to end with you. how is their son doing? >> brian is progressing. he's progressing. it will be a long road. he's speaking. he's talking. he's asking for people, and family have -- we have all been there for him to support him, to love him, to comfort him. and to really help him through this. we have a wonderful family support system for brian, and we are at his bedside as much as we can be. >> meredith i'd like to just add, if anyone out there saw something, we're asking them to go to your website and give us a call today, if they saw, heard, or know something. please call us. we are looking for witnesses to anything that they may have seen. >> tom, appreciate that very

much. jay, especially thank you so much at this time for joining us. >> thank you, meredith. >> dominic barber, tom, thank you again. now a check of the weather from al. >> "today's weather" is brought to you by astrazeneca. learn more about plaque buildup in arteries. visit athero.com today.

>> we are looking at a very comfortable start today. 62 at the airport 68 downtown. mostly sunny skies, the were the normal humidity for august. and that's your latest weather. meredith, i have to start this, ♪ don't cry for me argentina >> and now, al, you have to stop it.

why did he come back? no. we're so glad you're back, al roker. and coming up next, michael jackson's brother jermaine speaks out about the drug investigation, and how jackson's children are doing. the very latest right after children are doing. the very latest right after this. whil building my life, my high cholesterol was contributing to plaque buildup in my arteries. that's why my doctor prescribed crestor. she said plaque buildup in arteries is a real reason to lower cholesterol. and that along with diet, crestor does more than lower bad cholesterol, it raises good. crestor is also proven to slow the buildup of plaque in arteries. crestor isn't for everyone, like people with liver disease, or women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. simple blood tests will check for liver problems. you should tell your doctor about other medicines you are taking, or if you have muscle pain or weakness. that could be a sign of serious side effects. while you've been building your life, plaque may have been building in your arteries. find out more about slowing

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back at 7:56 -- 7:46. now to a new holdup in the release of the much-anticipated autopsy report in the michael jackson case. this as jermaine jackson speaks out about the drug investigation and michael's kids. nbc's jeff rossen is in los angeles. jeff, good morning to you. >> reporter: hi, lester, good morning to you. we have to wait even longer to know what killed michael jackson. the coroner's office just delayed the toxicology results again, beyond next week, raising new questions about the case and where it's going. but this morning, michael's brother jermaine isn't waiting. with harsh words for the doctors, who may be involved here. there are reports michael jackson had a cocktail of drugs in his system, making it hard to

pin blame on any one drug or doctor. but jermaine jackson wants the doctors on notice. speaking to cnn for an interview to air later tonight. >> if there was anything administered in my brother's body was that not in the proper setting, meaning a hospital, then that would be dealt with. >> reporter: we've heard a lot about propofol, and the man law enforcement sources say gave it to jackson, dr. conrad murray. his lawyer maintains dr. murray did nothing wrong. and there's been no arrest. instead, a new open-ended delay in releasing jackson's autopsy. the only reason given? authorities need more time to investigate. >> if i'm a defense attorney i'm having a field day playing with all the different drugs, who caused what, who gave what, which is probably why we have the delay now. >> reporter: but katherine jackson's already on the offensive. court papers reveal she's demanding hundreds of contracts signed by her son michael, covering all his business deals and private matters. >> the fact the family is going after contracts, it's a very clear signal, in bold release,

that they're thinking about a lawsuit, a huge wrongful death action. >> reporter: so much at stake, but it's michael's kids, prince, paris and blanket, who need the most attention now. >> they're doing fine. they're slowly, but they're playing with my kids and they're coming back strong. but they're doing fine. >> reporter: on thursday, debbie rowe, awarded visitation with the two oldest kids, made a mysterious appearance in beverly hills. >> debbie, have you seen the kids? >> reporter: she was visiting the office of dr. arnie klein, jackson's dermatologist who sparked a mystery of his own this week. his lawyer told a judge, dr. klein has unique interests in michael's kids. and wants a say in how they're raised. fueling tabloid reports that he's really their biological father. >> i really don't know that much about it. but you can look at the kids and tell that they're michael's kids. and the fact that people come forth and they say things just to get attention. but, those are definitely michael's children.

>> reporter: and this morning we actually have some new information about neverland ranch. sources close to the family tell nbc news they may actually dismantle part of neverland and move it to las vegas. we're told serious discussions are under way about opening a michael jackson exhibit right near the vegas strip. our sources tell us the estate could make a lot of money with a jackson tourist attraction. think graceland. nothing immediate is planned, lester, but no question this is on the table now. >> all right, jeff rossen, thanks. still ahead, more on that wrong-way driver. is it possible for a woman to hide a drinking problem from her family? we're going to get into that. but first, these messages. these days, wouldn't it be great if saving money happened as automatically as everything else? at bank of america, it practically does. use the bankamericard power rewards visa credit card and earn rewards like cash back with every purchase. cash you can put into savings. or even use to help pay down your credit card balance. it's one of the many ways we make saving money

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speaks out about leaving "american idol." and talk about the famous women who could replace her. >> plus live concert in the plaza from jason mraz. first your local news and weather.

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>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i'm stan stovall. let's check on the morning commute with kim dacey. >> we have a bad situation on the north side of the beltway. two accidents to tell you about.

one at dulaney valley road. blocking two right lanes there. another accident on the inner loop, north side york road. that is off to the right shoulder. that is causing a big traffic nightmare on the inner and outer loop. accident and middle river at greenbank road and susquehanna. at essex, a hole in the road. a hole in hopkins lending dry and weber ave. we would give you a live look at the north side of the beltway. there are the delays we talking about. quite a jam there. 23 miles per hour is the average speed. inner loop, also jammed. for the debt, down from charles street to dulaney valley road. avoid the north side of the away if you can. >> we are mostly sunny from the traffic camera views right now. we are going to see beautiful

conditions persist today. lower than the normal humidity. presence of high pressure today. very nice on the beaches as well. don't get too used to it, because tomorrow we are up to 89. then we really feel the heat. >> we should check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information

♪ 8:00 now on this friday morning, august 7th, 2009. we have a lot of faces who have packed themselves into our plaza for the next half hour. live music that is sure to put even bigger smiles on those faces. jason mraz live in concert. i'm meredith vieira along with lester holt. al roker. matt is back on monday. in this half hour, that tragic

wrong-way crash here in new york. police say the driver was drunk and high at the time of the accident. her husband says that is not possible. so can a woman hide a drinking problem from her family? we're going to talk to a mother of young kids who is a recovering alcoholic to get her perspective on this. >> we've also got an inspirational story about a 15-year-old. we've actually met him before. he's a surfer and he's quadriplegic. there's a new wrinkle to the story. >> and if it's friday that means it's time for the friday whip. that's right. and it's all -- >> oh. >> all things made in the usa. including jason mraz. what time did you guys get here? >> 4:30. >> 4:30. all right. you've got a perfect seat for jason mraz. right now you're seeing our cameraman tommy hogan but this will get much better. >> in a half hour. >> do you all know that he is single?

>> putting it out there. should we go in to ann? >> we should. >> ann at the news desk. good morning again, ann. >> good morning once again, you three. let's talk about the news this morning. because this could be a major development in the war with the taliban. both the u.s. and pakistan say there are strong indications now that the taliban's top commander in pakistan is dead. they believe that baitullah mehsud was killed in a u.s. drone strike earlier this week, along with his wife, in south waziristan. the taliban also says that he was killed, but so far there's no physical evidence to confirm this news. mehsud led 13 separate taliban groups including some 20,000 fighters linked to al qaeda. and he is blamed for the 2007 assassination of former prime minister benazir bhutto. this morning in northern iraq, a car bombing claimed the lives of at least 21 people and wounded more than 70 others as they were leaving a shiite mosque for friday prayers. police say that the gunman, who went on a deadly rampage in a pennsylvania gym this week called his mother first, telling her that he was about to kill

people and was expected to die himself. three women were killed, nine others were wounded. on thursday, dozens of people gathered for a vigil and prayer service to remember the victims and to offer support for their families. sonia sotomayor will be sworn in tomorrow as the newest justice of the u.s. supreme court. on thursday the senate voted 68-31 to confirm her as the first hispanic, and the third woman to serve on the high court. today volunteers in seattle will begin getting an experimental swine flu vaccine. the tests are among eight trials in the u.s. designed to prepare for swine flu this fall. officials say that a vaccine should be ready for mass distribution by october, and the trials are under way now to determine whether one or two shots are needed. this morning, secretary of education arne duncan discussed what schools and parents should do to prevent and prepare for an outbreak. >> there's really a tiered response. and that decision will always be made at the local level. so if there's a handful of cases, we want parents to do the right thing and keep those

children home and start to make plans now that the child has to stay home. the parent can't stay home because they have to work, can a grandparent, can a neighbor, can someone else help out? so with a handful of cases we really want to try to keep schools open and keep those children home. if it starts to escalate and the numbers change, at a certain point it makes more sense to keep the schools closed. but that's not the first option. >> the swine flu so far has infected more than 1 million americans. and check this out, a man in england took off on thursday, flying on a paragliding bicycle prepared by a small motor. it's called a flyke, he can go about 25 miles an hour up to 10,000 feet and he's hoping to reach the northern tip of scotland by the end of the month. you know, it's just cool. it's just now 8:04. let's go back outside to meredith and lester. >> ann, i'll go up if you'll go up. >> come on, really? >> yeah.

>> would you really? >> okay. >> let's make sure he lands safely first. then you're on. >> all right. >> a little climbing

>> we are hard-pressed to find cloud cover over the state of maryland today. mostly sunny skies prevailing. high of 84 degrees. a little cooler than normal. humidity will be warmer as well

and you folks have a perfect view of jason mraz's drummer's tushie. you've got a great view coming up in just a half hour. lester? >> all right, al, thanks very much. coming up this morning, perspective on mothers who drink from someone who knows. a mother of three, a recovering alcoholic, is going to share her story this morning. and later, we'll lighten things up because we do have jason mraz in the house to take our summer concert series coming up. hey ? i say brace yourself. that gas guzzler in your driveway, just might be, a clunker. but don't panic, it could be a good thing. your ford and lincoln mercury dealers are cash for clunkers specialists. they'll recycle your ride, and get you a big fat juicy rebate from uncle sam. you can get all the details, charts, graphs, etc, at ford.com.

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dad, mom says the boys gotta go. personalize your card by uploading... your own photo at capitalone.com. what's in your wallet? ♪ back now at 8:11. now to the question many are asking after that deadly wrong-way crash in new york. can you hide a drinking problem from your family? police say the driver who killed herself and seven others was drunk and high at the time. but diane schuler's husband is not accepting the toxicology report, saying that his wife was not an alcoholic. with us now is rachel burnell, a mother and a recovering alcoholic and the author of "mommy doesn't drink here

anymore." dr. nancy synderman is also with us. good morning to both of you. >> hi, meredith. >> rachel, if you could start with you, you are a recovering alcoholic, 22 months sober at this time. >> yes. >> i know you never drove drunk with your children in the car, but when you heard this story about diane schuler, what went through your mind? >> what went through my mind is i wondered if she had ever tried to get into recovery and what kind of help and support she had in her life. honestly, that's what went through my mind. >> if, in fact, we don't know whether she was an alcoholic or not. >> yeah. >> but that's what crossed your mind, because you were. >> that's right. and it made me wonder what kind of drinking problem she had or didn't have. but it's mostly it was just a tragic story. and it's amazing more stories like that doesn't happen more often. >> at your worst, rachel, how much did you drink? >> well, i don't like to talk too much about specifics. >> why is that? >> mostly because i think it's not the -- i mean, here's what i will say. i think when i just had a glass or two a night i thought that was just fine. and what happened for me is it started to be lots more than

that. really quickly. and so that was really my level of concern was that i was just drinking, you know, probably about a bottle of wine or more a night. >> did anybody in your family say anything to you about it? >> you know, they didn't. but i was staying at home with my kids and so i hid my drinking from them a fair amount of the time. and so by the time my husband would get home from work, i would have, as far as he was concerned i'd have my first glass of wine. but really it wasn't. >> i think it's so interesting because a lot of people hearing this story about diane schuler are confused. how could a family not know that somebody is consuming that much alcohol? >> you just said something having. we don't know that she's an alcoholic. but we do know by this one incident that she was a binge drinker. and we tend to think of binge drinking as not really having a drinking problem. if you have six or ten glasses of alcohol in your system, that's more than just meeting someone for a cocktail. and so that binge drinking means there's a drinking problem, even if it's hidden from the family. and i suspect there were warning signs all over the place.

>> and that people just choose to ignore them. >> mm-hmm. >> what kind of impact do they have on your family, especially if you're drinking in front of them? >> clearly it did have an impact. at the time when i was drinking i would tell myself it didn't. but, as i got sober, and they started to say things like mommy's not drinking anymore. i realized even though they are quite young, my twins were 5 and my youngest was 2, that they were paying attention to what i was doing every day. >> and it's very interesting, rachel's drug of choice was white wine which is a socially acceptable thing for women to drink. vodka, which is perhaps implicated in this horrific crash, you can't smell it. so women will tend to stay away from the scotches, and the bourbons of the world, and they'll go for things that, frankly, you can walk around and no one's going to say oh, well mommy's a drunk because she's had two bottles of white wine. you can sort of snooker people. >> you talk about being accessible. you talk about going on this mommy blogs during the day, and alcohol was a big discussion

point on these blogs. >> sure, yep. i wrote for bottle.com and we, at the time, you know, we had our friday cocktail play date where we'd come up with a funny name for a drink and it was part of the subtext of what we were talking about. momma had a headache or oh, it's been a hard day, i need a drink. it was just really part of the language that we used at the time. and it was very much a part of what i talked about. >> and what was it that finally made you decide, i can't live this life anymore? >> well, i noticed that my drinking was getting -- i was drinking more and more, really quickly, and i missed a couple of key events in my daughter's first year of school, the twins were in kindergarten and that was really a red flag for me. because i've always looked forward to them going to school. so when i missed the parent orientation because i was hung over, it was just one of the final signs that i had a problem with alcohol. >> do you look back now, especially in light of this case that we're talking about and say, but for the grace of god, that maybe you could have been in that situation? >> absolutely. absolutely. any of us that struggle with alcohol and drug addiction, could have easily have been in that situation.

>> right. >> and you know sometimes you have to look at your kids. you start to watch their behavior and you'll see preteens who are suddenly hanging out with kids who are drinking or they'll turn over their keys and they're getting sloshed. so start to look at your kids, and sometimes they see you before you see you. >> okay. and intervene when you know something is wrong. >> you have to risk the chance of losing a friendship because you think you're going to save somebody's life out there. >> all right, rachel. thank you so much. >> thank you. >> dr. nancy, as always. >> okay. the sparkly flakes. the honey-baked bunches! the magic's in the mix. my favorite part? eating it. honey bunches of oats. taste the joy we put in every spoonful. honey bunches of oats. we call the bunches in honey bunches of oats the prize in the box. well, now there's a prize inside the prize. pecans! pecans! baked into crunchy oat bunches. taste the delicious surprise in every spoonful. new honey bunches of oats with pecan bunches. beautiful.

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announcer: it gives the world fewer smog-forming emissions. it gives you a 50 mile per gallon rating. the 3rd generation prius. it's harmony between man, nature and machine. "today's" friday whip is brought to you by mcdonald's. >> back now at 8:19. this morning on "today's friday whip" made in the usa. the great places and products you can experience and pick up right in your own backyard. >> from travel and fashion to food and wine our four experts are here to share their favorite homegrown picks. we're kicking things off with

nina wildorf editor in chief of budget travel magazine. we're going to talk about three great road trips. the first one, california's highway 1 between san francisco and l.a. you and i are californians. we get it. start in san francisco because? >> san francisco down to l.a. because your road is not obstructed by other cars. you have the best views of the cliff. >> the ocean is on your right. >> you can stop at the beach board walks along the way. this is the only major seaside amusement park on the west coast built in 1915. that is old school in these parts. and you can stop at big sur at tree bones resort. these are 16 years, sort of the best of camping with the amenities of a hotel. >> kind of roughing it but not really. >> but not that bad. $145 a night and there are 16 of them. you wake up to the sounds of the crashing surf. >> give yourself a couple days for the highway 1 trip. historic route 66. we've heard the song, what do you do on the road? >> there's a reason it's a

classic. it was built in 1926. called the main street of america. and you know, right outside of kansas city there is a really fun historic hotel called the 'ems resort. built in 188. and the elms resort has seen everyone from harry truman to al capone. you, too, could stay there for $109 a night. this is a part of the country where pop is king. and there's a place called pop in central, oklahoma. they have a wonderful roadside attraction. >> oh, i love that. >> it's hilarious. it is a four-ton, 66-foot-tall glass soda bottle. >> and the other one the blue ridge parkway between charlottesville, virginia, and the great smoky mountains of tennessee. great places to stay along there, as well. >> exactly. a national park itself. >> nina, glad to have you here. meredith, you got to look stylish, right? >> that is right, lester. and from t-shirts to tennis shoes our "today" style editor bobbie thomas has searched coast to coast for the best fashion finds. good morning to you. >> good morning.

>> people think fashion, they think paris, they think milan. you have ground great designers here, including the person who designed this outfit nanette lapore. >> i'm a big fan. she is helping to fight save the garment district in new york. it's hard to produce here. designers like prairie and millie. >> i love millie. >> lawyer are miller out of chicago. you have to give them credit for keeping it at home. >> you and mrs. obama. >> categories beginning with basic rights. these are undergarments produced by american companies. >> this is american apparel. we'll start with them. what i found interesting is that, you know, they've got these rainbow colored t-shirts, et cetera. but they actually operate the largest garment factory here in the u.s. and employ about 5,000 people in l.a. alone. >> keep in mind, in this economy. >> exactly. you're keeping jobs at home. out of vermont, commando. big hollywood favorites for their invisible undergarments. and no nonsense, made in tennessee. they have an environmentally friendly approach to their

company. >> and give me that -- because it's the blue jeans, you think of them as expensive. but a lot of american brands that aren't. >> brands $40 to $80. great variety. sizes that range up to 24. and even chemical free. so look on pie website -- on our website. i have my article where i list. >> and finally shoes. the average american four pair of shoes a year. most not made in this country. but new balance is. >> funny enough, 90% of the shoes we buy are imported. we are the largest importer of footwear. and new balance is the only athletic company still making shoes here in the u.s. that was a hard thing to find, tennis shoes. and then monroe and obviously red wings. great history behind them. everyone from eisenhower to queen elizabeth. >> okay, thank you so much. now tasty foods made in the usa. ann? >> -- knows all about how to turn it all into tasty meals. he's the author of "kitchen express, 404 inspired seasonal

dishes you can make in 20 minutes or less." mark, good morning. >> good morning, ann. >> one of the things, is there a reason not to go to the farmer's market? >> no. if you have one near you you should be going there. because you take these combinations like peaches and tomatoes, a little lime and a little basil, and that's just a terrific, you know, the sweetness of the peaches, the tartness of the tomatoes, the textures match. it's really a perfect, simple little salad. >> bottom line is. >> five minutes. >> and you know you don't have to cook anything. it's easy. people can put the lime on. but the point about farmer's markets is you've got basically better produce generally. >> probably. >> at a cheaper price. >> well often or at least at a price that makes you feel good about it. you're supporting local farmers and you're getting better. >> okay, all right now you've got another salad here. as we talk about this, you actually wrote an article that was what, the most e-mailed item for four days across the country? it was called 101 simple salads for the season. and this is one of them. >> this is one of them.

you can't get anything simpler than this. shaved cucumber and red onion. a little dressing of vinegar, oil and dijon mustard. and that's it. >> all right. >> salt and pepper. >> other ones, including this corn and bean salad, which is a great on the website and we'll tell you more. we've got to now go to al because he's got wine to show us. >> forget about france, forget about italy. great rains in this country. our wine editor from wood and wine magazine. ray. >> white wines. finger lakes region, new york state. fantastic riesling. delicious wines. crisp, like biting into a green apple. >> great summer wine if you want red? >> rose, oregon. lovely wines. pinot noir mostly but they make a fantastic dry rose. texas, the supertexas. >> i'm a super texan. >> that's right. and this is a fabulous party in your mouth, intense wine. >> a party in your mouth. >> i like that. >> and if you want to toast? come on in, meredith. lester. >> washington state sparkling wine.

michelle, this is a blanc de blanc. come on, come on. >> party in your mouth. >> to the party in your mouth for the usa. >> great, thank you. coming up, jason mraz live in concert. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. and alleged carjacker fleeing from police claimed the life of a woman and sentence of the hospital. it happened shortly before 4:00 yesterday afternoon. the suspect was driving at high speed and hit a nissan, causing him to put several times. the suspect and victim were taken to shock trauma. the victim was pronounced dead. her identity has not been released. the suspect suffered only minor injuries. let's check on the morning

commute with kim dacey. >> bad situation on the north side of the beltway, dealing with the accident on the inner loop of dulaney valley road. also, accident on the inner loop at york road off to the right shoulder. not helping the situation at all. in middle river, we have an accident at greenbank road at susquehanna. in essex, hole in the road. accident at pulaski highway and joppa road. we will give you a live look at the north side of the beltway. very slow-moving traffic there. on the invalid, we also have slow traffic. -- on the inner loop, we also have slow traffic. 14 miles per hour is your standard speed there. >> we have a nice start to the

day. mostly sunny out there. 66 degrees at the airport. we will surge on up into the 80s today. the humidity will be lower than normal. for tomorrow, gradual warm-up. 89 degrees. he warns fred starts to do saturday night into sunday. >> we will have another update at 8:55.

♪ 8:30 now on this friday morning, all 7th, 2009. beautiful summer morning here in rockefeller plaza. in just a moment, some beautiful music, jason mraz, live in

concert. and guys, what a crowd we have here. ♪ all the way that way. >> it's the feel-good song of the summer. >> it is. >> it's going to be a lot of fun. >> also ahead in this half hour, talk about paula abdul. she, of course, is speaking out about her departure from "american idol." we'll talk about the famous women the show is planning to replace her with. >> and a little bit of a reminder. monday on "today," meredith sits down for an exclusive live interview with kate gosselin. >> get out, i do not? >> you do so. >> wow. >> with "jon and kate plus 8." you're going to sit down and talk. this is the first live post-separation interview. >> yeah, absolutely. i'm very excited to sit down with her. i talked with her the other day. she wants to set the record straight. she's been quiet since they went into hiatus. and this is her opportunity to speak

>> in our neck of the woods, we will see mostly sunny skies today. temperatures range between 80 and 85 degrees. tomorrow, up to 89. then we feel the hazy, hot, and humid conditions. humid conditions.

and by the way, our produce your don nash said smokey you look like you're wearing the same jeans as president obama. you've got those dad jeans on. smokey didn't find that too funny, don. showing a little bear butt there. all right. smokey, yeah! fist 3u6r7, smokey. lester? >> all right, al, thanks. still ahead we've got songs to make you smile. jason mraz live in concert. (announcer) get schooled in style... ...at the jcpenney back to school huge sale. tired of waiting for your savings? with an instant money coupon from jcpenney, get $10 off instantly when you spend $50. save on night and day doorbusters. like, junior's arizona tees and tanks

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back now at 8:36. earlier this year we brought you

the inspiring story of a california teenager who could make you believe that anything is possible. and today jenna wolfe is here with an update. >> good morning to you, meredith. when patrick was here on the "today" show back in march, he touched a lot of hearts. he spent most of his time bound to a wheelchair. but patrick is also completely fearless and his true passion is surfing. he just turned 15, and it seems that his life is now changing at lightning speed. >> one, two, three! >> reporter: patrick is in the zone. >> they've done more for me, surfing is like spiritual. this is my second home here, you know. >> reporter: like many california kids, patrick grew up with dreams. >> how was sumping yesterday? >> reporter: an unbeliefable feat for someone who spent nearly his entire life in a wheelchair. >> i remember what life was like before the accident. a lot more simple.

>> reporter: it was 1995. a pristine fall day and jennifer was out with her 14-month-old son when he let go of her hand for just a split second. >> i didn't have time to grab him. you know one second he was there. and the next second he wasn't. >> reporter: in a freak accident, a car backed up over patrick. he was airlifted to a nearby hospital, his mother fearing the worst. >> i didn't want to go in the door because i thought as soon as i went in there he was going to shut the door and he was going to tell me that patrick hadn't survived. >> reporter: patrick did survive. but his spinal cord was crushed. he was completely paralyzed from the neck down. but as a toddler in rehab, it soon became clear nothing would stop this kid. >> he learned how to water ski and jetski and kayak and sail and a bunch of other stuff. >> reporter: but his biggest wish of all, to ride that perfect wave. >> he said he wanted to learn how to surf. and so i'm like, oh, yeah, okay.

i don't know how we're going to make that happen. >> reporter: until they heard about jesse, a well-known surfer with a spinal cord injury. >> he and i have a similar injury. i was like, i can do that. >> reporter: through billhauer's spinal cord awareness foundation, patrick is getting a chance to live out his dream. >> there really isn't anything that he can't do. >> reporter: so using duct tape and fame wedges, patrick fits his elbows into holders which keep him steady on the surfboard. >> he's pretty fearless. >> reporter: a team of volunteers then carry patrick deep into the ocean. >> look at the size of these waves. >> reporter: and when the right wave breaks, they pitch him. and for a few spectacular moments, he's completely free.

>> let me see. >> reporter: to help build strength, patrick goes through intensive physical therapy at a facility called project walk. slowly he's regaining his muscle control. when we first met patrick back in march, he was surfing with his high school surf team. four months later -- check this out. it's the u.s. open of surfing, the super bowl of the sport. and patrick was there. one of just four wheelchair surfers chosen for an exhibition. what kind of honor is it to be in the u.s. open? >> i was out in the water with my favorite pros. i was in front of hundreds of thousands of people doing what i love to do most. >> reporter: patrick, who recently turned 15, also has some significant new additions to his life. a snazzy now board.

it's lighter with more traction. and it was donated and designed just for him. >> i can turn on it, and i landed my first floater. >> reporter: then there's tona, his new service dog. >> she's going to come with me to school in the fall. >> reporter: a golden lab mix, she will help patrick become much more independent. assisting with everything from the delivery. to a dropped pen. >> i can finally take care of something instead of being taken care of. >> reporter: he's also discovered another bonus to his new four-legged pal. so you say kona is a quote chick magnet? >> he's going to be my buddy. we're going to wreak some havoc. >> reporter: a new team embarking on life's next chapter. >> every day is better than the last day. >> what a remarkable, remarkable, remarkable young man. patrick has one goal he does think about every day and that's to actually walk across the stage at his high school graduation in two years. and with his determination and his will, and his gut, there's no doubt that he's probably going to do it.

>> i totally agree with you. great story. thank you so much. up next, jason mraz live in concert.

the "toyota summer concert series on today" brought to you by toyota. toyota, moving forward. here to put us in the right mood as we get set for the weekend, singing his hit song, i'm yours, ladies and gentlemen, jason mraz. ♪ well you done done me i tried to be true but you're so hot that i'm melting ♪ ♪ i fell right through the cracks and now i'm trying to get back ♪ before the cool done run out i'll be giving it my best ♪

♪ nothing gonna stop me but divine intervention ♪ ♪ i reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some ♪ but i won't hesitate no more no more ♪ ♪ it cannot wait i'm yours ♪ ♪ ♪ hey hey ♪ well open up your mind and see like me ♪ ♪ open your plans and damn you're free ♪ ♪ i look into your heart and you'll find love love love ♪ ♪ listen to the music of the moment people dance and sing ♪ ♪ we're just one big family

♪ and it's our god right to be love love love loved ♪ ♪ so i won't hesitate no more no more ♪ ♪ it cannot wait i'm sure ♪ ♪ there's no need to complicate our time is short ♪ ♪ this is our fate i'm yours ♪ ♪ ♪ now sing with me the song of love sing it ♪ ♪ whoa whoa

♪ i've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror ♪ ♪ and bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer ♪ ♪ my breath fogged up the glass so i drew a new face and i laughed ♪ ♪ i guess what i've been saying is there ain't no better reason ♪ ♪ to rid yourself of vanity and just go with the seasons ♪ ♪ it's what we aim to do our name is our virtue ♪ ♪ i won't hesitate no more no more ♪ ♪ it cannot wait i'm yours ♪ ♪ open up your mind open up your heart ♪ ♪ and you will find the sky is

yours ♪ ♪ there's no need there's no need to complicate ♪ ♪ our time is short i'm yours ♪ >> jason mraz. thanks. we'll catch up with jason and hear more music in a moment. first this is "today" on nbc.

following his second album and constant touring, singer/song writer jason mraz took a much-needed break a few years ago from everything, no touring, no recording, nothing, nada. now he's back with a whole new look at life and music and his latest album is called "we sing, we dance, we steal things." is it basically true you said i want out? i want a year to do my own laundry and raise my avocados? >> i want to go to the grocery store. i want to know what i want to buy. on the road sometimes it's hard to really do that for yourself. >> and in the process you sort of found yourself? >> i did. you know, and i recommend it everyone. students. i recommend that they travel. people who have been in their careers for a long time.

take a big, solid break and really like heal yourself. really get to know what life is about here. >> you know, lester holt paid you the highest compliment earlier today, he said when jason mraz sings i'm happy. >> how about that. i just try to let the sun shine in, you know. we just like to share it everywhere we go. >> and i know you're heading out on tour. you're going to be -- >> jones beach tonight. in new jersey tomorrow. philly on sunday. we're hitting the road. we're around the u.s. for the next two months. >> right now you are here, rockefeller plaza. what are you going to sing next? >> a new version of the old favorite disthe remedy." >> liking it. ♪ sing "today" show "today" show ♪ ♪ yea yea ♪ ♪ yea

yea ♪ ♪ i saw fireworks from the freeway ♪ ♪ and behind closed eyes i cannot make them go away ♪ ♪ because you were born on the fourth of july freedom ring ♪ ♪ now something on the surface it stings ♪ ♪ well something on the surface kind of makes me nervous ♪ ♪ and what kind of god would serve this ♪ ♪ you've got the poison i've got your remedy your remedy ♪ ♪ this is a danger ♪ a comedy this is a serious ♪ ♪ i see the tragedy is how you're going to spend the rest of your nights with the lights on ♪ ♪ so shine the light on all of your friends because it all amounts to nothing in the end ♪ ♪ i i won't worry my life away yeah ♪ ♪ i i i won't worry my life

away ♪ oechlt oh, no no no no no no no no ♪ ♪ ♪ did we not fall in love i take my time ♪ ♪ there's no need to hurry love when i'm making up my mind ♪ ♪ you can turn off the sun gentleman but i'm still gonna shine ♪ ♪ and i'll tell you why oh, ♪ ♪ ♪ i'm gonna tell you why come on. ♪

♪ ♪ the remedy is the experience ♪ it's a dangerous liaison ♪ i say the comedy  is all kind of serious ♪ ♪ and it's a play on the words i say the tragedy is how you're gonna spend ♪ ♪ the rest of your nights with the lights on ♪ ♪ so shine the lights on all of your friends ♪ ♪ when it all amounts to nothing in the end ♪ ♪ yeah yeah ♪ sing it ♪ i -- i won't worry my life away ♪ ♪ i won't worry my life away ♪ i won't worry my life away

♪ i won't worry my life away ♪ sing it with me now ♪ i won't worry my life away ♪ i won't worry my life away >> jason mraz, thank you. more music just a little bit later. more from jason mraz. coming up first your local news and weather.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. baltimore city police have a pair of multiple shootings this morning. the first half and about 11:30 last night at glenmore ave. police found one victim is suffering from a gunshot wound to the back and forth. moments later, they found two other victims and wounded in the leg. the men were taken to bayview and one at hopkins, where they were listed in stable condition. police were called to the scene of an and the double shooting. two men were shot, one in the face, the other in the foot, at dallas court.

>> let's take a look of the forecast with sandra shaw. >> mostly sunny skies, the with the normal humidity. high of about 85 degrees at the chesapeake bay. ocean city, nice cool breeze from the atlantic. beautiful, blue skies. plenty of sunshine there. slight chance of an evening thunderstorm to the north of the city. warm front will move through. high pressure builds in for sunday and monday. that will mean a return to the hazy, hot, and humid conditions for august. 95 on sunday. >> we will have another update in 25 minutes. those are new. oh, yeah i got the env 3 she has the env touch from verizon wireless. the one thing i do not need is a new phone. ok, that's hot. the apps are really cool. you got twitter... "need for speed"

i like "need for speed". i make calls, that's it. show him the "gpsgolf" thing. oh, yeah, this is really sweet. see, i'd never use that stuff. do not set that down, i will take it. verizon introduces the app-friendly env touch and env 3. only from america's largest 3g network.