good morning. turning point. the obama administration gets the best job news it's had in months. is the economy in fact getting better? temperatures rising. the debate over health care reaches a fever pitch, and town hall meetings ross the country. is it organized, or is it genuine anger? and "julie & julia." the real-life inspiration that helped bring america's favorite cooking legend to the big screen has fans saying, bon appetit.

"today's" saturday, august 8, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good saturday morning, everyone. welcome to "today." i'm lester holt. >> and i'm jenna wolfe in for amy robach. a lot of buzz about this movie today. >> if you know julia child, seen her and see think, it's like, wow. >> not only that, parodies of it, but she does it really, really well. yeah. >> doesn't overflay. anyway, the movie intertwines two stories, playing julia child before she was a famous chef and another story of a young woman whose unusual fascination changed her life and inspired the film. we'll meept her coming up later on the program. also the question that has hollywood buzzing this morning. hoop going to replace paula abdul on "american idol"?

we'll run through a list of celebrity contender, and get paula's departure plans. and the first lady of south carolina moves out of the governor's mansion. about six weeks since her husband, mark sanford, publicly admits having an affair with a woman from argentina. all the latest coming up. and new economic numbers that show the massive job number weevs been experiences lately slowed down. unemployment down 0.1 at 9.4% and 277,000 jobs lost in july, half as many as the month before. the president expects unemployment ho ted 10% the positive numbers have the white house breathing easier at least for now. we have more. >> reporter: with more than 14.5 million americans out of work, president obama is not ready to declare victory just yet. >> we have a lot furpter to go, as far as i'm concerned, we will not have a true recovery as long

as we're losing jobs. >> reporter: but tjuly's jobs report show the country is losing jobs more slowly. the average the past three months, 331,000. roughly half the drop reported in the previous six months, and while manufacturers continue to struggle laying off 52,000 workers in july, that's the smallest decline in a year. automobile manufacturing actually added 28,000 jobs as carmakers reopened plants. another bright spot, health care. up 17,000. still, the drop in the unemployment rate may not be something to celebrate. >> the reality is part of the reason is declined is fewer people are looking for jobs even though they need jobs. >> reporter: many have needed those jobs for a long time. 5 million americans have been unemployed more than six months, and 1.5 million may lose extended unemployment benefits by year's end. >> they are finding it very difficult to find new jobs.

this is not a job-creating environment. >> reporter: some economists point to an increase in july numbers of hours worked saying they may employ soon. ms. morales laid off half employees this year and is now increasing hours for the workers left. she's not ready to start hiring yet but is hopeful. >> this year we'll end it on a down turn but next year see a big difference p difference. >> reporter: for "today," erin burnett. what the latest numbers mean, melissa francis, and good morning. good to see you. >> good morning. >> the takeaway? 15 million americans out of work here. beyond this great headline washgs do we need to know? >> bottom line, 247,000 people lost their job last month. never a good thing or something to celebrate. same time, losing jobs double that rate in the previous months. a huge improvement.

better than economists expected this time around and maybe seeing a bottom in unemployment. huge to seeing a bottom in the economy. >> president saying maybe the worst is behind me. unemployment koinch up to 10%. hedging his best. are economists doing the say them, saying glass half empty, half full? >> optimist mifk than the president. doesn't want to get hopes up quickly too say saying it will still go to 10%. same time thing, looking better. more positive than that, pending home sales, home price data out earlier in the week also positive. housing another huge component to this recovery looking a little better as well. >> yesterday another bill day on the stock market. clearly a rally is underway, but is it rational? does it reflect the reality of what's happening or might we be in for disappointment along the way? >> undeniable, a rally at this possibility. major indices gone up about 50% roughly across the board.

undeniable it's there. can it continue? depends a lot on the economy. company, earnings came in better than expected. companies have really tightened up and a lot of people like didn't to a coiled spree. cut back on costs are really productive. as it takes off, profits will spring forward and be able to hire again. looks pretty good, starting to look good, i should say. >> at the risk of being debbie downer, deficit. $1.3 trillion. almost, well, $900 billion or so more than a year or so ago. when does the bill come due? >> further down the road. probably see it in the form of higher interest rates as the government has to go out and borough money to pay it off. crowding out the private borrowing, higher rates on credit cards and home loans. probably see higher taxes to pay for and a weaker dollar as we're out there borrowing more money and people have less faith in the currency. as we see recover, maybe not at robust without all the

borrowing. you borrow now, pay later. >> you mentioned the dollar. it was up yesterday? >> yeah. huge sign maybe the economy is turn around. people fled frp what is, safe haven place, good investment in times when you're afraid other things. we expect it to go down. this time it went up meaning people are feeling more confident in america. good sign. >> melissa francis, thanks. you'll be at the newsdesk. >> here all day. >> put to you work. thanks. now here's jenna. lester, thanks. to the brewing battle over health care as members of congress hold town hall meetings in their directs. shouting reached a fever pitch. nbc's kelly o'donnell has more. >> reporter: temperatures rising across the country. from florida -- to michigan -- texas to colorado. the town hall meeting is democracy 101. >> we're not a member of a mob. >> reporter: forums for free speech. >> i actually have read this bill. >> reporter: but many turned into free for alls.

[ chanting ] >> at one point it felt like people were more worried about drowning each other out than listening. >> reporter: the crowd shoving to get in and where members of congress like michigan democrat dingle get shouted down. much of the passion and protests comes from conservative voices opposed to the democrats' plan for a government-run option for held care. [ chanting ] the democratic national committee in a web video charged these protests are staged. >> now, allies are organizing angry mobs. >> reporter: some on display get stoked by the provocative megaphones of rush limbaugh who went so far as accusing democrats of wanting to soernlize medicine of nazi germany. >> the obama health care logo is damn close to a nazi swastika logo. >> reporter: to encourage attend, conservative organizers acknowledge they sent e-mail

alerts to members but argue the anger is real. >> i think that the politicians should be careful about so easily dismissing this many people showing up and participating in the process. >> reporter: virginia democrat jim moran expects to get an earful. >> funny to be opposed. i don't think it's fine to come in with the objective of disrupting the town hall meetings. >> reporter: for "today," kelly o'donnell, nbc news, washington. for more on the political impact of all of this let's turn to john horowitz, chief washington kornt for cnbc. john, good morning. >> hey, jenna. >> with all the shoving and yells at all the town halls it's hard to get a sense of which side is being heard. how big of an impact will this have on congress when they return in september to talk about health care again? >> i suspect the greatest impact is going to be the further polarize the two political parties making it more difficult for bipartisan negotiators to come up way product they can sell with the democratic caucus and get a few republicans

onboard. the some total of these protesters in the month of august increases the likelihood democrats will try to do this on their own, changing the nature of what the product that ultimately gets proud is. >> in his weekly radio address, the president focused and rumors about health care. take a listen and we'll ask you about it on the other side. take a listen. >> so let me explain what reform will mean for you, and let me start by dispelling the outlandish rumors that reform will promote uthen naish hsia or cut medicaid or bring about a government takeover of health care. that's simply not true. >> john is it even possible for the president's voice to are heard with what's going on around all of these town hall meetings? >> it's very difficult and health care reform is so big, so complex, it's lard for average citizens to focus on the details. so you get all of the noise. you get these idiotic comments from rush limbaugh that kelly o'donnell just played in her

piece. so what the white house has got try do is focus, rally their own troops together and come up with some clarity any their message, and you're seeing that as they leave washington focusing on calling it health insurance reform. not health care reform, targeting the way ordinary people interact with insurance companies which a lot of times they don't like. >> how should the white house best react to all of this? are they better served than by ignoring it? by the comments of rush limbaugh, sarah palin mentioned in her first comments since stepping down at governor called obama's plan evil. ignore it? react to it? how are they best served here? >> i think, jenna, the white house is best served by turning down the temperature. you've seen it from the white house to their own allies on the left. rahm emanuel said goad them into supporting their plan sayings that counter productive. don't run ads criticizing moderate democrats. good reason. when congress comes back in

september they'll need those democrats onboard. doesn't look like they'll get many or even any possibly republicans. >> let's turn to the economy for a little bit. numbers are out this morning. unemployment down 0.1%. how big a boost of these numbers for the obama administration? >> significant boost for them, because it allows the president to begin making the argument that you see? my stimulus policies are working. we're headed in the right track. the white house is not deceived by this. the economy may be turning around. we may see growth return in the third and fourth quarter, but they know that this is a temporary drop in the unemployment rate, it's likely to go higher, not come down in a significant way until next spring. that create as political challenge for democrats to sustain their message and credibility with the american people. not just on the economy, also on health care. >> and to sustain their optimism, because there's a fine line between declaring this a victory and maintaining some realistic expectations. is it going to be hard for the

white house to thread the line between of two of them, john? >> no question about it. they do not want to hang any mission accomplished banners at the white house. on the other hand, they do want people to believe that they've taken the steps that are going to bring the economy back, and certainly we've seen the financial systems stabilize. we've seen consumer credit stabilize, but the consumer isn't all that confident right now and the administration needs a little jolt of confidence, and that's part of their public argument. >> commerce is out of session, americans enjoying the last couple days of summer. what should the white house and this administration really be focusing on? their main task at this point? >> well, this president has got two huge tasks for the rest of the year. one of them is to try to get health care reform through. and he has, in fact, made some progress in the house of representatives. the senate has moved more slowly, but tlav got a chance of getting this done especially if they were hold democrats together in the fall. and he's also got energy legislation, trying to transform the underlying foundation of the

economy, carbon emission, a heavy lift, not likely he'll get it done for the end of the year but a full agenda. the balance the white house has to strike, not spending all their ammunition in the month of august when a lot of americans aren't paying attention but continue some momentum while the president goes on vacation and while a lot of americans go on vacation, too. >> busy rest of the summer for them. john harwood, thank you so much. and time now for this morning's top headlines. noor we say hello to cnbc's melissa francis at news defx. >> good morning, guys. good morning, everyone. today history made at the supreme court. judge sonia sotomayor will be sworn in this morning as the 111th justice. sotomayor becomes the first hispanic to sit on the nation's highest court, and the third woman. we'll have much more on the historic day if our next hour with a live report. federal investigators say equipment malfunctions on at least a dozen recent flights made it impossible for some pilots to know how fast they were flying. the air censor failures were

found on airbus operated by the airlines opinion made as part of the invest sgigs the flight that crash over the atlantic killing all 228 people onboard. more than 300 people turned out last night for a vigil outside the suburban pittsburgh fitness center where a gunman opened fire tuesday night. three women killed, nine others injured in that attack. surprising autopsy results from billy mays released. cocaine contributed to his sudden death. the primary cause was heart disease. mays family is questioning the report saying it contains speculative conclusions. and a california company is recalling more than 800,000 pounds of ground beef on fears it may be tainted with salmonella. at least 28 people have become sick in california, colorado and wyoming. officials are also invest getting this in at least eight

other states. some of that beef was sold at sam's club and safeway. eunice kennedy shriver is in critical condition at a cape cod hospital this morning. the sister of president john f. kennedy and founder of the special olympics previously suffered a series of strokes this year. shriver's husband, children and grandchildren are now at her bedside, including daughter maria shriver and husband california governor arnold schwarzenegger. finally, one of the fiercest rivalries in full display in the bronx. the new york yankees beat the boston red sox, but it took 15 innings. the teams were scoreless the first 15 innings. the first time that's happened between those two team. the game lasted five hours, 33 minutes before slugger alex rodrigues sent everyone home with a walk-off home run. that's the news, back to you, lester, jenna. about that rivalry, the first i'm hearing about this.

>> feeling the love. why can't we get along. >> two teams that live up to the hype. >> true. >> we always wait every year. >> five hours in a became jeet no know about that. a little long. nbc meteorologist bill karins is here with a first check of the forecast. >> crazy about that, if we work these wacky hours in tv, i actually had gone to bed and woke up at 12:30, check might blackberry. tide 0-0 in the 15th. i got watch the rest of the game after i celeste anticipate how hours. that's hour crazy. >> he and i. >> and let's get -- beautiful today. a lot of people sleepy eyed after last night but a stamp of approval from new york up to boston all, pretty much the whole day today. going to be gorgeous. let's talk about the trouble area, though, continuing to watch flooding rains. heavy rain and flash flooding from minneapolis to st. paul to southern wisconsin. that rain is shifting to michigan. another round later today.

watch out for more large hail, damaging winds, possibility of isolated tornadoes, too. so that's one of the big stories. the other one, the heat is beginning to spread. we are going see one of the hottest summer days and actually the hottest summer weekend of the year in chicago. 92 today. tomorrow could be mere 96. the heat will spread east. not so much today but tomorrow in areas like raleigh. could be near 100. d.c. could hit 97 tomorrow. >> hope you are doing well this saturday. going up into the mid 80's

that's your saturday forecast. lester? >> bill, thanks. if you ever visited an aquarium and dreamed it about experiencing life on the inside of the glass tank, you may be in luck. kevin tibbles reports an aquarium in chicago is offering a whale of a good time. >> reporter: it's a close encounter of the smiley kind. ♪ chicago's aquarium offers a chance to get up close and very personal with their family of beluga whales. the curious can don a pair of hip waders, get a quick tutorial from the shed's animal care staff and after a thorough hand washing, tiptoe ever so gently into the frigid waters of the beluga habitat. >> it's really cold. >> reporter: 55 degrees may be cold for those without enough blubber, but for belugas, it's

just right. >> what makes this such a unique experience for the people who come? >> it's doing what you're doing right now, kevin. being able to touch a whale. see them up close, feel them and get soaked. >> reporter: say, hmm. refreshingly fishy. belugas have been called the canaries ever the sea for the music they make and while there are about 100,000 living in the wild, beluga populations are threatened in some parts of the world. they are surprisingly social and smart, also gentle. who would have thought a 1,000-pound whale would have liked having her tongue tickled? this opportunity comes at a price. $200, which helps pay for conservation and research. the shed also hopes each visitor leaves more aware of the natural world as a result of their whale encounter. ♪ beyond the sea >> they are mistreated. people want to understand them

better and this gives them that chance. a really up close opportunity they can't get anywhere else. >> reporter: when you learn so much about them. >> i think it touches people in a way they never forget. >> reporter: as for jeffrey, the chance to touch a real, live beluga was, well, indescribable. >> a mooshy thing. >> like a smooshy -- >> little -- >> kind of -- >> soup thing. >> reporter: in other werds -- >> phenomenal. amazing, fantastic. life memory. >> reporter: and i'll second that. for "today," kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. we're going to see that pick her again somewhere. i have a funny feeling. i think a whale is huge. dolphins? >> can't imagine where we are where we can stick our hands right in -- i think i saw it up to his shoulder. >> kevin these days. we'll be right back. first, this is "today" on nbc.

we've all heard about the trouble in the housing industry. the fact is, with all the talk of a national real estate market, your town, your neighborhood, your home, or the home you'd like to buy, are each unique. the national conversation may not apply at all. if you've been worrying about what your property may be worth, or wondering if your dream home may finally be affordable, ask a re/max agent or go to remax.com. nobody sells more real estate than re/max.

it's springtime weather right now in new york, but a nice crowd here on saturday. >> it's a springtime crowd when you start the show. by the end of the show we're talking like mid-summer crowd. >> mid-summer crowd. get to meet them. >> good to have them. still to come on "today," she's moving out. the latest on the south carolina saga of the governor sanford, she's taken the kids and left the gochber's mansion. and how many drug was in michael jackson's system when he died? his brother jermaine is speaking out. all that ahead, first, these messageses.

[captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> good morning.

the time is 7:26. here's a look at our top stories this morning. baltimore police are searching for a couple. they believe the woman may have been abducted by her boyfriend. police believe williams may be headed to virginia in a dark or black van or a four-door gray mercedes benz. if you have any information, call baltimore police. city police are still searching for the hit-and-run driver who struck one of their own in east baltimore. officials say the officer approached the car after pulling it over. the driver through it in reverse, hitting the officer in the leg. it happens just before midnight on thursday. a passenger in the car was also hurt. the woman was dragged after trying to get out. no word on her condition. the officer did not suffer any serious injury. police are also investigating a shooting in east baltimore.

the man was shot in the hip last night. the victim is being treated at the hospital while police are looking for the shooter. we are learning more about the kid struck by a car. he and some not yet decided the vehicle of around 7:30 thursday night. he was treated and released from the hospital. the driver from the car will not be facing charges. one person has lost an appeal. they affirm his capital murder conviction and death sentence. the panel objected to several arguments from him. his attorney says he will appeal to the u.s. supreme court. stay with

>> let's check in with center for years forecast. >> hello. we have some light shower activity putting through a disturbance. this will be a transitional they. a little bit of cloud cover and some sun. here is what we are looking at a temperature rise. looking at about 70 degrees on the eastern shore. it should be a pretty terrible day. a slight chance of isolated showers this afternoon. temperature range today, normal. 84 degrees-87 degrees. the dewpoint will be low for most of today. a high pressure over us. it will move offshore by tonight. we will see a mild overnight low

of 72 degrees. the heat and humidity will come tomorrow with the 94 degrees. 97 degrees on monday. >> thanks for joining us. we will have another live update in 25 minutes. we're back about saturday morning. the 8th of august, joined by a lively crowd on our plaza on this early saturday morning. grateful for that. inside studio 1a, i'm jenna wolfe in for amy robach this morning alongside this guide, lester holt. coming up, jermaine jackson speaking out about this brother michael. >> what he knew about this younger brother's drug use as new report comes to light about

how many drugs jakz may have had in his system at the time of his death. all the details coming up. also, one of the world's most famous pedestrian crossings, london's abby road. back in the news, we'll tell you why coming up. >> and an anniversary. we all now you can rent a car, movie or ice skates but turns out there be a lot more rental options available these days. coming up, surprising thing us can enjoy for a fraction of the sales price. >> yeah? >> a dress. you can rent a dress. why buy an evening dress you're only going to -- listen, i got to wear an evening dress. >> why buy the heels? >> you'll wear one time. you don't want to be seen in it again. you can rent it. >> you'd be comfortable doing that? >> not in a dress, but, some people might. >> wondering. >> we'll get to all that. coming up we want to first talk about south carolina governor mark sanford's wife jenny who's moved out of the governor's mansion and taken the kids with her. live from miami, florida, with

the latest. >> reporter: good morning to tu, lester. moving out of the governor's mansion with her son, jenny sanford says she will continue her activities as first lady, but says her first responsibility now is to her family. moving day at the south carolina governor's mansion, where jenny sanford, the first lady, is packing up and heading out. while her husband, the governor, stays behind. in a statement issued friday, mrs. sanford said, i have decided to move back to our home in charleston with our son for the upcoming school year. from there we will continue the process of healing our family. >> bottom line is this, i -- i've been unfaithful to my wife. >> reporter: the latest development in the scandal which broke in june when governor mark sanford admit head an extramarital affair and traveled to argentina to visit his mistress there. >> i hurt her, i hurt my wife, i hurt the boys.

>> reporter: despite widespread calls for his resignation, the governor refused to leave office and both he and his wife promised to try to reconcile. on wednesday, he returned from a two-week vacation with his family in europe. and on friday, hours after his wife moved out, the governor said it had been in the works for some time. >> brewing for a while and been back and forth and talked about it, kicked around at length. so -- well before europe. >> reporter: the governor also said he and his wife agreed, the move was best for their children. >> we have a job as parents to make sure that the boys grow up in as normal a circumstance as possible. particularly given ones that don't really like a lot of -- media attention or any other kind of attention. >> reporter: the governor says despite this separation, he still has faith in his marriage. now, the governor also issued a

written statement saying he also believes his wife's moving out is best for what he calls the process of reconciliation and says it will not affect his ability to do his job as governor. lester? >> all right. mark potter, mark, thanks very much. and now here's jenna. now to the latest in the aftermath of michael jackson's death. a new report this morning that jackson had a hefty insurance policy, $17.5 million, in case he missed shows of his planned concert comeback. as nbc's george lewis reports, new information about the drugs jackson reportedly had in his system when he died could jeopardize ta payout. ♪ >> reporter: in april, a few months before his death, according to the associated press, jackson and his concert promoter took out the policy to cover losses from cancelled performances. the policy would not apply if the pop star was found to have illegally possessed drug or was involved in the illicit taking

of drugs. the associated press quoted a law enforcement as saying it's doctor, conrad murray, gave the star multiple sedatives along way powerful anesthetic propofol. on cnn "larry king live" friday he was surprised about michael's drug use, said jermaine his brother. >> did you know michael to be addicted to anything? >> no. >> you never discussed it? >> never. i've nerve every seen him act abnormal around me or never known anything like that. >> if you can say with a straight face that you didn't know michael jackson had a drug problem, to me, you're out of touch. >> reporter: and then there's a question of michael jackson's final resting place. last month in an interview with "today's" matt lauer, jermaine says michael should be buried at the neverland ranch. >> this is his home. he created this. why wouldn't he be here? >> reporter: now jermaine says that's up to his mother. >> at the end of the day, she'll

make the final decision. >> reporter: this as e! online reports of turning it into a tourist attraction. >> 2 would make a lot of money. eve be though the jackson family wouldn't have control over the management of it, they would share in the profits. >> reporter: even in death -- the king of pop is still making money for other. for "today," george lewis, nbc news, los angeles. it's hard to believe it's been over a month and there are still so many unanswered questions. >> still haven't seen the toxicology report yet. noi a check of the

committed anonymous tampa today. committed anonymous tampa today.

if you want your hour-by-hour forecast, get that at weather.com, and who's 16th birthday is it today? >> mine. >> happy 16th birthday. send it inside to jenna. >> bill karins, thank you. coming up, forget renting movies. you can rent electronics, eve be bain furniture, maybe eve andress for lester. we'll tell you all about it after these messages.

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♪ on "today's consumer" can't afford to buy? why not rent. i'm not talking about real estate. these days you can rent anything from fashion to furniture to fun, and it makes good sense in the rough economic time. here with us, ann marie good to see you. what do you think, renting car, dvds. we're going to talk about everything furniture to clothing. when does it make sense to rent? >> makes sense to rent if the you're traveling, for instance. makes sense to rent if you want to try something expensive before you buy it, and if you're only going to use it once or twice. >> when does it not make sense to rent? >> doesn't make sense to rent if it's something you can afford and will be using a lot. >> let's talk about some of the things. clothing. >> this is a -- i've rented this

vera wang. don't usually wear evening wear in the mornings. this is an $1,895 dress you can rent for $189. >> not just dresses, other accessories? >> this poochy dress, gorgeous. $200 to rent. handbags you can rent for, like, these range from $1 to $500 a wyche. >> the dress makes sense for a one-time evening things? >> right. if i were a guy, buy the tux, wear it the same ten years. women tend to wear a different dress to every black tie occasion. that gets expensive i. wouldn't think to rent a computer. a lot of people use this option? >> try it before you buy it. about to make a purchase, rent it, up to about $100. >> bring your files along on a jump drive and pop them in? >> right. that's the way it works. if you're on a pc, you can rent a max for the weekend. >> why rent a video camera?

>> try before you buy, or a really great occasion and want it to look spectacular. using point and shoot most of the time. >> baby furniture. you have a baby, buy the furniture. you're going to need it. >> well, grandparents don't necessarily have all the furniture. i mean, my in-laws are in florida. when my kids were tiny they rented a lot of this. this minus the teddy bear, about $500 to buy. the whole setup, less than $100 to rent. >> kids and grandkids, rent stuff for them, have it all set up. >> right. >> easily available? >> all easily available online. thing like strollers, i hate taking strollers on airplane s especially big ones like this. rent them. >> parties. a lot of people want to put on big parties and want some of the accoutrements of an amusement park? >> you can get anything. cotton candy machines. you can get bouncing --

>> one of these at the "today" show christmas party. >> $2,000 to rent as opposed to $20,000 to buy. >> jenna, taking pictures. >> i just saw one. ready? ready? >> there you go. >> there we go. >> $2,000 for one day for something like this? >> yes. a family reunion, for instance, everyone chips in. a really big party, this would be loads of fun. >> think about renting it, and amusement rides as well? >> you can get all kinds of thing. bouncing castles for a kid's birthday. >> they came out. what do you think? >> what do you think? >> doesn't it come out nice? >> they came out. they're subpoena it along with the rest of the pictures. ann marie, nice to have you here. something to think about. coming up next, an iconic image of the '60s lives again, after these messages. a real onion...there's a real onion in my onion strip.

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one of the most iconic images of the '60s taken 40 years ago today. george, paul, ringo and john on a pedestrian crossing in london. that landed on the cover of the abbey road album and this morning fans are reading back to that crossing to celebrate. tom aspell live from london's abbey road this morning. good morning to you, tom. >> reporter: good morning, jenna. beatles fan, young, old and in between, are celebrating the day 40 years ago when john, paul, george and ringo crossed a london street for a photograph on their album "abbey road." >> here we go. >> reporter: this mania, all over again. music lovers from around the world gathering all morning outside the london studio where the beatles made hisly in the 1960s. a walking tribute to the group

made famous by the most successful pop band of all-time. ♪ 40 years ago, london was the epicenter of the swinging '60s. fashion, peace and love, and most of all, music. and nobody played it better than the beatles. ♪ let it be, let it be >> reporter: in 1969, they recorded the sound track for the film "let it be." but they delayed its release and made "abbey road" instead. the iconic photograph on the album cover was shot on a crosswalk right outside the studio. >> come on. you can walk. >> reporter: this man leads people across for $10 a head. >> the picture taken by guy miller, starting on stepladder in the middle of the road. just about here. >> reporter: 40 years on, it's a cherish thought for fans to imitate their idols, to walk the walk. brian mcshane from philadelphia

did it as a tribute. >> i'm a beatles fan and it's kind of cool. >> reporter: abbey road shot to number one on both sides of the atlantic and sold more than 20 million copies, getting huge airwave attraction. like "something." ♪ something in the way she moves ♪ >> reporter: "here comes the sun." and "maxwell silver." less than two years after "abbey road" the beatles broke up. decades later that album and that famous street remain symbols of of the sound track of an era. there are other iconic baelgtszs landmarks, "strawberry fields "penny lane" but "abbey road" belongs to london, when the beatles recorded all of their great music. jenna? >> tom aspell in london. tom, thank you. let me get this straight. a tour good night, $10 a head to cross a street? >> absolutely.

could have been my street on 9th. who know, but, no. 89th. we'll be right back. first, this is "today" on nbc.

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still to come on "today," what you need to know to protect yourself against swine flus. plus, who's going to take over for paula abdul now that she's leaving "american idol"? we'll tell you who's in the running. first, these messages. so she can watch me cook. you just love the aromas of beef tenderloin... and, ooh, rotisserie chicken. yes, you do. [ barks ] yeah. you're so special, you deserve a very special dog food. [ woman ] introducing chef michael's canine creations. the deliciously different way to serve up your love at mealtime. chef-inspired. dog-desired. chef michael's canine creations.

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>> good morning, everyone.

baltimore police are searching for a couple. they believe the woman may have been abducted by her boyfriend. police believe williams may be headed to virginia in a dark or black van or a four-door gray mercedes benz. if you have any information, call baltimore police. city police are still searching for the hit-and-run driver who struck one of their own in east baltimore. officials say the officer it over. the driver through it in the leg. it happens just before midnight on thursday. hurt. the woman was dragged after trying to get out. no word on her condition. the officer did not suffer any serious injury.

we are learning more about the child hits by a vehicle on thursday night. he has been treated and released from the hospital. the driver of the car will not face charges. police are also investigating a shooting in east baltimore. the man was shot in the hip last night. the victim is being treated at the hospital while police are looking for the shooter. one person has lost an appeal. they affirm his capital murder conviction and death sentence. the panel objected to several arguments from him. his attorney says he will appeal to the u.s. supreme court. stay with us, of which will check your forecast when we come back.

>> sandra shaw has the forecast. >> it is going to be a pretty typical day for us temperature was. it will be in the upper amid a's. that is normal for this time of year. a slight chance of some isolated showers throughout the afternoon. not a great chance. the mixture of sun and clouds. our northeast winds will shift from the south. 81 degrees in ocean city today. for tomorrow, that is the

weather story for the weekend. a high-pressure roles in. hazy, hot, and humid. 95 degrees tomorrow. 97 degrees on monday. >> thanks for joining us. >> thanks for joining us. good morning. bracing for swine flu. an expected fall outbreak. wrong-way tragedy. we're learning about the woman who drove drunk into oncoming traffic. new witnesses speak out. and bon appetit. meryl streep's latest transformation into the larger than life queen of the kitchen julia child.

>> just cut this -- have the courage in your convictions. especially to loose sort of -- oh, that doesn't go very well. >> and her performance has fans hungry for more. welcome back, everyone, to "today" on this saturday, august 8, 2009. i'm lester holt along with jenna wolfe who's in for amy robach this morning. coming up in this hour, new guidance about swine flu. >> yeah. as school gets ready for kids to come back for fall, the cdc talking about how to handle outbreaks of the virus. coming up what you need to know and bring you important health advice to lessen your chances of catching the viruses. simple things to do to keep yourself and your family safer and healthy. a bit late other than, what's next for "american idol" after paula abdul? she says she's not coming back. producers appearing to ready to move on without her. so who gets the coveted seat next to simon cowell? is that coveted? we'll look at the contenders --

>> it's coveted. >> all right. naive me. and get reaction from former idol finalist, bo and melinda doolittle. >> big fans. plus the new ice cream flavors. you're not going to believe some of the ingredients. ghost milk, maybe. but basil? balsamic vinegar? ice cream flavors coming out. ooh. by we, probably going to get the segme segment. probably have to taste it. >> that's all to come. new guidance about swine flu. as the new school year approach, officials are hoping to avoid a repeat of what happened this spring when school closings forced thousands of students to stay home. robert bazell has details. >> reporter: schools will try to stay open in winter even if they have cases of swine flu. that meant top federal officials were also saying they expect some outbreaks could get so bad,

some schools will have to close. the decision should be made by local authorities. >> it is now clear closure of schools is rarely indicated. even if h1n1 is in the school, but you also increase the number of kids who may be unsupervised. add social stresses in the community. >> reporter: officials emphasized as they have all along that sick kids and staff should stay home, but now they say new research shows that some need remain home only 24 hours after a fever subsided. not the seven days recommended before. >> we've said consistently through this outbreak, we are relying on the science for the guidance we are providing. >> reporter: the height of the outbreak last spring, close to a half million kids were out of school nationwide. the experts say based on what they know now, that was probably an overreaction. >> we can't stop the tide of flu from coming in, but we can reduce the number of people who

become severely ill from it. >> reporter: before a vaccine becomes available, the best prevention measures, in addition to keeping the sick home, are the familiar admonitions to wash hands frequently and cover coughs. some vaccines should be available by mid-october. the first trials in the u.s. and a handful of volunteers are just beginning. and scientists should know more about their sarty and effectiveness in about six weeks. when there is a vaccine, schools will give much of it out on a voluntary basis and federal officials say schools should be working now to get the required permission slips from parents. officials say schools that have many children with underlying health problems might have to close more quickly. as for colleges, students sleeping in dormitories and not so easily able to get home create a separate set of challenges. so officials will have different recommendations for colleges with a few weeks. for "today," robert bazell, nbc news, washington. terry berger is a director

of infection in pennsylvania, lehigh valley. thanks for being with us. this whole process is fast tracked with the vaccine. we heard testing starts soon. will it be safe given the fact that it's on a compressed time schedule? >> it still has to go through the exact same requirements of approval from the fda. so absolutely it will be safe. >> before it's made available to the general public it will have gone through everything it should have gone through? >> yes. >> when might be it available? >> the end of october, they think. >> and would there be enough doses to go around or do we go to the high-risk group we talked about? >> it's all going to be -- a dynamic evolving condition. based on how many cases are identified and how severe the illness is will determine if we start with the high-risk group and move out to the general population. >> i've been hearing maybe two shots. is that for certain? we'd have to get two inoculations? >> two for h1n1 but still absolutely get to the seasonal

flu nap should mean a total of three shots. >> three weeks between the two swine flu vaccines and then the usual one. now, the fact that they've -- this is a case with the swine flu, they know exactly what the virus is. will it be more effective than the traditional, seasonal vaccine? >> i think all of this remains to be seen. much like seasonal flu, every year they have to reformulate that particular vaccine for the strain. the sfrans that are circulating. hopefully we've got the right strains in for seasonal flu and for h1n1. >> meantime, we're waiting for the shots. pretty vulnerable. open window of vulnerability. you brought along tips. some seem common sense. others explain. stay connected? >> we have so many opportunities to get information. the newspaper. the television. internet. find out what's going on in the community, and the surrounding areas. so be informed. >> and let's talk about hand

hygie hygiene. >> critical. more important in this circumstance. >> that is how it will spread? >> absolutely. >> hand to mouth contact? >> correct. >> cough etiquette. you got to cough and sneeze sometimes. >> then use your sleeve. turn your head and cough into your sleeve. got a tissue, cough into the tissue, then sanitize your hand. >> social distancing. easier said than done. we are in an urban, crowded environment. >> very. the most important thing is, be socially conscious. so if you are sick, stay home from work. if you are sick, don't go to school. don't go to the movies. don't go out into the mall. that will help decrease the transmission. >> all-important advice. hopefully folks will heed it. thanks for coming in. a check of the morning's headlines. we say hello to melissa francis at the newsdesk for us this morning. >> good morning, lester, good morning, everyone. sonia sotomayor will be sworn in later today at u.s. supreme court justice. she'll take the oath in a public

ceremony just two days after her senate confirmation. nbc's justice correspondent pete williams is live in washington with more. good morning, pete. >> reporter: melissa, good morning. it's rare for the supreme court to do anything on saturday, but this will be unusual in many ways. the first hispanic justice in american history will be sworn in, not at the white house, as is the normal practice, but at the court. a few dozen supporters on hand to witness the event. this was president obama's idea to do it this way to make the point that justices are supposed to be independent even of the presidents who nominate them and to emphasize the point, he won't even attend today's swearing in. also open to live television coverage, another first of the court. sonia sotomayor will become the 11th justice, and third woman and at age 55, only chief justice is younger, he's 54. we won't actually hear from sotomayor today. she'll join the president next

wednesday for a reception in honor of his supreme court nominee. >> thanks. eunice kennedy shriver remains in critical condition at a cape cod hospital. the 88-year-old sister of president john f. kennedy and founder of the special olympics already suffered a series of strokes this year. shriver's husband, children and grandchildren are all at her bedside including daughter maria shriver and husband, california governor arnold schwarzenegger. finally, moves for secretary of state hillary clinton. the secretary showed off her dance moves this week while on her tour in africa. she bust add move at a dinner party in nairobi, kenya, creating her own little dance party and maybe forgetting there were cameras nearby. back to you. >> melissa, thanks. nbc

>> it is going to be a shock for us today as well. 60 degrees at the airport. not very bad today. maybe some showers. maybe some showers.

that's a look at your weekend forecast. lester? >> bill, thanks. still to come on "today" what new witnesses saying about the woman blame for a deadly wrong-way car crash, coming up after these messages. do you prefer... pasteurized processed cheese product? (lou gentine) or natural cheese slices? at sargento, our deli style slices are always made naturally. sargento. persnickety people. exceptional cheese.

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investigators say diane schuller was drunk. new information is coming to light what she was doing before the accident. nbc's jeff rossen is here with more. >> reporter: hi, jenna. good morning. if diane schuller was an alcoholic and pot user she may have been leading the ultimate double life. it appears even her own husband was fooled. this morning, new witnesses coming forward saying they saw her hours before the crash, and she say she was sober. the tragedy that ruined so many lives just took another turn. witnesses now tell police diane shuler stopped at a mcdonald's that morning and seemed fine. so if she was drinking when did she start and if smoking marijuana, when did she light up? hours later the suburban long island mother drove the wrong way on the ta tonic parkway killing her own daughter itniec another car and herself. something had happened. >> she couldn't jeopardize her

children. >> reporter: the toxicology report doesn't lie and shows her blood alcohol level .1% twice the legal limit and high on marijuana. the attorney says diane schuller may have been disorient bawd of medical problems. >> one of them was an abscess almost two years old. she had diabetes at various levels. >> reporter: the crime lab ruled out a stroke, heart attack or other med condition. the family's legal team also has a new theory about a bottle of vodka found at the crash scene and they laid it out on "today." >> 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 ina while at home. >> reporter: according to the "new york post" one of diane's friends said he marriage seemed a bit rocky. not an alcoholic but she like her drinks. her husband said, that's not true i. go to bed every night

knowing my heart is clear. she did not drink. she was not an alcoholic. >> reporter: fbi shows an disturbing trend of the number of women driving under the influence, a spike, 29% from 1998 to 2007, while the number of men arrested has dropped by 7.5%. >> a lot of people with addictions lead a secret life. they keep it from those people that are closest to them and at times probably even keep it from themselves. >> reporter: child protective services has launched a full investigation now to figure out exactly what happened and how much daniel schuller knew about his wife's drinking and drug use. jenna? >> jeff, thanks. dan abrams is chief legal analyst for nbc news. good morning. >> good morning. >> will there be criminal charges in this case? if so, what will they be? >> i doubt it. you heard prosecutors say there could be criminal charges based and what people knew. say someone knew she was a drinker. you can't file criminal charges against someone because they

knew someone drank and had any contact with children nap doesn't mean, however, there couldn't be a civil case. mean people could, and i expect there would be a civil case where people are suing the family and others. >> especially the three other gentlemen killed. >> and others injured as well. >> okay. the attorney for daniel schuller is insisting it was a medical situation that caused this crash. then we will probably see a second autopsy here? >> maybe. sounds like they're not sure they want one. in a tough position for the family to be in to be saying, the toxicology reports might not be right, and our position is, well, we knew her, and she wouldn't have done something like that. very tough position to be in, because you've got physical evidence. the toxicology report, which says with pretty much -- with pretty good certainty that something happened, and they're saying, well, that's not the kind of person that she was. that's a tough argument to make. not saying it's not true.

just saying it puts them in a tough spot. >> then there's this bottle of vodka found at the wreckage. now there are reports, we heard it in jeff ross aren't's piece, what the schuller -- same bottle. >> a bad strategic move to mention it at all. to say, oh, there was this bottle of vodka found, uh-huh! this is the one bottle for the season that they would bring back and forth. i mean, again, true or not true, not a smart thing to be saying publicly, it doesn't sound credible, and so i think there is to be very careful here, because they're behind the eight ball. right? because of the toxicology report. because the authorities are coming out and saying, look, we think we know what happened. the family's got to be very careful here in not trying to refute that too much. meaning, they want to get it out there, they want to state their position, but they have to make sure what they're saying is credible. >> we'll wait and see how it plays out. dan abrams, thank you very much. still ahead, a trip back to

beijing. one year after the start ever the spectacular olympics things looking so much different this morning. first, this is "today"y"

one year ago today the city of beijing, china markrd the opening of the games ever the xxix olympiad way spectacular ceremony. what a difference a year makes. ian williams has more from beijing. >> reporter: this was the coming out party like no other. a spectacular opening ceremony in a city rebuilt for the game that was designed to showcase this new china all over the world. ♪ proud to be part of it. the army instituted volunteers,

precious moments captured in this home video. >> it is lucky and i feel very excited. >> reporter: for a year, the slowdown has brd hard. one-third of chinese students graduating from university this summer without a job. >> very difficult. we have to look for jobs more using our brain. so that's kind of the -- >> reporter: the spectacular olympic venues sat largely empty since the games. the bird's nest and water cubes for the tourist attraction. >> amazing. >> reporter: since the olympics the biggest events here have been concerts. this iconic stadium has seen very few supporteding events. the same goes for the water cube hosting the ballet "swan lake." the warm-up pool is open to the public for the summer.

they've been traveling from all over china for this opportunity. each passer is paying around $8 to swim in the wake of michael phelps. a former volunteer, isn't so impressed. >> it is more expensive tore people like me. >> reporter: beijing was given a $40 billion face-lift for the game. the city became a laboratory for architecture but much of it remains empty. [ chanting ] >> reporter: china also promised more openness and this is one of the biggest let downs. the games allowed her to be visitors from across the world, from internet and briefly lifted and gave her a new perspective. >> it makes me want to understand more clearly and see china more clearly. >> reporter: she and her country have changed, but not necessarily in ways the

authorities had anticipated. for "today," nbc news, beijing. >> fond memories of that time. >> i can't believe it's been a year already since we there. >> especially doinged show at 7:00 p.m. local time, get to sleep in. >> we could go back. still to come, the real julia. "julie & julia," cooking every recipe. and the life i want to live. fortunately, there's enbrel. enbrel can help relieve pain, stiffness, fatigue, and stop joint damage. because enbrel suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal, events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma and nervous system... and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis. also ask your doctor if you live in an area... with a greater risk for certain fungal infections. don't start enbrel if you have an infection, like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b,

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it is 8:26. here's a look at our top stories this morning. baltimore police are searching for a couple. they believe the woman may have been abducted by her boyfriend. police believe williams may be headed to virginia in a dark or black van or a four-door gray mercedes benz. if you have any information, call baltimore police. city police are still searching for the hit-and-run driver who struck one of their own in east baltimore. officials say the officer approached the car after pulling it over. the driver through it in reverse, hitting the officer in the leg. it happens just before midnight on thursday. hurt. the woman was dragged after trying to get out. no word on her condition. the officer did not suffer any serious injury. police are also investigating a shooting in east baltimore. the man was shot in the hip last

night. the victim is being treated at the hospital while police are looking for the shooter. we are learning more about the kid struck by a car. he hit the side of the vehicle. he and some not yet decided the vehicle of around 7:30 thursday night. the hospital. be facing charges. one person has lost an appeal. they affirm his capital murder conviction and death sentence. the panel objected to several arguments from him. his attorney says he will appeal to the u.s. supreme court. stay with us, of which will check your forecast when we come back

>> it is time to check the weekend weather. >> good morning. tomorrow it will be in the 90's. right now we have some cloud cover. 84 degrees-87 degrees. 86 degrees is our normal high. the dewpoint will remain at a comfortable level today. tonight, they will start inching upward. the humidity will make a comeback. you'll wake up tomorrow morning with a hazy, hot, humid air. 95 degrees tomorrow. with humidity, it may feel more like 100 degrees. 97 degrees on monday. 92 degrees on tuesday.

the cold front will then come through. back to you. >> thank you for joining us. we will see it in 25 minutes. there you go. back on the set, "today," august 8, 2009. hearing that. i would love -- a far cry from when i was back at 8. i'm jenna wolfe alongside lester holt. >> lester holt has been flinching hoping one of those won't come near me.

anyway, coming up in this half hour, "american idol" without paula abdul. what a lot of folks are talking about. she says she's not coming back to the show. yes, but victoria beckham was on for awuditions. a lot of rumors who will fill in and be a guest judge. and "idol" postpaula abdul. we'll find out who could potentially get this gig. >> highly coveted. and familiar to the audience as well, finalist in season's past, bo bice and belinda doolittle coming up. and the new movie, "julie & julia." producers say it's based on two true stories. one a story of julia child before she was famous. lots of buzz about meryl streep's performance. the movie is about a young woman who found her calling by cooking every recipe in julia child's first cookbook. we'll meet the real julie.

coming up in a few minutes. keeping with the food theme, coming up we are going to have the quintessential summer dessert. it is ice cream. so many new flavors available this summer. "today" food editor phil lamp ert brought them here. we'll have an ice cream taste test, maybe a milk shake or two. it's not all chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. there's going to be a little something-something in there. >> something i'm not sure i want to try. and battling at the yo-yo world championship. yo-yo nation.com, leer to tell us more. may i approach? >> sure. >> you're flying around with those -- how are you? >> very good. >> you got yo-yo's everywhere. what are you guys doing? >> for all yo-yos in the world and we host the world's largest yo-yo contest. people from all over the world

including here showing us what they can do. five different styles of yo-yos. adrian from france, three-time national champion doing a trick. string trick. hank here doing 3a. and jeff is doing where the yo-yo is not attached to the string. completely off. here from brazil is national yo-yo maxer, doing a stunt called 5a, or counterwave, where -- excuse me. the yo-yo is not connected to your finger, attached, do thing with this at the same time. brandon doing tricks just like andrew. awesome stuff. >> so -- >> middle finger, first two knuckles. >> middle finger. >> first two knuckles. okay. >> make a muscle. show them guns. >> i can do that!

>> again. there you -- oh. watch out for lester. >> i thought -- >> there's a missile action a lot of the modern yo-yos, have paul bearings to allow them to spin a lot longer. and over to the weather with bill karins. >> i expect you to be walking >> we will have a high of around 87 degrees. a mix of sun and cloud

we'd like to say hi to our friends in louisiana. say it first, then let you do if. hi, y'all, in kilburn, louisiana. >> see, the southern bells make it sound a lot better. now stend inside to jenna. >> thanks. paula abdul quit as a judge on "american idol," the big question, what can follow that act? >> that's -- best i've ever heard you sing. ever, ever! >> it moved me from the beginning, but you are just handsome, a great performer. >> david cook? >> nothing personal. nothing personal. >> i thought -- oh, my god. i thought you sang twice. >> joinings now with the latest on the search for the next american celebrity judge, season six finalist melinda doolittle, current album called "coming back to you "and bo, touring in advance of his upcoming album "i

love the road" and senior "weekly us "magazine, melinda, you were a finalist in season six. based on your experience, how big a role does paula play as one of the judges and how surprised were you when you heard she was actually leaving? >> probably for me, paula was the mama of the show. really the heart of the show. she was the one that knew that no matter what happened, you needed to hear something good. even if it was just that, you know, your eyelashing looked good that day. it didn't matter. she was just the heart of it for me and just really kind of took us under her wing and understood what we were going through. i was completely shocked to hear she wasn't going back, and i'm so sad, because i love paula so much. >> bo, let me ask you. were you surprised when you heard the news? and how much will this group be missing without someone like paula as one of the jumps there?

one of the jumps there? >> first of all, hello ma linda do 3 -- doolittle, my buddy. >> hi! >> i was a little shocked. not so much shocked and surprised. i think when kyra worked into the picture, people were thinking, what's going to happen? is there going to be three jumps? four judges? and so it wasn't a total surprise, but i think everyone is definitely going to be sad to see paula go. i know i will. >> how much interaction do you guys actually have with the different judges? i know you saw them when you competed, but did you get a chance to really get to know them off camera as well? >> you know, we don't spend a great amount of time with them behind the scenes or anything for obvious reasons. after the show i got to meet and spend time with them more, but they are. melinda hit the nail on the head as far as not only with paula. she's such a nurturer.

she is the sweet side of things. in the same respect, randy seems to be the kind of -- even keel judge and simon really is kind of blatantly honest. so you know what we do and the interaction we do have with them is limited, but yet, you do have to realize you're spending time with folks that are helping to build your career. so they're very nurturing. >> and let me turn to you. auditions are beginning for next season 7 "american idol" and so many names are floated around so now who could potentially either guest judge or maybe be a permanent judge. victoria beckham, katie peryy, livia newton-john. are you hearing inside information about who they're leaning towards? >> even janet jackson, ma rye ra carey. big named banded about for this position. it started yesterday. posh already landed, already filling in. that's nothing unusual. you have to remember, guest judges every season. one of better names is cyndi

lauper, actually. a lot of the bigger names that already have flourishing careers going on are not really going to work out. they're promoting their own album, et cetera. someone like cindy lauper has the clip, the insight to really teach these kids what make as good pop star. she comes from that experience. >> what raep happened? what's the inside scoop why paula really left? >> some sources insider say she was actually told two weeks before the season finale not to come back. she was not wanted anymore. all of these negotiations, quote/unquote, was sort of a smoke screen to disguise that fact. now that pruehoducers are sayin they were caught by surprise and didn't know paula was going to do this, others say that's what they agreed with paula, not make it look like anyone's fault. just to make it a little less harsh on her because of the fact, erratic behavior she was asked not to come back. >> if you picked a name to replace paula next year, who

would you want? >> like i said, cindy lauper, the number one person. she has a huge experience and also doesn't have a lot going on right now so she can really put everything into the show. >> thank you all very much. we thank all of you for being with us this morning. up next, we're going to meet the inspiration behind the movie "julie & julia," but first, these messages. or italian?can, i really want dessert tonight. i better skip breakfast. yep, this is all i need. ( stomach growls ) skipping breakfast to get ahead? research shows that women that eat breakfast, like the special k® breakfast, actually weigh less. the special k® breakfast, now in blueberry. so why skip? when you can eat all this... and still weigh less. victory is... sweet. you need listerine® whitening vibrant white™ rinse. the mouthwash that gets teeth four times whiter than the leading toothpaste. and kills bad breath germs.

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nearly seven years ago aspiring writer julie powell was looking for a way oifr her dead-end job and decided to cook every recipe in julia child's

landmark cookbook. her experience led to a book of her own and now to a movie. "julie & julia." it intertwines life with her idol, that of julia child, as played by meryl streep. >> when you flip anything, you've just got have the courage of your convictions. especially if it's a new sort of -- oh. that didn't go very well, but you see were i flipped it i didn't have the -- i need it. just the way i should have -- ooh. but you can always put it together. and when you're alone in the kitchen, who's to see? >> and julie powell is here. julie, good morning. good to see you. >> good morning. thank you for having me. >> how good is meryl streep? huh? >> would you ever have any doubt? >> no. she nails the part. i want to get your thoughts about the movie in a minute. first, back to your story a little bit. what made you decide take this cookbook and cook everything in

it? >> it was a panic attack. i was 29. i was getting ready to turn 30 and i thought, at 29, i thought 30 was the end of the road. >> no. >> i know. i know. i've since learned, but at that time, it wale seemed i was working at a secretary. i was very unfulfilled and had always used cooking as a sort of comfort, and julia child's cookbook has been with me signs was a small child. so when i was looking for something to do to challenge myself and forgive bly life of purpose. >> are you a good cook? >> i'm ap okay cook. avid more than expert, but, yeah. i like to cook. i cook all the time. >> a lot of people will ask this question. if anybody did a movie about you, who would you want to play? amy adams played you. wa did you think watching the film and seeing somebody play you? >> obviously, extraordinarily surreal to be watching this

gorgeous oscar nominated actress says, i'm julie powell. very strange, but amy did such an amazing, amazing job, as did, obviously, meryl streep. >> how much did you lend your expertise of being julie powell to her? >> oh, nothing. none at all. i wasn't involved in the filming and i think that she and nora and chris messina, who plays my husband all sat down and decided we're going to work from nora's amazing script and from some of my book rather than trying to get all confused by meeting me and -- saying that, i'm me. >> you never met julia child? >> no. >> but you'd heard she wasn't really pleased with your book? >> right, right and, of course -- >> did that hurt you? >> of course. it's devastating. i spent a year doing this project that, to me, one of the main reasons that i had done anything in my life, frankly, is a woman that's such an idol to

me and not think it was a cool thing was devastating. but honestly, who has more of a right to our own opinions than julia child. i know why i did it and i know that i love her and admire her. >> i read somewhere you're a picky eater. >> i used to be. used to be. >> i found it interesting. everything you cooked, you ate them all including things like brain, kidneys and things th that -- >> liver. >> liver, yeah. could you find anything you actually liked? >> no. yeah, no. i mean, i loved almost everything. i found out that i'm a much more adventurous eater than i thought i was and awful was never a problem. i love liver and sweet bread, could do without the brains probably. >> you've never eaten -- >> until this book. >> julia child. julie powell, thanks for coming on. >> thank you. >> "julie & julia" is in theaters now. coming up, ice cream taste

test. that's coming up. i don't think there's any brains and liver in ice cream. you never know. first, this is "today" on nbc.

♪ let's all scream for ice cream ♪ >> why don't we? ice cream, tired of plain vanilla? new and exciting flavors hitting the freezer. phil is with us. good morning. >> talk about plain vanilla. the best way to taste ice cream is with vanilla. manufacturers who make a good vanilla and mask the flavor with anything. the key is vanilla. that's always where you want to start. >> the other way, taste the ice cream. we've got a lot here. there's a lot of new things out on the market. haagen-dazs came up with interesting new flavors. >> this is five ingredients.

take a look. milk, cream, sugar, eggs and ginger. that's it. no, ginger, it's great. the other thing you want to be careful of especially these days, always look at net weight of the ice cream. even though it's this size, the haagen-dazs only has 14 ounces versus 16 ounces. were do you think of the ginger? >> i don't. i love haagen-dazs, except the ginger. moving on -- blueberry. >> for cincinnati, probably one of best ice creams out there. try this. this is their blueberry pie and actually this was developed by one of their customers in order to raise money for pediatric brain cancer. and it's a really nice flavorful, rich, creamy ice cream, which you don't like blueberries. i can tell. >> no. no, no, no. i was just telling you, you can eat and also do something good. so -- better than ginger. let's move orchlts black sesame? organic. >> black sesame? really. oh, this is other unique

flavors. balsamic vinegar we talk and earlier. not going to happen. >> the black sesame year going it like. >> uh-huh. >> what's next? but i don't think -- >> should have done vanilla. >> okay. this is -- >> gentleman lawsuit pope. >> that's the deal with gentleman lawsuit oh. >> jalatto. uses pieces of fruit. processes creamier than -- is that almost a thumbs up? >> yes. very good. >> close your eyes on this one. i'm going to feed you this one? >> what's the point? i see what you're doing. >> well, you don't see what i'm doing. ready? open up. >> that's delicious. >> delicious. now, it's goat milk. not a dairy product. it is goat milk. see? see? when you look at what it is, you're frowning. i have you close your eyes you're taiting saying that's delicious. >> how could goat milk not be

dairy. it's milk. >> it is not milk from a cow. >> from a cow. okay. i'm sorry. that's actually very good. i'm not going to lie to you. i'm not liar. >> close your eyes. >> okay. >> baskin and robins, new browny dessert cake. >> what's special about this? >> the first time we're starting to see ice cream cake. new flavor packaged like this. you can buy it not only in baskin-robbins. >> calories don't count unless it's 9:00 a.m. >> klondikes, and -- >> hmm. i'm just going to hang out here. >> let me do this segment. >> we would have been fine. >> can i have a popsicle? >> that's a slow-melt pop ssicl >> and 100 calorie -- >> i love klondike bars. always have. loved when they had minis. now in the bar form -- you're dripping it all over the place.

>> here. put it in here. that's -- >> that's it has little beads in it. you add the milk, shake it up. be careful when you take it out of the freezer, it's wet and can fall out of your hand. >> thank you very much. everything was wonderful. appreciate it. >> she didn't mean that. we'll be right back after this. >> i did mean that.

on this saturday morning. melissa france, bill karins, thank you very much. what i forgot, making a huge mess here. >> you are. >> phil, thanks for being here. >> not dripping. >> you're right. see you back here tonight for

>> we begin with breaking news this morning. a deadly plane crash in carroll county. two people were on board and killed when the plane went down in a corn field near an airport. according to fire and police, a small plane crashed just after 7:30 this morning. no word on if it crashed after takeoff or landing. the victims have not been identified. here's a look at our top storiesthey believe the woman may have been abducted by her boyfriend. police believe williams may be headed to virginia in a dark or black van or a four-door gray mercedes benz. if you have any information, call baltimore police. city police are still searching

for the shooter who injured one man in baltimore. police say the man was hit in the hip. let's go to the weather center for a check on our forecast with sandra shaw. >> a little light sprinkle activity earlier. a pretty normal temperature range for today. in the mid 80's. enjoy it while you can. some isolated showers in the mountains of western maryland and in upper elevations. 86 degrees today. there may be some isolated showers this afternoon with variable clouds out there. it will be a transitional day. 81 degrees on the ocean city. no problems with bolting on the day today. prepare yourself. tonight we will see the winds shift to the south. 95 degrees for tomorrow after the passage of a warm front

tonight. at the humidity to that, and it will feel like 100 degrees. 97 degrees on monday. details coming up in the full hour next. >> up next, we get answers to some of your questions. another water main break. we will check on the repairs. one maryland the debt is associated with the swine flu virus. the cdc will release some guidelines for schools. and the orioles in the encyclopedia. more knowledge when the author joins us in the studio.

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