good morning. nbc news exclusive. new home video sheds light on that deadly collision over new york's hudson river. this as an air traffic controller and his boss are suspended in connection with that tragedy. in front of her kids? a police officer tasers a mother during a routine traffic stop as her children look on from her minivan. this morning that mother speaks out in an exclusive live interview. and magazine magic. how kelly clarkson went from this -- to this. is that touchup sending the wrong message to young girls everywhere "today," friday, wrong message to young girls everywhere "today," friday, august 14th, 2009?

captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning, welcome to "today" on a friday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm meredith vieira. that video of the tragedy of the hudson extremely hard to watch. hopefully it will help investigators figure out what happened. >> we've been looking at it for the last several hours. and there is another big development in this story. last night the federal aviation administration announced it was placing two control tower employees on leave in the wake of this crash. one, who was reportedly talking on the phone to his girlfriend at the time of the incident. and his supervisor, who had apparently left the tower, which is against regulations. we're going to have much more on that in just a moment. >> and then also ahead, is former vice president dick cheney turning on his old boss? there are reports that cheney believes former president bush stopped taking his advice during

their administration's second term. and apparently that is not all he has to say, as he works on his memoir. we're going to get into that. >> also we're going to have more on this very unusual condition, it's called hoarding. it affects people that -- today we're going to talk about a mother of three. this is the condition of her home. she brought enormous amounts of junk and items into that home, and then could not part with those items. we're going to talk about it and how it can impact a family, coming up in just a little while. but first let's begin with the latest on that midair collision between a private plane and a helicopter over new york's hudson river. nine people were killed in that crash. nbc's tom costello has more. tom, good morning to you. >> reporter: hi, matt. aviation sources tell nbc news the controller and the tower saturday was on the telephone in a personal conversation at the time of the accident. and because he was wearing a headset at the time, there's a recording of the entire conversation. also, the supervisor who was supposed to be in the tower, wasn't. both have been suspended and face disciplinary action.

though the faa tells us there's no indications that those actions contributed to the crash. meantime, nbc news has obtained exclusive home video of the midair collision, and a warning, the video may be disturbing to some. the video was shot by an italian tourist who was on a boat on the hudson river. while experimenting with his new camera, he zooms in on a helicopter flying over the river, just as a small plane comes up from behind. >> oh, my gosh! oh, my gosh! >> reporter: the plane virtually explodes on impact with pieces raining down on the water. frame by frame, the single engine piper appears to be turning and climbing as it clips the helicopter's rotor blades. the plane then flips over as both the plane and chopper nose dive into the river below. we showed the video to former ntsb investigator greg fife. >> based on what i saw on the video, it's evidence that the main rotor blades sliced through that wing, very close to the fuselage.

taking off, most, if not all, of that right wing. >> reporter: frame by frame, the video seems to support the theory that the chopper was in the plane's blind spot, below its wings. chopper pilot ben lane, who works for the same tour operator, tried to warn pilot jeremy clark that a plane was coming. >> it was a blindside from his back right. there's no way we could see him. no way he could see him. >> reporter: the video also captures the first attempts at rescue as boats race to the area where both the chopper and the plane went down. only to find a few pieces of debris floating in the water. on thursday the five italian tourists on board the helicopter arrived back in italy for burial. now, investigators will closely examine this new tape to determine exactly how this midair collision ever happened. and whether it may finally be time to impose tougher restrictions on the air space over the hudson river. >> they're going to have to establish some very specific mandated rules, maybe having mandated flyways for transient

traffic, really cleaning up or tightening up the standards for how tourist-type traffic and general aviation tourist flights in that area are conducted. >> reporter: both the ntsb and the faa have indicated they will look at whether they need to impose tighter airspace rules over the hudson river. you may recall, air traffic under 1100 feet can fly without a flight plan, or air traffic control. the pilots are supposed to communicate with each other on a shared radio frequency, but it's not clear if the plane's pie lot was on that frequency or on another frequency, monitored by newark tower. matt? >> tom, what's the timetable we're looking at here. when might we see some changes in the rules and regulations governing that air corridor? >> reporter: well, the investigation itself will probably take 12 to 18 months. if the faa were to act on changes in the air hudson -- the hudson air space, rather, that could come any time between now and then. this faa, under the obama administration, has already acted without the ntsb's recommendation. that's something that in the

past they haven't done. so you could see, should the faa decide to do so, it could act more quickly than in years past. >> all right, tom, thanks very much. nbc's tom costello. it's now five minutes after the hour, here's meredith. >> matt, thank you. now to politics and what appears to be a growing rift between former vice president dick cheney and former president george w. bush. many considered cheney to be the most influential vp ever. but now cheney reportedly says his old boss eventually turned away from his advice. david gregory is moderator of "meet the press." david, good morning to you. >> good morning, meredith. >> you know, david, initially it was believed that any rift between the former president and the vice president began after the president refused to pardon cheney's chief of staff louis scooter libby. but if you believe this report out of "the washington post," it goes much deeper than that. how real is this rift? >> well, i think it is real. i think calling it a rift may be overstated in some circumstances. there's still respect between these two men. they are still in contact. but you have to remember, and i was there covering the administration, there was a

difference between the first bush administration and the second term, in terms of that influence that vice president cheney had. as we know, over the second term, when it had to do with diplomatic outreach to iran, or even some of the positions taken about north korea, some of the security steps that were taken in terms of treatment of prisoners and the like, and consultation with congress, there were disagreements between the president and the vice president. and those appear to be spilling over as the vice president -- former vice president prepares his memoirs. >> the vice president has said in the past that he would never write the book because the president deserves to work with people who are not going to open up their mouths and spill the beans. so why would he change now and -- and indeed write his memoirs? >> well, again, i think it's important to point out, i'm sure this won't be some sort of tell-all, where he becomes some kind of broken arrow from the administration. i just don't think that's consistent with the former vice president. but at the same time, this is a vice president who has demonstrated, even out of office, that he's got very set

views, feels very strongly, particularly about security measures. did not waste any time with a new president coming in before he was quite critical of the obama administration's position on national security. he thinks that this is something that's important enough to stay on the record about, to stay public about, and he's been working on this consistently since leaving office. a different view than the former president, george bush, who felt that obama needed time to establish himself, and that he wanted to get off the stage and away from the spotlight. >> speaking of obama, i want to move on to health care reform. obama heads for another one of those town hall meetings. this one promises to be more free-wheeling and possibly more contentious than the one that he faced in portsmouth, new hampshire earlier this week. are you getting any sense that the white house is beginning to reshape its message? >> well, what they want is to take hold of the message. they want these town halls to be defined by the president. and not by the protesters. not by these false death panels and the like that are becoming

bigger than the actual plan the president supports. which leads to a bigger question. what specifically does the president support? allies of his are saying it's becoming closer to high time for him to actually plant his flag and say these are the things that i'm for. these are the things that i'm against, making it easier for members of his own party to marshall their own support but also bring on any republican support. >> if you look at this latest "usa today"/gol up poll -- a majority of americans are following these meetings. 34% say the protesters are making them more sympathetic to the critic's views. >> and this is the issue. the primary issue hanging over this health care debate right now is confusion. it's complicated on a good day. but on a bad day, you're completely up in the air about what everybody's talking about. and what actually is going to happen, and how it's going to impact us. the president can't afford to be in that position very much longer if he's going to keep support from some wavering democrats and get any republican support. he can't have these images, and

the town hall meetings, define what this debate is about. and the president recognizes, according to his advisers, that he needs a crisper message and that he needs to really explain to people who have health care insurance that this is not going to hurt them. that that's his position. >> and you're -- >> and they're not quite there yet. >> you're going to be talking about that sunday on "meet the press." who are your gepss? >> we're going to try to get to the bottom of all of this. former senator tom daschle, senator tom coburn. rachel maddow of m nbc and dick armey behind a lot of that's protests. >> all right, david, thank you very much. we'll see you on sunday. >> let's get the rest of the top headlines. ann is at the news desk. >> good morning to you, matt. also in the news today, rescue efforts are still under way in taiwan this morning, five days after a devastating typhoon. taiwan's president said today the storm has killed about 500 people in his country and left thousands of people stranded in remote villages. he's called it the most severe

damage there in half a century. raging wildfires are threatening about 1,000 homes and other buildings in california. one fire near santa cruz has forced more than 2,000 people to evacuate. lawyers for convicted pan am 103 bomber abdel basset ali al megrahi say that he is abandoning his appeal. he has terminal cancer and his attorneys had earlier asked that he be given a compassionate release from his life term in prison. funeral services are being held today in florida for navy pilot michael scott speicher, 18 years after his plane was shot down on the first night of the 1991 gulf war. his remains were recovered earlier this month. six men and a 15-year-old boy pleaded not guilty on thursday to first degree murder in the death of the parents of 13 adopted children. many with special needs in florida. if convicted the adults could get the death penalty. the teenager could get life in prison. overseas markets are higher this morning on hopes of the world recession being coming

easing or becoming over, as for wall street, cnbc's melissa francis at the new york stock exchange with more. melissa, there are some clues about consumer confidence yesterday, and also coming up today. >> that's right. retail sales came in yesterday, worse than expected. consumers keeping a close eye on their wallets. not surprising when you see the weekly jobless number, which also came in a little worse than expected. the market watching consumer sentiment and the consumer price index, as well. there is some good news overseas, as you mentioned. the hong kong government saying that their economy is out of recession. gdp there jumps 3.3% compared to the last quarter. japan's nikkei closing at a ten-month high, as well. >> melissa francis, thanks. also in the news, olympic goldist michael phelps is okay after his suv collided with another vehicle last night in baltimore. the other driver was shaken up and taken to a hospital but police say no alcohol involved and no citations were issued. and legendary guitarist les paul is being remembered this morning as a cornerstone of

popular music. he invented the solid body electric guitar and also the multitrack recording to some -- including the 8-track. he died on thursday of pneumonia at the age of 94. but his influence on jazz, blues, pop, and rock 'n' roll will live on. it is now 7:13. let's go back to matt, meredith and al. >> i would imagine a lot of names in music going to be talking about les

>> we are actually trying out here. partly cloudy skies, nice, normal temperature range. 84 to 86. we are maintaining the nice, dry, sunny trend for the week that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you. members of the kennedy family and a host of dignitaries are on cape cod this morning for a

private service honoring eunice kennedy shriver. the 88-year-old founder of the special olympics died on tuesday. nbc's andrea mitchell is in hyannis this morning. andrea, good morning to you. >> good morning, meredith. the kennedy clan, minus the ailing senator ted kennedy, will bid a final farewell to eunice kennedy shriver here today, marching behind the casket through the streets of hyannis to this church for a funeral mass. and a special olympian light the torch honoring the woman who forever changed the lives of the physically and mentally challenged. a gathering of a clan in hyannis. >> my mother was absolutely 100% my best friend. >> reporter: family and friends, famous, and not. ♪ at the wake, everyone but brother ted, battling brain cancer. >> ted, he's having his own struggles right now. but he's -- he's doing well.

i saw him on the boat yesterday. he's going sailing every day. he's keeping up with his work. >> reporter: son-in-law arnold schwarzenegger tweeted from the wake. being here right now i can just hear eunice saying, don't make this so much about me. make this a call to service. service to the special olympians she mentored and loved. >> say thank you for mrs. shriver for doing special olympics. i felt good that she was part of it. >> mrs. shriver, you did a wonderful job for the special olympics, and we're going to keep on doing in the memory of you. >> tonight the largest sporting event in the world -- >> reporter: she helped gather 80,000 people in shanghai for the world games two years ago. a moment originally inspired by her sister rosemary, intellectually challenged but encoiraged to compete in sports. says eunice shriver's godson

bobby kennedy jr. >> i think a lot of that was her catholic faith that she believed every human being is a soul and every soul is beloved by god. >> reporter: loretta claiborne is carrying the olympic torch to the funeral mass today. what did she mean to you? >> she meant a lot. she was actually like a grandmother to me. she would call me up, and we would just talk. we would write by letter. and she just meant so much. ♪ i will remember you >> reporter: today, eunice shriver reaches the finish line. just like all of her olympic athletes. senator ted kennedy, as i say, will not be here. vice president joe biden will be here representing the white house. here at the summer parish church where eunice shriver prayed and went to mass as a young girl, where maria shriver was married. back in 1986. meredith? >> andrea mitchell, thank you very much. it is 7:17. once again here's matt. >> all right, meredith, thank you. now to a political odd couple.

at least that's what some are calling the alliance between the reverend al sharpton and former house speaker newt gingrich who is now general chairman of american solutions. back in may you may remember they came together at the white house to push president obama and education secretary arnie duncan on education reform. to deal with the widening achievement gap between white and nonwhite students. the president had this to say. >> if al sharpton, mike bloomberg and newt gingrich can agree that we need to solve the education problem, then that's something all of america can degree we can solve. came into my office, i kept on doing a double take. >> reverend sharpton and speaker gingrich are with us this morning to announce a multi-city tour calling for an equal opportunity to quality education. guys, good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> newt, let me start with you.

let's just be blunt about it. on many, many major issues concerning americans in this country, you and al sharpton did not see eye to eye, so what is it about this issue that can bring you two together? >> well, i think that he has it exactly right. education has to be the number one civil right of the 21st century. and i've been passionate about reforming education ever since the report, a nation at risk back in 1983. and we can't get it dan as a partisan issue. frankly, the president is essentially right about the need to go to open charter schools across the whole country, to have accountability for the quality of teaching, and the quality of schools, to give parents the right to know, and the right to put their children in school to work and if the president's right on something i think it's a terrific thing to bring together this tri-partisan group of independents, democrats and republicans. and i think arnie duncan is doing a tremendous job as secretary of education and i'm delighted to be able to go

around the country with he and with reverend sharpton trying to communicate to people of all backgrounds. >> let me give some people, al, what i think are startling statistics. by the fourth grade, black and latino students are on average nearly three years behind their white and asian counterparts. three years behind by the fourth grade. black and latino students are two to three times more likely to have below basic skills in reading and math. and barely half of black and latino students graduate from high school. i think the number for white students is around 78%. if you guys agree on the problem, but do you also agree on the ways to fix the problem? >> no. there are disagreements on how you solve it. the real issue that we're dealing with, as we said with secretary duncan, which the president challenged us to do in that meeting, is to raise the fact that we've got to change the conversation. and we've got to bring out these startling facts, me from a civil rights point of view, former speaker gingrich concerned american education itself falling behind, to say we need to put everybody's hands on the

table and hold people accountable. and i think that's the problem. i don't think most americans understand how bad education has fallen, and maybe this will -- this combination will startle people, because gingrich and i don't agree on many things. >> just because you two agree, al, does it mean that washington and the two sides in washington will not turn this into another shouting match like we're seeing on health care reform? >> well, i think that if you start with a civil conversation with two people who have a reputation around the country of shouting on both sides, then maybe we can have a civilized conclusion. if there's anything americans should be mature enough to have a decent conversation about, it's the education of our children. >> and newt, on the last word on this, turning to health care, we are seeing a shouting match in many locations across the country. the president holding another town hall meeting today. is this plan in its current form, this reform plan, dead? >> well, i thinkth probably dead. but you know, i wish every member of congress would go home, hold town hall meetings, listen to people, let them get the anger out in the open, and

then have a rational discussion. because, ultimately health is very important to every single american. we need the right kind of health reform, and i actually think a dialogue for the next six weeks or eight weeks, and then write a new bill. don't try to fix a bill that's dead. write a new bill in a bipartisan way. let me say that the republican leader john bay nor, the republican whip in the senator lamar alexander, governor mitch daniel all encouraged me to undertake this project with reverend sharpton and secretary duncan. i think there will be real bipartisanship on education, and there could be real bipartisanship on health care. >> you guys make a good team. it's nice to see you together. >> i've got to work on newt on health care. >> as i said, there are a lot of things you don't agree on. >> absolutely. >> reverend al sharpton, newt gingrich. appreciate it. still ahead a mother tasered by police during a traffic stop and it happened in front of her children. she'll be with us for an children. she'll be with us for an exclusiviv

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just ahead, hoarding. we're going to meet a woman who collected so much that her children could barely walk around their home. >> plus kelly clarkson says that she has no problem with her weight. so why did the magazine magically trim a few pounds off her for a cover photo? but nasonex relief may i say... bee-utiful! prescription nasonex is proven to help relieve indoor and outdoor nasal allergy symptoms like congestion, runny and itchy nose and sneezing. (announcer) side effects were generally mild and included headache. viral infection, sore throat, nosebleeds and coughing. ask your doctor about symptom relief with nasonex. and save up to $15 off your refills. go to nasonex.com for details, terms and conditions. summer days were not good to my skin.

(announcer) new neutrogena total skin renewal. it's clinically tested to help undo the look of a year's worth of skin aging in just one week. do-overs do exist. (announcer) total skin renewal neutrogena. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i'm stan stovall. here is a look at what about top stories. baltimore city police are investigating an accident involving of a big gold medalist michael phelps. he was not injured during the crash, but the female driver of another car was taken to an area hospital as a precaution. it happened at east biddle and northcom with 2009. residents of the neighborhood

said they are not shocked to see accident in the area but they say they want something done to see a reduction of the frequency. police say they know the alcohol was not a factor in the crash. it is not yet determined who was at fault. >> good morning, everyone. one area we have had problems all mourn his the southwest side of the beltway. looking a very heavy delays. 10 miles per hour is the speed sensor. construction in that ... to give up the two left lanes. -- in the outer loop is taking up the two left lanes. if you're going to be traveling there, it is about a 17-minute drive in the area. the delays are going to stretch back very shortly. you can see that this is barely moving. a live view of wilkens avenue, that delay is stretching back.

the delays will be picking up at liberty as well. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> a good deal more sunshine today than we did yesterday. 73 downtown, 71 at b.w.i. marshall. we will be near normal for the daytime by this friday. 84 to 86 degrees. throughout the rest of the weekend, a great baseball weather for the little league world series at cal ripken stadium. >> check the bottom of your screen for updated news.

♪ 7:30 now on this friday morning, august 14th, 2009. our crowd getting ready to spin right round with one of the hottest rappers around. a live concert from flo rida coming up in our 8:30 half hour. meanwhile in studio 1a, i'm meredith vieira alongside matt lauer. meanwhile just ahead in this half hour, a very disturbing disorder that's known as hoarding. >> this is a condition where people cannot stop themselves from acquiring all kinds of often useless items. and once they acquire them, they simply can't get rid of them. they have an emotional attachment to those items.

coming up we'll meet the mother of three. she had so much stuff inside her small home, she was actually worried that authorities were going to come and take away her children. >> wow. okay also ahead the controversial magazine cover featuring a retouched photo of singer kelly clarkson. does it send the wrong message about body image to young girls? we're going to ask the magazine's editor in chief. >> and on a much lighter note the story behind one of the most unusual and remarkable photos we've ever seen. we're told this is 100% real. >> is that you? >> the one in the back? first, what was it you called me before? >> no, mere cat. >> a meerkat. now you're calling me a squirrel. >> whatever. we'll get to that in a little while. we're going to begin with a routine traffic stop that ended with a police officer using a taser on a in front of her children. we're going to talk with that woman exclusively in just a

moment. first nbc's tamron hall has her story. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. audra harmon was pulled over because the police officer said she was talking on her cell phone and speeding. but after she got out of her minivan she was tasered twice. it happened back in january. outside of syracuse new york and it was all caught on tape. harmon described what happened to a local newspaper. >> i handed him my license and registration, and as he started to walk back towards his car, i got out of my car, under the impression, or hoping that he was going to show me the camera tape. he asked me to get back in the car, and then he pulled out his taser and said i was under arrest. i said, don't do this in front of my kids. >> reporter: audra harmon was in the car with two of her children, ages 5 and 15, when she was pulled over and ticketed for talking on her cell phone and speeding. police officer sean andrews also charged her with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. and tasered her, twice. >> and the first shot jolted me,

and i was trying to get back in the car again. because i was scared. and then he yanked me away again and that's when he tased me and i went down on the ground. >> reporter: harmon claims the incident is an example of police brutality. in a statement to nbc news the onondaga county sheriff's office says they can't comment because of the lawsuit but the department says, quote, an internal investigation of the incident involving deputy andrews is, and has been, under review. >> these weapons, and they are weapons, they are so easy to e use, and they're easy to abuse. officers are using this weapon in circumstances where live ammunition would never be allowed. and people are dying after having been tasered. >> reporter: that's what happened in 2007, when a 40-year-old man was tasered at the vancouver airport in canada. the incident caused an

international uproar following his death. back in june, police in texas tasered a 72-year-old great-grandmother after pulling her over for speeding. she was not seriously injured. and then, of course, there's this infamous tasering involving university of florida student andrew myer back in 2007. after audra harmon was tasered, she was taken to the hospital. >> it felt like it was an electrical shock going through you, and i had no control over anything. >> well, deputy andrews was taken off road patrol following the incident. the sheriff's office says he's currently assigned to administrative duty while the investigation unfolds. >> audra harmon is with us exclusively along with her attorney terry hoffman. audra, let's just go back over this for a moment. the police officer stops you, he says it's because you're on your cell phone. you explain to him, no i was just leaning my hand, that's what it was. and he won't listen to that.

he then says, whatever, you're also guilty of speeding. take me from that point on. >> well, i think that i was driving with my hand on my cheek, and i think that that's what he saw. and after i had given him the chance to look in my purse, you know, check for a cell phone, then he manufactured the ticket was speeding. and again, i told him that he was, you know, wrong, i wasn't speeding either. and then we went back and forth, and i said i wanted to see the tape. i wanted him to show me that i had been speeding. >> now he's walking back to the car. you did something that a lot of people might not do. i mean, anyone stopped by police knows you probably shouldn't get out of the car unless an officer tells you to. why did you decide to do that? >> because i wanted to see the tape. i knew that he was lying. i knew that i wasn't speeding. i knew that i wasn't on the cell phone. and i wanted him to show me the

tape. >> did you get belligerent with him at all? >> not at all. not at all. i never swore. my hands were not, you know -- >> flailing or whatever? >> flailing away. i posed no threat to him. >> and is that when he presented the taser in front of you, as you were approaching his car? >> well, i never moved from my vehicle. i just stepped out. as a matter of fact, he came towards me rather than i going towards him. i don't remember if he said that i was under arrest before the taser or after. a lot of it is still kind of a blur. >> so so much is happening so quickly. you did get back in the car. in fact your 15-year-old son told you, mom, get back in. >> yes. >> and then the police officer pumped you out? >> yes, correct. he wanted to arrest me, and so after i got in, he wanted me back out again. instead of just leaving it.

i got back in my car, it should have been over right there. and i wouldn't have reacted like i did if i was on my cell phone or i was speeding. i knew that he -- either he was having a bad day, or whatever. he knew that i wasn't doing those things. >> so you're eventually tasered twice, correct? >> yes. the first time, it just bounced off my jacket, or it didn't penetrate into my skin. the second one actually penetrated into my skin. >> i know prior to this, you said to the police officer, don't do this in front of my children. you were pleading before the taser actually occurred, before he tasered you. >> right. >> what's happening with your kids? you have a 5-year-old daughter in that car and a 15-year-old son. >> my daughter was crying. i heard her saying, mommy. and afterwards my son said that she was, you know, really crying hysterically and wanted to know what happened to mommy.

and then of course she wanted her daddy, because she's daddy's girl, and she knew that i wasn't going to be able to come to her, so then she wanted dad. but the disturbing part is they were locked in that car for almost 40 minutes. and for those periods of time where they were alone, and -- >> and where were you at that point? >> i was in the back of andrews' patrol car. >> handcuffed? >> handcuffed. >> you eventually ended up in the hospital. did you need medical attention? >> well, the emt, the ambulance came to the scene to remove the probe from me and they asked me if i wanted to go to the hospital and i said yes. and then that's where they did it, and made sure that my heart was pumping. >> i know you were saying the officer's off patrol duty at this point, the d.a. has said we're not going to prosecute audra at all. but you're burr suing this as a civil case. why? >> well, meredith, there's -- there's several reasons.

in fact, one of the reasons is why we're here this morning. we're not here to try the case. you know, there will be a court proceeding. the defendants will be there, and will be permitted to give their evidence. but the issue here really is much broader than audra's case. the reason why we're here is because tasering has become a problem not only locally. i found out that a man in on dag ga county was killed by a taser within the last year. >> so this has really been awareness then? >> a lot of it is to bring awareness, and also to perhaps awareness not only that anybody could be a potential victim, but awareness to the police officers who have the tasers to be a little more judicious and think it out a little bit more before they use them. this kind of a device. and then the overall picture is

whether or not tasers themselves should be used in law enforcement. >> all right, going to leave it at that. thank you so much. audra, as well, thank you so much for joining us this morning. and now let's get a check of the weather from al. >> beautiful here for this friday. a high forecast of 86 degrees,

partly cloudy skies in baltimore. winds very light and not too problematic. 82 in ocean city. slight chance of a thunderstorm. that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you very much. and up next, a mother of three who ended up with 900 cubic feet of stuff crammed into her one bedroom house. my family, while i was 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,

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tell congress not to let myths get in the way of fixing what's broken with health care. learn the facts at healthactionnow.org. we're back now at 7:44 and now to hoarding. an often misunderstood disorder that compels people to acquire and then hang on to items that often have little or no value. it's the focus of a new documentary series premiering monday on a&e. the show's first episode introduces us to jennifer miller, a mother of three who is worried she may lose her children as a result of her and her husband's hoarding. >> my house is a mess. it doesn't feel like a home. my porch is sort of the catch-all for things that we can't fit into the house. and then you come into the living room, and the floor's pretty well consumed, and the

kitchen. i'm afraid that child protective services may step in. >> jennifer is with us this morning, along with dr. david cohen, a hoarding expert and the author of "buried in treasure." good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> i was just watching you, jennifer, as you were watching that tape looking at your home. when you watch that does it seem really strange to you? >> yes, surreal. yeah, to see it from a different perspective now, yeah, absolutely. >> and what i said in the introduction, i think, may have gotten the attention of a lot of people sitting at home right now. that you, and your husband, both have this disorder. and i guess the question i want to ask right off the bat is, did you get together and were you compatible because you both suffered from this? or did one of you kind of cause the other to become this way? >> i think we definitely played into each other. you know, he has his tendencies and i do, too. he's more the keeper. i'm more the acquirer. >> in other words you bring stuff into the house, and he finds it impossible to part with

those things? >> yeah, yeah. absolutely. yeah, we've played into it together and it was a perfect storm of our personalities and the situation. yeah. >> how has this impacted your life? i mean obviously it has to have an enormous negative impact. >> well, to be a hoarder is an extremely isolating thing. and as a mother, and not to be able to bring people into your home, family and friends, it can be very hard. and you know, it can destroy people. and it, you know, to isolate yourself means that it's almost impossible to reach out and get the help that you need. >> speaking of help, doctor, people are going to look at home and say this is disorganization. this is messiness. >> right. >> but this is more than that, isn't it? >> absolutely. it's often easy to focus exclusively on the house and to think that hoarding is a house problem, and therefore that's where our efforts need to be placed. and that's partly true. but, hoarding is also a person

problem, it's a disorder of behavior. and also the person can make meaningful and sustainable changes in their behavior, the problem's not going to go away. >> is somebody outside might say let's just go in and clean out that house while they're away, you know, at the store one day, let's go in and just take all that stuff out. that's a mistake, isn't it? >> bad idea. >> bad idea. >> just as if somebody had a drinking problem and all you did was take away their alcohol. you haven't solved anything. they're just going to get more. the problem is going to keep going until the person decides to change. >> i mention you have three children. >> right. >> and i also wonder, is it possible they can pass on this hoarding behavior to their children? >> absolutely. >> mm-hmm. >> you worried about that? >> oh, yeah. >> or have they already shown signs of it? >> oh, yeah, they have tendencies. especially our oldest. and i think it's true for any child, whatever it is that they're raised in. that's what's normal to them. that's what toy learn. so of course, yeah. >> you have been getting help now? >> absolutely. >> and so how -- where would you say you are along the path? >> i think right now we are

definitely toeing the line and home, three kids. we have messes -- >> doesn't look like that anymore. >> oh, no, not at all. it's gone. the stuff is gone. and it's more manageable. and we can still call people in for help now. i can still have people in my home. >> and because it's a husband/wife situation, they enable each other in some ways. >> presumably both people here have to make some kind of change in their behavior if this is going to stay better. >> it is, i know, a distressing situation. but it's also fascinating for people on the outside to see. >> true. >> i want to mention that hoarding premieres this monday on avmd&e. dr. tolin, thank you. jennifer's going to stick around. we're going to have more to talk to her about later this morning. up next the story behind this photograph. we'll find out about it. oers. - the budget masters. - ♪ yeah yeah the knock-out artists who are finding more ways

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a picture of those people. >> there you go. >> nobody's standing up for the squirrel. >> it looks like it could be real. >> the best part is it's now popping up on all these different websites. take a look, squirrel and jaws. squirrel and elvis. golfing with tiger. >> oh, i love that one. >> and squirrel on a morning program. >> no! >> these are making all over. this has gone viral. it's crazy. >> but this is where you come in. have you ever had a photo crashed for real. we want to see those photos. logon to our website, todayshow.com e-mail us, here's the important part, your undoctored pictures. not looking for photo shop. undoctored pictures. not looking for photo shop. undoctored pictures. with a fresh scentades ared just place the shade on the wooden base to turn on the light and fill your room with a light, fresh scent and with shades you can change to suit your mood and complement your style

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you can get all the details, charts, graphs, etc, at ford.com. why ford, why now? why not? visit your ford or lincoln mercury dealer. i'm thinking now would be a great time. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. let us get a check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> we continue to deal with major problems on the southwest side of the beltway. on the outer lip, late clearing construction, overnight construction, on the outer loop of 295. heavy delays as a result. those delays stretch back to wilkens ave.

making matters worse, with an accident on outer loop. one right lane is blocked. traffic is squeezing by on the left side. not getting by very fast. 12 miles per hour is the average speed. we will also look at what is happening elsewhere. brookside is bearing well. -- north side is very well. the biggest problem spot is the outer loop. >> we are looking a comfortable temperatures, 73 downtown, a mix of sunshine and clouds. partly cloudy skies throughout the afternoon. not a great risk of showers and thunderstorms. a nice, dry day for us. in 8486 as the temperature range. tomorrow and sunday, mid-80's, partly sunny to mostly sunny skies. great baseball weather for the

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8:00 now on a friday morning. it is the 14th day of august, 2009. we've got a great crowd for "today." this crowd is here because we've got a summer concert courtesy of miami native flo rida. going to be taking to our stage in just about a half hour. we're all looking forward to that. i'm matt lauer along with meredith vieira and al roker. >> and coming up, we've got -- >> that's right.

>> i need this job. >> that's right. you can fake how you got enough sleep, you're going to teach us how to -- >> fake a tan. >> and how to fake that you baked. >> really? that's a new one. >> fake it to bake it. >> that one i really care about. also ahead the controversial picture of kelly clarkson that is getting an awful lot of attention. "self" magazine admits retouching the photo. they said they did that to make her look her best. but according to the article inside, she's perfectly fine with her weight. she likes the way she is. so is the magazine sending the wrong message to women, especially younger girls about body image? we're going to get into that with the magazine's editor in chief and model emme. >> sounds a little bit like the people doing the cover didn't read the article. >> kind of. they have a position on that. >> okay. before we go any further, ann is standing by at the news desk with all of the headlines. ann. >> i am, okay, thanks a lot,

matt. good morning once again, everybody. in the news, dramatic and we should add disturbing new images of last week's midair collision over the hudson river. this amateur video obtained exclusively by nbc news shows the moment of impact between a private plane and a sightseeing helicopter that killed nine people. meantime, two air traffic controllers on duty during the crash have now been suspended. one for making a personal phone call, and a supervisor for leaving the control tower. but the faa says their behavior, while inappropriate, probably did not contribute to the tragedy. thousands of firefighters are now being called in to battle wildfires in california. one fire near the santa cruz mountains has forced the evacuation of the entire town of bonny doon, which is about 2,000 residents and several wineries. lawyers for lockerbie bomber abdel basset ali al megrahi say that he has withdrawn his appeal for his conviction -- of his conviction. he is dying of cancer and officials are still considering sending him home to libya to

serve the rest of his life term. defense secretary robert gates is warning that it will be a few years before there's a chance of declaring victory in afghanistan. meanti meantime, the pentagon says u.s. marines and afghan troops have successfully battled the taliban for half of a strategic town in southern afghanistan ahead of next week's presidential election. a final farewell on cape cod today for eunice kennedy shriver. family and friends are remembering the founder of the special olympics as a passionate humanitarian. she died on tuesday at the age of 88. and a young journalist from florida got the interview of a lifetime on thursday at the white house. his name is damon weaver. he sat down with the president, and they talked about education, basketball, and school lunches. and at one point the 11-year-old said that he noticed the president gets bullied a lot. >> when you're president, you're responsible for a lot of things, and a lot of people have a tough time, and they're hurting out there, and you know, the main

thing i just try to do is stay focused on trying to do a good job, and try to be understanding. but sometimes people are going to be mad about things. but, if i'm doing a good job, i'm doing my best, and i'm trying to always help people, then that keeps me -- keeps me going. >> as for school lunches, damon weaver pitched his own plan. he says he wants french fries and mangoes every day of the week. we don't know what the response to that was. but it is now 8:04. i like french fries and mangoes. >> sounds good to me. this lady got here at >> we are seeing a little bit of

the inflow of clouds on the eastern shore. other that, a nice, clear scan. partly cloudy skies, seasonable temperature readings in the mid- 80s. and that's your latest weather. >> all right mr. roker, thank you very much. still ahead, why did "self" magazine retouch a cover photo of kelly clarkson for an issue all about total body confidence? we'll ask that magazine's editor in chief. plus coming up, flo rida live in concert.

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♪ since you've been gone >> reporter: kelly clarkson may wish her critics were gone. >> kelly clarkson. >> reporter: the pop star grabbed the spotlight in the first season of "american idol" and hasn't let go since. even though one magazine seems to think she let her weight go. in the september issue of "self" magazine, clarkson says quote, when people talk about my weight, i'm like, you seem to have a problem with it. i don't. i'm fine. but on the cover of the same issue, the singer looks dramatically, and artificially, slimmed down. the touchup job transparent. especially noticeable next to these photos taken at a live performance just two weeks ago. >> it sends the message, whether it intends to or not, that something's wrong. with the before picture. that there was a before and they were in need of an after. >> reporter: in response to questions clarkson simply says, we love the cover. but some self.com readers haven't responded the same way. healthynj asks how can you

justify drastically altering kel kelly's body on a stay true to you issue. it might be standard practice, but aggressive airbrushing has painted the wrong picture for some celebrities. kate winslet took issue with her 2003 cover shot in british gq magazine shaving so many inches off her thighs she said it sent the wrong message to fans. >> people buying the publications don't always realize that's what happens. and it felt important to me personally to come out and say, look, you know, i don't look like that. i actually have no desire to look like that. >> i think it's terrific that she said something. don't we all ultimately want to be seen for who we are? >> reporter: beauty may only be skin deep, but so many magazines seem to send the message, we'd like you a little bit more, if there was a little bit less to love. for "today," miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. >> lucy danziger is the editor in chief of "self" magazine, emme is a plus-size model and the host of the new reality show "more to love." good morning to both of you.

>> thanks for having me. >> lucy, let's start with you. in the article in "self" magazine kelly says quote, when people talk about my weight, i'm like, you seem to have a problem with it. i don't. i'm fine. she's comfortable with the skin she's in. >> right. >> but your magazine made a decision to change it. why? >> well, first of all, the context is that she's our most inspiring woman of 2009. she's been on the cover three times. we love kelly for the confidence that she exudes from within. and i asked her where's that confidence come from? and she said i don't focus on every little detail of my looks. other people do that. they impose that on me. i want to be a good person from within, and she's healthy, she works out, she's fit. she does cross fitness for energy and endorphins and she said my weight fluctuates. that's where i am. >> but then why retouch the photo? we have another photo of her that was taken the same month in june, that's the one on the magazine. >> right. >> they retouched it. and there she is, another photo. there's a dramatic difference

there. >> when we shot her. we have a picture of her in toronto, when she shot her back in may she looked virtually essentially like this. there's a snapshot -- >> essentially like think one? >> like our cover. >> when she sent out the snapshot of her and her sister, it was a candid picture. no makeup, very sweet picture that she's having fun. a snapshot is different than a cover. a cover is a poster. and the thing about a poster is, you want it to capture the essence of you at your best. so we're saying to women, look, everyone can love who they are from the inside out, and want to achieve their goals. >> it's a cultural shift happening right now, which is really awesome for "shape" magazine -- >> "self." >> excuse me, "self" magazine. for getting this opportunity to hear from the public. that they want to see a breadth of representation of who they are. beautiful images of who they are. now if i woke up and i was at "self" magazine you wanted me to be on your cover and i had been out until 2:00 in the morning at

a shoot and i was tired. i would really appreciate the bags to be taken out from underneath my eyes. >> and hair and makeup. >> and if i had a pantyline. but if you reduced my curves, i would take issue with that. and i think that that's what's happening in our culture today in america. >> well, a lot of people responded to your blog negatively, because they felt just that, that this whole issue is about confidence in whatever body you have. >> right. >> and you justal tered her body. interestingly enough kelly liked the photo. >> can i just say the one thing we say at "self" is be your personal best. only you can feel bad inside yourself. kelly feels great about who she is. >> but other people are going to feel bad inside themselves knowing that kelly really isn't like that but "self" is saying she's at her best when she's like that. not like the picture on the left. >> essentially like she was on the cover. the satin fabric is not a forgiving fabric. we helped out by making that purple pop by taking out -- >> but the culture is saying something so loud and clear with promoting more to love.

i in the last month have been talking so much about or listening to what the mass public has been talking about. we want to see more images that are not as unattainable as we've been seeing for years and years and decades. it's time that we can see the small body types, the medium body types and the larger body types, beautiful aspirational images. >> right. but not all one way -- >> and the images on the covers, if they're being so retouched, it does send a message that being the person and the woman that you are, being true to yourself inside is truly embracing who you are on the outside. >> if you're happy with yourself, whatever size, age, stage of your life, that's what's good. that confidence comes from within. you can be happy, healthy, fit, and your best self at any size. >> but if the magazine is arguing against that, it's sending two different messages. would you ever consider, lucy, maybe in sort of an issue down the line, showing like a kelly clarkson both ways.

the way -- the retouch and then the before. >> absolutely. i mean the poster of the cover is one thing. you want that to be the essence of confidence, and beauty, and perfection. but a snapshot inside, and the picture of her performing -- >> do two covers in the future. >> guys, we're going to have to -- >> this is one of those discussions that's going to go on and on and on. lucy, we've got to go. >> okay. >> for now, thank you so much. >> kelly said cut yourself some slack. that's what i wanted to say. cut yourself some slack. >> all right. lucy danziger, egg mme, thank y. on health care reform, derailing the debate with myths and scare tactics. desperately trying to stop you from discovering that reform won't force you to give up your current coverage. you'll still be able to choose your doctor and insurance plan. tell congress not to let myths get in the way of fixing what's broken with health care. learn the facts at healthactionnow.org.

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renting stuff? >> it's amazing. there's a website called avell.com. you can look like a jet setter. they rent like designer luggage and totes and all your travel accessories for so affordably. >> you can rent designer sunglasses? >> these retail for $530, louis vuitton, rihanna wore these. you can get them for $43 a week. >> if you mess them up though -- >> you pay for them. this retails, guchically for $2500. you can rent it for $114. it's really fun. >> let's talk about shopping online. it's a gold mine for designer duds. you found a great place to find them for less. shop it to me? >> shop it to me dotcom. like personal online shopping. so you sign in. you put in your designer, they have men's, as well, and then they find the sale, they notify you, and also in your size. >> what kind of discounts? >> half off. >> great. you want a manicure, you don't want to pay the big price. you do it at home. >> the easiest way to look posh is to have a manicure. coat it, file it, whatever, you

look gorgeous. easiest way to look rich like in five minutes. >> and you can also get pearls which make anyone look rich. >> jcpenneys looks amazing. >> all right, robin, thank you very much. let's go upstairs to meredith. >> all right. thank you, matt. before that we're going to turn to amy, the beauty director of "in style" magazine. for that i mean the fake tan. we just read about people who go to tanning salons, 75% more likely to develop skin cancer. so it's important to fake it when it comes to this. you say exfoliate. >> right. everyone knows that exfoliating is the most important step, but one thing a lot of people don't realize is that you have to choose the right exfoliator. you don't want to use a salt-based scrub because it can actually dehydrate your skin and make your tan come out blotchy. we recommend using one that's very moisturizing like this one from true blue which has moisturizing jojoba beads. >> you get rid of the skin so the tan will stick. and you brought along some tans. >> for full body tan we

recommend using an aerosol because it delivers a much more fine mist and it will look more natural. this is a new brukt from lindsay lohan. >> who knows a thing about tans. >> she has cornered the market here. this product is amazing, actually. it delivers a superfine mist and the aerosol can actually be held upside down. >> to get to all these weird spots. >> you can get to the back of you, which is a problem with a lot of aerosols. >> a lot of different tanners on the market, so take a look. amy, thank you so much. now here's ann with how to fake awake. >> meredith, thank you. if you're running on empty and you're tiring, dr. rashaanny raj is here. good morning. >> good morning. >> first of all let's get real. get some sleep. but barring that you say, you know, we can't rely completely on caffeine. >> a cup or two a day is okay. but you don't want to go overboard. we've got some tricks to keep you away temporarily. >> funny tricks, including chewing gum and sun flower seeds? >> kind of makes sense. >> not together. >> you can't really fall asleep

if your mouth is moving. so chewing something is a good idea. and of course you want it to be low cal so sugar free gum. >> just chewing itself. you've got a fan on the table. >> sure, sure. cold air is a great way to stay awake. first of all you're a little bit uncomfortable if you're cold. if it's winter open a window. fresh air is the best. if not blast the ac and have a fan blasting it in your face. >> it's important, especially if you're driving or you can't stop, make sure you've got that air. that's really important. also you've got some other products here that smells can also help. >> aromatherapy. and two really energizing scents, peppermint or citrus. either get a room freshener or put some scented oil on your wrist, on your neck and you'll be smelling it all day and feel a little more energized. >> dr. roshini raj, i say get sleep if you can. first let's go back to al, who has something about how to fake that you're baked. >> that's right. it's all about impressing your friends without the hassle. suzanne rusk an editor at "real simple" magazine is here. >> good morning, good morning.

>> starting off with lasagna. we're not talking about microwaving here. you're still baking. >> this is a fantastic fake it lasagna using frozen ravioli instead of lasagna noodles. a bapg of shredded mozzarella, parmesan. you're just layering. quick layers. and just toss on a little sauce. there you go, when you're finished with that. >> a little cheese. >> in the oven for 45 minutes. >> and it looks just like that. 3iz today. >> this is a great way, realsimple.com, fake take-out. make it glamorous. jazz it up a bit. getting a pizza from the store, popping little, you know, cookie cutter circles like that. >> different sizes. >> and you've got great toppings, mushrooms, olives, bruschetta, you decorate that, pop it in five minutes for 400 degrees and you've got fantastic little appetizers. >> chicken pasta. >> rotisserie chicken, great thing to pick up, cut it up in cubes, shred it with a little bit of chopped walnuts and a little bit of gorgonzola, bleu

cheese. stir it together and you've got a fantastic meal. >> unbelievable. and watch flo rida eating g >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. a former band director in howard county school will spend a year- and-a-half behind bars for sexually abusing a 17-year-old student. robert douglas johnston at all but 18 months of his nine-year sentence suspended for the two- year-long relationship. he will also serve five years' probation and must register as a sex offender. let's get a final check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> dealing with substantial delays on the out of the southwest side, all due to construction. 14 miles per hour in the area of i-95.

extending back to the body from 295. two left lanes remain blocked. a new accident on eastbound 100 and snowden river parkway. another one at moravia and i-95. 27 minutes on the outer loop west side. these delays extend down towards 295. let's look at those delays. the pace of things through that area. switch you over to a live view of traffic. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> nice temperature range out there. today we will go up into the mid 80's. partly cloudy skies. 84 to 86. the sun is setting tonight at 8:30. plenty of time to enjoy friday. little league world series taking place in aberdeen,

beautiful conditions. thus the sunny to partly cloudy. another chance of a pop-up thunderstorm in the afternoon forecast. >> we will have another update at 8:55.

8:30 now on this friday morning, august 14th, 2009. plaza overflowing with fans of flo rida. he's going to take our sum ert concert stage in just a moment. it's actually hard to believe that we are nearly at the end of our summer concert series. >> wow. >> it feels like it just began. >> we've got a couple of dates. next friday natasha bedingfield.

after that, miley cyrus out on the plaza. so mark that on your calendar. >> meanwhile ahead this morning we've got a sneak peek of some of the hottest fall fashions coming up this season. >> there's a really big rat -- >> oh! >> get out of here. get out of here. >> come on. >> yeah.

>> we are going to sit temperature range today in the mid-80s, partly cloudy, seasonable and out of the east. basically pretty dry this week ended next shot of showers and ended next shot of showers and how cool is quentin tarantino?

>> a little bit energetic, too. and a good seller. when we come back we're going to have a look at the fall's holtest fashion trends. a little early treat for that. also ahead we've got, have you heard, flo rida live in concert.

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rebate, you may also qualify for 0% apr for 72 months. that means you can buy a '09 cobalt for $168 a month after a $3500 government rebate and no down payment. go to chevy.com for details. back now at 8:37. this morning on "today's style," new york city fashion week. if you live here or read the fashion magazines you know it's a big deal. but do you really know why it is? we went behind the scenes of this year's event with today's women's lifestyle contributor cindy levy to get the 411 on why you should care come fall. ♪ >> reporter: well, fashion week happens twice a year. it's when all the designers show the collections that you're

going to see in the store roughly six months from now. this is the first fashion week that has really been overshadowed by the economy. everybody is sitting there watching these clothes come down the runway thinking, are people going to be willing to buy that? j. mendel, real emphasis on beautiful tailoring. i think the idea here is that a woman can pay a lot of money for a suit or a dress, it has to be exquisitely made. we're at the michael kors show. i thought this was a beautiful show. i mean there were great work clothes, sexy evening dresses and great pops of color. you get a lot with neon orange, neon pink. i think there's a sense that, you know, okay maybe the economy is tanking but we all want to look like we're having fun. three big trends we already know we're going to see, classic silhouettes, really lady-like suits. day glow colors, whether in sports wear or work wear, really, really bright. and also luxurious fabrics. fur, whether it's real or fake.

velvet, gold brocade, leather, crepe. bye. see you back here next season. >> fast forward six months. cindy, thank you for joining us, good morning to you. >> thank you, good morning. >> so here's a trend you predicted way back when in february. you said lady-like suits, neon colors, luxurious fabrics we'd all be seeing in the stores come late august or early september. >> i'm pretty proud of myself. you walk into any store now you're going to see all that stuff and a few other things that weren't popping up. >> designers when they have those runway shows, those are not the clothes that people -- >> oh, no. >> they give you a sense of what's going to be out there. >> yeah. >> we have three models that represent all of those trends. come on out, ladies. >> these are ways you can wear the trends in real life. >> these are things you can buy in the store now? >> yes, exactly. this is a lot of day-glo colors. you cannot wear it head to toe. you'll look like a walking highlighter pen. the way that nina, who works in the glamour fashion department, is wearing it, is just perfect. a little black belt. lots of black accessories.

she's mixing up the color. this dress is best 35 from h&m. >> that's fantastic. especially if it's going to be something you wear this one season and not again. >> exactly. that's a great going out look. >> the lady next door. lady-like suits. >> lady-like dressing. it's not necessarily suits. i've seen a lot of separates. little cardigans, straight skirts. this is sort of a michelle obama look. and it's a great look to wear to the office. everything here is from j. crew. i think most of the prices are under $100. with the exception of the skirt. the big statement necklace pulls it all together. >> that is also michelle obama's one of her favorite places. >> very much. >> the j. crew look. finally luxurious fabrics, whether it's brocade or fur or velvet. >> we're actually seeing this for fall, it's a rocker look. it's black leather, skinny jeans, it's a kind of pat benatar, joan jett look, very '80s. this is blake, wearing a sequinned top. this is tall from top shop.

the beans are jeannie. you don't want bell bottoms, you want a really skinny jean. >> but that is a very young look. that is not something i could get away with this. >> you could wear a piece of this. and there's also a lot of black leather stuff you might want to wear as accessories, bags, belts, even sort of headbands with motorcycle grommets on them. >> is now the best time to get out there and do your shopping? you mention the dress is only $35. are there a lot of good sales, even for fall clothes? >> there's a lot of stuff that's nicely priced to begin with. a lot of people did bring their prices down for fall which is terrific and wonderful if you're a consumer. the fall stuff starts rolling into the stores around july 4th. it's easy to get whiplash when it's 98 degrees in the shade when you're looking at tweed. but the good thing about all of these looks is you could wear them on a steamy, hot, humid, august day. >> you're heading to the fashion shows in a couple of weeks. >> yeah, for spring stuff. it's going to be chiffon and bikinis and we're all going to be completely confused. >> your head must go like this all the time. >> never have any idea what time

of year it actually is. >> cindy leive, thank you very much. coming up next, flo rida performs live. 

♪ "toyota concert series on today" brought to you by toyota. toyota, moving forward. >> it is the time that all these people have been waiting for, so making his debut here on the "today" show, and the plaza, ladies and gentlemen, flo rida. >> new york city, make some noise! ♪ you spin my head right round right round when you go down when you go down ♪ >> everybody.

♪ when you go down ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ you spin my head right round right round ♪ ♪ when you go down when you go down ♪ ♪ you spin my head right round right round ♪ ♪ when you go down when you go down ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ you spin my head right round right round ♪ ♪ when you go down when you go down ♪ ♪ you spin my head right round right round ♪ ♪ when you go down when you go down ♪ ♪

♪ i'm spending my money i'm out 6 control ♪ ♪ somebody help me shaez taking my bank roll ♪ ♪ but i'm king of the club and i'm wearing the crown ♪ ♪ watching they go down down ♪ ♪ you spin my head right round right round ♪ ♪ when you go down when you go down down ♪ ♪ you spin my head right round right round ♪ ♪ when you go down when you go down down ♪ ♪ you spin my head right round right round ♪ ♪ when you go down when you go down down ♪ ♪ you spin my head right round right round ♪ ♪ when you go down when you go down down ♪

>> more music from flo rida in a moment. but first on a friday morning, this is "today" on nbc.

he broke onto the music scene in 2007 with his debut album, it contained the

multiplatinum hit "low." this year he released a new album, this one's called "root." ladies and gentlemen we're happy to have flo rida on the plaza. how are you? nice to see you. i was reading somewhere where you said that you still get goose bumps, as long as you've been in the business, two years now, you still get goose bumps when you see a crowd gathered. so how's it feel on the plaza. >> oh, man, definitely. actually when i first came out here, i'm seeing the crowd. >> tell me about the new album, it's called "roots." >> stands for rap of over coming a struggle. and definitely want to thank all my fans for helping me make history back-to-back. so give it up for yourselves. >> i love the story of your background. flo rida obviously pays homage to your home state of florida. you grew up in an area of miami that was a tough neighborhood. >> oh, yes. and you say your mom gave you some -- and by the way can we mention your mom and dad are over here. >> hi, mom, hi, dad!

>> your mom gave you some good advice. >> oh, yes. >> she talked about the fact that you could be from the ghetto -- >> but you don't have to be of it. >> how did you take that to heart. >> most definitely she always taught me to dream big, put god first, sacrifice and the sky's the limit. >> apparently at the moment there is no limit. what are you going to sing for us now? >> we're going to give it to the record that took me around the world. i want to see if the young ladies came to get low, low, low, low. >> ladies and gentlemen, flo rida. ♪ ♪ shawty had them apple bottom jeans boots with the fur ♪ ♪ the whole club was looking at her she hit the flo' ♪ ♪ next thing you know shawty got low ♪ ♪ low, low, low

low, low, low, low ♪ ♪ them baggy sweat pants and the reeboks with the straps she turned around and gave that big booty a smack ♪ ♪ she hit the flo' next thing you know ♪ ♪ shawty got low, low, low low, low, low, low, low ♪ ♪ i ain't never seen nothin' that'll make me go this crazy all night ♪ ♪ spendin' my dough had a million dollar vibe and a bottle to go ♪ ♪ them birthday cakes they stole the show so sexual she was flexible ♪ ♪ professional drinkin' x and o ♪ ♪ hold up wait a minute do i see what i think i whoa did i think i seen shorty get low ♪ ♪ ain't the same when it's up that close make it rain i'm makin' it snow ♪ ♪ work the pole i got the bank roll im'a say that i prefer them no clothes ♪ ♪ i'm into that i love women exposed she threw it back at me ♪ ♪ i gave her more cash ain't a problem i know where it goes ♪ ♪ shawty had them apple bottom jeans boots with the fur ♪ ♪ the whole club was looking at her she hit the flo' ♪ ♪ next thing you know shawty got low ♪ ♪ low, low, low

low, low, low, low ♪ ♪ them baggy sweat pants and the reeboks with the straps she turned around and gave that big booty a smack ♪ ♪ she hit the flo' next thing you know ♪ ♪ shawty got low, low, low low, low, low, low, low ♪ ♪ hey shawty what i gotta do to get you home ♪ cadillac maybachs for the sexy grown patron on the rocks that'll make you moan ♪ ♪ one stack come on two stacks come on three stacks come on ♪ ♪ now that's three grand what you think i'm playin' baby girl ♪ ♪ i'm the man i'll bend the rubber bands that's what i told her ♪ ♪ her legs on my shoulder i knew it was over ♪ got me like a soldier she ready for rover i couldn't control her so lucky oh me ♪ ♪ i was just like a clover shorty was hot like a toaster ♪ ♪ sorry but i had to fold her like a pornography poster she showed her ♪ ♪ shawty had them apple bottom jeans boots with the fur ♪ ♪ the whole club was looking at her she hit the flo' ♪ ♪ next thing you know shawty got low ♪ ♪ low, low, low

low, low, low, low ♪ ♪ them baggy sweat pants and the reeboks with the straps she turned around and gave that big booty a smack ♪ ♪ she hit the flo' next thing you know ♪ ♪ shawty got low, low, low low, low, low, low, low ♪ ♪ whoa shawty yeah she was worth the money little mama took my cash and i ain't want it back ♪ ♪ the way she bit that rag got her them paper stacks tattoo of bubba cray i had to handle that ♪ ♪ i was on it sexy woman let me showin' they be want it two in the mornin' ♪ ♪ i'm zonin' in them rosay bottles foamin' she wouldn't stop made it drop ♪ ♪ shorty did that pop and lock ♪ shawty had them apple bottom jeans boots with the fur ♪ ♪ the whole club was looking at her she hit the flo' ♪ ♪ next thing you know shawty got low ♪ ♪ low, low, low

low, low, low, low ♪ ♪ them baggy sweat pants and the reeboks with the straps she turned around and gave that big booty a smack ♪ ♪ she hit the flo' next thing you know ♪ ♪ shawty got low, low, low low, low, low, low, low ♪ >> flo rida's back with more music on a friday morning. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore.

>> good morning. i am mindy basara. baltimore city police say that what other reasons no one has come forward in connection with a deadly hit-and-run accident may be that the driver involved may not realize he or she hit anyone. last tuesday, authorities say that 57-year-old john yates was biking to the university of maryland when he was hit by a box truck making a right at lafayette and maryland ave. he was killed and the truck drove away. family and police have reviewed surveillance video of the incident and they say it does not offer enough clues to track down the driver. >> the family is just devastated that someone would leave their loved one on the pavement with a mortal injuries and just drive off. >> if you have information, call baltimore police. back in a minute with a check on today's forecast.

cash for clunkers is available at your chevy dealer. with more eligible models to choose from than anyone. if your clunker qualifies to be recycled, you can get a $3500 or $4500 government rebate. and just announced! if you qualify for the clunker rebate, you may also qualify for 0% apr for 72 months. that means you can buy this silverado half-ton for $228

a month after a $3500 government rebate and no down payment. go to chevy.com for details. >> now let's take a look at the forecast with sandra shaw. >> we will have a nice start to the weekend with mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies. it is right where we should be for august 14. a better shot of seeing scattered showers or storms with partly cloudy skies, 82, and nice and dry in central maryland for the entire weekend. mostly sunny skies saturday and sunday. sunday.

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