good morning. mixed message? the only man ever convicted in the bombing of pan am flight 103 that killed 270, including 189 americans, set to go free today. should a killer be released in the midst of a global war on terror? this morning we'll talk to some outraged family members of his victims. another dose. more severe weather stretches across much of the midwest producing tornadoes, hail and heavy rains. out in the atlantic, hurricane bill weakens slightly to a category 3, but forecasters say it could pick up steam again today. a letter from the senator. in a nod to his failing health, massachusetts senator ted kennedy sends a poignant letter to lawmakers in his home state and he's asking for a succession

plan "today," thursday, august and he's asking for a succession plan "today," thursday, august 20, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning. welcome to "today" on a thursday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> in for meredith this morning, i'm ann curry. good morning, everybody. for years now we have been engaged in this global war on terror and at this time now we are about to witness one of the famous terrorists of all time about to go free. >> that's right. on a compassionate release. imagine how you'd feel right now if you had a loved one on pan am flight 103 and you found out the only person ever convicted in their death was about to be let out of prison because he's in failing health. it is hard to believe for a lot of people. we'll get the latest in a live report and talk to two people who lost family members on that horrific day back in 1988. also ahead this morning, the first interview with the boyfriend of a georgia mother missing for more than a week. douglas davis was actually

talking with her on the phone and he says that he heard her scream "don't take me" before the phone went dead. this morning he joins us exclusively in our studio for his first interview on the matter. on a much, much lighter note, talk about a talker? on wednesday we asked people to logon to todayshow.com to voice their opinions about michelle obama's decision to wear shorts as she got off air force one on a recent family vacation. the response to this question, was it appropriate or inappropriate, was overwhelming. one of our largest ever. we'll tell you the results a little later on. but let us begin with the severe weather in the midwest. hurricane bill still out in the atlantic. al's over at nbc's global weather headquarters. al, good morning to you. >> this is where we do "wake up with al" every morning at 6:00 on the weather channel. we have our "wake up with al" wall. it has great technology. in the midwest, another line of

thunderstorms. after over 20 tornadoes touched down yesterday from minnesota over into the midwest, looking at another line of strong storms, oklahoma city all the way up to milwaukee and we look for more of these storms to fire up, could be looking at tornadoes again today somewhere between illinois, on into parts of missouri and on into arkansas. now of course, we're also watching the latest on hurricane bill. right now 125-mile-per-hour winds, category 3 storm, is moving northwest at about 18 miles per hour. as it does, it's 325 miles east-northeast of the leeward islands. currently about 350 -- 790 miles south-southeast of bermuda. as this system makes its way through the area, we are going to be looking at a lot of strong storms and we've got more heat building up. we're looking at hurricane bill causing a lot of rip tides along the coast. we'll look at that a little bit later. ann? >> al, thanks. now to massachusetts senator ted kennedy looking to the future as he battles cancer. nbc news has learned he has now

sent a letter to massachusetts lawmakers asking for a succession plan to be put in place. nbc's anne thompson is near the kennedy compound on cape cod this morning. ann, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. that letter to massachusetts governor duvall patrick and leaders in the house and senate was sent from senator kennedy at his home in hyannisport. he's spent most of his time here since being diagnosed with malignant brain tumor in 2008. it asks for an amendment law if the senator resigns or passes away. under the current law there would be a special election that would occur five months after a resignation or a death. senator kennedy is asking that the law be amended to allow the governor to appoint someone to hold that senate seat until a special election is held, and in the letter he writes to governor

patrick, and the state leaders, "i am now writing to you about an issue that concerns me deeply. the continuity of representation for massachusetts should a senate vacancy occur." what he does not say in the letter is that, clearly, on his mind is the issue of health care. it has been the issue of senator kennedy's career and should an issue -- and should a vote come in the senate on health care reform, and senator kennedy was not able to cast that vote and no special election should be held, massachusetts would only have one vote on that issue. at the end of the letter, senator kennedy talks about his service to the people of massachusetts and what it has meant to be a senator to him. he does not reference his illness but he says serving the people of massachusetts in the united states senate has been, and still is, "the greatest honor of my public life." aides close to the senator say that this letter does not mean that any change in his health is

imminent, it is just something that has been on his mind. >> still, it obviously says that at a time when he's got so much to deal with he's actually also still thinking about the future for massachusetts and for this country. anne thompson, thank you so much for your reporting. 7:06. here's matt. to another very big story. this morning's expected release of the only man ever convicted in the deadly bombing of pan am flight 103. 270 people, including 189 americans, died in that attack. just ahead, we'll speak to the furious mother and brother of two of those victims. but first, nbc's dawna friesen is outside the prison in scotland. dawna, good morning. >> reporter: yes, the scottish government is expected to make the official announcement within the next hour or so that convicted mass murderer abdel bassett al megrahi will be released from this scottish prison and be allowed to fly home to libya to die. it is a decision that has outraged many of the families of the american victims of the lockerbie bombing.

he is the man convicted of britain's worst terrorist atrocity. abdel bassett al megrahi from libya has been serving a life sentence in this scottish jail for the mass murder of 270 people killed when pan am flight 103 blew up over lockerbie, scotland in 1988. soon it is expected he'll be a free man. megrahi, now age 57, has terminal prostate cancer and libya asked he be released on compassionate grounds. it's caused outrage especially among families of the 180 americans who died. >> i'm afraid i don't have much compassion for mr. megrahi. i have a lot of compassion for my dead daughter whom i loved and grieve for every single day of my life. >> it was a cold-blooded murder and the families have had to live with it for 20-some years. >> reporter: seven u.s. senators, including ted kennedy, wrote to scotland's justice secretary demanding megrahi be kept in jail. even the secretary of state,

hillary clinton, spoke out. >> i just think it is absolutely wrong to release someone who has been in prison based on the evidence about his involvement in such a horrendous crime. >> reporter: but megrahi's legal team argues he has less than three months to live. >> his absolute priority is in the little time he has left to spend it with his family. >> reporter: megrahi has always maintained he's innocent and many of the families of british victims believe him, think he was a scapegoat, that the real story of what brought down pan am flight 103 has never emerged. jim swyer's daughter was killed on the flight. >> i'm sure the sooner he goes back to his family the better because he only has week or months to live. >> reporter: underlying it all, politics. britain's prime minister met with the country's leader moammar gadhafi in july leading

some to suggest it was politically expedient to let megrahi go home. now it's understood that once the official announcement is made, megrahi will leave this prison, go to the airport and board a private jet that libya leader moammar gadhafi has sent here to pick him up. few libyans believe that megrahi is guilty and it is expected that he'll be greeted in his home country as a hero. >> dawna friesen in scotland this morning, thank you. good morning to both of you. i was watching your faces as you were watching that report and it's hard for me to imagine what you're thinking as you see this unfolding. >> it's absolutely horrendous that we are going through this 20-odd-years later, that the man who murdered our loved ones is about to walk out of jail and go back to his homeland. you know, it doesn't make any

sense to me in any rational human being would understand that how do you do that? how do you just let him go when he has murdered 270 innocent people. >> this term, "compassionate release," all these years is it possible for you to feel any compassion toward this man? >> no. he got his compassion released when he got life imprisonment and not capital punishment. this morning it finally hit me -- our loved ones were guilty for being on that plane. the families have been guilty for pressuring our government do seek the truth and find justice. we had to force our government to have an independent investigation of pan am 103. we had to force our government to do the aviation security act of 1990. we had to force our government to get these two to trial. we had to force our government to get them convicted and watch president bush 43 commend gadhafi and president obama shake gadhafi's hand. this is an unbelievable, surreal ride. >> what message does it send? he went to prison in 2001.

so in effect, he will have served eight years for killing 270 people. >> state-sponsored terrorism wins, because in this particular case, true justice was he would finish his natural life in confinement, send his body back to libya for appropriate burial. >> let me play devil's advocate. people out there are saying, you know what? he's going to die in the next several months, what does it matter if he dies in a prison cell or if he dies in his home. >> well, the interesting thing is that the families have not had any confirmation from an outside source of his illness and how -- >> you're skeptical of this? >> well, my husband had prostate cancer ten years ago and he's alive and kicking and in the green room right now off the set. so i mean -- yes, i'm a little cynical about it. the most important thing is that, regardless of -- i mean i certainly think he should be under hospital care and be given medical treatment -- >> you're not asking for him to

suffer in a prison cell. >> absolutely not. i think he should be treated -- scotland has the best health care in the world, one of the world's best health care plans so i don't understand why there is the big push to send him back to libya. i believe his family is in scotland. >> the other thing, too, matt, when i heard in the introduction, he wants to go back or they want him back to be surrounded by his family. we didn't have that opportunity. the only way we could have surrounded our loved ones was to be up in parachutes at 31,000 feet. the whole thing is insane and ludicrous and the message we are sending is state machine sponsored terrorism is winning, because eventually the united states or united kingdom will give in. >> burt and kathleen, our thanks to you for being here today. i know this can't be easy. 126r789s minut now to today's elections in afghanistan. militant attacks on a number of polling sites appear to be having an impact on voter turnout. nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel is in the capital city of kabul

this morning. richard, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. turnout was mixed across the country but taliban threats and attacks today did seem to frighten away many potential voters. more than a dozen taliban rockets today exploded near polling centers in southern afghanistan. as a man was being interviewed, more rockets fell. see, another one just landed, he said. the attacks, and three small bombings in kabul this morning, had a chilling effect. in kabul, voters just trickled in to schools and mosques to cast ballots and dip their fingers in ink. men on one side, women in segregated areas. shops were closed, today is a national holiday. forecasting his ballot this morning, we met 35-year-old nebi, a day laborer with his wife and three children. in his one room home in kabul,

he told us he wants to vote so his children can receive an education. "i'm voting for a better future," he said. but when he arrived at center, he was the only one voting. turnout was low across kabul. this is one of the main voting centers in downtown kabul but today there's hardly anyone here. in elections five years ago, there were lines out the door at this voting center. today, no crowds at all. threats of violence from the taliban seem to have kept many people away. today the taliban vowed to hunt down those who voted. if we find anyone with ink on their fingers, we will cut it off, said this taliban commander. >> if it's between being killed and not being killed, i don't know, i think i might not come out. >> reporter: but as they cast ballots today, the leading presidential candidates called on afghans to defy the threat.

>> i ask people to come out and vote so that through their vote afghanistan can be a more secure, more peaceful, and a better country. >> reporter: and millions did. with long lines in the relatively peaceful north and west, preliminary results are expected on saturday. there have been some complaints of voter irregularities, problems with ink and equipment. but so far, the biggest problem seems to have been the low voter turnout. >> richard engel this morning, thank you. let us get a check of the morning's top stories. you're sitting here. that means natalie aat the news desk. natalie, good morning. good morning, everyone. we begin with the cia and word of a secret program that used outside security contractors to help locate and assassinate top al qaeda figures. the spy agency spent millions to hire executives from blackwater usa in 2004 to help with planning, training and surveillance. no terrorists were captured or killed under the program which has since been canceled.

at least two people were killed when a blackhawk helicopter from ft. campbell crashed into colorado's mount massive on wednesday. one person was hospitalized and another is missing. the irs says its pursuit of tax evaders will not stop at swiss banking giant ubs. on wednesday ubs agreed to turn over the names of more than 4,000 american account holde ee suspected by the u.s. of tax evasion. bill richardson says he's encouraged by his meeting with north korean diplomats. it offers a sign of diplomatic relations with pyongyang. the arrest of a black harvard professor sparking a national debate on race, the officer is now accused of racial bias before. in internal documents released wednesday, they show sergeant james crowley had two complaints against him alleging racial discrimination. however, crowley was cleared in both cases. a 25-foot catamaran crashed ashore on new smyrna beach,

florida, then broke apart in heavy surf. officials are trying to figure out how it got there. there was no one on board. 17 minutes past the hour. back over to matt, ann and al. >> i thought you tied the catamaran up. happy beirthday, mr. roker! >> double nickels. i feel like i've been beat up by >> it is incredibly humid, and we will be somewhat unstable this afternoon. a good chance of scattered, strong storms. it will feel worse with all humidity out there. as for a seven-day, or weather.

. now to the latest on what landed rich hatch, the first survivor champion, back behind bars. his arrest came hours after he spoke out on "today" earlier this week. national correspondent amy robach has the latest on this. amy, what's going on? >> reporter: it is confusing. this was a mystery perhaps bigger than any we've seen on survivor. why did richard hatch get tossed back in jail? well, his attorney is now saying she knows the reason why. richard hatch's big mouth helped him become america's first reality tv superstar, outwitting, outplaying and

outlasting the other contestants to win $1 million on the first "survivor." but it looks like his mouth did him in as well. landing him back behind bars after a series of interviews this week. his first since he spent nearly four years in prison after he was convicted of not paying taxes on his winnings. while he was out on house arrest, hatch broke his silence tuesday on "today," an interview which had been cleared in advance with federal prison officials. he told matt he was the victim of discrimination because he's gay. >> what do you think happened? >> well, i know, without question, that there are personal issues involved for the prosecutor. i don't know why. the prosecutorial misconduct has been egregious. >> reporter: but the man who was the u.s. attorney overseeing the case told us, the "survivor" star needs to drop the conspiracy theory. >> the case was structured around the fact that here was a guy who had received a check for

$1 million on national television, and simply didn't pay his taxes. >> reporter: so what got hatch hauled back to prison? it wasn't that he talked. he just talk too much. his attorney now says it's all a big miscommunication. when she got the okay from prison officials for hatch to speak with matt, she thought interviews with the local nbc station and "access hollywood" were fine as well. >> i'm looking to see the creative solution, who actually has to suffer for this is rich. i just think it is a terrible outcome. >> reporter: we just spoke with richard hatch's sister, kristin. she said the hearing to determine his fate is set for tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. she also spoke with him last night. she says he is in solitary confinement 23 hours a day. he gets an hour to shower and make some phone calls. her impressions of how he's doing, she says, he's holding up but he's still shocked at how this all went down. he still feels he did nothing wrong. matt? >> amy robach in newport, rhode island for us this morning,

thank you very much. 20 minutes after the hour. now to the life and career of a legendary news man just lost. don hewitt was the creator and driving force behind "60 minutes." here's nbc's lester holt. >> reporter: it is one of the most successful programs in television history. the man behind it was don hewitt. >> never once did we do anything to attract a rating. ratings sought us. >> reporter: hewitt created "60 minutes" in 1968, from the beginning a mix of investigative pieces, profiles and big interviews. he ran the show for decades. assembling one of the best teams in the business. >> everybody that works with me is smarter than i am. everybody that works for me is better read than i am. i think i got pretty good

fingertips. you feel it. >> reporter: he got into journalism early, first in newspapers, then after world war ii, something new -- television. >> nobody that i knew of any importance at cbs radio would dane to be caught -- television was for howdy doody. >> reporter: cbs evening news with walter cronkite and the landmark first televised presidential debate between nixon and kennedy. but hewitt's greatest legacy remains "60 minutes," still going strong in its fifth decade, an unmatched achievement built on a simple premise -- >> the formula is simple. it's four words every kid in the world knows. tell me a story. its that he easy. >> reporter: for "today," lester holt, nbc news, new york. >> he had passion. that's for sure. >> he was a giant.

no question about it. and a good guy. our sympathies go to his family obviously. especially to his colleagues over at cbs. he spent so much years there and made an impression on so many people. he will be missed in this business. >> absolutely. >> i think his family can be really compensated by the fact that he was so successful, had such an impact on this profession and actually this country. >> a real legacy. back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. here's a look at one of our top stories. bail is denied fort 20-year-old calvin lockner, accused of attacking a 76-year-old james privott in front of his wife at fort armistead. he has ties to several white supremacist groups and a history of violent offenses. police have and peace and leads in their search for a the other suspects in the racial -- a decent lead in their search for the two other suspects in the racially motivated attack. >> northbound j.f.x. is closed from fayette to north, due to an

earlier oil spill. this was shot not too long ago. a lot of debris remains because of that. that closure remains in effect. there is a brief further north as well. in the area of falls, we have a right lane closure as well. watch for delays getting out of the city. the inner loop north side, as you can see on the northwest corner. those delays are starting to stretch back. white marsh boulevard, watch for a disabled vehicle. dry times are not too bad. let us to be alive view of traffic on the west side. this is due to his disabled vehicle at stevenson. >> this afternoon, we are likely to see strong showers and storms firing up again. if you are caught in one, it

could be a heavy downpour for short. 77 downtown right now. 90 degrees in central maryland. next seven days show us not improving until at least a the second half of the weekend. >> our next live update, 7:55.

morning, the 20th of august, 2009. we've got a nice crowd gathered outside on our plaza. another warm day but doesn't seem to be as bad as days past. we'll get outside and say hi to these nice people in just a couple of minutes. meanwhile, inside studio 1a, i'm matt lauer with ann curry. meredith taking some time off. in this half-hour, an exclusive interview with the boyfriend after missing georgia woman. >> douglas davis was speaking on the telephone with his girlfriend kristi cornwell when she screamed "don't take me." we'll speak to him in a few moments. very scary times for him an his family. >> difficult times, no question about it.

also ahead, the latest on the three young americans who are being detained in iran, backpacking when they allegedly wandered into iranian territory. now being accuseded of espionage. we'll speak with their mother whose are with us in the studio coming up. on a much lighter note, matt, apparently this thing started virally. then you took the raging debate on to our website, the debate over michelle obama's decision to wear shorts during a trip to the grand canyon. listen, people, nearly 300 tho people weighed in on our website. apparently a raging debate. but first let's begin with the latest on the apparent abduction of a georgia mother. michelle kosinski is in blarsville, georgia with more on this story. michelle, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. police just had to call off the ground search. always a tough decision. this is a vast wilderness. you drive around past 1,000 little paths through these woods, you just think where could someone hide clues out here? anywhere.

this is the kristi her family holds dear -- happy, as the new mom of a little boy web's now a teenager. devastated that his mother is somehow missing. this home video, photos, the website that her family has created, are all the more important to keep her case alive as investigators must call off the ground search through these endless mountains, in the searing heat, and the pouring rain. all leading nowhere. >> we're still searching for any information that anybody in the community might have or anywhere for that matter that might shed some light on this disappearance. >> reporter: investigators now with the help of the fbi have searched into three states, interviewing some 200 sex offenders. the only clue these hills have given up is kristi cornwell's cell phone found in a yard about three miles from where she was apparently abducted.

kristi had been out for an evening walk along the same country road where she stayed with her parents, talking on that phone to her boyfriend in atlanta. he told police she said a car was approaching. he heard a struggle. her scream, and the words "don't take me." he is not considered a suspect. neither is anyone else close to kristi. the woman who devoted most of her life to public service as a probation officer, working in the prison, and as a drug counselor. one question is whether someone she had worked with in the past might have come after her on this dark, winding lane. >> it is very bizarre. we can't even -- in our wildest dreams we just can't even dream of anything this terrible. >> reporter: police say kristi's boyfriend called for help immediately. he's been extremely cooperative. at this point they don't have a suspect. they don't know if this was random or not. the fbi's helping them profile and they will search. just when they get information that points them in some real direction.

ann? >> michelle kosinski, thanks. christy corn bell's boyfriend douglas davis is with us exclusively. good morning. you just heard that the ground search has been called off, investigators don't know whether this was random o are whether she was targeted. what are they telling you? what do you think happened to your girlfriend? >> i don't know. i know it was real. i know it's a tragic thing. i believe that the authorities are doing all they can do to find her and i'm so grateful for the hundreds of people that have helped to search for her. i believe that if we could just step up this search, that is those out there right now who knows the real truth of this story, who knows where she is, they'd just pick up the phone, make the call and let us bring kristi home. >> you use the words "a tragic thing." >> well, it is tragedy. someone as precious as this woman, kristi loved life. she loved to laugh.

and she really deserves to come home. she has an awesome family whom she loves dearly. she has a wonderful son and every son needs his mother. and i believe that this tragedy can come to a happy ending. believe she's still alive. >> why? >> just in my heart. she's a fighter. she has faith in the lord that is real. i believe that faith will sustain her and has sustained her up to this point. >> what did you hear on the phone? describe why you knew -- why you believe she was abducted. >> as you know, the authorities -- this is important to the case and what i'd like to relay is strictly the sense that i had for that evening. details i can't talk about. however, i know her voice. i know it well. and the tone that gave me the fullest confidence that she was being abducted, she was afraid and i know for a fact that this is an abduction.

>> she said earlier -- this has been reported -- that there was a car, a strange car in the vicinity, and then she said, according to your story, that she said "please don't take me." do you -- i know you don't want to give specifics of what was said, but is it fair to say that there is information that you were able to give investigators about that call that might have given them some clues? important clues that they're following now? >> again, because of the seriousness of the investigation, details of that matter should be deferred to the gbi. >> you were questioned by investigators. you've been -- you're not considered a suspect. >> right. >> but i need to ask you, do you know who would take kristi? >> i have no idea. >> or why. >> i have no idea. you know, our relationship was just about us. we were looking to a future together. and in all our conversations, the many hours that we talked and shared of our lives, she never one time indicated that

there was someone of her past that could do such a thing. >> she was a probation officer once. no discussion about some fear that that might come up to -- >> nothing other than when her son got of age and got a little older, she felt like that was just too strenuous of a job and to raise her son in that world. so she was changing her career and moving on with her new life. she was going to college again to get a second degree and i just don't know of anything of that past. it was never discussed. >> you're remarkably composed, yet your eyes are wet and you're obviously struggling against your inner emotions. partially you've been reading this book while waiting for this interview for a reason. >> just a few days ago i went to get my mail after being away for -- through this ordeal. kristi sent a gift to me. she said in her note to me, "i

hope these devotions will be a blessing to you as they have been to me. with all my love, kristi, forever yours." >> she wrote that in the book? >> it was in a note that was attach attached, yes. i just sat and wept. i've done that so many times, because when you meet someone this precious, it may only come once in a lifetime and to see this tragedy occur, it's like someone took my heart and ripped it out. and i just had to rely on my faith, as she has had to do. kristi and i talked so much about a ministry -- i've been in ministry now most of my adult life and in that ministry we help hurting people. and that's what i do. i talk to people that are hurting, that are needing salvation, that are needing to know who christ is, needing the lord, and kristi had that same

goal, that same passion. and for me, to be faced with this, it was as if i went nowhere. it is testing my faith to the core. but i know god is real and i know he has protected her through all of this and is still doing so. >> what would be your words to kristi if she could hear you now, that's a test of her own faith. what would you say to minister to her now. >> sweetheart, hold on to your faith. you know the loved loves you with all his heart, he died for you and is willing to save you through this. we don't know how we come through these fires but he takes us through them. that much i know for a fact. all my experience in ministry, when we are in a fire like this, we want to get out. you know? we want to run, find the door. but my holy father is there to see us through that fire. that's what i know she knows that. she's coming through that fire right now. he is her strength.

scripture says in psalm 27:1 he's the light and her salvation, whom much she fear. he is her strength. i want to tell whoever is out there that knows anything, you're standing back and you're just don't want to participate because it's scary. and it is scary to step up and say, you know, "i've seen something the night of this event." please, please, do the right thing. make that phone call. the greatest thing that we can do in life is to show mercy. it is the greatest power that humanity has is to show mercy. please, release her. let her go home to be with her family. >> let us tell people, douglas davis, thank you so much. if you have any information, call the union county sheriff's tip line at 706-3835-2902.

or you can also log kron to todayshow.com. we'll guide you how you can help. >> ann, there is a website kristicornwell.com and a reward fund set up. if you'd like to contribute, go to the website and it will tell you how to do just that. all this money will go to help maybe somebody out there that will turn it in and use it for that turppurpose. now let's get a check of the weather from al. as we >> we are going to be 87 to 92, partly cloudy skies early on, then showers developing, potentially strong storms later on this evening trend continues

through saturday before dry out >> that's your latest weather. coming up next -- three young americans held in iran accused of being spies. their mothers speak out about their mission to free their children right after this.

7:45. now to those three american hikers being held by the government of iran.

we'll talk to their moms exclusively in just a moment. but first, nbc's chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell has the latest on the story. andrea, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. u.s. officials say they are deeply concerned about the plight of the three americans, made even more dangerous because iran is look forge scapegoats for the political turmoil over its contested elections. jane bauer, sandra shourd and joshua fattal, all held in iran since hiking in this tourist area near the iran-iraq border on july 31st, backpacking in the kurdistan region of iraq. the freelance journalists were on vacation, lost their way and were picked up by an iranian border patrol. >> we haven't made any progress. >> reporter: with no diplomatic ties to iran, the u.s. has to rely on swiss diplomats in tehran. >> switzerland has not been granted access to the three american hikers. iran has also not provided information about their location and whether or not any charges

have been filed against them. >> reporter: making matters worse, the timing of their arrest. following weeks of violent protests over iran's disputed presidential election. >> we have sent strong messages that we would like these three young people released as soon as possible, and also others that they have in their custody as well. these are innocent people. >> reporter: officials from neighboring iraq have tried to use their influence to get them out. so far without success. the lack of progress prompted this recent travel warning from hillary clinton -- >> go liking, have a great time, you know, do journalism but stay away from those borders. do not put yourself in these positions where you can end up in prison in a country like iran or north korea. >> reporter: clinton's husband of course was able to win the release of those two americans held in north korea, but right now there is no back channel that we know of to send an envoy to get these three out of iran. >> andrea, tha you very much. now the mothers of those hikers,

cindy hickey, laura fattal and norah shourd, good morning. it is cliche, a mom's worst nightmare, child missing in a foreign country. no diplomatic relations. it is like trying to solve a puzzle with both arms tied behind your back. are you getting any information? >> the information we have is that they are being held in iran and we know that the diplomatic powers are doing everything they can right now and we are being informed as best -- to the best of their knowledge. >> when was the last time you heard from your children prior to them being taken into custody? >> i heard from josh on july 27th in an e-mail. and he was enjoying his time in damascus. he was staying with shane and sarah in damascus and that was

the last e-mail i had heard from him. >> how about you? >> i heard from sarah two days before they left. she was looking forward to the trip, you know, going to a beautiful area. "don't worry, mom." >> same. talked to me the week before, expressing to me the excitement about going to this hiking area and that it was also a very safe area. >> you heard hillary clinton's warning. and there are probably people sitting at home right now saying this sounds dangerous. this sounds reckless. this area along the border of iraq, kurdistan and iran. how do you respond to that? >> actually, it's a rest area for that region. it's becoming very popular. shane and share arah live in damascus. as we go hiking, their location is syria and that would be a typical place for them to recreate. >> when you hear there are charges or allegations that perhaps they were spying on the

behalf of the united states, i mean this is the timing of this, the political unrest in iran, the cia has done stranger things in the past than send young americans in to stir the pot. are you completely confident you know the entire story here with your own children in. >> absolutely. >> absolutely. >> no question. >> no chance of that. >> no. >> when you saw the results, bill clinton achieved in north korea, do you sit at home and say, former president clinton, what about us? >> we know the state department is working on our behalf. we've had outstanding support throughout the country, the united states and throughout the world. so we know our children are being looked after. >> we wish you some luck and some news and some information at the very least. we will stay posted on this story. >> thank you. >> thank you, ladies. good luck to you. we're back on a thursday morning right after these messages.

still ahead -- we asked you what you thought about michelle obama's decision to wear shorts in public? was it appropriate or inappropriate? the response, overwhelming. >> unbelievable! we'll get the results after your local news and weather.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i'm stan stovall. let's get a check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> dealing with problems on the west side of the inner loop at baltimore national pike. we have the ramp from a baltimore national pike to the in other completely blocked, along with the two right lanes. definitely slow going in that area. you look at speeds in a moment there. better at contrast in park heights. delays due to an earlier disabled vehicle but those are starting to filter out. southbound 95 and 32, we have an accident location there.

30 minutes is the drive time on the into the that many of five over to 795. definitely a rough ride there on the inner loop from west side, out of the delays farming as well. some delays on southbound 95. >> we have a very strong line of showers and thunderstorms to the midwest. that is associated with a frontal not make it through here until sunday morning. we are stuck in this warm, humid air mass. 74 at the airport. the 70's on the eastern shore to 82 in asian city. -- 82 in ocean city. we could get a lot of rain in a short amount of time. we cool down and try out a bit on sunday. ♪

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8:00 now on a thursday morning, the 20th day of august, 2009. stop me if i sound like a broken record, but it's going to be a hot, humid one here in the northeast. not as bad as it's been though. what are we looking at today? >> temperatures in the upper 80s. little cooler. >> that's actually nice. we have a little tiny breeze. i feel it. >> and we have a nice crowd of people out here. good to see you folks. as always. i'm matt lauer, along with ann curry and the birthday boy, al roker. meredith is off enjoying herself on vacation. coming up in this half-hour, more on a tragic story. the murder of an aspiring young model. her body was found just a few days ago. according to police, her ex-husband who happens to be a former reality tv star is considered a person of interest

in that case. he also, by the way, happens to be nowhere to be found. we'll get the latest on that story coming up in just a couple of minutes. also, this morning we'll be talking about one of the upshots of in-vitro fertilization. there are a lot of remaining frozen embryos that are still frozen and being kept after you've had your children. a lot of couples who go through this really struggle, what do you do with those frozen embryos? dr. nancy snyderman is talking about that this morning, hopefully helping to pave the way for people. let's take a look. wednesday we asked you to go to a todayshow.com, the burning question of the day, share your thoughts on michelle obama's decision to wear shorts on her family vacation. man, did everybody jump on this. >> some people thought it was inappropriate because she was photographed coming off of air force one. the presidential plane. other people thought it was okay. we received one of our largest responses, ever. nearly 300,000 of you voted in

our poll. here go the results. 17% said the shorts were inappropriate. 83% said -- fine and dandy. >> yeah! >> apparently the the people here agree with that. but it is amazing how many people have been talking about this. >> it's 100 degrees, you're on vacation. come on. >> i think some of the people were concerned because she is the first lady.oz%5 but don't you think we should launch another question which is, kerchief or no kerchief. should the men on the "today" show -- >> pocket square. a kerchief is like hold 'em up, stick 'em up. give me the money in the drawer. >> or sleeveless or not sleeveless for women doing the news in august. let's get a check of the headlines this morning. natalie's at the news desk. take it away. thanks. good morning. the only man ever convicted in

the bombing of pan am flight 103 over lockerbie, scotland is set to be freed from prison today. abdel baset al megrahi has terminal prostate cancer and is reportedly being released by the scottish government on compassionate grounds. libyan leader moammar gadhafi has sent a private plane to scotland to transport al megrahi back to libya. earlier on "today" the mother of one of the victims called the decision horrendous. >> it doesn't make any sense to me in any rational human being would understand that how do do you that? how do you just let him go? >> the 1988 bombing killed 270 people, mostly americans. taliban attacks on polling places in afghanistan are dampening voter turnout as the country elects a president. security is being stepped up throughout the nation. so far there's been more than a dozen rocket attacks on polling stations. senator ted kennedy is looking to the future as he battles brain cancer. the massachusetts democrat sent a letter to state leaders asking

that they change state law to allow someone to be quickly appointed to a seat should a vacancy occur. in the letter kennedy does not mention his health and aides say there has been no change in his condition. global stocks are higher today after chinese shares posted their biggest rally since march. cnbc's erin burnett is at the new york stock exchange. should we be confident in the rebound? >> that's a key question. i'm smiling because we have optimism at least for today. it's been very volatile. we'll have a little bit of a gain here in the u.s. of course there was one around the world. investors though a little bit twisted. frankly they want a pull-back of up to 10%, culling out the bad and saying it will leave room for a healthier rally. donned read too much into the gains. one other headline today, the obama administration is going to cut its estimate for the budget deficit to $1.6 trillion.

still after the n still astronomical but they say they don't need that money to bail out the banks. severe weather, tornadoes and heavy rain slammed parts of the midwest wednesday leaving behind damaged homes, uprooted trees and downed power lines. there are reports of 18 tornadoes in minnesota, illinois, iowa and wisconsin. 8:05. let's throw it brack t t

>> that obviously applies to ocean city and the shores here as well. we will be warm and humid today to a good chance of a strong afternoon showers and storms. as far as the seven-day, next three days a litt>> that's your. ann? >> al, we have a very serious story coming up, about a reality tv show contestant who's now wanted for questioning in the case of the murder of his

ex-wife who's a model. we'll be talking to the victim's agent right after this. i played baseball. so sorry i'm late, miss sykes. oh, that's okay, honey. what's for dinner, mom? are you listening? yes. these are for you. alright! ( laughing ) yes! ( excited shouting ) tell me about your day. in a minute, mom! oh! i'll be right here when you're ready. when i've had one of those days... i make it a happy meal night. ♪ ba da ba ba ba ♪ fresh and tasty naturally ♪ a dip for you, and a dollop for me ♪ ♪ daisy just goes with family ♪ so, do a dollop, do, do a dollop of daisy ♪

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8:11. the story now of the brutal of an aspiring model. police want to talk to her ex-husband who happens to be a former reality tv star. here's nbc's michael okwu. >> reporter: 28-year-old jasmine fiore had that look, the kind that might launch a career. but she may become more widely known for how it all ended. the swimsuit model was found dead saturday. her body stuffed in a suitcase and dumped in a trash bin in california. >> the zipper was partially open, it had burst open. i lifted up on it and saw that

it was a body, but extremely small person. >> reporter: investigators quickly focused on ryan jenkins who they called a person of interest. court records in clark county, nevada show jenkins and fiore were married in march, and in june he was accused of assaulting her. a self-described real estate developer, jenkins pled guilty to assault charges in 2006 for attacking another woman but didn't serve time. he appeared as a contestant on the vh1 reality show. >> it is going to be the best night of your life. >> reporter: investigators say fiore was last seen with jenkins friday night at a poker tournament in san diego. the night before her body was found. authorities say jenkins reported fiore missing last weekend but then disappeared. >> we find it suspicious that with all the media coverage that he has not made himself available to us.

>> reporter: police put out an alert that jenkins might be driving to canada in one of these vehicles. fiore was apparently making changes in her life, reportedly she had just gotten her real estate license, had started a physical training business with a friend, and had recently moved in to this los angeles apartment building. these three college students were neighbors. >> she was a beautiful woman and you'd always see her around because she stood out from everyone else in the crowd. >> reporter: but the only trace of her today, a voice message on her intercom. >> hello, this is jasmine. i'm not available at the moment please leave a message or text me for a faster response. thank you. >> reporter: authorities may now be focusing on tee yofiore's te messages. jenkins was upset after intercepting a text message from her ex-boyfriend a night before the body was found. a reality tv regular involved in

a very real-life drama. for "today," michael okwu, nbc news, los angeles. >> ken henderson is the ceo of the best agency, the talent group that represented fiore. good to see you. your reaction to the news. >> boy, i was devastated. they see them in the office all the time and we use them on different jobs. it is just horrific to hear what happened. >> she was someone who did some swimsuit modeling, worked at conventions, boxing matches as a ring girl. there have been some reports she did exotic dancing. are you aware of that? the reason i ask, it might place her in contact with a different kind of crowd. >> i didn't know that. i don't know if i would have known that. but generally we do. i never heard that one before. >> you said the last time you saw her was a month ago. you were two were at a restaurant. she seemed very happy at the time. >> she was. we were in the same restaurant.

she stopped, gave me a hug. i said i haven't seen you in a while. she said i'm working on my own business. i said good to see you, stop in and say hi, that was it. >> did this idea she was trying to rekindle a relationship with a former boyfriend and that may have angered her ex-husband, do you know anything about that? >> i don't. i did hear that. at the restaurant i think she was with the boyfriend. >> the ex-boyfriend, not the ex-husband? >> correct. correct. yeah, it wasn't the ex-husband. i didn't even know she was married to tell you the truth. >> ken, thank you very much. we'll try and stay on this story. i also want to bring in pat brown, a criminal profiler. pat, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. >> one of the things stands out here, this young lady's body was found in a suitcase. that sends a real signal to you. what is it? >> absolutely. that's a big red flag that it's probably somebody she knows. when we find women stuffed in

their luggage, it's something that a serial killer doesn't usually bother doing. if somebody's grabbing her off the street, and he kills her, he's just going to dump her body very quickly. maybe he'll use the dumpster but he won't bother to put her in some luggage. anybody that does that, one, they want to hide her very, very well so she is not found quickly. secondly, often it is because they live in an apartment building and they have no other way to get her body out of that building. that usually flags right away it is something she know zplpz we know a little bit about her ex-husband who is now nowhere to be found, ryan jenkins. he was accused of assault on a couple of occasions. anything stand out in his past that leads you to believe he should be more than a person of interest, in fact a suspect? >> oh, absolutely. he has that domestic violence past. i really wish women would check into that so carefully before they get hooked up with these guys because they do it once. it is not just something that goes away. apparently he was in an anger management program to try to help him with that. but people don't just change overnight. it is a long, long process if

they are going to cut down on something like that. it is a dangerous situation. he said something interesting to the police, she's left the place with some luggage. what a convenient thing, she's carrying her coffin along with her. you wonder if she's leaving with luggage, why are you reporting her missing? wouldn't you just think she's going someplace? >> tmz the website is also reporting that yesterday evening a witness reported seeing someone matching jenkins description driving a black bmw suv with a boat in tow to a marina in washington and a short time later deputies found the boat missing. back with more of "today" after this. can i pour? you can help me pour.

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season two of bravo's hit reality show "the real housewives of atlanta" is back. that means the drama and outrageous personalities are back as well. kim is one of those housewives, she joins us now, along with the coast of "watch what happens live" bravo's first talk show. good morning to both of you. first, let me look at these. it says here the second season of the "real housewives of atlanta" kicked off on thursday, july 30th with huge ratings. according to nielsen, the premier was the highest rated series premier of "real housewives" in its franchise history. what's going on with this atlanta thing? >> huge. the franchise is a huge water cooler sensation and the bar keeps being raised by these women and so i think people are obsessed with watching the atlanta housewives just kind of live their lives outloud and interact in their own way.

>> you're talking about raising the bar. because actually this season, there is a surprise with you because last season i understand you were the friendly one, the one everybody liked and it was easy. that's not happening this time. what's going on? >> i definitely was not the one everybody liked last year. i was friendlier. this year there's just been a lot of controversy. there's fights with lisa and i, fights, the drama is intense. >> but why? i have to ask, it looks real. is this real or is this a television show? >> oh, no, it's real. >> it has a documentary kind of feeling when you look at it. >> right. >> but kim, you're on television yelling at people. does that -- >> i'm embarrassed at times. definitely. i'm definitely embarrassed. but i can just get so heated and get so upset. >> why? >> just because it's a he said/she said. it's just all the drama.

i'm not into that. >> people are saying you're the one that's kind of talking behind people's backs. >> they say that constantly. >> were you talking behind people's backs? >> no. they say kim's such a liar, she was calling lisa, talki inin ii sheree, i don't even talk to lisa. >> can't we give peace a chance? i guess that actually wouldn't be good for your ratings if you did. >> right. they're a fascinating group of women. sometimes they get along, sometimes they don't. the season one of the reasons i think it started with such a bang is where we left off last season was such an explosive moment and they came back into it and started shooting and kind of picked up right where they left off last season at reunion show. it will be interesting to see over the weeks how they -- if they make peace or how they kind of calm down. >> how much do you think this says about how women interact in housewife situations, these

relationships between women? how much does it say something that's really important about how women need to discuss things with each other. >> i personally think it is kind of a poor example. only because i know personally myself, when i want to have a conversation, there's miscommunication or you've heard something, let's sit down and have a conversation. there's no need to pull my hair or get aggressive. >> they're pulling your hair? >> yeah. >> we had a hair-pull last week. it was deep. >> like who does that? you know? it's like can we have a conversation? we don't have to always get along but we can certainly xheern kate on a level. >> your hair looks like it's recovered this morning. thank you so much. can you see the "real housewives of atlanta" and watch what happens live tonight on bravo. still ahead this morning, a new list of the most powerful women in the world after your local news.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. baltimore county police have yet to release the identity of a man who drowned yesterday near pleasure island. sky team 11 was over the scene when the first responders arrived to find voters pulling the body of a man out of the water. few details of been released as to how the man drowned. let's get a final check of the commute with sarah caldwell. >> a but a rough ride around the area. on the inner loop, southwest corner, baltimore national pike, the ramp from 40 to the inner loop is blocked. two right lanes, a dump truck involved in accident there, heavy delays prior to that on the inner loop. northeast corner their backing down pretty heavily from belair road towards providence in the outer loop. let's give you a look at speed

sensors. that is the big problem. 14-mile-per hour average speed you are going to find a place on the west side outer loop. eastbound i-7229, northbound j.f.x. is shut down between fayette and north. they have been cleaning up all morning. at timonium, watch for a car fire. another problem spot at route 7. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> current temperatures are mild already. a 79 downtown, very muggy out there. with all the moisture in the environment and instability, who will have a good chance of strong showers and storms percolating this afternoon. warm and humid is the operative trend. a front gets through here and makes us feel more pleasant by sunday. >> we will have another update

at 8:55.

8:30 now on a thursday morning, the 20th day of august, 2009. hopefully we will have a pocketful of sunshine tomorrow on the plaza when natasha bedingfield takes our summer concert stage in our 8:30 half-hour. what a nice lady, what a fine singer. come on down and check it out. meanwhile out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer along with ann curry. natalie morales and al roker. >> going to be a disturbing sign? >> very. >> yeah. okay. loving you.

thank you. that's cute. >> it got on tv. >> that's cute. coming up -- hey, we've got from bow to wow. jill rappaport's back, she has four dogs back with her today. she founded a she-- she found t at a shelter. we gave them a makeover. it's all about the ladies. >> this is the third time we've done this. every single time all the dogs that have been adopted. also coming up this morning, we're going to be talking about the 100 most powerful women in the world. we'll go down the list, find out who's on it and who's not. also coming up, serious health concerns that a lot of women don't think about necessarily as they enter their adult years. increasingly though, women are facing issues like binge drinking, anorexia, and even stds.

dr. nancy snyderman will be here with a startling r r

>> we are here and maturing some very warm, humid conditions. 85 in ocean city. we are headed for a high of about 93 good chance of scattered afternoon showers this afternoon and friday and >> that's your latest weather. now let's head on down to mr. willie scott! how are you, sir. >> happy birthday to you, you belong in the zoo, you look --

>> thank you, sir. >> what are you now? 37? >> no. double nickels. 55, my friend. >> >> 55. that's the limit, baby. happy birthday. speaking of al roker's birthday at 55, he's just a few years away from being on a smucker's jar. emma jeffries, new rochelle, new york, 110. she says her favorite thing in all her life was the invention of the light bulb. certainly changed things considerably, didn't it? mary muegge, from bellaire, texas. 100 years old. restored their old family home. still likes to work around the place. oreon barceloux.

101 years old. former math teacher and loves planting in her garden. harold westcott, 100 years old from vail, oregon. attributes lon gevty to eating a lot of beef. hunts his own deer. i hunted a deer one. connie caserta, 100 years old. boca raton, florida. active member of the bowling league and has a glass of wine occasionally. philip gibison, 100 years old. going to have a big birthday party. matt, celebrate for me when you buy al a nice glass of soda water for his birthday. >> willard, thank you very much. as willard just eluded to, we told you a little earlier today that al is turning 55 today. we decided to have a little fun. of course at his expense. >> of course! >> always. >> finish this sentence.

al roker makes me -- >> laugh. >> feel like a kid. >> laugh his tearically. >> laugh his tearically. >> i mean when i'm with him my cheeks hurt. >> every morning the minute al roker comes in, you know he's in the house. >> finish the sentence -- al roker makes me -- >> no, that was the sentence. al roker makes me. >> there is nobody funnier than roker. >> you make me, al. >> hello, my people! >> al roker makes me -- >> sick. >> al is like constantly busy throughout the day. >> al roker makes me -- >> wish i had watched tv more as a child. >> i can say makes me -- al roker makes my jaw drop. >> fried octopus balls. >> did he really say that? >> the al in the stairway -- woo-hoo. >> i get so caught up in al roker's personality. >> i want to sing about the buddha and the -- i want to

singa -- >> he also makes me cry because he's sentimental. al just sent us all pictures from that day at the statue of liberty. >> i thought you said this thing went fast. >> he's larger than life and gives us a good laugh every day. >> yeah! >> 55 years old. >> wow, that wasn't as bad as i thought it would be. >> the rest comes later. >> we love you a lot and we love you so much that we have brought out -- >> yikes! >> a larger than life kind of -- call the fire marshal. >> look at that. apparently it's got some special little motif on tack? >> double nickels! >> wow! >> come on, al. show us how much hot air you have. >> i don't think i have enough for this. >> whoa! that was pretty darn -- >> trick candles. >> happy birthday!

>> you know that cake smells great. everybody should take a whiff. >> how you going to celebrate? >> i don't know. deborah's got something planned. >> happy birthday. >> thanks, guys. >> you think you might make it to -- i want to be on uncle willard's -- i want to be like 113 and be on his smucker's jar. >> if i were you, i wouldn't buy that five-year cd. >> we'll be back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

almost everyone makes at least one big move in their lives, and this includes one of the largest tortoises in

captivity. nbc's kevin tibbles now has rocket's saga. >> reporter: rocket, the giant tortoise, dragging his feet, taking the slow road to oklahoma. just to get the journey underway, a little carrot and stick for the wiley old reptile. top speed, a tenth of a mile per hour. >> it's going to take a little while. >> reporter: at 609 pounds and still growing, rocket is one of the largest of his breed in cab tift. >> just think, little fella. if you were like rocket, in 60 years you could get your own digs. that tickle? >> rocket is very intelligent, a wide old tortoise. when he doesn't want to do something, he understands he doesn't necessarily have to do it. >> reporter: nobody knows how old rocket really is. some think he was born in the 1930s and he could still live another 80 years, making him a slightly middle-aged man. still a lady's man, at that. >> he doesn't like to leave his

girlfriend. >> reporter: but after some pushing, and some prodding, he was off like, well, a rocket. ♪ on the road again ♪ going places that i've never been ♪ >> reporter: down the highway with the speed of a hare, through kansas, across the oklahoma border, to his new home at the tulsa zoo. >> it would be like going into a totally new house. you have to learn the new routine. >> come on, buddy. >> so there is a learning curve that he'll have. >> reporter: these will be rocket's new digs. but first, he's got to spend some time alone in quarantine. the good news -- once he gets out, the tulsa zoo, which has an award-winning breeding program, will have plenty of dates lined up. >> the female they had in sedgwick was all over. hopefully our females will be just as exciting for him. >> reporter: but if not and rocket decides to high-tail it back to wichita, he just might make it in 10 or 20 years.

for "today," kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. >> coming up next -- some lucky women get some special new looks. but first, this is "today" on nbc. (announcer) it's time to raise the bar and replace your old mayo with the full flavor of kraft mayo with olive oil. with half the fat and calories of hellmann's real mayo, kraft mayo with olive oil is the new standard in mayo.

now to our special series "bow to wow." shelter dogs getting brand-new looks so they can find brand-new homes. is a far we're batting .1000 including the jack russell seen here lounging with his new owner. all the dogs featured so far in this segment have been adopted. jill rappaport's back with more. >> it is such great news and it is the girls who rule today -- well, most every day. all four fabulous females are hoping to find a brand-new loving, permanent home. got to love the girl power. >> as we walk through our adoption centers and you look at all the dogs, they all have a story.

>> reporter: starting with angie. this dog had a wonderful home her whole life. then all of a sudden the owner has to go to a nursing home and gave her up. >> yeah, they had to make a heartbreaking decision not only putting the owner into a nursing home but also giving up their pet, their beloved pet. >> she is so mellow and affectionate. >> isn't she? you can see how easy it would be for her, just knowing that you'd love her and you care about her and she'll give the same back to you. >> reporter: next up, ginger. >> she's 2 years old. she's a brussels griffin. another sad story. she was found tied to a gate up in the bronx. they just tied her and left her. a good samaritan thankfully brought her in. you can see how mellow she is. >> you would fit in this any home, wouldn't you? and this beauty is kelsey. >> kelsey is almost 3 years old, a german shepherd-hound mix. her story is a little unusual in that she came in to a stray to us in 2007. she was adopted and she was brought back to us just recently.

her owners couldn't keep her anymore. >> i'm amazing since this is her second time back here how happy and well adjusted she seems. >> that's a tribute to her personality and breed and how well she's taken care of her. >> reporter: last, and certainly not least, lola. they say the best things come in small packages. she's a pure bred yoreky. isn't she? >> they came home with a male and female and they weren't spayed or neutered so she became part of an unwanted litter, ending up on someone's doorstep in a box. we took this pint-sized angel, along with the other three, to biscuits and bath in new york city for some suds and fun. >> we're about to find out how our four ladies did with their makeovers. first, richard from animal care and control of new york city joins us again. hi, richard. nice to see you. you hanging out with the girls on this one.

right? the four lady dogs. let's get started here. the first dog we talked about was angie. i do think this is a heartbreaking story that someone had to make the choice going into a nursing home that couldn't take dogs. heartbreaking for the person and for angie. >> all the family members involved, too. it was a really tough all around. but she looks fabulous. >> let's take a look at angie before. there's angie before. here comes ann with angie after. hello, angie. how are you? >> she's so cute! how old is she again? >> she's 3. angie is a social butterfly. you take her to the dog park, she's going to say hello to everybody. people and dogs alike. she has a really great personality. would make a terrific family dog. >> ann is also a social butterfly. ann, thank you for bringing angie out. we appreciate it. >> all right, next we have ginger. let's take a look at ginger

before. and then -- before we bring ginger out, what is a brussels griffin? i've never heard of that dog. >> it is the wiry hair on the dog. >> you see them in the westminster dog show. they're very popular dogs. >> all right, hoda. come on out with ginger. after her makeover. >> look at that! >> she's really cute. >> she loves to sit on your lap. if you're home a lot and if you want somebody just to sit on your lap and watch television with you, be another couch potato, she would be perfect. >> how old is ginger again? >> 3. >> she's also 3 years old. >> and so affectionate. she likes me. >> she does. thank you very much. >> let us move on to kelsey. kelsey came in as a stray at first, was adopted, then actually came back. there's kelsey before the makeover. let's take a look at her now. al's bringing her out. >> hey, al -- that's your birthday gift.

♪ happy birthday >> she loves to have her belly rubbed. >> who doesn't? >> exactly. german shepherd/hound mix. she's got some energy. ♪ happy birthday >> kelsey's a nice dog. she really is. >> she is really terrific. she has a great disposition. >> she's so beautiful. yes. what i'm amazed at, matt, considering the traumatic situations how they were brought to the pound, look how happy. they're not scared, they're so friendly and that is unusual. >> they are well cared for at the moment, which is great. al, thank you. thank you, kelsey. last, but not least -- this dog -- this dog is too cute! this is lola. there's a picture of lola beforehand. natalie, bring lola out. she's just 2 months old? >> 2 months old.

pure bred yorkie. we know that. when she wants to go out, she'll play with your feet a little bit. >> when she wants to go to the bathroom? >> she'll play with the feet a little bit, that's your signal to get up and take her out. she's really mellow. she's not a yapper. some of the small dogs. >> she's not really nervous. >> she's not a shaker. she's not shaking. bring all the dogs back out. if they all get along -- we think they do. richard, just remind people how they can adopt these dogs. >> animal care and control of new york city, nycacc.org or go to our shelter at 110th street between 1st and 2nd avenue. >> let's keep this perfect record going. all the dogs featured so far have found great homes. four more now could really use a great home. richard, thanks so much. jill, thanks for bringing the ladies here this morning. >> girl power! >> we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. happy birthday, al!

al, you're tempted, i hear. >> we have a leaner. we have a leaner. >> al, it's your birthday. you're allowed to take home -- >> but lela wants a dog. >> but it is a responsibility. it is not just a whim thing. >> no, it's not.

>> with a dog that size, you can pretty much take them anywhere. >> yeah. that's why they're called a teacup. >> she is good. you want to have some of your birthday cake? >> i tell you, she's very cute. but you're right, not a yapper. -- >> come on, sweet pie. look at you. >> she's not the nervous kind of dog. >> we have some unusual video. can we put this up? we have a video right now of a dog who was watching the cat segment yesterday. watching that cat play the piano. the dog was going crazy at home. this is from a viewer. we appreciate that. >> be quiet. >> that's just funny. thanks to the viewer who sent that in. anyway, we'll wrap things up. still ahead, the serious health concerns you might not expect, but that older women tend to

face. plus, the most powerful women in the world. but first, your local news and weather. \s 9 >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. baltimore city police are investigating two the night shootings. the first happened around 10:30 at pratt street. the victim was shot in the chest.

right now his condition is unknown. a man was also shot at the 600 block of parkton st.. he was shot in the back of the leg. no word on a suspect or motive in either case. 30 people in and six apartment complex were forced out after a two-alarm fire erupted. when a fire crews arrived spicewood court, they found heavy smoke and fire coming out of one unit and two adjacent apartments. one resident says it is this fall after he knocked over a candle. back in a minute with a check cock-a-doodle-do. i do 22 more inspections than the government requires. and my fresh, all-natural chickens are never given any hormones or steroids. and no candy, gladys.

(announcer) perdue. extra inspections. extraordinary chicken. 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 a '09 cobalt for $168 a month after a $3500 government rebate and no down payment. go to chevy.com for details. come individually wrapped and they're perfectly sized to cook quickly and evenly in only 10 minutes. (announcer) perdue perfect portions. >> now let's take a look at the forecast with sandra shaw. >> we will be hot today, ahead

of the strong storms developing this afternoon. 90 is our forecast high. 91 in southern maryland. 88 in ocean city. good chance of a strong showers and thunderstorms this afternoon and better tomorrow afternoon, and again on saturday. once the front gets through, we're into the mid-80's. by the second half the weekend, not as humid. >> we will have another update at 9:25.