good morning. kidnapping nightmare. a california woman miraculously found alive 18 years after being abducted at the age of 11. police say she was held in a secret prison of sheds and tents in her accused kidnapper's backyard. this morning, the woman's ecstatic family is speaking out, and so is the man accused of holding her captive and fathering her two children. wild weather. a raging wildfire near los

angeles burning luxury homes and forcing thousands to evacuate overnight. this as a tropical storm watch is posted for parts of the east coast, as danny weakens in the atlantic. we're live with the latest on both coasts. ♪ and she's back, teen superstar miley cyrus is here, and rockefeller plaza is bursting at the seams. her fans are everywhere, and they're starting the countdown to our final concert of the summer today, friday, august 28th, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a friday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and in for meredith this morning, who's, by the way, back on monday, i'm ann curry. you know, matt, it's sad, you know, if you build it, they will

come. and boy, have they ever. >> if you bring miley cyrus to the plaza, they will come. we're trying to give you an idea of the size of the crowd that has gathered on this friday morning, and maybe i should say some gathering since thursday morning. this stretches about five city blocks. >> it's unbelievable. matt, there are many people, you were pointing out to me before the broadcast began, who are not going to be able to even see it because they're filling the streets, going on the opposite direction. >> yeah. if you know new york at all, some are down on sixth avenue. that's a full city block from here. some are up on fifth avenue. ranging everywhere from 48th street to 50th street. it's quite an impressive crowd, and miley will take to the summer concert stage in our 8:30 half hour. we look forward to that. first, we've got a lot to talk about weatherwise. we have raging wildfires on the west coast, we have tropical storm danny out in the atlantic. al has been tracking that storm. he's got the latest. al, good morning to you. >> all right, ann, matt, thank you very much.

and the latest on danny, it is barely a tropical storm. right now 400 miles south of cape hatteras, north carolina. they've got tropical storm watches up for the outer banks there. winds 41 miles per hour, moving north-northwest at about 9 miles per hour. the track of the storm will bring it just to the west -- or i should say, to the east of the outer banks by saturday morning at 50 miles per hour. it starts to weaken. and as we push in, you can see, well, the cone of uncertainty, the parts of new england and long island, part of that cone of uncertainty. again, it's mostly going to be a rain event and rip currents are going to be a big problem as well, but we are looking at maybe three to four inches of rain. on the other coast, the other side, they could use some of that rain, because we have red flag warnings up for much of southern california. add to that, temperatures are well over 100 degrees, and it is brutal for those firefighters out there. the winds right now will be out of the northeast 15 to 25 miles per hour as they continue to fight those wildfires. for the latest on what's going on there, let's go to michael okwu in rancho palos verdes,

california. >> reporter: good morning, al. the smoke is very thick here. it can be very difficult to breathe. overnight there were reports of ash falling from the sky, and also overnight, reports that three residential homes sustained some minor damages. now, the wildfire continues to threaten, we understand, about 700 homes at this hour. officials began mandatory evacuations yesterday, going door to door, asking some 1,500 residents to leave their homes. this all started at about 8:00 last night. we understand the fire started raging in the canyons very close to the trump national golf club and also a very beautiful nature preserve there. about 400 firefighters have been battling this blaze on the ground. they're giving great credit this morning to precision water-dropping helicopters that were using infrared technology to fight this fire and to beat it back. this is one of about four wildfires that is currently burning in southern california, specifically in the greater los

angeles area. rancho palos verdes, you should know, is an affluent suburb of los angeles. it's known more for its expansive views along ridges overlooking the pacific ocean than for wildfires. and we understand that the winds were very mild, very cool yesterday. but as in other parts of los angeles, it was very, very hot, temperatures reaching in some parts to triple digits, and we understand very, very dry as well. the forecast calls for more of the same. the good news in all of this is that firefighters have been able to beat this fire down to a large degree. not a lot of flames at this point. they're focusing on hotspots, and they say it is now about 35% contained. ann? >> all right, michael okwu, thank you so much this morning. now to another big story of the morning. the victim of an 18-year-long kidnapping ordeal found alive. nbc's george lewis is joining us now from antioch, california, where the young woman had been secretly held by her alleged

abductor since 1991. george, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, ann. behind me is the house where jaycee lee dugard was held prisoner for 18 years. eventually, according to police, bearing two children by the man accused of kidnapping her. everyone connected with this case is amazed that she turned up alive. >> jaycee dugard was found alive in antioch. excuse me. she was found alive in antioch. >> reporter: since 1991, jaycee dugard's family had never known what happened to the 11-year-old girl who was abducted outside her home in south lake tahoe. 18 years later, they finally got some answers. >> right now, there's nothing to indicate this was anything but a stranger abduction. no connection to the family. they literally snatched her off the streets. >> reporter: they are phillip and nancy garrido. authorities believe the garridos kept jaycee against her will at their antioch home for 18 years. this is a computer simulation

based on childhood photos of what jaycee might look like as an adult. police say garrido fathered two girls with jaycee, 15-year-old starlet and 11-year-old angel. >> he even refers to them as his girls, not his daughters, but his girls. >> reporter: she worked with phillip garrido at his printing business, never meeting jaycee, but speaking often with her daughters. >> they said that they were being home-schooled, that they were going to a church with their father that their father was a past your and that they only have five people in the congregation. >> none of the children had ever gone to school, they had never been to a doctor. they were kept in complete isolation in this compound, if you will, at the rear of the house. >> reporter: how did the garridos hide this secret family for so many years? satellite photos of their property show what investigators now say was an intricate maze of tarps, tents and sheds in the backyard that housed a secret prison. the only access was through a very narrow tarp leading to two small sheds where jaycee and her

daughters lived. inside, there was a rudimentary outhouse and shower like you would see at a campground and electrical cords providing power for a dish washer. investigators also found an old car in the backyard matching the description of the one used in the abduction of jaycee. >> wait until you hear the story of what -- what took place at this house. you're going to be absolutely impressed. >> reporter: in a disjointed, rambling phone conversation with nbc station kcra in sacramento, garrido spoke cryptically about documents that would exonerate him. >> it's a disgusting thing what took place with me in the beginning, but i turned my life completely around, and you're going to find the most powerful story coming from the witness, from the victim, you wait. you just, if you take this a step at a time, you're going to fall over backwards, and in the end, you're going to find the most powerful heart-warming story. and something that need to be

understood. >> reporter: garrido says he never harmed his daughters. >> it's a constructive story of turning a person's life around and having those two children, those two girls. they slept in my arms every single night from birth and never did i harm them. i never touched them. >> reporter: the case is rim nicent of the abduction of 14-year-old elizabeth smart, forced to live with two strangers for nine months. and more recently, a horrifying case in austria, where josef fritzl kept his daughter elizabeth locked in a basement for 24 years and fathered seven children with her. >> i'm the last one that saw her. >> reporter: jaycee's stepfather witnessed her abduction in 1991 and was with jaycee's mother terry when she got the first chance to talk to her over the phone. >> jaycee said, "i've got something to tell you." she goes, "i have babies." terry says "how many babies?" and jaycee says "two." >> reporter: 18 years ago, terry made a public plea to her daughter. >> jaycee, if you hear mommy, i love you and i want you to come

home tonight safe and sound. >> reporter: this morning, jaycee dugard is ready to come home with two daughters of her own. it was an alert female police officer at the university of california campus at berkeley who first noticed phillip garrido's strange behavior. his subsequent questioning led to the breaking of this 18-year-old cold case. ann? >> all right, george lewis this morning. george, thanks. let's bring in nbc analyst and former fbi profiler clint van zandt this morning. clint, good morning. >> hi, ann. >> good god, how could a convicted -- known convicted rapist have gotten away with this for 18 years? >> you know, one thing, ann, there's one more time screams for a one-strike law that someone who offends against a woman or child in a sexual manner, the rate is so high that we really need to keep these people locked up, and we're doing the opposite in this country. we're kicking people out of prison when guys like this should have stayed in. >> well, let's talk about guys

like this. thils not the first time we've heard of this kind of a story. tell us about how this goes. i mean, give us some perspective based on the fact we've seen these kinds of cases overseas and also, as george talked about, in the case of elizabeth smart. >> well, we've seen them in a number of different places. realize in this particular subject, he was convicted. he did 11 years federal time for a kidnap and rape already, and then he was released from prison. he had other charges against him. he did more time for rape and then he was subsequently involved in this case. and, of course, it's only 2007 that we have to go back to what they call the missouri miracle, the case of ben owensby, a boy that was kidnapped for four days. and as authorities were seeking him to get his release, they found shawn hornbeck, who had been held by the same kidnapper

for years. ann, there are terrible dynamics that go on. every time this happens, people say, why didn't they just run? why didn't they just go away? and i don't think any of us can understand the trauma that this little 11-year-old girl went under at the time. many times, these kidnappers will threaten the life of the child, the life of the parents. they'll say they'll go find their pet and kill the pet. and they say your parents gave you up, they quit looking for you. and when you deny anyone television, radio, newspaper, schools, doctors, everything that this family of three, the mother and now her two daughters, 11 and 15, were denied, they were really wrapped in a cocoon that did not expose them very much to the outside world. >> meantime, the statement from phillip garrido, which says "you are going to find the most powerful, heart-warming story, something that needs to be understood," whatever that implies, can you think of any mitigating circumstances that might help us understand more deeply in a softer way towards his position? >> no, no. there's two positions here, too,

ann. remember, his wife was there. she understood. she's four years his junior, but she understood what was going on in her backyard. she understood this child was being raped. she understood this child made children. we have babies having babies. and then to take these on and suggest that these could be her own. i mean, even though her husband is the one who did it. the kidnapping originally had two people involved. probably, this woman, she's as guilty as the others. and her excuse is going to be, my husband made me do it. his excuse is going to be the devil made me do it. and neither one of those should fly in this country. >> clint, i have no time left, but quickly with a few word answers, what kind of penalties, if found guilty, could these two people face? >> well, the problem with the original kidnapping charge, that charge may have tolled, it may have expired, but there will be numerous other sexual charges that have built up over the years that will hopefully make sure this couple never see the light of day, never get a chance

to commit a third offense against someone else. >> clint van zandt this morning. clint, thanks. we'll have more on this story in our next half hour, including a live interview with jaycee dugard's stepfather, who witnessed the abduction back in 1991 and was even considered a suspect in his step-daughter's disappearance. but for now, it is 7:13, and once again, here's matt. >> an extraordinary story, ann. thank you very much. now to an emotional scene in boston, where the body of ted kennedy lies in repose. an estimated 25,000 people lined up well into the morning to pay their respects to the late senator, and the crowds are returning this morning. nbc's andrea mitchell is at the john f. kennedy presidential library. andrea, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. it has been simply amazing, the outpouring of affection for senator kennedy here at the presidential library and museum that he helped build to memorialize his brother, jack. all those thousands of people lining up until 2:00 this morning. and members of the kennedy family, of all ages, coming out to say thank you for those expressions of sympathy.

late into the night thursday, they filed past the casket, thousands of mourners who felt a personal connection to the last of the original kennedy brothers. the senator's wife, vicki, thanked them for their sympathy. >> we're so honored that so many people have come out to pay tribute to my husband, and i just wanted to thank them. that's really the only message here tonight. >> reporter: other family members, led by niece caroline, also took time to greet the long lines of people waiting to get in. >> thanks so much for coming. [ inaudible ] you look great. >> you do, too. >> thank you. >> it's a very touching outpouring for every member of my family. he was a surrogate father for 29 grandchildren, and i don't know, probably 60 or 80 great grandchildren. so, it's a great thing for all of us to see this. >> reporter: how are you all holding up? >> everybody's great, you know,

and everybody, i think, is so grateful for this very, very touching, public display of support. >> reporter: even the littlest kennedys, the next generation, took time to say thanks. >> it's just amazing, amazing to see this. this is just incredible. >> reporter: ted kennedy's final journey began earlier in the day from the house where a political dynasty was born. a military escort and the family, so soon after burying eunice shriver, enduring a second funeral in as many weeks. his wife vicki had shepherded him through his battle with cancer, helping him survive long enough to witness one last political victory, the election of barack obama. his first wife, joan, also with the family. his sister jean kennedy smith, now the sole survivor of the original kennedys. crowds clustered along the roads in a 70-mile trip to boston, trip past sentimental landmarks, the park dedicated to his mother, rose, in the neighborhood where she was born,

thaniel hall, where in 1980 he launched an unsuccessful challenge to jimmy carter for the democratic nomination. and the flag that is draped over the senator's casket here at the memorial, that flag was flown over the u.s. capitol on the last day that the senate was in session. tomorrow after the funeral here in boston, the senator will be returned to washington for the last time. and before his burial at arlington national cemetery near his brothers, they will pass by the u.s. capitol for the last time. matt? >> andrea mitchell in boston for us this morning. andrea, thanks very much. let's bring in david gregory, moderator of "meet the press." hi, david. good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. >> i want to talk about the politics of this in a second, but why don't we stop a moment and talk little about the images we've just seen, that shot of the casket, the flag-draped casket being taken from the kennedy compound in hyannis port, of course, the mourners at the library. in washington, has the response

to the passing of senator kennedy been pretty much what you expected? >> absolutely. i think the pain is so deep because his impact was so big. and you talk to some of the politicians in this town whose careers have been so positively affected by senator kennedy, whether they're liberals or conservatives. they owe a huge debt of gratitude to this unique figure in american politics who was a mentor, who taught by example, who never flinched in the face of a fight, who was an unabashed liberal. and the impact that he had on their careers. >> right. >> i think senator kerry, who's preparing his eulogy now to deliver at the memorial service tonight, just an important friend and a huge impact. >> what's going to happen in terms of the law up there in massachusetts, the succession law? it says basically the seat remains vacant until a special election in 2010. the governor there, deval patrick, considering changing it. what's going to happen? >> well, it looks like some of the opposition to that change in the law is softening now.

the governor of massachusetts, deval patrick, is working along with some allies in congress, including senator kerry and majority leader reid, who are trying to impress upon the leadership in massachusetts and the legislature that this is something that's very important, that the issues are so grave in the u.s. congress that they have to make this change to get somebody in that seat who would vote the way senator kennedy would. there's a lot of intrigue right now about whether not just the republicans, but democrats in the legislature will go along with that after this similar measure was voted down back in 2004. >> and i know you've got a tribute to the senator on "meet the press" on sunday? >> we do. we will have an hour-long tribute, including those very close to him over the years. senator kerry will be with us, bob shrum as well as family member kathleen kennedy townsend. >> all right. david, thanks very much. good luck. see you sunday morning. >> thanks, matt. >> okay. >> now let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories from natalie morales, in for me at the news desk. hey, natalie. >> good morning, matt. good morning to you. this morning we begin with

important advice for new parents and women that are pregnant. health officials say it is vital for those groups to get the swine flu vaccine to protect themselves and their children. the cdc says pregnant women in any trimester should be vaccinated. meantime, an american red cross survey finds more than 90% of americans do plan to do something to protect themselves from the h1n1 swine flu virus. two u.s. soldiers died today in iraq following a roadside bomb attack in baghdad. more than 4,300 u.s. troops have been killed since the war began. iran's president ahmadinejad is calling for the prosecution of opposition leaders in his country because of unrest after the election. many hardliners are calling for the arrest of the candidates he defeated. overseas markets are mostly higher this morning after what's been a pretty good week on wall street. cnbc's melissa francis is at the new york stock exchange. so, melissa, what are we watching today? >> well, the bulls really taking control of summer. we want to see if they're going to charge through here to the end.

stocks up eight days in a row. setting the tone today, dell computers. the company beat street expectations for second quarter earnings. the ceo said that consumers are buying computers but businesses are not. and finally, we're watching aig as well. we're all investors in this company as taxpayers. the stock shot up 26% yesterday. no one's really sure why. could have been a short sweep, but definitely one to watch. back to you. >> melissa francis at the new york stock exchange, thank you. a pennsylvania mother who claims she and her daughter had been carjacked back in may pleaded guilty to criminal charges thursday. bonnie sweet was sentenced to 9 to 20 months in prison. they were not carjacked, but instead had flown to disney world. later, her father scuffled with tv news crews as he left the court. no one was seriously hurt. 7:21 right now. back over to matt, ann and al. what a scene out there. >> a lot of bizarre news today. natalie, thanks very much. yeah, but we've got a great day. we need the weather not to go bad this morning for the concert. >> good luck with that. >> sometimes what we need is not

what we get. as my daughter learned in kindergarten, you get what you get and you don't get upset. let's take a look, see w w

>> that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thanks. still ahead this morning, more on that unbelievable ordeal faced for 18 years by a california woman who was kidnapped when she was just 11 years old. we can all just imagine how her stepfather is feeling this morning. he tried to prevent her abduction and was even considered a suspect in the case. we're going to hear from him. but first, this is "today" on

just ahead, the teen buried alive at the beach when the hole he was digging caved in. he is with us exclusively to share a cautionary tale. and have you heard? miley cyrus is live in concert for a full half hour this morning. stay tuned for that. but first, your local news. bicycle, i've missed you.

gathering dust, as pollen floats through the air. but with the strength of zyrtec ® , the fastest, 24-hour allergy relief, i promise not to wait as long to go for our ride. with zyrtec ® i can love the air ™ . >> live, local, late-breaking. this is wbal 11 news. >> good morning. there's lots to talk about concerning the weather and traffic. let's start with the traffic situation. >> we had some slick roads from overnight rain. plenty of accidents out there. if some of them have been

cleared. northbound on the harrisburg expressway at the middletown road there's a crash. some southbound delays as well as you make your way to mount carmel. watch for that on the harrisburg expressway. no major delays on the north side and laguerre with the accident cleared on the inner loop. moving pretty well on the west bound side. there are southbound 95 delays from the white marsh down to the split. if there's a downed tree at richie hwy and rte. 648. possible lane closures there. looking good across the bay bridge and on interstate 97. now looking at traffic on the west side. moving very well. earlier delays have cleared up. we're just looking at some light volume there. park hts accident is cleared at the inner loop. that is the latest. now the latest on the forecast. >> the rain has let up for a while. a lot of thunder and lightning and heavy rain overnight.

the last of the shower activity is departing the eastern shores. still some showers east of centreville and near the maryland-pennsylvania county line and in frederick county. later on this afternoon and this evening rain chances will increase again. let's look at what the map will look like this evening. all waterfront is called to our south. it will dip a little farther north. two fronts out to the west and danny on the eastern coast. that will inspire to affect our weather. high temperatures near 80 degrees on saturday. >> thank you. check the bottom of your screen for a data

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of the screen. meanwhile, inside studio 1a, i'm matt lauer along with ann curry. we're starting to see some umbrellas out there. so, hopefully, the rain will stop, or we'll just make the people put them down, no matter what. >> yeah. you'll see it, don't worry. >> meredith is back on monday. just ahead this half hour, much more on an unbelievable story out of california, a kidnapped woman who has resurfaced 18 years later. >> she was just 11 years old, matt, at the time, hidden from the world by her alleged abductor for nearly two decades. her stepfather saw the kidnapping take place, he tried to stop it. he was even considered a suspect. he's going to join us for a live interview in just a moment, matt. also ahead, another exclusive interview with the doctor who set off an emotional debate about the possible link between a vaccine given to children, the mmr vaccine, and autism. we're going to hear from dr. andrew wakefield for the first time in just a moment. and then, matt, you're going to talk to a teenager who was buried alive at the beach when the hole he was digging suddenly collapsed. >> look at that shot there.

>> it's unbelievable. something like five feet deep or something? >> right up to his neck. >> this is crazy! anyway, he survived. there he is, here to share his tale along with his story this morning. it's a real eye-opener for families heading to the beach this weekend. let's begin with more of the california woman's 18-year-long kidnapping ordeal. nbc's george lewis joins us once again with more on this. hey, george, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. this is the house where jaycee lee dugard was held prisoner for 18 years. there's a whole compound of sheds and tents and tarps out behind this house where she and her two children were held. and we're told by police that neither she nor the two children ever saw a doctor, ever went to school during that 18-year time. she bore two children by a registered sex offender, and he had previous convictions for rape and kidnap. the neighbors here tell us that they were suspicious of the

activities. they sometimes talked to police about it, but nobody ever did anything about it until a rather alert campus police officer at the university of california berkeley noticed that the man was behaving in a weird manner, distributing religious literature on campus accompanied by two young girls. this raised the suspicions of this female police officer. she started asking questions, and in the subsequent questioning, this 18-year-old cold case was broken wide open. ann? >> all right, george lewis this morning. george, thanks. carl proban is jaycee lee dugard's stepfather, joining us now along with scott kernan, who is an undersecretary with the california department of corrections and rehabilitations. gentlemen, good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> how are you doing? >> i'm all right, but i don't know how you're doing, sir. you witnessed, carl, jaycee's abduction, and you tried to stop it. the moment you heard that after 18 years, she had been found, what went through you, carl?

>> total shock. i never expected this. this is an absolute miracle, you know, to get her back and to get her back alive and she's fairly healthy. my wife says she looks almost like she was when she was kidnapped. you know, she's been outside in the rough, like camping for 18 years in this compound. it's unbelievable. >> have you been able to speak to her, carl, and to the best of your knowledge, what do you know about how she's doing emotionally? >> i think she's doing good. i haven't talked to her personally. i've talked to my wife. my wife says that jaycee is really feeling guilty for bonding with this guy, says she's really having a problem with that. >> well, he was the only person, according to reports that we've had, the only human contact she had for so many of those years. when you hear that this man, the manner in which she was held for the past 18 years, and the fact that she has two children, what words do you have for phillip

garrido this morning? >> you're pretty sick. i mean, especially when he gives a radio interview that he's improved his life and he feels so much better now having two kids. i mean, he's destroyed our lives. you know, i really haven't gotten too much to say to him, other than his fun is over, you know. he's going to be in jail the rest of his life. >> when you say he's destroyed your lives, is it true that you say that because of what has happened, that may have played a part in your separation from your wife? >> it was the cause. i mean, we've never had a fight. i mean, we never fight about money. i mean, we were just, you know, happy. you know, this destroyed us. jaycee and terry were so close, it was unbelievable. they were like twin sisters. they were like sisters rather than a mother and a daughter. it just destroyed her. >> and that must have meant for you a lot of emotions, having been the last one to see her alive, see her before her abduction, trying to stop it. it must have meant for a layoot

second guessing for you, sir. >> definitely. definitely. >> well -- >> i'm really shocked, you know, to get her back. this is -- i never thought about this, this long. this has never happened. i haven't known of a case after 18 years they found somebody. it's just unbelievable. >> as you're sorting your emotions -- go ahead. >> jaycee was really a mellow girl, so, that's probably what kept her alive. i mean, she just bonded with this guy and she didn't try to get away, and it probably kept her -- it kept her alive. if she had been really spunky and fight and tried to escape, maybe she would have been killed. it's just a shock after 18 years that, you know, she's still around. it's unbelievable. >> i want to give scott a chance to speak. you know, what can you tell us beyond what we've already heard about what led this parole officer, and first, i guess, this campus police officer to find, to discover what was going on?

and how do you explain what took so long, since he was a convicted rapist and he was being monitored? >> you know, it's just really outstanding law enforcement work on all parts. the berkeley campus police noticed the suspicious behavior, notified the parole agent. he diligently contacted the parolee and asked him to report to the office. the parolee reported with two adult females and two children, did not identify the adult females. he contacted the concord police department who subsequently identified. it was the diligent work that broke this 18-year mystery. >> but certainly, is it fair to say that the people who were in charge of the parole of this gentleman will be now looking at ways they might have been able to discover this sooner, scott? will there be some second guessing in your department, among your officers about how to make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen again, where a convicted rapist who was being

monitored could get away with something like this for 18 years, according to what police are telling us? >> certainly, there will be second guessing. as noted in a lot of the media reports, the neighbors did not even know for 18 years. the local police had went to the residence on occasion and they did not realize it. it was very well concealed. the parole agent of record did a great job in this, and we're just very happy that jaycee will be reunited with her family. >> scott kernan, thank you so much this morning. and carl, good luck with your reunion. i'm sure you're sorting what you want to say to jaycee. and thank you so much this morning for joining us. all the best to you and your family. >> thank you. and now, let's switch gears and get a look at today's weather from al. hey, al. >> hey, ann, good morning. andd

>> a few showers of new the maryland-pennsylvania line, but we have more the forecast today and tonight, a high >> more miley fans right over

here. ann? >> all right, al, thank you so much. coming up next, the teenager who found himself in a terrifying situation at the beach when a hole he was digging caved in. we're going to talk exclusively to him and his family, right after this. , go straight, turn around, and i'll throw you the ball. ok! break! ...ah...ah...ah... (announcer) you know you're gonna need it. why not stock up now? get everything you need for fall allergy season at an unbeatable price. save money. live better. walmart. (female narrator) which cheese slices do you prefer... pasteurized processed cheese product? (lou gentine) or natural cheese slices?

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young man exclusively in just a moment. but first, natalie morales has the story. natalie? >> that's right, matt. it started out as a typical trip to the beach for 17-year-old james boyden and his family, but it quickly turned into a frightening situation when the hole james was digging in became so big, it actually caved in around him. it's a classic way to pass the time at the beach, digging in the sand. but as 17-year-old james boyden discovered, the bigger the hole, the bigger the danger. the connecticut native found himself in deep trouble when the five-foot hole he dug on a rhode island beach collapsed around him, burying him above the neck. family members tried desperately to rescue him. >> my dad was furiously digging from the front to uncover his face, and finally, he did get his nose and mouth exposed. >> reporter: with the weight of the sand slowly crushing james, rescuers provided an oxygen mask and used supports and ladders to stabilize the uneven ground,

working quickly to uncover the teen. it took rescue workers over an hour to free james from the hole, who was then air-lifted to a rhode island hospital for treatment. experts acknowledge, these incidents are rare, but when they happen, they can be deadly. >> in certain areas of the country, beach hole collapse associated injury and death are occurring with greater frequency than other events, such as shark attacks, that get more attention. >> reporter: dr. brad maron began tracking beach hole collapses after witnessing the rescue of taylor benton on the martha's vineyard beach where he used to lifeguard. >> people are seriously injured or are killed in these events by either asphyxiation as the sand enters the oral cavity and prevents the movement of air or the weight of the sand prevents the chest movement to allow for air to move in or out. >> reporter: years later, that incident still haunts taylor.

>> i remember just looking in the hole to see if there was any buckets or anything left, and then next thing i knew, i was on my side and curled up and it was pitch black and everything just felt real heavy on top of me. >> reporter: a feeling that james boyden can unfortunately relate to. rescue workers say he is lucky to be alive. lifeguards and other experts say if you do find someone stuck in this situation, the first thing you need to do is to create a pocket of air by clearing the sand away from the victim's nose and mouth, and if necessary, cup your hand above the nose and under the chin like this, like a suction cup to keep that air pocket free while the others dig and rescue around them, matt? >> thank you, and james is here with his parents and brother matthew. it's nice to have you here, it's nice that you're okay. those pictures are scary, james. it could have been much worse. you have to realize that. >> oh, yeah. >> how long had you been digging before this happen?

>> not long, maybe an hour. >> and there were reports this was a 12-foot hole. this wasn't that big of a hole when it came down to it, was it? >> no. >> and so, when the walls caved in, were you able to move at all? >> well, i could move a little bit. it's sand, it's not like concrete. you could move a little bit, but i couldn't like stand up or anything. >> you clearly couldn't get yourself out of the hole, no question. >> no way. >> what about breathing, what did that feel like, trying to breathe? >> well, at the beginning, it was like, it hurt a little bit because of all the sand. it got in my mouth and got in my lungs and it wasn't good, but after a while, it was like -- all the carbon dioxide it was like carbon dioxide poisoning. >> you started to get a little light-headed, and you actually blacked out for a while, i understand, is that right? >> a little bit. not that long, maybe about a minute. >> well, that's long enough. now, you were called. you were in the water, ken, right? >> that's right. >> you went rushing over, and what'd you see when you went over? >> i just saw flat sand where i knew he was digging, you know.

so i just started -- rene had seen it, or heard it happen, and she knew where his head was, so i was able to get down in there and just dig as quickly as i could. and it just seemed my hands went right to his head. it was a miracle, really, and i was able to clear his face and -- >> was it hard then to keep the sand away from his face? >> a little bit. >> did it keep pouring in? >> no, once i got his face cleared it kept going down, and i could keep clearing it, but i remember that, you know when i first cleared his face, he opened his eyes and he looked at me and he said, "thank you, daddy," and at that time, i just felt relief and i just felt like there was hope that it was going to be okay, and then we spent probably about a half hour. rene was clearing the sand from the top, i was clearing the sand, keeping it away from his face. >> and rene, you were making sure that no one got too close to the edges because you didn't want more to cave in on top of him. >> andrew was running around trying to get people to help us. and if you were sitting on the

edge, it would cave in, so i was yelling at people, which is unusual for me to do. i don't yell. >> well, a mother in distress, when your son is buried alive, i can understand that. how long did it take for rescue officials to get there? >> well, i mean, time just went so slow, but it seemed like it was about 20 or 30 minutes that we had to, you know, we were keeping him clear until they got there, and then they cleared everybody away from the hole and got their equipment in and did a really professional job. they really knew what they were doing. they had a technique. they had the equipment. they really performed wonderfully. and it took a while because they had to be really tender with what they were doing so it didn't collapse again. >> i want to say this. now, you both were reluctant, meaning mom and dad here, you were reluctant to come forward at first because you thought people would say, oh, we've got a bad parenting situation here, and you've thought about this and said, wait a second, this is something we need to tell people about, correct? >> yeah, that's right. yeah, i think, you know, it wasn't as big of a hole as people were saying, and you know, little boys dig little holes.

when you get to be a young man, it's a young man-size hole, and you know, he happened to be crouching down or sitting or whatever happened when it caved in. if he was standing, we wouldn't be here today. he would have been out above, and because he was down in the hole when it collapsed, that created that whole situation. so, even a smaller hole can be very dangerous for, you know, children on the beach. >> an important word that parents hear. and you're also here, james, because everybody did the right thing. andrew went around to get people to help and rene, you got ken and the rescuers, and ken, you did the right thing. so, james, we're happy you're okay. thanks for coming in. enjoy the rest of your summer, your little piece of summer left. up next, we're going to step outside to mingle with what is a huge miley cyrus crowd right after this. when morning comes in the middle of the night, [ rooster crow ] it affects your entire day. to get a good night's sleep,

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i chose to get my daughter vaccinated when her doctor and i agreed that the right time to protect her is now. because it's about prevention. (nice) gardasil is the only cervical cancer vaccine that helps protect against four types of hpv. two types that cause seventy percent of cervical cancer and two more types that cause other hpv diseases. i chose to get my daughter vaccinated because the cdc recommends that girls her age get vaccinated. gardasil does not treat cervical cancer or other hpv diseases. side effects include: pain, swelling, itching, bruising, and redness at the injection site, headache, fever, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, and fainting. gardasil is not for women who are pregnant. gardasil may not fully protect everyone and does not prevent all kinds of cervical cancer, so it's important to continue routine cervical cancer screenings. i chose to get my daughter vaccinated because i want her to be one less woman affected by cervical cancer. one less. gardasil. ask your daughter's doctor about gardasil.

try the first great-tasting, zero-calorie... natural sweetener borne from the leaves of the stevia plant. truvía. honestly sweet. find it at your grocery store. >> live, local, late-breaking. this is wbal 11 news. >> let's check with sarah caldwell and get a check on the commute. >> when the roads were wet this morning we had a lot of problems. a lot of them have cleared up.

but there's one accident on northbound harrisburg expressway at middletown road. then southbound traffic backing down near mount carmel. utah at baltimore street is still closed along with fayette at utah and at saratoga. that's due to construction. on the northeast side, we are developing a delay. the west side is looking a lot better. southbound 95 starting to improve out of the white marsh area. 14 minutes through the northeast side in delays. eight minutes on the outer loop from the 83. 11 minutes on southbound i-95 from the beltway south. there's a delay on harford. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> the pavement is starting to dry, but there are still showers moving out of the delmarva area

of maryland, but still in central delaware. some fund is our activity along the maryland-pennsylvania up line -- thundershower activity. we have a front stalled across our area during the day, a warm front. that means a chance of rain throughout most of the day with a lot of clouds with a high of 80 degrees. >> check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic throughout the morning.

♪ we're back now, 8:00 on a friday morning, the 28th day of august 2009. just take a grander for a second at the crowd that's gathered here on rockefeller plaza on a rainy friday morning. imagine what it would be like if we had bright sunshine today. >> i have to tell you, i think this is the biggest crowd ever. >> it could be. we talked last half hour about how far this stretches, at least

five city blocks. as we said before, and ann mentioned, unfortunately, a lot of the people who came down here today will never even get a glimpse of the stage. >> just say they were here. >> we have speakers set up and television monitors, so hopefully, they'll get to see some of the show. i'm matt lauer with ann curry. ann's in while meredith is taking some time off. al roker's here as well. we're trying to do the three-in-one umbrella. >> we can do it. >> i don't want to put this in front of you. we just asked you for one favor. we said friday we have a nice concert, so provide us some nice weather. >> yeah, that worked out, didn't it? it could have been worse. >> it's fine, because all these people -- >> it could be worse. >> you know what? we're not made of sugar. that's all i have to say. >> we will not melt, will we? >> that's right, we won't. >> miley was out here earlier on doing some rehearsing, thrilling the crowd. so, we're going to hear from her in what, a little less than a half an hour. >> pretty exciting. also, i want to call your attention to an interview we have coming up with a doctor who about a decade and a half ago

first suggested through research in the "lancet" that there might be a possible link between the childhood vaccine mmr, the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine and autism. boy, did that touch off a firestorm of controversy. he rarely speaks out. he's giving us an exclusive interview. we're going to talk to dr. andrew wakefield in just a little while. >> very emotional issue. >> a lot of people talking about that. >> it really is. we have a lot to get to, including that concert coming up. let's go inside. natalie is standing by at the news desk. good morning, natalie. >> good morning to you. this morning in southern california, as many as 2,000 people are out of their homes because of fast-moving wildfires. a fire burning in rancho palos verdes has damaged some upscale seaside homes and buildings and is threatening dozens more. firefighters are expecting another day of triple-digit temperatures and record highs. at least six fires are now burning throughout the state. thousands more people are filing past the casket of senator ted kennedy today. his body is lying in repose for a second day at the john f. kennedy library and museum in boston ahead of his funeral

tomorrow. some 25,000 people paid their respects thursday. meantime, attention is turning toward a potential successor to kennedy in the u.s. senate. nbc's kelly o'donnell is in boston with more on that. kelly, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. remembering a time when a kennedy was not in the u.s. senate is hard to do. it's been half a century. and even as ted is being honored here, talk about a next senator is already under way. ted kennedy has left behind so many heirs to the family name, but will his political legacy be passed on to any one of them? r.f.k.'s oldest son joe won six terms in the house and is now well known for providing low-income families with home heating oil. >> no one should be left out in the cold. >> reporter: and ted's widow vicki, who took on a more public role here thursday night, has also been praised for skillfully advising her husband. >> she has said on a number of occasions that she doesn't see

herself doing this, but other people have reported that senator kennedy himself said that he would like her to take the seat. >> reporter: kennedy's youngest son is a congressman now, but patrick serves rhode island, where he went to college, and not massachusetts. beyond the family, current and former members of congress are eyeing the kennedy seat. the state attorney general is also in the mix. but under current massachusetts law, kennedy's seat must be kept vacant until a special election is held after five months. unlike most states, massachusetts governor deval patrick does not have the power to name a replacement. >> given the significance of the proposals before the congress right now, massachusetts needs two voices in the united states senate. >> reporter: and kennedy had requested that state lawmakers make the change to allow the governor to appoint a replacement for that five-month period. and should that happen, one name that's being talked about is michael dukakis, former

massachusetts governor and former presidential candidate. natalie? >> kelly o'donnell in boston, thank you so much, kelly. two u.s. soldiers died today after a roadside bombing in baghdad. at least 4,337 american troops have been killed in iraq since the war began more than six years ago. law enforcement officials in south carolina are investigating a police beating caught on tape. the video shows a police officer hitting a teenage suspect with a flashlight after teens on an all-terrain vehicle refused to pull over. the officer was later fired. and call them discerning females. three gorillas at london zoo were given a large photo of a male suter, so to speak, soon to join them, but it appears they weren't too impressed with them, because the female gorilla snatched the picture, ripped it up and then ate it. 8:05 right now. funny story. back outside now to matt and ann and a huge crowd. >> all right, thanks a lot, natalie. >> so, we want to ask our crowd members when the concert starts to put their umbrellas down no

>> corporate county -- harford county have bring showers perduring chances are >> and that's your latest weather. ann? al, thank you so much. coming up this morning, still to come, miley cyrus live in concert. a full half hour of music. but first, these messages. when i really liked to be outside, i did not like suffering from nasal allergy symptoms like congestion. 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.

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one doctor has ignited a raging debate, suggesting some of those cases could be tied to a childhood vaccine, the mmr. his name is dr. andrew wakefield, and he sat down with us exclusively for his first in-depth interview. he's one of the most controversial figures you've probably never heard of. >> i encourage you to be stronger and stick together and unite. >> reporter: but he has influenced the lives and stirred the passions of millions of parents worldwide. >> i don't know where we would be without him, because no one would listen to us before him. >> reporter: dr. andrew wakefield is something of a hero to parents of children with the developmental disorder autism. >> i'm just your biggest fan. >> reporter: but at the same time, he has outraged the medical establishment. do you think he's done a lot of damage? >> i think this man has done a tremendous amount of harm, and it amazes me that he doesn't accept the responsibility for that harm. >> reporter: in 1998, dr. wakefield was considered a rising star, practicing here at

london's royal free hospital. and then he published a study in the "lancet," a prestigious medical journal, suggesting a possible link between the mmr -- a combination vaccine given to children to prevents meez alwam mumps and rubella -- and autism. what do you remember about the headlines after the conference? >> the headlines are always dramatic. headlines in some papers were, you know, vaccine linked to autism. now, i didn't know, i didn't have the proof, so my concern was to get the correct message out then. >> reporter: and so, dr. wakefield counseled parents not to use the combined mmr, telling them in this video made by the royal free hospital to choose single vaccines given over a span of time instead. >> i would recommend to use the single vaccines. you do not incur a greater risk of those diseases in the children. >> reporter: his small study of

12 autistic children had given parents of children with the disorder something they desperately wanted, a clue, a possible answer to the devastating question why. and pofor parents of healthy children, a reason to be concerned about the mmr vaccine. >> children vaccinated and then something happened, their children fell apart. >> reporter: however, in the years following his publication, no large-scale study could reproduce what dr. wakefield found. in fact, those studies could find no link between the mmr vaccine and autism. one from denmark studied over 537,000 children. another from finland studied 1.8 million children. and so, the medical establishment considered the case closed. the results were clear, mmr didn't cause autism. >> reporter: even though dr. wakefield says he only suggested

spreading out the vaccine, many parents heard something different -- vaccines cause autism. and a worldwide movement questioning the vaccine was born. >> i feel like the queen here. >> reporter: dr. wakefield's popularity in the wake of the evidence disproving his hypothesis is a source of frustration for many in the medical establishment. >> he's actually a fascinating character. most scientists when they propose a hypothesis are open to that hypothesis being tested in a scientific venue. >> reporter: it's healthy. >> he apparently isn't. despite this amazing wealth of data that has shown his hypothesis to be correct, he still walks staunchly ahead, his head held high, and he is unwilling to accept all the data that has shown him to be incorrect. >> i just want to say thank you so much. i get so emotional. >> reporter: you could also say that you're dealing with a group of people, parents, who are so emotionally involved in this and who are so desperate for answers

that they perhaps have not examined the science carefully enough. they're simply looking for something or someone to blame, and your critics say you're providing that for them. >> what i am doing and what my colleagues did as early as 1995 at the royal free and beyond was to answer their questions, to seek as doctors to address the questions that they pose that you might pose sitting across the desk about what happened to your child. >> and just the way you're talking to me right now is what those parents want to hear and what the people who talk about you say all the time, this is a guy who stands up for these people who have no one else to turn to and no one else has listened to him, and he provides them some comfort or some answers, but they also say there's no scientific fact behind it. >> that's wrong. and it used to be ten years ago perhaps there were only a few doctors doing this, just a few, but now there are many, many doctors who are telling the same story and doing the same thing. >> reporter: and many more parents beginning to question

vaccine safety and then deciding not to vaccinate. >> i have to look at the likelihood of my child contracting the disease, but i have to look at the particular vaccination and look at the likelihood of a severe or even fatal reaction to that. >> reporter: leaving the nation's pediatricians to deal with the collateral damage. >> you'll see whooping cough outbreaks in the last ten years in this country like never before. you've seen a measles epidemic in 2008 bigger than anything we've seen in over a decade. three deaths in philadelphia. there was a death in minnesota, all perfectly preventible because of the false notion that vaccines cause autism. >> it is an enormously emotional debate. to see our exclusive interview with dr. wakefield in its entirety, be sure to watch "a dose of controversy," a special edition of "dateline" this sunday night at 7:00 p.m./6:00 central time here on nbc. and up next, informatio never-before-seen images of senator ted kennedy. but first, this is "today" on nbc. say hello to the can-doers. nouncer:

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remembered for his years in public office, but at his core, senator kennedy liked to be known as a family man. >> i owe a special debt to the man his nephews and nieces call teddy, not just because of what he means to me personally, but because of the causes he has carried on. >> whether teaching us about failing, about the senate or about life, he has taught us about how to chart our course, take the helm and sail against the wind. >> reporter: edward moore kennedy was the anchor of the kennedy clan, a job he ascended to when family tragedy forced him to take the helm. >> teddy was a surrogate father to me and 29 of my cousins, 10 of my brothers and sisters. >> reporter: from the tragic and very public deaths of his brothers to the normal family triumphs and celebrations to the unexpected, ted kennedy didn't forget that family came first.

>> to introduce my four strongest supporters. >> reporter: despite the failure of his first marriage -- >> this is a big-time, real thing. >> reporter: -- he found love again. >> i realized that i wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. >> reporter: and he did, vicki, his children and other family members were there to say good-bye to the man known to us as senator kennedy, but to them, simply as teddy. nbc news contributor neil sweite is the co-author of "the last line: the rise and fall of ted kennedy," along with historian doris curran-goodwin, a kennedy family friend. good morning. >> good morning. >> good morning to you, doris. first, let's start with you, neil. he was the baby of the family and he was also in the shadow in his own family. >> he was, and he found to distinguish himself, the only thing he could do with these brothers who shone so bright was

to be the family gesture, the fun-loving ted kennedy. >> and yet, he rose to be the patriarch, doris, taking all of these children on camping trips and to battle fields and teaching them to sail, as the "boston globe" is reporting this morning. >> absolutely. they said he was the caboose of the family, but he became the engine, the big brother that became the big cheese, as they like to call him. and you think about balancing the responsibilities to his own children with the responsibilities to the children of the brothers and sisters that died. and it's amazing when you imagine even 12-year-old teddy jr. is in the hospital with bone cancer. he has to leave the bed to go and give away kathleen kennedy at her wedding and then come back and be with his own son. i mean, the kids felt they could call him at any time in the world. i think jackie kennedy said it best in a letter that she wrote to him at the time of caroline's wedding, where she says, "on you, the youngest, care-free

brother, fell a burden that no hero would beg to be spared, lost children, desolate wives and sick parents." i think that says it better than any of us could. >> and yet, he did face his own demons, as we have all been hearing about. what do you think, having looked at all of this, allowed him to rise past these restrictions upon him to greatness? >> i think, you know, he learned from his father both great affection and great discipline. and when the role of being the patriarch fell on his shoulders at 36 years old for this big, sprawling family, he first could handle the affection part. it was the discipline part that he struggled with. ultimately, i think, as he seasoned and matured and then married vicki, she helped recenter him and come back to understanding that he could do the affection if he handled the discipline in his own life. >> there's a fantastic story, a really sad and poignant one, where it was soon after john jr. was found to be lost and teddy

came back and played with caroline, his sister's children, because he could feel that they need a little something. and there he was outside shirtless in the report in the "boston globe." >> yes, he understood social intelligence, he understood people and that's what he got even bettete >> on hilltop road home was fully engulfed in claims. there was extensive damage. there were not able to complete a full search. there have been no reports of injury. it's unclear what started the fire for or whether the weather was a factor. it's unclear if the weather

caused a fire at bashar street united methodist church on eastern avenue. firefighters received a call early this morning and it's quickly spread to two alarms. no reports of injury. if it's a busy commuters because of the wet roads, but things are calming down. northbound on the harrisburg there's an accident clearing. that is blocking the right lane. there are southbound delays making the approach to mount carmel. if you are getting out, looking pretty good. belays starting to ease up. utah at baltimore remains closed. saratoga at green street as well. route 1 at montevideo road has an accident. that is the latest on traffic. now to john for the forecast. >> there were lau thunderstorms overnight and heavy rain. most of that is pulling out of the area. leading to the northeast corner of the state.

a lot more activity off to the southwest and a lot more clouds. a warm front will be north of us this evening. it will be a tropical air mass over as. if the cold front is a long way off. we have mostly cloudy skies today in the forecast. a good chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms with highs near 80 degrees. >> thank you. thank you for joining us. thank you for joining us. need a lift? hey buddy, i appreciate the ride, you know. no problem. ♪ mind if i take a shortcut? yeah, sure. ♪ i knew the subaru legacy was the smart choice... what i didn't expect...

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♪ we're back now, 8:30 on a friday morning, 28th day of august 2009. raining here in the northeast, but you know what? that's not stopping an enormous crowd from gathering at

rockefeller plaza for one very important reason. these people are here to see miley cyrus in concert in just a couple of minutes. and ann, they've been lining up for more than a day now. >> no kidding. and you know what? this is dedication, because these kids are song wet. and natalie, if you can step back for just a moment, just look at this. this is before the concert, ready to go, all of these girls. boy. >> she can say she was here. >> yeah. i spoke to her a little while ago. >> woodstock. >> she says she has all of her albums. it's really -- it's a crowd that stretches from 48th street behind us all the way really over to 50th street, fifth avenue and sixth avenue. and so, this is probably, as al mentioned before, the biggest crowd we've ever had for a concert here on the show. and they were treated to your forecast, al. >> that's right. it's a lovely morninin

>> one area of rain is pushing away, but there's more ahead. chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon and tonight. >> and that's your latest weather. >> all right, thanks a lot, al. >> here we go.

>> i don't think the fans can wait any longer. so, without further ado, ladies and gentlemen -- >> al, thanks. i don't think the fans can wait any longer. so, without further ado, here she is, ladies and gentlemen, miley cyrus! ♪ ♪ i hopped off a plane at l.a.x.

with a dream and my cardigan, welcome to the land of fame excess, am i gonna fit in ♪ ♪ jumped in the cab, here i am for the first time, look to the right and i see the hollywood sign ♪ ♪ this is all so crazy, everybody seems so famous ♪ ♪ my tummy's turnin and i'm feeling kind of home sick, too much pressure and i'm nervous ♪ ♪ that's when the taxi man turned on the radio and jay-z song was on, ♪ ♪ so i put my hands up, they're playing my song, and the butterflies fly away, noddin my head like yea, moving my hips like yea ♪ ♪ i got my hands up, they're playin my song, it's a party in the usa, it's a party in the usa ♪ ♪ get to the club in my taxicab, everybody's looking at me now ♪ ♪ like who's that chick that's rockin' kicks, she's gotta be from out of town ♪ ♪ so hard with my girls all

around me, it's definitely not a nashville party, cause all i see are stilettos, i guess i never got the memo ♪ ♪ my tummy's turnin and i'm feeling kind of home sick, too much pressure and i'm nervous ♪ ♪ that's when the d.j. dropped my favorite tune, the michael song was on, the michael song was on ♪ ♪ so i put my hands up, they're playing my song, and the butterflies fly away ♪ ♪ nodding my head like yea, moving my hips like yea ♪ ♪ i got my hands up, they're playing my song, i know i'm gonna be okay, yea, it's a party in the usa ♪ ♪ yea, it's a party in the usa ♪ i feel like hopping on a flight, back to my hometown tonight ♪ ♪ something stops me every time, the deejay plays my song and i feel all right ♪

♪ so i put my hands up, they're playing my song, the butterflies fly away ♪ ♪ i'm nodding my head like yea, moving my hips like yea ♪ ♪ i got my hands up, they're playing my song, you know i'm gonna be okay ♪ ♪ yea, it's a party in the usa ♪ yea, it's a party in the usa ♪ so i put my hands up, they're playing my song, the butterflies fly away ♪ ♪ i'm nodding my head, nodding my head like yea, ooh, yea ♪ ♪ my hands up, they're playing my song, i know i'm gonna be okay ♪ ♪ yea, it's a party in the usa, yea, it's a party in the usa ♪ ♪ >> miley cyrus, ladies and gentlemen, and she's not done. we've got much more, but first, this is "today" on nbc.

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miy sirius just wrapped up filming a new movie. she has a new clothing coming out, she's got a concert tour and a brand new album called "time of our lives," hitting stores this monday. and by the way, did i mention she is 16 years old? >> always put that in right at the end. >> that's amazing. miley, how are you doing? good to see you. >> good to see you. thank you so much. >> can we talk about the crowd for a second, because we've had people lining up for more than a day now. it's been raining for about eight hours here in new york. they have not gone home, and it stretches from 48th street here in manhattan all the way to 50th street, fifth avenue and sixth avenue. do you understand how extraordinary this is? >> it's pretty amazing. and the first thing i do when i walk backstage, i can see all

these people and i'm still going, are you sure there's enough people? i'm freaking out. i don't think i fully kind of understand it when you're up here, because i guess, i don't know, kind of your nerves and everything, i guess. but it's pretty awesome, and especially with my new record. i'm kind of a little bit nervous about that. so, just kind of seeing everyone already singing along with the songs from my new album is awesome. >> a confidence boost. >> definitely. >> there are people around the corner on fifth avenue and sixth avenue who will not even get a glimpse of you today, but they can probably hear you. is there anything you want to say to them? >> just thank you so much for being here. i guess it doesn't matter if you see me or not, but just the music and that they're really here exclusively for the music. those are the people that i love the most. so that's great. >> i was just thinking, is there anybody that you, musician, that you would stand in line for a day and a half in the rain to see? >> um, it would have to be someone that would be like, i don't know, like probably i

could never have that opportunity again, if there was like an elvis opportunity or something like that, that would be worth it. actually, one other person, i met chris martin, and before i met him, i probably would have done some pretty crazy things for him. >> in the rain for a day. >> yeah. >> talk about the album. it's a rock and roll feel to it. what are your rock influences? where do you get those? >> ever since i was younger, my dad had me a lot around female rock artists and that's what i really liked, joan jett, janice joplin. but this was kind of a step towards what i wanted to do with my next album. this was mainly written for inspiration for the clothing line. "party in the usa" has definitely done really well, so i'm stoked about that, but it's not who i am. it's not the kind of music that i necessarily want to continue to do. i want to be able to step out and maybe take a break for a while and maybe write music that really inspires me, too. >> and when you talk about that kind of music, do you have people around you and is there a strategy in terms of keeping

these people interested and yet expanding it to a new audience? >> i think there's always like a formula that people think is going to work, and i think the best way to do that is like kind of throw it out of the way and do something new, because i think those are the people that stick around the longest and that you're always looking forward to hearing, and that's the people that i would really wait outside a day in the rain for, because you never know what they're going to do or what their sound's going to be like and they're always surprising. so, hopefully, i could do that a little bit more, especially with the next tour. >> and then there is this whole other side of things. in january, i think it is, you'll start another season of "hannah montana." >> yeah. >> are you looking forward to it? what can you tell us about it? >> it's crazy because in january, that's when it comes out. it's pretty intense drama. kelly preston, that will be kind of rad. it's going to be something so sort of stark and more of a drama. then to be able to go back to "hannah montana" is going to be great. i was blogging the other day, doing my events, my therapy. i was just kind of saying i

really do, you know, not to try to use my own motto, but it really is like the best of both worlds because i get to do everything. i get to do the comedy that i love and for the kids, but i also get to go out and do music that i really like. >> good for you. what are you going to sing for us now? >> we're singing "the climb." >> isn't it nice when you have a drummer who knows? >> what are we doing? >> ladies and gentlemen, miley cyrus! ♪ ♪ i can almost see it, that dream i'm dreaming, but there's a voice inside my head ♪ ♪ saying you'll never reach it ♪ every step i'm taking, every move i make feels lost with no direction ♪ ♪ my faith is shaking, but i,

i've got to keep trying, gotta keep my head held high ♪ ♪ there's always gonna be another mountain, i'm always gonna wanna make it move ♪ ♪ always gonna be an uphill battle, sometimes i'm gonna have to lose ♪ ♪ ain't about how fast i get there, ain't about what's waiting on the other side, it's the climb ♪ ♪ those struggles i'm facing, those chances i'm taking sometimes might knock me down but no, i'm not breaking ♪ ♪ i may not know it, but these

are the moments that i'm gonna remember most, yeah, just gotta keep going ♪ ♪ and i, i got to be strong, just keep pushing on ♪ ♪ 'cause there's always gonna be another mountain, i'm always gonna wanna make it move ♪ ♪ always gonna be an uphill battle that sometimes i'm gonna have to lose ♪ ♪ ain't about how fast i get there, ain't about what's waiting on the other side ♪ ♪ it's the climb ♪ yeah ♪

♪ there's always gonna be another mountain, i'm always gonna wanna make it move ♪ ♪ always gonna be an uphill battle that sometimes i'm gonna have to lose ♪ ♪ ain't about how fast i get there, ain't about what's waiting on the other side ♪ ♪ it's the climb ♪ yeah ♪ keep on moving, keep climbing, keep the faith, baby ♪ ♪ it's all about, it's all about the climb ♪ ♪ keep the faith, keep your

faith ♪ ♪ whoa ♪ >> what a great way to end the summer concert series. we've got more music ahead from miley cyrus. but first, this is "today" on nbc. they have alzheimer's and heart disease, diabetes and cancer. and they've heard that biomedical research offers hope,

that it could control, maybe even cure, their disease. senator barbara mikulski understands the importance of innovative biomedical research, for patients, their families, and our economy here in maryland. call senator mikulski today. tell her, thanks for protecting the promise of biomedical research and the maryland jobs it provides. it's not just the future, it's life.

♪ on a soggy but exuberant friday morning, once again, here's miley cyrus. ♪ ♪ i got my sight set on you, i'm

ready to aim, i have a heart that will never be tamed ♪ ♪ i knew you were something special when you spoke my name and i can't wait to see you again ♪ ♪ i've got a way of knowing that something ain't right ♪ ♪ ♪ i feel like i must have known you in another life because i felt this deep connection when you looked in my eyes ♪ ♪ now i can't wait to see you again ♪ ♪ the last time i freaked out, i just kept looking down, asked you what you're thinking about ♪ ♪ i felt like i couldn't breathe, you have a problem with

me, just let it down, she's just being miley ♪ ♪ next time we hang out, i'll redeem myself, miley can rest until then, oh, i, i can't wait to see you again ♪ ♪ i've got this crazy feeling deep inside, you called and asked to see me tomorrow night ♪ ♪ i'm not a mind reader, but i'm reading the signs, and you can't wait to see me again ♪ ♪ the last time i freaked out, i just kept looking down ♪ ♪ i stuttered when you asked me what i'm thinking about ♪ ♪ felt like i couldn't breathe, you asked what's wrong with me ♪ ♪ my best friend leslie said oh,

she's just being miley ♪ ♪ and next time we hang out, i will redeem myself ♪ ♪ my heart can't rest until then, woe, woe, i can't wait to see you again ♪ ♪ i've got my sight set on you and i'm ready to aim ♪ >> two, three, four! ♪ the last time i freaked out, i just kept looking down, i stuttered when you asked me what i'm thinking about ♪ ♪ i felt like i couldn't breathe, you asked what's wrong with me ♪ ♪ my best friend leslie said, oh, she's just being miley ♪ ♪ and next time we hang out, i will redeem myself, my heart can't rest until then ♪ ♪ woe, woe, i can't wait to see you again, woe, woe, i, i can't wait to see you again ♪ ♪

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ann and miley are discussing what a bad hair day this is. >> you look great, though. you did great. >> you wear it well and you've been a real trooper. miley's coming back with more music later on. what are you going to sing next? >> this is a new song from my new record. >> first, your local news.

>> baltimore police are searching for a person or persons to vandalizes southwest baltimore church. pastor across this is a church member discovered a rib screen and black spray paint on the building. he believes gangs are responsible, but police say it is not to gangs. the pastor believes the event may be related to a funeral being held at his church today. >> we are not afraid. we are not scared. we are here to greet with this family. >> the pastor says this is the first time his church has been vandalized.

he is disappointed anyone would desecrate the house of origin. invites those responsible to join him o

now let's look at the forecast with john collins. >> we have a front that is dstalled to the north of a spirit high range chances this afternoon and tonight. up to 83 degrees this afternoon with mostly cloudy skies. rain is in the forecast. >> thank you for joining us for this update. another one coming up shortly.