good morning. certain. that's how the nation's top intelligence officials describe the likelihood of an attempted terror attack on u.s. soil in the next three to six months. this morning, the chilling warning and what it means for national security. "today" exclusive. first lady michelle obama reflects on a year in the white house, her husband's falling poll numbers -- >> has it been hard to keep your spirits up and his spirits up? >> and what she's doing to try to give sasha and malia a normal life. and pay day. aig, the recipient of the biggest government bailout ever, set to dole out a new round of

bonuses to the tune of $100 million, and a lot of outrage today, wednesday, february 3rd, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm meredith vieira. president obama's national security team set to meet today. you could be certain they will address that warning to expect an attempted terror attack here in the u.s. within the next six months. >> that's right. it was made at tuesday's meeting of the senate intelligence committee, as director of national intelligence, dennis blair, cia director leon panetta, and other senior intelligence officials outlined the biggest threats to national security, and all agree that an attempted attack in the next three to six months is certain. that's the word they used. much more on that in just a moment. also ahead, a new twist in

connection with the month-old disappearance of 8-month-old gabriel johnson. police have now arrested tammi smith, the arizona woman who had been considered a person of interest in the case for weeks. why the arrest now? and could it possibly lead investigators to that little boy? we'll have the latest on the case, just ahead. also ahead, a potential breakthrough tied to a medical mystery that just about every parent fears. we're talking about sudden infant death syndrome. for years, doctors have struggled to figure out exactly what causes it. this morning, the latest on new research that could point to an answer. but let's begin with that alarming admission from the top u.s. intelligence officials during a hearing on tuesday before the senate intelligence committee. take a listen to what they had to say when asked a question from committee chair dianne feinstein of california. >> the likelihood of another terrorist attempted attack on the u.s. homeland in the next three to six months, high or low? director blair? >> an attempted attack, the

priority is certain, i would say. >> mr. panetta? >> i would agree with that. >> mr. mueller? >> agree. >> general -- >> yes, ma'am, agree. >> mr. dinger? >> yes. >> and let's bring in nbc's justice correspondent pete williams. pete, you just heard the director of the cia, director of the fbi, director of national intelligence, among others, all speak with certainty about this attempted attack within the next six months. what should people make of that? >> well, i think these answers are certainly a sobering reminder that the terror threat isn't receding, but what they said is it's likely someone will attempt another attack in the next six months, and that could mean very serious and well-prepared groups. it could also mean merely committed and unprepared individuals. and we saw several examples of that in just the past year. and it could range from groups overseas to individuals here at home. i think it's fair to say since 9/11 there hasn't been a six-month period without an attempt to stage a terror attack against the u.s., and it's a threat that's going to be with us for years to come.

>> what, if anything, did they say about the possible nature and scope of any future attack? >> well, they did say they believe the u.s. has greatly diminished al qaeda's capacity for planning and directing complicated and highly organized attacks so that future attempts will be less disciplined, more the work of individuals, and that could range from attempted bombings to even cyber attacks on the computer networks that control critical facilities here in the u.s., and they did say they think the u.s. is not well defended against those attempted computer attacks. >> they also asked for more flexibility on how they interrogate these terrorist suspects in the future. that word flexibility, what do you think they meant by that? >> well, they mean the ability to adapt to changing circumstances, to not necessarily follow a set script. they think they need a little more flexibility than what they have now. >> finally, umar abdulmutallab, the man accused of trying to bring down that northwest flight on christmas day, he is talking now with investigators. do you have any idea what he might be saying and why he would

be talking now? >> yes, and he has, and this is a very dramatic change in generating valuable intelligence about the al qaeda terrorists in yemen who are considered responsible for his attack. the federal officials say that abdulmutallab has been talking freely to the fbi since last thursday about what led up to that plot to blow up a passenger jet from amsterdam as it came in for a landing in detroit christmas day, and they say that a big factor in his decision to cooperate was a visit with him from members of his family from nigeria. the fbi flew them to the u.s. last month, talked with them here in washington for a while, took them to detroit, and he began cooperating enthusiastically ten days later. and they say what he's telling us is proving to be current and reliable, that it's being aggressively pursued in yemen. he talked, remember, for about an hour after he was arrested on christmas day, then he stopped. now with his renewed cooperation, this case probably will end with a guilty plea and not a trial, meredith. >> finally, before i let you go,

this report about the attempted attack within the next six months is the kind of thing that sends chills down everybody's spine. should we step back a little bit from that? >> frankly, meredith, i think that anyone who thinks it's not likely that a terrorist somewhere in the world, including in the u.s., will attempt an attack against the u.s. in the next six months isn't paying attention. this is a threat that's going to be with us for a long time. >> but likely and certain are two very different things, pete. >> well, certain that they will attempt an attack. that's all they're saying, not that one will succeed, necessarily. just look at this past year. we had the guy from denver who was trying to get a bomb formula to work, najibullah zazi. we had people attempting bombings in the southwest. all kinds of ideas ranging from the completely incompetent, totally unprepared to the rather

prepared, none of whom were successful, but all of whom attempted. so, that is the key to the answer. will someone attempt this within the next six months? no question. they have since 9/11. >> nbc's pete williams, thank you so much. it is 7:06 and here's matt. meredith, we're learning more about the ten arrested missionaries in haiti for attempting to take 33 children out of the country. were they warned in advance that what they were doing was illegal? nbc's michelle kosinski is in port-au-prince with the latest. michelle, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. the haitian constitution says police can hold someone for 48 hours before they see a judge. well, here it's been four days, four nights in jail. a judge only got through seeing some of these americans yesterday. their attorney was not allowed, and now there's still no decision on whether they will be charged with attempted child trafficking. >> that god is going to bring us to a positive closure and we're just waiting for that answer. >> reporter: still behind bars, the leader of the church group is trying to stay strong. while back home in idaho, family

members of the jailed missionaries broke down. >> we are doing everything, everything we can to secure their release. >> reporter: haitian officials accuse the missionaries of child trafficking, questioning their methods and intentions in trying to take 33 children, including infants, these two sisters, 13-year-old sheznair and his three siblings out of the country to an orphanage the group had been preparing in the dominican republic. they say they had full permission from the children's pastor and from the parents of those children who still have them. >> some of them lost their houses, okay? so, they expect to have a better life. >> reporter: but this human rights activist has told the u.n. that she met group leader laura silsby and warned her ahead of time that her plan, without proper documentation, could be against the law. >> so i said to them, even if you want to do this, even if you feel a calling, there is a process, there is law, and it's going to be applied here, so you need to be very careful.

you could get arrested and you really don't want to end up in jail, in a haitian jail, especially. >> reporter: at this home in port-au-prince, where 9 of those 33 children had been living, caretakers say now their parents are looking for them to get them back, even though here they insist those parents did give explicit permission for their children to go with the americans. an aunt of one boy was too upset to talk about it. some parents are coming here to the tranquil, lush refuge where all of the children are now being cared for, but the parents are not allowed to see them yet. >> it's still unclear why have these children been on the bus, why did the parents give them away. >> reporter: sheznair, doting on his brothers and baby sister, told us he knew he was going away for a long time, even possibly permanently, but that he wanted to go with the nice people to a nice place where he could play. he says he'd like to see his parents again but wants to stay

here at the orphanage. the haitian government says this group was involved in an elicit adoption scheme. the prime minister has said it's now clear that they knew what they were doing was wrong, something this church group denies, and they hope today they'll be released and will at least know if this case against them is going to move forward. matt? >> all right, michelle, thank you very much. michelle kosinski in port-au-prince for us this morning. now to our exclusive interview with first lady michelle obama. she's been under intense scrutiny ever since her husband decided to run for president, and the spotlight has only grown brighter during president obama's first year in office. we sat down with mrs. obama at the white house on tuesday, and i began by asking her what it's like to have everything you do, say and wear make headlines all around the world. could you have imagined the magnitude -- >> no. >> -- of the attention that you've received over these past 12 months? >> no. i don't think i'm that

interesting. i don't think my husband is that interesting. i keep wondering, are they still talking about you? but no. there's no way i could have predicted it, but i can say that i've enjoyed this year. i feel honored and privileged to be this nation's first lady. it's been a wonderful welcome. >> it seems a guessing game going on about you, mrs. obama. people are trying to figure out what kind of first lady you want to be, and do you want to be a first lady in the laura bush mold, a little lower profile and less controversy or maybe in the hillary clinton mold, a little higher profile and maybe with that comes more controversy. have you thought about that? >> every first lady who sat in these shoes or stood in these shoes has brought something very different to the task. that's sort of the beauty of this. we don't have a job description. so, i think every model is one that i learned from, but my goal overall is just to be helpful. i mean, fundamentally, i want to look back on this time and feel

like i affected somebody's life because i was here. >> your popularity at the polls, right now they have you at about a 70% approval rating. that is higher than mrs. bush at this stage of her being first lady, higher than hillary clinton when she was first lady, and i should mention that your husband's approval rating -- you're chuckling -- has gone a little bit in the other direction. it came in in the mid-60s, he's now at about 47%. has it been hard for you over this past year to witness some of the things that have been said about him, the criticism that has been leveled at him and the reality of this job? >> it's part of the job. this has been a tough year for the nation, folks out of work, two wars. we have an economy that we pulled from the brink of depression. folks, you know, they're looking for work, they're losing their homes. i mean, so, americans are rightfully frustrated, and the

person in charge is the person folks look to. health insurance reform is the next step, so we're going to need you all. >> you did get out there and push for health care reform, and since the loss of ted kennedy's seat in massachusetts, it's far from certain, and it seems some democrats are willing to maybe let it go to the back burner and let it go with the whimper as opposed to a bang. will it pass? can your husband get it done? >> i hope so. the country needs health care. it's hard, it's scary, it's confusing, but i hope for our country's sake that we can do this now and not wait until things get worse. i mean, i agree with the president when he said that we don't have the option to do nothing. he's right. >> i was here almost a year ago today interviewing your husband on super bowl sunday. it was a heady time for you as a family and for democrats. there was all the talk of hope and change, and here as we sit

here a year later, the mood and the tone have changed dramatically, and i'm just worried if that stings a little bit. >> you know, i think we're all, you know, working. we have to continue to work on how to disagree without being disagreeable. barack warned us about this over the course of the campaign. he talked about hope, but hope, with that, comes compromise and sacrifice, and it's painful and it takes time, and it's true, and we're sort of feeling the pain of that, and it's a natural reaction for -- >> but has it been hard to keep your spirits up and his spirits up? >> i don't want to seem, you know, unrealistically optimistic, but our experiences on the ground are outstanding. >> you mean, when you go out and meet people. >> when we go out and meet people, even people who are struggling. folks are gracious in this

country. they're enthusiastic. they want this country to succeed. i think that they are confident that they have a president who cares and who's serious. they may not agree with the direction, but that's what we feel. >> during the campaign, when your husband was running for president, you were out on the campaign trail, there was a lot of criticizing of president bush and his policies. i'm just wondering now 12 months later, being the family in the white house, if your perspective on that has changed, in that perhaps maybe it would have been better to be less judgmental now that you know the pressures that the president is under. >> yeah, well, you know, i think that on the campaign trail my husband, his goal was to be truthful and honest about the problems that we face. the truth is, is that this job is hard. >> right. >> it's hard for every person who sits in that office. i think that's one of the sort of unifying things about presidents and former presidents, is that only they

and their families understand the pressure of this job, and obviously, we have much more respect for those who have held the position, but barack will face others who will follow him who will be critical and should have the right to be critical of things that they don't agree with. >> you just mentioned the pressures of the job, and i'm not sure if your husband was standing here i'd ask this question in the same way, but i'll try it with you privately. you know, if i were to hold a picture of your husband up from 16 months ago and i were to hold a picture up next to it of today, the obvious truth is, the job has aged him a little. you look at his hair, it's grayer. >> yeah. >> there's little more wear and tear on his face. he still looks good, mind you. >> he's cute! >> i'm not bad-mouthing your husband here -- >> hey. no. >> when you look at him, do you notice the toll that it's taken physically on him? >> you know, probably -- no, because i see him every day. it's the kind of thing, you see your kids every day, you don't

notice that they've grown two inches until you stand up next to them and go what happened to you? you know, i tease barack all the time, because you know, the gray issue is interesting because his mother, his grandfather, they were all completely gray, so he was going that direction anyway. >> let me read you some of the accolades you've received over the past year or so, okay? >> take your time. >> no, okay, i'll go through them slowly. you were named to "forbes" magazine's most powerful women list, "people" magazine's most beautiful list, "time" magazine's most influential list, and you made "maxim" magazine's list of hottest women. >> no, i didn't hear that. are there people laughing about that? >> i didn't even hear a chuckle, not one chuckle. i don't know a lot of people who can live in those two worlds that i've just mentioned here. >> yeah, i don't know anyone who can, either. it's a good thing i don't know. well, you know, i approach this

position like i approach my life. i try to be as authentically me as i can be. i've said this before. because it's easier to maintain it. so, what people have seen over the course of the year is really michel michelle, and i find a level of comfort in that role. so, i don't think about occupying a list or a title. i still see myself as michelle obama, the girl who grew up on the south side of chicago, marian and frasier's daughter. i've got this husband who does these interesting things and i'm malia and sasha's mother. >> and malia and sasha, by the way, were upstairs doing their homework while we were doing that interview. >> you understand why her approval rating is as high as it is, because she's just a very, very likable person. >> no question about it. by the way, we'll have more with mrs. obama in our next hour, including what a typical conversation around the obama dinner table is like. do you know roses and thorns? you ever heard of that?

>> no. >> i think some people did -- it's kind of, not a game, but kind of an exercise they go through at the dinner table. we'll explain that. >> we do nothing at the dinner table. >> we eat and scram, exactly. >> all right, let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories from ann curry at the news desk. ann, good morning. >> good morning, meredith and matt. good morning, everybody. in the news this morning, three u.s. soldiers were among the dead in pakistan today in a bombing. a bomb hit their security convoy as they were traveling near a girls school. in all, at least 7 people were killed and about 70 wounded, many of them children from the school. another bombing in iraq this morning targeted shiite pilgrims in karbala. at least 20 people were killed in that bombing. today, iran says it successfully test-fired a new rocket capable of carrying satellites into space. iran's president ahmadinejad said that it showed his country could defeat the west when it comes to technology. this morning, appeals judges in the netherlands ruled that the international criminal court should reconsider its decision not to indict sudan's president on charges of genocide in

darfur. they said the court had made an error of law. president omar al bashir is already facing charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in darfur. overseas markets are higher this morning. as for wall street, cnbc's melissa lee is at the new york stock exchange. and melissa, aig's again under scrutiny. >> that's right, ann. today is big pay day for some aig employees. aig is paying out $100 million in retention bonuses to the financial products unit. that's essentially the group that traded the derivatives that led to the company's collapse. now, the total may sound like a lot. it's actually $20 million less than promised to these employees who contract signed long before the crisis. aig has told them if they don't take the cut bonuses, they won't get any bonuses at all. we should note this was worked out with the government special master on pay to avoid further public outrage. we'll see about that, ann. >> yes, we will. melissa lee, thank you. utility crews in oklahoma are still coping with a huge ice storm that hit last week. it brought down so many trees and power lines that thousands of homes are still without

electricity today and the power may not be back on for days. it is now 20 minutes past the hour. let's go back to matt and meredith. that doesn't look like a happy job. >> not at all. >> that can't be fun. it really can't. ann, thank you very much. we appreciate it. let us get a check of the weather this morning. mr. roker has taken my place at the white house. al, what's going on? yeah, except you were inside. i'm outside. [ laughter ] >> you should go knock on that big door behind you. >> oh, that one

>> the storm is pulling away and things are quieting down now. there could be snow showers and flurries for those of you watching in the northwest suburbs and mountains. for most of us, a mixture of clouds a and that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you very much. and still ahead, we'll have much more of matt's exclusive interview with the first lady, including what was the best and worst part of her day on tuesday.

still ahead, "today" goes inside the o.r. to watch brain surgery live. dr. nancy snyderman is there. hey, nancy. >> reporter: meredith, today we're at mt. sinai medical center. dr. ron alterman right behind me doing brain surgery today for a gentleman with a tumor. ben is on the table, and the important thing today, meredith, he is awake. we will check back in here with him, patient and the doctor, in just a little while. >> amazing. he's awake. i'm going to pass out cold in about 30 seconds. plus, a new arrest in the case of baby gabriel.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. time to get a check on the morning commute with traffic pulse 11 and sarah caldwell. >> as we have been saying all morning, the important thing is not to be overconfident on the road. they are in good shape by and large, but we have some slick spots out there. falls road, shut down at gunpowder road. take mount carmel as your alternate there. windsor mill and woodlawn,

another accident coming in. and security also has downed wires. westbound 32 at i-95, accident being cleared. another one at severn road. thankfully, volume not a big problem. a lot of schools are delayed this morning. that is being for a nice to commit. -- that is making for a nicer, it. we have a live view of a couple of spots. i-95 south of the beltway northeast, flowing very well at this point. west side of the beltway at baltimore national pike, a little bit of fog, but no major delays there. >> good morning, everyone. pulling to the northeast, still some snow showers and hd doppler. watched by fredericktown west, the possibility of snow showers and flurries. of a thing should be quite for the rest of the day.

right now we're in the upper 20s and 30s. there could be a little slipping and sliding going on. eventually the clouds will break up and we will see some time getting through. that will melt off a lot of the snow. high temperatures and the upper 30's and low 40's. i stabbed thursday. on the weekend, -- nice day on thursday. on the weekend, friday and saturday for the wintry mix. >> check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information, along school plays. school plays.

7:30 now on this wednesday morning, february 3rd, 2010. we've got a few flakes out on the plaza. >> wait a minute. >> i am not talking about our crowd. >> these are our customers! >> you're the flake inside. we had snow overnight, folks. i'm meredith vieira alongside matt lauer. and coming up in this half hour, sudden infant death syndrome. it is a nightmare scenario for parents of a newborn. >> it has long been a mystery as to what, perhaps, caused it, but now new research may have pinpointed a possible factor in sids. coming up, important information that all parents will want to hear. plus, we're going to have more of our special series "today goes inside the o.r." you are looking live as a brain

surgery procedure gets under way at mt. sinai medical center right here in new york city, and if you can believe it, the patient, 81-year-old benjamin, is awake through it all and talking. dr. nancy snyderman is also there, and she's going to fill us in on exactly what is going on in just a bit. plus, we're going to have much more of our exclusive interview with first lady michelle obama, including how she helps her husband keep what happens in the oval office out of the family residence. but let's begin with a new arrest connected to the disappearance of 8-month-old gabriel johnson, now missing for more than a month. nbc's miguel almaguer has the details. >> i am innocent and god is with me. >> reporter: she was a person of interest, but now tammi smith is under arrest. arizona police have charged her with three felonies, including custodial interference in the case of 8-month-old gabriel johnson, the blond, blue-eyed baby hasn't been seen since december 26th, when his mother, elizabeth johnson, says she gave him away to strangers in san

antonio. police don't believe smith was involved in the disappearance but say she did mislead investigators, and they say she was in contact with elizabeth as she drove from her home in arizona to texas, where the baby was last seen. >> tammi was basically working with her in order to provide a place for her potentially to go and some help along the way. >> reporter: police say the relationship between smith and  johnson goes back months, when tammi and her husband first agreed to adopt gabriel, but when logan mcqueary, the baby's father, refused to give up custody, police say tammi smith pressured him as johnson drove to texas with baby gabriel. after johnson was arrested, smith spoke openly to the press. >> i think there's a lot of people to investigate and i haven't heard that they're investigating the few people that need to be investigated as deeply as jack and i have been. >> reporter: her attorney tells nbc news smith never intended to interfere with anyone's

custodial rights and had only tried to convince johnson to bring baby gabriel back. late tuesday night, her husband spoke out. >> she will walk out of that jail. she will be completely exonerated from this. she will be apologized, and this will all be behind us. >> reporter: but now, both smith and johnson are in county jail and police say they're no closer to finding baby gabriel. >> we are less and less optimistic that gabriel's still alive. >> reporter: for "today," miguel almaguer, nbc news. it is now 7:33. once again, here's meredith. >> matt, thank you. it has been 22 days now since that powerful magnitude 7 earthquake rocked haiti. organizations, including the controversial search of scientology, have sent volunteers to the region, but what exactly are they doing there? we had nbc's kerry sanders check it out. kerry, good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning, meredith. look, catholic relief services, the southern baptist convention, they're well known for their work in disasters, but now,

quietly, the church of scientology is helping those in need. and as we discovered, they were at ground zero following 9/11, they were at katrina, and now they're here, often doing the work that no one else wants to. frenetic chaos of this make-shift operating room. doctors found unexpected helping hands. there, peeking out from under their scrubs, those yellow shirts are a tip-off. 150 volunteers from the sometimes controversial church of scientology. like 22-year-old josh hawkins. no medical background, now working with surgeons. >> they were very sketchy when they first saw us. i think just because of scientology, the name has some people associated with, so on and so forth. >> your little baby suffered some fractures -- >> reporter: doctors like rosemary duda, a catholic from boston, didn't even know who

they were. >> i am totally impressed with these young adults from the scientology church. they have just been so effective for us. >> people see the fact that, you know, the amazing work that we've been doing, just the love that we've been giving. they're like, oh, these are actually cool guys. they're not weird, freaky people, things like that, you know? >> reporter: nicole greenwood from los angeles found her role here. scientology teaches there's a connection between the mind and touch. it's called an assist. in 20 minutes, we watched as nicole took the pain from the little girl with frowns to giggles. nicole says scientologists are not here to spread their beliefs. >> we don't even mention religion. we're here to help people. i don't think that cleaning toilets is going to get anyone to join the church. >> reporter: actor and accomplished pilot john travolta flew in tons of medical aid. he's a scientologist, but that never came up. >> when we arrived, we had 50,

100 people, marines and volunteer ministers from our church helping us unload it. >> reporter: scientologists believe members' lives improve when they're highly organized. so, when you arrive here with those teachings, you can -- >> we can organize. we can find out what's needed and wanted and we can deliver those in an organized fashion. >> reporter: and in all the chaos, a sobering moment when josh cut his finger with a used bloody scalpel. he'll now be on preventive aids medication for the next six months. >> i'm still glad i came, beyond belief. >> reporter: even with this? >> oh, yeah, definitely. >> reporter: well, josh and the others say they are here for the long-term, three to five months, and then they'll rotate out and other members of the church of scientology will replace them. meredith? >> kerry sanders, thank you so much. and now let's get a check of the weather from al, who is at the white house for us this morning. >> announcer: "today's weather is brought to you by turbotax software.

turbotax, choose easy. . and good morning, everybody. we'll be inside the white house kitchen coming up in the next hour, talking about healthy cooking alternatives for our children, but right now we are keeping our eye down in texas, where this big storm is getting itself together. the storm track on this storm brings it out wednesday night on into thursday, thorough the gulf bringing heavy rain. and as we move through the day friday, we look for an icy mix and then snow working its way up into the northeast from on into ohio, the upper ohio river valley. snowfall amounts two to six inches from illinois all the way to new york, but as you typically look at west virginia, virginia, maryland, including washington, d.c., and southern new jersey, anywhere from six inches to half a foot -- i should say a foot of snow by saturday >> the weather should be improving as we head to the day to day. the snow was pulling out of the northeast and we will see a mixture of clouds and sunshine as we head to the afternoon.

as we head to the afternoon. a chance for snow and meredith, coming up in the next half hour, explain the difference between six inches and half a foot. >> i'm not going anywhere near that, al. thank you very much. such a bright man. up next, have doctors solved the mystery of what causes sudden infant death syndrome? we're going to talk to a doctor about a remarkable new finding.

we're back now at 7:42, and this morning on "today's health," a major breakthrough in understanding sudden infant death syndrome. a new study suggests that a chemical in the brain may be linked to an increased risk of sids. dr. darshak sanghavi is chief of pediatric cardiology at the university of massachusetts medical school. dr. sanghavi, good morning. we should point out, you weren't involved in this research. >> that's correct. >> and when i say a certain chemical in the brain, more accurately, it is the lack of a certain chemical in the brain. >> that's right. there's a chemical in the brain, a neurotransmitter, that allows neurons to talk to each other. this is called serotonin. and it turns out that in babies

who have died of sids, the amount of that chemical is reduced, possibly not letting those nerves talk to each other, and as a result, not letting those babies respond to potential life-threatening situations. >> so, these children, these infants are not producing adequate levels of this serotonin? >> that's right. and as a result, maybe they can't wake up or get themselves out of a situation. >> so, why is there a connection between serotonin and this ability? and let's give a good example. if the infant falls asleep face down and finds itself with its mouth or nose against the sheets, gets less oxygen than it should have -- >> yes. >> -- and perhaps more carbon monoxide. other children would wake up and right the situation. why does serotonin or the lack of it cause these infants not to do that? >> all of us have a certain part of the brain in the brain stem. we breathe without really thinking about it. it's a reflex. and so, we rely on these nerves being able to talk to each other with these chemicals. if they don't have that ability to send that message back and forth, then they won't remember

to breathe. >> i want to make sure i understand this. does this research point to this level of serotonin as the sole cause of sids or simply a factor? >> i think it's important to point out this is very preliminary data. it may be a cause or may be a single factor. >> and i can almost hear parents out there right now saying, wait a second, if we think there's a link between serotonin and sids, is there a test? can we find out if my infant is producing adequate levels of serotonin? >> i mean, that's the question we would all really, really love to answer. turns out, we can't do that yet. this study, unfortunately, was done on autopsy specimens, so these babies have already passed away. we can't do these tests on babies that are still alive. >> what we can do is take preventive measures. as we move to the crib, we have a couple examples. this is the way people should be putting their infants to sleep. >> that's right. >> this is the wrong way. >> that's right. and let me explain why that is. if you look at this infant here, this baby is on a lot of bedding, is also near a bumper and is also face down. now, remember, if this baby is sleeping, that baby's going to be getting all that carbon

dioxide, breathing it right back in. and because this baby may have a problem with serotonin, it's not going to be able to wake up and actually go ahead and continue breathing. >> there are people who worry that if they place their children asleep this way, they're going to get a flat spot on the back of their head, or if that child should vomit in the middle of the night, that they would choke on the vomit. >> yes. these are common concerns people have. it turns out that that flatness that's seen there really isn't something parents should worry about, because the brain actually -- i mean, the skull actually does normalize over time. in addition, even if they vomit, babies can go ahead and clear that out. it's not a problem. >> another thing, you want some tummy time? >> yeah. >> why is that important? >> well, i think it's important to remember that babies all need to develop. they need to learn how to use their arms, develop head control. we don't want them to lay on their back all the time. >> do not share sleeping spaces with children and do not smoke while pregnant or around infants. >> absolutely critical. >> all right. let's move back over here because i want to turn here and talk about something else. the university of pennsylvania conducted some research about

sex education with younger teenagers and the impact on their sexual activity a little later in life. what'd we find? >> yes. well, what they found is that children who were in middle school years, given an abstinence-only curriculum, which is somewhat controversial, had an increased risk of going ahead and engaging in sex. >> a third of the children with abstinence training program engage made it sexual activity over the next two years? >> that's right. >> compared to what level for students who god a different kind of education? >> about half of those students did engage in sex. >> so, obviously, people will draw the conclusion we should move to more abstinence-only training? >> some people will draw that conclusion. i think it's important to caution against that, because it's important with these kinds of educational initiatives to think about, what are we trying to accomplish? are we just trying to reduce the amount of sex that young kids have or are we trying to teach healthy activities that last them a lifetime? and this study actually doesn't really give us a lot of information about that.

does it reduce the risk of teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and those other factors as people get older? >> dr. sanghavi, thank you very much for your time this morning. >> thank you very much. >> appreciate it. still ahead, what's cooking at the white house kitchen this morning. al will take us on a tour, but first, these messages.

we are back at 7:50. al's down in washington. al, pay close attention to this one. i know you probably couldn't stay up to watch "late night with jimmy fallon," but one of

our colleagues, right here, was on and took a few shots at you, literally. take a look. >> meredith and i are about to see who has the olympic gold medal snowball-throwing skills. there's a moving roker that's worth 50 points. i'm going for rokey, man. come on, roker, come on, buddy boy. whoo-hoo! does that count? >> that counts, right? come on, roker. oh! >> pretty good. >> you need to know, al -- al? i love you. [ laughter ] al, put the ball down now, al. actually, in the commercial break i hit him twice. >> did you? >> yeah. >> i was going to say, al, you're safe, don't worry. as long as the snowball's in her hand, you're safe. give it a shot. who's on camera today, al? >> jill. i'm not going -- >> take your best shot, al. >> no, i don't want to miss you and hit him. >> all right -- >> but i'm going to save this.

i'm bringing this back with me. >> oh, goodie. i'm ready for you, roker. >> okay. second thought. >> we're going to have more with al from washington at the white house in a little while and -- more on your exclusive interview with michelle obama. what's she going to talk to you about, thorns and roses? >> roses and thorns, actually, something they do at the dinner table. and she'll talk about how her daughters are adjusting to life in the white house and her lofty goal for kids in the united states.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11 standing by. >> it started out on a busy side and now we are dealing with a couple of incidents. major roadways and a pretty good shape. watch for slick spots on some of the side roads. boggs road shut down and gunpowder road. take mount carmel as your alternate. harrisburg expressway j.f.x. in great shape. but woodlawn drive at windsor mill, accident coming in the quiznos section. and traffic lights -- in the

twin oaks section. at the dock, another accident location for you. on the major roadways, a pretty good shape. it helps that schools are delayed this morning. we're not seeing the same volume that we normally see. 20 minutes on this west side outer loop. here is a live view and a couple of spots, at 100, great shape. northbound sat down in this direction at howard county. -- northbound and southbound in this direction of the howard county. tony has a check on the forecast. >> the storm is pulling away to the east. still some snow showers and flurries and it the northwest -- snow showers and flares in the northwest suburbs. upper 20s and loaf 30's. forecast for today is a little

bit of sunshine and a breakdown in the clouds later this afternoon. a chance for a couple of snow showers and flurries. >> our next live update coming your way at 8:25.

8:00 now on a wednesday morning. it's the 3rd day of february 2010, and harry potter fans, take a look. that is your very first look at the much-anticipated wizarding world of harry potter at universal orlando resort. we've got exciting news, if you've ever dreamed of going to its opening, and we'll share that news with you in just a little while. meanwhile, we're stepping out here on the plaza on what is kind of a snowy day here in the northeast. cool temperatures, 30 degrees. we've had some flurries in the air and we've got a nice group of people gathered to say hi to

the folks at home. >> we certainly do. >> meanwhile, i'm matt lauer along with meredith vieira. al is down in washington. >> al is at the white house. he was outside. he's heading inside, into the kitchen, where the chef is actually getting a little help making breakfast. there we go. some very nice looking kids. we're going to check in with all of them in just a bit. all right. also ahead, we're going to have more of our exclusive interview with the first lady, michelle obama. she talks about how sasha and malia are doing in washington. are they the same kids today that they were when they moved into the white house and what does the obama family do and share with each other around the dinner table each night? we'll talk about that. >> all right. so, yesterday, a baby was born on the "today" show. >> yes. >> how do you top that? >> um, you know, it's like we'd have to perform brain surgery or something like that. >> you're right! you're right, mr. roker, you don't have a brain, it's amazing. >> i'm mr. lauer, by the way. >> oh, i'm sorry! >> speaking of who doesn't have a brain. >> oh, that's right. anyway, i'm going to get a brain

or something. we're going to see brain surgery performed live. dr. nancy snyderman is there. i'm so embarrassed. >> it's okay. >> let's go in to ann, right? >> exactly. >> is it ann? >> ann at the news desk. take it away. >> matt, i think you need to give meredith a hug. the nation's top intelligence official is testifying before a house committee today, one day after warning a senate panel that he is certain al qaeda or an affiliate will attempt an attack on american soil within the next six months. today, three u.s. soldiers were killed and one wounded when a roadside bomb went off near a new school for girls in pakistan. officials say that several civilians were also killed and about 70 were wounded, many of them children. iran says it successfully launched an upgraded rocket today that carried live animals into space for scientific research. western nations are concerned that iran's rocket technology could be used for military purposes. iran's president ahmadinejad, meantime, has suggested that a prisoner swap could happen for those three

american hikers who have been jailed ever since crossing the border into iran several months ago. we have chief correspondent andrea mitchell with more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. u.s. officials hope this might signal a break in the case, but they are rejecting out of hand any notion that those three innocent american tourists, those hikers, are equivalent in any way to iranians being held in u.s. jails for trying to bust economic sanctions. in an interview with msnbc, i asked vice president joe biden about iran's regime, including its execution of political prisoners. >> but look, when they acted as they did, when the first protest broke out and people were brutalized, they lost their moral credibility in their own country and around the region, and i think they're sewing the seeds for their own destruction that is the leadership, and you see that response. >> reporter: at the same time, u.s. intelligence officials have warned congress that iran remains capable of developing a

nuclear weapon. as american spy agencies upgrade their concerns about iran's growing nuclear threat. ann? >> andrea mitchell this morning. andrea, thank you for your reporting. today a judge in haiti is expected to finish with those americans accused of smuggling a busload of kids out of haiti. the judge met with the group jailed since friday but has issued no finding so far. the americans' attorney was not allowed in and it is not clear if child trafficking charges will be filed. four workers were hospitalized on tuesday night after a portable stage collapsed outside sun life stadium in miami, the site of sunday's super bowl. the nfl says that the injuries were not life-threatening. and it is the first day of panda school in china. 16 pandas whose mothers survived the 2008 earthquake in sichuan province, started nursery school today. the pandas will learn to socialize and make the transition from mother's milk to solid food and the important step on the road to independence. and it is now four minutes past the hour. let's get another check of the

weather. we've got al in the snow in front of the white house. hey, al. >> and you have pandemonium! unbelievable. sorry, i couldn't resist. as we take a look, our pick city of the day today just happens to be our nation's capital, washington, d.c. wrc, nbc 4, morning clouds. already starting to see some breaks in the clouds. look at the temperature departures, though, as that storm pulls out of texas. anywhere from 15 to 25 degrees below normal. in fact, we can see teens and 20s up through the plains, northern new england as well. 60s and 70s down through florida and along the weather map, heavy rain down in florida -- i should say i >> the storm that give us snow last night is going away. the rest of the day should be pretty quiet. a mixture of clouds and some sunshine. a chance of snow showers and flurries in the

and that's your latest weather, meredith. i'm heading inside to the kitchen here at the white house. >> all right, have fun, al. we'll catch up with you in a few moments. but up next, more of matt's exclusive interview with michelle obama, our first lady. what impact will growing up in the white house have on sasha and malia? a cold or flu can start fast...

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we're back now at 8:08 with more of our exclusive interview with first lady michelle obama. we had the chance to talk to her about a number of topics, including her new initiative to fight childhood obesity and how her husband juggles the pressures of the presidency with everyday family life. >> he is still an optimistic person at heart. he doesn't bring the problems of the oval office to the residence. >> and you like that. you like the fact that there's a separation between what happens in that office during the day and the family quarters. >> well, i think that's part of the challenge in the lines that you have to draw when you live above the shop, as they say. >> right. >> we do it mostly for our kids, you know, so that they have a normal family environment. and i think it's also a pressure reducer for us. when you sit around the dinner table, you walk into the door

and everything goes away except for what's right before you -- your kids, their issues, their challenges, their questions. >> you said something recently, and i liked it as the father of three kids, and two of mine are close to the age of malia and sasha. you said one of my greatest accomplishments over the last year is that my kids are sane, and they are the same kids today that they were when they moved to the white house. how much of an effort did that take, or has it taken? >> it's taken a great deal of effort and focus. it's been important to me their entire lives, because you don't just arrive at the presidency. i mean, there's a long pathway of sort of interesting life decisions that go along with it. so, barack and i have always been mindful that we want to make sure that the choices we make as adults, as parents, don't negatively affect our kids' lives, so that's -- >> is it impossible for this choice to not negatively impact

them in some way? >> right now it feels good, you know. little kids, you're just hoping that you're not messing them up, right? and we only know the outcome when they're 25 and out of the house and living decently, right? >> right. >> so, i, you know, i make no claims this early, but they seem like they're doing great. >> you've just taken on a new initiative, and it's right up your alley not only as first lady, but as a mom, and that is the issue of childhood obesity, which is a real problem in this country. why did you decide that that would be an issue you wanted to get involved with? >> well, there are the shocking statistics that are there. one in three kids are obese in this nation. the most shocking sort of reality that really hits you, that because of these statistics, the youngest generation is on track for the first time in this nation's history of being less healthy, having a shorter lifespan than their parents. you know, when we're talking about the future, we are talking about the health of our kids, but i also know as a mom, i can see how we got there or some of

how we got there. i can see how the burdens and pressures of modern day life just really -- we live differently. >> you mean, as a working mom, feeding your own girls before the white house? >> right, exactly. it is very hard when you're working, you're trying to get kids to activities, you're tired, you're stressed, to come home and even know how to prepare a three-course, healthy meal or have the time or the energy to do it. and slowly, we start making choices, kids stop walking, there's fewer opportunities to play, more computer time -- >> more stops at the fast-food -- >> more stops, and before you know it, you have a problem. so, it's not that parents don't care. it's just that we've got to help them. >> i'm glad to hear you say that you're not pointing the finger of blame, because i think parents feel so guilty. >> oh, gosh. >> you start talking about the health of their kids -- >> that's right. >> -- and those working parents you just talking about, some are working two jobs. >> absolutely. >> they're working overtime to

make ends meet. >> absolutely. >> they're saying i'm doing the best i can and i don't need someone holding me up as an example. >> absolutely right, and i certainly wouldn't have responded well to it because we all love our kids. this is intimately solvable. this isn't going to require new technology. we don't have to put a man on the moon. >> when you say it's solvable, you don't want to just talk about it, you want to see some results. so, at the end of three years, or if you're lucky enough, seven years, if that rate is 33% today of children who are either overweight or obese, what can you knock that down to? what's your goal? >> well, we're still working on benchmarks, because we want to have ambitious goals, but we want to have attainable goals. our broad goal is going to be to change the health status of an entire generation. >> i read that around the family dinner table you go through roses and thorns -- >> yeah. >> okay, so, roses and thorns, for the people out there who don't know, you basically say what good thing happened to me today and what bad thing happened to me today.

so, what's the best thing that happened to you today and what's the worst thing? >> oh, wow. well, the best thing is always dinner time, so it hasn't happened yet. but you know, we had a series of very good conversations around the lunch, meetings with folks who were really ready to roll up their sleeves in a non-partisan way and do something for our kids, and that's a big rose. >> what's a thorn? >> i haven't had a thorn yet. well, i walked upstairs and my daughter had an issue, you know, and it wasn't a big issue, but i'm coming up, changing and -- >> school issue, friend issue? >> right. it's just, you know, and of course, you're like, what is the matter? you're not happy? but you know, if i had to pick a thorn, it would be that, but it really doesn't rise to the level of a thorn. >> a tiny little thorn. >> right. it's a really itty-bitty thorn. >> see, she wasn't being very honest there -- >> you thought the thorn would be my interview? >> right there. >> i know you. what's your rose and thorn so far? >> being here with you, both. >> it's not even worth the time.

we're going to have more of our interview with michelle obama tomorrow on "today," including how the presidency has affected the obamas' marriage and how she deals with all those critics or critiques of her wardrobe. still ahead, a big announcement for harry potter fans.

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placed a probe in our patient's brain. dr. cho, the neurologist, and you're seeing ben struggle with this tremor, the left-side tremor. he is an extraordinary person, an extraordinary man, and we want you to meet him right now. 81-year-old ben culvert suffers from essential tremor or e.t., which can cause trembling in the hands, head or legs. >> the tremors started in about 1999-2000. as it progressed, i found that i was having trouble keeping my food on thought. my whole quality of life became hard it was hard to be upbeat when this was with you 24 hours, 7 days a week. that's when i decided to find out. >> after initial surgery on the left side of his brain, ben regained control of his right

hand. >> it went from this to this, completely, no shaking at all. but then i realized how many things you do that you need both hands. like, i wrote out checks with the right hand. i had no problem, but then i couldn't find the envelope with the left hand. >> reporter: he now hopes to put an end to the shaking on his left hand and get his life back. >> i expect to start using a computer again, even play the piano again. one of the things i can't wait to do is to hug mera, my little granddaughter. that will be a good feeling. >> and dr. nancy, let me ask you -- >> reporter: so, to show -- >> go ahead, dr. nancy. >> reporter: to explain what's going on, dr. alterman is standing behind me in a sterile. he has already placed a probe into ben's brain. ben is awake. dr. cho is here from neurology. i want to show you again the tremor, and then dr. cho will go ahead and where this electrode is placed, she'll adjust the

current to hopefully make ben's tremor go away. so, ben, if you would lift up your arm -- >> touch your chin. touch my fingers. touch your chin. okay, here's the cup. bring it to your mouth. return the cup, okay. so, now we're going to try to see what the threshold is. >> and now with the electrode already placed in ben's brain and this contraption around his head important because it keeps his head very, very still. look at how the tremor has disappeared from ben's hand, and that is stimulating that deep probe in the motor area of his brain that now controls the left side. the right side of his brain being the operative side and look at how that's going. now i'll call in dr. alterman for a second, because ron, obviously, the stunning thing here is that you are operating on an awake patient. >> right. >> we don't normally think of brain surgery with a patient awake. why? >> well, if we were to put him

to sleep with the general anesthetic, the tremor would go away, so we wouldn't be able to know that we were really in the correct place to stop his tremor. fortunately, the brain doesn't have the ability to feel pain itself, so we're able to by simply numbing the scalp perform this entire operation without a general anesthetic at all. >> and the brain has no nerve fibers. the brain doesn't hurt when you operate on it. >> the brain cannot feel any pain for itself, no. >> let's talk about some of the dicey things. you also have him awake because we're talking about microns of safety, not even millimeters of safety. stroke, bleeding, those kinds of things can happen. >> correct, absolutely. we need to monitor the patient's neurological function. we need to have him awake in order to do the recordings to confirm that we're in the correct place. but finally, really, the issue is whether or not we can stop the tremor, or if we were to get any side effects of stimulation. so, if, for instance, we were to get a painful tingling, it would indicate that we were a little too far back. we could actually adjust our targeting here in the operating room. >> and if he doesn't know where he is or becomes disoriented,

cause for concern and you stop. >> absolutely. >> so, ben, let me sneak over here. how are you feeling? >> i'm feeling great. >> i have to ask you the obvious, because people are not used to seeing human beings with a big metal contraption around their head. is it disconcerting? >> for me? >> yes. >> i don't see it. >> you don't see it. >> no. >> and could you feel anything during this procedure? >> no. well, little bit, but -- >> all right. and can you -- your tremor, does it -- is it stunning to be able to control your hand now where you couldn't a few minutes ago? >> oh, yeah. i have full control now. >> and what does this mean for you then, being able to move this hand? >> a whole different quality of life. >> a whole different quality of life. so, there you have it, meredith. i mean, it is extraordinary. and let's just remind everyone, this takes a team from anesthes anesthesia, neurosurgery, neurology, extraordinary scrub techs and nurses. a hospital that is dedicated to doing this kind of thing, and of course, patients who understand that being awake during this kind of surgery is sometimes the safest, smartest way to go. but it's an extraordinary breakthrough in neurosurgical

medicine. >> amazing surgery and life-changing for people like ben, and also people with parkinson's as well -- >> that's exactly right. >> not just essential tremors. >> yeah, and dystonia. and here's where the cool future is going to be, and we're going to follow up with dr. alterman soon -- >> okay. >> think of depression, ocd, things like that. the future is really quite bright. >> dr. nancy snyderman, thank you so much for your reporting. it is now 8:24 and here's matt. >> meredith, thank you. it's time to check in with our good friend willard scott, who this morning is down in ft. myers, florida. willard, good morning. >> hey, good morning. matt, i'll call you after. i've got some news about that lottery ticket that we bought together. i think you'll be interested. anyway, happy birthday from smucker's, how sweet it is. the best people in the world, orville, ohio. take a look as the jam jar spins around. emma, my grandmother's name. emma mayer of rapid city, south dakota. colon cancer survivor and attributes her longevity to taking garlic every day.

107. cancer survivor. incredible. anna doerfler of glen allen, virginia, is 100 years old and enjoys relaxing in her cabin by the lake with her grandkids. loves to plant flowers, too. happy birthday. how sweet. johanna bergman of ashland, oregon, is 100 years old. get this, a holocaust survivor. stays active with ping pong tournaments and her grandkids. loves to swim. beautiful. what a story, huh? and james presciano of ashtabula -- great name -- ohio. i've begun there. retired carpenter who still is known as the family handyman. you need it fixed, he can handle it. doris lockness of the famous monster group, el dorado hills, california, is 100. got her pilot's license at 99 years old and loves to ride around in her new jaguar. oh!

jason and marjorie baade of lakeland, florida. 79 years married. he's 99, she's 95. they met at a high school carnival and he won her. well, that's the great birthday news from smucker's, where >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get a final check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> more evidence that the roads are very slick out there in spots. we have an accident coming in and gamble's road and a cut road, and eastbound 100 and route 2, all lanes blocked in the eastbound direction due to an overturned vehicle. new problems in anne arundel county. this occurring at 45 am eastern and dundalk. another one at woodlawn and went

out ave. the careful getting through the intersection. york road and an ashland road, accident in the cockeysville region. another one at falls road and gunpowder road. take mount carmel as your alternate. harrisburg expressway looking at and the rest of the major roadways fairing well. very light at this hour. the fact that many schools are delayed is helping in terms of volume. south of the 895 split, at no delays to report their. >> things are settling down in the weather department. there is still a little fog out there this morning. the snow is gone. we pick up snow showers and flurries here. won't see much, if anything at all, if you are watching that way. keep that in mind. there could be snow showers and flurries north of town. we are still getting reports of an accident.

the roads could be slick. more and more sunshine breaking through the clouds as we had to the afternoon. still a chance for snow showers. high temperatures on the upper 30's to around 40. a lot of this is going to mildred nice day to mark -- a lot of this going to melt. nice day tomorrow before the next snow comes in on saturday. >> another update at 8:55.

8:30 now on this wednesday morning, february 3rd, 2010. not the best of weather overnight. we had some snow and ice in the area, but these folks, thank goodness, made it safely to our plaza, and we are so happy to have them here this morning. just ahead, fans of the harry potter books and movies, stick around. we have the first live look at the much-anticipated wizarding

world of harry potter at universal orlando resort. we're going to tell you how you will have a chance to be at its opening this spring. >> my goodness, it's impressive looking. >> isn't it cool? also coming up, we'll be talking about the wonderful and sometimes scary relationship between mothers and their daughters. i think a lot of mothers are really tense about wanting to make sure that relationship is terrific. it is a very unique and special relationship. we're going to help you make sure that yours is terrific. >> okay. also ahead, al roker has made his way down to washington. he's at the white house and he's taking us inside the kitchen at 1600 pennsylvania avenue. he's going to do a little cooking and talk about healthy eating. al's down there right now, but before we talk about healthy eating, let's talk about the weather, mr. roker. all righty, guys, we will talk about the weather, and we're going to introduce you to our junior white house chefs and our assistant white house chef as well in just a little bit. first of all, let's see what's happening as far as your weather's concerned, and we are talking about that big storm out west. that's going to be an issue, obviously.

but for the weekend, it gets out of here, thankfully. we'll see the snow ending in the mid-atlantic states, windy conditions along the northeast coast, rain out west, sunshine through the gulf coast. then sunday, sunday! sunday's nice along the eastern seaboard, windy conditions in new england, rain in central >> the weather should be improving as we head to the day to day. the snow was pulling out of the northeast and we will see a mixture of clouds and sunshine as we head to the afternoon. a chance for snow and in just a little while, we are here in the white house kitchen. there is a new children's

healthy food initiative. sam kass is the food initiative coordinator, and these are our chefs here. they're going to help us show you how to cook healthy, you and your kids. so, we're going to do that in just a little bit live from the white house kitchen. and i've got to tell you, i am thrilled to be in the white house kitchen! this is so cool! guys? >> obamas or anything, are they? >> well, thanks, al. as we count down to vancouver, believe it or not, nine days to go until the opening ceremony, but vancouver just one of the exciting places that we have to visit this year. vancouver 2010. in just nine days, the games begin. we'll give you a front-row seat as all eyes are on american superstars like lindsey vonn. will she own whistler and sweep all five alpine skiing events? and what about bode miller? the skiing superstar seeks redemption after a lackluster performance in torino. speed skater apolo anton ohno is

sharpening his blades to make history. with five olympic medals already in hand, he's hoping to go further and become the most decorated u.s. olympian ever. the tried and true golden girls of the half pipe say it best. >> we can't wait! >> welcome to hogwarts. >> may is huge for harry potter fans the world over. the "today" show offers a first glimpse into the new wizardy world of harry potter attraction at the universal orlando resort. production designers from the hugely popular films worked closely with universal for five years, bringing harry's world to life. the park covers more than 20 acres. you'll find the legendary hogwarts castle, travel wizard style, and you can pick up your very own magic wand. now muggles the world over can make harry potter's journey their own. and check it out, harry potter fans. there is a live look at hogwarts castle at universal orlando resort, and we're showing it to you because this morning we're

kicking off "today's wizarding world of harry potter" contest. >> we're asking classrooms all across the country to tell us why they are extraordinary. maybe it's a special project you're involved in or an accomplishment you're proud of. if you want to tell us about that, go to our website at todayshow.com. there you're going to find out how your class can enter to win a trip to the opening celebration, which is taking place in the spring. and of course, we're going to be there for all the fun and excitement. >> something to look forward to. that's great! >> my kids would love that. >> absolutely. up next, we're going to meet a remarkable fleet of kids, a remarkable teenager who is out to change the world of medicine.

this morning on "the grio's 100 history-makers in the making," a surprising medical

pioneer. "today" contributing correspondent jenna bush hager introduces us to a young man whose fresh approach to things could have a big impact on medicine. >> reporter: prepping for surgery with full scrubs. the equipment is ready. the patient is, well, simulated, and that's a good thing, because the surgeon is only 15 years old. >> he shows very good talent, actually, for a young novice surgeon. >> reporter: tony hansbury is just a high school student, but he got the attention of real doctors when he took a new approach to a surgery technique used in hysterectomies in his school science project. what's extraordinary about him and his work? >> he has, you know, intelligence, motivation and certainly a good degree of eye-hand coordination and surgical skill at a very young age. >> reporter: tony studies medicine at darnell cookman medical arts magnet school in

jacksonville, florida, and his innovative project earned him the honor to study alongside medical residents at the university of florida's college of medicine. >> i like helping people. i like fixing them, fixing problems. >> reporter: his medical school is much like real medical school with specialized classes in anatomy, physiology and latin. the son of a preacher and a nurse, tony wants to be a neurosurgeon, a goal he focuses on every day. >> it's not uncommon for our family to sit around at dinner and to talk about medical issues. we're talking about cancer and the different types of cancer and what the treatment is. >> reporter: tony even sounds like a doctor. >> in the laparoscopic mold, a conventional needle -- suter it up horizontally as well as the endostitch. >> reporter: but, tony says, he's just like any other teenager.

do you ever have to say, tony, go do your homework or clean your room? >> tony is a normal kid who has priorities, and sometimes they're not cleaning his room and sometimes they're not doing his homework. >> reporter: but this normal kid even surprises seasoned doctors. >> it certainly is inspiring, and hopefully, motivating when they see his work, what he can do at his age. >> reporter: tony says it is the attitude of his parents and teachers who taught him he can achieve anything with hard work and steely determination. >> there's not a limit for any child and especially tony. i'm looking for great things from him. >> reporter: and if one doctor in training in the family isn't enough, tony has a twin. tyler wants to be a doctor, too. >> just put your heart and mind to it, and doesn't matter what other people say. just stick to it. >> reporter: a young man setting the bar high, helping people and hoping to save lives, all before he can even drive.

coming up next, improving the mother-daughter relationship. what one doctor has learned after counseling families for decades.

>> announcer: "today's moms" is brought to you by walmart. save money. live better. walmart. back at 8:43, and this morning on "today's moms," the mother-daughter relationship. while it is tremendously fulfilling, it can also be a powder keg of emotion just waiting to explode. we spoke with three modthers an three daughters who admitted to the occasional breakdown in communication. >> we have our good and bad days, you know. she's willing to listen, she'll listen, but if she's not, she'll just have closed ears. >> we don't really resolve our disagreements. it usually ends just like, all

right, mom, whatever, and i'll just walk away, or i'll just sit there and act like i'm listening and let her say her opinion and let it go in one ear and out the other. >> samantha since an early age has always had like the opposite viewpoint. so, i could say black and she'll say white. >> when we disagree, it makes me feel like she doesn't understand me and she doesn't see my point of view, which is sometimes visa versa. i don't see her point of view. >> little bit frustrating as a mom. sometimes you don't want her to have such a contrary opinion to what you're saying. >> you know when she's not happy. there's definitely the stomp, there's definitely the eye-rolling. there's definitely the, ugh. >> i don't roll my eyes that often. i have a lot of siblings, so sometimes i feel like they get more privileges than me, since i am the oldest. >> we don't fight as much, you know. >> i just wish we could have better communicating skills. >> i feel like i'm getting a peek into the adult that she'll become. i just love when she has her own opinions. i love watching her mature and i'm just really proud of who she's becoming.

>> and dr. charles sophie is a clinical psychiatrist and author of "side by side: the revolutionary mother-daughter program for conflict-free communication." that's a mouthful. dr. sophy, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> let's get this out of the way. people are going, wait a minute, not a mother, not a daughter, so how can he be so confident on the advice he gives on mother-daughter relationships? >> i understand that, but gender is not the biggest issue here. it's really having experience, and sitting here as a third party watching two people who can go from being best friends to absolute mortal enemies within seconds and then back again is really interesting to me. and then the power in that relationship, so i really want to take a stand on it and help moms shift that for themselves. >> you say there is no more dynamic more fascinating or frightening than the mother-daughter dynamic. why is that? >> it's really frightening to watch all that going on. i can hear it coming down my hallway before it gets to my office. they're leaving, they're hugging, fighting before they get to the car. it vacillates between so many

emotional shifts up and down that it's just something that i felt i was really interested in, i saw a lot of it, rich, poor, it didn't matter. >> but why particular to mothers and daughters? is it a hormonal thing, one woman and another? is there something else going on? >> well, i had found as i had worked over all these years, there's really four basic truths to what i see in a mother-daughter relationship. first one is that they really both speak the same language, they want the same thing in that relationship. they want love, they want understanding, they want respect, but they don't always give it, so they don't always get it. they roll their eyes. they have that body language that they know will trigger each other. so, they don't always use that at the right time. the third thing is that they do compete on some level, whether they're aware of it or not, and -- >> or want to admit it or not. >> exactly. and that they're both estrogenic beings, and sometimes estrogen at that intersection where one is going up and one is going down is sometimes not the best intersection to be parked at. >> you say one of the keys to success in the relationship is the mother not being addicted over finding a place where both

can agree, but isn't part of parenting a child teaching them when no means no and setting limits? >> absolutely. all i say to these mothers is please begin early. if you start with no meaning no and yes meaning yes, eliminate the maybes, then going forward you're not going to have many problems because you're clear and consistent. if you don't get on that path right away, it derails itself and so you have to go back, so there is a place for compromise at some point, but you can still say no in a different way is what i'm saying. >> we have an e-mail from one of our viewers, angie in pennsylvania. we asked people to send in their real-life situations. she writes, "my 14-year-old daughter recently asked to go to the mall. i have been at the mall, seen a lot of kids her age, but some are really not the kind of kids i want her hanging around. of course, she says all the kids go and not all the kids at the mall are bad. am i being too overprotective or apprehensive in saying no?" >> well, she's not being overprotective. she's not -- but she is apprehensive. i understand. it's a mom's fear. so, i would say to mom, please,

take a look at what you're fearful of, discuss it with your daughter, scope it out. go out there, maybe meet some of these kids, or say the first time i'm going to spend an hour there and i'll check on you when i'm there, but i won't follow you. work a compromise so y some freedom but she still is going to get what she wants and you're going to get what you want and your fear will be allayed, but it's really a fear starting. >> when it comes to mother-daughter relationships what doesn't work and what does -- you use sort of this chair analogy. can you explain to viewers what that is? >> yes. it's easier for people to understand something simple, to be able to work themselves through. oftentimes, moms and daughters find themselves mired in emotion. so, i gave them three positions to look at where they are with their daughter. they're either back to back in a conflict and they're not getting along, where they can't even see each other. >> so that's not good. >> right. so, that's two chairs back to back. i want to bring them through treatment and talking to them face to face to talk so they can end side by side going through life at the same pace, looking in the right direction. >> thus the title of the book "side by side."

>> you got it. >> for those with an older daughter, maybe they're in their 20s, they've had a relationship that hasn't worked too well, too late to make repairs? >> it's never too late. that's the good news for mothers and daughters. it's never too late to makegh r. as your daughter ages, maybe your daughter can read this book with you and you both get the strategy, better communicating tools and a better relationship. >> dr. sopfy, thank you very much. >> thank you. >> the book again is called "side by side." up next, al prepares breakfast in the white house kitchen. [tv set] hey! i've been paused for 20 minutes. the wasted energy isn't pausing. hit "save" and save as much as $200 a year by turning me off. [announcer] learn to speak the language of energy efficiency at bgesmartenergy.com.

this morning on "today's kitchen back to basics," breakfast at the white house. >> right now, al's inside the executive mansion's kitchen along with white house assistant chef and food initiative coordinator sam kass. >> and they're joined by a few kids from washington's ben elementary school. hey, al. >> hey, guys. i've got to tell you, i thought the white house kitchen was a huge, expansive thing. they do magic in a fairly small case and we have some small but good-sized assistant chefs to help today. we have marquette, we've got madelyn, susanah, and we have michael all here to help. three from the bancroft school and susannah is home-schooled. sam, you are the food initiative coordinator for mrs. obama. >> that is right. >> what is that? >> that encompassed a number of things. i've been helping her with her

garden and i'm helping her launch her initiative on childhood obesity coming up next week. >> and that involves, you know, helping kids eat well -- >> that's right. >> because if the kids are eating well, they'll probably force their parents to eat well. >> they are powerful actors in this, so we're looking to them to be leaders, absolutely. >> so, we're going to show how kids can get started early in the morning. >> that's right. >> take the reins of healthy eating. >> that's right. >> first of all, an easy-to-go out-the-door breakfast. >> this is for during the week for parents who have to get their kids out the door. we're doing a waffle sandwich. >> so, madelyn and marquette are going to work on that. what do we do? >> we're going to pop in a couple of the waffles. then we have some peanut butter. they can pick a jelly, a strawberry or grape, and then we're going to put some bananas in there, but you want to make one, too, al? >> sure! >> okay. pop in a couple extra waffles for al. >> okay. >> there we go. and then -- so, we'll get those going, and then you want to start cutting a banana some. >> i'll slice one --

>> and make sure we do it with the bear claw so we don't cut any fingers. >> right. don't want any of that. >> just like that. that's very good. then over here, this is one that's more for like a saturday morning, when you have a little more time. we're going to call this egg in the hole. >> egg in the hole! >> my grandfather taught me this when i was a very young kid, so we're excited for this. ready for this? >> yes. >> all right, let's go. let's get to it. starting off with bread. >> and always helpful to use whole grain bread? >> whole wheat bread and whole wheat waffles as well. so, we cut out the circle, just like that, and we put a little butter in there for us. we put a little butter in the pan. >> want to put a little butter in the pan? >> let's get this on, we'll heat it up. >> and sam, while we're getting -- while the kids are cooking this, tell me about this healthy food initiative. >> it's, you know, the initiative is going to encompass a wide range. it has lots of parts. you know, it's going to encompass all different agencies

in the government. we're going to be looking to community groups, private sector, all kinds of people that come together. but really, what this is about is getting simple tools for parents and families to help make better choices. >> right. >> so, right here, this is the essence of it. so, having kids being able to eat healthy food that tastes great and that they love. >> so, madelyn and marquette, their waffle's out. they're getting ready to put peanut butter and jelly. and then -- >> little more butter in there. yeah, just a little more. and then we're going to crack our egg. >> all right. and the great thing is, the kids are taking part in their own health. >> that's right. and i know, in the garden, we really saw that in this amazing way, that when the kids are in the process of planting the food and then harvesting it, their ability and openness to eat green, leafy vegetables was amazing. >> right. >> i mean, with the bancroft students, they harvested a salad and peas and ate them like they were the best thing on earth,

like they were french fries. >> wow. >> it was really amazing. >> and this is something that is very close to mrs. obama's heart. >> she lives this, she comes at this as a mom. >> she walks the walk. >> absolutely. so, she's been inspired out of her experience as a mom and trying to do the best by her kids. >> and you've got two budding chefs here. i know michael and marquette want to be chefs. >> all right, so you're going to pour in the egg right in there, just up to the top. >> and the finished product looks a little something like -- >> put it right in there. >> -- this. >> there, perfect. >> and that will cook up. >> all right, pop it back in. all right, so, now we're going to give it a stir. >> and here we go. egg in the hole. >> egg in the hole. >> and we've got our fabulous waffle. everything looking good, guys. marquette, madelyn -- >> it's great. >> my kids love that. >> they do? >> yeah, it's fun. >> al, way to go, bud. >> we're doing good. >> thank you, guys! >> are you going to be back tomorrow, al, to make us breakfast? >> i'll bring some of that back for you. >> should be great by tomorrow.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is a look at some of our top stories. a few inches of snow blanketed the state last night, creating a messy morning commute. many schools are on a two-hour delay and others are closed. crews worked throughout the night plowing roadways, despite the fact that many of their snow budgets are in the red. back in a minute with a check on

>> now let's look at the forecast with tony pann. >> things will be quieting down as we had through the day. there is still a possibility of snow showers and flurries in the northwest suburbs. the storm itself is pulling away, and accumulating snow is over with, except out in the mountains.

in little sunshine and fog this morning. the sunshine will eventually break through the clouds and not all of it. -- and mail to all of it. we will watch another storm coming out of the gulf of mexico friday and saturday. if the shift away makes a huge difference in what kind of whether we will get. a mix of rain, snow, and sleet starting friday afternoon. >> we will have another update at 9:25.