good morning. it passed. congress approves historic legislation to reform health care. >> i know this wasn't an easy vote for a lot of people. but it was the right vote. >> but republicans who voted unanimously against that bill disagre disagree. >> shame on us. shame on this body. shame on each and every one of you. >> can a congress ever repair

the damage of this long-fought battle? tiger woods gives his first interview since the sex scandal erupted. >> yeah, i tried to stop and i couldn't stop and it was just -- it was horrific. i was living the life of a lie. i really was. >> wt happened the night of that crash? how is his marriage? what will tiger woods tell his children? this morning, his answers to those questions and more. and bumper car, a woman on her way to work under the bumper of a tractor trailer at 60 miles an hour. her unbelievable ride "today" an hour. her unbelievable ride "today" march 22nd, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television welcome to "today" on this monday morning. i'm meredith vieira. >> and i'm lester holt in for

matt this morning. the health care bill approved late last night, way past our bedtime last night. you understand why things are divided as they are in washington. >> historic are words being used to describe the sweeping overhaul, but republicans are saying it doesn't reflect the will of most americans. >> the senate still needs to approve a controversial package of changes, but senate republicans are promising to do what they can to derail and delay the process. >> we are covering this story from all angles this morning, including reaction from the white house and capitol hill. let's begin with nbc's chief white house correspondent, chuck todd. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. the president started this effort on health care just over a year ago on the 44th day of his presidency. now here we are, a year later. here we are, decades when -- after the president and the democratic party made this promise. the process was messy, but we are now one signature away from it becoming law.

just before midnight, it was official. >> the yays are 220, the nays are 211. the bill is passed. >> reporter: with no republicans voting for it, democrats pass the most expansive and ambitious effort to reshape how americans receive and pay for health care. >> at a time when the pundits said it was no longer possible, we rose above the weight of our politics. >> reporter: soon after the vote, president obama, who admitted he was putting his own presidency on the line with health care, basked in the glow of victory. >> we didn't give in to mistrust or to cynicism or to fear. instead, we proved that we are still a people capable of doing big things. >> reporter: following the historic vote, the speaker of the house had an air of satisfaction. >> great pride and great humility that we undertook this

great act of patriotism. >> reporter: a fiery house republican leader, john boehner, attempted to turn the loss into a rallying cry. >> can you say it was done openly? with transparency and accountability? without backroom deals and struck behind closed doors, hidden from the people? hell, no, you can't! >> reporter: the changes that will become law once the president signs both bills will be phased in over years. some of the immediate changes include insurance companies can no longer drop patients that get sick, providers must offer free preventive care, no caps on lifetime benefits and young adults can stay on their parents' policies until age 26. but the bulk of the changes to the system won't kick in for years, including by 2014, all americans must have health insurance or pay a fine. also in 2014, insurance companies will no longer be able to deny adults coverage for pre-existing conditions. the most noticeable tax increase

begins in 2013. the medicare payroll tax for individuals making more than $200,000 a year will go up nearly a percentage point, a 30% increase. it was the power of the presidency that put the democrats over the top on sunday afternoon. with the white house striking a deal with the last handful of democratic holdouts, led by michigan congressman bart stupak over the issue of abortion. >> i'm pleased to announce we have an agreement. >> reporter: the president's lawyer, bob bauer, spent most of the weekend working with stupak, reaffirming his position that the bill should not allow federal money to be used for abortion procedure. >> make no doubt about it, there will be no public funds for abortion. >> reporter: later on the house floor, stupak found himself heckled when someone shouted "baby killer." now, the entire issue is not yet settled. the house passed that senate bill, passed last christmas eve, word for word. then they did theecond bigg

bill of reconciliation, fixes, if you will. the senate takes that up tomorrow. they have to pass that word for word. senate republicans want to gum up the process a little bit this week. it's going to be a long week again. but, again, one part of the bill has passed and the president himself may actually sign it as soon as tomorrow, lester. >> all right. chuck todd at the white house. chuck, thanks. let's drill down a little bit more now about the next steps in all of this. kelly o'donnell is on capitol hill. kelly, gd morning to you. we just heard republicans could gum up the works. exactly how, as this thing moves to the reconciliation phase? >> reporter: good morning, lester. democrats' enthusiasm will have to be weathered by a couple of different challenges, first in the senate and then possibly even the courts. in the senate, what happens next is that senators must look at the package of fixes that house democrats were able to pass last night. that's the part of the bill that house democrats like the most, including changes like when

taxes would take effect and who would be taxed to pay for new programs. the senate must vote on that. they've decided to use a controversial voting method known as reconciliation, meaning they only need a simple majority. senate republicans can challenge point by point what's in that reconciliation bill, because there are specific rules that govern how that can be used. if any changes are made, it must go back to the house to be voted on again. now, senate republicans say they'll make those changes. senate democrats say they're going to hold firm. now, the courts -- this is also a possibility. there are at least three states that have attorneys general that say they will file an actio because they believe that the federal government does not have the authority to call for this individual mandate, requiring individuals to buy health insurance. typically, those kinds of rules are done by states, not the federal government. so, it could go to the courts as well. lester? >> kelly o'donnell this morning on capitol hill.

thank you. it is now 7:07. with more, here is meredith. >> listening to kelly, my head is spinning here. david gregory is moderator of "meet the press." good morning to you. >> good morning, mareredith. >> take us through the process here, david. how did they get this all done? >> speaker of the house, nancy pelosi, knows how to deliver the votes and worked inkred icredibd behind the scenes, has the trust of her members. she went back to them, sometimes ten times, to get this across the finish line. second, you've got the power of the presidency. the president had 92 separate meetings, one-on-one meetings or phone call with his wavering democrats. that matters. that's a lot of pressure. third, i talked to a senior white house official last night who said the loss in massachusetts when scott brown was elected, that was a moment of clarity. finally democrats had a real feel of failure, to help the president kind of get his game on, take control of the process, that intensity. it also brought democrats

together where they could close ranks behind the idea that even if this wasn't a perfect bill, everything they wanted, it was going to be this or nothing, perhaps. >> the politicalaneuvering of the president, did he expend all his political capital on this one issue? >> just about. he certainly ran it all the way down. that's by his own admission at the first of the year. this is happening against the backdrop of a terrible economy and stubborn joblessness. he will be accountable for that. this is incredible social transformation, but this will be put to the test in terms of whether he can go out and campaign on this and win the argument. he may have won the vote but has not yet won the argument. and the president knows that. he will be spending yet more political capital trying to turn around public opinion. >> what lesson will the president take away from this experience, as he tackles other big issues? >> you talk to white house advisers, meredith, and they say you have to fight hard for what you want. that's why he came to washington. and it's true that americans like that in their presidents. they like some fight. they like the willingness to go

to the mat even when it looked particularly bleak. we know within the white house there were different points of view that he should have gone smaller, that he should have compromised. now a lesson going forward is that you'll see the president, as one adviser said, do things as much in the open as he can, really try to challenge his critics and look for those areas where there is still the possibility of broader consensus. >> our last poll showed that americans are divided over this health care bill. what does this mean for democrats and republicans come november? >> it will be a philosophical and ideological contest. democrats will be able to go out there and say we've achieved something, unlike 1994, where there was never a vote on health care, we actually have a victory and they'll dare republicans to take health care away from kids and others who need it most. republicans will say this is quite simply government run amuck. we already have an environment where the incumbents in congress

are facing. the math may not really change. it still promises to be a very difficult year for democrats. now they feel they've got something to point to as an accomplishment. >> david gregory, thank you so much. >> thank you. it is 7:10. here alester. >> thank you, meredith. tiger woods is answering questions for the first time about his thanksgiving night crash and the sex scandal that followed. peter alexander is with us with deils. good morning. >> lester, good morning to you. until now, tiger woods had not answered a single question, as you noted, from reporters since this scandal exploded november 27th. last night, he gave two short interviews, one to the golf channel, the other to espn, five minutes each, offering what was really a small glimpse into the last four months of his life, a life that even he admitted had been a fraud. >> i was living a life of a lie. i really was. and i was doing a lot of things, as i said, that hurt a lot of people. and stripping away denial and rationalization, you start coming to the truth of who you really are, and that can be very ugly. >> so ugly that tiger woods

described that he was disgusted by his own actions. >> going against your core values and losing sight of them. i quit meditating. i quit being a buddhist. and my life changed upside down. i felt i was entitled, which i never had felt before. and consequently, i hurt so many people. >> woods was cordial and composed during his dual interview, but the global golf icon was also guarded. >> why did you lose control of the car? >> as i said, that's between elin and myself. >> woods faced one low point after another these past several months and said ultimately having to reveal the truth of his infidelity to elin and his mother. >> the two people in my life that i'm the closest to and to say the things that i've done, truthfully, to them is -- was,

you know, very painful. >> you say you've made transgression transgressions. how would you, in your own words, describe the depth of your infidelity? >> just one is enough. and, obviously, that wasn't the case. i made my mistakes. and, as i've said, i've hurt so many people and so many people i have to make amends to. that's living the life of amends. >> woods was asked why he ever got married. >> why? cause i loved her. i loved elin with everything i have. and that's something that makes me feel even worse that i did this to someone i love that much. >> kelly tillman, of the golf channel, who has covered tiger for years, asked him what his father, the late earl woods, would have said. >> he would be very disappointed in me. he would be very disappointed in me. we would have numerous long talks. that's one of the things i miss. i miss his guidance. i wish i could have had his guidance through all of this. >> when we're talking about personal topics, i sensed he was

definitely gentler than before. you could sense a softness about him that you hadn't felt before. >> what will woods tell his children, 2-year-old sam and 1-year-old charlie, when they're old enough to understand? >> i'll have a sit-down talk. it won't be just one time, i know that. it will be numerous times and i take full ownership of it. i did it. no one else did it. it was just me. that's the responsibility i will have. i will talk to my kids for however long they want to talk about it. that is a conversation that will need to be had. >> with his return to golf scheduled for next month at the masters, woods admitted being a little nervous about the reception from fans. >> it would be nice to hear a couple claps here and there. but also i hope there are claps for birdies, too. >> first time we've seen that billion dollar smile in months. obviously none of the swagger, though. tiger was really short when asked about the state of his marriage. he only said we're working on it

it will remain private between myself and elin. >> different demeanor than what we saw in that press conference, he was softer. >> calling his behavior disgusting, talking about the therapy hopefully helping him. >> probably an important step on his comeback tour. we'll see him play golf again soon. we'll hear more and talk to kelly tillman about what his demeanor was like before and after their interview coming up in our next half hour. now for a check of our top stories. natalie morales is in for ann at the news desk. secretary of state hillary clinton is assuring israel today that the obama administration's commitment to israel is rock solid, but cautions the u.s. will tell the truth when needed. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu disputed east jerusalem, the very issue causing a diplomatic flare-up between the two allies. five deaths are blamed on the snowstorm that swept across

the northwest the first weekend of spring. that same storm system is now threatening the northeast today with heavy rain. and they are breathing a sigh of relief in fargo, north dakota, which escaped major damage whethe red river crested sunday. volunteers put down more than a million sand bags to prevent a repeat of last year's record flooding. however, flooding is still possible down river. overseas markets were mostly lower overnight. cnbc's trish regan is at the new york stock exchange with a look at what wall street is keeping an eye on today. good morning, trish. >> good morning, natalie. wall street is definitely watching any company that has anything to do with health care as a result of that health care bill. insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies under pressure this morning. they're concerned about the amount of money that's being spent at a time when the economy is just trying to crawl out of a severe recession. so, deficits are definitely another issue on the table. finally, investors are worried about the tax increase.

and what that's going to mean for investment income and whether or not people will take moy out of the stock market in years to come as a result of that tax. natalie, back to you. >> trish regan at the new york stock exchange. thanks so much. turning yellow into green. ohio, new jersey and utah are some of the latest states to consider allowing advertising on school buses. school districts in half a dozen states are already selling ad space to raise money at a time of dwindling tax dollars. certainly a controversial move. 7:17 right now. let's turn it back over to meredith, lester and al. >> big "today" show ad on the -- >> oh, well, now you're talking. >> situational ethics here. >> mr. roker, nice to see you. >> nice to be seen. >> coming back from your trip. >> thank you. had a good time out there. thank you very much. came back to some really rough weather after this past weekend, fabulous stuff. big area of low pressure spinning around through the tennessee valley, bringing snow there. heavy rain as you move up into the upper ohio river valley. that rain starts to track in the

northeast and bring in some heavier rain and snow in northern new england. rainfall amounts, right now we have flash flood watches for northern new jersey, flood watches for northern new jersey, parts of new york and on into england. some areas are picking up three to five inches of rain over the next 48 hours. good morning. this monday we are getting paing showers across northern virginia and maryland. we see the color getting light rain in fairfax and loud on county and virginia and west virginia getting showers. 59 in washington and high in the mid 60s with >> that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you. after that devastating

earthquake in haiti in january, 10 american missionaries were arrested for trying to leave the country with 33 haitian children. nine of them have been released, but the group's leader remains behind bars. nancy snyderman spoke with her. >> reporter: laura silsby remains in prison at police headquarters here in port-au-prince. after weeks of negotiations, though, with a judge, her attorney and her family, i was able to speak with her outside of her jail cell for ten minutes. first of all, how are you? >> i'm doing okay. definitely, my heartaches to be be home with my children. i miss them more than i can express. >> reporter: the people who have been let go, fellow missionaries who are now back home, they've stepped back from you. your feelings about that? >> well, one, i'm not sure about

even being true. so, i'm not sure exactly where they stand. >> reporter: jorge poello was, himself,rrested on friday in the dominican republic and charged with human trafficking. >> that is against everything i stand for. this man approached my church and my family after we were arrested, offering his help and claiming to be a person of faith. we -- unfortunately, my family members trusted him. >> reporter: trusted him enough to have reportedly paid him $ $30,000. so, you must understood what this looks like, a man wanted in the united states, canada and el salvador for trafficking has a business transaction with you and it certainly appears to many that that looks like a pipeline. >> i know what it may appear to. all i know is that i came here with a heart and intention to help children. and i deeply love my own children and i deeply love the children of this country. >> reporter: as for the children who weren't orphans after all --

>> we were lied to by people who brought children to us and claimed to be either a neighbor, distant family member. they did not honest ly tell us who they were. >> reporter: were you naive? did you decide that the rules could be bent? >> ma'am, it was one week after the earthquake when we left home. we knew at that point it was absolute devastation, people, children dying in this country. our desire was to help, to go into those communities, into those collapsed orphanages and bring children out. >> reporter: why not stay in haiti and help rebuild hate sni. >> it was a matter of wanting to share god's love in me with these children and giving them a place to live. >> reporter: what is your future here? >> god will release me. i am confident that god will overcome and ultimately enable me to be released. >> meredith, the legal system here moves very slowly. she does not see her attorney very often.

with these new charges and the arrest of puello, be we're not certain how long will th will take. meredith? >> dr. nancy snyderman in haiti. thank you very much. much more from tiger woods. >> i tried to stop and i couldn't stop. and it was just -- it was horrific. >> what did he learn in treatment? and how does he feel about becoming the brunt of punch lines? we'll hear

just ahead on "today," michael jackson's sister, janet jackson, stops by for an interview. a woman goes for a wild ride on the bumper of an 18-wheeler. where do gummy bears hide? under the seat. look! yeah! ♪ [ telephone rings ] [ male announcer ] the all new chevy equinox. [ man ] guess who? dad! [ man ] enjoy the trip! okay, daddy! [ laughter ] [ male announcer ] a consumers digest best buy. with a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty.

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aquafresh iso-active whitening. amazing. a necklace or a belt that's a conversation starter. a show stopper! i guess some women are destined to wear chico's. >> 7:26 is the time on this, the 22nd of march. i'm joe krebs. met is giving a chance to sound off on fare hikes. they are trying to find ways to close a $189 billion budget gap. they scheduled hearings on the issue and the first is in vienna, virginia at 7:00. another for wednesday at st. francis xavier church in southeast washington.

>> grab an umbrella. we have scattered showers in virginia, west virginia and maryland. temperatures to near 60 degrees and could have an additional passing shower and perhaps thunder. overnight tonight maybe a passing shower or sprinkles and drizzle and perhaps tomorro morning. sun back tomorrow afternoon and cooler. >> we will check out interstate

66. it is jammed. an accident moved to the shoulder, but the damage is done from centerville. 270 jammed traffic and germantown on down. no accidents. just volume. the roads may be a little slick. >> the more news, weather, and traffic in 25

7:30 now on this monday  morning, the 22nd of march, 2010. following a string of fantastic weather here in the northeast, look for some showers later today. these folks on the plaza don't seem to mind at all. al is going to head outside to say hi and share his forecast in just a bit. meanwhile, inside studio 1a, i'm meredith vieira along with lester holt, in for matt this morning. next, more from tiger woods, who has given his first interview about the infamous car

crash, sex scandal and the state of his marriage. we'll find out what woods was like off-camera when we talk to the golf channel's kelly tillman, one of thewo reporters who talked to woods. 15-year-old girl brutally beaten outside of her school following a text message exchange with a teenage boy she had never met. we'll talk to her mother and aunt in a moment. an internet sensation, a woman pushed along at 60 miles an hour by the oblivious driver of an 18-wheeler. we'll show you more of that. janet jackson will be here live for an interview. we'll tell you how the jackson family is doing after michael jackson's death and her new role in tyler perry's movie. we begin with golf channel's kelly tillman. >> you went from being recognized as the greatest golfer in the world to becoming a punch line. how did that make you feel?

>> it was hurtful. but, you know what? i did it. i'm the one that did those things. looking back on it now with a more clear hd, i get it. i can understand why people would say those things because, you know what? it was disgusting behavior. and, you know, that's a person that -- it's hard to believe that was me, looking back on it now. >> were there moments that you thought you should stop but didn't? >> yeah. i tried to stop and i couldn't stop. it was just -- it was horrific. >> for a man who is so disciplined physically and psychologically, why couldn't you say no? >> i don't know. now i know. at the time, that's part of what i learned in treatment, being there for 45 days, you learn a lot. you strip away the denial, rationalization and come to the truth, and the truth is very painful at times. and to stair at yourself and look at the person you've become, you become disgusted. >> america was concerned when the world's greatest golfer was lying on the ground with no shoes at 2:30 in the morning,

bleeding. what happened that night? >> well, it's all in the police report. and they investigated and they have it. it's public record. there are thing that is will remain private and that's about it. >> how did you crash the car? >> i wasn't going very fast, but unfortunately, i -- you know, i hit a few things. >> it's been reported that members of your team, your inner circle, were involved in your misdoings. is it true? >> reporter: that is not true. it was all me. i'm the one who did it. i'm the one who acted the way i acted. no one knew what was going on. >> if your father were here today, & looked back on these last four months, what would he say to you? >> he would be very disappointed in me. he would have been very disappointed in me. we would have long talks. that's one of the things i miss. i miss his guidance. i wish i could have had his guidance through all of this.

have him help straighten me up. i know he would have done it. >> how will you explain this to your children one day, when they're old enough to understand? >> i'll have that sit-down talk. it won't be just one time, i know that. it will be numerous times. i take full ownership of it. no one else did it. it was just . that's the responsibility i will have. i will talk to my kids for however long they want to talk about it. that is a conversation that will need to be had. >> and the golf channel's kelly tillman is with us now. kelly, good morning to you. >> good morning. good to be with you. >> it's great to have you here. you have covered tiger woods for years now. how would you describe his demeanor from when you spoke with him last night? >> very similar from the competitive standpoint when we did discuss the topic of golf and his return to the game, a genuine fire lit up in his belly and you could see the spark in his eyes. but on personal notes of conversation, i sensed that he had a much gentler nature. you could tell he was a little

weary from the road he had been traveling as of late, and he was genuinely excited about getting back to the game of golf and inside the ropes, which i believe is one of the few sanctuaries for him in life. >> there was only one restriction on this interview. that was a time restriction. you had only five minutes but could ask any question you wanted. what stood out? >> i think the fact that he was taking sole possession, full possession, full ownership of the mistakes he had made. he wanted to make sure that the world knew that he blamed only himself. i was also struck by the fact that he thought the absence of his father here in recent years, since 2006 in his passing was an area he wished that would be different. i think he thought maybe with the proper guidance from his dad, maybe he would have found the right path much sooner and could have avoided a lot of these major mistakes. >> did you get the sense that he was saying these things because he knows it's the right thing to say or did you feel he is

genuinely contrite? >> he has always relied on his father for advice, and you can trace that back to 2 years old. that is one thing i know of him to be consistent and i also know tiger woods, when he sets his mind to something -- i know this on a competitive level, covering him the last 15 years, he tends to get the job done. so, if he has genuinely come to the conclusion that his life was headed down the wrong path and he wants to make a change spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, i believe that if he puts his mind to it and follows through, he will get it done. >> you believe that he will recover from all of this, ultimately? >> i think all signs are pointing in the right direction, meredith. >> you said he was most comfortable when he was talking about his golf game. is he at all nervous about the masters? did you sense that? >> i think he's nervous about the fact that he's going to be taking on galleries, not just at the masters, which i think will be very well controlled by the tournament committee there at augusta national, members of augusta national golf club, which run such a wonderful show

there, but down the road when he decides to play in a regular pga tour event or another major championship like the u.s. open where the stage can get quite rally, i think he's nervous about the galleries, but understands he has brought all of this on himself. he did say that. i think as far as competing and vying for w's, as he likes to call them, victories, he feels like he's getting closer to that and will be ready by the time he hits the masters. >> kelly tillman, thank you very much. >> my pleasure. now let's get a check of the weather frommal. >> announcer: "today's" weather is brought to you by bush's grillin' beans. two new flavors, black bean f fiesta and ranchero. >> from houston, texas, we have a drill team. man, look at that. there are thousands of you guys. how many of you are there here?

>> 76. >> unbelievable. you're being serenaded. what's the name of your group? >> on the rocks. >> very nice. they came to sing for ann curry, but she's not here. unbelievable. let's check your weather. and we'll show you -- i'm spitting on the mike. below-normal temperatures in the southeast. above normal from the great lakes into texas, above normal for the early week in the pacific northwest. we've got rain in the pacific northwest in the midweek and a lot of wet weather through the gulf coast. below-normal conditions in the rockies and wet weather here in the east. above-normal temperatures in the great lakes and into texas, rain and snow in the pacific northwest. good morning. scattered light showers overnight and they continue on this monday morning. they are scattered across west virginia, virginia, maryland and

the district of columbia moving north. maybe thunder this afternoon and highs reaching the mid 60s. maybe a few more passing showers and sprinkles and drizzle. a few sprinkles tomorrow morning >> got a lot of musical groups. woodland high school wind ensemble. playing at carnegie hall. >> yeah. >> where are you from? >> woodland, california. >> now back to meredith and lester. >> al, thank you very much. talk about a horrifying moment. take a look the this. a woman from west yorkshire, england. i guess the truck clipped her. >> it clipped her. >> he didn't see her at all under the bumper. she's going at 60 miles an hour he's moving. nobody seems to notice her or, if they do, don't seem to be very upset about it. she calls, i guess, 911, or their version of it. >> and says i'm going to die.

>> she's hysterical, rightfully so. >> here is what kills me. somebody is taking a picture. at what point do you p the camera down, honk the horn? >> exactly, something. >> the pest part is that when they finally pull over, the driver says you're okay. do i need to stick around? and she's like, yeah. >> yeah. hello! >> we should have this conversation and exchange of licenses. >> apparently she called her husband and said you're not going to believe what happened. but she's very lucky. very lucky. >> apparently since this tape has been out, police are taking a second look at this, to see if there's something else they might want to charge him with. the savage beating of 15-year-old josie ratley, allegedly by a teenage boy. her mother and aunt speak out after this. cooked black beans, t's perfectly in a zesty "south of the border" chipotle sauce with red and green peppers, onion, and crisp corn. a bold new taste. i know. but i want people to think i'm a great cook. so hide. delicious! can i have your recipe? your secret is safe with me.

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oil or cream? cream! (announcer) some use hydrogenated oil. reddi-wip's uses real dairy cream. nothing's more real than reddi-wip. we're back now at 7:42 with a shocking crime in florida. 15-year-old josie ratley, beaten so badly, allegedly by a 15-year-old boy that she is now in a coma. police say the attack was triggered by a text message exchange. we'll talk exclusively to josie's mother and aunt in a moment. first, michelle kosinski is in ft. lauderdale with the details. michelle, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lester. josie ratley is still in a coma after two brain surgeries. you have a high school freshman accused of beating this eighth grader into inches of her life, a girl he had never met. you also have a 13-year-old accused here and police say it started with text messages.

wayne treacy is 15 with the face of a baby and a charge of attempted, premeditated murder. never in trouble before, she is 13, also accused in the savage beating of josie ratley, who went to eighth grade last week and left in critical condition. >> she's in an induced coma. part of her skull has been removed to allow the swelling of her brain to go down and is black and blue head to toe. >> reporter: all over a few text messages. 15-year-old josie was waiting for her bus outside school. police say treacy texted her, tried to reach her 13-year-old friend, who didn't have a text phone but when josie responded, disapproving of their relationship, things got heated. jo sie made a disparaging remark of trecacy's brother's suicide. he said he would kill josie and,

wearing steel-toed boots, rode his bike three miles to her school. he had never seen before. so police say he asked the 13-year-old to point josie out and that her friend then watched. >> he started pounding on her, stepping on her head. >> reporter: kicking and stomping josie, witnesses say, until a teacher pulled him off. treacy's lawyer says this is a devastated boy. >> the day before his 15th birthday, he found his only brother, really closest family friend, closest family member hanging from a tree. >> reporter: left this community stricken by such violence for the second time in five months. in october, miky brewer, a classmate of josie's, was douced with alcohol and set on fire by other students over a video game. he is slowly recovering. his family and josie's want parents to pay attention. >> and it's a horrible, horrible thing. and that's why we have to do something about what's going on. we've got to start listening and

paying attention and, more than anything, we have to set good examples. >> speak to your children tonight. we're asking you. do it. do it. don't just let this story go by like everyone else does. use this as a teachable moment and do it tonight. >> reporter: cases like this always turn our heads but, actually, the rate of serious juvenile crime in this country peaked around 1994 and has been dropping ever since to the lowest level it's been in about 20 years. still, when you have something like this so sudden and so extreme, that's what causes people like this sheriff here to say maybe this ought to be explored a little more. lester? >> michelle kosinski this morning. we're joined by hilda gote, josie's aunt, linda and their attorney. thanks for coming on with us. >> good morning, lester. >> morning. >> mrs. gote, this is horrifying, what happens happened to your daughter. can you update us on her

condition, when doctors expect to bring her out of her coma and what her prognosis is? >> she's unable to answer that question. honestly, we really don't know. it's basically status quo. >> linda, i understand this is difficult for josie's mom, so i'll put the question to you. mrs. gote, if you care to answer, we would love to hear your thoughts, too. nothing, obviously, justifies this kind of violence. have either of you had a chance to see ts text message exchange that apparently triggered this? >> no. >> no. >> what do you know about it? >> i don't know. nothing. all i know is that my baby's in the hospital. i don't know anything. >> wonly know what the media has been saying and what the papers or friends or family are coming to us with. >> mr. friedman, this young boy has been arrestd and charged with premeditated attempted

murder because of some text messages that occurred while he was apparently on his way to the school. what do you know about those messages? >> again, what we've heard in the media is that something triggered him to act the way he did. although, i just can't imagine anybody, a 15-year-old, premeditated, putting on steel-toed boots, telling somebody that they're going to go snap the neck and kill a girl who he had never even met. i mean, that's the most amazing part about this thing. he comes on to campus and has to be directed to who the girl is. and completely just take this girl down and kicks her till -- within an inch of her life. it's just unbelievable. >> hilda and linda, this is the very school where one of josie's classmates had been douced with alcohol and set on fire last october. i think all of us, certainly you have to be asking what's going

on at that school. what do you know about the conditions of that school? >> obviously -- >> not good. >> not good. the messages are not clear and stable. where are the security? where are the teachers? where is everyone when these children are out and about like this and ready to go home? and no one was there when this incident happened. you know, it's mind boggling. >> had josie ever talked about what was going on at the school? more important, had she ever talked about this boy, even through text messa exchanges? >> hill da? >> no. she don't know this boy. she don't know him. >> what kind of girl is josie? how would you describe her? >> she's a sweetheart. she's like a little mother, always correcting us, correcting her friends. very protective. >> she's a good kid.

she really is. i have to say, she's a good kid and in normal times. it's just different. >> you are all going through an enormously difficult time. thank you for spending time with us. rick friedman, hilda gote, linda sorrento. >> thank you very much. we hope you get the message out there. every parent needs to sit down tonight when they've listened to this. they've seen what's happened to josie. they need to talk to their children about it. this needs to be a teachable moment. please get the message out. thank you for that. >> thank you for putting that message out. we'll be back right after this.

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>>. >> the time is 7:56. we take a live look inside to the newsroom. good morning to you. i'm joe krebs. a mareland woman convicted of killing two of her adopted daughters will be sentenced. she was found guilty of two cowns. two bodies were found in the freezer after a third physically abused daughter escaped from the house. they are seeking life without parole. students and staff at prips william count i school will get screened for tuberculosis after possibly gting exposed. rson came down with tb and

officials will not identify the person, but they are no longe at the school and receiving treatment. we will take a break and come back for the weather and

>> good morning.

it's cloudy and damp and radar is showing moderate to heavy showers into fairfax county. scattered showers will be with us from time to time and highs in the 60s and thunder later as well. overnight through midday and tuesday, passing light showers and temperatures will be cooler. how is the traffic now? >> over in virginia -- we will start with maryland. beltway heavy and slow. ni into virginia on the inner loop between the dulles tollroad and a couple of traffic lanes are tied up. very slow going. extra travel time will be a good idea. >> more news, weather, and traffic [ whistling ]

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about how the jackson family is doing, nearly nine months after the loss of michael jackson. spring is the perfect time to hit the road. we'll check out inexpensive options tailored towards women for a memorable girls' get away. i like some of the things on the list, so i may want to come along. >> you're in touch with your m feminine side. plus, if you want to get more out of your tax break -- your tax refund, we are going to have an exclusive interview with vice president joe biden as he walks us through some important tax credits that you may not know about. >> good. >> you talked about the rolling spring break crowds. >> yeah. >> they get a little excited sometimes. yesterday, mike bettes is doing the weather. look at the woman who goes sailing through the barricade. >> you guys were really concerned. >> yeah. jenna sees it. i'm oblivious to t we think she's okay. >> i was gths say. >> we seen her walk away on her own power. we actually wanted to talk to her. >> yeah, of course. >> be careful. don't try this at home.

>> don't lean on the barriers, guys. ooh. >> that's going to leave a mark. >> okay. all right. well, let's go inside to natalie morales, who is hopefully safe and sound at the news desk. >> i am all safe in here. thank you, meredith, lester and al. the health care bill is headed to president obama for his signature. it passed the house by a super close 219-212 vote and aims to extend coverage to millions of uninsured americans, crack down on insurance company abuses and reduce deficits. republicans were unanimous in their opposition, calling it an over-priced government takeover. president obama, though, calls it a victory for common sense. the bill will head to the senate next, where it will likely face procedural hurdles from senate republicans. immigration reform rallied on the national mall. president obama told them he is still committed to working with congress on the issue ts year. police in washington state are resuming their search for a mother who vanished nine months

ago. her 8-year-old son's body was found last week. their final moments together don't seem to add up. here is nbc's lee cowan. reporter: the mystery surrounding the disappearance of a mother and her 8-year-old son seems as deep as puget sound. its frigid waters gave up the body of azriel carver last week, but the search is still on for his mother, 29-year-old shantina smiley. >> we're going slow enough so we'll be able to get a really good look at all the things we need to look at. >> reporter: the pair was on a road trip. halfway through, smiley unexpectedly got off the freeway and spent the next several hours driving in circles. they were seen at a convenience store, at a restaurant, and finally at a home where they asked to use the phone and get directions. but the next morning, their van was found on a remote beach, half submerged and empty. their belongings, washing ashore, including a half empty wine bottle. >> crazy series of events that

unfolded and ended so tragically. >> reporter: azriel's father says it doesn't appear to be foul play. sheriff's detectives agree. but something happened on that beach that night that no one can explain. lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. former presidents bill clinton and george w. bush make a one-day visit to haiti today. president obama put them in charge of u.s. fund-raising in response to the devastating january 12th earthquake. many of haiti's remaining buildings meanwhile are still unstable. a small earth quake sunday toppled an apartment building. the luger who was killed on the first day of vancouver games, tuesday's service comes 40 days after his death in accordance with christian orthodox traditions. tiger woods says he's a little nervous about fan reactions when he returns to the pga tour next month. the golfer held his first broadcast interview sunday since

admitting to infidelity and sex addiction. we'll have more on that story coming up in the next hour. let's go back outside once again to meredith and lester. >> thank you, natalie. it was raining here but stopp for a moment at least. >> it's okay. >> it's going to start again soon? >> oh, yeah, and it's going to get heavier. where are you from? >> seattle. >> what did you win the trophy for? >> nationals. >> hip-hop, national hip-hop. wow! do you know who is a big hip-hop fan? >> no. >> lester holt. wow! >> absolutely, it's true south florida that was very disturbing. let's show you what's going on as far as your weather is concerned. pick city of the day happens to be austin, texas. south-southwest, kxan 36. sunny and 72. big storm system winding its up down through tennessee, bringing snow there and rain into the northeast and the midatlantic

states. showers move into the pacific northwest. sunshine later on today from texas into the southwest. morning showers down through southern florida and we're looking at some heavy rain here in the northeast on into new england as we move on to the next 48 hours. flood watches for parts of new jersey on into new england. who is >> good morning. it's cloudy, damp, and cool on this monday morning. we are seeing showers scattered across west virginia, virginia and maryland and heavy showers in prince wal yam r yam off to the north and northeast. that will be moving through with a brief heavy downpour and into fairfax after that. other passing showers into tonight and >> i've got a couple of twins here. they're so cute. oh, there they are. look at those pictures of you.

what's your name? >> earl. >> merle. >> earl and merle. i like that. that's a country group, isn't it, earl and merle? >> yeah. >> now back to mr. bust a move, mr. lester holt. >> i think i busted my hip in that. up next, janet jacksn teams with tyler perry on the big screen. [ slap! ] ♪ [ slap! slap! slap! slap! slap! ] [ slap! slap! slap! slap! slap! slap! ] [ male announcer ] your favorite foods fighting you? fight back fast with tums. calcium rich tums goes to work in seconds. nothing works faster. ♪ tum ta tum tum tums [ male announcer ] fights heartburn fast. what matters to you? nothing. you don't enjoy things the way you used to. you're sad. you have no energy. maybe you feel guilty or anxious, changes in weight, sleep, and appetite,

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we are back at 8:10. tyler perry's movies have taken in more than $400 million in the box office in the past five years. his latest, tyler perry's "why did i get married ii" stars grammy winner janet jackson, reuniting eight college friends as they struggle with money, infidelity and sticking together through tough times. we'll talk to both tyler perry and janet jackson in a moment. but first a look at their film. >> i have -- i have no more fight left in me. please, please. >> you really want us to go? >> okay. listen, can we make a deal with you? what if we just sit here? then can we stay?

>> tyler perry, janet jackson, good morning to you. >> janet, janet, janet. >> that is such a powerful, powerful performance, janet. you play patricia, a woman who is a psychologist and author. who seemingly has r life on track and that unravels through the course of that film. where did that come from in you? >> a lot. some of it, obviously, having to do with recent trauma, dramas in my family's life and then also i think experiencing a little bit of that. there's a little bit of patricia at one point in my life, always there for others, others always coming to me, asking for -- i actually had friends that call me their therapist, yet when it came to my own issues, not

really willing to deal with them at certain times in my life. >> i think a lot of women have that issue, actually, being in control on the outside. speaking of which, if i said to you in the break, if i had known, tyler, that you wrote, directed this movie, i would never have thought a man did it. i know that soundsexist, but it is so emotional. >> yeah. i was raised by my mother, though, you know, to protect me from my father, she took me everywhere with her. so, i was in the beauty salon and i know more about lane bryant than any man should know. but it was good. it was a great thing. nothing like a kid watching his, you know, mother and other women talk. it was this huge learning thing for me. i use it in my work. >> you mentioned your dad, that your mother took you to basically get you away from your dad. >> sure. >> people may not know you were raised in new orleans, poor. your dad abused you, physically and mentally. >> yeah. >> and you had a tough time, even. as an adult, you were homeless for a while, all the while trying to pursue this dream. >> sure.

>> what kept you going through those bad times and how do you use those experiences in the work that you do now? >> it's truly my faith. it's my faith in god and my belief that everything is going to be okay, the shining light inside of myself to say keep moving. i think that's what's brought me to this place, to film, to films that i want to use to encourage and uplift people. so, that's what it's all about for me. >> let's talk about this film, "why did i get married too," this is a sequel to "why did i get married" which you directed in 2007. why did you want to reunite these couples, bring them back? >> these character had so much more to say, like janet's character, patricia, she had so much more that she wanted to say. that's what prompted me to write t i feel like the characters want to say more, i'll write more. >> this is about couples that get together once a year to answer that question, why did i get married? >> absolutely. there's a lot of different, interesting ideas and thoughts that came from what tyler has wrten that i think we all can

relate to and see in ourselves each one of the characters is someone we know. >> for janet to play this role, what made you think she is perfect for this role? >> januaet's career started in acting and once people see how emotionally involved she was, how incredible she is in this film, i think everybody is going to be like, wow. >> very sweet. >> she was really, really amazing, did a powerful job. >> but what made you think she was the right actress to play that particular role? >> the truth is, the first film she's like, i just want to do a little bit, so the role is much smaller. she wanted to get to know me. i wanted to get to know her, make sure there was no diva-dom over here. there wasn't. she submerged herself into the role, submersed herself into it. >> you shot this in the bahamas, really good thing, right? i understand you had visitors on the set with extremely hairy legs? >> these moths. they call them -- >> i didn't mean you.

>> no, no, her legs are not hairy. yn h i don't know how i know that, but these moths, they look like bat. >> they're beautiful, though. >> yeah. >> they're beautiful. they look like black butterfls, like huge, black butterflies. >> it's obvious from the film that just the camaraderie of the performers seems to jump off the screen. is that true in real life? >> i'm sorry, say that one more time. >> there's such a bonding between the characters but did that translate into real life for all of you? >> definitely. denitely. even with the first thing. aside from wanting it to revisit the character, patricia, that i wanted to come back and do the sequel and work with tyler's camp again, it was such a family, such -- we were so connected and it was so much fun, working on both films. you hear a lot of actors say that a lot. but, honestly, it really is the truth. we really have a good time together. >> you eluded to the loss of

your brother, michael. that happened during the filming of this movie. what did it mean to you, janet, to have these performers around you and their support during that time? >> they were very supportive, and especially tyler, because he actually stopped production and came to the service and was with me and was calling me on a daily basis, even the day that it actually -- that everyone had found out. one of the first calls that i got was actually from tyler. and he was just so -- so there for me in every way and so lovi and so giving and making sure that i was okay each and every moment, as well as everyone else. and i wanted everyone to treat me as if they did on the first film. and it was perfect. it was great. >> you know, i think everyone is heart broken at the loss of michael, such a terrible loss. how is your family doing? >> they're very well. everyone is very well. thank you for that. >> we're glad to hear that as well. now his music legacy will live on with this deal that's been made, the $200 million deal

which is wonderful. meanwhile, you have a legacy of your own, building on these movies, one after the other. you were the executive producer of "precious." >> yeah. >> what was that experience like for you? >> they did all the heavy lifting, daniels, mo'nique, gabby and everybody. i saw the film, called her and said this film is incredible. she watched it. we wanted to do as much as we could to try to get people to watch it. >> you saw your dad in mo'nique. >> people think it's not real, that it doesn't happen but to this day -- yeah, sure. >> great experience? >> great experience. it's powerful. the movie, for me, is about hope, triumph and making it through whatever. that's what was so powerful about it. that's why i wanted to get it involved. >> your greatest hits album, number ones dropped last year, make me hit number one on billboards, dance chart in december and a book that's going to be published later this year.

>> yes. >> where would you say you are in your life right now? >> in a very, very wonderful space. very wonderful space. still growing, progress. work in progress still. and i'm enjoying it. i really enjoy life. >> thank you so much for coming. >> thank you. >> thank you, tyler. thank you again. lovehe movie. it's just terrific. >> thank you so much. >> tyler perry's "why did i get married, too" opens nationwide april 2nd. tyler perry and janet jackson. you're glad it's over. she does... and she does. ♪ and these guys too. ♪ obviously they do. ♪ oh, and her. honda accord and toyota camry stand behind their powertrain for up to 60,000 miles. chevy malibu stands behind theirs for up to 100,000 miles.

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royal caribbean international. visit royalcaribbean.com today. >> announcer: "today's" travel getaways is brought to you by royal caribbean international, the nation of why not. this morning on "today's" travel getaways, trips for women. claire, good morning. good to see you. last time i saw you was vancouver. >> three months ago. >> right now you're saying why is lester doing girl getaway. >> i figure you're a metrosexual kind of guy. >> exactly. we're here, new york city. >> i put it on the list because i don't think there's any girls that would deny a shopping trip and new york is really where it's at as far as shopping is concerned, from fifth avenue, as we talked about before the break

as well as chinatown and all the boutiques. >> any good bargains to be had here? >> fantastic trip puts in sex and the city, for $110, a night's accommodation, bottle of bubbly, location tour of the sex and the city movie. you also g a shoe bag, of course, if you can fill that. i'm sure you can. >> $110? >> yes. >> and the other place i wouldn't miss is the district, walking tour for three hours. mention the "today" show and you get 50% off of it. >> a theater trip in london you want to talk about. 83 bucks a night? >> 83 bucks. >> hotel? >> accommodation, show ticket. it's a steal. >> that is a steal in london when you figure what the dollar is like right now. also good dining to be had in london. >> there is great dining, absolutely. another girlfriend getaway is

las vegas. i have to tell you, there is no city in the world that is made for a girlfriend getaway. >> that wouldn't be a bad guy's getaway, too. >> i know. sports bars. >> what will the ladies do there? >> this is the place for young and old. you can -- you don't have to be into the whole night life bar scene. if you're going with your mom, for example, you can enjoy shopping and spas and wynn las vegas has a deal for $115 for accommodation, breakfast and a day at the spa. normally the use of the spa is $45 a day. it's all includein that price. the nice thing about wynn is right outside the hotel, there is overpass over top of the strip that goes straight to the fashion show mall. in fact, more importantly, straight to niemann marcus. >> the good stuff. >> girls will love it. >> lo s cabos, mexico. great place for moms with kids? >> it is. lot of gals ahome will be saying i've got kids. i can't do the girlfriend

getaway. leave the husbands at home and take the kids and still have a great girlfriend getaway. fi five-star, it has eight restaurants, four pools, kids' club to entertain the kids from toddlers to teens, spa for the >> the picture perfect weekend is long gone and a stormy cloudy morning. more on the forecast in a minute. the time is 8:26. in the news for today, metro is giving you a chance to sound off on a possible fare cut and service areas. they are trying to find ways to close a $189 million budget gap. the first meet suggest oakton high school in i have 18 and another for wednesday at st.

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>> it's hostly cloudy and school with scattered showers passing south to north andingly be with us from time to time with highs in the 60s. how is the traffic? >> crawling in a couple of spots

and beltway with an earlier accident above the dulles tollroad. over to maryland, the drive from germantown down making the trip down towards the split, but lanes are open. >> more news, weather, and traffic in 25 minutes. now back to the "today" show after this short break.

good morning. i'm matt hauer. >> and i'm meredith ciera. >> we have a wonderful show today, including an interview of a teacher with a very special class. >> first, let's go to ann with this morning's news. >> march 22nd, 2010, monday

morning, jennifer finks' eighth grade class from pennsylvania, doing their best impressions of us, doing a very good job. they hope it wins them a trip to the opening of the wizarding world of harry potter in orlando's universal resort. you have until friday to get your tapes in. head to our website at todayshow.com. i like those kids. >> even their own outdoor plaza. >> yes, they did. >> the competition is fierce. >> i know watch your back, everybody. just ahead, have you filed your taxes this morning? >> not yet. >> yes, yes. >> you did? >> yes. >> one no. >> if you did, though, it may not be necessarily a good thing. jean chatzky set down with the vice president, vice president biden and talked about important tax credits that maybe a lot of folks overlooked that could save you some real money.

>> remember back in the good old days when you went to the dairy counter and could get skim or whole milk? now there's so many options, ahmad, so rice milk, which option is right for your family? joy bauer will break it all down for us. plus more of the tiger woods' confessional, what he calls his disgusting behavior and the state of his marriage. we will delve into what a lot of couples have asked during the woods' scandal, could your marriage survive infidelity. >> it's starting to rain here in downtown manhattan. >> and it's going to get worse. >> we had a great weekend, though. >> we certainly did. parts of the country had snow. >> so be quiet? >> stop whining. you weren't whining. for today, wet weather in the northeast. mountain snows, mountains of the carolinas. wet weather in the pacific northwest. we've also got sunshine down through the south. then for tomorrow, we've got more rain here in the northeast,

snow in northern new england, snow in the rockies, plenty of sunshine, mild conditions in the southwest on intonto a live picture showing that view and clouds producing rain in loud on and heading south to north around the reej yob. they will be with us throughout the day and highs in the 60s and thunder later this afternoon. maybe more passing showers tonight and off and on morning sprinkles through midday tomorrow and sun back that's your latest weather. i should point out, where are you guys from? where are you from? where in california? >> woodland. >> woodland, california, one of our producer, alicia

yarborough's hometown. go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. not that i have to. i like to say that. >> every time you say it, there's thunder. have you noticed that? >> it's great. >> bizarre. what you need to do to increase your tax refund, exclusive interview with vice president joe biden. first, this is "today" on nbc.

back at 8:36. the deadline to file your taxes is looming. while you may not want to think about all that paperwork, there is extra money to be had if you know where to look. "today" financial editor jean chatzky sat down for an exclusive interview with vice president joe biden. jean, good morning to you. >> good morning, meredith. the white house says this year's average refund will be $3,036, an increase of $266 per taxpayer. vice president biden says it's

the result of a number of tax credits built into last year's stimulus package and he wants you to know about them. there are asosoed credit that is people may not know about. >> that's right. every couple will get an $800 tax cut. most of the people, their employers when would it from their withholding. meaning they got $30 a month more, 60 bucks a month more and probably didn't even notice where it came from. they got more in their paycheck. if you didn't get it in your paycheck and you're preparing your tacks, then you're entitled to a couple -- you're entitled to 800 bucks. 800 bucks. >> but you have to file. >> you have to ask for it. you have to ask for it. a lot of people already got it. second big thing here is that if you -- for example, if you have a child in college and you're paying 15 grand or seven grand to send a kid to college, you

get $2,500 tax credit. >> so people understand, the credit is so much better than the deduction. >> absolutely. the federal government writes you a check and says here. if you're a first-time home buyer, it's the first time you bought a home worth more than $80,000, the federal government will write a check to you. >> a lot of times when tax law changes, when we get new credits into the system, people don't know. >> that's exactly right. >> that they're actually eligib eligible. the fact that you're putting the message out there is terrific. if i'm in peoria, how do i figure out if i'm due money? >> listen to jean. >> you've got a new tool. >> goo whitehouse.gov. it will literally give you a menu. lay out there and it will say this is what you're entitled to. fill this out. this is the forms you need. we'll literally walk you -- it's not hard, not even for me.

>> have you done this? did you do your taxes? >> i use d to do my own taxes bt today everybody thinks it's too dangerous, if i made a mistake, it would become international news. i have someone else doing it. the american people pay me a really good salary and i don't deserve a tax break at this point. but the people who need it sitting at those kitchen tables figuring out how do i keep my child in school? the costs when i go to work and my child care and all those things. >> let's talk about those people. refunds are great and $260 is fabulous. nobody is going to turn down that money right now. but we've got unemployment still bordering on 10%. we've got americans with an awful lot of debt, short selling their homes. >> yeah. >> are people going to view this sort of announcement as not enough? >> look, the big guys know how to get their tax break. >> of course they do. >> they know howo go do it. don't miss it. for somebody it could mean as much as $8,000 or $10,000. it's not enough to change the equation, but it is enough to

see to it that people are beginning to be treated more fairly. middle class people need some assistance. >> now, about that extra $8,000 to $10,000, if you need it to put food on the table, by all means, use it. but with unemployment still hovering around 10%, it's really a good idea to have a cushion for a rainy day. >> if you can, put it away, sock it away. >> absolutely. >> let's talk about these tax credits that the vice president mentioned, beginning with the make work pay credit. how does that work and who is eligible for that? >> people who are employed, essentially, are eligible. it starts to phase out at $75,000 for a single filer or $150,000 for joint filers, couples filing jointly and it's worth 400 for singles, up to 8 h00 for couples. it came in the paychecks for a lot of people. if you work two jobs, the thing you have to be careful of is that if both your employers gave you that credit, you may actually owe money. >> what about the education benefits that the vice president

mentioned? >> the american opportunity tax credit. it's in place of the hope credit. it's worth $2,500, great money. it's broader than the education credits we've had in the past. things like books and materials are actually covered. >> and, finally, he talked about the first-time home buyer's tax credit. >> if you bought a house in 2009 up to november 6th, you are eligible for this $8,000 credit. again, it started to phase out at incomes of $75,000 for singles and $150,000 for couples. starting november 7th until april 30th of this year, you could actually earn more money. it didn't start to phase out until you were earning $125,000 for singles and $250,000 for couples. and you have to go to contract by the end of april, but you don't actually have to close on your new house until june. so, there's still time. >> jean chatzky, good information. still ahead, much more from tiger woods as he speaks out for the first time since that infamous car crash back in

no

we are back at 8:43 with an inside look at the largest bankruptcy in american history. the 2008 lehman brothers, vicky ward "the devil's casino." good to see you. >> thank you. >> an insider's account as to how this big financial house fell. you wanted to kind of look beyond that and really get inside the culture of lehman brothers. >> yes. >> tell me about the culture that led up to the collapse. >> you know, the culture was, i have to say, actually terrifying t reminded me of john grisham's book "the firm" where, you know, basically no argument was

brought at the top. if you disagreed with what senior management said, you were fired. but you could also be fired for much less things. you could be fired for wearing the wrong clothes, either on a golf course or in the office. you could be fired in the case of one man for looking down at the floor too often. you could even be fired for being too fat in one case. >> not the kind of culture that would embrace someone raising their hand and saying hey, something isrong withhe numbers? >> anyone that did that, there's the door. >> it's interesting. the story of how this book came about is pretty interesting. you were able to get ahold of the diaries of lehman senior executives. >> yes. >> almost like a deep throat from watergate. >> completely like a deep throat. >> these diaries were collecting a history on lehman. >> i couldn't have written it without the diaries. early one morning i got a phone call saying, are you the vicky ward writing the book on lehman, could you meet me saturday at 7:00 in the morning. >> cloak and dagger stuff. >> very cloak and dagger, at a

coffee house. i went and found not a serial killer, but a very legitimate source and he had these documents, which were dictated memos by the senior lehman executives and they were meant to be -- they were compiled to be a history of the firm but ended up being lehman-gate because they revealed how treacherous the firm really was. >> nothing they would have published. >> not would have wanted for a million years to fall into a journalist's hands. what's different about this book, it's really the story of the people inside lehman and, in particular, four best friends who started off with no financial training to work behind a bar in huntington and how they set out to make money on wall street, but they wanted to stay good. the tragedy of the story is that money -- you see money and wall street corrupt them. and you see their marriages

break down. you see their friendships break down. >> you mentioned marriages. >> yes. >> one of the surprising details in the books is about the spouses who talk about their husband's all consuming life, that everything went to lehman brothers. a lot of people are married to spouses who are married to their jobs but this seemed to go to the next level. >> this went to a very terrifying level. when women are -- have to give birth on their own, when one woman, in particular, her child had just had a seizure and yet she was made to abandon the child and get on a helicopter to go and visit a senior colleague's new house, that kind of stuff is way beyond the call of duty. they were made to hike up mountains they didn't want to hike up. they were made to show up at social events, give money to things that the senior management told them to do. again i refer back to "the firm" and john grisham. it was a really pernicious

culture. >> the first woman who become a chief financial officer of lehman about the time that things were start iing to go downhill. she, in your opinion, was not qualified for this job? >> not just my opinion, but everybody else, too. >> the bankruptcy court just recently released a report that suggests the same thing. >> she accepted the job. she wasn't qualified. the economy was about to get the worst it's been in a very, very long time. and she -- her story, in a way, is fascinating, because once she got the job, she would come in to work in more and more unsuitable clothes. one tfit was known as the star trek outfit, and the problem was that everyone at lehman would send each other e-mails as she walked in the door, have you seen what she has on today? not a good thing for a cfo. also what was not good, she kept appearing on television. as the cfo, you're supposed to sign off on the financials.

you're supposed to raise red flags, not be on television all the time. >> dick fold, the ceo, he gets the lion's share of the blame for all things going wrong in banking. >> yes. >> when you got your inside look here, does he, in fact, share most of the blame? >> well, he technically and legally is kupab lly is culpabl is the ceeo. i discovered he is really not in control of the firm. his number two, who is now dead, they were actually in control. so, when his lawyer says that he didn't know about all these dodgy accounting things that were going on, i might actually believe that. i think dick fold was slightly removed from this culture. >> it's a fascinating, intriguingaccount. "the devil's casino." vicky ward, nice talking to you. how

>> announcer: "today's" health is brought to you by nicoderm cq. three steps, ten weeks and you're free. this morning on "today's" health, got milk? the old standards to skim plus, soy, almond and rice milk, how do you determine which milk is

best for you and your family? joy bauer is "today's" nutritionist. good morning. >> good morning. >> joy to the rescue. milk is one of the most concentrated natural sources of calcium. you have a glass of milk, pour it on to your cereal or integrate it into a healthy smoothie, it will take you a long way into to your daily calcium needs. if you don't like milk, there are plenty of calcium-rich foods. >> such as? >> yogurt, broccoli, reduced-fat cheese and calcium-fortified foods as well. we'll talk about milk alternatives, like rice milk, almond milk and soy milk. >> throwing in some chocolate syrup for the child that doesn't like milk? >> here is my personal opinn. if your child relies on milk for calcium and the only way that you can get them to drink that milk is with a squirt of chocolate, then i think it's a worthwhile compromise. what i tell parents is don't buy the store-bought chocolate

milks. >> too much sugar? >> you'll get about four packets worth of extra sugar. make it yourself at home, buy a skim, reduced-fat milk and put in one tablespoon of the syrup or powder, you'll slash the sugar in half. >> so many options when you go to the supermarket. let's start with cow's milk, to begin with. difference between whole, 2%, 1% and skim? >> calories and fat. meredith, that is it. when you look at the graph we have up, you'll see that the calories and the fat exponentially increase for whole and 2%. you look at the good stuff, in other words, the protein, calcium, vitamin d, across the board it's all the same. the bottom line is, there's no reason for anyone to buy whole or 2%. you want to stick with skim or 1%. >> never an advantage to drinking the whole milk? >> no advantage, except for infants up to 2 years of age, because they need the higher fat for brain development.

once they hit 2, i tell parents to put them right back to skim or 1%. >> there's something called enhanced skim. what is that? >> skim milked, they skimmed off all the fat. that's how i teach it to kids. you start with fat-free skim milk and companies fortify it with nonfat milk solids or concentrated skim milk. it's richier, creamier. >> tastes better. >> and plumps up the calcium and protein. good for kids that don't get that much milk and you want to optimize the calcium when they do sit down to eat it. it also gives them a little extra protein. a lot of my clients don't like the watery taste of skim milk but will drink one of these enhanced skim milks in their coffee and are perfectly healthy. >> tastes closer to 2%, actually. >> it does because it's creamier. >> if you're lactose intolerant, you have lactose-free milk. do you compromise on calcium? >> not at all. this is cow's milk. they predigest, break down the

lactose so people that have the condition of lactose intolerance can have the milk. it tastes sweeter, but perfectly fine milk. >> what is the advantage to the soy milk? >> it is a terrific milk alternative. clearly, it's the most popular. because it's plant based, it has considerably less and lower amounts of saturated fat. and there's some promising research on soy in terms of protecting us from certain types of cancer. the only down side is it has a little less protein compared to cow's milk and it's not naturally rich in calcium. but companies address this. they fortify it with the same amounts of calcium and vitamin d. >> so it's the same deal? >> lactose free, good for vegetarians, people that have allergies or want to change the scenery. >> very quickly, 20 seconds. al and i are hooked on the almond milk. >> almond milk and rice milk are great alternatives, fortify it with calcium and vitamin d, but hardly any protein in it whatsoever. so, just know, this is not the

place to get your protein. >> those little almonds. we're back after your local news. >> it is certainly cooler and cloudier than it has been. the time is 8:55. good morning. a maryland woman convicted of killing her two adopted daughters will be sentence. twos were found and a third escaped from the house. they are seeking life without parole. students and staff will get what's in your spread ?

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