back now with more on this monday morning, the 27th day of september, 2010. as you can see a damp morning here in rockefeller plaza. the crisis of education in america, it's part of our week long education nation initiative

here on the networks of nbc universal. the president told matt that becoming competitive in education is about reform and about getting the best possible teachers in the classrooms and you can't just throw money at the problem, so you're going to hear what the president had to say in just a few moments. >> if you're lucky enough to have -- we're going to check out "money" magazine's top five places to retire, whether you're looking for rest and relaxation, medical care -- lindsay lohan is -- >> we have got tamron hall in for me and the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. today president obama said there's nothing more important than education, he spoke with matt at the white house, but a recent survey indicating 67% of

americans say the education system is in crisis. the president said it will take more than money to fix the problem with schools. >> we can't spend our way out of it, and i think that when you look at the statistics, the fact is that our per pupil spending has gone up over the last couple of decades, even as results have gone down. money plays a factor and obviously there's some schools where money plays a big factor, they don't have up to date textbooks, they don't have computers in the classroom. those who say money makes no difference are wrong. on the other hand, money without reform will not fix the problem and what we have got to do is combine a very vigorous reform agenda that increases standards that helps make sure that we have got the best possible teachers inside the classroom. we have got to combine that with deploying resources effectively. >> the president also told matt

that he backs a longer school year in the u.s. saying it could make a difference in performance. officials are keeping a watch on a levee that was close to failing on sunday in wisconsin. people have evacuated their homes in portage, wisconsin. and in minnesota, a massive cleanup is underway after extensive flooding there. the pastor of a powerful georgia church vowed sunday to fight allegations that he lured four young men into sexual relationships. thousands backed the new birth missionary baptist church to hear bishop long -- bishop long is an outspoken opponent of gay marriage. 60 passengers aboard the delta connection flight from atlanta were told to brace for impact. the plane landed safely with only 2/3 of its landing gear deployed and sparks flew up as the right wing scraped the

ground. hyundai is recalling nearly 120,000 sonata sedans sold in the u.s. some of the cars have steering wheels that are not properly connected and could result in loss of control. critical hardware arrived this weekend at the site of that mine collapse in chile where 33 miners have been trapsed since august. pipes will form an energy tunnel designed to slide through the pipes like an elevator car. and wall street's money never sleeps took the top spot at the box office over the weekend. the new michael douglas film took in $19 million. legend of the guardians was second. the town was third. i really want to see that legends of the guardians. >> i think there's a lot of reason to go to the box office -- all three movies look good to me.

>> the least bit being that music. >> i travel with my own band. >> thanks, tam rrotamron, appre it. >> whatever floats your boat, baby. >> let's check the weather, and see what's going on. we have got severe storms from the panhandle of florida all the way to washington, d.c. could be some hail and strong gusty winds. that rain is making its way to the north, in fact rainfall amounts up to six inches of rain before it's all over in the next 48 hours. but generally, one to three inches not unusual. we have got plenty of sunshine up and down the west coast, the heat is on throughout parts of califo >> it looks like the rain is going to be with us off and on throughout the day. off and on all the way through

the evening. otherwise, cloudy and cool. >> and that's your latest weather. actress lindsay lohan is a free woman this morning. she was taken into custody after testing positive for drugs. that's a violation of her probation. but she didn't spend even one night in jail. >> reporter: for lindsay lohan, the trip from court to jail to rehab and back again is becoming a well worn and tired path. her fans, the directors, the courts, everyone, it seems, wants the merry go-round to stop, and yet the cycle

continues. just a few weeks after getting out of rehab, lohan found herself back in court. with high fashion matching the high drama, she failed yet another drug test. a message on her twitter page read substance abuse is a disease which unfortunately doesn't go away overnight. the judge seemed hardly sympathetic. the judge ordered her locked up without bail for four weeks. >> the lesson was, you have had enough chances, i have to get your attention here, i don't care if you're a celebrity, you're going into jail and then we'll sort things out. >> reporter: but no sooner had she been cuffed and taken away, her lawyer filed an appeal. once again, she has to wear that not so fashionable monitoring bracelet. any trust she built up is gone. in the end, lohan spent 12 hours and ten minutes in custody. and while most agree that jail is certainly no place for treatment, freedom isn't making her any better either.

>> the goal of treatment is surrendering and admitting that you need help. >> reporter: for now, her vicious circumstanle continues. she's due in court for a probation hearing next month where it all starts all over again. >> courteney cox is a correspondent for the todayshow.com. there are reports that lindsay lohan is voluntarily checked herself into a rehab right now. >> there are a lot of sources within the lohan circle saying that's something she's going to do before a court orders her to do so, that's part of faking responsibility. but at this point, everyone is so tired of the routine, there's not going to be any tide change or shift in perspective until she does clean up and gets back to working and proves she can be a responsible adult. >> this is another example of a

celebrity being treated differently than an average person. is that the case? is there any indication that that's the case? >> yes and no, if the law doesn't allow for the judge to reverse that decision, it wouldn't have been reversed, speaking about the one that landed her in jail for only a matter of hours instead of until october 22, that he saw on friday. if the law didn't allow for that, they wouldn't change it even for a celebrity. but if you have certain attorneys that are running in circles, they have the judge's ear more than another attorney or they have the money to keep throwing at this situation. >> is it likely she knew she was getting out within 12 or 24 hours when she was arrested? >> i think it was likely that she knew her attorney was going to move mountains to ensure she's out if that was the case. i think also at this point, shaun chapman holly is part of the problem. you've got a woman that's --

it's not just failing drug tests, it's not just partying too much. she actually goes out and breaking the law. she's gotten arrested for getting into accidents with innocent people because of her behavior. this is a dangerous situation, and at some point you need to quit doing everything you can to put her out on the streets. >> and what was she reportedly doing last night. >> last night lindsay lohan tweeted that she had gone to a teen outreach center in los angeles where she was signing autographs and i don't know that she should be going to a teen outreach center and acting like some sort of example at this point in time but it's obviously a publicity move. >> does she have a good friend that can be there for her? >> no, as a matter of fact she does not. the people closest to lindsay don't recognize that she has a problem and those that do try to help, she steps in and says that's it, you're out, you don't understand me, you don't get me. it's a sad story, this is

happening all over america, this isn't just one celebrity that's suffering from this. but at the end of the day, it would be great if she could be an example for what to do when things go really wrong and how you fix it. >> she's filming this biopic on this linda love lays. >> part of the problem here is every time she has a sort of error, she's able to get work. if you're a normal person, your job doesn't keep giving you chance after chance after chance, normal people don't say you think i have a problem, but, hey, i'm on the cover of vanity tear. >> we're all talking about promoting the movie. >> we wouldn't be talking about linda lovelace if --

up next the five best cities to retire, according to "money" magazine, that's right after this. subway has breakfast. and it's a slam dunk. i like my breakfast sandwich with green peppers, onion, banana peppers and mustard. i like eggs with black forest ham on wheat. with everything. i like a little kick. that's a good call. i like mine with egg whites. and... a napkin. [ male announcer ] have you built your better breakfast? now's the time! try our better-for-you western egg white muffin melt or the dee-licious double bacon egg and cheese on toasty flatbread. subway. build your better breakfast. on toasty flatbread. mmmmmm. mmmmmm. wow! you have got to be kidding me. 80 calories? light & fit has 80 calories versus 100 in the other leading brand. light & fit. irresistible taste. fewer calories. i love light & fit. ♪ fresh butter taste ♪ yes, that's here ♪ no hydrogenated oils ♪ so there's no trans fats here ♪ ♪ whoa... ♪ turn the tub around

♪ talking about nutrition [ female announcer ] "i can't believe it's not butter" has 70% less saturated fat than butter and no hydrogenated oils, so there's no trans fat. "i can't believe it's not butter," butter taste, better health. that's why there's lubriderm® daily moisture. it contains the same nutrients naturally found in healthy skin. skin absorbs it better and it lasts for 24 hours. later gator. lubriderm. your moisture matched. first timers, old pros, heated rivals, you can't do the wave by yourself. and just like we mix and mingle, so do the delicious tastes and textures in every handful of chex mix. we're made to mix. ♪ [ female announcer ] nutri-grain -- one good decision... ♪ ...can lead to another.

♪ ♪ ...made with real fruit and now with more of the whole grains your body needs. nutri-grain can help you eat better all day. nutri-grain can help you i don'i heard thatd nearly 4 out 5 women aren't getting enough vitamin d. so i take one a day women's, a complete multivitamin with more vitamin d to support bone and breast health.

[ female announcer ] one a day women's. the top five places to retire, from a low cost of living to improving your education or your golf swing are all factors you need to consider before hanging up your hat. what was your focus this time around? you guys do this every year? >> and every year we look at a different type of community, and this year we did college town, specifically towns that allows

seniors to continue learning, so they can take anything from history, long, arts, religion. retirees love these programs because they use them to expose themselves to new things they wouldn't otherwise or they can fill in the gaps from their jun undergraduate years. >> hanover, new hampshire. >> what makes hanover so unique is that there's so many rural new england villages that have beauty and nature and you can go hiking and kayaking and so you have the outdoors, but on top of that, you have an intellectual and cultural life that's like you're in a major metropolitan area because of darth mouth, there's a local opera, dances, ballets, lots of good restaurants, so hanover is a unique blend of both brueauty a

brains. >> but you have to deal with the rhode island winters. >> dartmouth's program is one of the largest, there are over 1,500 members, you can choose from over 100 courses per year. >> let's go south to lexington, kentucky where there are a lot of opportunities at the university of kentucky. >> you can also audit courses with the undergrads if they're not filled and a lot of retirees say there's really fun. and there's a great downtown apgs. and you can always take a buf drive through the horse countryside. >> what about the cost of these courses? >> most of them are membership based course where is you pay an annual fee, maybe $80 a year,

and then you'll pay something like $50 per course, but they're membership programs where you can participate and take a course and then there are also volunteers or member who is teach the courses as well. so if you have a lot of interest in churchill, you can teach a course in churchill if you want. >> let's head to the pacific northwest, which is a great area. this is bellingham, washington between seattle and vancouver. >> exactly, it's sort of tucked between puget sound and the cascade mountains so you have access to two major metropolitan areas, but at the same time, bellingham has it's own distinct community. it has a vibrant water front, with the harbors, restaurants, a farmer's market. there are a lot of other retire yis there, that's partly do to the fact that the state has no income tax. >> 30% of the folks there or

over the age of 50? >> that's probably at least some of the reason why they're there. >> durham, north carolina, part of the tri-cities there in the north carolina area. >> duriham along with chapel hill -- you get all four seasons, which is something that a lot of retirees like yet sort of milder versions. the winters aren't going to be quite as frigid as they are in new england. the median home price is only about $160,000 and durham is a former tobacco town, which is sort of emerging as a cultural haven, there's no art museums, the american dance festival happens there every year. >> very nice. and now finally we're going to go to the southwest. prescott, arizona. >> prescott is about 100 miles north of phoenix. so people would be surprised to know that because their elevation is just over 5,000

feet, they actually get all four seasons as well. which is again something that retirees look for. and you can go hiking in prescott national forest. there's a beautiful courtyard plaza, there's a constant rotation of arts and craft fairs that are going on. one retiree told us, if you get board in prescott, it's your own fault. >> i should say it used to be kind of pricey, but since 2007, the median home price is down over 35%. so it's more affordable "today" than it was a few years ago. >> thank you so much. >> coming up on "today," a taste of fall with two delicious seasonal treats from the cake love man himself.

"today's" wedding, a sweet surprise for melissa and germje. scream come true for "today's" wedding. se and shine! [ man ] ♪ today the world looks mighty fine ♪ [ women ] ♪ pop-tarts happy sunshine time! ♪ [ man ] ♪ grab a pop-tart and you might just start ♪ ♪ to sing songs like a meadow lark ♪ ♪ stretch and yawn ♪ blow a kiss to mom ♪ cause pop-tarts mornings are the bomb ♪ ♪ so, rise and shiiiiine

with technology of the future. it's liquid-plumr foaming pipe snake. clears slow drains, cleans pipe walls. liquid-plumr foaming pipe snake. clears slow drains, cleans pipe walls. mmmmmm. mmmmmm. wow! you have got to be kidding me. 80 calories? light & fit has 80 calories versus 100 in the other leading brand. light & fit. irresistible taste. fewer calories. i love light & fit. pancakes! ♪ from dawn 'til sunset, i'll never walk away ♪ ♪ blueberry pancakes are so good ♪

[ male announcer ] bisquick. pancake lovers unite. equals chili's $20 dinner for two. share an app, like our texas cheese fries. then choose two entrees from 14 chili's favorites, like our new sweet & smoky chicken crispers. the $20 dinner for two, only at chili's. ancr: on september 2nd we took over a restaurant just for a day. then we made lunch for the neighbors. thousands of turkey burgers on us. to show people there's a burger that's as lean as it is delicious. it's really good. he loves the turkey burgers. if i can give her something that's good for her and lean, i'd totally make this for her. ancr: make the switch. look for jennie-o at a store near you.

coming up on "today," an easy way to make a traditional mexican meal.

ring machine beeps ] [ son ] hi, mom. sorry i missed your call. [ coughs ] call me. ♪ [ sneezes ] [ female announcer ] kleenex brand tissues are america's softest. [ sneezes ] [ female announcer ] no wonder people go out of their way to share them. [ sneezes ] ♪ [ female announcer ] now it's even easier to share. [ coughs ] [ female announcer ] send a kleenex brand share package for free today at kleenex.com. softness worth sharing. ♪ hi, a number two please? would you like that to hurt now, or later? uh, what? sir, it's a simple question, do you want heartburn pain now or later? [ male announcer ] these heartburn medicines make you choose between hurting now, or later. pepcid® complete doesn't. it starts to neutralize acid in seconds and keeps it under control all day or all night.

sometimes you gotta make compromises, man. [ male announcer ] no you don't, man. pepcid® complete works now and works later.

[ male announcer ] no you don't, man. (sfx: coach's whistle) "the car coach" - lauren fix. >> in case your car repair shop hasn't noticed - there's been a shift. sfx: shifting. over 70% of women make the car repair decision sf shifting. auto service plus is one auto repair shop that has geared their business to earn women's respect. sfx: shifting. 'cause when it comes to car repair, it's women who are in the driver's seat. announcer >> auto service plus. service you can trust.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is a wbal-tv 11 news update. >> it looks like the brain will be with us off and on through the evening. it will come in waves. otherwise, cloudy and cool. a little bit warmer on tuesday. the-to-upper-70's. still a chance for

yeah, what's your favorite subject? >> math. >> that's my worse subject. i was horrible in math. >> that's al going back to elementary school. it's part of "today's" week long look at education in america. tomorrow on "today," we'll see what al learned when he hit the books with the pint-sizeded set. so how was it? it's great to go back, suspect? >> yes, but in a sense, you realize how much smarter they are "today."

. >> and even what they're learning, it seems beyond what i learned in fourth and fifth and sixth grade. and the pressure is even higher on these kids. >> but coming up in this half hour, as we continue to make a look at the state of education in america. we're looking at the class of 2020, this morning natalee morales takes a look at what's on the mind of one little girl as she startses the new school year. >> we are making two seasonal treats to celebrate fall. cranberry apple cobbler -- >> apple cranberry cobbler. >> i guess because there are more apples than cranberry. and sweet potato cake. or potato cake that's sweet. >> i'm curious what the difference is between cobbler and pie.

>> one has a crust, the other doesn't. >> there you have it. that's something i didn't know in cooking "today." we're also going to show you a classic mexican dish. but first, al who knows all things. >> i don't know all things, but i do know about a buy's got a crust. >> pie as a crust on the bottom. >> cobbler, cobbler doesn't have a crust. >> let's take a look at show you what's going on. and i wasn't mocking you. as i watch the tropics, 30% up development there in the caribbean, and it may cause a problem from florida on into the east coast. wet weather for the east, much above normal temperatures in the pacific northwest. midweek period, wet again along

the east coast. >> we are off to a wet start this morning. the rain will be with us off and on. there will be breaks in the precipitation, but >> the debate continues. >> a third grader knows the difference between a cobbler and a pie. >> that 's terrible, al, thank you. >> up next, speaking of third grade, we're headed back to the third grade as we check in with one member of the class of 2020. it also works wirelessly with your tv.

"a," "b," "c," "d," "e," "f," "g"... so his littlest actions make big things happen. green triangle ! duck ! the more he wiggles... the more he learns. and older kids like chloe... ♪ head shoulders... ... really get rockin' ! ♪ ... knees and toes... knees and toes ! ♪ you go, girl ! the learn & move music station only from fisher-price. ♪ play laugh grow mmmmmm. mmmmmm. wow! you have got to be kidding me. 80 calories? light & fit has 80 calories versus 100 in the other leading brand. light & fit. irresistible taste. fewer calories. i love light & fit. sometimes i would get rewards, sometimes i wouldn't. this one card i had -- there were all these rules. rules and restrictions. oh, and limits. [ scoffs ] forget about it. but i love this card. bankamericard cash rewards credit card. 1% cash back on everything i buy. period. no limit to the amount of cash back i can get. no hoops to jump through. simple. [ male announcer ] the refreshingly simple

bankamericard cash rewards credit card. apply online or at a bank of america near you. bankamericard cash rewards credit card. i'm george duran and this is the hunt's crash kitchen tour. hey, chief, how you doing? i'm here to cook you guys some lasagna. that's what i'm doing. not with this you're not. what you doing to my tomatoes? hunt's is the only leading brand that uses flashsteam and that gives it that backyard garden fresh taste. wow. look how bright that is. alright, i think we're good. hey, guys, come and get it. this is delicious. [firemen cheer] guys, you need your strength! isn't it time to take a fresh look at your tomatoes? whoo-hoo! i drove the '92 camry. i drive a 2007 camry. i was expecting the 2005 camry, and my sister got it. i was driving the '94 toyota camry, and my dad surprised me with a 2005 toyota camry. [ julie sighs ] i drove all of them, but i drive the 2009. [ interviewer ] why camry? reliability. yeah. affordability.

[ male announcer ] share your toyota story on facebook.com/toyota. hi, a number two please? would you like that to hurt now, or later? uh, what? sir, it's a simple question, do you want heartburn pain now or later? [ male announcer ] these heartburn medicines make you choose between hurting now, or later. pepcid® complete doesn't. it starts to neutralize acid in seconds and keeps it under control all day or all night. sometimes you gotta make compromises, man. [ male announcer ] no you don't, man. pepcid® complete works now and works later.

as we take a close look at kids and schools this week on education nation "today," it's time to check in on our class of 2020. we're following a group of students from their first day of kindergarten to their high school collage situation. graduation. we wanted to go back to where the series started and catch up with our first member of the class of 2020. >> how are you? >> good? >> summer is over and 8-year-old lauren is up early to start the new school year. >> what do you think is going to be different about third grade?

>> much harder. >> really? >> you think you can handle it? i think you can too. >> reporter: the 2007, we woke up with 5-year-old lauren on her first day of kindergarten. she started the morning with a few dollars from the tooth fairy and a special necklace from her mom. >> they're called mommy and me pendants, even though it's a big day and we'll be separated, we're always in each other's hearts, right. >> i need help with the tie. >> "todatoday no one would know lauren is wearing the necklace, but she'll keep it close to her heart. >> she said i really want to wear any heart necklace, i said it's not going to show up with your tie, but she said i know it's on. >> as independent a child as she is, it's really nice for me to see that side of her every once in a while to really know that we're still really connected and

that she needs her mom. >> welcome to the third grade, whooo! >> third grade is under way and it's time to say goodbye to mom and dad. >> here's my goal, my goal is to help you grow up. lauren's new teacher says there are no rules in her classroom, but a lot of expectations. >> why would it be helpful to raise your hand? >> because somebody else might have been rasing your hand but you just shouted out and they were going to say something also. >> so it's about being fair, isn't it? >> so you have to listen to me answer your question. >> reporter: today's first assignment to illustrate cooperation. and bullying. >> no bossing me. >> very good. so this would be an example of

bossing or bullying, right? >> reporter: as the first day of third grade draws to a close, the teacher gives the kids a chance to get to know her and 150e67 other. >> i wanted to be a mechanic. >> it is mckenzie and her dream is to be on a tv show. >> her dream is to be a famous singer. >> lauren uses the opportunity to find out more about natalee her friend, but also the rest of the world. >> what's the thing that happened to me, i went to manilla for a trip. >> manilla? >> the philippines. >> when they were driving, and she kept asking me questions. why, why? and i said, why do you want to know why? she said, i want to know everything. >> the class of 2020, stusdents

completed their mandatory te testing and we're happy to report that lauren did very well. >> up next, a simple way to spice up that same old chicken with mexican mole. right after this. . night after night, i sat up. sprayed up. took a shower... or took a pill. then i tried drug-free breathe right advanced. and instantly, i breathed better! i slept better. it felt...better. thank you, breathe right! [ male announcer ] breathe better, sleep better, feel better. now try new breathe right advanced for free... at breatheright.com. [ woman ] it's my right to breathe right. isn't it your right, too? [ female announcer ] granola nut clusters from nature valley. 100% natural nuts and granola in bite-size clusters. it's a little bit of nature... a little bit better.

♪ and nature approves. ♪ granola nut clusters from nature valley. the taste nature intended. granola nut clusters from nature valley. mmmmmm. mmmmmm. wow! you have got to be kidding me. 80 calories? light & fit has 80 calories versus 100 in the other leading brand. light & fit. irresistible taste. fewer calories. i love light & fit. ♪ and dyeing and curling

-♪ crimping -♪ and cutting ♪ and hair finger twirling ♪ threading my hair through some bright coloured rings ♪ ♪ these are a few of my favourite things ♪ ♪ when the curls break ♪ when the ends split ♪ when my hair goes mad ♪ i simply remember my favourite thing ♪ ♪ and then i don't feel ♪ so bad [ female announcer ] we all damage our hair. dove damage therapy with fiber actives takes care of the damage. let's raise a glass

to cookies just out of the oven. to the morning bowl of cereal. and to lactaid® milk. easy to digest and with all the calcium and vitamin d of regular milk. [ female announcer ] lactaid®. the original lactose-free milk. this morning on "today's" kitchen, spicing up your chicken dinner with mole, host of the cooking channel has a recipe you can pull off in no time. mole can take a couple of days?

>> and anywhere between 20 and 40 ingredients. >> who's got the time. >> that's exactly the point as to why i'm making the recipe that i'm making. >> you tall this a shortcut mole? >> i'm not intending to pass this off as a traditional mole. it's a mole -- the objective of this easy, easy recipe, and again, so that people don't get mad of me. >> who would get mad of you. >> people get mad, especially when you're getting a traditional dish that has so much tradition, you show a shortcut, people get really upset. we've got tomatoes, we have got some onion and some garlic, and the reason for coming up with these real shortcuts, jalapeno,

that has been dried and smoked, so it's nice and smoky. we have got some raisins, again, this is my own doing with the raisins. so let's pretend that this is all cooked down. >> for about how long? >> about ten minutes, until it's soft, 20 minutes. we have it in here, we're going to add two cups of chicken stock and then we have got some add to peanut butter. again, why peanut butter. give me a hand al, thank you. buy peanut butter? generally the mole has different nuts that you have to roast. everybody has peanut butter in their pantry. some cinnamon, some chile powder and now we're going to blend, blend, blend, very quickly. and just cover this. we don't want accidents on your beautiful pink tie.

>> are we ready? >> you're ready. there you go. oh, i think we're done. and now only because this is tv. we have got the sauce ready to go. and, again, you know, why create these really big shortcuts? because if you decide, if you have never had a mole, and you look at a recipe that has 40 ingredients and days of work, if you have never tried it, why would you do it? so this is a way of introducing it. now here comes what makes a mole, dark chocolate is about an ounce and a half, we have got it already fully cooked here. >> what else did you have in here? >> this is what we're going to put right now on our beauty plate and on our pot, these are pumpkin seeds, a little bit toasted, grinded and we put

these on top. so, again, it's all healthy ingredients in the recipe. and the kicker is going to be a little bit of orange zest. if you are the kind of person that dint lioesn't like to bite orange zest. i like the color and the texture on top. but again, it's a very personal thing. so this might get you inspired, if you make this recipe from beginning to end shouldn't take more than 25 minutes. then the next time you have five days off and time to go to 20 supermarkets, by all means please do. >> what else have you got here? >> we have got our delicious mexican corn soup. actually this month was mexican bisin sen yal and it's also mexican -- and the corn soup is supersimple. corn tortillas, fried dough and

we're going to do a little bit of parsley, a little bit of bake kbake -- bacon. >> you had me at fried dough. >> coming up next, classic cobblers and cakes, and what's hi there. i'm ian wright and i'm investigating what makes aruba so happy. oh my word, that's fantastic.

♪ row your boat gently down the stream... ♪ i'll tell you what; it's not aloe vera the main export. it's happiness. i haven't even got bait on the end of mine. i don't care; it's just nice sitting here. you're getting it. you're getting it. es tax on everything you buy? that's in andy harris' unfair tax plan. 23% sales tax. a 23% sales tax will cut my business in half. would be devastating. andy harris' 23% sales tax absolutely makes no sense. 23% sales tax would really make things unaffordable. that's too high for the average american out here. i don't know how we would manage it really. don't like that idea. we can't afford andy harris' idea. i'm frank kratovil and i approve this message.

this morning on "today's" kitchen, back to basics, fall favorites with apple picking and we're easing into the season with two tasty treats warren brown has recipes for every state in the nation. so we're making a cobbler and al

said crust. >> i agree with you, definitely. >> i'm right. >> a cobbler can have a crust on the bottom, but for me, that just is a lot of extra work, so i usually do mine without the crust on the bottom. but it can have that. >> so i'm right, so let's get to this amazing recipe. >> apple cobbler, one of my most favorite things in the world. i would start with peeled apples. >> use any type of apple? >> a variety of apples. i like the ones you just like to eat. but if you want to get some that are tart like granny smith's, you can do that. i have the topping, the crust, that's my favorite part. and we have got butter and sugar, dark brown sugar, salt and a little bit of baking powder. >> is there a way to make this low fat? >> you can do things if you want to try to make it a multigrain.

i like to do it with a rolled oats sometimes. you can even do a little flaxseed at times. make sure to grind it. so egg and rum and over the vanilla. and you just want to add a little bit. and the thing is, you have to make sure that it's clumping up. i have already brought all the butter in there. so when you clump it up, you're adding the egg, and you do it a little bit at a time. >> the finished products to make these pattys. >> we're going to lay them across the top. and when we do that, let's expand a little bit. and if you have any that's kind of gaps in there, you can take some of the extra and just sprinkle it down. >> how do you make it crispy? >> you can't add too much egg, if you add too much, it's too wet and soggy. but that will be really the right amount. if you want you can add a little bit of extra cinnamon across the

top. and even some freshly grateded nutmeg. >> that reminds me of the holidays. >> so you have extra syrup from the apples. i like to take those and put it on some nuts of any kind. you've got blanched almonds here. >> toast them anded a them. so can i taste the finished product. >> hi, al, good to see you. >> nice to see you. >> i think a cobbler can have a crust on the bottom. >> tell me about this. >> sweet potato cake. >> and this is my favorite, with cream icing, we can go for any of these right now if you would like. >> i would like to have some ice cream. chef warren brown, thank you for proving that i'm right. >> does that one have a crust at the bottom. >> no crust at the bottom. oh, look out! wow!

coming up, the latest celebrity buzz coming up. whether it has a crust on the bottom or not, it is good. and he's got pie and ice cream. >> it's all coming up after your local news and weather.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is a wbal-tv 11 news update. >> it looks like the rain will stick with us off and on through the evening. that will hold temperatures back. we might sneak into the low

70's. periods of rain for sure. we will be in the mid-to-upper- 70's on tuesday. tax on everything you buy?

that's in andy harris' unfair tax plan. 23% sales tax. a 23% sales tax will cut my business in half. would be devastating. andy harris' 23% sales tax absolutely makes no sense. 23% sales tax would really make things unaffordable.