unding big banquets with your money. some people say i'm a bit of a tightwad. i say, i'm barbara mikulski and i approve this message so you'll know i'm fighting for you. good morning. poe ten tent stochlt. high winds and rains roll across the northeast. al's tracking it this morning. rebirth. all the miners come together for a group photo before two of e miners head for home. and doctors are hopeful more of them could be released today. joy behar walks off the view after a heated argument with

bill o'reilly. and bill and joy have much to say about what happened on their show last night. "today," friday, october 15, show last night. "today," friday, october 15, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning, welcome to "today" on a friday morning. >> a bit of rain overnight, a bit. >> all that rain heading up into the northeast, places like burlington, new york. also ahead, new details in the case of that american tourist allegedly killed by mexican pirates.

we actually showed it about a week or so ago, this guy over in the corner on the right over there is getting a lot of attention. now his image is being photo shopped everywhere. >> they actually dubbed him cigar man. >> and he apparently landed on the moon. we're going to find out the story behind that guy and why he was in that get up. >> a lot of people don't know exactly why he's dressed that way. he's going to explain it later in the show. his name is rupesh. he's a software analyst in london. we're going to talk to him. >> he's the cigar man. let's begin in chile where a new round of celebration erupted as three of the rescued miners were released from the hospital.

more could be released "today." natalee morales has the very latest. natalee, good morning to you. >> that's right, they're all expected to go home today, being released from the hospital. but they're all expected to come back here, back to the mine where they were trapped for 70 days to see the place that forever changed their lives. >> he was the first to leave the hospital and he got rock star treatment. still wearing sun glasses to protect his eyes, he told the crowd, thank you for believing we were alive. is men are on their way home, but life will never be the same. re a rescue miner says the outpouring of love and support

is very emotional. most of the men were in remarkably good health. luis osua couldn't stop smiling as he greeted hospital staff. he was the shift's leader and the last man to come out. the rescue operate took on a superhuman effort. the mission carried out with the planning and precision of a moon shot. >> we had very talented people and very bright people down there. >> one of those talented people, re reneing a which lar. >> everyone involved knew the

plan had to be exactly right. >> we had 33 people down there living, asking for help, trusting in us, we have those families there, asking for help also. so it was not a technical thing, it was a human thing. >> and the planning all led to this, a photo many thought might never happen. 33 miners rescued after two months in an underground prison, now their lives begin again. and there's already talk about movie deals, book deals, these are guys are expected to make a lot of money out of this. they say they will only do an interview all together. they made a pact and said we're going to stick together through the end and they're looking for a figure upwards of $20 million. >> i bet they get it, too. thank you very much. natalee. well, you spend two months in a cave, right? it's a bargain.

>> good to know, let's get a check of the rest morning's top stories. ann is over at the news desk. also in the news this morning, today the obama administration is set to report that the federal budget deficit is down slightly but still exceeds $1 trillion for the second straight year. the soaring deficit -- what once was hurricane paula is dumping rain on parts of cuba. the storm is not expected to affect the united states. the cvs drug chain has agreed to pay -- it is the largest civil penalty ever assessed under the controlled substances act. and ben bernanke --

>> good morning to you, from new york to beijing, it's all about ben bernanke. he's going to be making the case about why the fed printing money to buy things like mortgages isn't a risk to the value of the american dollar, it's a crucial question. there's two big stock stories to watch this morning, google, shares are going sky high, nearly $600 a share this morning. ge also doing better than analysts expected. the key headline there may be sales fell. that's not a great economic read. back to you. and in portland, oregon, someone cut a hole in a wall at a museum on thursday hoping to reach a quarter-million dollars worth of gold on display inside. he was found covered with moss,

hoping to camouflage himself. now he sits in jail. now he's being called mossman. >> we got cigarman, we got mossman. let's show you what's going on with this nor'easter, not a major storm, but it's causing some problems in new england, rainfall amounts anywhere from one to three inches from charlotte all the way into

>> here is the storm is centered on the new england. there are scattered clouds, showers to the west. we may pick up one during the day today. windy conditions. >> and that's your latest weather. matt? now to politics and the looming midterm elections. senate majority leader harry reid faced off with his republican challenger in their only debate of the campaign. kelly o'donnell has details on that. >> reporter: good morning. this race more than any other really represents what's going on this year, reid trying for

his fifth term,haron angle trying to topple the giant. usually they're in a theater with hundreds of voters watching. this was the candidates and plenty of tension. >> i'll just say there you go again. >> reporter: the most unpredictable political outsider. >> i live in a middle class neighborhood in reno, nevada, senator reid lives in the ritz carlton in washington, d.c. >> reporter: sharon angle is -- >> man up, harry reid, you need to understand that we have a problem with social security. >> reporter: harry reid, a former amateur boxer is on the road, unpopular in nevada. >> harry reid has voted to give social security to illegal aliens. >> that is not the law in this country, she knows it and she should stop saying it.

>> reporter: issue after issue, a glaring divide. >> obama care is destroying our economy. >> reporter: reid hammered angle for health care reform. she said -- >> she's against mammograms, colons of copies, and kids who have autism. >> reporter: when reid said insurance companies are pressured to act by programs for breast cancer awareness. >> that's why you see breast cancer awareness month, you see the baseball players wearing pink shoes and the football players wearing pink ribbons. >> pink -- do you think the unemployed are spoiled? >> i don't think the unemployed are spoiled. >> reporter: reid and angle disagree on what a senator can do about the economy.

>> my job is to create jobs, what she's talking about is extreme. >> once again, harry reid, it's not your job to create jobs, it's your job to create policies that create the confidence for the private sector to create those jobs. >> reporter: reid must do well mo among nevada's latino voters. >> we have to do something about the people that are undocumented. >> what we have here is an illegal alien problem. >> reporter: angle took a surprising personal shot at reid? >> how did you become so wealthy on a government payroll. >> that's kind of a low blow, i'm really disappointed that she would suggest that. >> reid went on to say that he had a lucrative career and investments and he really did bristle at all. angle did raise a lot of money in the third quarter. nevada's unemployment rate is the highest in the nation.

it's 12 minutes after the hour, here's meredith. and with just 18 days to go until election day, heavy hitters from both parties are hard at work on the campaign trail. norah o'donnell has that part of the story. >> you know, the democrats are not giving up without a fight and today president obama and vice president biden hold their joint campaign event this season. they're doing it in delaware. it's going to be a double dose of democratic power to make sure that the democrats hold on to joe biden's senate seat. in his efforts to energize a key voting bloc for his party, he was peppered with questions. young voters helped democrats win big two careers ago, but thursday they grilled the president on issues and ask him if being gay is a choice?

>> i don't think it's a choice. i think that people are born with, you know, a certain makeup. and we're all children of god. >> reporter: michelle obama was also out courting voters, especially women voters. >> this is officially my second day campaigning. yay. >> reporter: the first lady in colorado where democratic senator michael bennett is in danger of losing his seat to ken buck. >> you have to remind people that they can't just vote once and then wait for change to happen. they have to vote every single time. >> reporter: but bill clinton is perhaps the busiest of them all. >> this is about the 80th event i have done in this election year. >> reporter: barn storming across the country to rally blue collar democrats. >> this should not be a close race. if it weren't for this economic

climate, it might not be. >> reporter: still republicans are poised to make great gains. >> sarah palin was full of jokes about her daughter bristol's dance steps on "dancing with the stars". >> i said i know how you can learn these dance steps, just write them on the palm of your hand. when i hear people say during the campaign that they have never been proud of america until that time, i think haven't they met anybody in uniform yet? >> reporter: palin holds a rally in anaheim, california on sunday. but two of the women on the top of the ticket, meg whitman and carley fiorina don't plan to attend. a possible explanation is

emerging in the death of that jet skier who was allegedly murdered by mexican pirates. was it a case of mistaken identity? jenna, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. the latest theory on this is that tiffany and david hartley were perhaps mistaken for members of a rival drug cartel. david hartley had mexican plates on his vehicle when he offloaded those vehicles on falcon lake. the search for david has now been suspended indefinitely. hours before david went jet skiing with his wife on falcon lake, police officers pulled him over for an expired tag. because the hartleys also had mexican plates on their car from when they live in ranosa for david's job. >> that might have drawn the

attention of the lookout thinking that perhaps the hartleys may have been lookouts or spies for the rival cartel fighting over control over that geography. >> reporter: fred burton is with a private intelligence agency. he said the beheading of the investigate for in the case is a sign of the mexican military to back off. >> unless somebody had been there to tell us what happened, we can't go around saying the cartel did that when we have no proof. >> i can see how the mistaken identity happened. i can see how that happened. >> reporter: the development comes as tiffany hartley faces an unimaginable job. >> these are shells have we have collected everywhere we have gone. >> i miss him.

and i want him back and i can't. now i have to move forward and see how i'm going to live and what i'm going to do without him. >> reporter: as of today, she'll also have to do without david's mom pam who left texas for her home in colorado. >> i will fight to make people see what's going on down here. >> reporter: an american family's private tragedy in the chaos of mexico's drug wars. >> i love you. >> i love you too. >> tiffany hartley will herself be moving back to colorado within the next few weeks. the family is aware of the suspended search, but, matt, they still hope to bring david home. >> janet, thanks so much. now to the argument on "the view" over the proposed islamic

cultural center at the site of the world trade center. it became so heated that whoopee goldberg and joy behar walked off the stage. >> you could have seen this one coming with fox news host bill o'reilly as today's guest, there were accusations of a cover-up and two missing women from the couch. it all started when "the view"'s hot topics boiled over. >> a lot of the 9/11 families that i know say we don't want that. hold it, listen to me because you'll learn. >> reporter: the audience wasn't impressed and o'reilly wasn't finished. >> 70% of americans don't want that mosque down there to don't say we did it. >> it's not appropriate. >> why isn't it appropriate?

[ bleep ]. >> muslims didn't kill us on 9/11. >> joy behar and whoopee goldberg walked off the set. including their guest and co-host. barbara walters was critical of joy and whoopee's actions. >> you have just seen what should not happen. we should be able to have discussions without washing our hands and screaming and walking offstage. >> reporter: but then walters took on o'reilly. >> but let me tell you in a calmer voice, it was extremist, you cannot take a whole religion and demean them. >> this is what i understood. if anybody felt they was demeaning -- >> joy behar is a fire brand on the left and whoopee goldberg is a fire brand on the right.

after what happened on friday, everybody got lucky. >> goldberg and behar finally returned. >> we're back because he has apologized. >> no one wants to insult muslims. >> reporter: but the drama continued on cable tv. >> i enjoyed jousting with the women of "the view" because i want their audience to see both sides. i loved that exhibition today. >> reporter: the latest round is what is already an angry national debate. and at the end of the day this may be a story about celebrities fighting with celebrities, but at the end of day, this is a debate that shows no signs of simmering down. >> thank you very much. you walked off your own show?

>> you listen to joy, she thought it was a hate speech and she was offended by it. >> i love joy and i love whoopee, but to walk off your own show? >> how many times have i wanted to walk off this just sitting with you? america knows they tie you down so you can't leave. >> dogs and cats playing together. we're talking about the lion cub being raised by dogs. this could end badly. this is "today" on next. this could end badly. this is "today" on next. -- nbc.

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just ahead, did gender bias play a part in these women being laid off? [ female announcer ] the healing power of touch

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precise. only from the makers of tylenol. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. here is kim dacey and traffic pulse 11. >> overall, not looking too bad. just a couple of things. the first is on route 40 at rolling road, fire activity there.

watch for possible lane closures. westbound 100 past katharine avenue, another thing to watch out for. topside of the beltway, delays on the outer loop. backing down just a tad on the area of harbor road. live view of the west side, and some delays on the outer loop in the area of 40. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> the clouds had earlier this morning of dissipated for the time being, and predominantly sunni. the big part of the storm is in -- predominantly sunny. the big part of the storm is in new england. currently, with the sunshine out, the temperatures of got down to 46 degrees. the wins will be picking up today. the basic forecast is a mixture of clouds and sunshine and windy conditions. maybe an isolated sprinkle shower this afternoon or

evening. >> be sure to check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information. we are back in 25 minutes with another li

7:30 now on this friday morning, october 15, 2010. a messy start to the morning in the northeast. but the rain did not scare these folks away and we're very happy that they're here. meanwhile, inside studio 1a, i'm meredith viera along with matt lauer. these women claim citigroup used an obsession to lay off women. we'll find out what the bank is saying about their lawsuit. here's one of those stories,

we apologize, we couldn't resist this. hopefully this is going to have a happy ending in a few months. we're looking at some lion cubs living with a pack of cubs. we'll find out how that came to be. and on "today's" friday whip, we're going to tell you when it's really worth splurging. we begin this half hour with some serious news, the on destruction and brutal murder of a 7-year-old. >> reporter: following an arrest, prosecutors announced they would be seeking the death penalty and they say it could take a year or more to bring this case to trial. meanwhile neighbors and of course family are still mourning the loss of the little girl whose death changed many lives. nearly a year after 7-year-old

summer thompson disappeared and was killed, the neighbors keep her memory alive with purple, her favorite color. >> i think the one thing that most people here will remember about her is that she always had a smile on her face. she was always skipping or running or jumping or hopping or something. >> reporter: summer's murder was a horrible shock in orange park, florida where she was last seen on her short walk home from school after running ahead of her brother and sister. police say she was kidnapped and killed in this house on her route home not far from where she lived. her body was found days later in a georgia landfill. a year later the desperate search for summer has turned into a long wait for justice, as the complicated death penalty case against her accused kill her grinds slowly forward, now charged with first-degree murder and sexual assault in the case is 25-year-old jarrett herald who police say lived in the

house where the killing occurred. he has pleaded not guilty. >> he doesn't deserve a name, he's a monster, he's just not a person, he's not like you or i. >> reporter: at a recent court hearing, summer's mother came to represent her daughter and other missing or murdered children, even though harold himself did not attend. >> i made a vow that i would be here and hell nor high water could keep me away. >> reporter: since summer's murder, parents and children in orange park are much more concerned about safety, everyone is more cautious now and the neighborhood is much quieter. >> you don't see the children playing outside like you used to before this happened. it's been kind of quiet and we miss that, the laughter and the giggling and the fun of watching these children grow up. >> reporter: a tragic loss in a somber town, of a little girl known for her smile. and still to be determined is where the trial will be held and

whether because of all the publici publicity, it will be moved away from where that crime occurred. >> summer's mother dina thompson is with us. dean narks good morning to you. >> good morning. >> we don't need to ask how you're doing, you could barely watch that. the anniversary which you can hardly even call it that is coming up on tuesday. what do you plan to do to mark that occasion? >> we're having a huge vigil in orange park, florida to remember her life and celebrate it and to bring awareness to parents and families and friends, to try to empower people to get involved in this. >> deindina, i listen to you sa that piece, that come hell or high water, i'm going to be there every single day that this guy is in court. i have wondered in the past if that's for you and your family,

the best thing? >> i think it is. i still feel guilty for happened to summer and i want her to know that i will always be there for her. >> but this is a death penalty case, this could take a very long time. and can you with stand that? can you be there every day even if it takes years? >> yes, the monster has made he stronger. >> you say you still feel guilty, and it breaks my heart every time i hear it. you did talk to your daughter about stranger danger, but you feel that there is more you could have done. what did you say, and what do you wish you had tornado. >> i don't think it's so much about what we say, of course we should tell our kids not to talk to strangers, but at the same time, if i were to invite you to myself and i introduce you to them, to them in their little minds, their young minds, you're no longer a stranger. that doesn't mean you're a safe person. we need to stop telling our

children things and teaching them. if you have a bad feeling, run the other way. if someone tries to snatch you, you kick, scream, punch, bite. >> as a parent, i deal with -- i contemplate this every day and i try to figure out where the line is between educating my children and scaring the heck out of my children. and so you have other children, have you found that line? clearly your family has been changed forever because of this, but what would you tell other parents? >> i have gotten involved with a group called the surviving parents coalition and they have other groups they're involved with and one of the groups that i think is amazing is called rad kids, and it's a ten-hour physical class where the kids only to take to empower them to not only get away from abduction but internet predators, bullying, they cover a huge spectrum of things and they have reported cases of actually saving children.

>> on the day that summer was walking home from school, when she was abducted, she was walking home with her sibling, including her twin brother who's 8 now, samuel? how is he? >> he's taking it hard, there's nothing like a mother's love, but i don't know that i would compare a twin's love to my love for her. >> you say you can never repay the people who came out and looked, you have created a foundation to at least pay back a little. >> first we want to start with education because we want to do our best to not let this happen to anyone else because it's the worst feeling in the whole wide world. but also, in the event that a tragedy strikes, we want to help people who are of lower income because i was myself being a single parent and i didn't know

how i was going to be able to afford to take care of my baby after she passed away. so my foundation wants to offer money to families in this situation to help them with the expenses that are incurred during a time like this. >> a nice thing to do for people even as you try to deal with the tragedy. dina, it's always nice to see you, i appreciate your time here. >> thank you. let's get a check of the weather now from al. >> thank you very much, matt. let's look ahead and take a check of your weekend. first of all if you're going out looking at the fall foliage, past make in a good portion of the rockies into new england and even into the northern ohio river valley. as we look into the weekend, mountain snows, warm and sunny on the gulf coast. beautiful weather through the gulf coast, but a lot of wet weather, showers through the rockies on into the pacific northwest and part of the central rockies.

>> yesterday the storm was centered over us and now it is closer to new england. there are lingering showers behind that and we may pick up some of that today grid mixtur >> and that's your latest weather. >> citigroup accused of gender discrimination, did the banking giant use the recession to fire female workers? that's what these women are claiming. hey, you made your own lunch. yep! (mom) i'm so proud of you. the bus is here, gotta go mom.

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so i wanted a doctor who had done this before. and unitedhealthcare's database helped me find a surgeon. you know you can't have great legs, if you don't have good knees. we're 78,000 people looking out for 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. we're back at 7:42. six current and former female employees say that citigroup used the recession to fire women. >> reporter: in the class-action lawsuit, five former female employees seen here on the cover of forbes magazine and one current employee accused citigroup of using company wide layoffs during the recession to get rid of more women than men, men they say were less qualified

than their female counterparts. citigroup is accused of being a boys club. the female plaintiffs want damages for what they call the systematic and pervasive discrimination and retaliation women have suffered during their employment with the company. >> what makes this case unusual is that these women are saying, yes, we recognize we were laid off as part of a broader layoff, but we believe that women were disproportionately the victims of that. >> and there are also accusations of inappropriate and vulgar comments made in the work place, including references to oral sex and one of the women being ask, you jewish gals get hot for guys with beards, don't you? in a statement, citigroup says the women were just five of approximately 70 men and women

in the public finance department who were part of that reduction and they were selected based on legitimate business reasons not based on their gender. many of their allegations are either totally inaccurate or selectively incomplete. the facts do not support their claims of gender discrimination. >> as a legal matter, this would never be an easy case to win because it was part of a broader layoff. and so now these women are really going to have to come forward with hard evidence, e-mails, eyewitnesses, that prove their case. >> four of the six women involved in the lawsuit are with ugh exclusively. douglas windoor is their attorney. there are three other women involved in this lawsuit and they are not with us here "todatoday because of scheduling conflicts.

you all were terminated, it was november of 2008, november 21st, why did you decide to join this lawsuit now two years later? >> well, we started the process close to -- soon after that. >> so it's taken that long to get to this point? >> right. right. and the reason that i'm participating in the lawsuit is that citigroup had lip service to inclusion of women in the workplace and then in one fell swoop in 2008, they took out four out of the five female directors in the department eliminating a whole generation of future management. >> but you're convinced that the only reason you were terminated is because you're a woman? >> absolutely. i think what they did was discuss things and i felt disrespected and hurt and i just want to bring awareness to the open secret that female professionals are disproportionately treated unfairly and have no chance for advancement especially on wall street and at citigroup.

>> what did they say to you when they let you go. >> they told me they no longer needed me and that's -- they said my position is safe and my promotion is still going to happen. >> and then they fired you two weeks later? >> yes. >> dan abrams said this is going to be a tough case to prove. you're charging citigroup with a recessionary discrimination. but they were part of a bigger layoff. do you have specific proof that they were laid off solely because of their gender? >> we're going to show that citigroup used the sluggish economy as a cover-up to discriminate against the women. each one of the women who was laid off back in november of 2008 were imminently more

qualified than their male counter parts. in fact one of the women who's part of the lawsuit received much higher bonuses because her productivity was much higher than the man they kept. one of the former managers has already supplied us with an affidavit who will testify that each one of the women in his group that was chosen for lay yufs than the men who remain at citigroup to this day? >> you are part of this lawsuit because you feel you were unfairly demoted when you returned from a maternity leave in january? >> i'm an associate in the active finance group, i've been there for four years and a group that has a very long history of discriminating against it's female employees. it has a very long history of discrimination both in terms of compensation and promotions and it all came to a head for me personally a year ago when i

returned from maternity leave and all of a sudden my skills were not -- >> but you're putting your job at risk by being here. >> but really, it's very important to bring it all out. because this is a group that's been acting in a despicable manner and it's been discriminating against female employees for so long that it's time to step up and do something about it. and so many of the women who have been part of this discrimination are very glad that i'm coming out and speaking and many have called me and told me that since the day they left citigroup they have regretted the fact that they stayed silent. and thank goodness that i'm coming along and fighting against it. it's very important to stand up and fight for myself and for all the other women who have been part of this discrimination. >> and we have no time left, but

in two seconds, is this money that you're looking for from this snut. >> no amount of money is going to make them whole, they have gone through great suffering, but we're going to warn the public which we're doing now and we hope to put other companies on notice and correct the wrongs that they have done. >> thank you all for joining us, we greatly appreciate it. just ahead, we're going to definitely lighten things up a bit with two lion cubs who have literally gone to the dogs. what you hope to score? ♪lit ♪ only southwest.com... [ sharon ] ♪ for tickets and more ♪ southwest.com... ♪ it's where you go! ♪ southwest.com... ♪ for fares so low! ♪ only southwest... ♪ two bags fly free! ♪ southwest.com... ♪ sing it with me! [ all ] ♪ southwest.com ♪ only at southwest.com southwest! -[ ding ] -[ laughter and applause ]

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>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. time for another check of the morning commute. here is kim dacey and traffic pulse 11. >> the most major thing we have going on is on bush street, closed down between wicomico and -- because of a disabled train. fire activity on route 40, baltimore national pike and rowling road. in towson, a traffic light is

out at joppa road and fairmount ave. in particular, putty hill and oakleigh, the same situation, traffic light out there. harford road, seems like the delays we are seeing on the outer loop have dissipated. switching over to a west side of you here, baltimore national pike, there are delays. we will see is slow traffic approaching baltimore national pike. >> the traffic cameras, you can see a totally different morning this morning than yesterday morning. there still are showers to the west, a little disturbance out there. i will be closed -- that will be crossing us today. maybe a sprinkle or shower. but a much better day than yesterday. humidity is up to read the barometer is down. winds will be picking up during the day today. clouds, at sunshine, and windy,

that is the basic forecast today. we may pick up an isolated sprinkle or public showers. nothing major, though. high-temperature somewhere in the range of 59 to 65 degrees. >> updated news and traffic information right across the bottom. back in 25 minutes.

8:00 now on a friday morning, it's the 15th day of october, 2010. kind of nice right now, we have got some clouds after a night of heavy rain, a nor'easter, heading up the east coast. al's going to tell us a little bit. look who's here. that's cigar guy, right here on the plaza. we're going to find out more about why he has become a raging sensation on the internet in just a few minutes.

out on the plaza with al roker and meredith viera. we're going to talk about splurging in this half hour. >> you have to buy a high-priced coat for the winter. that's a handsome man. >> and this is what our morning meeting of the "today" show is like, take a look. lion cubs have actually made fast friends with a pack of dogs at an animal sanctuary in colorado. we're going to find out what's going on here a little bit later. also a story kind of close to home, you know our own brian show madness. apparently it runs in the family. brian's daughter allison is one

of the biggest things on the internet right now with a song she recorded called madmen theme song with a twist. take a look. ♪ there was a boy ♪ a very strange impressive boy ♪ ♪ they say he was the ♪ a little shy ♪ and sad am i ♪ >> that's allison, graduated from college last year. she's amazing. she took the theme song, the instrumental from madmen and combined wit an natt king cole song lt clearly allison got jane williams' looks, no question about it. i know brian williams is very

proud of her. >> he should be. also now, a guy known as cigar guy from that remarkable photograph taken of tiger woods at the ryder cup with the ball coming right at the camera. but a lot of people lost sight of that and started to look at the guy in the background and said, who is this dude? they have nicknamed him cigar guy. he's joining us here on the plaza. give us some background, first of all, you're a big golf fan. >> yes. >> you went to the ryder cup dressed like this, why? >> like you said, i'm a big golf fan. golf doesn't get better than the ryder cup. and what better way to pay a tribute to a sensational man.

>> you've got that reddish hair, the mustache and the cigar and so what turned out to be just a day at the golf course for you has gone crazy. >> are you surprised by what a sensation it's become. >> most definitely. obviously it's hilarious. it's fantastic. it's fantastic. but when you see all the pictures of the people who have gone to at the same time, you can't help but by slightly embarrassed about it. >> how has your life changed? >> it hasn't changed too much. you see what happens really. >> if you take this off, no one would know that you're the cigar guy, right? >> no, not really. >> so don't take it off. it's a lot of fun and we have been having some fun with the photo. nice to see you, it's a pleasure. >> cigar guy. >> i can see a lot of halloween costumes.

>> ann's standing by at the news desk with the latest. good morning once again, everybody, and in the news this morning, the 33 rescued miners in chile is eager to get back to a world -- three of the men left the hospital on thursday after posing for a group photo with chile's president. the miners say they will only do an interview all together for a figure upwards of $20 million. the charity group says two of its workers were killed last night in somalia. the two were taken to an area controlled by rebels linked to al qaeda. republican sharon angle criticized senate majority leader harry reid over health care reform and immigration. reid portrayed angle as an ally

of health care companies. republican christine o'donnell is trying to win biden's old senate seat. and one of the big campaign issues this year, federal spending is in the news. today is white house has confirmed that the federal budget deficit has topped $1 trillion for the second straight year. and now here's brian williams with what's coming up tonight on nbc "nightly news." >> hey, ann, thanks, coming up tonight on nightly news, our popular making a difference series. average citizens are bringing real live training into the classroom. it goes a long way past career day that we all remember. they're teaching kids on their own time. we want to call your attention to it on nightly news. >> and by the way, congratulations to your daughter. it is now 8:06. let's go book outside for a check of the weather with al.

>> and it's a big breast cancer week this week. >> 40 miles. we're here to support the walk for breast cancer. and we want to give meredith this beautiful scarf. >> let's check your weather, pick city today, hartford, connecticut, showers and developing winds, 57 degrees as that system makes its way up into the new england. we have also got some clouds in the pacific northwest, but that will clear out over the weekend, plenty of sunshine down through the gulf and tropical depression following.g. >> we are still under the influence of the big storm and new england is getting the worst of it. we could pick up a shower today but it would be isolated

>> don't forget, this is friday, but you know sunday, sunday night, football night in america. it's a big one. as the indianapolis colts gallop their way into fedex field, absolutely, positively one of the big games. mostly clear, cool, beautiful night, temperatures 61 to 65. on sunday night, football night in america. we have got the mom of the remarkable missy dunlap. nice to have you here, what a pleasure. coming up the friday split, when

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you. you spend a third of your life in a bed, splurge? >> totally splurge. >> what do you look for? >> you look for comfort, pressure relief. memory foam beds are really, really popular. but not everybody likes them. so what you feed to do is test drive this mattress. >> nothing worse than getting a ma mattress home and you don't like it. >> go into the store and lay on your side. >> how long should an expensive mattress last. >> it should last about ten years. >> people are talking about bed bugs now unfortunately. if you splurge on the mattress, how do you protect yourself, is there any way? >> there's no point in spending $60 60 -- >> let's talk about regular sheets, splurge on good ones? >> i say go for the thread, the

actual fabric, it's if a good cotton like egyptian cotton. >> and so how long should sheets last you. >> organic cotton, which are more expensive, they last much longer than regular cotton. if you don't want pesticides in your food, why would you want pesticides on your bed? >> this is a $40 pillow, it's hyper allergenic, really, really nice. this one is $240, but you're only going to buy this -- it's hand silk, it's customized to you for your support. it will be the only pillow you're going to buy your entire life. so buy it once, buy it right. >> when is it worth spending more on a winter coat? you death figure its worth it if you live in an area where winter really is an issue. >> you don't need to break the bank, this jacket is a good example.

it's $199. >> this is for frigid weather? >> it's the uconn classic by eddie bauer. what i like is there it's so many jackets out there that looks like jackets, but they're faux jackets. they're not really filled with anything. this one's lined with down. it has a detachable hood aren't it even has heat warmer pockets. and it won't make you feel too bulky. >> and the price range of this one?$199. >> this is sort of a cold weather look. >> i liked this because it was only $89 from chadwick. it has a hood, and you can find some without a hood, but i like the idea of a hood. >> it's not wool, it's faux wool. is that warmer than wool? >> i think it's adequate, it's for people, especially if you're allergic to wool. a lot of people have sensitivity. but the best part is it's machine washable. >> you can throw in in the washing machine.

>> if your winter is really wet, you recommend this particular coat? >> this is stylish and sporty at the same time. i like this and it's water resistant. again, don't buy a faux jacket that's just for fashion. make sure you get something out of it. this is lined, fully lined. it stitches in at the waist to create a nice shape. >> and you like it a little bit longer? >> i do like the three-quarter length that's more versatile. you can probably find, this is by london fog, but you can probably find them starting around $79. >> thank you so much. and now here's al. >> okay, thanks meredith. >> andrew is the restaurant editor at bona petite magazine. you say chicken and eggs are worth the money to buy organic? >> antibiotic free, hormone

free, tabd biggest thing is that you have the usda label. pasture raised, natural, all that stuff feels good when you see it, but it doesn't mean anything, that chicken might not see outside, so it's really important. >> fruit with skins on it. >> berries, anything like that, apples and oranges, not so much, because you're not getting the skin. milk, no. >> you say it's okay to spend extra for olive oil and balsamic vinegar. >> these are not ones that you cook with, necessarily, these are for finishing salads, this is the real balsamic, again for finishing stuff. >> sea salt. >> sea salt and a real high fat content, because where there's fat, there's flavor. >> you can see the label right here, it's worth it, it will last in your refrigerator. >> you said a regular hand gets it out. >> and lastly, but not least,

good coffee, freshly ground. don't store it in your freezer. >> thank you very much. ann? >> thank you for joining us. you say that it's really worth the money to spiff up your front doors. >> windows and doors are the biggest loss of energy. but you can also do something that's nicer. this is the first place that somebody walks up to, it's an expensive proposition. good front doors can start at $2,000, but it's something that adds real value, it adds real curb appeal to your home that truly makes a difference. >> just what should the door include? >> it should be an inch and three-quarters thick. this is an actually a fiberglass door, so u you get efficiency

that really makes a difference as to how your home feels as well as looks. >> speaking of energy effficiency, you can save a lot of money with this. >> what's worth it to me is a wood framed window that has an aluminum wrap on the outside. there are major brands across the country that really do add value, i want people to look at that, it costs more, but even whether you're going to stay or sell, it ends up on a listing sheet, they're going to say, wow, you've got name brand windows, the house is worth more. >> a lot of people choose other materials than wood to save money, but you say it's worth the money to go with wood? >> it's the only renewable flooring that you can put down in your home. look how beautiful this is. this can really add a huge a lot of value. $5 to as much as $30 a square foot installed. but this is something that makes a statement. wow, look how great this is. >> we have got much more coming up this morning, including the lion cub who went to the dogs in

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[ female announcer ] lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior or any swelling or affected breathing, or skin, or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. i found answers about fibromyalgia. then i found lyrica. ask your doctor about lyrica today. george, good morning. >> good morning. these baby lions, these cubs will be joining an adult pride someday, but for now, they have gone to the dogs.

>> reporter: this isn't your usual morning staff meeting. in addition to the people, you've got 13 dogs and two lions. it's an important morning ritual and the lions greet each and everyone personally. this rough play between the lions and some rather fearless dogs is intended to get the cubs physically and psychologically ready to join the adult lions here. >> the dogs here serve a great purpose for us as a foster family for these animals to learn and grow and start to get acclimated to the kind of social environment that they're going to grow into with the lions and the tigers and other animals. >> reporter: the wild animal sanctuary to 350animals. throw in a pack of wolves and a

bunch of leopards, all rescued from collector who is could no longer care for them or in many cases animals confiscated by law enforcement agencies. >> we find ourselves in all of these bizarre situations where someone's got a lion or tiger in an abusive situation. >> reporter: the lions were four months old when they came here, they used to be the property of a drug deal never canada who got busted. in the beginning, the dogs put them in their place. but now that the cubs way 150 pounds apiece, it's a different story. as i discovered when one of the lions playfully grabbed me by the leg. easy big fella. i was told to growl at the lions if they got too rough. it seems to work, for now at least. at this stage, the cubs are playful and mostly gentle. but as they get bigger and more

fierce, they'll have to be separated from the dogs and the humans before joining the adult lion pride. pat craig will continue to interact with them, but separated by a fence. >> these guys will live here up to 23, 24 years, they'll be here for the rest of their lives. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get a final check on the morning commute with kim dacey and traffic pulse 11. >> we have a fire on route 40, baltimore national pike and rowling road. accident at pennington ave and church street. in towson, a traffic light out at putty hill and oakleigh. delays have dissipated on the outer loop. switching over to the west side,

delays on the outer loop from 70 to wilkins. john, over to you. >> the rain has gone up to new england. there are showers up to the rest of us, though we may pick one up during the day, it today. 46 degrees, mostly sunny skies. humidity is up just a little bit. it gets windy later today. maybe a sprinkle or an isolated shower during the day. high-temperature today. 59 to 65. >> we will have another update at 8:55.

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8:30 now on this friday morning, the 15th of october, 2010. a nicer start to the day than we actually anticipated and that doesn't seem to bother these folks, in fact i'm sure they're glad it's not raining right now.

just ahead, the news story that's sweeping the nfl. >> if you have watched a pro football game recently, you may have noticed that the players are wearing the pink head bands, mouth guards, even shoes. it's all part of a campaign to raise awareness for breast cancer. and roger goodell, the commissioner of the nfl is one of the lead people involved in this and we'll talk about that in a couple of minutes. what does twpresident obama tiger woods and snooki have in common? they're all in willie geist's new book. also coming up this morning, we all love sheryl heins and now she's out with a new project, she's going behind the camera,

it's an nbc project that's deeply personal to her. it's a fantastic idea, meredith and i think we all should have thought of this. >> i'm glad she did. but first it was a double firing last night on "the apprentice." here to tell us all about it is none other than donald trump. hi hi, donald. the men's team really disappointed you? >> they were very disappointing, it was a double firing, one of the few. >> what lesson do you want people at home to learn? >> they were unprepared and they picked the wrong person and with a little bit of practice, you can figure that out. they just picked the wrong person. >> jack, some people might be surprised to see you showing up on not this show, but that show. why did you get connected? >> well, donald was good enough

to have me come on and give a scholarship to poppy the winner who now has a scholarship for the nba. >> and you're mentoring people now. and what kinds of questions have been ask? because all these people have been damaged by the economy, by the recession. what's the question you get most often? >> can i get my degree? can i stay working if i have a job? will i get some world experience? and the answer is yes, you can do all those things, keep your job and get an mba in a real world setting. it's a heck of a program and it's growing like crazy. and we have got 28 applicants and we have got over 200 live discussions going on. >> i'm going to join up too. >> who better than him? >> one of the questions that

people are really asking is where are the jobs right now, jack, and how long will it be before they come back. >> we have got to get everybody in the country around innovations and driving new growth. we can't just keep squeezing this lemon. we have got to get an administration that supports growth and we have got to get a whole congress behind rolling the pie. we can't just keep shrinking the pie. >> who are the front-runners? >> we have got a lot of front-runners. but you know where the jobs are? they're in china, in india, everywhere but here. >> celebrity"celebrity apprent, should put him on. >> yeah. >> i'm going to take al as a prisoner with me. >> i'm with you. >> thank you guys, it's a pleasure. i want to remind viewers you can

watch all new episodes of "the apprentice" on thursdays 9:00 p.m. central time here on nbc. >> yesterday the storm was centered over us and now it is closer to new england. there are lingering showers behind that and we may pick up some of that today grid mixtur >> got some nice teachers back here from kentucky. all right, now let's head back down to big willie scott. >> 30 days, remember when you were a kid, that's one of the first things you wondered, who

made that one up? happy birthday, this is it as we approach the end of the week, the jam jar spins around, helen wald, 100 years aide, attributes longevity to reading novels. gladys herriott, 109 years old. evelyn newberry of corpus christi, the great state of texas. 101, avid gators fan. never misses a game and enjoys visits from the fans. james roche, 100 years old from

delray beach, florida, a veteran and a bartender for over 30 years and is famous for his it's cream soda. marguerite goodner. from nashville, tennessee. 100 years old today, honored with all kinds of awards, especially for having the prettiest garden in town. that's another one of those things older people love to do. jules berman, plays racket ball, plays football every single week. happy birthday to all. now back to you. up next the nfl stars out to sack breast cancer, we're going to talk about that with the commissioner of the nfl. but first, jackie from naples commissioner of the nfl. but first, jackie from naples has been waiting a lifetime toe bob ehrlich says

he wants to fix maryland. but he increased state spending by record amounts. ehrlich raised $3 billion in taxes and fees... including property taxes... and a 40% increase in college tuition. and now he's made over $1 billion in new promises... with no plans to pay for them... except for cutting education. cuts that will lay off teachers and increase class sizes. that's not a budget. and bob ehrlich's not the kind of leader... we can trust.

this portion of "today" is brought to you by dannon activia. try to great new taste of dannon activia today. we're back with breast cancer "today," all month long nfl players are sporting pink for breast cancer awareness. first nbc's peter alexander has the story of one nfl player who's been impacted by the disease. >> touchdown washington and a perfect throw for mcnabb. >> reporter: even in pink, chris cooley, tight end for the washington redskins, the a fearless player celebrated for his toughness. but the hardest hit he ever too happened off the field. >> she called me and i knew

something was definitely wrong, she said i have breast cancer. >> cooley's mother was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, he got the news less than a week before his wedding day. >> and that is so scary because i have never had -- i haven't known anyone that had it and you just don't know what's going to happen. >> reporter: just like that, for the cooleys, breast cancer became more than a disease. what was the hardest part of that experience? >> every day i felt like i was not a part of the real world. >> reporter: even today, two years later, nancy doesn't like to think about it, not about the chemotherapy or losing her hair. >> you never picture your mom without hair, she's like what's my head going to look like. >> you have the prettiest hair. >> reporter: inspireded by his mom's courage, cooley and his wife christy, former red skins

clear leader, held a training site for women battling the disease. cooley shared what a doctor told us? >> now i know why you never miss a game, and why you play hard is because your mother is so much tougher than you. >> reporter: the women got a makeover and an inside the locker room tour. suzanne fluka, the mother of two, was diagnosed with breast cancer in june. >> it's really just so nice that they're making such an effort to make everybody just feel good. >> reporter: the red skins' commitment to the cause reaches all the way to the owner's box. >> today is breast cancer awareness day. >> reporter: the wife of dan snyder has become part of the fight. >> i'm here today to hope to

make a difference. ♪ you have suffered enough >> reporter: outside the lines, a group of women forming a team of their own, cheered on by a fan club of athletes like chris cooley. >> when i get to the locker room and see pink gloves and cleats in my locker, it definitely makes me reflect on what my mom went through and i feel so fortunate. >> reporter: playing for his mom and proving real men can wear pink. for "today," peter alexander, nbc news, ashburn, virginia. >> roger goodell is the commissioner of the nfl, roger, good morning, good to see you. it's a brilliant campaign because i turn on the game, i immediately see the chin strap or the cleats and i see the pink and you say, what's it about? it forces you to think about it. >> we have such a visible platform, so many people watching the nfl and see these tough men out playing a tough game wearing pink and

recognizing their impacted by this terrible disease. it's really a great platform. >> what's the reaction been, not only from men who watch the game or from women who may be fans or not even be fans of the game. >> we're fortunate we have 200 million fans in the nation alone, and 41% of those are women. >> what do they say about it? >> they love it because they're getting an opportunity to have the people who play the game say we're affected by this disease also and we support you. >> you have a very personal reason for wanting to take part in this campaign, your mom passed away back in 1984. >> yes. >> as a result of breast canner. >> right. >> so what do you want others to take away from this? >> my mom told me she had a lump in her breast in 1978 and she didn't at the time want to go get it taken care of. >> she wait. >> she waited about four months. for personal reasons, my parents were going through a divorce, and she told me that and i said mom, we got to go, and she

insisted on not going and unfortunately she died six years later. and you always look at that and say if there was an opportunity for her to get help earlier, would she be alive today. >> even as we talk and complement you on this campaign, i got to ask you about another story in the news, you implemented when you became commissioner a strict personal conduct code and it's been tested on occasion, it's being tested right now, there's an investigation underway right now into brett favre, who allegedly sent some explicit e-mails to a female employee, where does this investigation stand. >> we want to understand exactly what happened and we want to make sure that everybody in the nfl, whether you're a player, coach, commissioner, recognize the responsibility that we all have to the public and to the people who follow our games. when we get all the facts, we'll apply the policy. >> he's one of the highest profile players in the league, if the story is true, what type

of punishment would you hand out? >> i'm not going to speculate on what we do, but we apply the policy, whether you're a high-profile player or not, for us it's the responsibility of playing the game. >> congratulations on this campaign, it's doing a lot of great things, roger. >> we're proud of it, we think we're making a difference. >> how about this, a reminder this week, the washington redskins take on -- you like that music, roger, nbc's sunday night football. coverage begins at 7:00 p.m. eastern time. we're back in a moment, this "today" on nbc.

bob ehrlich is desperate, and he'll say anything to get elected. negative attacks the media have repeatedly called "dishonest" and "total malarkey." and why can't we trust bob ehrlich? because he raised taxes and fees by $3 billion then denied it... because he says he's for us, but made $2.5 million

at a special interest lobbying firm. and ehrlich says he'll cut education again if elected governor. bob ehrlich-- a career politician we really can't trust. looks like the circus is in town and willie geist is the ringleader. after his first book taking aim

at the politicians and pop culture personalities who dominate the headlines. it is called "american freak show". the completely fabricated story of our new national treasure. >> do you introduce all your guests bay s s by saying the ci in town? >> the inspiration for this book is blago? >> it just struck me how much he was relishing his celebrity. and it reminds me that there's a very thin line between infamy and fame. if you're celebrity, it doesn't matter why you're a celebrity, it's just that you're famous. we know he'll be back with something else soon. >> i have always known you as smart willie but now i think you're a genous because you've taken these people from pop culture and you just make stuff up about them. it's perfect, you can do it forever.

>> the people are real. each chapter is a different character, so you know everything about them, but you put them in a fictional situation. sarah palin has been just been elected in 2012, but she's a washington outsider, she's not going to do it in the capitol, but she holds it on wwe's monday night raw, with her running mate nature boy rick flair. >> how about lindsay lohan. >> yep, lindsay lohan makes the book. we do politics and a little pop culture in the book. she's just been arrested on some offense or another, she's sitting in a jail in santa monica and she vaguely remembers that another personality wrote a letter. so she begins tweeting from a santa monica jail. she uses this as her martin

luther king jr. manifesto. >> and even president obama figures in? he's awake in the middle of the night? >> the scene from president obama, he's asleep up in the bedroom at the white house. he's awoken by a crash. and his wife says go check it out. so she goes down to the kitchen and who's in the kitchen making a hot pocket? vice president dick cheney. at which point the president learns that dick cheney lives still in the basement of the white house and is running the united states government. so they proceed to have a long conversation. dick cheney passes on a book that has wisdom from presidents past. >> you got family and early hours. how did you do it? >> it was a weekend project.

the apartment in new york city isn't a great place to write a book. so i had to go hide out. >> when you make up fiction about some of these people, it's not that far from the truth. >> that's kind of the idea, i say it's about six inches from the truth. you can kind of believe each of these chapters and putting these people on steroids a bit. but you can see each one of these people in situations like this. the good news is my show's on at 5:30 a.m. i didn't want to come anyway. i didn't really fit into that problem. >> that's not six inches. >> we all need these jobs. meanwhile hoda jumped the gun on you, she got her book out a couple of days ahead of you. >> i'm coming for hoda. i'm going to take her down. >> i'm glad we're not in this book.

>> not this one, but there will be another one. >> the book is "american freak show." up next, "curb your enthusiasm." bob ehrlich says he wants to fix maryland. but he increased state spending by record amounts. ehrlich raised $3 billion

in taxes and fees... including property taxes... and a 40% increase in college tuition. and now he's made over $1 billion in new promises... with no plans to pay for them... except for cutting education. cuts that will lay off teachers and increase class sizes. that's not a budget. and bob ehrlich's not the kind of leader... we can trust.

actress sheryl hines perhaps known as the tv wife on hbo's curb your enthusiasm. but she's also the executive producer of "our nation's public schools." i love this concept. >> thank you. >> i was doing this in real life at a school in compton. it was so -- it made such a difference in the community. one of my friends, my ex-husband to be exact said this should be a show. you should know people how you're doing this. and then the next thing you know we're on nbc on friday night shows people how we're doing it. >> and once you mobilize communities and they take pride in their schools, it's amazing what happens. >> can i tell you, it's been such an amazing experience to see kids, because we work with

elementary school, i would school, high school, these kids come to their schools and they're cleaning, they're painting, they're helping their teachers. painting, they're helping their teachers. >> stick around, we're going tou

i like a party as much as the next gal but, come on. $60,000 for one dinner held by the department of justice. $66 per person just for bagels at one of the nasa's shindigs. i cracked down because big government shouldn't be funding big banquets with your money. some people say i'm a bit of a tightwad. i say, i'm barbara mikulski and i approve this message so you'll know i'm fighting for you. >> live, local, latebreaking.

this is a wbal-tv 11 news update. >> we are still under the influence of that storm. given the fact though. all the rain is in new england. a little weather disturbance and ripples in the atmosphere still moving around to the west of us, producing some showers. we will probably pick up clouds and might even get the shower or sprinkled the day clouts come up sunshine, windy conditions. winds northwest, gusting as high as 35 per hour. seven-day forecast, as the breezy on saturday for the marathon. a lot more sunshine. temperatures about 64. temperatures about 64.

bob ehrlich is desperate, and he'll say anything to get elected. negative attacks the media have repeatedly called "dishonest" and "total malarkey." and why can't we trust bob ehrlich? because he raised taxes and fees by $3 billion then denied it... because he says he's for us, but made $2.5 million at a special interest lobbying firm. and ehrlich says he'll cut education agai if elected governor. bob ehrlich-- a career politician we really can't trust.