good morning. terror in texas. multiple tornado just south of dallas rip apart homes and damage schools including one twister that barrel across a busy highway. this morning we're live on the scene. race for the finish. with just eight days until election day, republicans and democrats are butting heads over how the gop is funding itself message. were any laws actually broken or sit just democrats grasping at straws. and shocking arrest. remember the florida teenager that could not stop hiccupping? we met her a few years ago and

her plight drew sympathy from around the world. she's been arrested for murder. we'll have the details "today," she's been arrested for murder. we'll have the details "today," monday, october 25, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a monday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and in for meredith, i'm ann curry. >> we're talking about jennifer mee, a young lady we met several times on the show i think back in 2007, she suffered through five straight weeks of hiccupping. now she has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder. the latest on that story coming in a little while. and new details on a rare and deadly shark attack that closed three beaches in california over the weekend. a 19-year-old was killed by what experts believe was a great

white shark, estimated to be up to 18 feet long. this morning we'll be speaking to the parents and the brother of a promising college junior. prince william and kate middleton step out for a night on the town at a friend's wedding, as talk heats up about their own wedding. let's start with those tornadoes just south of dallas, texas. jay gray is in rice, texas. >> reporter: obviously no classes here at rice middle school after a tornado ripped through this area yesterday afternoon. take a look at the metal support beams, they used to be a covered walkway, they are pointing towards the ground now. if you push through that and look at the brick wall, there was a teacher inside at the time. she rushed to a closet. she was not injured. you can see the storm actually

skipping across interstate 45 yesterday afternoon. very dramatic video of the debris field here, ripping across that highway. it actually toppled an 18 wheeler on to another vehicle. the driver of that vehicle was take on the the hospital. but when you see the intensity, especially in this video, it's hard to imagine that no one was seriously injured in these storms. still a lot of work to do cleaning up in this area of north texas, that will begin with first light. matt? jay gray, thank you very much for your report. the last full week of campaigning, just eight days to go until the midterm elections and one of the tightest senate race is in alaska where lisa murkowski is trying to hold on to her seat by running as a write in. nbc's lee cowan is in anchorage with more on this. hey, lee, good morning. >> reporter: this was the candidate's first televised

debate and from the sound of it you would think that they were from different parties, but they have in fact both republicans and for the moment anyway, they're running neck and neck. the round table discussion, they looked intimate, but it was knuckle to knuckle with senator lisa murkowski taking it to both her opponents in one breath. scott is not ready to lead, joe is not fit to lead. i have been leading this state. >> reporter: after losing the gop primary to tea party favorite joe miller, murkowski launched her write in bid and has been gaining in the polls. miller on the other hand has allegations that he misused public money for political purposes. also admit that is he violated public policy. >> i did get on the computers. >> reporter: reports of orders

that his personnel records be released. he quickly turned the tables on murkowski, questioning her financial disclosures. >> would you be willing to subject yourself to the same level of scrutiny that your campaign has subjected to me? >> we filed a financial disclosure that laid out everything, everything that i have. >> reporter: even on the issues, it got nasty, on immigration, murkowski criticized a suggestion miller had made. >> we should not be looking to east germany as a model for our security. >> reporter: miller shot back with a history lesson. >> last i checked, east germany was no longer a nation. but mcadams dried to stay above the fray. >> i support don't ask, don't

tell. every single time there's been a demographic that's been allowed to fully integrate in the united states military, it's been done with great success. >> reporter: but he was largely overshadowed by a feud between a write in incumbent and a tea party favorite. now this is not the end of it, the candidates have three more debates, one tonight, one tomorrow night and one on wednesday night that makes four debates over the last four days. >> chuck todd is nbc's political director and our white house correspondent. how fluid is that race in alaska? >> reporter: it is fluid, but a lot are glad that lisa murkowski's bid is going so well because judging by how miller's been able to perform on the trail, there are fears that democrats might be able to steal this race and keep it more

competitive. lisa murkowski is probably going to ensure that it stays in democratic hands. >> a lot of times at this stage of the campaign, we look for the october surprise, something in the news or something in a campaign that turns the right on its ear. the fact that people are saying it's all about jobs and the economy, do you think that it's unlikely that we're going to see some october surprises? >> reporter: not at this point, in individual races, we have seen some prices what happened in california to meg whitman and what happened to her nanny and that maid issue. the kentucky senate race and the controversy over this ad, the aqua buddha ad, that probably turned that race in the direction of the republicans. but overall you're just seeing it in a couple of races, the biggest news is that there isn't news, the landscape that

everybody foresaw, being a very republican landscape, you're seeing. >> chuck todd in washington, as always, thank you very much. let's bring in rachel mad dow. let's talk about money now, not what the candidates themselves are directly spending, but money that's going to be into the 527 organizations where they really don't have to disclose where the funding is coming from, how big are they going to be in this election cycle? >> we're so used to complaining about money and politics and how transparent everything s if an individual wants to donate infit anily to a candidate, instead of that $2,400 ceiling, that person could declare themselves a pac and donate with no limit at all. >> president obama's out there

crying foul here, saying show me the money, and michael steele on meet the press on sunday, said wait a minute, are you alleging that there is a crime taking place here? that election laws are being broken? if so, show me your evidence. >> michael steele endorsed the idea of full disclosure in terms of campaign donations. that was brought forward, it was called the disclose act after the supreme court made this all legal. now to have the chairman of the republican party say he supports that disclose act that his party blocked, it sounds like republicans don't know exactly where they stand on the issue of disclosing. >> it's clear that when this election is over, there's going to be some tea party candidates that are going to be sworn into the senate. you could have joe miller, you could have sharon angle. >> the thing i think is surprising about the tea party candidates, without a national

leader in the republican party, post mccain, post bush, without somebody who's the figure head of the party, the tea party is the figure head of the party. those candidates, the thing that has surprised me so much is how much they're into social issues, going b going back to hard line issues on abortion, gay rights, hard line positions on the second amendment, that's been what's surprising, i think. >> you have got a new documentary on msnbc tonight about the murder of a doctor who provided abortions. >> dr. george tiller was really vilified by the anti-abortion movement because he provided abortions late in pregnancy. he was murdered by an anti-abortion extremist last year and the documentary looks at how the murder happened, what we know about why it happened and i think it's important that it's airing flight because th e

there's five senate candidates who are running who want abortion criminalized, including people who become pregnant because of rape or incest. if the fall edge of the movement is -- high level candidates adopting their position, what do we need to know about the far edge of the anti-abortion oirkts campaign. we have natalee filling in for ann over at the news desk. we begin with the growing crisis in haiti where a deadly disease has killed hundreds of people in haiti. nancy snyderman is in haiti, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, natalee. i'm in a small town of st. marks. this is considered the rural area of the country side, the epicenter of the cholera

epidem epidemic. this is what's concerning public health officials because they don't want the disease to spread from the country side to port-au-prince. for now the epidemic is concept traited in the rural areas of haiti. the hospitals there are inundated with the ill lying on floors, dehydrated children hooked up to ivs and too weak to move. cholera is caused by ingesting contaminated water or food. cholera hasn't been seen in haiti for 50 years, but now that it's here, officials are concerned that people in the country side will come to port-au-prince and that's going to make things worse. people are dying, says this woman, people know they're not supposed to drink from the with

an estimated 1 .3 million people still living in tent camps across the country and hundreds of thousands concentrated here, preventing an outbreak like this has been a race against time. i'm standing outside st. nithe hospital where four children have been brought just this morning. frankly, natalee, to contain this and to keep it from spreading to the rest of haiti. back to you. opening statements get underway today in a trial of a man accused of killing chandra levy nine years ago.

it is now 7:13, you're up to date right now, let's turn back to matt, ann and al. >> mr. roker, beautiful weekend here, clearly some strange weather down in texas. >> that's right and that same system is moving to the east causing problems for the southeast as we go to the radar and show you we already have severe storms, possibility of >> we do expect some rainshowers to move in here later this morning and into the afternoon. the morning commute to define.

temperatures and the fifties right now. chance for rain goes up as we >> and that's your latest weather. now the story of the so-called hiccup girl. the 19-year-old who could not stop hiccupping for five weeks back in 2007 is under arrest for murder. mark potter is live with this story. >> reporter: police in st. petersburg, florida say 19-year-old jennifer ann mee and two young males were involved in an armed robbery in which another young man was shot and killed. during the incident saturday night, police say mee lured the victim, 22-year-old shannon

vickers to the home. the man was shot multiple times and was killed police say, mee and the two other men are now charged with first-degree mel any murder. three years ago mee became known as the hiccup girl after developing an uncontrollable case of hiccups, she gained national notoriety and appeared on the "today" show. >> when i get hiccups, sometimes it hurts. >> liit does. what are you going to do for attention now? >> reporter: five weeks later mee says she was cured from the condition after trying a number of remedies. now she's under arrest and all three suspects have admitted involvement. now the untimely death of a member of the u.s. national swim team who died over the weekend during an open water race in the

united arab emirates. amy robach has the details on that. >> 26-year-old fran griffin never crossed the finish line at that event. and it took divers two hours to find his body. now an investigation is underway to figure out what happened. >> 26-year-old fran was competing in the open water competition near dubai on saturday when fellow swimmers noticed he did not cross the finish line. divers found his body near the last bouie. >> they were sad because one of theirs had gone missing. >> reporter: kripen from philadelphia came from a family of prominent swimmers and in august had won silver at the pan pacific championship. during this week's competition, he reportedly told his coach he didn't feel well. others within the swimming community question the race conditions. officials say the temperature of

the water was at least 84 degrees and two additional swimmers, two americans and one brazilian was take on the the hospital. >> when you're talking about a race like that when the air is so close to 100 degrees and the water temperature is in that mid to upper 80s standpoint, it's just an accident waiting for happen. >> the virginia athlete was well liked in the swimming world. his sister said there was nothing he enjoyed more. >> he was a silly boy through and through. and he liked the rough and tumble sports and he made it a point being happy doing everything he did or he wouldn't have done it. >> reporter: in a video on his personal website he talked about his position for the sport and his disappointment in not qualifying for the beijing olympics. >> it's hard to describe the feeling in your heart when you know you can go better. >> reporter: this morning his facebook page is filled with

messages from fans. a medical report and autopsy is now complete, but race officials have not made those results public yet. and by the way, three other swimmers at that same competition had to be taken to the hospital. so clearly the conditions were causing problems for lots of swimmers. it is now 19 after the hour, once again, here's ann. >> all right, matt, thanks, on a much different note, it looks like after mel gibson's come back is on hold for now this after his planned return to the big screen and the sequel to "the hang over" was axed. >> many of you likely saw this story, "the hang over" is the story of several friends who travel to las vegas for a bachelor party only to wake up the next morning not remembering anything. now it's mel gibson that wishes that hollywood would forget his own recent past. >> tracey, it's bill. >> bill, where the hell are you

guys? >> we lost doug. >> reporter: it was the top grossing r-rated comedy of all time. >> am i missing a tooth? >> reporter: the 2009 blockbuster, "the hangover." followed four friends to a las vegas bachelor party only to wake up the next morning with no memory and no groom. >> that is my tooth, why do you have that? >> reporter: and now coming soon to a theater near you, the sequel "the hang over 2" but what won't be coming soon, a planned featured cameo by actor mel gibson. gibson's career has been challenged by a media storm stemming from his nasty split from his ex-girlfriend and a barrage of phone messages he

left her. and now the announcement that gibson has been dropped from the film. director todd phillips issued this statement. i thought mel would have been great in the movie, but this decision ultimately did not have the full support of my cast and crew. without naming names said this on the comedy death ray podcast. i'm in a deep protest right now with a movie i'm working on, up in arms about something, very frustrating. >> reporter: what may be even more frustrating for gibson, the original hang over movie featured a cameo by mike tyson. >> i think it's very, very hurtful to his career, if all that has not happened before wasn't hurtful, this is the worst thing yet. if i were mel gibson right now, a chill would be running down by spine.

>> we reached out to mel gibson who did not respond with a comment. zack has no say in who is hired or fired for any roles in the film, nor was he consulted on this matter. by the way, liam neeson will be replacing mel gibson on "the hang over 2." >> a promising college student killed by a great white shark. we're going to talk to his family members. but first this is "today" on family members. but first this is "today" on nbc.

woman 1 sync: i knew what bob ehrlich did as governor. man 1 sync: raised my property taxes 60 percent. woman 2 sync: let utilities hike our rates 72 percent. woman 1 sync: but i didn't know what he's done since he got fired as governor. man 2: ehrlich's raked in millions. man 3: he worked for a wall street bank that took 10 billion dollars from the bailout. woman 3: 10 billion of our money. woman 4: our money. woman 5 sync: and he worked for another bank that collapsed. man 4: costing tax payers 17 million. anncr: tell bob ehrlich big banks don't need help.

middle class marylanders do. today, it's nearly double. and nearly a quarter of a million marylanders are looking for work. in addition, we face a national health care plan that will hurt small business and cost us jobs. so we have to ask, are you better off today than you were four years ago? we're heading in the wrong direction. we need strong leadership. say no to things we can't afford. fix our health care plan. and refuse to raise taxes. martin o'malley can't do it. i will. just ahead, some new technologies that let you track your travel whereabouts, but is it a good idea? ♪ where'd you learn to do that so well. ♪ ♪ where'd you learn to do that so well. ♪

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jammed conditions through that stretch. through liberty road, watch foreclosures in effect and an accident. coughlin street at pulaski highway shut down due to fire department activity. 23-minute ride through the outer loop west side stretch. add another 15 to this if you were coming from 95 on the northeast side. on greenspring, going away from us is in the traffic. the switchover to a live view of traffic at the birdie. -- at liberty. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> so far so good as far as the brain goes. of the time we get into the afternoon, the rainshowers " catch up to us. though-to-mid-fifties right now. thickening clouds, chance for rain showers this afternoon it will be nice and mild.

we will make it to the low 70's. we will make it to the low 70's. >> taxes are too high, and maryland families are struggling. and then there's politician andy harris proposing a 23% sales tax on nearly everything we buy. it cuts taxes for millionaires by over $200,000 a year and raises taxes on the middle class.

andy harris even promised big oil companies he'd make taxpayers pay for spills like the bp disaster. andy harris on our side? not a chance. the democratic congressional campaign committee is responsible for the content of this advertising. women are charged 40% more for the same health insurance as men. domestic violence is treated as a pre-existing condition in eight states. women are abused by their husbands and then by their insurance companies. and last year they tried to end our coverage for mammograms and other preventive services. well i'm proud to say i got the law changed. i'm barbara mikulski. i approve this message so you'll know that being a woman is no longer a pre-existing condition.

7:30,on a monday morning, it's the 25th of october, 2010. a little bit of a warmer start to the week here in midtown manhattan, we like that, so do the people out on our plaza. taylor swift, we say stick around if you want to see taylor swift performing live in concert tomorrow morning here on "today." inside studio 1a, i'm matt lauer longside ann curry. >> it's become a lot easier to

know what your kids are up to because there are some high-tech devices and software programs now that can tell you exactly where your children are, who they're talking to, but if you use them, sit a good parenting or a bad parenting idea. we're going to bet into that this morning. wherever they go, speculation seems to follow, talk of a royal wedding between prince william and kate middleton as they attend a friend's wedding. we begin this half hour with a deadly shark attack with closed a string of california beaches over the weekend. we're going to talk to the family of a 19-year-old boy in just a moment. kristen welker has the story. >> reporter: as the sign behind me indicates this beach is closed and has been since this attack. loved ones are mourning a young man who was so full of life and poised to have a very bright future. >> he was an awesome guy. >> reporter: in lucas ransom's

19 years, he touched a lot of lives, family and friends who are now devastated. >> there's so much more life he could have lived out. so many more people he could have blessed. >> reporter: a junior at the university of california santa barbara was attacked and kill bid a shark at surf beach, a public area of vandenberg air force base 130 miles northwest of los angeles, everyone here stunned. >> it makes you think that you could die at any time doing anything, especially something that you love. >> ransom was an avid water sportsman. he and a friend paddled out for what looked like some good waves when the shark hit. >> he saw his friend go under water for a brief moment, came up, something was wrong, noticed that he had been attacked by a shark. >> reporter: the blue water instantly turned red, ransom's

friend told the press. he instantly tried to pull his friend to shore, but it was too late. ransom's boogie board bears the signs of a bite of a large animal, more than a foot wide. experts say white sharks are often found in the cold waters off california. and they feed on small saeals ad sea lions. >> the great whites can come near shore if their natural prey items are near shore. >> reporter: there's only been 30 unprovoked attacks in california over the last decade, three fatal. >> he was just a genuine good person to be around. >> reporter: jeff and ransom were life guards together at a community pool. at age 16, ransom was honored for helping to safe a 5-year-old boy's life. >> he was a hero that day, he

administered rescue breathing and saved the young buy's life. >> reporter: the man who made a big impact in the short time he lived. two other area beaches were also closed, all three are expected to reopen today pending final approval from beach officials, surfers already saying they will go back in these waters. >> kristen welker this morning. kristen, thank you. we're joined now by chris ransom's parents and brother. please accept our condolences this morning. >> thank you. >> we understand that lucas was an avid swimmer, he was a polo player, he was also an avid body border. did he ever express any kind of fear about being in the water. >> no, no. he really loved living life to the fullest and he just wanted to have fun and he was safe

about most things and he loved life. >> travis, i know that you body boarded with your brother. how would you describe buy he liked it so much? >> i think every surfer, it's hard to put it into words what you feel out there, but you're just -- you're out with the ocean and it's like nothing else matters when you're riding waves. it's just an amazing feeling to put into words wouldn't do it justice. but it's just a great feeling to be out there and i know he shafred it and i know he felt it when he was out there before the event happened and i know he really enjoyed what he was doing out there. >> candace, on the day of this, as travis called it an event, you were, however, concerned about his surfing plans that day, why? >> well, he had called me, he was so excited, heavy he was saying that, mama, there's ten-foot waves and i thought,

well, you know, this wasn't the first time he had gone in big waves, but i was concerned for his safety and the other part was is that he was in an area that he had never been in before and i was concerned that being in an area that he hadn't been familiar with, that he hadn't been in the undertoe and other things. i told him i didn't want him to break his neck like his father had recently in a car accident. he said mom, i'll be fine, i'll give you a call when i get out. >> i understand that he even joked the night before, matthew, with his friend matthew garcia, about sharks, it was sort of their -- they were just sort of making a joke about it, is that right? is that what you heard. >> yeah, something like that. did you hear that? >> yeah, i heard that that they were joking about it and you know, every surfer kind of has that in the back of their head

and it's in the very far back, you go out there to help joy life and celebrate and you don't really think about it. i know they joked about it. but it's something you really joke about, it never really hits home until something like this happens. >> that may have been why his girlfriend who was up there had prompted him to say please don't go up there because of the sharks and them talking about it the night before may have prompted her think about that. >> there's been like 100 attacks since the 1920s, but the main reason you wanted to speak out this morning so soon after the loss of your son is because you wanted to say what a great kid he was, he was studying for, as i understand, to be a pharmacist at uc santa barbara, he had been studying chemical engineering, he had a lot of hopes and dreams ahead of him. what do you want to say about

your boy this morning. >> he was one of a kind, he was. he was an incredible young man and his personality was bigger than life, but i really feel blessed that he was a gift from god for me and he was the kind of person that had such a radiance about him that his eyes, he just sparkled and his smile would melt your heart. he just was the kind of person who cared about everybody and what i really wanted to share is that i'm saddened that he's not going to be able to see -- he had two dreams and one of the dreams that was that he graduated next year in chemistry from uc santa barbara, and the other was that he always wanted to make a difference in other people's lives. and we're hoping that we can set up a scholarship for him for

students there that are in the field of chemistry or chemical engineering that come from underprivileged areas so that they will have that opportunity to be able to see their dream, the dream that lucas had. he really loved the school and what he was doing. >> wow. >> we hope we can help that happen. >> he and his brothers both, travis and he has a stepbrother, josh ransome, they're pretty much the reason why i'm here, the first half of my life, it wasn't -- i had a hard time. and then we got married and we got unbelievable kids and, you know, i wondered if they were mine at times because they didn't grow up the way i did and they helped me to just to do better in life. you know, you've got kids like that, you've got to do good for them. >> well, obviously you too are

going to be doing good in lieu k lucas's name and the love for him and for your family touches us all this morning. in that way you have made a difference. >> candace and travis ransom, our best to us, and thank you for speaking to us this morning. and now let's get a check of the weather. >> and as we take a look and show you as far as our forecast is concerned, we have got snow to talk about in the rockies where a big storm working its way through that region, the upper elevations will be seeing the heavier snow anywhere from sticks to 12 inches of snow between grand junction and denver, salt lake city looking at snow outside the upper elevations. strong storms in the northeast, also southeast, strong >> we are off to a quiet start,

but rainshowers are going to catch up to us as we head into late morning and early afternoon. thickening clouds. >> and that's your latest weather. coming up next, high-tech peace of mind, that let you track your children's every move. but are these a good idea? coming up after this.

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♪ it's a rite of passage for thousands of american kids riding the school bus. but each year, some 5,000 children do get lost. for about 45 minutes, we were in a panic looking for the child.

>> last year in illinois a little boy was on the right bus, but got off at the wrong time. so the school district decided to start keeping tabs electronically. >> each color tells me a different bus. >> they use the z-pass. every student gets a reader pass that they swipe each time they get on board. >> you go right by the z-pass and it beeps and it tells your parents if you're on or off the bus. >> i didn't want a different person, big brother looking in on where my kids were. >> reporter: but the system only tracks the location of the busses. a card like this will tell you when and where your child gets on and off the school bus, but it won't track their every movement. if you want to track your kids, specifically new drivers, all track usa's gps device allows parents to monitor where their child drives, also it sends alerts if they go too fast or on

unapproved roads for atlanta's ben and laura sillens, it relieves some of the anxiety. >> i was really apprehensive at first. >> we love her and we really just care about her safety. >> do you have a problem? >> no, no problem. >> reporter: but daughter allie kneels they have more than just safety on their minds. >> i think it was more to keep tabs on me. which is good because i'm a good kid, like i hadn't done anything at all before i had my license. >> reporter: car crashes remain the number one killer of teenagers and new drivers are 20 times more likely to have an accident. still for allie, it did take a little getting used to. >> i guess my watch my speed more often, especially on highways. >> reporter: but statemeometime parent wants to know more for safety's sake like who their child is talking to or texting. >> our kids are communicating with people right inside our home and talking to strangers. >> it was getting a little

creepy, like around the time i was 17. >> reporter: brittany's mother isn't taking chances, she knew screens her daughter's cell phone activity using software called my mobile watch dog. >> i don't check it when i feel like there's a change either in behavior or attitude. >> reporter: despite brittany's close call, she resisted. parents set up a call list, any call, text or images is reported to their phone. >> she actually communicates more because she knows we can see that. >> reporter: is this keeping children safe or strangling them with an electronic leash. >> we are leveling the playing field so the parents have a way to do what they need to do as a parent. >> reporter: parents minding their children like never before, whether their children like it or not.

you know, matt, once upon a time, back in the day as my kids would say, mom and dad would be aware of every call that came into the house because there was one phone and they answered it. and there was no complaints about privacy until we were grilled about that call when we hung up. >> that dates you a bit. >> including you. >> i'm right in there as well. kevin tibbles, kevin, thanks, sir. up next, prince william and kate middleton walk down the aisle, okay, at a friend's wedding. we'll have the details. i don't tolerate dorkiness very well.

yet my parents still cart me around in a car that says "hi. we're the geek family." ♪ this highlander is more like it. nice interior. it's even got the optional bluetooth streaming audio. very classy, mrs. j. just because you're a parent

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choosey moms, choose jif. prince william and kate middleton attended a friend's wedding this weekend as talk heats up about their own wedding. kate gosk is at buckingham palace. >> reporter: these days it takes very little to stretch the imagination. it's not that they attended a friend's wedding, it's that they showed up side by side and walked through the front door. kate middleton's first public appearance in more than three months. >> going through the front door together and being together throughout is quite significant. >> reporter: with the tight lipped palace not letting on at all about a possible engagement,

hopefuls have to pin their hopes on this. st. peter and paul's church in gloucester is a likely location for the wedding. >> the second in line for the throne, he's got to put on a good show with a grand ceremony. they will be mindful that we're going through harsh economic times. >> reporter: if the rumors are to be believed and where's the fun in not believing them, kate and william are getting ready. ten weddings in the eight years that she's been dating william. at times the wedding hats seemed a way of channeling her own excitement. she may not have to wait much longer. the bookies say a november engagement, june wedding. unnamed insiders say william will ask for the queen's permission over christmas, engagement announced in february and ceremony in august. and those are the most popular theories. nothing like giving the couple

some breathing room to decide on their own. there are reports that the royal mint has struck the commemorative wedding coin, so at least that's taken care of. >> they go to a wedding together, that means they're getting married? i don't get that. i can't believe i used to swing over those rocks... took some foolish risks as a teenager. but i was still taking a foolish risk with my cholesterol. anyone with high cholesterol may be at increased risk of heart attack. diet and exercise weren't enough for me. i stopped kidding myself.

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>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> still trying to recover on the west side. we will update you on that and a moment. under crash in westminster at benson road. avoid that intersection. apparently it is a pretty serious one. 22 m.p.h. from 795 to almost 95. inner loop, backup right towards

the j.f.x. if your attic at cranbrook drive, another accident scene. all open net conkling street and pulaski highway. disabled vehicle on the inner loop at the keybridge. 23 minutes on the outer loop west side. about 15 from the 83's towards 795. pretty rough ride on the outer loop this morning. here is what looks like on the harrisburg expressway. this out of the delay hanging on. italy accident, with the slowdown continuing. >> so far so good. rain is going to hold off until late this morning or even this afternoon. the morning commute should go without a hitch. temperatures and the low-to-mid- fifties. thickening clouds. a chance for rain showers this afternoon and this evening.

mild, with a high near 72. 75 on tuesday. i know it looks like halloween weekend alder drive. >> back at 8:45 with another live update. live update. --

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what did i tell you? 88 miles an hour! >> hello, mcfly. it's now 8:00 on a monday morning, it's also the 25th day of october, 2010. kind of a beautiful day here in midtown, manhattan, 54 degrees, we're showing you this footage because it's been 20 years since

back to the future. they'll all be here tomorrow morning on "today." >> that will be pretty cool. >> they had flying cars, we're five years away, we ain't got no flying cars. >> oh, ye of little faith. mr. roker joins us, what do we have coming up? we have got a really interesting story, in fact i have been looking at my notes, in 1990, 28% of the babies were born to a single mother. today that number has risen to more than 40%, an all-time high. why is this? why are so many women choosing to become single moms and what are the challenges they face? and for moms and dads, if they want to try to feed their family right and they want their children to eat healthfully, we have got some choices there.

a busy half hour ahead, let's go inside, natalee the standing by at the news desk. good morning, everyone. health officials in haiti are struggling to keep a cholera outbreak from racing through the crowded capital. the disease spread through infected water and food has killed 250 people in haiti and infected 3,000, mostly in rural areas, but five cholera cases have now turned up in port-au-prince where more than a million people have been living in tent camps since an earthquake in january. the leaked documents by wikileaks has -- nbc's pentagon correspondent jim miklaszewski has the details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, natalee, there are new cries for investigations today based on the grim details revealed in this leak, massive leak of u.s. military secrets while the u.s. is also looking at filing possible espionage charges against wikileaks officials, but

so far it's all a war of words. fighting fire with fire, joint chiefs chairman admiral mike mullen took to the internet with a tweet of his own. mullen writes another irresponsible posting of stolen classifies documents by wikileaks puts lives at risk and gives adversaries valuable information. some documents say that british troops tortured detainees calling for an immediate investigation from the top. >> anything that suggests that the basic rules of war and conflict and engagement have been broken or that torture is in any way being condoned are to be looked at. >> reporter: a much higher number of iraqi civilians killed in the war and a widespread abuse of prisoners by iraqi forces. but the documents show that

iraqi politics was greater than first thought and growing. i raek prime minister nouri al ma maliki was in iran last month. >> it needs to support its objectives. >> reporter: the u.s. military has a young army private in custody suspected of providing this information to wikileaks but their bigger problem is fixing this monumental leak in security that allowed it to take place in the first place. forecasters say there's a risk of severe weather from alabama to south carolina today, one day after a tornado's fury was caught on tape and damaged homes and a school in north texas nearly dallas. at least four people were injured but none seriously. a warm welcome for snow in colorado's ski country, a weekend storm dumped eight

inches of snow enough for ski resorts to start opening two weeks later than last year. al's out here somewhere. >> it's a nice day. >> where are you guys from? >> chattanooga. >> and who's this? >> this is will, he's from nashville. >> all right, will, i like it. he's saying, yeah, okay, whatever. let's show you that our pick city is in jacksonville, florida. afternoon storms of 86 degrees, and as we show you the week ahead, we have got the risk of strong storms in the east coast, above normal temperatures out west, below normal temperatures and mountain snows, by the midweek, below normal with the afternoon showers in the northwest, snow in the northern plains, wet weather and temperatures up and down the eastern seaboard, showers hang around the southeast, above

>> it looks like the chance for rain will be increasing as the head through the debris of the time we get into late morning and early afternoon hours, showers will roll >> we got some friends doing the zumba thing. very nice. ann? [ no audio ] it got my attention, telling me that i wasn't paying attention. i had no idea the guy in front of me had stopped short. but my car did. my car did. thankfully, my mercedes did.

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♪ ...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 ♪ your favorites, in pieces. we're back now at 8:10 with a story of survival. a 19-year-old student went for a job at a college campus earlier this month and accidentally plunged 40 feet off a cliff. we're going to talk to her in a moment. but first, natalee's back with more of her story. >> somewhere along the path, she slipped and it wasn't until the next morning that she was

foimpfound and rushed to the hospital. >> brena loves the outdoors and calls it her escape. when she set out for a job, there was no reason for concern. >> i was just sort of having that sort of a day where one thing was leading to another but in a positive way. >> brena found another option up the road, along this path, she slipped and fell 40 feet to the base. >> my last memory was, i was on the rock and just kind of soaking in the sun and i was really happy. >> injured but hoping to find help, she dragged herself almost 100 feet. >> i'm not sure how i actually got to this point. but i think i might have gone through a stream that's up there. >> reporter: early the next morning, a couple out for a hike saw brenna. >> we saw her from this rock up here. >> reporter: the two called 911

and an ambulance rushed brenna to the hospital. >> a rock had protruded into the skull itself and once dirt and soil and contaminants get into the brain, it's a big deal. >> surgeons reconstructed her forehead and part of her left eye socket. with the procedure complete, brenna began her road to recovery. >> reporter: doctors say she'll already made a remarkable process and believe she'll make a full recovery. >> to be honest, i still feel peaceful out here. i'm going to keep going outdoors as long as i can. >> reporter: in the hospital when brena first realized what happened, she apologized to her family for making everyone worry. >> brenna is here with her mom. good morning to both of you. how are you feel ing. i feel really good right now. >> you look none the worse for

the wear. >> i have makeup covering up my whole scar. >> first of all, i think it's amazing, isn't it always amazing that god never lets you remember the actual fall, i think that would be too painful, probably? >> i really want to remember. the doctors say it will probably come back to me in dreams when i'm ready to handle it. i just want to know what the heck i was doing that got me into trouble. >> you really did take a fall, they had too rebuild your eye socket? >> restructure it and -- i don't know. >> that x ray of your skull was incredible the damage that was done by a rock to your skull or something. >> i still have a brain injury, so i'm still recovering from that. >> you're in switszerswitzerlan

you got the call and i think you ended up talking to a surgeon before he went into surgery? >> i thought i would be talking to someone about a broken leg. then they patched me through to a surgeon who said they were going to do a crane owe plasity. you understand what it feels like to have your child that far away and feel like you're out of control. >> and not to know what happened. >> i did know what happened. >> when you finally got to her side. >> it was such a relief just to be with her. also she recognized me, she knew who i was. and she was like, mommy, what are you here for? >> you had a chance, recently, i think to meet eric and fiona, the hiker who is actually found you and saved you? >> i really wanted to meet them,

i didn't know if i would get a chance to. i really wanted to thank them but i wanted to know more about what sort of state i was when they found me. and they said i was like talking to them and even making jokes and that i just -- >> it's extraordinary you were even conscious. >> i was wondering if i had been calling out or something and they said one thing i said was no one could hear me. >> despite the injury, in the midst of recovery, i like the fact when you were being videotaped walking in that video, you said dad! one day you'll look back at those pictures and be happy you have them. >> i am so happy that he was even videotaping from my early hospital. >> we wish you a continued speedy recovery. thank you for joining us, we appreciate it. diana, it's nice to meet you.

>> thank you. >> keep an eye on her. why more women are now choosing to be single mothers. we'll talk about that right after this. [ female announcer ] if soap dries itself, imagine what it can do to your skin. but dove isn't soap. it contains pure 1/4 moisturizing cream

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back now at 8:19. and this morning on "today's" family, single mothers are now more than ever, and a big reason a growing number of women are making the decision to have children alone by choice, not by

circumstance. >> reporter: on the big screen, it's the latest trend in baby mama drama. >> i just woke up one day and i felt like every baby in the street's staring at me. >> i don't need a man to have a baby. >> reporter: single women are embarking on motherhood all by themselves. but for many women, that story isn't fiction. >> the clock was ticking and the boyfriends weren't clicking. >> reporter: 47-year-old annmarie has two young sons. they have the same father, but none of them, not even annmarie knows who he is. seven years ago, she decided she didn't need a partner to become a mom and got pregnant through artificial insemination. >> i knew i wanted to have children and there was no serious relationship and i

finally said now is the time. >> reporter: that time is coming for more and more women, including several high profile moms like cheryl crowe and meg ryan. >> americans overall are less likely to be married so it's perhaps not surprising that marriage and parenthood have become in some ways uncoupled from each other. >> reporter: in 1990, 28% of all babies were born to a single mother. "today" that number has risen to 41%, that's an all-time high. jane founded the national support group single mothers by choice 30 years ago, she says though the issue isn't knew, these days more women seem ready to take the plunge. >> they're not willing to marry just anyone in order to have a child. it's possible financially and in terms of women's feelings about themselves.

♪ don't you worry about a thing mama ♪ >> reporter: still, many of these single moms say it's not that they didn't want a dad for their kids, they just never found the right one. >> i would have loved to have found a good partner, had a good, strong marriage and then had children. that was plan a. this is a very solid plan b, i'm very happy with it. >> reporter: women taking an unexpected path, turning life's cards into a winning hand. >> lisa is a clinical psychologist and a life coach for shape magazine. a lot of these women tend to be in their 30s, 40s, 50s, college educated eand why do you think there is this trend? >> they're not going to settle for a man when they want to have a baby. their window to adopt is somewhat smaller than it is to get married. so they're thinking i'll have the baby now and eventually i'll

find a partner that will be perfect to sort of finish up this family. >> and sometimes they have a baby through artificial insemination, 145% increase since 1980 and other times they have these babies by adopting them. some 13,000 children have been adopted every year and that's by unmarried women. and in some ways, these children would never have been adopted had it not been for this choice. >> it's not that they had a choice to go somewhere different, some different type of family, it was either being adopted or not being adopted. especially when you're talking about domestic and international domestic options that they v sometimes with the international children, they're really in a bad place, so getting adopted is a wonderful thing. >> that said, there is a stigma with the idea of being a single mother because that sort of belies the reality that children do need fathers. >> and that parenting is very, very hard on your own. a lot of these women will look

for male alternatives and they also make sure they have a good support system. because they're a little bit older and have thought about the process and really, really wanted this baby, they have made sure that there are people in the community that are the male alternatives and support system. >> what is your best advice then, 41% of babies born today are born to unmarried mothers, what is your best advise for these mothers in terms of how to make sure that they're --. i'm not sure we understand the impact fully. we don't want the children to suffer. >> i'm telling moms, consider all the alternatives, don't think you have to be childless or you have to be married in order to have a child. have the child if you have that opportunity, adopt a child if you have that opportunity, if you're secure financially, if you have that support system and then later on if you find that significant other that should be

with you, maybe you'll have that perfect family. >> that's for the mother, but what about the for the child. >> as long as there are men in the vicinity, as long as there are uncles and grandfathers and teachers and coaches and men around that can be good role models. >> keep looking for that opportunity. some good advice to help women that are going through this. do you think the trend is going to continue. >> absolutely. >> it's going to go higher than 41%. >> uh-huh. coming up next, we'll be talking about healthy foods that your family will actually injen. a good way to sneak in the vitamins.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am lisa robinson. let's check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> dealing with a new accident on the northwest corner of the beltway, and the bob stevenson. still causing delays in that area. outer loop delays from reisterstown all the way towards i-70 and beyond. route 140 and 91, finksburg, accident there. ti road and bentsen road, west mr. region -- westminster

region. 13 of inner loop towards the 83's. live view of traffic on the west side. inching along. >> so far so good as far as rainshowers go. it will hold off until this afternoon. it will get through the morning commute and dry. current temperatures and the low-to-mid-fifties. forecast for today is the bidding clouds. -- is thickening clouds. -- is thickening clouds. >> we will see you back your

public safety is a governor's most important job. that's why governor martin o'malley has instituted new dna and fingerprinting technology that's reducing violent crime... new, stronger domestic violence and abuse legislation... and o'malley passed new laws

to better track and convict sexual predators, with even longer prison sentences. as a father of four, i know there's always more that we must do to protect our children and make maryland an even safer place to raise our families.

8:30 now on a monday morning, it's the 25th day of october, 2010. always nice to have a huge crowd to start the week. we don't have that today, it's a big crowd, and these people hang out 24 hours from now, they'll be treated to a great fall concert out on the plaza.

that's tomorrow morning on the plaza, taylor swift, live. meanwhile out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, while meredith is taking time off, along with al roker and natalee morales as well. who does not like michael king. he's had a long and storied career, kind of two careers in one. he's written a book about his life and times and his career and he's got some great stories to tell. michael caine will join us in our studio to talk about it all in just a few minutes. also this morning, we'll be talking about there is no shortage of healthy foods at the supermarket, but which foods are healthy and whi.

pricing your home for sale, barbara corcoran will be here with your most pressing answers to your questions about real estate. >> and a segment i can't wait for is 31 caret diamonds. there it is. a blue diamond, it is so incredibly rare, we're all going to get a chance to look at it, maybe even touch it. >> do you know what it's worth. >> way more than anyone can imagine. >> that's not going to be it, i can tell you that, let's get a check of the weather, mr. roker. >> let's see what's happening as far as the week is concerned for today. we have got more wet weather and windy weather and know weather in the pacific northwest. risk of strong storms in the southeast, risk of storms in the northern plains. from the plains all the way to the gulf some strong storms. sunny and warm through the southwest.

warm conditions in the southeast, showers in the morning from the mid- >> we are off to a quiet start, but rainshowers are going to catch up to us as we head into late morning and early afternoon. thickening clouds. >> check your weather any time on weather.com or on cable the weather channel. joy bauer is going to show us her favorite grocery store picks. [ ehrlich ] four years ago unemployment in maryland was under four percent.

today, it's nearly double. and nearly a quarter of a million marylanders are looking for work. in addition, we face a national health care plan that will hurt small business and cost us jobs. so we have to ask, are you better off today than you were four years ago? we're heading in the wrong direction. we need strong leadership. say no to things we can't afford. fix our health care plan. and refuse to raise taxes. martin o'malley can't do it. i will.

martin o'malley can't do it. taxes are too high, and maryland families are struggling. and then there's politician andy harris proposing a 23% sales tax on nearly everything we buy. it cuts taxes for millionaires by over $200,000 a year and raises taxes on the middle class. andy harris even promised big oil companies he'd make taxpayers pay for spills like the bp disaster. andy harris on our side? not a chance. the democratic congressional campaign committee is responsible for the content of this advertising.

back now at 8:35, supermarkets are filled with healthy products, but which ones are actually the best. nutritionist joy bauer here with some taste tested family approved picks. who tested these picks? >> i tested these with adults, with kids and they're all universally liked. >> everybody loves to have a waffle, but you're saying that families approve of multigrain waffles which is a good thing. >> i picked van's eight whole grain waffles. two waffles are 180 calories and six grams of fiber. takes a couple of minutes in the toaster oven and if you want to up that nutrition even more, you can top it with some natural nut

butter, a little bit of jam or yogurt or eat it straight up with a little maple syrup. >> cascadian farm cinnamon nut crunch. >> this is a good suggestion for gets off the sugar. >> is this for kids who won't eat oatmeal? >> i actually think it's for parents who would like to have chocolate in the morning. this is an interesting combination of semisweet dark chocolate chips, it also has brown flaxseed it in and whole grain oats. it's got three grams of fiber per package. >> is it satisfying? >> it is. >> you can microwave it at home or tote it to work and a couple of minutes in the microwave. >> these crackers by the way are

the skinniest crackers in town. they're under four calories. they're light, they're crispy, they're 100% whole grain. >> no transfat? >> crackers are loaded with transfat unless you're careful. >> these are 100% healthy. it's 34 degrees whole grain crisp bread and i topped it with one of the new flavors. they from blue cheese and sun dried tomato. and with the laughing cow light cheese, it's only 35 calories and one gram of saturated fat. which is a fraction of saturated fat that you find in full fat cheese so it's great for people trying to lower their cholesterol. >> this is a bag of chips. >> mediterranean snack food company, they have baked lentil chips. but the best part, ann, is they're gluten free and because they're made with lentil and

beans, it's got protein and fiber. it's a power snack. >> aall taste like regular potato chips, but they have got a lot of flavor. >> and you can dip it in hummus or salsa as well. >> light ragu. 50 calories per calf cup. there's no added corn syrup or sweetener or sugar which a lot of commercial brands do do. and it's also smooth so if your kids don't like pieces or chunks in their pasta? >> is this a wheat pasta? >> of course it is. >> if you start teaching them early on to have that new pasta as well. >> it's delicious. >> and they also have macaroni noodles. you can have fun with the shapes. >> what about these sausages? they're chicken sausage. >> i picked al fresco chicken

sausages, they're gluten free, they have no nitrates or additives. and they have in a variety of flavors. my taste testers preferred the spicy jalapeno and the sun dried tomato best. what i like about these best is they're fully cooked. >> thank you so much, joy. >> and coming up next, whoe hav got oscar winning actor michael caine in the house. but first this is "today" on caine in the house. but first this is "today" on nbc.

bob ehrlich pretends to be for the working guy... but he's not on our side. i thought i knew bob ehrlich, but then i found out... he raised property taxes on every maryland family... and business. he increased college tuition... by 40%. 40%. and i thought i knew bob ehrlich. he was against raising the minimum wage.

made $2.5 million... working for a lobbying firm. $2.5 million? he's not really on my side. with this tough economy, we really need a governor on our side. who said in life there are no second acts? it's not true. just ask michael caine. it. >> my name is -- >> alfie.

>> cane received his first academy award nomination for his role in alfie. two years later he won best supporting actor. then he almost walked away from movies all together. luckily though for us he did not. and now he writes about his remarkable life and career in his new book, the elephant to hollywood. >> you wrote a memoir like two years ago? >> i wrote a memoir because i thought it was over for me. i got a script one day and i read it and i sent it back to the producer and i said the part's too small and he sent it back and said i didn't want you to read the lover, read the father. i said oh, my god, i'm not a movie star anymore. because you have to be a romantic lead to be a movie star. >> but you didn't walk away, you decided that there was great value in some of those roles. >> what happened was i was sort

of hanging around miami in a nice way. i thought my career was over, literally. and i had a friend, jack nicholson who was down there and we had never worked together and he talked me into doing a picture with him and i enjoyed it so much, i said this is what i want to do. and for the next 20 years, i have had this incredible wonderful life when i thought it was over. >> it's a second act. >> it's a second act and i didn't try as a movie star and as an actor, it could apply to anybody, you thought it was over, it's not, it could be better. >> the way you write this book, is almost like you're sitting down over coffee with the reader and you tell it very much in anecdotal form. they don't last for 50 pages at a time. these are kind of little more sells that you came up with. >> i said i haven't written books, what do i do? she said write exactly the way you tell the story to someone if you were at dinner or talking to

someone. it's like telling a joke or something. so that's the way i write. >> people have to remember that you have been doing this for a while and you write about some of your swinging bachelor days, the 60s and i love the line if you can remember the 60s, you weren't there. and you were there. there's no question about it. >> unfortunately, i remembered them. >> what's a the most striking period from that time in your life? in the most striking memory is that i knew a load of unknown actors, unknown musicians, unknown painters, unknown actors, including myself. they all became famous. the only thing that was scary, i was the last one to become famous. but i was pretty scared because everyone i knew was famous and i wasn't. >> there's some poignant stories in the book and there's one about when your dad was ill.

and you write about saying to the doctor is there something you can do to help him leave the planet because he wouldn't want to live like this and he said no. and he said to me, come back at midnight and i came back at midnight and my dad died shortly after. and i said, did you do this? >> to the doctor? >> yes, and he said no, it's a coincidence. i always wonder, he said come back at midnight, you know, but i don't believe in that sort of thing. i was just very upset because my dad was in such agony and i knew he only had 24 hours to live, so i said why don't you shorten it a bit. but he wouldn't do it. >> you also write about some of the movies you have made and your favorite movie roles, you loved "the man who would be king". >> i was working with two of my great friends and john huston, my favorite director of all

time. and i was playing a part that he originally wanted humphrey bogart to play, and he's my favorite actor of all time. so it was an incredible thing. >> a more recent movie made your list of favorites almost because i loved it so much, "dirty rotten scoundrels." >> the producer gives you a script and he says we're going to the south of france in the summer and we have got you a villa in sal paul, i almost didn't bother to read the script. >> and then finally you say that hollywood, you don't retire from hollywood, hollywood retires you. >> that's right. >> but you don't think that's on the horizon, do you? you're business s ee're busier now? >> i'm going hawaii to do a movie. and i am playing a -- i'm a real

grandfather now. after two years ago. i'm playing a grandfather for the first time. and i'm in a 3-d movie for the first time and that's me and my grandson. look. >> what's your grandson's name? >> taylor. we were picking potatoes in the garden. i have three grandchildren, two of them are identical twins. that's my daughter and her children there. >> do all of us a favor, don't remember. >> i'm not going to. >> thank you very much, nice to see you, michael as always. >> up next, what does a 31 caret diamond look like? michael you have a lot of experience with that, i'm sure. >> i'm sure. >> but first this is "today" on >> i'm sure. >> but first this is "today" on nbc.

women are charged 40% more for the same health insurance as men. domestic violence is treated as a pre-existing condition in eight states. women are abused by their husbands and then by their insurance companies. and last year they tried to end our coverage for mammograms and other preventive services. well i'm proud to say i got the law changed. i'm barbara mikulski. i approve this message so you'll know that being a woman is no longer a pre-existing condition. public safety is a governor's most important job. that's why governor martin o'malley has instituted new dna and fingerprinting technology

that's reducing violent crime... new, stronger domestic violence and abuse legislation... and o'malley passed new laws to better track and convict sexual predators, with even longer prison sentences. as a father of four, i know there's always more that we must do to protect our children and make maryland an even safer place to raise our families. this morning on "today's"men story with bob dodson, whose childhood survivor skills may some day help skur cancer. >> let me see if i can. >> think losing your keys is a big deal? mario has misplaced his nobel prize. >> you keep them under your hat?

>> reporter: well, fame is not the most important thing on mario's mind. his wife lori has some bigger news. >> he got the nobel prize and then two years later, i wassing theed with cancer. >> ironically, mario won his nobel for giving science a blueprint to control the spread of that dreaded disease. >> this is a model essentially for cancer. >> reporter: now his quest to find a cure is personal. >> sometimes you have to be forced to do something. i mean you're put into a situation and then you have to make do. i think that's not a bad lesson in life. >> reporter: a lesson mario learned early. he was the son of a single mom, a poet who thought she could defeat the nazis with her pen. during world war ii, lucy ramburg was snatched from their home in the italian alps and sent to a concentration camp, mario ended up on the street, wandering from village to

village how would a 4-year-old survive on the street during a war? >> shelter is no problem, because there's a lot of bombed out houses, but the real problem is food. you have to see who's guarding the food, then see what their patterns are, and that develops a lot of patience. >> how did oliver twist become albert einstein? >> well, i wish. that would be terrific. >> reporter: at war's end, he was sick and starving. >> you know, i'm sure they have stayed, i would be in jail somewhere or else i would be dead. >> reporter: but mario's mother found him in a hospital. she had searched nearly a year for her lost son. >> frankly, i didn't recognize her, she had aged enormously. >> reporter: but she too had survived. lucy bought him new clothes. >> we went to rome, had my first bath in six years.

>> reporter: mario and his mom ended up in a quaker commune in philadelphia, he was nine years old, couldn't speak english and had never been to school. an ordeal like that could scar a child for life. but one of his teachers gave him some paint and let him communicate with a mural. the first of many who found a way to help him dream. >> giving a child an opportunity to have dreams and then to be able to go after those dreams and that's what the united states gave him. >> reporter: he would pay back america's kindness. he became a grad student working with dr. james watson, one of the scientists who discovered dna. now watson believes that watson's break through studies may help cure cancer in the next decade. >> it's one of the key points that enableded us, we couldn't really have the courage to find a cure for cancer if it hadn't been for that. >> reporter: he may have already

help save lori's life. >> i just had some blood tests and the results were good. >> she's still in the process of recovery, but everything looks terrific. >> it intrigues me whether you think he succeeded despite his ordeal or because of it? >> i think that he has succeeded because of it. i think it's definitely part of him. it's part of who he is. >> reporter: like many immigrants, he thought america's streets would be paved with gold. >> and what i saw was actually more than that, and that was opportunity. >> reporter: opportunity despite his ordeal, to save a lot of lives. more "today," bob dodson, nbc news with an american story in salt lake city, utah. >> and a wonderful american too. all right, switching gears here, if diamonds are a girl's best friend, this one certainly takes the cake. it's a 36 caret diamond. and it's going to be on display

at the museum of natural history here in new york. henry, good morning, so nice to have you. this is quite the rock here as we take a look. it's absolutely just perfect. we want to know the history of this. >> it's a very special stone, it was discovered in the late 1600st, sold to the king of spain, ginobiven to his daughte when she married, when it passed from the german family. after the war, all sorts of things happened, it was stolen, found in an auction, found again in 1968 and we bought it two years ago at auction and here we are. >> and you're now auctioning it off? >> we bought it at an auction. >> the price then was $25 million. >> and we have exhibited the

stone for two months. >> thank you, we're back after this.

bob ehrlich pretends to be for the working guy... but he's not on our side. i thought i knew bob ehrlich, but then i found out... he raised property taxes on every maryland family... and business. he increased college tuition... by 40%. 40%. and i thought i knew bob ehrlich. he was against raising the minimum wage. made $2.5 million... working for a lobbying firm. $2.5 million? he's not really on my side. with this tough economy, we really need a governor on our side.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is a wbal-tv 11 news update. >> good morning. we are off to a fairly quiet start. it will be picking up as we had to the day and the rate will catch up to us. later on this afternoon and into the evening, it will be a mild day. high temperature in the low 70's. rain up 20% to margaret showers possible on wednesday and thursday as well. at this point, halloween weekend will be dropped. temperatures in the 60's.