"today" exclusive, for eight years he held the most powerful office in the land and now george w. bush is joining us for a live interview, "today," george w. bush is joining us for a live interview, "today," wednesday november 10, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning, welcome to

"today" on a wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> we have the former president of the united states george bush. >> he has kept a very low profile since leaving the white house. he's opening up about the tough choices of his presidency, everything from the economy, iraq and afghanistan and yes, even kanye west. also ahead the latest on that carnival cruise ship stranded in the pacific for two days. it is now slowly being tugged back to shore. and because there is no hot food or refrigeration, rations has now begun. it became an instant classic when it was releases ased 45 ye

ago. we'll have a reunion a little bit later on. good morning, everybody. and about those 4,400 passengers and crew stuck at sea off the coast of california since monday, as you just heard, there is some relief because supplies have been flown aboard and the liner is now being towed to shore. miguel, good morning. >> reporter: tug boats didn't reach the splendor until yesterday and they're only going about four miles an hour, that means thousands of those passengers won't be on land here in san diego until late thursday. dead in the water, but now the focus of an extensive rescue and resupply operation, a monday morning engine room fire has left the carnival cruise ship

splendor has been without hot water and electricity for two days now. >> they are safe, it's a matter of, i think discomfort primarily. >> navy helicopters from the uss ronald reagan have been carrying some 7,000 pounds of supplies to the ship, including canned crab meat, pop-tarts and spam. phone communication has been impossible, leaving some families to worry about their loved ones on board. >> my sister and brother-in-law do this every year and this year they took my parents along. just to hear their voices would will reassuring. the ship left long beach on sunday on what would have been a seven-day cruise to the mexican riviera.

the carnival issued a statement. carnival says it's going to refund all of its passengers, once they're back on land, it's going to be a two-hour bus ride all the way back to long beach. the president arrived in seoul, south korea this morning, the third stop of his ten-day trip to asia. he will attend the g-20 summit. 3 million haitians could now be at risk for cholera. country wide, the disease has claimed at least 580 lives so far. for at least part of this year, nearly 59 million americans went without health care and that's up by about 7% from two years ago. the military is saying that monday's strange streak of fire

that streaked across the california sky was -- the panel blasted the oil giant's quote, culture of place senity that led to the blowout. and a moving tribute at the 9/11 memorial. when the 30-foot black granite fountains open in 201010, they will be the largest man-made water falls on the continent. it is now 7:05, let's go back to matt, meredith and al. >> how are you doing? >> i'm doing pretty good, but things are quiet around most of the country. we have got some re-enforcing cold air which means snow in some areas, especially through the colorado rockies picking up up to nine inches, anywhere from six to nine inches of snow.

beautiful weather here in the east, although that pesky system still bringing showers along the new england coast, record highs continue ahead of the front, into the upper mississippi river valley, a few showers through eastern texas, sunny skies through th >> we are off to a quiet start this wednesday. temperatures in the 40's right now. we will make it into the sixties this afternoon. average high is 58. >> and that's your latest weather. now to a "today" exclusive,

a live conversation with george w. bush. the former president's new memoir, "decision points" is out. you spent a year and a half writing this book and i'm sure during the process you stopped and thought about what you were putting in there and what would the media react to? what would people really find that resonates with them? now you have had a chance to hear what are reaction over the last couple of days, anything that surprises you? >> let me debunk your premise. i really didn't spend time thinking about what the media would say about my book. i took the key issues, the key decisions i made and tried to explain to the reader why i made them. and, look, i was aware that some of the decisions i made were very controversial, and i knew that putting them in the book would create controversy, but i really wasn't concerned about what the media would think, i'm more concerned about how history will judge the decisions i made. >> in the "new york times"

there's an article that says that perhaps inadvertently, by sharing the story you shared about your mother's miscarriage, you may have shared a national conversation about the complex psychological fallout of miscarriage. that must be rewarding to you. >> i had no intention of creating a national dialogue, my intent was to describe a relationship between a mom and her son and an interesting anecdote that helped the reader understand why my mother and i are so close. >> one of the subjects that's gotten the most attention is what you wrote about kanye west and what he said about you during hurricane katrina, george bush doesn't care about black people. he clearly has heard the furor over that and he seems to have changed his tone rather

dramatically. >> i would tell george bush in my moment of frustration i didn't have the grounds to call him a racist. but i believe that in a situation of high emotion like that, we as human beings don't always choose the right words. >> he seems to have regret. what's your reaction? >> i appreciate that. it wasn't just kanye west who was talking about that during katrina. i cited him as an example, i cited others as an example as well. you know, i appreciate that. >> he has called his comment a low point and one of the things you and i have spoken about a lot in our conversations over these past couple of weeks is your faith. does your faith allow you to forgive kanye west? >> absolutely, of course it does. i'm not a hater, i didn't hate kanye west but i was talking about an environment in which people were willing to say things that hurt. and nobody wants to be called a racist, if in your heart you

believe in equality of race. >> you spend an entire chapter in the book talking about the financial meltdown in the last year of your presidency. in that year, the country lost about 2.6 million jobs t banking system nearly collapsed and the housing market did collapse and we fell into the deepest recession since the great aggression. >> i think a lot of the blame should be laid on a lot of people including my administration. now in the book, i make it clear that we did recognize a looming problem and that is fannie mae and freddie mac with their implicit government guarantees were making risky investments. therefore i called for the regulation of those two entities and was thwarted at every turn by powerful forces on capitol hill. >> and some would say you didn't call for enough regulation in other areas that doomed the

economy. >> i don't think this was a matter of lack of regulation, it's a matter of poor judgment by wall street and others. and -- but no question, the housing bubble was fueled by government policy and that is a result of people and congress refusing to regulate fannie and freddie. so my conscience was clear when it came time to recognize an impending problem. >> how much of the blame do you make for that impending meltdown. >> any time there's a problem, you're going to get blamed and i understand that and i walk people through the reason why i used taxpayers' money to bail out wall street and the lesson there is that i had to set aside an ideology which is when you make a bad mistake you pay for it in the marketplace. and the hardest thing for me was not whether or not blame was assigned. the hardest thing to me was to explain to hard working

americans why we were using their money to prop up the people who were to blame. >> there's a great debate about whether we should continue your tax policy. they call them the bush tax cuts. give us your argument about those tax cuts. >> too bad they are calling them the bush tax cuts, they probably would have a better chance of being extended if they were the lauer tax cuts. most new jobs are created by small businesses. many small businesses pay tax at the individual income tax level because of how they are organized. therefore if you raise the top rate, you're taxing job creators. >> but we have been living under that system for seven years now and we have seen incredibly slow growth in jobs.

so why should we continue down that path? >> i don't accept that premise. for 53 weeks or nearly 53 weeks we had job growth. i come to office. there is a dotcom bubble burst. then 9/11 comes and the country is in severe economic hardship. the tax cuts in my judgment stimulated an economic vitality and a lot of jobs were created. now the question is, how do we create them? and part of the debate is should government try to create the jobs or should the private sector try to create the jobs. my argument is keeping taxes low will create the private sector jobs. >> you said, quote, when i entered politics i made a decision i would confront problems and not pass them on to future generations. let's talk about the deficit, in the case of deficit, didn't you do the opposite, don't you pass it on to a future generation?

>> when you look at the statistics, my deficit to gdp during my presidency was lower than ronald reagan, was lower than my dad, my death to gdp was the lowest or one of the lowest of modern presidents. my tax to gdp was the lowest and my spending to gdp. i argue my fiscal record was strong, especially given the fact that we had to deal with recession and funding two wars necessary to protect the american people. >> we didn't raise taxes to pay for those wars and you left office with a $10.7 trillion deficit. >> i think the way to look at it is the debt relative to the size of the economy. it's the only fairway to judge previous administrations to my administration. and our debt to gdp was one of the lowest in modern history. >> even some republicans say that perhaps your fiscal policies gave birth to the tea

party. did you give birth to the tea party? >> i don't think i was that powerful. i think what gave birth to the tea party was severe frustrations in the political system in general. and, again, i understand perceptions, the purpose of this book is to state reality and i'm confident over time when people take an objective look at the fa fiscal record of my administration, they will have a better understanding of why i said i was proud of the fiscal record. >> allan greenspan wrote a book that came out in 2007, he said, quote, my biggest frustration was the president's unwillingness to veto -- >> in 2007, i did veto bills. i vetoed the farm bill which was overridden, prior that we were able to negotiate budget deals with republican controlled congress that actually -- other

than defense spending was able to ratchet down spending and at the end, less than the rate of inflation. >> you wanted to be a uniter. along came 9/11 and you did something that a lot of people thought was a real effort to unite. you reached out to the muslim world and you visited a mosque and you said the following, the face of terror is not the true face of islam and you said, quote, in our anger, americans must treat our fellow americans with respect. there's a proposed islamic community center sited for just two blocks from ground zero. if i look at your words there, it makes it seem to me as if you're saying the rights of muslims should not be denied for the sake of others, is that fair? >> if i look at what you're trying to rope me into, you're trying to get me to talk about this mosque issue.

>> why wouldn't you speak out? >> there's a lot of events and a lot of opportunities for me to speak out over the next years and i have chosen not to and the reason i have chosen not to is that the i don't want do intrude on my successor's ability to get the job done. inevitably if you were able to get me to answer this question, they will compare that to what president obama or other presidents might say on the issue. >> whether they should build the community center or not, are you disappointed by the increase in anti-muslim rhetoric? >> i think most americans welcome freedom of religion and honor religions. i truly do. and the problem with the arena today is a few loud voices can dominate the discussion and i don't intend to be one of the voices in the discussion. >> we asked some people in our audience to submit questions and i thought this was interesting, when you look back at the eight years of your presidency, the

world literally changed, the question, president bush, looking back now, what advisor in your administration was the most insightful and gave you the best advice and why? >> that's a pretty unfair question. that's like saying which one of your children do you love the most? because i got a lot of good advice from a lot of good people. hank paulson gave me very good advice during the financial crisis. condi rice gave me great advice for eight years. colin powell gave me great advice. donald rumsfeld gave me great advice, dick cheney's advice was strong. >> pick one. >> you can sit there and say pick one all you want but i'm the guy who gets the pick and i'm not picking one. >> after you left office, you walked away, you literally walked away and you stayed very much on the sidelines and you did not chime in on a lot of the

issues of the day and now this book has placed you back in the headlines and i'm curious how the spotlight feels again. >> you know, it's fine. it's an interesting question since you are the spotlight. i'm enjoying showing the book, but as i explained to you -- >> is it nostalgic? >> i have no desire to debate. my debating dates are over. and i knew when i laid out the book, people would chomp on different issues and sometimes spit it out and sometimes swallow it. and i'm pleased with the response, all i ask is that people take a look. and then after showing this book, i'm heading back under ground. i enjoy my life, i'm spending a lot of time working at the bush institute, which is on the southern methodist university campus, talking about freedom and markets and i'm worried about people suffering from disease overseas and i'm worried

about public schools not meeting challenges. so i'm going to be able to do things in public policy without being political. >> there are people around this country who are walking around wearing t-shirts of president bush, they've got a picture of you on the t-shirt and the words "miss me yet"? >> there used to be people walking around with t-shirts that said we don't miss you. >> what do you miss about being the president? >> i miss being the commander in chief. i miss the military. i'm going to do a veterans day event with the military. laura and i had a mom that lost a child in combat over to the house the other day and i was inspired by them and i love the military. and the united states. and we are a lucky nation to have people who volunteer to serve. and i know you met many in the military too, and you know what

i'm talking about, to be the commander in chief and have them salute and you salute back to people you admire, is an awe-inspiring experience. >> president bush, you've been generous with your time over the last few weeks. the book is called "decision points" by george w. bush.

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just ahead, why give sarah palin a reality show if she's even considering running for president. and all the von trap family join us for a reunion. meredith will take us back in time, but first your local news and weather. desserts and some coffee. sure. decaf or regular? regular. cake or pie? pie.

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to help control her diabetes... with some exercise and a few changes to her diet. diane, whose new routine comes with a view. to find out if you're at risk for diabetes, get a free health test november 12th and 13th at your nearest participating 24-hour walgreens or take care clinic location. expertise -- find it everywhere there's a walgreens. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. time to get a check on the morning commute. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> we had an accident southbound on harrisburg expressway. that is now clear.

those days are in place towards the pennsylvania-maryland line. he will find delays from middletown to mount carmel. if you trouble on moravia park drive and the city, watch for an accident there. heavy delays around the area. heaviest on the northeast outer loop from 95 towards the harrisburg expressway. on average about eight miles per hour. 15 on the west side outer loop approaching reisterstown road all the way to edmondson. that is backing up traffic on southbound 795. six minutes to get to the outer loop northeast side. eight-minute ride to 795 towards 83's. old court road, that is the pace of things down to edmondson. here is a live view of a jam-up towards the harrisburg expressway. it will be awhile before those delays disappear. >> at least the weather is nice

and quiet. there is not a whole lot to talk about today. mostly clear skies. temperatures on the low-to-mid- forties. the forecast for today is mostly sunny. it will not be as breezy as yesterday. high temperatures between 60 and 65. we will keep the good stuff going through the end of the week. 70 on friday and saturday. slight chance for rain on sunday. only 30%. >> be sure to check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information. we are back in 25 minutes.

we're in a heated debate right now over whether we should continue with your tax policies. >> they might have a better chance of being extended if they were the lauer tax cuts. >> the number one news program, "today." 7:30 now on this wednesday morning, november 10, 2010. our friends out on rockefeller plaza are getting in some camera times. meanwhile inside studio 1a, i'm

meredith viera alongside matt lauer. coming up in the next hour-- >> why did she decide to do a reality show? what does she have to say to critics and what does she have to say about critics who say it's a bad idea if she wants to run for the white house. the most successful musical of all time believe it or not turns 45. and this morning we are having a special reunion. >> please tell me you are going to sing the theme song, please. >> i don't want to diminish them. when should you have the talk with your aging parents about giving up the car keys. that issue is getting a lot of attention when an 84-year-old woman drove the wrong way down the highway. and now there's an eye-opening

experience to challenge someone behind the wheel. chilling new testimony from elizabeth smart at the trial of her alleged kidnapper. janet shanlian is at the courthouse in salt lake city, utah for us. >> reporter: good morning to you. how difficult it must have been for this young woman to talk about these things with her mom and her dad sitting right there. elizabeth smart, sharing painful details of almost daily sexual assaults for the better part of a year. with her calm demeanor here yesterday, she told everyone that while she may have been victimized, she wouldn't remain a victim. a determined looking elizabeth smart walked into the courthouse for a second day of testimony against brian david mitchell, the man she says kidnapped her from her bed. she recalled nine months of captivity, horrific details of being repeatedly raped, hidden in the foothills of salt lake city not far from her home and

later in san francisco. i started to quietly slip away and started down the trail, and i didn't make it very far. she said she was told if i ever tried that again i would be killed. with her parents looking on, she described being a 14-year-old girl held captive, force to drink alcohol, look at pornography and then submit to her attackers sexual demands. as days turned to months and hope became disspare. mitchell took her to a library where they were approached by a detective who said they were looking for elizabeth smart. mitchell would not let him peek under her veil. i was mad at myself for just not taking the chance, that i just felt like it was so close and it was so terrible. he came back that evening and

brought me a candy bar. what else did he do that evening, the prosecutor asked? he raped me. walking in a long robe and veil alongside mitchell and his wife wanda barz si who's already serving time. she knew she was finally free. i was very scared, at the same time i thought, this is it, i'm done. this is over. the defense is claiming that this is a case of mental illness, of a man who could not make a rational decision, and yet elizabeth smart spent five hours on the stand here yesterday talking about how every decision the defendant made was planned in advance. and smart will take the stand once again today. meredith. >> quite a remarkable young woman. thank you very much. now let's get a check of the weather from al. >> "today's" weather is brought to you by advil. make the switch to advil now.

and i've got some nice friends here, one of them helped take care of my dad. >> november is lung cancer awareness month. we're here to bring awareness to a disease that affects way too many people. we're looking for a cure, al. >> we have got snow to talk about, that's right, uh-oh. look out. oh, man, brokeckenridgbreckenri, pick up snow, they are getting down an early base for the ski season up there in the rockies. and it's looking good. let's check your weather and see what's going on. denver, salt lake city, henderson, nevada, anywhere from five to 15 degrees below normal. ahead of that front, temperatures 10 to 25 degrees above normal. st. louis is going to get up to 65, chicago 66.

and we have got record highs in the great lakes, also looking at showers along the new england coast and the rain and snow moves another system into the pacific northwest. >> we are off to a nice, quiet start this wednesday. we expect mostly sunny skies as we head into the afternoon. high temperatures in the low 50s. >> didn't forget, you can get your weather any time online at

weather.com. a new interview with sarah palin is reveals new details about her marriage and her time as governor. "today" national correspondent natalee morales has more on that. >> sarah palin is now the star of a new reality show, she's raising a family. providing political commentary and sending out tweets and yes, she might even be eyeing the white house. these days it seems sarah palin is everywhere. one minute she's a politician, the next she's face to face with wildlife in her own backyard. palin tells "people" magazine, leaving her post as governor of alaska gave her life new balance, saying, quote, she's no longer shackled in juneau by those hell bent on seeing my political and personal destruction. >> oh, my gosh, look at this.

>> reporter: palin is now focusing on her new reality show "sarah palin's alaska". >> and on a really clear day, you can see russia from here, almost. >> reporter: palin told people she's doing the show to help correct some untruths out there. palin's response, i would like karl rove to come to alaska and see me being in a man's world. >> if she does run for president, this is a way for people to get to know sarah palin, the person. >> makes me so proud to be an american. >> reporter: as for a run for the white house in 2012, palin tells people if there's an opportunity for me to help america get back on track, i will do that. >> i think there's certainly a double standard at play here. >> reporter: palin is also a regular contributor on fox news,

she does her segments from a small studio at home. husband todd is her cameraman and researcher. palin tells people he's my everything. the entire palin family is part of the new reality program. 16-year-old willow is growing up fast. >> she can visit you for like 20 minutes. willow, come here, willow, willow. >> reporter: and sarah palin tells people she is not concerned about having her children's private lives exposed to america, maybe it's because she gets to take part in the editing of the show. according to the producers, she has not asked to have anything deleted. coming up, 45 years later, our green room is live with the "sound of music." we'll have a live interview with the von trapp children. and we'll discuss when to take

the keys away from older drivers. we'll show you what it's like for a senior citizen to be bethind wheel right after this. blame the mucus. , well, i can't breathe. did you try blowing your nose? of course. beh wheel right after this. i wheel right after this. n wheel right after this. behind w. what you probably have is swelling due to nasal inflammation, not mucus. and this can help? it treats the real problem of your sinus symptoms, reducing swelling due to nasal inflammation. so i can breathe. [ mucus ] new advil congestion relief. the right sinus medicine for the real problem. for the give a hand fundraiser. donate $1 and help support ronald mcdonald house charities. you'll be giving hope to kids and their families. hope's good! the simple joy of helping.

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enjoy more. when we all become doers. when our mittens double as work gloves. and we turn every room into a project. but this year, let's trim the budget. get some help from martha stewart that we can't get anywhere else. and spread our money as far as our cheer. ♪ more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. we're lowering the cost of bright spirits. trade any light string for 3 bucks off a new led set. we are back at 7:42 with a difficult question faced by every family. when do you take away the car keys from mom and dad. there's a way for people to experience what it is like to be an older driver. nbc's kev ee's kevin tibls is i

fork. >> reporter: it may be a difficult conversation, but it is one we should have with our elderly loved ones, when is a good-time to give up driving? a frightening situation captured on cell phone video as an 84-year-old woman goes the wrong way for at least five miles on a major highway. there were several crashes, but amazingly, no serious injuries. this and other headline grabbing accidents raise serious safety questions about senior drivers. >> we all need to give up the keys sometime. >> reporter: 86-year-old leroy is agile and alert as he gets behind the wheel in chicago, but he isn't taking chances. >> i no longer do long trips, about an hour behind the wheel is as much as i will allow myself. >> reporter: still leroy's father has started the dialogue about safety, even broaching the

touchy topic of giving up his keys. >> i think my concerns were the concerns of any adult child as their parents age. >> reporter: there are 30 million drivers aged 65 and over on the nation's roads, that number could more than double over the next 20 years as the baby boom generation matures. >> don't try this at home, kids i can't even turn my neck. >> reporter: to find out what it's like to be a senior citizen behind the wheel, we took to a test track. >> i am your guinea pig. >> reporter: where i was outfitted with what's called a senior simulator suit. >> i feel like i'm in a straight jacket here. >> reporter: the suit limits mobile with strategically placed weights and braces. there's even gloves to simulate what it's like to have arthritis. >> i can't bend over and i can't move my neck, but i'm going to

get behind the wheel of a car. >> reporter: just getting into the car was a challenge. driving was a tremendously tiring or deal, simple maneuvers a chore because my movements were restricted by the added stress on my joints. going just 25 miles an hour on an easy course was not so easy. and backing up, forget it. here comes trouble here. i experienced in the body of a senior was eye opening. i'm exhausted. i essentially failed that test every time i took it. >> right you did. >> reporter: while those 85 and older drive less, they are involved in four times as many fatal accidents as drivers who are 30 to 59. after having been raised by your dad, is it a difficult subject to bring up? >> if somebody came into your home or said to you you're not

capable of doing this anymore, wouldn't it offend you. >> reporter: while he's not there yet, leroy offers this advice to seniors. >> there is a time when they are no longer capable of being behind the wheel for their sake and for the sake of the public, it's time to stop driving. >> reporter: having a frank conversation with your aging loved ones as they drive into their golden years. and meredith, as leroy and his daughter said to us, it is never too early to start that conversation, just be polite about it, it is you're parent or your loved one after all. >> i'm sure it's a very hard conversation to have. what are the signs you should look for that indicate now is the time? >> well, meredith, if you are concerned, you should go for a drive, a test drive with your parent in the car and look for those warning signs, do they express concern about driving late at night when it's dark and are there new or added things

that maybe weren't there before. those are signs that you should have that conversation and talk about alternative forms of transportation. those things are out there, they're easily found and it's something you can easily talk about without offending anyone. but like the rolling stones said, what a drag it is getting old, meredith. >> i salute that. up next, a troubling trend or tragic coincidence, the rise of suicide among former reality show contestants right after this. [ sneezes ] [ sneezes ] ♪ [ female announcer ] kleenex brand tissues are america's softest. [ sneezes ] [ female announcer ] no wonder people go out of their way to share them. ♪ oh! oh! [ female announcer ] now it's even easier to share. [ sneezes ] [ female announcer ] send a kleenex brand share package for free today at kleenex.com.

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that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. we're back now at 77:49. the most recent example of a reality participant who took his or her own life. jeff rossen is in los angeles and has details on this story. >> reporter: as you mentioned, it just happened again, this time a contestant on the bachelorette as killed himself in california. experts say we don't really know them. when reality tv life is over, their real lives can be hard to watch. >> i'm ready to have somebody that can be open and honest with me. >> reporter: on season 5 of the bachelorette, jillian was looking for a husband. >> i am julien.

>> reporter: and julien was in the hunt. julien only made it through two episodes, voted off the show. friends say he was saddened by the rejection. just this month, a year after the taping he shot and killed himself. julien's family says he battled depression along before his tv run. >> julien was kind of a father figure to all of us on the show. it's not only sad, it's confusing as to what happened and why it happened. >> reporter: julien's death raises new questions about reality show culture and the young contestants they look for. >> from an age group, statistically, these people are set up for suicide and acting out. >> reporter: sadly there's no shortage of examples. just months ago, another reality show death. max hughes starred on the show

"storm chasers," he hanged himself at home. earlier this year, the suicide of a chef who appeared on the fox show "kitchen nightmares." even with the screening, his family says he loves the show and host gordon ramsey, but just two months ago battling personal problems, he jumped off the george washington bridge. and ryan jenkins, a contestant on vh1rks's megan wants a millionai millionai millionaire. some experts say that while the contestants come from different shows, there's a psychological connection. >> what we're dealing with is people who start off with a narcissistic need for attention. then they hit a wall because the show is over with. and they don't have the tools to

necessarily deal with that. >> reporter: this isn't just an american problem, reality shows are popular overseas and contestants there have committed suicide too, in places like england, sweden and india. the shows may need to do a better job of screening the contestants and actually supporting them after the cameras stop rolling. a "sound of music" reunion live in our studios.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. time for a checkup the morning commute. >> plenty of problems to go around. a busy morning rush out there. getting reports of a vehicle fire. accident on the inner loop at the south side of i-97. northbound to 95 and 195, another vehicle fire.

rowling road and churchill lane, watch for an accident in windsor mill. chesaco and pulaski, watch for another accident in the rezko region. five miles per hour on the northeast outer loop towards the harrisburg expressway. eight miles per hour on the west side outer loop. jammed packed ride everywhere you go. 30 minutes to get through the west side stretch. 12-minute ride to travel from inner loop towards the 83's. you can see we are in pretty good shape here. there are delays just beyond because of the accident as the inner loop. heavy delays on the westbound span. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> no weather problems expected on this wednesday. we have mostly sunny skies right now. this a little above average for this time of year, this time of morning.

it is up to 50 downtown. the forecast for today is mostly sunny and pleasant. high temperatures the second is between 50 and 55. sunshine on thursday and friday and saturday. mid-60 tomorrow, near 70 by the end of the week. >> back at 8:25 with our next live update. (sfx: coach's whistle) the car coach. >> in case your car repair shop hasn't noticed - there's been a shift. sfx: shifting. more women than men are making the decision as to where to get the car fixed. sfx: shifting what's the percentage? the answer in a moment.

(sfx: coach's whistle) "the car coach". >> if you had to see one film this season, it would be this one. phil! go ahead. personally... i give it four stars. back in a moment. ♪ a drop of golden sun ♪ mi a name a call myself >> we're back at 8:00 on this wednesday morning, november 10, 2010. it looks beautiful there on the set of "the sound of music." it's a movie classic of 45 years ago.

that's incredible. you know what's really cool? inside our studio, julie andrews and the seven von trapp children, or the actors who played the von trapp children. they have gathered for a special reunion. >> they have. we're going to talk about "the sound of music." what else is coming up, mr. rockier? >> coming up, the man that we love, he has been here for four decades. the greatest afro going, our own gene shallat is calling it quits. we're going to have a tribute in just a little bit. >> it's not an overstatement to say that movie reviews will never be the same.

also this morning, great winter getaways, whether you're looking to get away from the cold or embrace it, we're going to have some of the best sun and snow spots out there. >> let's get a look at the morning's top stories. president obama arrived in seoul, south korea this morning for a meeting of the g-20 economic powers. a strange streak of fire and smoke across the california sky on monday night is still raising some questions today. nbc's pentagon correspondent jim miklaszewski with the latest on what the military is saying. >> reporter: it's been a full day and a half since this mysterious flying object lit up the skies over california and the u.s. military still can't tell us what it was. it's a startling image, this video from a kcbs traffic copter shows us what looks like a missile soaring into the sky.

the unidentified flying object streaks through the clouds. the navy and air force strongly deny they had fired a missile and using satellite imagery, the missile appears to be flowing through one of the most air traveled areas in the country. they have reviewed air traffic control tapes and the radar did not reveal a fast moving object in that area, at the same time there were no reports of unusual sightings from pilots. so then what is it? military missile experts believe it's an airplane, likely a jumbo jet and the appearance of it streaking upward is an optical illusion. military officials also claim the object is moving too slowly and changes course like an airplane not a missile.

u.s. military officials insist there was never any threat to the u.s., but then again, how would they know? and this morning, conspiracy theorys are running wild. federal officials have charged 17 people with defrauding holocaust survivors out of $42 million. israel is planning to extend jewish neighborhoods in east jerusalem. israel's building plan does not help the pursuit of peace. the israeli prime minister responded that jerusalem is not a settlement, it is the capital of the state of israel. singapore airlines says it's replacing rolls royce engines on three of its a-380 superjumbo jets after fichbtding trouble. these actions come a week after an engine on a quantas a-380

blew out during a flight. now here's brian williams with what's coming up tonight on nbc "nightly news." >> coming up when we see you tonight for nightly news, for a lot of americans losing a job can be a life shattering experience, but some are finding unexpected ways to reinvent themselves. our series here called back to basics continues here on "nightly news." and they left our ears buzzing during the world cup. well now after a design camp tigs in south africa, those droning plastic horns are going to be recycled as, you'll never guess, earrings, anything to keep them out of landfills. i won't be wearing them. it is now 8:05. let's all go back outside for a check of the weather. maybe you'll try them out. >> i don't think so. we got folks hanging out all huddling for a little warmth right now. the victoria secret fashion show, you know one of our stage

managers is going to be in that. very nice. i don't know what that's about, but it's very disturbing. let's check your weather and see what's going on. minneapolis, minnesota, nbc 11, a few afternoon showers, 67 degrees, we have lost control. jet stream dips down into the south out west and that brings in the cold air, mild in the east and you can see why because that jet stream is way up to the north. but as we head towards friday, it shifts a little eastward, allowing sunny skies, mild conditions along the eastern seaboard, storm track right along the mississippi river valley and that's bringing >> we are off to a nice, quiet start this wednesday. it will not be quite as breezy as the last couple of days. mostly sunny is the forecast.

>> got a happy birthday, you're 60 degrees? kiss my wife. all right, you're next, lauer. >> i was there. i all right kissed her. when we come back, julie andrews and the von trapp children for a special 45th reunion, our anniversary of "the sound of music." [ monkey screeches ] ♪ [ male announcer ] a bath becomes even more pleasurable when you know that your water is being heated in an environmentally conscious way, while saving you hundreds of dollars on your water heating energy bill. introducing the geospring water heater from ge

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and we're back now at 8:10 with one of our favorite movies of all time, "the sound of music." it seems hard to believe that the classic story of hope, love and following our dreams is now 45 years old. >> and now for the first time, it is available on blu-ray, digitally remastered and restored in high definition. we have julie andrews and the von trapp children. good morning to all of you. >> good morning. >> 45 years. when you look back.

>> i lost a decade somewhere. i just don't believe it. it feels like maybe 35, but not 45. >> not at all. >> that's impossible. >> in a nutshell, this is a hard question to answer precisely, but what does the movie mean to you, looking back? i'll start with you, julie and go right down the line? >> i think it was one beautifully crafted movie. in this particular case, we have all been told that it actually transcended the stage production. in this case it's a notch better, not that it's bad. >> it's like having a second family. >> yes. >> you get emotional when you say that. >> yes. >> we all have stayed in touch and we all love each other a lot. >> and i think that's what the

film suggests, it's about love, it's about every kind of love and certainly we have it for each other. >> i'm just grateful to be a part of something that's inspireded so many generations of people. it's become a multigenerational film, i have a 12-year-old and all her friends love it. >> at some point in your child's live, it's a must-see movie. >> exactly, yeah. >> i have to reiterate the family part and to realize and finally come to accept the fact that it has affected so many lives and i just happened to be a part of it. it's been wonderful. >> when you have someone come up to you and say they put "the sound of music" in when they're feeling down just to lift their spirits. how amazing is that to be a part of a movie that does that to people? >> the fact that it's lasted 45

years and it's still as popular now as it ever was. that's pretty amazing i would say. i'm proud to be part of it. >> after 7.6 ounces which i basicalliy concur, this family here and also the history of my own family. and my mother who is no longer with us, every time i see the movie, i feel her and i remember that. >> because you were all so young and this must be just so hard now -- >> we're still young. >> exactly. >> we have to mention that the music is such a part of this movie. >> i think there's a quality of joy about the movie that transcends -- forget about the fact that we had glorious scenery and a wonderful story and children and religion and marvelous music, the actual combination of joy and the

craftsmanship is made for us, we are all deeply grateful we were part of it and it's made as you said a family. >> you weren't sure whether you wanted to do another nanny film. >> that's sort of been a bit hyped. >> but i know something that is true, because i interviewed robert weis the director before he passed away and he told me the story of the casting. he said there was a nasty rumor going around that you weren't photogenic and he and some producers went over and saw the early footage of mary poppins which hadn't been released yet and thought you would be perfect. >> the day we finished shooting, the director of photography came up and said i need to tell you you have a little pump on your nose and if you wanted to get it fixed, it would make life a lot easier for all of us.

i never did anything. >> you're perfect as you are. >> everybody thought you played 16 going on 17, but in reality, you were much older? >> yes. >> he couldn't join us, because he's making a movie right now. but what was it like doing the movie with him? >> it was so wonderful. i know i was nervous. >> i think he brings out almost every line. >> he was nervous actually si singing with you because he is such a trained singer, but he actually was shaking, he said singing that song with you. >> really? that's sweet. >> we have stayed such good

friends, i think he's in swede on right now. >> girl with the dragon tattoo. >> most of you were little kids and therefore i know that you guys, you had a little tricks you were up to like switching shoes outside the hotel. >> we did get yelled at a couple of times by the guy behind the counter in the hotel. but, you know, the movie had taken a little longer because of the weather. >> the weather was miserable, wasn't it? >> rain, rain, rain. >> so we had a few hold ups and we were a little board, come on, there's seven of us. we did get into a few things, but nothing like today. >> actually they weren't all that thrilled to have us there. >> why.

>> we were blocking the streets and we were americans and they had no idea. >> it was their story. >> why were americans coming over and dressing extras up in uniforms and of course they didn't have any understanding what the film was going to be. >> right. >> now i think they're quite happy. >> what we have now is a sound of music bus tour. >> and there's talk about there being a sound of music museum. i don't know if it's going to happen or not. >> you were a very little girl, that this would turn into what it did? >> no, we had no clue. >> and i can't believe we're sitting here talking about it today. >> it's not something you can preplan. absolutely not. >> you hoped you would have a good movie, but not anywhere near the size and scope that it was. and i think we all hoped to make it a little less saccharin. this scene that they're showing now is funny, because just before cameras roll--

>> it was a serious thing that happened. >> they said just before camera rolled, they said the little ones can't swim, so would you please go forward and rush to get them. >> i wasn't really supposed to do the scene, it was my extra that was supposed to do the scene, but he wanted authenticity. >> and he got it. >> he asked me, and the truth was that i was. >> was it frightening? it had to be very frightening? >> absolutely. not only that, we had to do it twice. so the first time it went fine and julie caught me. >> and i went over the back instead of over the front. >> and she swallowed so much water, she threw up all over me. >> they cut that part out.

>> i hated my costume. >> you did? >> i hated it with a passion. >> why. >> because it was like overalls, i had never worn overalls in my entire life. >> and didn't you grow like six inches during the entire film? >> i was 5'3" and i was 5'9" by the end. we're actually doing a book now about all these stories because we get asked about this for 45 years. so we finally decided let's get all our memorabilia together, all our photos and home movies and we're going to do a book. that way we can give back to the fans. >> deborah, after all of these years, when you were such a young child would now result in a book. >> i'm so excited.

every time we get together we all share new memorabilia that we have got and to think that i will have a copy of everybody's stuff. >> and our mothers kept everything, we have got our call sheets and stuff that we would have never held on to. people should see this stuff, they're all interested. >> and you said when you leave here, you're going -- >> i'm going up to the von trapp labs this afternoon. >> maria, who is the daughter. >> it was your voice? >> yes, it was our voice. >> the last time you sang back then or have you sang together since? >> we have been on the road.

>> we're teal playing at the hollywood bowl in front of 20,000 people with the pictures of the children. >> will you give us just a little -- >> no, no, no, you want to keep your audience. >> next time. >> do, a female dear, ray a develop of golden sun, me aname a call myself, fa, a long long way to go, so a needle pulling thread. that will bring us back to do. >> thank you.

>> special collector's gift set. and julie will be back in our next half hour to tell us about her children's book, it's great. al congestion meant, i couldn't breathe right. i couldn't sleep right. next day it took forever to get going. night after night, i sat up. sprayed up. took a shower... or took a pill. then i tried drug-free breathe right advanced. and instantly, i breathed better! i slept better. it felt...better. thank you, breathe right! [ male announcer ] breathe better, sleep better, feel better. now try new breathe right advanced for free... at breatheright.com. [ woman ] it's my right to breathe right. isn't it your right, too?

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>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. time for a final check of the morning commute. >> still a few problems to get to. if you are heading out in the next few minutes, just past 32 in howard county, there is a vehicle fire reported. it is off to the shoulder, but still creating delays in the area.

we still have this accident in windsor mill at rolling road and churchill line. standard delays around the area. this is in the outer loop. also, 21 miles per hour on the outer loop west side. southbound 705, backed up. 33 minutes is your drive time on the upper lip northeast side. 13 on the inner loop, traveling from 795 towards the 83's. he was what looked like on the west side of old court. -- here is what looks like on old court. delays approaching 97. tony has a check on the forecast. >> we have mostly sunny skies right now. temperatures on the low-to-mid- forties.

49 at the airport. 46 and it westminster, 45 in parkton. mostly sunny skies. will not be as breezy as yesterday. high temperatures will sneak into the low 60s this afternoon. good stuff going into the weekend. 70's on friday and saturday. next chance for rain on sunday. >> our next update coming your way at 8:55. way at 8:55.

ray, a drop of golden sun, me a name i call myself, fa a long, long way to run so a

needle pulling thread, la, a note to follow so, ti a drink with jam and bread that will bring us back to do. 8:30 now on this wednesday morning. >> i have seen you do something, and they looked at me like come on. >> ti, a drink with jam and bread. >> julie andrews is going to stick around and talk about the book. >> julie andrews way up there on my favorite guest list. >> and she's a class act. >> that's true. >> not like us. >> no. and this is kind of a dangerous question, have you ever met a sloth? >> isn't that an animal?

>> i've been very sloth like. >> we're going to meet a sloth today and also a vulture we're going to do a segment on animals and we'll show them our appreciation. also ahead, fire and ice, we're going to talk about some great vacation destinations, some for the cold weather enthusiast, some for the warm weather enthusiast. skiing and beaching and those things. and we want to remind you about our viral video challenge. we want you to create a fun "today" show themed video, using clips from the program, we're going to air the winner right here on "today." for complete details and rules, log on to our website. >> a "today" show themed. >> how about a look at the weather? >> let's check it out and show you, we're looking at record highs in the upper mississippi

river valley. wet weather in the pacific northwest, mountain snows in the rockies, some areas may pick up six to eight inches of snow. tomorrow that snow moves into colorado, we have got rain in the mid plains, beautiful weather up and down the eastern seaboard, mild through the ohio river valley. more rain >> we are off to a nice, quiet start this wednesday. we expect mostly sunny skies as we head into the afternoon. high temperatures in the low 50s. >> he's a scary man, he's a scary man.

what is her name? >> karen. >> nice to see. you can check your weather, you can check your weather any time of the day or night, go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. besides being a movie star, julie andrews is also a best selling author, her newest work is a children's book, little bo in italy. julie, thank you for sticking around. we mentioned you have been collaborating with your daughter for 11 years now. 26 books? >> i think 26 together, we have published about 30 in all. >> it's always a risky thing when you collaborate with someone you love, did you have concerns about it? >> no, we have enormous mutual respect for each other. we had some concerns about would we have any kind of

difficulties, but we have very different strengths. >> what are your strengths and hers? >> well, i'm about all the flights of fancy, the beginnings, the endings. she's very much, she's terrific at the nuts and bolts of the book, saying, mom, we have to have a first, second and third act and we need a second act finished here and so on. >> this is the third installment of the little bo series. this time the adventures she has with her buddy in italy what is the message? >> the message is the series of four books, one more to go which is coming out next year, which is little bo in london, she's a ship cat and she's so tiny that she packs into the pocket of a

young sailor who found her and who has loved her. along the way, she's searching and searching for all of her brothers and sisters who were lost in the snow one day. they might have been drowned so they all decided to scatter. and each book is a complete adventure, but all four books will make one day a complete arc and it rounds out what members of the family she meets and how she meets them all. >> but there's a message to children that you want to get out through these books. >> i think really that family matters and children can relate to something as small as a little cat. she's very plucky but she's very shy and nervous about it so it's really about being strong in adversity and sticking to family and family matters and we try to write -- we don't write down to kids, we try to write so they come up a little in learning

words and they're beautifully illustrated. >> you had a concert in may, in london. will there be another one? are we going to hear you sick again? >> i don't know, meredith, occasionally the subject comes up and it might happen, and i would say thrilled if it did. >> i have heard your backup. >> i would be very happy to take you on. thank you so much for that. >> the book is little bo in italy. up next, one man's mission to hike the entire appalachian

back now at 8:39, with your life calling "today." this morning she's here with a story of a man who decided to literally take the high road.

>> reporter: after 28 years as a high school art teacher, joe lyles retired at 58. not to take life easier, but harder. the appalachian trail is where he found his life calling and it had been calling to him for years. the trail runs from georgia to maine, a walk in the woods, a scramble over rocky streams, mountains followed by more mountains. joe lyles was a thrill hiker, he did the entire trail, 2,200 miles. >> i sensed that the trail would change me, i had no idea how much. after hearting at 58, he took a full year to train and get ready. >> but nothing can prepare you like getting out there on the trail and just doing it.

>> reporter: last march he hoisted his pack and set off into five straight days of rain. first night in the wilderness alone. >> i woke the next morning and i was still alive and i realized i could do that again. i lost my fear. >> reporter: a lone man in the wilderness is never really alone. joe saw bears constantly in his dreams and once while eating lunch. >> a 200-pound bear watching every bite that i take. as soon as i turned, the bear took off. >> reporter: and you were by yourself, what if something had happened? >> people wanted to give me guns to take, but the people i met on the trail, they turned out to be the best friends of my life. where are you guys from? they knew me by the trail name of braid because i wear my hair in a long braid and i knew them

by their trail names of cruiser and old goat. and to tell you the truth, i know very few of their real names. >> reporter: even now? >> to this day. >> reporter: you used to talk about a midlife crisis, this strikes me as a midlife opportunity. >> right. i kind of felt like i was doomed to live life the hard way, everything was going to be difficult. >> reporter: but he could see himself changing, even after falling face first in the mud. >> when i got up, my glasses were completely covered with mud and my first reaction was, i can't see. i've gone blind, until i took off my glasses and went, oh, wow. >> reporter: and there was so much to see. >> you had time to be a

philosopher on the trail, to look at ordinary things and get life lessons from them. you've got to take that first step, the next step will be revealed to you. you have to have a kind of faith that those next steps will be revealed. >> reporter: finally, after six months and six days, he reached maine. the end. and the new beginning. >> getting up every morning and hiking 15 or 20 miles, if i can focus that kind of energy on the things that i care about, i can do some amazing things with this next chapter of my life. >> the typical hiker was either in their 20s or 50 and up, and that's the reality check, who

else might have the freedom as joe put it to be absent from the world for six months. i'll be talking about joe's experiences online at noon eastern time. >> where did he get some food? 2,600 miles in six months? >> he packed 28 boxes of prepackaged food and preaddressed them either to hospitals or hotels or to post offices and had a friend on a scheduled date to send -- and they were all there when he needed them. >> and never got hurt? >> bad shin splints, but he got a little rest, plunges in ice water, after seven days, he was good as new. up next, fire and ice getaways for the colder weather. but first this is "today" on nbc.

back at 8:46, and this morning on "today's" travel, fire and ice getaways. kate maxwell is the article's editor for traveler magazine. you are right on the ball with this first one, you like the breckenridge resort. al talked about it this morning. >> breckenridge is opening on friday, and everyone's talking about west coast skiing this year, because el nina is supposed to bring record snow to that area. >> what about value? it can be an expensive sport. >> in breckenridge, they are offering $90 a night, which is a fantastic rate and it goes for four days. >> let's move away from the west

coast, or the western part of the united states, you like killington as well. >> killington is the beast of the east and this is a midweek deal. if you go on sunday and stay until friday, great stuff, $82 and it includes your ski pass and your children's ski pass. >> kids are skiing free there? >> kids under $15 ski for free. >> sticking with skiing, you also like jackson hole, wyoming and in particular, they've got a big attraction for snowboarders. >> the conditions are wonderful and especially back country, but if you're a wannabe snowboarder, there's a crash course. you get a full day's tuition, everything is thrown in, from the boards, the boots and the bindings. it's a really great hotel.

>> let's turn to some warmer weather destinations. >> 29 rooms, but if you've seen the film "the harder they come" the people behind it are the people behind this hotel as well. it's a real individual property, steps from the beach. >> it's called jake's? >> $150 a night is a really great deal and they're throwing in things like a cooking class. >> so can the smaller hotels compete with the larger hotels in terms of amenities and things like that. >> it's a totally different experience. >> let's talk about puerto rico, and you like the ritz carlton. people hear ritz and they immediately think this is going to be pricier. >> you book three nights and it works out to $107 a night.

the ritz has some really good meal import restaurants. >> in birmingham, you like the reefs hotel and club? >> they have both of the reefs, the number one hotel in the caribbean and atlantic the last six years. >> that's a good record. >> really great deal. you buy five nights and you get christmas for free. and they do things like tree trimming. >> and lastly, turks and caicos, the readers are offering a much lower. for you, it's $360 and they're throwing in -- >> just for the today show? >> that's great. and free breakfast, a free romantic dinner, and they have a great kids club, you can drop them off at 9:00 and pick them up at 5:00 in the afternoon. up next, we're going to get

up close and personal with some very underappreciated animals. we'll get to that, but first this is "today" on nbc.

? this morning on "today's" call of the wild, our animal

ambassador is here with animals who may not be pretty to look at. >> you've got a vulture with you right now. >> i'm glad you didn't actually call them ugly. unappreciated and it all comes with education, and that's why zoos are so important to teach people about animals people think are disgusting. >> why isn't it disgusting. >> not only are they nature's recyclers, dead animals they feed on, cholera, bacteria and anthrax are all found in that. these animals can eat those animals and digest it. ije going to take out the try an

chula. i conditionan't stand it, you'rg a spider. >> they're the largest spiders in the world. but they're pretty much all harmless to humans. and you think about it. >> what do you mean pretty much? >> they are venomous. her name is morticia. >> these guys do everything that they possibly can to not attack. they run away, they hold up their arms and go -- they try to scare you. the little hairs on the back of their abdomen out. >> don't agitate him. >> they can scare their predators or their threat away. so matt, you can either hang on

to her or you can put her back. but our last unappreciated animal was named of course after laziness, you know, one of the seven deadly sins or whatever. but you know what? the laziness comes from the fact that they're very slow moving of course. >> look at this. >> the slow moving is actually a defensive mechanism, so that they aren't detected in the wild and they grow algae on their fur. their fur is specially made so that there's cracks in it, the algae grows on there, there's an entire ecosystem, moths, beetles, worms all go in that hair as well. >> why is that good? >> in the wild it's great for the environment because it's its own ecosystem. just like every tree as it's own

ecosystem. >> found in dade county at the courthouse hit by a car. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. the baltimore area hospital isn't a lawsuit over unnecessary heart procedures -- facing a lawsuit over on this is our procedures has reached a settlement. the doctor who performed at the heart procedures has filed his own lawsuit against the hospital could he claims that the stand

>> let's take a look at the forecast with tony pann. >> things are nice and quiet this morning. it should be a pleasant afternoon. will not be as crazy as yesterday. -- breezy as yesterday. we will keep the good stuff going through the weekend. 70 on friday and saturday. there is a slight chance for rain on sunday. but even that does not look like a big deal. >> thank you for joining us. our next update, at 9:25.

it tastes just like my mom's sausage and pancakes. when i was a youngster, i always pleaded with my mother to think out of the box, to consider ways to make the sausage and pancake more portable. ha ha ha!