good morning. breaking news. released -- after more than a year as hostages the british couple kidnapped by pirates off the coast of somalia have been freed. we'll have the latest. >> heading home. president obama returns from his trip to asia facing an emboldened republican party over spending, tax cuts and the future course of the country. >> and pac-man power. a superman packs a whallop in a boxing match that leaves many calling him the best fighter of

all time. today, sunday, november 14th, all time. today, sunday, november 14th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning and welcome to "today" on sunday. i'm lester holt. >> i'm jenna wolfe. they are calling him the best fighter ever. he was called that before last night's match. >> he's not a big guy, but he packs a punch. more than 40,000 fans on hand at cowboys stadium. a million tuned in. some call it one of the greatest bouts of all time. we'll show you what happened. >> fun to watch as well. also, vanished. a mom, her two kids and a friend in ohio have been missing for days. investigators suspect foul play after blood was found in her home. this weekend, the search is on. >> later, i'm no top gun but after seeing your flight with the blue angels i'm not sure i

want to sit next to you on an airplane ever. >> no, lester. this is real. it was very raw. it's not always pretty, but it was the thrill of a lifetime for me. let's just say i'm very ready to be back on solid ground after my ride with the blue angels in the f-18. you did it far better than i did. it was terrifying. >> you never throw up if you don't know which way up is. >> exactly. >> of all the beauties, that's the one lester picked out. >> you really embarrassed me up there. you did. >> lester! >> then my interview with the one and only bob newhart celebrating 50 years in show business and he's funnier than ever. two hit sit coms and one-sided phone conversations. >> still funny? >> still funny. first a british couple was

seized from their yacht by somali pirates and now they are free. here's the story. >> reporter: this was the moment the chandlers reached relative safe safety. custody of the men who vowed to secure their freedom. they were exhausted after an overnight road journey from the remote bush in somalia where they have been held for over a year. as basic medical checks were carried out, their delight and relief was obvious. >> i'm used to being swelteringly hot. >> reporter: the couple were told by pirates three days ago they would be released but didn't believe it. >> you have to keep hope. >> yes. >> it was difficult, you know. we were kept separate in solitary confinement. that was very difficult. these are not nice people.

>> reporter: paul and rachel were held at gunpoint, moved from location to location with only one another for support. these previously unseen pictures were filmed in july but can only be broadcast now that the chandlers are free. their family handed over half a million but the pirates refused to let them go. >> we heard from my brother three weeks ago. he said he was hoping to get us out fairly quickly. we have heard nothing since. they just kept us caged up like animals. we haven't heard anything. we have just been wondering what on earth is going on. >> reporter: this time another $300,000 was raised by the transitional government of somalia. the couple are expected to be flown back to this airport later this afternoon. itv news, nairobi. >> they look remarkably well. i remember the pictures of them being held at gunpoint pleading for their life and thinking how

hopeless the situation. especially to go on for over a year. then you wake up and they are free. >> and the strange calm. almost like they were in disbelief. they can't believe after three years it's come to the fact that they are free. there is this really refreshing calm and peace to them both. >> we are happy for them and their families this morning. >> now we'll switch gears and head to politics. president obama is on his way home from the ten-day trip to asia today. he returns to a country and congress deeply divided over critical issues including the so-called bush tax cuts. >> mikmike joins us now. >> reporter: it doesn't get easier for the president once he's at the white house this afternoon. a lame duck session of congress begins tomorrow. it could be a short and angry session. president obama wrapping up the last of ten days in asia sitting

down with the russian president to talk arms control and sight-seeing, returning to the great buddha of kamikura. late today the president returns to the white house and a new political reality. still speaker until january, nancy pelosi begins a lame duck period where tax cuts loom. >> when we give tax cuts we want to give them to middle class families. >> reporter: after weeks spent bashing republicans for insisting cuts be extended to the wealthy, aids say the president is open to that on a temporary basis. >> it is clear tonight who the winners are. >> reporter: fresh off the sweeping victory, republicans have rejected the opening. >> i think extending off of the current tax rates and making them permanent will reduce the uncertainty in america and help small businesses begin to create jobs again. >> reporter: the white house has also brought ridicule from the left. >> what we need from president obama now is strength, not

weakness. >> reporter: even with democrats in control for now the president has little room to maneuver. >> he's trying to play the space in the middle. there is nobody in the middle. it will be hard for him. >> reporter: more trouble on the table for the lame duck, another extension of unemployment benefits and a decision on the military's don't ask, don't tell policy. after midterm election upheaval much of it may wait until the new congress is sworn in. >> the republicans want to wait until they have the house and they can get done what they want done. >> reporter: thursday, president obama sits down with congressional leaders for dinner in the white house residence. john boehner, the man likely to lead the house as the next speaker. >> we go to negotiations with barack obama, the support of the american people and with a clear understanding of what lies ahead. i don't look for him to be in a terribly compromising mood. >> reporter: and as for house democrats, they had a log jam at the top when pelosi decide to

stand for minority leader, jim clyburn the odd man out. they have essentially created a position for him now. they will call it assistant leader and he'll remain as number three among house democrats. lester? >> mike, thanks. plenty of fights for the president, not the conservatives. david gregory is moderator of "meet the press." good to see you. i'm fascinated about the tax fight. republicans will have control in the new congress. how much power do they have to get their way on this? >> i think they have enough. i think the president wants to make a deal. the key for the white house is they want middle class tax cuts extended first. you could look for them to try to initiate that in the lame duck session mike laid out for us and see if republicans are willing to separate the issue of wealthier americans from middle class tax cuts. it may force a fight come january. but i think the white house is probably going to look for

consensus on this. but try to do it for a more limited period of time to send the message to the country and to the economy about some level of certainty. i also think the president, if he's going to deal on this wants to position himself as a fiscal conservative and say, look, if you want to do this, tell me where the corresponding spending cuts are. that's the responsible way to do it. look for him to get the upper hand in that way. >> let me pick up with the leadership changes. no leadership changes to think about on the democratic side of the house. a lot of people are surprised by that. they would think there would be a change given the huge democratic defeat. do the democrats perceive the reasons for this defeat differently than republicans? >> well, look. let's point out it is not like there are a lot of fresh faces on the republican side either. we tonight want to argue that too hard. i say there is an inside game and outside game.

the inside game is run well by pelosi, fund-raising, organization, unity and getting things done. she wants her team there. it is a more liberal caucus now. she has a measure of power and for now the white house is standing behind that. moderates have been swept out. you have more liberal members of congress. whether this is a liability we'll find over time to the extend she's made to be the face of the democratic party. >> now to the continuing fascination over sarah palin. she embarks on a book tour that will take her to some of the states important to the nominating process. iowa, south carolina. she has the tlc show that kicks off tonight. if she has plans to run for president it gives her a lot of face time. coincidence or not? >> i don't think it is a coincidence. i think she's a juggernaut in the party and that could be

leading her to run for president or at least straddle the line all the way to the end. she could have a real impact on iowa. she could be laid inlate into i. she'll be conventional and republicans are conventional about how they approach who's the nominee of the party. coming off the blocks, all the republicans i talked to who are professionals looking at the race saying nobody has a clear advantage here. she has a long way to go if she thinks she can get the nomination. she's a power base in the party. >> david, thanks. >> you bet. now a check of some of the other headlines with melissa francis at the news desk. good morning. >> good morning. we begin in minnesota where they are digging out from the largest november snowfall in two decades. now more from the weather channel. >> reporter: the snowstorm took many by surprise. >> they said snow, not blizzard. >> wet, windy. >> slippery.

>> reporter: after a warm fall with record-breaking temperatures and in november, highs in the 60s, nine inches of snow fell in north west minneapolis and along the minnesota, iowa border, up to 14 inches of snow. >> this is not actually a strong storm. but it has been persistent and we have gotten an awful lot of snow. >> reporter: at the minneapolis/st. paul airport passengers faced cancelled flights and delays of two hours as airport workers tried to keep the runways clear. only two of the four runways were operational. >> i will be frustrated tomorrow when i can't get out. >> hopefully we'll get home. >> reporter: and the heavy wet snow created slippery conditions on the road, slowing traffic to a crawl. >> the roads were slick, sloppy heavy snow causing many vehicles to lose control and go off the road. >> reporter: the snow weighed heavily on power lines, too. 65,000 customers lost power in the twin cities area. people camping out overnight in minneapolis to raise money for

the homeless braved the elements for their cause. >> kids have been having fun, building snowmen, playing in the snow, having snowball fights. you know, that's what you do with the first snow. >> and it's only november. democracy leader su-chi arrived at headquarters. she was released from seven years of house arrest on saturday. the 65-year-old said she has no antagonism for military rulers who oppressed her. a maryland county executive said he's innocent of an alleged pay to play scheme with real estate developers. jack johnson and his wife were arrested friday by federal agents who came to the house with search warrants. authorities say johnson told his wife by phone to flush a $100,000 check down the toilet and hide nearly $80,000 in her underwear. officials used wiretaps say they found the cash in leslie

johnson's bra. and prince william laid a wreath to honor britain's war dead as part of remembrance day ceremonies. he then visited troops. the second in line to the throne, william serves in britain's air force flying sea rescue helicopters. now back to lester, jenna and janice. >> thanks, melissa. >> janice is here with a look at the weather. >> felt like 60s in new york city yesterday. let's look at the snowstorm across the upper midwest. amounts from five to seven inches in minneapolis to more than a foot south of the city. it's still spinning over lake superior and northern wisconsin today with a little bit more light snow. that's what's going on around n >> good morning. it is cold to start the morning but we do not expect any precipitation

now back to jenna and lester. >> janice, thanks. up next on "today" a thriller in dallas. >> millions tune in to watch what some consider a legendary bout. the outcome after this. with patented sonic technology

philips sonicare is the number 1 recommended power toothbrush by dental professionals it's no wonder philips sonicare is the toothbrush america loves switch now and if you're not 100% satisfied, we'll give you a full refund. no calorie sweetener granulated with fiber. sweet! [ female announcer ] tastes like sugar and has 3 grams of fiber per tablespoon. use it almost anywhere you use sugar. even in cooking and baking. sweet! [ female announcer ] splenda® granulated with fiber. but the nicoderm cq patch gradually steps you down off of nicotine in just three steps, doubling your chances for success. nicoderm cq. 3 steps, 10 weeks and you're free.

nicoderm cq.

that advertise flights for 25,000 miles? but when you call... let me check. oh fudge, nothing without a big miles upcharge. it's either pay their miles upcharges or connect through mooseneck! [ freezing ] i can't feel my feet. we switched to the venture card from capital one -- so no more games. let's go see those grandkids. [ male announcer ] don't pay miles upcharges. don't play games. get the flight you want with the venture card at capitalone.com. [ loving it ] help! what's in your wallet? he's a 5'6" politician from the philippines but above everything else manny pacquiao is a championship boxer and he showed his power before a packed cowboys stadium saturday night. ron allen reports. >> reporter: what you are watching is one of the greatest boxers of all time achieve something no one else in the sport has ever done. manny pacquiao, the smaller man,

is devastating antonio margarito, the much bigger man. when it was over, pacquiao -- also known as the pac-man -- had won his eighth boxing title in eight different weight classes, each against a significantly larger opponent. a feat that's had the world of professional boxing in awe. >> we are watching something in manny pacquiao that may not be just once in a generation but maybe once in a lifetime. maybe just once, period. >> reporter: he's also known as the filipino phenom because he rose from poverty to become one of the richest athletes. he's 31, perhaps nearing the end of his boxing days and just beginning a new career. last may, elected to his nation's congress. now being mentioned by fans as a possible president. there was concern he was too distracted to fight. >> it's going to be a good fight on saturday. don't miss it. it's going to be fun.

>> reporter: as he won the latest title the congressman showed heart and compassion, looking to the referee to stop the fight and pulling his punches in the closing round. apparently concerned about how badly his opponent was getting battered. like so many adversaries he faced in the ring and in life, a foe much bigger but not better. for "today," ron allen, nbc news, new york. >> among everything else on his resumé, he's fought in eight different weight classes. that is so impressive. we are just casual boxing fans, you and i, but that is so impressive. >> his opponent -- the reach the guy has, but it's like a boxing clinic there. >> what a great guy. at the end he pulled his punches, felt compassion. >> i wouldn't want to take him on in the legislative arena. >> absolutely not. congratulations to him. we are back, but first, these messages. last year. (oof).

i had a bum knee that needed surgery. but it got complicated, because i had an old injury. so i wanted a doctor who had done this before. and unitedhealthcare's database helped me find a surgeon. you know you can't have great legs, if you don't have good knees. we're 78,000 people looking out for 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. would you like me to read you a story? you can't read. [ grandma ] 'twas the night before christmas, and all through the house... whoa, that's grandma. [ grandma ] ...nothing was stirring, not kara, not maya... how does she do that? magic. [ grandma ] ...grandma loves you. [ both ] goodnight, grandma. [ female announcer ] be there to read them a story every night. read it to me again. [ female announcer ] hallmark recordable storybooks. this christmas, make it wonderful at your hallmark gold crown store.

still to come on "today," into thin air. the latest on the search for a missing ohio family that has police scratching their heads. >> plus, hot flash and mood swings are signs of menopause, but are women thenly one going through the major change in life? the truth about male menopause. first, these messages. - i wanted to get cindy something special this year.

- you went to kay. she'll love it. [chuckles] trust me. i know. ho-ho-ho-ho-ho. - introducing charmed memories, a new collection at kay jewelers. each design is hand-crafted in italy, and because you choose the charms, the possibilities are endless. create your own memories with charmed memories, one more reason kay is the number one jewelry store in america. - i love it. - santa said you would. no, really.

this morning, steering people in the right direction. it is tct

>> good morning. it is 8:26. here's a look at our top stories this morning. the violence in the mall's food court, a man was stabbed at 8:30 last night. the victim was taken to shock trauma. his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. no word on an arrest or motive. baltimore city police are still looking for the gunman killed a 34-year-old man, in the 1900 block of west baltimore street. the man was shot in the head and rushed to the local hospital, where he died. no word on a motive. crews had made progress preparing a water main in baltimore county that broke at 7:00 a.m. on saturday.

right near bellaire road. officials said that water has been restored to the 100 people that went without water for almost the entire day. traffic did have to be diverted. let me just up the water shut off. we have to start digging it. we will not know the condition of the main until we did it. >> it will remain closed to traffic until monday. congressman elijah cummings will be our guest later this morning. if you have a question, send us an e-mail. stay with us. stay with us. we to where to get the car fixed. auto service plus is the one auto repair shop that's out to earn women's respect and trust. >> auto service plus. service you can trust. go to autoserviceplus.biz for a location near you.

roll it! >> announcing our fall and winter maintenance specials. you could save up to $65 dollars in additional rebates. only from auto service plus. service you can trust. go to autoserviceplus.biz for a location near you.

>> welcome back. we are off to a nice, quiet start this morning. by the time that we get to this afternoon, expect a mixture of sunshine and cloud. pretty close the weekend. starting this evening and overnight tonight, temperatures have dropped back into the lower end. during the day and tomorrow, a slight chance for a couple of rain showers during the high temperatures between 67 and 62 degrees. a good chance for rain fall in the middle of the week. tuesday, wednesday, thursday,

headed into the weekend things should start to clear up. high temperatures rebound and into the mid-50's. >> thank you for joining us. 11 news sunday morning continues in 20 minutes. and we're back on this sunday morning, november 14, 2010. what a nice crowd with us on a beautiful fall morning day. a little warmer than it is in some other parts of the country. we are certainly not complaining. our thanks to everyone who's come out to spend the morning with us. i am jenna wolfe. an early christmas there. still to come, a mystery out of ohio. this story is spooky. >> it's about a family that's disappeared. mom and her two kids and her friend, even the family dog. police's only clues a pickup truck and a blood stain in the

house. what happened? we'll find out what authorities suspect and what they are doing. and we are talking about something that i have to be honest, i don't know anything about it. i didn't know there was such a thing as male menopause. >> we hear of women's hot flashes and mood swings. >> hot flashes? no. mood swings? i don't think so! get off my back, lester! >> is there a male equivalent? is there male menopause? it's been debated. we'll get an expert opinion and the changes men go through later in life. >> speaking of changes i have gone through a change after what i did recently. i broke the sound barrier on an f-18. no big deal, right? anybody does it any day. it is not easy. i don't know how i did it. i did it with help from the blue angels, a wonderful group of guys. i give them credit for what they do. it was one of the hardest things i have ever done in my life. i'm used to doing crazy things, but to me this was one of the hardest. >> it was tough and i gave you advice.

i said enjoy it. you didn't do that. >> "enjoy it." enjoy going up on an f-18. >> an then laugh lines with bob newhart. he's been performing for half a century. two very successful sit-coms under his belt. i share my interview with him coming up. >> first a check of the weather with janice huffi ininghuffingt >> i start with your friends from uniondale, new york. it's good to see you here. i have to sprint across the plaza. here i go. >> sorry, lester and jenna. these people are from my high school in columbia, south carolina. hi again. do i have a shirt? look at how cute you are all tresed in your caroline shirts. the rockefeller center christmas tree is here. here's your local forecast.

>> good morning. it is cold to start the morning but we do not expect any precipitation well, tonight, you can keep getting your football fix on nbc, football night in america. sunday night football and i think we have a graphic, don't we? no, i guess we don't. anyway, i think new england will be at pittsburgh playing the steelers and there might be an isolated shower or two. there it is. mostly cloudy with an isolated shower. temperatures between 47 and 51. how about that? it just popped up. now back to jenna. >> all right. thank you. it's been three days since

anyone has heard from an ohio mother, her two children and her friend. authorities say they vanished but there are disturbing signs that they were the victims of foul play. >> reporter: saturday's search covered several square miles. volunteers and sheriffs deputies in ohio scoured this lake as a plane equipped with infrared technology paced overhead. tina herrmann, her children sarah and kody maynard and family friend stephanie sprang were reported missing wednesday. it is believed all four were together at herrmann's rural home before they vanished. inside, deputies discovered blood. >> there was an unusual amount of blood in that house for anyone's residence. >> reporter: still considered a missing persons case, deputies cordoned off the home and called fbi. the missing mom share it is house with her estranged

boyfriend of six years. greg borders told investigators his relationship with herrmann was civil and he never came home the night she was reported missing. >> something happened inside that house. it's not like tina or me to leave the house unsecured at any time. >> reporter: wednesday herrmann's children, 13 and 10, were at school. when the mother failed to show up at her job, a co-worker called deputies. that evening, no one answered the door but lights were on and herrmann's pick-up was in the driveway. by wednesday when they hadn't been seen and the pickup truck was found deserted outside a local college, the search began. >> so close to home. i mean, four people missing, that's scary. >> reporter: investigators are trying to establish a timeline as a community searches for a missing family and friend. nbc news. >> joining us with more insight is pat brown, former fbi criminal profiler. pat, good morning. >> good morning.

>> let's take a look at what we know. tina herrmann's live-in ex-boyfriend was the last person to see her alive. this started wednesday morning. does the fbi normally look at the last person as someone of interest? >> well, definitely. they look at that person and any of these people that are in a relationship with will become persons of interest. they will work hard to find out where they were and what the relationship was and seeing if there is something peculiar to lead them in that direction. >> as reported earlier, when they went by the house, knocked on the door, there was no answer. went by 11:00, no answer and that was it. should more have been done that day? >> it's hard when you go back and look at whether you should have done something, they didn't have absolute fear that something horrible happened. there was no evidence around the outside of the house, anything was particularly wrong. i can't say they should have. you know, they just went with

what they saw. lights are on. looks normal. you can't go breaking in people's houses and say, why aren't you home? i don't think they did anything wrong on that. >> when investigators did go into the house they found a lot of beer cans around and a great deal of blood that was left there. what will the blood be able to determine? >> the blood will be important. this is a case that's really going to build the crime scene, reconstruct it from the evidence. who does the blood belong to is one of the most important thi s things. my guess is it will be one woman or the other. the most fascinating thing about the case is that the dog is missing. that is particularly unusual. it almost seems like whoever committed the crime didn't want the dog to be left there alone and wanted the dog with that person. so the only two people that would have an interest in taking the dog would be tina herrmann herself and her boyfriend who was also part owner of the dog. >> which i assume that means it sounds like foul play is

involved. this is what we know. mom doesn't go to work for two days. kids are missing, the dog and the friend are missing. her car is in the garage and there is blood found in the house. do we rule out a random crime here and assume, as you said, this is foul play? >> it looks like foul play. i don't think you can rule out a random crime, but there is no breaking and entering into the house. there was apparently no sign of a struggle. it looks like whoever got harmed in the house knew the person that harmed them. the only -- after that, you know, if this is a home invasion they probably would have just killed everybody there. somebody left the children and the dog so any other person, probably the other woman, one of the women and the only reason somebody would do that is either they took their own children and their dog which the mother would have done that or the boyfriend wanted to get rid of witnesses. that's what we are looking at now. every avenue is open now. >> pat brown, we thank you so

much for your insight. >> thanks, jenna. >> we're right back after these messages. [ slap! ] [ slap! slap! slap! slap! slap! ] [ male announcer ] your favorite foods fighting you? fight back fast with tums. calcium rich tums goes to work in seconds. nothing works faster. ♪ tum ta tum tum tums

bob newhart has been making us laugh for decades and he's now celebrating 50 years in show business. when i sat down with him in los angeles it was clear he has no plans to retire. >> mrs. arrow? yeah, i can't understand you with your mouth full. ♪ >> this -- this is the finest, most accurate watch in the world. >> is it really? >> that's what it says on the box. >> reporter: in 1960, bob newhart was part of a new generation of stand-ups who skipped the one-liners in favors of situational humor. his trademark, the one-sided phone conversation. >> you can't miss us. we are the first international

airport on your right. >> what's your favorite bit from stand-up? >> the last one. that's the most fun about it. >> you don't have to be raunchy to be funny. >> no. i'm asked a lot -- you know, i work clean and i always have. it's harder. it's just harder to work clean. when you get through, you feel good about yourself. >> 1972 brought chicago psychologist bob hartley into our homes. >> i hated my job. i felt abused by my boss. he had no respect for me. treated me like a kid. >> we all know it's difficult when you work for your father. >> they called it the last sane man left on earth and that's the character. >> emily -- >> reporter: dr. hartley had bob newhart's trademark stammer although a producer once asked him to lose it. >> he said, you know, the show

is starting to spread. so he said, could you run some of the lines together? i said, lorenzo, this stammer got me a home in beverly hills and i'm not about to change it now. [ crying ] >> i have this overwhelming desire to laugh when you cry. >> it was a great cast. tell me about suzanne. you must miss her terribly. >> she was a special lady. suzy had a mouth on her. i mean, i have seen cameramen in iwo jima who would faint on stage when suzy let loose. but she was wonderful. the chemistry was wonderful. >> reporter: not many actors can say they hit it out of the park

twice in the world of sit coms, but bob newhart did it twice. in 1982 a show titled "newhart" hit the air. >> how is 50 fascinating vacations going? >> good. i''m thinking of changing the hit. >> to what? >> "nine fascinating vacations". >> it was the jaw-dropping television finale that made history. waking up next to wife emily from his first show, we discover the entire series was a dream. >> all right, bob? what is it? >> i was an inn keeper in this crazy little town in vermont. >> reporter: new hart says his real wife came up with the idea. >> there were so many things that were inexplicable. the maid was an heiress. tom poston, the handyman, george. he never understood anything i said to him.

then there were these three but only one of them talked. >> reporter: do you watch tv sit-coms? >> i don't. first of all, i don't watch the ones with the laugh track at all. the shows today are good ones. "30 rock" has no laugh track. "modern family," "parenthood." but most shows aren't aimed at me. i'm 81. >> reporter: 81 but not slowing down. new hart continues to take on television and movie roles and performs about 20 stand-up engagements a year. >> we didn't call them stand-up in those days. because sometimes you would sit down, you know. >> why would you say, you know, i'm tired of making people laugh? i don't think i want to do that anymore. i love it. >> when you're a fan of someone and you like them it's great to

hear something that makes you like him more. i asked his greatest accomplishment and he said, my marriage. >> that's sweet. just ahead, fly girl, i take to the sky with the blue angels. >> first, these messages. ♪ [ 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 with advanced hybrid technology. heating the water in your home any other way is just going to seem primitive. ♪

is just going to seem primitive. in a more delicious world, there would be more smoothness, more creaminess, more rich just-for-me-ness, more hershey's bliss-fulness. hershey's bliss. it's not just chocolate. it's bliss.

hot flashes, mood swings, two telltale signs of menopause, but are women the only ones going through the major change of life? some say men of a certain age are also feeling the pain. menopause, a fact of life for women, but what about men? >> i have heard of male menopause. that's why they call it

menopause. it begins with m-e-n, men. >> it's a sign of aging. i know i'm getting older, but to say it is a certain thing like menopause, no, i don't believe it. >> experts agree as some men get older their testosterone levels drop which can lead to a myriad of symptoms. >> decrease of libido, erectile dysfunction, increase in body fat, decrease in bone density. those are very important. >> increased body fat? yeah, that's a problem. >> as i have gotten older a lot of those are true. >> not the sexual dysfunction though. >> reporter: whether that qualifies as menopause for men is up for interpretation. >> can low testosterone contribute to nonsexual complaints? whether it really contributes to moodiness, depression, fatigue which is so common anyway, is the real controversy. >> reporter: another source of

controversy, unlike women, not every mangoes through it. >> many men function at a high level into their 70s and 80s with adequate testosterone levels. >> i'm in my 40s now. i don't suffer from them unfortunately. >> if women go through a change why isn't it possible men could go through a change similar? >> so does male menopause exist? dr. harry fish is with wild cornell medical college and author of "the male biological clock." men are in denial about all things aging. we think we just walk it off. there are changes, but for us is male menopause more of a euphemism rather than a diagnosed physical condition? >> i'm not sure it is male menopause. i like to call it the male biological clock. people understand what you are talking about. for example, in women, what is a

biological clock? a decline in fertility, a problem with genetics in babies born to older women and decreased estrogen in women, testosterone in men. >> sounds like you are talking about aging in general. >> it is general aging. we see it as men get older, particularly the testosterone levels declining. however, some men have a higher ticking of the biological clock. >> you see excessive fatigue, depression, low sex drive. these things are part of aging in general. >> some people have it more than others. >> do all men's biological clocks work at the same rate? >> no. some men's clocks tick down quickly. those men are obviously -- you can see them in the street. a lot of them have this big belly. do you see the big belly? >> it's part of aging. >> not really. you don't have a big belly. >> thank you. >> i don't have one. >> obviously we'll get bigger,

but is there a point where you see at a certain age you shouldn't have the big belly? >> you should never have that big belly. direct correlation with testosterone. bigger the belly, lower testosterone. if you are a diabetic you have a 40% chance of having low testosterone. how many do you know? adult on set diabetic men, 40% have low testosterone. >> you talk about fatigue. >> people think, we'll just sleep instead of having sex. we should be having sex and libido for our lifetime. >> quickly, how can you alter the outcome? >> diet and exercise and we mean it. a lot of men cannot diet and exercise to lose weight. they seem to not eat and nothing happens. these men will get testosterone replacement therapy. it's easy. we give them creams and gels and it works well to get them motivated, to get them to exercise and regain the youth,

if you will. >> dr. fisch, thanks for coming on. here's jenna. >> i know you love flying planes, lester. i thought it was time i, too, start loving flying planes. i took a ride with the blue angels and after my flight, they may never be the same again. >> oh, boy. >> how you feeling, jenna? >> reporter: somewhere in the skies over miami, pulling 7-gs at the speed of sound in an f-18, i needed to go to a happy place. it was just two hours earlier, wide-eyed and overzealous, i signed the dotted line to fly with the world famous blue angels. i figured if my esteemed coanchor could do it -- >> there we go. >> reporter: -- then so could i. after all, my "today" resumé does resemble that of a stunt

double. i have been run through a centrifuge, nearly drowned and i have been thrown off a 900-foot building. so the angels were more than happy to invite this dare devil anchor and two local leaders to ride and be part of the navy and marines ambassadorship and recruitment efforts. >> i have been a pilot 40 years. i think every pilot dreams of flying in an f-18 or aircraft similar to it. >> i have been on an aircraft carrier, but nothing high g maneuvers. >> reporter: i needed to make sure things were under control. i feel like i'm going to barf. quick question. am i in good hands? >> absolutely. >> reporter: you answered to quickly. also my pilot.

c.j. simonson. ♪ take my breath away >> reporter: we locked, loaded and got ready to touch the sky. >> ready, jenna? >> reporter: absolutely! >> ready? hit it. whoa! that's the coolest thing ever. >> we're going to roll 15 degrees. 2 gs with that maneuver. 7.2 gs. good work. >> reporter: twists, turns. we're upside down, aren't we? >> yeah. >> good thing this seat belt works. >> reporter: "top gun." tower, this is wolfe rider requesting a fly by. >> negative, the pattern is full. >> great balls of fire! >> reporter: everything was

going so great and then -- maybe the preflight snack wasn't a good idea. i could barely talk. all i kept thinking was, let us land! it's good to be back on terra firma. while today's flight wasn't the first or the last stunt i will be doing, it definitely stood out for one big reason. that was the longest i have ever gone without talking. >> really? >> reporter: ever. since birth. let me tell you one of the producers here josh weiner is celebrating a birthday saying, you were speechless for 15 minutes? now we are all speechless. >> i wish i was in the plane. it would have been quiet? wow. 15 minutes of no jenna talking. >> okay. moving on. the truth is you did it. i was like, how hard can it be? it was single handedly the hardest thing i have ever done.

i give you so much credit. >> i wouldn't jump off a building. i give you credit. >> i'm still nauseous. >> imagine they do that while we running radar, looking for bad guys. >> amazing. we've got to go. we've back after these messages. [piano keys banging] [scraping] [horns honking] with deposits in your engine, it can feel like something's holding your car back. let me guess, 16. [laughing] yeeah. that's why there's castrol gtx... with our most powerful deposit fighting ingredient ever. castrol gtx exceeds the toughest new industry standard. don't let deposits hold your car back. get castrol gtx. it's more than just oil. it's liquid engineering. so that's why we have sensodyne iso-active whitening for those that are looking for it. it comes in a canister. it starts out as a gel. now this is where the fun begins. once you start to brush with it, it micro-foams. having those small micro-bubbles

really allows it to get to those hard to reach areas. it's providing a cleaner experience. the benefits for sensodyne iso-active whitening, it's going to provide protection against sensitivity. and it's going to help restore teeth to their natural whiteness.

thank you so much for joining us. next weekend on "today" we'll take you inside o magazine. >> and we examine the art of apology. i'm sorry. see you then. i'll see you on nbc "nightly see you then. i'll see you on nbc "nightly news" tonight. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

>> up next, congressman elijah cummings by an hour sunday morning to na. the author of a must read. blacks and nice white stuff -- blacks and nice white stuff -- nice, quiet start for us ♪ ♪ [ dad ] yeah! [ cheers and applause ] [ male announcer ] achievement gets points for living life. earn pnc points for your credit and debit card purchases. ♪