good morning. front lines. we're live in afghanistan, with the troops, on patrol, and in the battle zone with the top u.s. commander, as president obama maps out the way forward for the fight here. pat-down policy. as the holiday travel season begins, the government makes important new changes to the searches many call an invasion of privacy. what you need to know before heading to the airport. and, queen camilla? while the world waits for william and kate's big date, all of britain is buzzing over what prince charles told nbc about his wife's future. >> does the duchess of cornwall

become queen and england if and when you become the monarch? >> his answer, "today," when you become the monarch? >> his answer, "today," saturday, november 20th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this saturday morning. i'm amy robach. >> and i'm lester holt. amy, i've come to afghanistan to be here at a critical juncture in this war. as you know, thousands of miles away from here, president obama and nato allies are meeting to figure out a way forward. an exit strategy. how to turn over security of afghanistan to afghan troops. all of this while nato warplanes are launching from this base, bagram air base in support of the war effort. also, how is that effort going? what about the surge?

later in this show i'll take you to the battlefield to a site of a major battle that marines waged earlier this year to drive out the taliban. how did they do? i'll show you when i talk to the top general on the scene there, amy. >> all right, lester, thanks. here at home this morning, it is a busy travel weekend. we're following the latest on those pat-down searches at airports. passengers and pilots consider them highly offensive. and an invasion of privacy. it seems like the government is responding to the outcry and has new screening procedures. we're going to tell you what they are in just a moment. also, a hollywood murder mystery. a prominent publicist to the stars was gunned down as she drove her mercedes in beverly hills. who wanted her dead? we have new developments on the shocking crime. and then, oh, baby. we take you inside o magazine's favorite things edition. we were able to get unprecedented access on how the issue was put together and we'll bring that all to you. but first let's head back to bagram airfield and lester. >> amy, thanks.

i've been in the country five days. i met some remarkable people and each time i learned how many different ways americans are putting it on the line here. let me give you an example. this is the tail section of one of the planes operated by the rescue squadron. air force rescue squadron. this gray square, that's a bullet hole that was patched just a few days ago. they took a bullet in the helicopter up near the tail rotor. you walk along the engine and someone pointed out this patch here when this unit first got into bagram they took shrapnel from a mortar round that went off as they were trying to pick up an injured soldier on the field. we're going to talk more about their mission, as well as we go along. we're also going to switch gears, my colleague richard engel who you often see over here in the battle zone, he takes us on a different journey to a part of afghanistan you might not have thought existed and is giving some people pause to say, well maybe there is a tourist industry that could ultimately come about here in afghanistan. i don't want to forget you saw them at the top of the opening of the broadcast. we've got some fine folks here,

most of them from the 33rd rescue squadron, u.s. air force. we're going to talk to them coming up. we really appreciate what you're doing, appreciate you all being here. look forward to chatting a little bit later in the broadcast. and let me point one other thing out before i send it back to you, we are on a very active air field and it gets noisy from time to time. we usually deal with it when the f-15s and f-16s go off we kind of have to stop. we'll deal with it. they've got important work to do. but i wanted to note that could happen any time during this broadcast. >> all right, lester. we'll look out for that. in avd, and the new plans for the war are front and center for president obama at the nato summit under way in portugal. chief white house correspondent chuck todd is in lisbon. good morning, chuck. >> good morning, here in lisbon the president is going to only be here another 12 hours. but, the focus is two major foreign policy challenges. one, dealing with the exit strategy out of afghanistan, and two, reassuring allies that he can get this nuclear arms deal with russia ratified. president obama began his second day in portugal with a focus on afghanistan.

attending a meeting of coalition partners in the war effort. >> the meeting is opened. >> today marks the beginning of a new phase in our mission in afghanistan. >> reporter: the new consensus? to begin a transition to afghan responsibility in 2011 with afghan forces taking the lead by 2014. experts say there's no guarantee afghan forces will be ready by then. >> make no doubt about it, this has nothing to do with the reality of the on-the-ground military situation in afghanistan. >> reporter: transition, not withdrawal, is the key word now. both the president and vice president are using it repeatedly. >> this summit is an important opportunity for us to align an approach to transition in afghanistan. >> we are going to begin to transition. we're keeping that. that commitment will be kept. >> reporter: also resonating among leaders, the president's battle to persuade the senate to

ratify new state-of-the-ar.t.a. latest arms reduction treaty with russia. >> the message i received could not clearer, new s.t.a.r.t. will strengthen our alliance and strengthen european security. >> reporter: key republican jon kyl is blocking ratification, drawing fire from the president's lone republican senator ally on the issue. >> i am not ascribing motivations to anybody. at this point i'm simply trying, in as civil a manner as possible, to say, please do your duty for your country. >> reporter: and biden says u.s. relations with russia hang in the balance. >> the reason why the -- we're having such success in real sanctions against iran is because russia's cooperating. medvedev stuck himself way out on a line on this. >> reporter: meanwhile, back in kyl's home state of arizona, a new commercial invokes the famous daisy ad from lyndon johnson's 1964 campaign. and asks residents to take action.

those close to the white house are split on how tough to get on jon kyl to get this s.t.a.r.t. treaty passed. some would like the president to get tougher. others warn that if it does that it could unite republicans against it and truly deal the president a tough political loss, amy. >> all right, chuck todd in lisbon, thank you. now let's head back to lester in afghanistan. lester? >> and amy, the view from the ground. let's talk about that. i shared a chopper ride with a top marine in helmand province, a very difficult area. his name is major general richard mills. he took me to the town of marjah where coalition forces and the taliban engaged in one of the fiercest battles of this war, months after the massive offensive began, mills and his troops continue to fight the enemy, while hoping to win over the people. from the flight deck of a c-130, it appears as a cluster of lights floating on a sea of darkness. we're flying to camp leatherneck, the desert jumping-off point for helmand province. helmand was the scene earlier

this year of one of the war's biggest offenses. the marines' vicious battle to drive the taliban from the town of marjah. i'm going to marjah with the man who commands the war effort in helmand, major general richard mills, who above the roar of the chopper tells me the taliban fought hard to keep the town because it's a main source of their income in this poppy-growing region. we land amid a cloud of swirling dust. at company post kelly i'm given the lay of the land by marines on the ground, and taken for a walk just outside the camp perimeter. what not long ago would have been a suicide mission. >> ieds, gun fights, we would have had machine-gun fire just 200 or 300 meters on the other side over there. >> reporter: the marines claimed victory in this part of marjah. still, we're back in protective armor, and inside a mine resistant vehicle for the short drive to forward operating base marjah. roadside bombs have extracted a heavy toll here.

>> the wounds that we get from these really cruel, senseless weapons are horrific. they are planted in such a way that people can walk up on them, whether they be marines, whether they're soldiers, whether they be civilians. as many civilians suffer from the ied as do the coalition forces. >> reporter: later we walked a new secured main street through one of marjah's key bazaars. the general wants to show off what some thought impossible a few months ago. people on the streets, no evidence of taliban. i meet members of a local neighborhood watch the marines helped establish. and meet village elders who now work with them on community projects. you could count taliban bodies as a sign of progress, but that doesn't really tell you this whole story does it? >> not the full story. i believe that sometimes you have to kill the wolves, but i think that that's not the real sign of progress. the real sign of progress is to see these young children out

here, whose parents trust the environment enough to let their kids run free. to see an afghan army soldier here standing by my side, helping us provide security. so see the policemen up and down the streets doing what policemen do. protect and serve. and see the shops open. >> reporter: i ask a local shop owner about marjah then and now. he says, things are better. and says, we want peace, no fighting. that's what we all want. marines, of course, hope to replicate what they've done in marjah in other parts of helmand province. but the big question is, what happens when they leave? will the afghan army, patrolling with these u.s. marines, be able to hold this town by themselves? the marjah offensive earlier this year came amid the troop surge, and was seen as a prelude to a decisive battle in the taliban stronghold of kandahar. instead, it has been a gradual offensive there. american and british troops still face tough fights in this part of afghanistan. and just outside the center of marjah, as well.

to illustrate the point we were with general mills as he got word of yet another attempted attack nearby. >> just in a few moments you're going to hear a loud boom. that's a controlled detonation of an ied that was reported to us by a local national. called our tip line, told us where it was. >> reporter: the general says local police and afghan army members are getting better by the day and that they one day can keep the peace here by themselves. but he's under no illusion the tal pan will go quietly into the night. general we're standing here in a very, very public place, and thankfully we're surrounded by afghan and u.s. troops. but, are the taliban watching us right now? >> i would be willing to bet there are a couple of eyeballs on us who are perhaps not friendly. and hopefully when they go back they'll report that schoolchildren were out and about and families were enjoying peace and the coalition forces were able to move about without being bothered in any way, shape or form and things have changed in downtown marjah. >> reporter: marjah is a great story and the marines want to

tell us about it. at the edges of that town they still encounter firefights and ieds. only yesterday weiss found out that the marines for the first time were introducing 16 main battle tanks, big heavy warmer there, in the next three months to give them more punch and a quicker response when troops come in contact on the ground. >> and lester, i know you've shown that troops have driven the taliban out of that town. but you also mentioned, you know, you think there are a few eyeballs on us right now, taliban eyeballs. what about the overall strength of that organization? do troops really think they've weakened the taliban on a whole in the area? >> general mills told me that they have intelligence that leads them to believe that the taliban, first of all, are running out of money. they're appealing for money. they also say a lot of the leadership has left the area. that they're fighting more midlevel, midmanagement on the ground there. the leaders have moved into pakistan and he pointed out that this counterpart. whatever the taliban counterpart is to a two-star general, as he said, left the province dressed

as a woman. >> lester thanks so much. we'll be checking back in with you very shortly. in other news here, the holiday travel season. taking off with those controversial pat-down measures at the airports that many find intrusive and humiliating. this morning, the tsa is announcing changes to new security searches. they affect pilots who will soon bypass the scanning and pat-downs for passengers. nbc's pete williams reports. >> reporter: the new rules were just what pilots like ann poe of south florida were hoping for. she abruptly stopped flying for continental two weeks ago and sued the tsa over the full-body scanners and physical searches. >> it's just not right. i don't believe under any condition to be sexually molesting people, and that's what i consider the aggressive pat-down that they're doing. >> reporter: though 80% of respondents at a recent poll say they do not object to the full body scanners, the internet is buzzing with calls for boycotts. some even set to music.

♪ ♪ i don't see how >> reporter: they're fodder, too, for late night talk. >> we have president bush on the program tonight, so everybody gets patted down. >> even you i guess. this is your show. >> makes no sense at all. >> tell me about it. >> reporter: a longtime republican critic of the tsa, congressman john mica of florida is urging airports to switch to private, nongovernment screeners. one florida airport plans to make that change in january. even so, private screeners will still be required to follow tsa protocols. the tsa administrator says while the new procedures are intrusive, they're necessary to close gaps in air security that the government's own tests showed were letting too much slip through. >> these covert testers, undercover agents, if you will, were able to get through our security for several reasons, but one of the common denominators was the lack of a thorough pat-down.

>> reporter: but more lawsuits are coming from passengers who claim the new rules are unconstitutional. violating the fourth amendment's ban on unreasonable searches. >> before you do these kind of things to american citizens, in the past, there must be some reasonable suspicion that they're involved in some kind of criminal activity. >> reporter: courts have generally approved airport security methods, finding that they're justified by the need to maintain security. and some legal scholars believe the new regime is likely to be upheld, too. >> now that doesn't mean that the judges give a blank check to government. they certainly don't do that. but it means that they're cautious about stepping in and overturning a regulation that the executive branch thinks is necessary. >> reporter: for now, tsa is considering changes to the full body scanners that would show a much less explicit image, only an outline of a passenger's body, flagging hidden objects. >> it is a general image and the only display that will then be shown are the boxes which indicate potential threats has been found on the body. >> reporter: tsa says now that it's planning to exempt pilots from the enhanced screening it's

starting to talk about whether it should do the same thing for flight attendants. for "today," pete williams, nbc news, washington. >> and for a look at some of the other headlines let's head over to msnbc's thomas roberts who is at the news desk. thomas, good morning. >> good morning to you. thank you very much. good morning, everybody. we begin in new zealand where rescuers cannot yet get into a coal mine where 29 workers are trapped. a powerful blast friday left dangerous levels of methane and carbon monoxide. two miners reached the surface after the explosion but so far no one has heard from the trapped miners. security officials confirm a suspicious package found near luggage in namibia's airport was not a real bomb. the device headed to germany was designed to test security and did not contain explosives. germany has had numerous false alarms reported lately since they raised their terror alert level because of threats from militants. msnbc has suspended morning show host joe scarborough for two days because of donations he made to political candidates. all of them he says family and frents totalling $4,000 between

2004 and 2008. it's the same punishment given to keith olbermann recently for a similar infraction of nbc news policies which prohibit political contributions without advance approval. scarborough, a former republican congressman from florida, has apologized. he will return to his program on wednesday. finally for you, two very lucky turkeys from california are going to the white house. president obama will pardon one for thanksgiving. the second one is a vice presidential alternate. both turkeys will live out the rest of their lives in peace at washington's mount vernon estate. so some very lucky turkeys right there. amy, back to you. >> i love the alternate. >> they always do that. >> how many alternates can we have? >> thomas, thanks so much. nbc meteorologist bill karins is here with a look at your forecast. >> unfortunately, winter is starting to show up. out west and also in areas of the northern plains. temperatures are brutal today from the dakotas all the way through montana. some of that cold air is making its way into minnesota. on the west coast, rain in california and heavy mountain

snow in the high elevations. enjoy it if you're >> good morning. isn't this a beautiful picture. this is what the sunrise looked like this morning. just a scattering of clouds. beautiful. temperatures rising into the 40's and eventually the 50's to that's your weekend forecast. amy? >> bill, thank you. tonight on nbc, college football fans will be watching the big showdown between army and notre dame. it's taking place at yankee stadium, where the ball park is making unique changes for the big game. here's nbc's mike taibbi. >> reporter: it seemed a little out of place. manhattan pep rally for notre dame's fighting irish before their game against army.

but in the rivalry games played in the old yankee stadium, notre dame was usually favored as the home team, even with west point just a short way up the hudson. in fact, though, in college football's black and white film era, both teams were powerhouses with championships and heisman trophy winners galore. this was a 1946 so-called game of the century. >> breaks into the open, but jack speeds in from the side with a game-saving tackle. >> reporter: that ended in a 0-0 tie that still had the old stadium rocking. >> a titanic 0-0 struggle that will long live. >> reporter: but the new yankee stadium was designed from the beginning for more than yankees baseball. >> in the remember i stages, in the architectural work -- >> reporter: so the conversion in baseball diamond to football field was done quickly, everything ready for more gridiron history. because history is what this rivalry is about. remember pat o'brien as knute

rockne? >> tell him to go out there with all they got and win just one for the gipper. >> reporter: in that stadium game in 1928, notre dame did rally to win. it doesn't really matter whether rockne ever said those actual words, they became part of the legend. legend those two old foes will now try to re-ignite at the new yankee stadium. neither team has been a title contender for years, but it doesn't matter. >> this isn't going to be just a game. it's really going to be a history lesson in football and in sports for new york. >> reporter: so, another round of cheers for two old rivals back for an encore on a new stage. for "today," mike taibbi, nbc news, new york. and you can watch notre dame face off against army tonight at 7:00 p.m. eastern, right here on nbc. in los angeles, the fbi says a letter containing white powder sent to the production office of "dancing with the stars" turned out to be talcum powder. reports say it may have been addressed to bristol palin, and

some say her success has more to do with her mother than her footwork. ♪ >> reporter: while bristol struggles through low scores, brandy surged all season long. and when it was time to announce who didn't make it to the final, well, the reaction speaks for itself. >> brandy and maks. >> reporter: gasps, and even a few boos could be heard in the ball room of "dancing with the stars." in the end, brandy packs up and bristol prepares for the championship. but is there something else going on here? jimmy kimmel thinks so, and he wasn't shy about pointing to one prominent conspiracy theory. >> do you believe there is a -- an organized tea party voting bloc? >> reporter: some left wing bloggers aren't laughing about it. they say it's all about sarah palin. for them, her popularity among conservatives is fueling voters to rally behind her daughter. >> there's certainly a big push

by palin supporter, as seen an palin's blogs, for people to vote for bristol. to show their support for the palin family and to show their support for sarah palin. so, yes, this is as much a vote for sarah palin as it is a vote for bristol palin. >> reporter: bristol's dance marter in mark ballas defended their victory tweeting, we have no control over the results. we just try our best and work hard. so you can't be frustrated at me or the results. it's just a dance. and then there's this fact. bristol has been steadily winning over the judges, especially this week. >> turning into a tigress. >> reporter: the 20-year-old tells her critics they are wrong. i know i've worked hard to get where i am, she told "us" magazine. i definitely feel like i'm the most improved dancer on this show. so i'm comfortable with that. she's also becoming more comfortable in public. whether on the campaign trail, appearing in her mom's reality show, or talking about teen pregnancy. like she did on the "today" show last year. whether the votes are for her or

her mom, bristol appears to be handling the pressure on and off the dance floor. all right, still to come, death of a hollywood publicist, new details on the mysterious murder. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

still to come on "today" we will head back to lester in afghanistan, and will camilla ever be queen? hear which three words started a media frenzy at buckingham palace?

>> good morning. i'm lisa robinson. here's a look at some of our top stories. baltimore police are looking for the gunman responsible for a shooting on the city's west side. shots rang out and two men were shot. one man was wupeded in the leg. the other victim was shot multiple times. both victims were taken to the hospital, and there is no word on their condition. the gunmen fled the scene. >> a deadly crash on the baltimore washington parkway. a disabled man was pushing -- a man was pushing a disabled car on the roadway. he was hit by another car. the driver did stop to help him, who died on the scene. >> searchers are looking for the person that stabbed a 15-year-old in the back. around 4:00 the teen was inside douglas high school during some type of altercation. the victim is expected to be ok. >> baltimore county police looking for the man that robbed

a woman inside a supermarket. it happened on the 9700 block of brosnel road in owings mills. this man snatched a woman's purse and ran out of the store. if you know who he is, you are urged to call metro crimestoppers at 1-8677-lock-up. >> the deputy general for the maryland public commission, the governor cites his experience in working with law enforcement and grand juries across the state. he will replace the man who did not seek reappointment to the job.

>> it's -- good morning. 38 the temperature now at the airport. humidity up a little bit. that will drop off a little later this morning. barometer is high. west wind at 3 miles per hour. satellite image shows the more significant clouds are out to our west and northwest. that comes in this evening. it will be dry. just a few scattered clouds. tomorrow we're on the chilly side of the front. today's temperatures up near 60's in some cases. warmer than yesterday. mostly sunny. just some thin clouds. winds swing northwesterly. 5 to 15 miles per hour. seven-day forecast. here are those slightly cooler temperatures. still a nice day. highs in the mid 50's. actually, this is close to normal. back in the 60's. rain chances coming into the

picture tuse tuesday, maybe even thunder on thanksgiving and colder next weekend. >> thanks, john. thank you for joining us. another update in 25 minutes. s and we're back on this saturday morning, november 20th, 2010. it is just one week until thanksgiving and we're giving thanks to everyone who came out to spend part of their morning with us. inside studio 1a, i'm amy robach. lester is live at bagram airfield, and we're going to head to him in afghanistan in just a few moments. but first, coming up on "today," a hollywood murder mystery. a popular movie publicist arriving home from a premiere is murdered in her mercedes and police believe this was not a random attack but in fact targeted by the killer. it's an unfolding mystery. we're going to have the very latest from los angeles. plus, father of the groom, and

heir to the throne. brian williams' exclusive interview with prince charles. and wait until you hear the three words that caused a media frenzy in london and throughout buckingham palace. but first, as you mentioned, let's head back to bagram air field in afghanistan where lester is joined by a group of airmen from the 33rd rescue squadron. lester, we obviously give our thanks to them, as well, during this time. >> we sure do. i'd like to introduce, have the camera first pan this group from the 33rd rescue squadron. and some -- these are a great bunch of folks. i want to talk to a couple of them here. jimmy -- >> settles. >> i go to you first because your wife needs to see you're okay. turn the camera here. five stitches from a bullet that came up through a helicopter almost got you. >> that's right. almost. >> almost got you. your wife, i hope she's watching right now. >> hi, money, i'm fine. >> and we're going to tell folks more of your story a bit later on this weekend. we're glad your here.

you are? >> sergeant nelson. i'm a fight engineer. >> you work on the choppers here. >> home right now is okinawa. >> you guys are based there. the squadron is home. where is home in the states? >> california. >> anybody watching? >> mom, dad, high to my daughter mikayla and my son brandon and my wife. i'll be home soon. >> herman mcmiller from iowa. >> and what do you do here? >> i'm a jet engine mechanic. >> and anybody at home watching? >> hi to my mom and dad and friends and family back home. >> appreciate what you're doing. >> and you are? >> allen rogers. south carolina. >> south carolina. and who is at home watching you? >> my mom and all my familiar lay back home. >> all right. looks good. you're eating, right? all right. how are you? >> good. how are you? >> good, thank you. what's your name? >> erin parker. >> what do you do? >> munitions journeyman. >> okay, so you bullets? >> take care of bullets.

>> all right. where are you from? >> san antonio, texas. >> people watching you? >> my mom, my dad, and my husband. >> all right. who do we have here? >> captain harris. >> captain, where do you hail from? >> north carolina, originally. >> you working the choppers here? >> pilot, yes, sir. >> when are you getting to go home? >> hopefully soon. >> we hope you're all home soon. we appreciate the job you're doing. make sure the camera down here sees everybody. thanks for all the hard work you guys are doing. terrific as i said, it's an honor to be with you in your presence today. and, amy, i mentioned to you awhile ago, why he is wearing a coat? we're up 6,000 feet and it gets very chilly here once the sun sets, which it just did a moment ago. i want to send it to bill karins to find out what the weather's like on your end of the world. >> nothing as dramatic as what you're dealing with out there. great shots and great stories. take you to the plaza and our wonderful crowd. you are celebrating the 39th anniversa anniversary. your husband is -- >> in illinois. in a tree stand. >> it's that time of year. yes it is.

the basketball game last night, they lost. would they have won if you were there? >> no. >> i think you would have. let's take a look at your weekend forecast. let's talk about what's going to happen here. we have our big storm out west. that is going to move across the country as we go throughout this upcoming week. everyone wants to know what's the midweek travel look like. temperatures in the eastern half are the country are going to be warm. western half of the country very cold. but we're going to have some rain to deal with throughout the middle of the nation. and that will head to the east on wednesday and thursday. for some people's travels it will be a little difficult. it will also be a little bit wet on thanksgiving through areas of the mid-atlantic. sorry about that >> good morning. nice morning this morning. temperatures rising into the 40's. all the stormy weather stays to the west, and all we have is a few high, thin clouds. so the forecast t

if you want your weekend forecast or maybe even to take a look at your extended forecast for your holiday travels you can always get that at weather.com. >> all right, bill, thank you. still to come, murder in beverly hills. who wanted a prominent hollywood publicist dead? we'll have the latest. and where and when will they wed? it was a question all of britain is eager to know the answer to. we will get the latest. but first these messages. [scraping] [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.

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- ( crash ) - man, that's good! velveeta & rotel. it is a real-life hollywood murder mystery and one that is playing out in tony beverly hills. that's where publicist to the stars was gunned down in her own car. nbc's george lewis reports. >> reporter: it was an unlikely spot for a street shooting. beverly hills. and she was an unlikely target, ronni chiasson, a 64-year-old

movie publicist, well-known in the film industry. >> people in hollywood are more than horrified. they are in absolute shock. >> reporter: she was the go-to person if you wanted to get your movie promoted for oscar contention. last year's oscar winner "slum dog millionaire" for example. monday night at the premiere of the movie "burlesque" chasen was hobnobbing just off the red carpet. the last pictures of her alive. afterward chasen drove her mercedes west on sunset boulevard into beverly hills. at about 12:30 as she was turning off sunset toward home, officials say another car, perhaps a big suv, pulled alongside her and someone opened fire. shattering the passenger window of chasen's car. thursday night, the mayor of beverly hills visited the crime scene. >> from the angle of shatter of the glass and all that we think that it was at a higher angle down, just straight. so it could have been suv or a little bit higher car. >> reporter: from here, where

the shots were fired, chasen, mortally wounded, continued down this side street until her car hit a light pole. police are reviewing surveillance camera video from homes on this block. chasen was still alive when paramedics arrived, but she was pronounced dead an hour later at the hospital. tomorrow, a hollywood who's who will turn out for her funeral. for "today," george lewis, nbc news, beverly hills, california. >> and for more insight we are joined by criminologist casey jordan. good morning, casey. >> good morning. >> right now we know police are focused on this shattered glass. and you think perhaps what's most interesting about some of the forensics is that the shattered glass came from the passenger window. >> correct. and until we have that information, the theories about carjackers or random shooting were still being entertained. but now it looks a lot more professional and practiced. the idea that somebody would pull up beside her and be able to take aim and go through the passenger window, instead of the front of the car or the side, the driver's side, where you're

far more likely to be able to fatally wound, hit your target, shows that it's somebody who really does know what they're doing. had the time to take aim, shoot downward through the glass and strike her in the chest instead of the head and it really does support the idea that this was not random. >> and let's talk about the gun. because there were no bullet casings found on the scene or found outside the car. they were all found inside the car. what does that tell you about what happened? >> i don't believe they found any bullet casings at all, because they were left inside the shooter's vehicle. we don't know exactly what kind of bullets were fired yet. and of course, they're going to do ballistics from what's found on her body. the fact of the matter is no one got out of the car. no one reached the gun out of the driver's window to shoot into ronnie chasen's car. they knew what they were doing and made sure that the casings were left inside the predatory vehicle. >> of course the location itself is interesting. this is a very upper class area, late at night, an isolated neighborhood. it also supports the fact that this may have been premeditated.

>> absolutely. the shooting didn't happen on sunset boulevard, because it's highly trafficked and there's cameras and people walk around all times of the day and night. once she made that turn into the residential neighborhood, to be very certain there wouldn't be anyone on the streets at almost 1:00 in the morning. and we have no eyewitnesses. if they can find some footage from local precedents with video cameras that's going to be their best bet. >> that may have been the killer's main mistake, by picking this neighborhood, it was upper class, many have surveillance cameras on their property for security reasons. that could be an important piece of evidence this they make the difference? >> without eyewitnesses, that's probably the only way they're going to solve this crime. and i know they're already reviewing the video camera footage from the house of the hacketts, butdy hackett's widow did have a camera. that is the best chance they have of breaking it down to which vehicle they should be looking for. >> we should also mention beverly hills detectives went to chasen's home. what are they looking for in terms of evidence from her? >> they're looking for the

motive. no one can figure out why someone would target this particular publicist. if they can find e-mails, text messages, voicemails. we know she called her office and left a message six minutes before the murder. if they can find any evidence that somebody had a vendetta, a grudge against her, they will be on the right track to finding out who do this. >> casey jordan, thanks so much. >> always great to be here. >> up next, candid conversation. brian williams, prince charles, and the interview that's overshadowed his son's royal engagement. that's after these messages. [ female announcer ] imagine the possibilities with stelara® for adults. stelara® helps control moderate or severe plaque psoriasis with 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. in a medical study, 7 out of 10 stelara® patients saw at least 75% clearer skin at 12 weeks. as cleared or minimal at 12 weeks. stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and increase your risk of infections. some serious infections, like tuberculosis,

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but i wasn't winning any ribbons managing my diabetes. it was so complicated. there was a lot of information out there. but it was frustrating trying to get the answers i needed. then my company partnered with unitedhealthcare. they provided onsite screenings, healthy cooking tips. that's a recipe i'm keeping. ( announcer ) turning complex data into easy tools. we're 78,000 people looking out for 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. . . last weekend prince william made a surprise visit to british troops here in afghanistan. he laid a wreath to honor britain's war dead as part of remembrance day. the next day, he announced his engagement to kate middleton. now his father, prince charles, is speaking out about the wedding and his thoughts on camilla becoming queen, when he takes the throne. it's all part of an exclusive interview with nbc's brian

williams. >> what do you see as the job description of prince of wales? >> well there isn't a job description. so you have to rather make it up as you go along. which doesn't always -- doesn't always go very well. >> he is the man who will be king. and this week the future monarch saw his family once again in the spotlight when on tuesday came the announcement of the engagement of his son, william, to kate middleton. >> it's obviously a thrill. >> i'm just so happy for them. they're all so happy. >> it's a rare conversation with prince charles in scotland, we talked about what awaits his eldest son. do you have words of advice for your son william upon embarking upon this, in an even worse media environment? >> that's the problem, isn't it?

because, they have the constrant lecturing and advice. so it isn't very easy. >> he's under a microscope already. he's just a helicopter pilot. >> well, don't take the advice of the media. but how could he possibly -- >> it's very intrusive, indeed. and very difficult. and i feel for him deeply. because, in my day, it was difficult enough. >> do families like yours talk about how to be a monarch? >> no. you pick it up as you go along. probably at a very young age and it gradually dawns on you what it is actually all about. or what the implications are. they watch you, and you learn. >> while all eyes are on william and kate, prince charles also looks toward his own future milestone.

at age 62, when most people are starting to think about retirement, he's still waiting to become king. people around you have said please avoid the "k" word so i've been quite good today. >> well, all very good, yes, yes. it's been frustrating to think about it. but it's much better not. this is something that if it comes to you, unregrettably it comes as a result of a death of your paint. which is, you know, not so nice, to say the least. so, you know, it's better not to think too much about it. >> i understand. >> except, you know, obviously if it comes then you have to deal with it. >> and then there's the question of camilla, the duchess of cornwall, who married charles in 2005. does the duchess of cornwall become queen of england if and when you become the monarch? >> well, i mean, that's -- that's well, we'll see, won't

we. but, that could be. >> a life defined by royal tradition. but with the unconventional task of raising two sons as a single parent. sounds like the raf. would that be one of your sons buzzing us? >> not yet. they might not be here today. >> both william and harry are military helicopter pilots. william flies search and rescue missions with the royal air force. harry is training on army gunships. for many years you raised two children as a single parent, and you have both children in the military. which must wear on you. >> it certainly did, obviously when harry went down to afghanistan. but he was terribly keen to do so. and it was very difficult for william, my oldest, not to go. but i did say to him, when i was

in the navy for five years, i had the same problem. they wouldn't send me anywhere. but harry, i worried the whole time. and therefore i can understand profoundly what it is that other families are going through. just how agonizing it is, day in, day out, worrying about what is happening to your loved one. >> from the man who will be king, to his engaged son, we're back in a moment. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

still to come on "today," more from afghanistan, including a profile of a soccer mom whose reason for being here will surprise you. >> plus, oh, baby, we take you where few have been before. inside the making of "o magazine's" favorite things issue. it is certainly an eye opener. amy, you're gonna love college.

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here's a look at some of our top stories. a deadly crash on the baltimore washington parkway is under investigation this morning. investigators say a man was pushing a disabled car up the road on route 197 when he was hit by another vehicle. the driver did stop to help the victim who died at the scene. >> also this morning, a stabbing inside baltimore city high school. a 16-year-old was stabbed in the back. it happened during a fight involving several other students at douglas high school. the victim is expected to be ok, and the search for his attacker continues. >> a morgan state football player is behind bars charged with assaulting a female student. it happened late wednesday on the university campus. the assault was not immediately reported to police. >> we take it very seriously. any time you spr a male student involved with some sort of assault on a female student, we take that very seriously. >> officials also say alcohol

was involved and that the two students knew each other. the unidentified football player was dismissed from the family. morgan state is promising a full investigation. >> police are searching for the man that robbed a woman inside a supermarket. it happened inside a supermarket. police say this man snatched a woman's purse and then ran out of the store. if you know who he is, you are urged to call metro crime urged to call metro crime stoppers at 1-866-7-lock-up. (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.

>> good morning. lots of sunshine this morning. temperatures started out in the 30's and 40's. on the warm decide of a cool front which will be approaching. hardly any precipitation and few clouds with this. there are clouds especially west and north of us. once the cool front goes through, it will pass to our south, and sunday it will be on the north side. today we're on the warm side, tomorrow on the cool side of this dry cool front that will be affecting us this weekend in a minor way. our forecast mostly sunny. warmer than yesterday. mid 50's to near 60's in some cases, especially south of us. west winds becoming northwest later in the day. 5 to 15 miles per hour. really, nice autumn weather. state-wide forecast, lots of sunshine. most of the clouds will be out in the mountains. temperatures stuck in the 40's. everybody else in the 50's to near 60. a better chance to getting close to 60, as i mentioned.

rain chances don't come into our forecast until tuesday or wednesday. >> thanks for joining us. i'll be back here with with another update in 25 minutes. many we're back on a saturday morning, the 20th day of november, 2010. less than a week until thanksgiving. we want to give our thanks to everyone who came out on the plaza to join us this morning. i'm amy robach. >> and i'm lester holt. amy, i couldn't -- we are at bagram airfield in afghanistan. great group here from the u.s. air force. what was that? rescue. >> 33rd rescue squadron, if you

get injured in a battlefield, these are the folks who will make it happen and get you to the hospital in a hurry. we thank you for what you do. it's great to be here as we continue our reporting from afghanistan. coming up in this hour we've got the remarkable story of an aamerican woman. she's a soccer mom, she's a former beauty queen, a lawyer, and she put out her shingle to practice law here in afghanistan. where she is nine months out of the year. we'll tell you what she does and why she does it coming up in this hour. also my colleague richard engel takes us to a part of afghanistan you might not have imagined even existed. a beautiful place, a national park that some day may lure tourists. amy, to this country. >> all right, lester, so much to look forward to, thank you. also coming up this morning we're going to head to buckingham palace for the latest on the wedding plans for prince william and kate middleton. speculation is growing over where and when it might take place. and then we're going to take you inside "o magazine." we received exclusive access

into the oprah's favorite things issue. it took months to complete and oprah winfrey was involved in every step of the way. gail king shows us how the issue was created. and if you saw the big giveaway on oprah's show yesterday, you know we got a lot of great gift ideas. but first let's head back to lester at bagram airfield. lester? >> all right. i am sitting aboard an hh-60 helicopter. this is part of the rescue squadron. they go out and rescue those who've been wounded on the battlefield. i'm in afghanistan, all the way through thanksgiving, so we're shooting a lot of stories. one of those later in the week is me going up. i went on a mission today. we've got some pictures. their hall mark is they fly fast, they fly low and they fly often evasive to avoid enemy fire. we went up on this mission. i sat in the open doorway here with my feet dangingle out as they are now, strapped in. we went out just a little bit past the air field itself and got a look at what they do and how they get in in sometimes some really hostile territory to

pick up those who are wounded. if you're a soldier and you're on the battlefield and you're hurt you know the pedros or some of the army folks are going to come in and rescue you. we'll be sharing that story later on in our journey here in afghanistan. but, we want to right now send it back to new york, and the news desk, for this update. >> hi, lester. good morning, everybody. we begin in portugal at the nato summit where president obama and leaders are discussing troop withdrawal in afghanistan. nbc's chuck todd is in lisbon. chuck, good morning. >> good morning, thomas. this morning here in lisbon the focus has been almost exclusively afghanistan. there has been meetings with president obama, president karzai of afghanistan and the discussion is all about the withdrawal strategy. yesterday president obama laid it out, begin the transition to afghan security forces in afghanistan in 2011. and it would end in 200014. now, hamid karzai would like to see that process sped up. of course a lot of the american public would also like to see

that sped up. we'll see if some sort of agreement can come out of here at this point, though it does look like nato is pretty unified on this new u.s. strategy, thomas. >> chuck, thank you. as one of the busiest travel weeks of the year approaches, the tsa is preparing for the onslaught of complaints over its new body scans and pat-downs. but uniformed airline pilots will be spared from the aggressive screenings. instead they will have to pass through metal detectors at airport checkpoints and show photo i.d.s. alaska's senate candidate joe miller says he will take his election challenge to a state court by monday. this after a federal judge said miller's challenge to the write-in ballots raised serious legal issues but should be handled by state courts before the election is certified. write-in candidate lisa murkowski has a 10,000 vote lead over miller. today we may learn what caused the death of tina herm maine, her 11-year-old son kody and a family friend. their bodies were found thursday in a holly tree stuffed in bags. earlier in the week herm maine's

13-year-old daughter was found bound and gagged but alive. on a much lighter night, finally, love is in the air at the florida zoo. take a look, this is a new tiger who has moved into the palm beach zoo. she was introduced to the two male tigers there in hopes that love will lead the way. there are currently only about 500 of these tigers left in the world. so it's a little bit of a love triangle going on down in florida. >> no pressure. >> thomas, thanks so much. nbc meteorologist bill karins is out on the plaz did with a check of your forecast. bill, good morning. >> good saturday morning, everyone. we have some past and present navy nurses. we're not going to say who's the past. what's the best thing about navy nurses? >> serving our country. >> we appreciate all of you. you guys have been all over the place, too. all stayed together and really good friends. let's prepare you for what you're going to deal with today weatherwise. on the west coast where we have all the problems. heavy snow in the central portions of the sierra

mountains. two to four feet of snow, if possible. we're also going to see rainfall with this, even los angeles, even san diego, san francisco, all of california, it's kind of rare to say that, is going to have a chance of some rain this weekend. everyone in the eastern half of the country is looking pretty good today. a cold outbreak in the northern plains. it's not even going to get to the freezing mark in minneapolis, with a high of only 27 degrees. >> good morning. isn't this a beautiful picture. this is what the sunrise looked like this morning. just a scattering of clouds. beautiful. temperatures rising into the 40's and eventually the 50's to >> all right, this is number 23.

what's number 107b your bucket list? >> go to paris. >> you're young. you've got plenty of time to get all that done. send it now to lester. >> all right, bill, thanks. we want to introduce you this morning to an american here in afghanistan. she's not fighting for her country. she is a former beauty queen, a mom, and a lawyer, who is representing her clients in court. nothing was going to keep kim motley away from watching her 9-year-old son play in a championship soccer game. >> good job. >> reporter: but motley is not your average soccer mom. this wife and mother of three is a former mrs. wisconsin. and a lawyer whose private legal practice is about as far from this north carolina soccer field as you can imagine. kabul, afghanistan. where she navigates the afghan justice system, defending foreigners accused of crimes. you know, when i heard your story the first thing i wanted to say, what's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this? you've heard that before. >> i have heard that before.

>> what's the answer? >> the answer is i'm just trying to help out the legal system in afghanistan. just trying to represent my clients and make sure they get ju justice here. >> even if it means visiting places like kabul's notorious prison to see them. she is currently appealing the murder conviction of south african contractor philip young, to afghanistan's supreme court. police admit he shot a man who first fired at him. still, he was sentenced to 16 years. >> in his court hearing he didn't have a translator. his attorney barely spoke up for him. there was no witnesses, no evidence that was presented. how is your family? family? babies? >> reporter: motley does not speak the local languages. with the help of interpreters, she has managed to teach herself the law, and the justice system. a system she is not afraid to challenge. >> i do do some things that some would say is against the culture. for instance, i don't wear a head scarf in court. and again, that goes to me saying, if i'm going to practice

law in afghanistan, then i'm going to practice law in afghanistan. i need to be the one that's in court. not my idea of what the culture, you know, may or may not want me to do. >> reporter: she represents the holy koran off her i-mad to help argue points of traditional sharia law. >> if you want to be effective. that's what you have to do. >> reporter: her nickname among foreigners here is 911. >> i get asked to help a lot of people and frankly a lot of embassies here. they have my number. and when their citizens are in trouble, they give out my number. >> reporter: motley's forceful advocacy has not come without a price. she's had threats made against her and she is often forced to move to different locations here in kabul. then, there are the threats everyone here faces. things like suicide bombings. motley spends about nine months out of the year in kabul. staying in touch with her family via skype. >> so tell me something good, guys. >> reporter: a working mom in two time zones.

9 1/2 hours apart. even finding time to keep spin class at a kabul army base. >> you know, i can't even express to her how proud i am of her. >> reporter: her husband claude holds the fort at home. proud, but worried. >> it's very lawless in some ways. and we know that we're always feared that, you know, something might happen. that's one that we always are in touch, because we make sure that, you know, everything is going well. and with her safety. >> reporter: are you at all concerned for your safety? >> i do have, you know, some concerns every now and then. but i just work. i feel that for me, this is where i'm supposed to be. this is where i'm supposed to be practicing law. this is where i'm supposed to be fighting for justice right now. >> and i said to kim motley there will be those who will watch this story and judge her choices and she says she understands that and accepts that. but that this is a decision that she and her family made together, and that they are good

with it. and she thinks that she is doing a lot of good here in afghanistan. she's at least getting to enforce the laws of their own justice system, amy. >> it is interesting. we saw there on the tape, she doesn't abide by the local customs, meaning you don't see her walking around with a head scarf. is she respected or is she seen as defiant? you mentioned there were some personal threats against her from time to time. >> you know, she says that largely, other women, afghan women, kind of look at her with curiosity, kind of surprised. not resentment, necessarily. she says it's been uncomfortable with some of the men from time, but she believes that they do, in fact, grow to respect her. because she clearly has a grasp of the law and a thirst to learn more about the law here. >> yeah, and speaking to that, you showed her with her ipad looking autopsy the koran to use in court. how have afghan lawyers reacted to that? >> she says, actually, other lawyers, not necessarily those in the cases that she's working on, have actually come to her to learn more about how she is using that as a defense. apparently it's not commonly

used. and she has taken time to -- she's downloaded not only the koran on her ipad, but also all the relevant laws, because here there is kind of a mixture of traditional law, and sharia law, and she says you have to become knowledgeable of both. >> wow, fascinating story. lester, thanks. we'll be checking back in with you very soon. still to come here on "today," it is all in the details. what we're learning about prince william and kate middleton's wedding. and access granted. what it takes to put kwgz o magazine's" maeve fit things issue to the. gail king gives us a rare look. we can't live in a bubble. ] but what we can do is arm ourselves for the ones we love with a flu shot from walgreens. ♪ [ coughs ] [ female announcer ] with the most pharmacists certified to immunize... [ sneezes ] ...and walk-ins welcome everyday, we're making it easy for everyone to get their flu shot, no matter how small their motivation may be. ♪ so stop by and get your flu shot today at walgreens. there's a way to stay well.

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an now to the wedding of prince william and kate middleton. this morning we have new details, but at the same time, a big royal controversy is brewing and it's all about what prince charles told us about camilla. nbc's stephanie gosk is outside buckingham palace. good morning, stephanie. >> good morning, amy. up until yesterday it was a good week to be a royal. even in normally retained british public couldn't help getting excited about the engagement. but now an interview, at least temporarily, threatens to undermine some of that goodwill. when brian williams asked the prince of wales what seemed a straightforward question -- >> does the duchess of cornwall become queen of england? >> reporter: the heir to the throne hesitated and then said this. >> well, we'll see, won't we? but, that could be. >> reporter: almost immediately, britons asked, that could be? really?

>> camilla could be queen. an admission from for the first time from the prince of wales. >> reporter: titles are a big deal in this country. es specially for the future king's wife. when charles married camilla in 2005, she was deeply unpopular. many britons blamed her for the prince's divorce. camilla is not called the princess of wales, because that was diana's title. the palace also announced that she would be princess consort, instead of queen consort, when charles was crowned. >> people still aren't going to forget the fact that diana once described her as the third person in their marriage. people just don't like her. >> reporter: the controversy threatened to overshadow what was otherwise a momentous week for the royal family. nine years of dating ended with a romantic proposal in kenya. diana's ring. and a beaming, if slightly nervous, bride-to-be. >> right now, we're very, very happy and i'm very glad. >> reporter: speculation over when the engagement would be announced has now been replaced by theories about the wedding.

will it be big, or here, in march or in june? what will kate wear? who will pay for it? the consensus is that the ceremony will be held in westminster abbey, rich with royal history. the queen was married there. it was also where diana's funeral was held. but perhaps the most exciting part of the week, this couple that has been dodging the press for years, stepped out and talked. really talked. william on the ring. >> i've been carrying it round with me in my rucksack for about three weeks before that, and i literally not let it go wherever i went. i was getting a hold of it. >> reporter: for many it was the first time hearing kate's voice. >> we were out there with friends and things, i thought he might have just -- you know. it was a total shock when it came. very exciting. >> reporter: an announcement about the date and time of the wedding is expected soon. probably as early as monday. and as far as kate's title is

concerned, there's no doubt that when william is made king she will be both his and this country's queen. amy? >> all right, stephanie gosk, thanks so much. nbc's royal expert robert jobson is the royal editor for britain's news of the world. he's also the author of the soon-to-be released "william and kate: the love story." robert, good morning. >> good morning. >> so, of course, the big question is, when and where. we just heard stephanie ask. we all thought perhaps we might hear it late last week. it did not happen. so in terms of how long it will be before we get the details, when are we expecting it? will it be monday? >> i think it will be monday. because it's been a bit of a royal wrangle going on between the palace, downing street, and buckingham palace, about when this should be announced. the fact is, david cameron, the prime minister, said it will be on a bank holiday. that's great, because everyone can have a national -- a national holiday and have a party. but the problem is, it's working out the actual date. william wants to get this done

as quickly as possible. possibly in the spring as early as may. the courtiers are saying, hey, it's going to have to be when the sun is really shining and that's why it's looking to be more like a summer wedding. when it's going to be announced, i think monday they're going to have to come out and make a statement. as to where -- >> the location -- >> i think it's clear. >> that's the next one. people want to know where. we saw a photo of kate visiting westminster an why i a few days ago. that might also lend credit to your assumption that it will be at the church. kate has experienced her share of press hounding her and william over the years. but since this announcement the press coverage, off the charts. give us a sense of how intense this scrutiny is for this couple? >> well, actually, you'd be very surprised to say the scrutiny here and the media coverage is intense. but the way they are being protected, thankfully, is excellent. scotland yard royalty protection squad are making sure that these people are completely safe. we will not have a repeat of the tragedy that befell princess diana.

we didn't have scotland yard bodyguards at the time. these people, our body guards are making sure they are actually kept as safe as possible. and quite private. william at the moment is back up on his helicopter, training raf valley in north wales and kate's down with her mother in berkshire. so they're perfectly safe. the intense scrutiny, but no problems in terms of the paparazzi. >> and robert, what about the cost of the wedding? i mean given the economic climate in great britain, and frankly across the world, how will they handle that? and who will pay for it? >> well, it's interesting. today, is the actually 63rd wedding anniversary of her majesty, the queen and prince philip. that seems to have got lost in all of this excite. who will pay for it? it will be prince charles. and he has already said that he will put his hand in the pocket and deal with all of that. the big problem, of course, is the cost of security. that's something in the region of about $30 million. but, the reality is, when you've got visiting di ining dignitari

vips, we live in a dangerous world and that security is paramount and it's essential that they are looked after in that way. >> we appreciate it. thanks so much. >> my pleasure. and still ahead, harry potter's swan song. what the final chapter means to the actors and the audience. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

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i'm lisa robinson. here are our top stories. baltimore police looking for the gunman in a double shooting. shots rang out friday night. two men were shot, the other wounded in the leg. both victims were taken to the hospital. there is no word on the conditions. we're told the gunmen fled the scene. >> a deadly crash on the baltimore-washington parkway is underway this afternoon. a man was pushing a disabled car off the road near route 197 when he was hit by another vehicle. the driver did stop to help the other person who died at the scene. >> 4:00 friday afternoon a teen was stabbed at douglas high school in some fight. the victim is expected to be ok. in baltimore -- >> in baltimore county police searching for a man that stole a

purse from a woman in a giant food store. if you know who he is, you are urged to call 1-866-7-lock-up. >> and a program note to pass along, the state controller will be our guest tomorrow morning. if you have a question sn e-mail questions to sundayquestions @ www.wbaltv.com. stay with us, we'll check

>> good morning. makes for a beautiful sunrise. temperatures this morning started out in the 30's and 40's, and will be rising to a little warmer than yesterday. a little less chilly than yesterday. today we expect mid to upper 50's for highs, and in some cases, especially south of us, near 60's for the highs. especially in the mountains to the west. the specific forecast for around baltimore. mostly sunny. a west to northwest breeze. 5 to 15. small craft advisories out until noon on the bay. 50 to 61 the temperature range. notice the sunset now. each day these days short again down for winter time. big football game in charlotte. what's the forecast? ravens panthers game. 64 to 68 the temperature range. plenty of sunshine. nice, mild weather in charlotte. it is going to be a great game. the ravens will, of course, win.

>> thanks, john. thank you for joining us. "11 news saturday morning" continues in 25 minutes. and we're back on this saturday morning, november 20th, 2010. we actually have two great crowds joining us this morning. we have our fantastic crowd here at studio 1a on rockefeller plaza. and then, take a look at bagram airfield in afghanistan. where lester is joined by the members of the 33rd rescue squadron. and we're going to head back to afghanistan in just a few minutes. but coming up this half hour, oprah's best. she may be ending her 25-year run with her daytime talk show, but her magazine will continue. and coming up, we went inside "o" for a sneak peek at how they

put together their favorite things issue. and wait until you see her secret spa that i actually got to go in there that oprah apparently calls heaven. plus it is the beginning of the end for almost ten years the boy wizard has been fascinating fans of all ages. as we'll show you, harry, ron, hermione, are all on the run, and they're all on their own. so it's an interesting twist this time. lester, tell us what's coming up from bagram air force base? >> amy, part of this war ravaged country you've never seen before. it's an oasis here in afghanistan with millions of u.s. aid dollars to help a national park turns into a natural wonder again. we're going to bring you this story ahead. first i've got to go over here and talk to my airman friend. somebody's been holding up a sign. we love kirby's mom. i'm going to bite. who is kirby? >> kirby is our common rescue officer or cro, great guy, and we constantly rip on him. >> so you want to do it on national television? >> absolutely.

you know, it's -- >> all right, everybody. >> we love him. >> say hi to kirby's mom. >> hi, kirpby's mom! >> you guys are great. let's get another check of the weather with bill karins back in new york. bill? >> it's fantastic, lester. people in afghanistan want to say hi to people here in the states. i've got someone in the states who wants to say hi to people in afghanistan. who do we know overseas? >> staff sergeant, brother-in-law and sister-in-law over there. >> how long are they going to be there? >> hopefully will be home soon. he's been there almost a year. >> excellent. >> hoping to get home soon and safe. let's talk about your weekend forecast. and if you're going to be traveling in the west, that's where all our troublesome weather is going to continue. we're going to watch the worst of it up in montana and also southern portions down there in california. the mountains a lot of snow and the cities at the lower elevations will be primarily. sunday, fridged weather the northern plains. this is all-out winter. cold week ahead into thanksgiving.

>> good morning. nice morning this morning. temperatures rising into the 40's. all the stormy weather stays to the west, and all we have is a few high, thin clouds. so the forecast t well, let's talk a little bit about football. we've got a big game sunday night. this is must see tv. two of the best teams in the nfc, the eagles last week, how impressive with michael vick. the giants, took a week off last week. let's see if they can come back this week with a great game at lincoln financial field. we're going to see temperatures right around 40 degrees. back to you. >> all right, bill, thank you.

this morning on access granted, inside "o magazine's" favorite things issue. and from cover to cover, we go behind the scenes to oprah and her amazing team to show you how it all comes together. it's every oprah fan's dream. winning the luck of the draw with a ticket to her favorite things show. but while the queen of daytime is ending her 25-year reign next year, oprah's favorite things will live on in her magazine "o." ten years on the scene, 16 million readers, one iconic name. each issue takes months of planning and execution. and preparing for the december issue is no different. >> the other things they sent that oprah's liking now are those truffle almonds. >> reporter: with almost three months to go until "o" hits news stands, oprah's elves,s,s,s, edn chief susan casey, editor at large dale king and creative

director adam glassman, are meeting to decide what will make it into "o's" famous favorite things issue, where our sneak peek begins. >> this year's really exciting because we asked all of our contributors to give us a list of what their favorite things are. >> reporter: for yoga mats to brooches, before these favorite things contenders can make it to the pages of "o" they'll have to be put to the test, vetted, taste tested and debated. >> it is christmas. so there's the cupcake ornaments. >> but you know, i'd rather do real cupcakes. >> reporter: but it's oprah who gets the final say. >> there's been many times where we will all like something and send it to her and go, nope, don't like pit how could you not like it? everybody here likes it. >> and you'll keep saying -- >> i know, why. explain to us why you don't like that cookie. i mean, and so she will very tactfully point out, it's called oprah. "o," the "o magazine." >> and who knows oprah better than bff gail king. how would you describe your role

as editor at large? >> i really am a liaison in terms of translating oprah's mission, oprah's voice, oprah's goal. i can say no, that will work for her. that will not. >> reporter: oprah and gail are pros now. but it wasn't always that way. >> when we first started, oprah and i were such novices that we were sitting in a meeting and they said toc, it was really like ray charles leading jose feliciano. toc and we're going, what is that? table of contents. we're like, okay. >> from the toc to the last page, nothing is more important than the cover. the cover occupies, i want to say, a good 40% to 50% of my brain when it comes to the space allotted for the magazine. >> reporter: reinventing oprah for each cover is adam's brainchild. he's already finished with december's, shot months in advance. >> you know, we choose different backgrounds. what oprah's wearing. oprah's hairstyle. all that kind of stuff goes into it. so it feels different.

so we have the same woman, same great face, but we need to change it up. >> reporter: how often do you talk to oprah and do you ever give her an idea and she's like, oh, i'm not doing that? i hate that? >> oh, many times. i could point to those covers where she's like, i didn't want to wear that? why am i wearing that? >> reporter: adam also took me where few have gone before. "o's" fashion closet, loaded with samples that you won't see in stores for months. so oprah's within in this room? >> yes. and behind this curtain is oprah's private dressing room. >> oh. >> and her clothes. >> reporter: with "o's" favorite things list confirmed and the cover in the can the team goes to work on the issue's other big feature, a holiday fashion and beauty spread featuring celebrity models. >> party season, december. >> reporter: the team has to create different looks for each star before their big photo shoot. >> she could wear this long skirt with a sweater. >> reporter: just days later the

model's in hair and makeup along with the "o" team are ready to go. it's lights, camera, and a whole lot of action. ♪ in the end -- >> that's cute. that's great. >> reporter: there are over 3,000 photos to choose from. and only 1 is make the final cut. meanwhile, the favorite things have gotten their own close-up. each scoring coveted spots on the "o" list pages. their last stop in a process that begins with "o" and ends with you. and we want to thank "o" magazine and hearst magazines for granting us unprecedented access. we spent a lot of time there for this report. still to come, casting a spell. the beginning of the end for harry potter. but first these messages. nture d we get double miles on every purchase. so we earned a holiday trip to the big apple twice as fast! dinner! [ garth ] we get double miles every time we use our card. and since double miles add up fast, we can bring the whole gang!

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we want to show you a very different side of this war-torn country, afghanistan's beautiful landscape. it can be found in the setting

for a remarkable rebirth and nbc news chief foreign correspondent richard engel is here with me to tell us more. >> good to see you in afghanistan. most people know the basics about divz, the war, the tali n taliban, of course the troops. but this is also an incredibly beautiful country and they've already opened the first of what they hope will be a series of national parks, which could be some of the finest in the world. an afghan legend says god made the world in seven days. but then it found a pile of stone left over, and with these extra rocks, he made afghanistan. and made it a natural wonder. this is afghanistan's first national park. 230 square miles of mountains, waterfalls, and unpolluted, suspended lakes. we find a group of men and boys braving the snow melt waters. they go in tied to ropes so they don't drown.

the cold, sacred water is thought to purify the soul. but with a shock. from the wildlife conservation society which oversees the park, funded by an $8 million u.s. aid grant. if you lose your wild areas, you're losing a part of what makes us human. >> reporter: this is in the central province high in the hindu mountains. it's a safe area, because the local people believed to be the descendants of genghis khan, hate al qaeda and the taliban. they harbor an old grudge. just six months before 9/11, the intolerant militants dynamited two historic buddha statues, declaring them ungodly. the people of bammian have never

forgiven the taliban. engineers are still reinforcing this cliff where the giant buddhas and a network of smaller shrines were carved. but the ultimate fate of this archaeological site, one of the most important in central asia, has yet to be determined. many people in this area would like to see at least one of the buddhas rebuilt. pushing for rebuilding is the governor of bamian. she'ses only female governor in afghanistan, and has been embraced and respected. in a meeting of elders, she sits in a chair. the men listen on the ground. she tells me her vision is to open bamian to tourists, skiers, hikers and backpackers. >> we are focusing for ecotourism to respect the cultures, and not to damage the environment, because bamian has a good environment. >> reporter: already afghans are enjoying their first, safe, national park. on an open plain we find riders

playing a game somewhat akin to polo. i joined them for a game but quickly realized this is polo, afghan style. the ball is a sacrificed goat. the object of the game is to pick it up from the saddle, defend the goat from other riders, and toss it into a hole to score a goal. it's a pretty rough game. there is a lot of elbowing and shoving, and kicking. but it is a national sport. the government's plan is to turn 10% of all of afghanistan into protected wildlife areas. and while afghanistan is better known for war, many here are embracing the idea of preserving the culture and environment. the idea is to turn -- to open many national parks in different pockets of the country in order to preserve the different kinds of ecosystems here.

the mountains, the forests, the desert, and they're starting in earnest. >> you handled yourself on a horse very well. >> thank you very much. just as an aside, you have a great unit here. the pedros, they're awesome. >> they are awesome. they took me up for a ride today. i might go up with them tonight. i have an invitation. by the way, is it hard to get to bamian? >> it will take a long time in one of these choppers. unfortunately right now there is no airport right there. they plan to put one in, so for now it's a very, very long drive. but once they put the airport in, you, me, horseback. >> yeah, yeah. with a goat. all right thank you very much. we're back in a moment. first, this is "today" on nbc.

the lines snaked around corners for thursday's midnight showing of "harry potter and the deathly hallows" and the wait

paid off as the film made $24 million in sales. this is the last chapter of the saga. the movie follows the wizards as they leave hogwarts and embark on their final adventure. >> your parents are dead, you have no family! >> reporter: even as the saga of harry potter and his epic battle against evil is nearing its finale, there's excitement over the release of the latest movie, "the deathly hallows." >> we're like extreme fans. i've read all the books, and i kind of know the whole plot line of the movie. but i'm still really excited. >> reporter: it's now a familiar routine. costumed fans lining up once again for midnight showings. >> everyone thinks it's worth it because it's such a big part of our lives now. >> gryffindor! >> reporter: for nine years on the screen the story of the orphan boy at the exclusive school of magic has captivated audiences. it all started, of course, with a series of wildly popular novels which inspired generations of readers who were transported to a world of

wizardry, and who enthusiastically awaited the release of each new book. >> harry potter. >> reporter: harry potter became a global brand and made author j.k. rowling a billionaire. >> thank you. >> reporter: in the new film, harry potter and his school mates have come of age. they're on the run, and they're on their own. the films have progressively become darker as the boy wizard has grown into a young man. >> we've watched them go through childhood. we watched them go through adolescence and now into young adulthood. so they've grown up, literally, before our eyes. >> reporter: now the actors who played the main characters are looking back nostalgicly. what was that last day like? >> it was tough, as you might expect. >> reporter: even as they begin to shed the roles they've become associated with. >> i'm so associated with that role. when i finished i just needed something new and to start fresh. >> reporter: the final harry potter movie, part two of "the deathly hallows" will be released in july of next year.

>> hang on, harry! >> and rupert grint, aka ron weasley, joins us, good morning. >> good morning. >> each movie gets a little darker. this one a true test of your friendship looks like paranoia is setting in. there are dark forces out to tear you all apart. what are they? >> yeah, i mean, you really get a kind of tense feeling with this one because we're not in hogwartss. >> the protection is gone. >> and we're kind of out on the run, kind of camping out in ron dom forests, it's a really dangerous world. and people we know are dying. it's really quite dark. >> so we've seen you all grow up throughout these movies, and as you mentioned, they get darker, they get a little more intense, and your character, i think oftentimes might have been the comic relief, perhaps in parts of the movie. not so much in this movie. how has your character grown? >> yeah. i mean, we see a very different ron, i think, in this one. we've seen how the darker side

of him just responds. and we kind of, yeah, he's more dark than in previous films. it was nice to play the jealousy and paranoid kind of situation here. >> you mentioned that you are now no longer at the safety of hogwarts. in fact this entire movie is set outside of the school. how does that change the way the movie reads for people who are going to watch it? its a different movie. >> i think it just kind of got much more kind of a grown-up feel to it. the fact you don't see us in a school uniform anymore. you get the sense we're adults in this really dangerous environment. filming it didn't feel like a harry potter film at all. felt very kind of almost like a more or less psychological thriller. >> now this is the last book of the series and i know you all have already filmed because it's been broken up into two movies. what was it like on the set? you know, on those last final days? i imagine it was bittersweet. >> it was, yeah. it was a very kind of -- quite empty feeling, really, when we finished. you know, didn't know quite how to react.

just seemed like such a final moment. and we've kind of grown up in this place, and with these people, and it's just weird to see it didn't come down -- >> did viewers get a payoff with these last two movies? they finally get all their questions answered? >> yeah, it's getting -- i mean, to break it into two parts was quite controversial but i think it's really for the best, really, because we can get much more of a book into the two films, and kind of go out with a bang. so it's great. >> we're looking forward to it. rupert grint, thanks so much for joining us. "harry potter and the deathly hallows" is in theaters now. [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.

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you guys are the best. i'll see you back here for "nbc nightly news."

>> good morning. i am jennifer franciotti. >> i am lisa robinson. the searches on four-a gunman in a double shooting to. if shots rang out around 10:30 friday night. police say two men were shot. one was wounded in the leg. both victims were taken to the hospital. there is no word on their condition. the gunman fled the scene. in baltimore county, police are searching for the man who robbed a woman inside of a supermarket. police say the man snatched a woman's purse, and ran out of the store. if you asked -- if you know what is, you are asked to call the special crime stoppers. governor o'malley has appointed a new state prosecutor. the governor cited his experience in working with law enforcement and grandeur is.

he will -- grand juries. >> coming up, dr. kim hammond has answers to your pet questions. >> and, the author of this book is here to help parents launch their kids towards success. >> we are in the kitchen, dishing out a gouet thanksgiving dinner. >> pretty decent weather around here. to the west, it is stormy. 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.

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[captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> live, local, latebreaking -- this is wbal-tv 11 news saturday morning, in hd. >> i am lisa robinson. i am jennifer franciotti. let's check out side with john collins. it is pretty, and crisp. >> it is a good start for the weekend. if folks were around for our earlier segments, we were talking about holiday travel. wednesday it is traditional, let's go to grandma's house. we have a forecast. let's jump ahead. in baltimore, it looks like we will have some rain on wednesday. temperatures will be in the 50's near 60