good morning. ending the ban. senators are set to cast an historic vote today on whether to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays serving in the military. we'll get the latest from washington. faces of fear. 180 photographs of women taken from the home of a suspected serial killer are made public. could they be victims of the grim sleeper? and the diana effect. from the ring to the photos to setting up house. how are the enduring legacy of the late princess is shaping the highly anticipated royal wedding "today," saturday, december highly anticipated royal wedding "today," saturday, december 18th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a saturday, i'm lester holt. >> and i'm amy robach. it is exactly one week until christmas. all your shopping done? >> you know, i don't even know. no. >> that means no. >> no. i am in chill mode this christmas. >> really? >> i'm not getting stressed about anything. i think i've got it done. i've got a week. i'm good. if you don't get something it's because i'm in chill-out mode. >> you're going to rub off on me. >> okay. just be calm. we've got a lot to talk about. there's no holiday in washington today. but it's going to be a very busy day there. perhaps an unprecedented one. senators are expected to take a critical vote on the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. they're also going to take up the s.t.a.r.t. nuclear treaty. this all comes a day after president obama signed the tax deal into law. a lot going on. we're going to get a live report from the white house in just a

moment. >> and then we're going to talk about the search for a suspected serial killer. the bodies of four women were found on a sandy beach in new york earlier this week. authorities are desperately trying to identify those remains and fear that they all may have been murdered by the same person. we'll have much more on this developing story. >> we're also following the newest revelations involving casey anthony. as we know, she's the florida mom who is accused of killing her young daughter caylee. this morning prosecutors have released new documents and some punctures from the case. coming up we'll get a look at never before seen jailhouse letter es written by casey herself. and then we're going to switch gears to the man known as the flying dutchman. andre reiullet is a global superstar and making classical music sexy, entertaining and managing to sell out concert halls around the world. if you're not a fan yet, you may be after our revealing look. >> dancing in the aisles. always a good thing. first let's talk about that big vote to repeal the military's ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military. nbc's mike viqueira is joining us now from the white house with

more. mike, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lester. well, like last-minute shoppers the president and congress have their eye on a lot of big ticket items in the waning days of december. and today, supporters of repeal of that military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy are hoping for a christmas week miracle. for president obama, a much-needed and hard-fought victory. >> here we go. >> reporter: signing tax cuts for all americans into law. after a battle won with the help of republicans. >> there are some elements of this legislation that i don't like. there's some elements that members of my party don't like. there's some elements that republicans here today don't like. that's the nature of compromise. >> reporter: but even with christmas fast approaching, today mr. obama is pressing for more cooperation from republicans on another top priority. the s.t.a.r.t. arms reduction treaty with russia. >> it's time to get this done. it's time to show the same

spirit of common purpose on our security that we showed this week on our economy. it's time to remember the old saying that politics stops at the water's edge. >> this treatsy imposes a legally binding limitation on u.s. missile defenses. >> reporter: senate debate on s.t.a.r.t. continues today. but there are yet more key votes this weekend. repealing "don't ask, don't tell," the ban on gays openly serving in the military. many believe there is new life for the measure, which just days ago was left for dead. >> for now i'm confident that we've got more than 60 votes. >> what do we want? >> reporter: less certain is the dream act, offering a pass to citizenship for children brought illegally to this country by their parents. provided they either serve in the military, or further their education. but that measure may not survive today's senate vote. the president was scheduled to leave today for his boyhood home of hawaii but has delayed his family vacation while the senate

acts. >> more rapid than eagles, their courses they came and whistled and shouted and called them by name. now dasher -- >> reporter: friday the president read to a group of virginia second graders where one student shared what she had in common with the president's eldest daughter. >> your name's malia, too? give me a high five for that. >> reporter: and more on that repeal vote of "don't ask, don't tell" later today in the senate. supporters are banking all of their hopes on this vote today. if it does not pass with democratic majorities in the house and large democratic majorities in the senate, it's not likely to pass any time soon, months or perhaps even years once republicans have a majority in the house come january. amy? >> all right. mike viqueira, thanks so much. joining us for more on today's senate vote is cnbc chief washington correspondent john harwood. good morning. >> good morning, amy. >> let's begin with the big news story in washington, of course, "don't ask, don't tell." if it's repealed, obviously this will be an historic moment.

but perhaps even more importantly, does this show that republicans and democrats can compromise and can actually work together? >> absolutely. and we saw that on the tax cut deal. i think the white house is hoping that that is a credibility-building event with the american people, and also with republicans. you had a difficult deal struck, and republicans held their members, and you got a significant chunk of democrats on "don't ask, don't tell," this is a case where you're only going to get a minority of republicans, a small minority, supporting this. but it does appear, as joe lieberman suggested in mike viqueira's piece, that they do have enough to get over the bar. and when you think about how difficult, amy, 2010 was for president obama in many respects, the month since the election has gone pretty well for him. >> right. and speaking to that, the tax deal, both republicans and president obama are claiming victory on that. if you tack a look at our latest poll, 59% of voters approve of the deal in an unusual moment in washington, is everyone a winner with this one?

>> i do think that is the case. you saw in that "journal"/nbc poll that 60% said it was a fair compromise from both sides. and when you ask people did president obama cave in too much? did republican leaders cave in too much? you get some people saying yes but the vast majority say no. that is the definition of a successful political outcome. and republicans can go to their base and say, look, since the election we've now won an agreement by this white house to extend all of the bush tax rates for two years. from a democratic point of view they can say we've solidified the middle-class tax cuts and also added this payroll tax cut which is going to give every american a shot in their paycheck which they hope will provide some stimulus for the economy, which desperately needs it. >> so we're seeing all of this compromise. but let's look forward. do you think these experiences will have a positive effect on the gop presidential relationship, even when the gop takes over the house? >> yes, lit have a positive

effect. but there are limits to that. they're going to fight. there's no doubt about it, in 2011 and 2012. and to some degree, the white house looks at this as giving them some space to draw lines around their priorities. having given on taxes, and the whole country has seen that the president cooperated with republican on taxes, you can expect to see in the president's state of the union address, and his budget, he's going to draw some lines around things like education and energy and say, look, they're important things that we have to do to move the country forward. yes, we can cut spending. we need to cut spending. but we're not going to cut in some of the areas that i consider vital. that's some of the places where you're going to see some fights yet. >> and yet republicans are threatening to pull their support for s.t.a.r.t. the president has made that a very important part of his presidency. the republicans say that the treaty needs more discussion time. what's really at work here? >> well, they don't want to give this president a victory. and there are some people who have substantive objections to the treaty, but when i talk to

republican leaders and republican staff members, it does appear that they, in the end, the president is going to get this treaty. again, when you think about the product of this lame duck session, it's turning out to be remarkably productive. if the president can get that before christmas, and the senate leadership aides that i talk to expect that to happen tuesday or wednesday, the president can go to hawaii in a pretty good mood. >> all right. that's always a good thing. john, thank you. and now here's lester. >> all right, amy, thanks. now to holiday travel. this is one of the busiest weeks of the year. but will the weather interfere with your plans? nbc's kevin tibbles is at chicago's busy o'hare airport. kevin, good morning. >> lester, busy, indeed. i'm actually quite surprised how many people are here this early on this saturday morning, considering we've still got a week to go. but as you just mentioned this is going to be the busiest travel week of the year. and this year, like santa claus, everything is up, up, up, and we're talking about air travel up some 3%, car travel up 2.8%.

spending is expected to be up 3% this year, as well. so, don't be surprised, lester, should you be going to the airport this year, that you find that you've got a lot of company. and not only here in the terminal building, but also on the planes themselves. the aaa is telling us that you can expect to have seatmates on all of your flights, because most of the flights this year are going to be traveling full. >> and they're going to be traveling full, and then you throw in a couple of major weather systems we've been watching. how might that affect, what is it 92 million people expected to fly? >> very, very scary. and i think a lot of the people are watching what is going on on the east coast, where you are right now, as to whether or not this storm that's slowly moving along is actually going to be hitting into the heavily populated northeast area of the united states, and i must also say to you, on a personal note, lester, i'm hoping one college kid is going to be able to make it out here to chicago from that very part of the world over this weekend. so let's hope the snowflakes

stay a little bit offshore. >> let's hope so. i got mine home last week. hope he makes it. kevin, thanks very much. now, let's go to norah o'donnell at the news desk for more of today's top stories. >> good morning, everyone. we begin overseas where tensions are running high on the korean peninsula. bad weather may delay south korea's plans to hold an artillery exercise on the same island where north korean shelling killed four people last month. the north is threatening retaliation if the drill takes place. russia and china are urging south korea to cansicel the exercise. amanda knox is back in court and expected to hear a key decision in her appeals case. the italian court will announce whether they will allow a full, independent review of the forensic evidence that led to her conviction. knox and her italian ex-boyfriend are serving a prison sentence for their convictions in the sexual assault and killing of her british roommate. a wintry mess is causing chaos across the pond. you are now looking at some live pictures of buckingham palace.

look at that. snowing there. it's much worse in western britain, northern ireland and scotland, where they are dealing with blizzards. hundreds of departing flights have been canceled out of london's airports. numerous motorists were also sfranded stranded on the icy roads. well, wikileaks founder julian assange is free on bail he is threat being another document dump next week, involving a major bank, widely thought to be bank of america. on friday the bank said they will join other financial institutions and not process payments to wikileaks. assange is fighting extradition to sweden, where he is wanted on alleged sexual crimes. now we've got several car recalls to tell you about this morning. general motors is recalling about 100,000 of the cadillac srx, the chevy equinox, and the gmc terrain. all 2011 models. the problem is the seat belts could fail in a crash. and honda is recalling 35,000 passport suvs to inspect the brakes again. and finally, an "a" for

creativity. the university of hawaii marching band really stepped it up at a recent football game. the bond formed a giant stick figure on the field which, of course, in the end, check it out, kicked a human-powered football. mind you they did all this while playing their instruments. that's what you might call team spirit. pretty awesome, huh? love that. that's the news, now back to lester, amy and bill. >> i like that. raising the ball. >> very cool, norah. >> bill karins is here. we're going to look at it again. you'll get a kick out of that. >> now we got to wait for the whole thing. >> do the weather. all right. make sure the ball gets kicked. anyway, bill -- >> kind of the weather earlier, the east coast storm, swing and a miss. this is not a storm anyone has to worry about. going to be safely offshore and everyone from maine to boston all the way down to d.c. and newark, everyone will be able to get in their weekend activities without any issues. the problem spot is on the west coast.

our friends out here in california are going to get drenched. there's a chance of rain five days in a row in los angeles. could pick up two to three inches of rain, which is rare for l.a. san francisco, the same for you. check out the rain fall amounts. areas in red there up to three to five inches in southern california. one of the bigger rain events we've had in a long time. we're going to get a lot of heavy know with the high elevations. the middle of the country okay but still kind of cold. minneapolis still only 13 for a high today and in chicago, all we can do for you is 21 degrees. >> good morning, clouds out there this morning. temperatures out of the 20s, into the 30s. our forecast does call for a lot of cloudiness and snow to

that's a look at your weekend forecast. >> all right, bill, thanks. nearly 100,000 u.s. troops are spending the holidays on the front lines in afghanistan. i traveled to the war zone last month and this morning i want to show you a very different side of the country. it's about a tv show there that's watched by millions of afghans. the series may have been inspired by one here at home. and as you'll see, the themes reflect what life is like over there. it may be the last place you'd expect art to imitate life. kabul, where insurgent attacks remain a constant threat. and yet that real-life drama, suicide bombers and all, has made for a hit tv series in afghanistan. the actors may not look familiar to american viers but the plot lines may remind you of, say -- >> i don't know his name. he's russian or something. >> not good enough. >> i think you think of "24." >> reporter: like it's american counterpart the show is about an elite police unit tracking down terrorists and kidnappers. and yes, here, too, the good

guys always prevail. do you have an afghan jack bauer on the show? >> yes, we do. he's got a very big mustache. >> reporter: they don't ever use the word taliban on "eagle 4." just insurgents. who, by the way, on the show at least can be repentant. "eagle 4" is not just entertainment, it is a show with a message. one being sent not only to the people of afghanistan, but to the police. the u.s. government is helping fund the series, which according to producer trudy tearny, is meant to depict afghan police as trustworthy and above reproach. neither of which is how they're seen in real life. >> they're not greatly respected in this country. and so it's just to promote the police force, give them a good, honest, secure face, and to allow people to gain respect for them. >> reporter: in fact, "eagle 4" may be raising the bar uncomfortably high for some. >> one of the actors in the

series has been the local policeman were saying just stop the series. you guys are too good. you're making us look really bad. >> reporter: sean lynch directs the shooting on the streets of kabul. look how challenging it is for you and i to do an interview. how do you shoot, the traffic and the crowds and the potholes? >> i know, it's like guerrilla filmmaking at its best. wherever you want to shoot from, right there, and you just shoot fast. >> reporter: but the australian-led production team has learned that not everything goes here. >> they love action here. you can't show a woman's arm, all of that. gun fighting and violence, those are a hit. >> reporter: but the real big interesting thing there is you have people out with guns and it's led to real misunderstandings. even though they're shooting a tv show. >> people might think it is something going on when they're filming a tv show. >> reporter: they don't do permits like you would here on the streets of new york and l.a. they just go out and shoot. but it's really, really popular. they watch "24," by the way, there, too. >> they have jack bauer.

>> and kamron was his name. we're going to take a break. first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning, a story tailor-made for the holidays. a man known for being frugal had a surprise in store for everyone in his grateful community. boyd hoop ert from our minneapolis affiliate kare-tv has more. >> reporter: there are people in big cities who would consider this harsh, unwelcoming country. people who wouldn't give a nickel to live in leroy, minnesota. who wouldn't pay the quarter they charge for coffee at the leroy senior citizen center. >> and if they take a cookie, that's another quarter. >> reporter: people who need to pull up a chair and listen. >> my god we never had this kind of money. >> reporter: as eileen evans tells the story of small-town values and a check. >> we didn't know what to do.

$20,000. >> reporter: the envelope arrived from the estate of 94-year-old lawrence rupert. a retired farmer who had seen his share of sadness. having lost his first wife. then his second. having last his only child, a teenage son, to cancer. but long before he passed away last year, lawrence gained a reputation. >> very frugal. >> he was very careful with his money. >> reporter: apparently so. for as he humbly lived out his days in this white frame house, lawrence quietly amassed -- >> he held onto it for awhile. >> reporter: a fortune. >> i said let me see it. i've never seen a check like that before. >> reporter: that first $20,000 check was followed by two more. $100,000 each. >> i said my god, look at this. look at this. >> reporter: up to then, the seniors had been getting by on what the county gave their

center. $600 a year. >> oh, well we got it there. it's $220,000 total. >> reporter: and lawrence wasn't done. >> he loved his church. >> reporter: lawrence willed roughly $1 million to st. patrick's catholic church. >> been there for many, many, many years. >> reporter: then he revealed an ecumenical streak. >> he was very blessed. >> reporter: when he left the presbyterians more than $400,000 too. >> we're looking at the new seal we put on our church thanks to lawrence. >> reporter: checks for the same amount were delivered to bethany bible church and to the ruth rans, who've already used some of lawrence's gift to repair their bell tower. >> we were notified through an attorney. >> reporter: that old pumper truck -- plans are to replace it with a new one. thanks to the $220,000 he left the fire department. >> this is our -- >> reporter: another $220,000 allowed the ambulance service to build an apartment. >> we have to get another bed in here yet.

>> reporter: for oncall emts. >> nobody, you know. >> reporter: all told lawrence spread some $3 million. around a town of 925 people. ♪ let it snow but to suggest the giving ended in a $3 million flurry is to show you have a little more to learn about leroy. the churches were all aware the towns assisted living center needed a new kitchen. >> the stove will go here. >> reporter: so together they're sharing some of the money lauren give them to build one. >> it's just the type of community we live in. >> reporter: the seniors wrote a check for the new school play ground, and were joined by the lutherans in paying for improvements at the community pool. >> makes you feel good. >> reporter: good. the way the seniors felt when they wrote a $10,000 check to grace christian church. >> we thank you for your generous gift. >> reporter: which had the misfortune of being the only church in leroy founded after

loren had made out his will. >> why not give it away? we didn't have it before. so why not help other people with it. >> reporter: frugal was the word pinned on loren kruger in life. generous is the way he'll be remembered. >> it's astounding what he did. >> reporter: there are still people who wouldn't give a nickel to live in leroy. but folks around here prefer to put their faith in the kind of person who would give everything. kare-11 news, leroy. >> if that doesn't put new the christmas spirit, i don't know what will. >> that's quite a legacy. makes you feel warm all over as you're looking at those cold pictu pictures. >> minnesota nights. i like that. still to come here on "today," diana's touch. how the late princess is

influencing her son's wedding. >> plus the flying dutchman. we're going to meet the master maestro who is taking the classical music world by storm. >> good morning.

here's a look at some of our top stories. in baltimore county several people are behind bars accused of ramming a stolen car into police cruisers. they noticed the car driving suspiciously. they followed the suspects to the high school. three suspects were arrested and no one was injured. in anne arundel county, an suv left control and slammed into a lick quor store. officials don't think the crash caused structural damage to thing. no one was hurt. heads up for d.c. metro riders. they'll soon start random swabs to bags. bags would not be opened unless there's a positive signal. similar procedures are in place

in new york and boston. it's just another security measure but riders have varying opinions. stay with us. we'll check the forecast when we come

>> good morning. it's cloudy out. there's a storm developing out to our south that's beginning to attempt to throw some snow flurries. it's not making it to the ground but it's indication of a system coming through.

most of the system will be held to the south as it moves through, and instead of coming up the coast it's headed out to the east. which is a good pattern as far as avoiding any major snow. let's take a look at the current situation. 27 at the airport. humidity down, barometer's up. here's what a map will look like this evening. a big area of high pressure over us. this is not the right map so we'll advance to the next item. variably cloudy skies. we have snow south of us late tonight and tomorrow morning. it doesn't look like heavy snow but it will avoid the major metropolitan area and even to our south. so southern maryland, lower eastern shore. 33-38 for the high. football tomorrow. we'll see a mix of sun and clouds. cold temperatures but not severe. 31-36 during the game for the temperature range. north-northwest winds.

there will be a series of storms coming tauf pacific ocean. the christmas outlook gives us a chance for snow on christmas day with temperatures in the 30s. we'll see how that plays out. >> thank you for joining us. we'll see you back here in 25 minutes.morning, december 18th,. it is exactly one week until christmas and we hope everyone on the plaza has started their shopping before today. back inside, studio 1a i'm amy robach along with lester holt. and coming up this half hour, casey anthony is back in the news. >> the 24-year-old mother stands trial accused of murdering her daughter caylee. new evidence has just been released in the case. we're going to tell you about some of the details from letters she's written to what she would like to do once released from prison. >> then, the diana effect. she was the people's princess, and of course, prince william's

mother. 13 years now, after her death, she is still a force in his life. coming up we'll take a look at how diana still remains a guiding hand, including in his future with kate middleton. >> then his name is andre roux and he's one of the biggest music stars in the world. coming up we'll introduce you to the conductor who brings a new twist to classical music and has his audiences dancing in the aisles. >> got to love that. we begin on a much more serious note with the hunt for a serial killer who may have turned one sandy new york beach into a virtual dumping ground for his victims. here's nbc's ron allen. >> reporter: it is a crime that has police in long island, new york, baffled. and residents very concerned. during a training exercise last saturday, police discovered a female body in the brush by the side of a road along a sandy beach. but that was just the beginning. days later they found a second set of human remains. >> we started going eastbound, and we found the second -- the

third body, and then ultimately the fourth body. all within about 500 feet of each other. >> reporter: four decomposed bodies. hidden there for perhaps as long as 18 months, police say. and possibly by the same serial killer. evoking memories of the case of joel rifkin, a long island resident convicted of killing at least nine women in new york in the early 1990s. while scores of officers and dogs searched a ten-mile stretch of highway, police tried to calm the public. >> i don't want anybody to think that we have a jack the ripper running around suffolk county with blood dripping from a knife. >> reporter: police believe the victims could be female prostitutes. like a woman last seen running from a client's home in may, desperate for help, but forensic tests did not show a match. another possible victim, investigators say, is this woman, missing since june. her mother gave police a dna sample. >> we just want people to just keep praying and praying a praying that the dna comes back that it's not megan.

>> reporter: federal investigators have provided access to a national data base of missing persons. police departments across the country have sent information about open cases. as the search continues, police say it may take weeks to identify the victims. and even longer to find their killer. for "today," ron allen, nbc news, new york. authorities are now looking for that one clue that will lead them to the psycho path. and with us now is nbc analyst and former fbi criminal profiler clint van zandt. clint, good morning. >> hi, amy, determine. >> i want to start with the statements that the police commissioner's said and it was interesting, because he said, hey, we don't have a jack the ripper out there running around the country with blood dripping from a knife. but actually that is kind of what it seems like. he says this is an anomaly. what do you make of it? >> well, if i was a local citizen, just that comment would scare the heck out of me. when you visualize that. one of the things we have to realize is right now we don't know the cause of death. we know there were four women

who died under unknown circumstances, all four bodies were found wrapped in burlap, so it suggests the same person or persons probably dumped the bodies along the way. but, we don't know the cause of death right now. so you know, to suggest a serial killer, that's speculation, but it's the job of the police and the fbi, not to speculate, but to investigate. >> how concerned should the neighboring communities be right now? >> well, there doesn't seem to be, as the police commissioner suggested, somebody going door-to-door killing people right now. but there are four dead women, and somehow that has to be explained. but, you know, it could be something such as they died of drug overdoses, and wherever they got their drugs, those individuals who supplied them then dumped the bodies. so you know, there may be a form of murder by giving somebody too much drug. but we don't know that these were all homicides yet. and that's what police are

trying to do, number one, find out what these women have in common. and as important, who they have in common, and how they died. >> to that point, because there is so little forensic evidence because police believe these bodies may have been there for as long as two years. that almost seems impossible. how would that be? >> yeah, it does. i mean, if you and i, amy, are out walking along that stretch of beach, you would think that either people cutting through would have run into the bodies wrapped in burlap, that dogs or cats or somebody, or animal activity. it's almost hard to believe that the bodies were there that long. so the question is, i think the police are probably right, these victims died somewhere else, but when were the bodies dropped? how did we miss the bodies so long? and again, at this point, with the decomposition, they're really going to be challenged trying to identify these four women. >> i know that the fbi has joined this investigation. what more can we expect? i know that they were searching for more potential victims at one point, as well. >> yeah, i think here's where

yaur going to see the real csi come in. what they're probably going to do is use forensic artists, forensic sculptures, who are going to put to the a three dimensional picture, so to speak, of what these victims looked like, and hold those pictures up to the public and say, do you recognize this woman? you know who it is. you know, initially, they thought it might have been one of two different women, alleged prostitutes who had disappeared. if those two leads, one of which already has washed out, if the second one turns out not to be true, now they have to match missing person records of which there is 100,000 active cases in the united states right now, against the victim. amy, if that comes out that there's no match, we've got four women that are dead under unknown circumstances that may or may not ever be identified. >> all right, clint van zandt. thanks so much. we appreciate it. >> thank you, amy. and now let's get a check of the weather with bill karins. bill? >> thanks, amy. this is one of the shortest days

of the year. we're getting towards that winster solstice. great crowd out here this morning. everyone's looking at the trees. want to know about the white christmas forecast. currently around the country, this is who has snow on the ground right now. we don't expect any big snowstorm as we go throughout this week. so if you have the snow on the ground, hopefully it won't melt, it will still be there for your christmas. this is our general forecast of who can expect to see a little snow as we go throughout this week leading up to christmas. we're really talking from the mince area down through chicago, to the ohio valley. that's really about it. as i mentioned, no big travel problems, either. esguess that's the good side of >> good morning. we have a lot of clouds this morning. there is a storm system moving to our south. it looks for us it's more of a miss than a hit. plenty of clouds, snow to our

>> now i lived up in maine, so i actually know where this is. beautiful area up there, especially in the fall. welcome out here on the plaza. send it back inside to amy. >> all right, bill, thank you. coming up on "today," meet the maestro who's making classical music very cool. >> then we're going to talk about staying fit in the new year. celebrity fitness trainer jackie warner shows us how. hey, you made your own lunch. yep! (mom) i'm so proud of you. the bus is here, gotta go mom. okay hunny, have a great day. look in your bag, made you something. (announcer) it's more than just that great peanut taste, choosing jif is a simple way to show someone how much you care. choosey moms, choose jif.

at walmart's toys and more event! with black friday prices on the gifts they want most. like these men's sherpa hoodies for just $15 each. and this better homes and gardens porcelain cookware set for $99 -- plus a $30 gift card. starting 9 p.m. this friday at walmart. for $99 -- plus a $30 gift card. ah, it's stinging a little bit more than usual! yeah, you'll get used to it. the longer you keep your high mileage car, the more it pays you back. get castrol gtx high mileage. it helps engines last longer by fighting the main causes of engine failure. i think a dime went up my nose. yeah, it happens. don't change your car. change your oil to castrol gtx high mileage. its more than just oil. it's liquid engineering. ♪ it's that chocolate ♪ it's that whipped cream ♪ it's that caramel, and espresso you mix in ♪ [ male announcer ] your two favorite flavors together. new mccafé caramel mocha. ♪

dieting is one of the most common new year's resolutions, and also among the toughest to keep. but if you're hoping to lose weight, cut down or get in shape in the new year, we have the tips to help. fitness expert jackie warner is the host of "the intervention" on bravo. her latest fitness dvd is called crunch free extreme abs. good morning, great to see you. >> good morning. >> why do so many of us lose the battle against weight in terms

of the resolution, the will to lose weight? >> they set unrealistic goals. so if you've got a 50-pound weight loss goal in two months, that's unrealistic. you can't -- apply biggest loser to your own lifestyle when you're not training for six hours a day on a 1200 calorie a day diet. number one. number two, if you buy books or get into fitness routines that over-complicate, you're setting yourself up for failure big-time. you have to simplify, simplify, simplify. >> let's talk about some of the tips you brought along. one is to get in touch, find your inner athlete. what do you mean by that? >> i said that many times on my show. find your inner warrior. what you really need to do is you need to set a goal that's not just about weight loss, but athletic goals. whether it be timed push-ups, timed squats or running up that hill and timing yourself and changing and speeding up that time every week. >> the weight loss will flow from that? >> absolutely. but definitely set an athletic goal. >> you also talk about training for a cause.

so again, this falls in mind with being very specific. >> i love that. training for a 10-k or an age run or any kind of charitable cause. you get a built-in support system that way, too, and it feels good for the heart. remember, don't just focus on the fact. focus on the whole person. yourself as a whole person. >> used to be you had to go to a gym to find the encouragement. you also remind people you can go online to get encouragement and find partners. >> it's great. because there's so many online training services. i have one myself. and it's amazing. because it is affordable. you get a personal training right there in your home. and you get help with your diet. so get an online training service. that deals with the food aspects, as well as the personal training. >> the computer and the tv can work against you, though. eating in front of the tv. >> unless you're doing a workout dvd you need to really not focus on fitness or diet in front of that tv. because, studies show that you can eat triple the amount of food in front of the television than you would at the dinner table. that's a big, substantial change. >> i want to ask you about circuit training. i hear that term and i know

you're a big promoter of it. what does that really mean? >> that's how i train. i train power circuit train. this is a combination of exercises in one set with no rest or little rest in between. you're working upper body, lower body and doing it at a very fast pace. that's what you want. >> i know being on the treadmill for 30, 40 minutes gets -- >> you don't like that, lester? >> no. >> everybody loves that. let's go for an hour. no, i actually am a proponent of doing a 20-minute quake, high intensity interval training workout on that treadmill. go high intensity, and that's key, because a lot of us think, if we are on that treadmill for a long time, at a moderate pace we lose weight. you want us to really, really push hard. >> right. what i say is ramp up to 15, and do a fast walk, which also gets the glutes and the hamstring working. and then, for two minutes, and then two minutes go to fast runs, and then one minute cooldown, repeat that cycle three more times, which equals 20 minutes. so that's high intensity. so you're going from sprinting to a walk uphill, sprinting, to a walk uphill.

much more effective than doing even an hour of just a jog on a treadmill. >> you're a healthy example of all this. thanks for coming on with the important tips. >> thank you. >> have a great holiday. >> thank you so much. >> jackie warner. up next the music man is making women swoon worldwide after these messages. dad. did you know it's 22 days, 11 hours and 2 minutes to christmas? wow! 19 days, 8 hours... [ mumbling ] ...enny days, 8 hours, 9 minutes... 18 days, 17 hours... [ mom ] let's go, young lady. 12 days, 18 hours...

10 hours, 12 minutes and 7 seconds. come on. it's no days! 5 hours and 59 minutes and 42...41... [ female announcer ] the hallmark "countdown to christmas" ornament. ...7...6... this christmas, make it joyful, at your hallmark gold crown store. of gourmet coffee and tea to choose from. it's the way to individually brew fresh, delicious coffee in under a minute. way to brew, hon. [ female announcer ] choose. brew. enjoy. keurig. took some foolish risks as a teenager. but i was still taking a foolish risk with my cholesterol. anyone with high cholesterol may be at increased risk of heart attack. diet and exercise weren't enough for me.

i stopped kidding myself. i've been eating healthier, exercising more... and now i'm also taking lipitor. if you've been kidding yourself about high cholesterol...stop. along with diet, lipitor has been shown to lower bad cholesterol 39% to 60%. lipitor is fda approved to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who have heart disease or risk factors for heart disease. [ female announcer ] lipitor is not for everyone, including people with liver problems and women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant. you need simple blood tests to check for liver problems. tell your doctor if you are taking other medications or if you have any muscle pain or weakness. this may be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. let's go, boy, go! whoo-whee! if you have high cholesterol, you may be at increased risk of heart attack and stroke. don't kid yourself. talk to your doctor about your risk and about lipitor. the biggest moneymaker in music this year included youtube, bruce springsteen and madonna. but another superstar, who ranked sixth on the list, is

dutch conductor andre rieu. while you may not know his name, he is selling out concerts around the world and he's now hoping to take america by storm. ♪ andre rieu leads a 55-piece orchestra through a night of strauss and bach. but there are also dancing in the aisles. "the wall street journal" dubbed him a maestro for the masses. ♪ the 61-year-old violinist grew up the son of a classical music conductor. but never liked the stuffy atmosphere. >> i thought as a little boy all these audience, the whole concert, like don't breathe, don't move. >> reporter: so rieu turned all the don'ts, to dos. >> when you start to play the first note of the song, everybody jumps out of their seat. ♪

>> reporter: but beneath all the pageantry the maestro says it's really about the music. >> music is the most -- if it's not emotion, what is it? >> reporter: so before the seats are filled the conductor takes his musicians before their paces. ♪ rieu is a perfectionist, making laps on his segway scooter to adjust the sound from every angle. >> andre is somebody that is very precise. he likes to have things done yesterday, not tomorrow. so he's very impatient. he knows that. >> reporter: but he also encourages playfulness. drummers warm up on trash cans. tenors in the men's room. and how about dueling trombones? that energy carries over to the stage. ♪ >> andre rieu plays music, plays with the audience, and he plays

with the orchestra. and it looks like a bunch of children having fun onstage. >> reporter: rieu is not without his critics who say his stunts do a disservice to the genre. >> they see me as a traitor, i think, because the classical music belongs to a certain elite. you know. >> reporter: his fan base is mostly a 60 and older crowd. he's especially popular with the ladies. >> oh, he's adorable. he's really adorable. >> reporter: the dutch maestro drew 8,000 fans here in fort lauderdale. but what he really wants is to become a household name here in the u.s. >> i extremely like the audience in the u.s. and i don't bet it's because you are americans, but it's true, they are very open, very open, and very hungry. >> reporter: this night's crowd, hungry enough for seven encores. >> we have nothing to do tomorrow! ♪

>> yay! >> and you can see he's a really colorful guy and he's a lot of fun to watch. andre rieu has had all the success in australia, and europe. he grossed $96 million last year on tour. but obviously, the big question is will it take off in america? >> looks like a big party onstage. >> it's fun, right? and in the crowd, too. dancing in the aisles. you like that. we're back, but first, this is "today" on nbc.

still to come on "today," has the mystery of amelia earhart been solved? the evidence that may reveal what happened. we'll have the story. plus, how princess diana is helping shape the wedding of prince william and kate middleton. but first, these messages.n: he' phone... it's really different.

it's got this start screen that lets me do stuff faster and easier. see? it even has bing right here so... the second my flight gets cancelled, i can quickly find the nearest... airport hotel. i'm in, i'm out, and i'm done. so now i can actually look up and make sure i get off this thing. buy any windows phone and get a second one free. so get your holiday on at at&t. [ pony ] she had a fever yesterday. [ elephant ] well, her pediatrician recommended new triaminic fever reducer syrup. [ dog ] so she'll feel better! [ female announcer ] with the #1 doctor recommended ingredient to help bring down children's fever... trust in triaminic.

no wonder people go out of their way to share them. [ sneezes ] go to kleenex.com for more fun ways to share. kleenex tissues. softness worth sharing.

but when i was diagnosed with prostate cancer... i needed a coach. our doctor was great, but with so many tough decisions i felt lost. unitedhealthcare offered us a specially trained rn who helped us weigh and understand all our options. for me cancer was as scary as a fastball is to some of these kids. but my coach had hit that pitch before. turning data into useful answers. we're 78,000 people looking out for 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. >> good morning.

here's a look at some of our top stories. a man police say tried to sexually assault a boy is facing a slew of charges. 21-year-old shawn slay hid behind a stall before approaching the boy. the boy screamed, alerting school resource officers. funeral services are set for the family killed in the fire. six members, including three children, were killed. it happened early tuesday morning when their home caught fire. services will be held next weand. a wake is scheduled for 10:00, following that, with a memorial service. if you'd like to donate you can help the family. you can go to our website, click on local news. several people are behind bars this morning accused of ramming a stolen car into two police cruisers.

police first noticed the car driving suspiciously and realized it was stolen. officers followed the suspects where the incident happened. sky team 11 was over the scene. three suspects were arrested no. one was hurt. in anne arundel county an suv lost control. this happened just before 6:00 friday evening. officials say they don't think the crash caused structural damage to the building and no one was hurt. one was hurt. stay with us.

when you can have pillsbury grands! flaky layers biscuits? the warm, light delicate layers are like nothing else. add a layer of excitement to your next meal. ♪ try mini crescent dogs. just unroll the dough, roll up, bake, and present. very impressive! and very easy. for this recipe and more, visit pillsburycrescents.com. >> good morning.

the first of three storms over the next week or so beginning to move toward the area. looks like this will be concentrated almost completely to the south of us. it is trying to generate some snow flurries in parts of virginia and parts of west virginia. we have no reports of snow on the ground so this is all in the clouds. the air is too dry to make it to the surface. the main part will come along. there are snow flurries and snow showers in tennessee and kentucky. temperatures will be climbing out of the 20s and into the mid 30s for highs. so we're still below average on temperatures but it doesn't feel as bad as it has. we aren't as extremely cold. here's what the map will look like by evening with that storm passing to our south, including parts of the eastern shore, the lower eastern shore may pick up some through ears but it will move out to sea instead of up the coast.

the forecast for saturday, snow south, 33-38. football tomorrow partly cloudy skies. temperatures will be in the 30s, north-northwest winds. >> thank you for joining us. we'll see you back here in 25 minutes. ♪ have a holly jolly christmas >> it's 8:00 on this saturday morning. the 18th day of december, 2010. the holiday spirit is in full swing this morning out on the plaza. we've got another terrific crowd here. a big one. spending par of the their day with us. >> nothing says christmas like brrr. >> all right. we have lester holt and coming up this half hour it's a story that's making national headlines. the grim sleeper. >> he's been linked to several murders. now investigators fear his list of victims could be far longer than anyone imagined. we'll get the latest on that

story just ahead. >> also, one of the most enduring unsolved mysteries. whatever happened to amelia earhart. the legendary aerator vanished back in 1937. and now nearly 80 years later new dna tests may finally give us the answer to actually what happened. we'll have that story coming up. >> then have you heard there's a big wedding in the uk? >> maybe something about that. >> we're going to have another look at princess diana's influence on the upcoming royal wedding. kate is wearing her ring. elton john might perform. diana's brother earl spencer may also offer a toast. some are calling it the diana effect. but will kate be burdened by comparisons to diana? we're going to explore that live when we go to buckingham palace in a bit. >> we're going to get to all of that. but first let's get another check of the head lines from norah o'donnell standing by at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. the busiest travel week of the year is here. thousands will be using planes, trains and automobiles to get home for the holidays. nbc's kevin tibbles is in the thick of it at o'hare airport this morning. good morning, kevin.

>> reporter: i can't get over how many people are here this early in the day. so clearly, it is going to be a busy week. i also haven't seen so much luggage, carry-on and checked, in a long time. there are a lot of presents that are going to be flying over the united states of america. and they're not going to be just the ones that are going to be delivered by santa claus. air travel up about 2.8% this christmas. car travel, 3%. and spending is also up. so it's an indication that perhaps the traveling public, and the middle-class america is starting to get out there and spend some more of their money. that's obviously going to be good news for the economy. just keep an eye on the weather, especially for those of you in the northeast of the country, because there are storms brewing out there, and everybody wants to get home in time for this time next week, nora. >> and we wish everyone safe travels. nbc's kevin tibbles. thanks so much. some of bernie madoff's victims may be getting their money back. the estate of one of the biggest investors who was swindled by madoff has agreed to turn over $7.2 billion to the victims'

fund. the investor, jeffrey pickawer died in 2009. his widow said the settlement honors what her husband would have wanted. scientists are hoping to get dna from three bone fragments found on a deserted south pacific island to see if they belong to amelia earhart. researchers found the bits of bone earlier this year, and if they match, the famed aviator's dna it could help answer once and for all how she died. remember, earhart disappeared in 1937 while attempting to fly around the world. and finally coming home from vacation is never easy. but imagine if while you were out of town, a blizzard fell inside, yeah, inside your house. that's what happened to an iowa couple. a relative who went to check on the farmhouse while they were away find the side door blown open, and so mother nature did its thing inside. yuck, everywhere, closets, cupboards, you name it. fortunately they claim that the damage was only minor.

but that doesn't look so good to me. that's the news. now back to lester. i'm sure you wouldn't want that to happen in your place. >> wait for the spring thaw. all right, norah, thanks very much. bill karins has another check of the weather. bill? >> well, good morning, everyone. a beautiful time of year, people get creative. look at this. this is autumn on the left. all these people from arkansas here. razorback fans, of course. i like this the real house wives of syracuse, county. you've got stories to tell? let's talk about the forecast. we are going to watch, the west coast, where all the active weather is. the pineapple express we call this. moisture from across the pacific from north of hawaii and slams into the west coast. we're going to have incredible rain fall amounts. areas that don't typically get a lot of rain like los angeles and san diego will deal with wet weather. the east coast, you heard about the nor'easter. not going to happen. that storm's going to be far enough off the shore that we're not calling for any snow fall in ew an

>> good morning, clouds out there this morning. temperatures out of the 20s, into the 30s. our forecast does call for a lot of cloudiness and snow to that's a look at your weekend forecast. amy? >> bill, thank you. in los angeles, police have released nearly 200 photographs found at the home of a suspected serial killer. the pictures are of women, and the authorities want to know if any of them were victims of the so-called grim sleeper. nbc's kristen welker reports. >> reporter: the images seem never-ending. pictures of 180 nameless women, each face a mystery.

police say they all have one thing in common, a connection to suspected serial killer lonny franklin, dubbed the grim sleeper. >> these people are not suspects. we don't even know if they're victims. >> reporter: 57-year-old franklin, an ex-auto mechanic, is charged with killing ten women, predominantly working-class african-americans. detectives say he started his spree in 1985. killing seven people in his south los angeles neighborhood, and then more than 15 years later, he came back. the case was dubbed the grim sleeper for the apparent time gap in the killing spree. franklin was arrested in 2010, when advanced dna testing linked him to the crime. police say these pictures suggest there may be more victims. >> i just think it's absurd to think that he just stopped one day and then started up another day 14, 13 years later. >> reporter: according to investigators, these photos were found inside franklin's home, taken from undeveloped film and videotapes. police say some of these photos

may be 20 to 30 years old. now, they're on the front page. hundreds of phone calls have poured into the los angeles police department. people who recognize missing loved ones. latonya clark says picture number 118 is her sister, last seen in 2005. >> i just want answers because it's been five years and i've been getting the runaround for five years. >> reporter: many community leaders have expressed frustration with authorities for their seemingly slow response to solving the killings. >> we would have seen a much more aggressive investigation on behalf of the law enforcement community had these been upper middle-class, white women. >> reporter: police believe they have their killer behind bars. >> there are over hundreds of investigators that participated in this over 25 years, trying to bring justice for these victims. >> reporter: they're hoping these photos will shed some light on how many victims franklin had. women who may be unidentified, but who are not forgotten.

for "today," kristen welker, nbc news, los angeles. >> and for more insight we're joined by criminologist casey jordan. >> good morning. >> this really is a grim story. 180 photos. what are police hoping to gain by releasing these photos? and what are their chances of actually getting some real information? >> well they're releasing 180 over 1,000 that they found. they have depictions of at least 100 women. this is a very controversial and brave thing for them to do. they understand that there are women in these photos who are alive. in fact four or five of them have already called and said, yes, that's me in the photo. which is good news. but it does raise the question, how many of the women are not going to be identified? as you just mentioned the sister of one of the women in the photos has already said her sister hasn't been seen for five years. so some of these photos could be victims we don't even know about. >> how difficult will it be for police to connect the dots? some of those photos, some of these cases are three decades old. >> they're doing a number of really excellent things. nine out of the 12 deaths that

they do relate to lonny franklin are connected with a gun. the same .25 caliber pistol. so 9 out of 12 through through ballistics. and 6 out of the 12 linked specifically with dna, with a lot of crossover between those cases. if they can identify more potentially missing people, they may be able to take unsolved crimes, bodies that have never been identified, and bring them in through dna analysis, as well. >> right. because obviously he's been dubbed the grim sleeper. but it is an odd pattern, would you say, to not kill anyone for 15 years. we've got his pattern that police know of. they believe he killed women between 85 and '88. and then, didn't resume back until 2002, up through the current day. >> well, that's the difference here. number one, he may have been killing in that time period. but that's also about the time he went on disability, and left his job as a sanitation worker. he may have been physically unable to actually carry out his killings and get away with it. keep in mind he also quit, supposedly, after the last

victim survived. got away. gave a description of him to police. maybe that alarmed him so much he decided to lay low. and in the end, he couldn't resist going back to his old pattern. >> we should mention lonnie david franklin pleaded not guilty to these crimes. is this dna match all police truly need to get a conviction? what else will they be looking for in getting their case together against him? >> putting the pattern together, having that eyewitness, that sole survivor who was shot but didn't die, i have to say, though, it's the jury that will convict. not the his. and they love dna technology. and this dna technology is probably what's going to get him convicted in the end. >> i know that we mentioned obviously these photos. police have been going through all of this stuff. but everything in his apartment. what else are they hoping to find? >> well the videotapes and the photos are the number one thing. but they're also going to look at anything else. anything that could be considered a souvenir for a memento. keep in mind, a lot of these women were photographed. apparently inside a van. he would pull them into a van, probably offer them money or drugs or some other inducement

to pose for these photos. but clearly, he didn't kill all of them. so the real question is going to be, finding out what things in his house are related to actual victims. and people who are out there living their lives. >> all right. casey jordan thanks so much. we appreciate it. and we're back right after these messages. [children screaming] [growl] i met my husband here. i got to know my grandkids here. we've discovered so much here together. but my doctor told me that during that time my high cholesterol was contributing to plaque buildup in my arteries. that's why i'm fighting my cholesterol... with crestor. along with diet, crestor does more than help manage cholesterol, when diet and exercise alone aren't enough. crestor is also proven to slow plaque buildup in arteries. crestor is not right for everyone,

like people with liver disease, or women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. simple blood tests will check for liver problems. tell your doctor about other medicines you are taking, or if you have muscle pain or weakness. that could be a sign of serious side effects. ask your doctor if crestor is right for you. i love it when we're here together. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. wow! ♪ they're from my garden club, up north. [ female announcer ] this year, hallmark has all new ways to say it. well, there's the snow you wanted. yep! look in your bag, made you something. (announcer) it's more than just that great peanut taste, choosing jif is a simple way to show someone how much you care. choosey moms, choose jif. son: hey mom! wife: what are you doing?

what is that? what is this? guy: it's a special paste i invented to replace socks. we're dipping our feet in it. wife: why? guy: because we can't find socks that shape to our feet. we're sick of it! son: sick of it! wife: that's really stupid. guy: that's the future. announcer: hanes makes better-fitting socks the whole family will love. guaranteed, or your money back. ♪ [ grandma ] okay. ♪ ah. then we will all do it together. treats. teets...teets...teets... yeah. look at this. [ female announcer ] it seems like the best family traditions always start in the kitchen. ♪ rice krispies®. happy holidays.

now to the marriage of prince william and kate middleton. shaping up to be one of the biggest events of the new year. as we await the wedding it's clear that diana's spirit will be felt on that special day. jenny winle is live outside buckingham palace for us. good morning. >> good morning, lester. when you look at both princes william and harry it's clear how much of an inspiration diana, their mother, has been to them. prince harry said as much to a german newspaper in an interview that was published this morning. he also said how delighted he is that his brother is finally marrying kate middleton, because, he says, he's always wanted a sister. diana was the queen of hearts. the people's princess. and the woman who gave the british monarchy a modern touch. the princess of wales was also william's mother, and 13 years after her death, her guiding hand remains in his life. it's her sapphire engagement ring now on kate middleton's finger. and her favorite photographer chosen for the official engagement pictures.

>> obviously she's not going to be around to share in the fun and excitement. but this is my way of keeping her close. >> reporter: diana was the most publicly adored of all the royals. but barely 20 when she felt into a loveless marriage with prince charles. she struggled to adjust to life in the firm. kate's introduction to the house of windsor has been very different. >> i have been waiting as long as i want to give her a chance to see and to back out if she needed to before it all got too much. because, i'm trying to learn some lessons from the past. and i just wanted to give her the best shot of settling in and see what, you know, what happens. >> reporter: diana passed on her love of charitable work to her children. introducing william to a homeless shelter. last winter he slept rough on london's freezing streets to highlight its work. the charity's chief executive says the prince's hands-on approach is something he got from diana. >> the idea that you can get the heir to the throne to go out and sleep on the street, right, in

the middle of winter, and endure all of that, that fell out of princess diana. >> reporter: as the most photographed woman in the world, diana took advantage of her position to highlight her charitable work. but her image was so valuable she was always at the top of the paparazzi hit list. >> i think william's overprotection at times with kate is an absolute direct result of what he regarded as the hounding of his mother by the paparazzi. >> reporter: while a truce negotiated with the tabloids to save kate from the same treatment is holding, there's still an insatiable appetite for pictures of the woman who will one day be queen. inevitably, kate is going to be compared to diana, much like william and harry are likened to her, as well. we are, of course, fascinated by kate. but we're fascinated by william, too, and one thing that i think really does stand out about william is how he also has that ability to put people at ease, something he's clearly inherited

from his mother. and it's that trait that won her the unofficial title the people's princess. lester? >> jenny in london with that postcard picture behind you. thanks very much. joining us now for more on the diana effect is "people" magazine's suzanne zuckerman. good morning. it's great to see you. >> thank you. >> obviously the engagement ring is the obvious effect of the diana effect, if you will. but talk about the training that kate is going through. is it similar to what diana went through? >> you know what, it is quite different, lester. it's been reported that diana had ver little guidance when at age 19 she was thrust into the global spot light. kate, on the other hand, is getting help and being shown the ropes by senior members of the royal family. it's been reported even camilla parker bowles herself is helping to groom her. >> she had a big luncheon, a 40-person lunch with members of the royal family, pre-christmas lunch the other day. what -- how is that going? how is this now, now that she's officially engaged, this indoctrination? i mean that's too harsh of a

word. >> she has been in the presence of the queen before, but never in this kind of way. she met all 40 members of the royal family at buckingham palace. royals experts say it had to be an extremely daunting ordeal. and yet we've seen these pictures of her emerging from that 2 1/2-hour lunch, beaming. grinning ear to ear. which can only speak to how successful she must have been. >> i'm wondering, you know, is this -- obviously she's not the typical bride. but how much of this is not in her hands? typically a bride is making all the big choices about her wedding. when you're marrying into the royal family, things are different, right? >> it's surprising, actually, the palace says that william and kate are very much in control of their wedding arrangements. according to the palace, they are calling all the shots. so they really do seem to be taking a hands-on approach to this massive, massive affair. >> there's been a lot of speculation of a photographer and whether there would be others involved who were princess diana's favorites. what do we know about that? >> well, there is a lot of specific tags that this british designer named bruce oldfield

will be the one to design kate's wedding gown. on the other hand people are saying she'll want to distinguish her own sense of style as she has already. she's already wearing diana's ring. it may be unlikely that she chooses a designer who worked so closely with princess diana. >> we've also heard charles spencer might give a toast. elton john may perform. any truth to that? >> elton did say that he'll probably be at westminster abbey for the wedding, even if that means he has to be outside. but the guest list has not been released and as the palace says, invitations haven't gone out. >> a moment ago this couple is taking more control. might they go a whole different direction and do something less formal? >> well, it will still be formal. it is a royal wedding. i think it will be more understated. they're looking to charles and diana's wedding but also to queen elizabeth and prince philip's post-war wedding in 1947. they've noted that they are paying for the wedding themselves. they're sensitive to the economic situation. and they don't want to go over the top in a way that will sert

of offend the british people. >> we'll all watch it unfold together. suzanne zuckerman, nice to have you here. >> thanks so much. >> we're back in a moment. but first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪

leftover desserts, boardroom, now. and hurry before the interns get here. thanks but i already have some yummy black forest cake. black forest cake? ♪ so? [ female announcer ] need a guilt free treat? try yoplait light. and i've lost weight. [ female announcer ] with 30 delicious flavors like black forest cake all around 1 calories each. yoplait. it is so good.

still to come on "today," the case against casey anthony. >> new files and pictures connected to the murder trial have just been released. we'll have them for you coming up. but 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.

okay, now here's our holiday gift list. aww, not the mall. well, i'll do the shopping... if you do the shipping. shipping's a hassle. i'll go to the mall. hey. hi. you know, holiday shipping's easy with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service. if it fits, it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. yea, i know. oh, you're good. good luck! priority mail flat rate shipping starts at just $4.90 only from the postal service. a simpler way to ship. at walmart's toys and more event! with black friday prices on the gifts they want most. like a nintendo wii for $199 with a $75 walmart gift card. and a playstation 3 for $299 with a $100 gift card. that's starting 9 p.m. this friday at walmart.

wow! ♪ they're from my garden club, up north. [ female announcer ] this year, hallmark has all new ways to say it. well, there's the snow you wanted.

[ female announcer ] this year, hallmark has all new ways to say it. twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. >> good morning.

it's 8:25. police in baltimore county have identified the man who they say tried to sexually assault a boy inside a bathroom. police say 21-year-old shawn slay, hid inside a stall at the school before approaching the 12-year-old. when he attacked, the boy screamed, alerting a school resource officer. this morning slay is facing several charges. several people are behind bars this morning accused of ramming a stolen car into two baltimore county police cruisers. police say they noticed the vehicle driving suspiciously and soon realized it was stolen. officers followed the suspects to the high school where the incident happened. three suspects were arrested. no one was hurt. if you used the d.c. metro system, officials will soon begin random bag searches. officers mr. apply chemical swabs. bags will not be opened unless there is a positive signal from

the chemicals or k 9 unit. metro police say it's another security measure but riders have varying opinions. >> if it's going to help to make things secure then i would say it's ok. >> i have no idea about letting anyone look in my bag without at least having a search warrant and going through the proper channels. no. >> if a rider refuses to have a bag searched they will not be allowed to bring that bag into the station. funeral services set for the family killed in the house fire. six members of the stterfield family were killed. it happened tuesday morning when their home caught fire. services will be held next wednesday. a wake is scheduled for 10:00 followed by the memorial service. if you'd like to donate or send your condolences, you can go to our website. stay with us.

>> good morning. radar satellite comnation, there are clouds overhead trying to produce flurries but they're up in the clouds. there's a disturbance down there that later today and tonight we may see flurries pass to our south and to the east. there are a series of storming coming off the pacific ocean. one of those will be coming south of us today. there will be another one midweek and another toward christmastime. variably cloudy. that's the forecast for today. snow south, late.

33-38 the high. variable winds 5 miles an hour. game tomorrow looks like partly cloudy skies. north-northwest winds at 7:00. >> thanks, john. thank you for joining us. ♪ sleigh bells ring are you listening ♪ >> and we're back on this saturday morning. december 18th, 2010. we're just one week away from christmas. everyone here out on the plaza is in the holiday spirit. we're all bundled up. thank everyone for spending part of their morning with us. i'm amy robach along with lester holt. coming up this half hour -- >> you had mentioned that we'll explain why we're in front of a truck there a moment. >> we're going to be talking about casey anthony. she's come back up in the news. >> stunning new details this morning. prosecutors have released new documents, pictures and jailhouse letters.

we'll tell you what's in them. >> and if you're looking for the perfect gift in this holiday season, why not try a book? this morning we've got the best tabletop books and the best reads for the holiday season. you can curl up by the fire and have a nice read. >> then look who's cooking in the kitchen this morning. the food network's sunny anderson. we like her food and we like her name. some delicious holiday desserts that you can sink your teeth into. >> and now the explanation. first it's nhl on nbc. shenden shanahan from the nhl is here to tell us all about the 2011 winter classic new year's day game. brendan, obviously hockey is a staple in the wintertime. why is this hockey game different from all the others? >> well, i mean, specifically because we play it outdoors. we bring the game back to its roots. it's how a lot of us grew up playing the game. but never did we ever think we'd be able to play a real game worth two points in the nhl in front of over 70,000 fans in a football stadium. >> you're in pittsburgh this year. you played your career all indoors.

but as you know, a lot of kids started outside. what is different for a player when you're in a stadium outside, how does the game change? >> well, it changes just in that, number one, 70,000 people. you're outside. you're dealing with the wind. you're dealing with all these conditions that, the sound is different, the feel is different. all these conditions we're not used to. we're in this perfect environment and all of a sudden we're dealing with the wind, the cold. you definitely feel it. there will be two really exciting rivals playing in the game. these two teams are great teams. they don't like each other very much and i think they're going to do something special that day. >> what does it take to pull this all together, though? this is quite a feat? >> it's a collective effort. it really is. it's just something that the players and the league are so excited about. like i said for the other 28 teams that aren't playing they'll be watching the game. >> and this truck, too. this truck is involved in making the ice. >> it's a magic truck. >> the magic truck keeps the field cold. thanks so much for being here. enjoy the game. >> thank you. >> and we've got another check of the weather now from bill. >> i'll tell you what, the inaugural one in buffalo was

outside, it was snowing and sleeting, it was a really fun event. hopefully they'll get some nasty weather for that hockey. that should make it more fun. wonderful people here, 41st anniversary from rhode island. congratulations to you guys. if you have plans this weekend, everyone's got their errands to do, you need nice weather around the country. showers down in the southeast. we're also going to deal with a lot of messy weather from the west. this is probably one of the worst weeks of weather the west coast has seen in a long time. heavy rain continues today right into your sunday. even los angeles is going to have periods of heavy rain, and the snow level is pretty high. traveling up to some of the elevated areas near interstate 80 or 70 you will have to deal with a little bit of snow. overall not too much troublesome weather. >> good morning. we have a lot of clouds this morning. there is a storm system moving to our south. it looks for us it's more of a miss than a hit. plenty of clouds, snow to our th

the southeast, too. that's going to be one of the areas that's going to be warm down there in miami, 80 degrees. hopefully everything will be nice for everyone's weekend. and in case you need something to do, sunday night. at first it looked like it was going to be a snow event. it looks like it's going to be cold, partly cloudy. maybe aaron rodgers will play. maybe he won't. i'm sure tom brady will show up. possibly, nbc. who knows. back to you, amy. >> all right, bill, thank you. now to the new developments involving casey anthony. the florida mom says she did not murder her daughter caylee but prosecutors are convinced she did and they have released new details to help prove it. kerry sanders joins us from orlando, florida, with the very latest. good morning, kerry. >> reporter: good morning. there are some new letters, they are fascinating to read. and just as interesting is the

time line here, amy, when you consider that the attempt, or the effort to bring casey anthony to trial has now gone on longer than her 2-year-old caylee was alive. prosecutors, and investigators, have produced more than 24,000 documents in this case. as for casey anthony, who's held in the jail here in orlando, she's now been determined to be indigent, which means the cost of her defense are on taxpayers' backs at $55,000 so far. for the last 26 months, casey's life has consisted of back and forth trips to court, otherwise she spends 23 hours every day in a solitary cell. one hour a day she's allowed out to exercise. and as newly released evidence reveals, she spent much of her time writing. in letters, casey writes, i was a great mom, and i loved my daughter with everything that i have. i would give my life to have her back, even for five minutes. the letters are highly personal.

casey reveals, a year after caylee was born, she had a miscarriage. and she talks about being a single mother. my situation, with living at home with cay and my folks, staying home all day and going out at night looking for mr. right, i don't know one single mom who doesn't try to get their freedom, regardless of how old they are. it took 31 days before casey revealed under pressure by her mother that caylee was missing. photos later revealed at the same time casey was out partying. her daughter's remains were discovered six months later in the woods near her house. casey maintains she's innocent. and talks of having a family again. i always wanted to adopt a baby or a child from another country. is it selfish to want one from ireland? accent and all? at one time casey anthony had a defense dream team. but one by one, those high-profile lawyers have dropped out. casey is now represented by four florida attorneys.

including ann finnell who is knew to the case. she was profiled in an academy award winning documentary about murder. casey anthony is expected to be back in court on monday. where her defense and the prosecutors will talk about and discuss with the judge how they'll handle the penalty phase in this case if she's convicted. prosecutors are asking for the death penalty. the trial is set for may. amy? >> and kerry, you mentioned that $55,000 price tag. so far. how much more, then, could this cost florida taxpayers? >> the judge in this case is watching very closely every penny that is spent and he has denied some of the expenses the defense is trying to buiill to e state. but under the constitution she is afforded because she's an indigent, she's afforded a proper defense at taxpayer cost. so there's no bottom line on how much money will be spent at the end of the day here. >> all right. kerry sanders, thanks so much.

and we'll be right back. but first, these messages. ♪ crayons and play-doh ♪ the latest dvd's ♪ lip gloss, gift cards, candy, shampoo ♪ ♪ anything for me? ♪ oh, stocking stuffers from walgreens ♪ ♪ you'll be glad you came ♪ get hershey's kisses chocolates ♪ ♪ in a great big candy cane [ female announcer ] stuff all your stockings in one easy trip to walgreens and get $5 in walgreens super jingle cash with every $25 you spend. good for anything in the store. [ female announcer ] stay jolly with walgreens. [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] got a cold? [ coughs ] ♪ [ male announcer ] confused what to get? now robitussin makes it simple. click on the robitussin relief finder at robitussin.com.

[ nose blowing ] [ male announcer ] click on your symptoms. ♪ get the right relief. ♪ makes the cold aisle easy. the robitussin relief finder it's that simple.

this morning on "today's" holiday gift guide, books. whether for kids, family, friends or yourself, books always make a wonderful gift during the holidays. they cover just about everything as our favorite book critic found out. >> do you like getting books as gifts on the holidays? >> oh, i love getting books. >> what books are you looking for? >> i wouldn't mind getting keith richards new autobiography. also the mark twain book that just came out. two opposites. >> why do you like giving books as opposed to some other kind of gift? >> not to sound -- but it's a great way to get people to force to read a book. >> i gave this one to my niece. charlie brown christmas doesn't get any more classic. spider-man holiday books. exciting during the holidays. the night before christmas. a classic. >> my family loves books, so we

always shop for books. >> you do like getting books as gifts for the holidays? >> yeah. >> yeah. >> and john, author of the best-seller's strange but true, and boy still missing, is here with some of the hottest holiday books out there. good morning, great to have you here. >> and the hottest holiday sweater. >> you should have told me. i would have worn my holiday sweater. but i don't have one. >> smart guy. >> you've got some great books here. we're going to start off if you like freak nomics you're going to look this one. >> it was a runaway sensation a few years ago. this is an illustrated version that has charts and photos that bring the freaky, fascinating statistics to life. one photo is of an experiment that these argentinean scientists did on a cow trying to trap methane gas from the cow. weird stuff like that. it's a fun, kind of interesting book. >> the next book, you know, i don't even have to open it, it's a picture of jon stewart and a chimpanzee. >> fans of "the daily show" will love this.

it's called earth and treated like a true visitor's guide for anyone arriving on the planet for the first time. teaches the five senses by using mr. potato head. >> how do you explain us. let's move on, this next book, i don't even know whether i'm supposed to take seriously. called crafts for poor people. >> i wouldn't take it seriously. the subtitle is simple crafts for poor people, and she has things like how to craft well under the influence. where you can make cast annettes. and how to make fly paper, how to decorate fly paper. >> but there are true instructional things in here. >> true instructions. and this is fun, silly stuff. >> it's been interesting to watch how one tv show, "mad men" has influenced fashion and style in this country. and someone's captured it in a book called fashion files. >> the thing that women particularly love most about the show besides jon hamm is the clothing. this is a book by the woman's design called the looks for the

show. but it's really not -- there are some photos of the show but it's also advice and tips from her about how to have a more fashion forward life. also advice for men and clothing, too. >> never seen jon hamm in a sweater like that. cookbooks, what do you like? >> ina garden, i'm a big fan of hers. this is her first collection of all three of her books. barefoot contessa, a party book and a family style cookbook. what's great about her recipes is they're really accessible, but they're just challenging enough. you feel like you're actually accomplishing something if you make them. also her food is really rich but i guess we're not paying too much attention to calories for a couple more weeks. >> not in december. and then cleopatra. >> there have been others but this woman was a prize winning author and turned her talents to one of the most famous women who ever lived. she writes about her love with marc anthony and julius caesar and tells her life story in a

way that's reading the most riveting fiction out there. it's getting a ton of buzz. >> stocking stuffers here at the end. >> adriana trigiani, one of america's favorite authors, she has "don't sing at the table." and how to deal with your in-laws in there. which is perfect advice for the holidays. and the importance of getting a good breakfast, all good grandmother advice. >> and lastly a book that's going to make you go ah. >> a book of cute, you know, baby animals. you can't go wrong with that. >> john, great to have you here. >> good to see you. >> up next, dessert delights from sunny anderson. first this is "today" on nbc.

these this morning on "today's" holiday kitchen, just desserts. we're talking about treats that will be the toast of your holiday party. with us is sunny anderson.

host of the food network's "rooking for real." dessert first. i'm all about it. >> that's how i like to order. that's how i like to dream. that's how i like to live. that's what i do. >> and you do it well. baklava. that's what we're going to start with? >> i love baklava. but it's a lot of work of layering and honey, it's sticky. this is really easy to do for the holidays. always a beautiful presentation. i've got almonds, walnuts, pistachios. i posted them for 350 for about eight minutes or so and leave the oven at 350 because we're going to take the little cups in a second. got some already toasted right here. >> butter? >> yep, a little melted butter, couple of tablespoons and a few tablespoons of sugar, some vanilla goes in and then i've got some cinnamon, a little bit of the salt, and my lemon zest. >> okay. >> because i'm going to add a nice note to it. go ahead and start pulverizing like crazy. >> that's right. >> so basically you pulverize this until it looks like this. kind of like grape-nuts cereal,

right? >> yeah, it does. >> and these little tart cups. i love these. >> can you make these? >> i did not. they're little mini phyllo cups. >> you prebake those first and then put this concoction in there? >> actually, these come right out of the container just like this. >> seriously? >> you don't have to prebake them. >> i like that. >> it's the holiday. with the turkey and the ham, dessert, even though we're thinking about it first, not a lot of work. >> it's good. >> so anyway you go ahead and you put little scoops right in here of your pulverized filling of your back lava cups and pop this into the oven for about 10 minutes at 350 so the butter and everything melts together. it comes out and looks like this and i've got a syrup. this is what everyone knows about baklava, it's sticky, sweet and yummy. it's honey, sugar and water and you ladle it right over the top. very easy. >> i like that. >> it's super simple.

i'm not trying to preinvent the wheel, just trying to make it work without squeaking. you know what i mean? >> yummy. >> so you go ahead -- >> and then they're ready to serve? >> you could eat it right now. but i have to show a little bit of constraint. >> we've got a lot to get to. >> i put it in the fridge for about five hours. that allows all the stickiness -- >> we're going to move to hazel nut pumpkin pie. >> a bird told me you like cheese cake and pumpkin cheese cake pie. >> you remember. >> i do. i love a person who loves to eat. what i have here is my hazel nut pumpkin pie. just like a typical pumpkin pie with a brick of cheese, i call it a brick. cheap crease. then a 15 ounce can of the pumpkin puree. your usual suspects what makes this difference is hazel nut creamer that you usually put in your coffee. you're putting it in the actual batter and you're putting it in the crust that you make. >> hey!

>> how are you? >> this is by far -- >> didn't know you were doing desserts here. i was just walking by. >> yeah, right. >> happy holidays. >> oh. >> right? >> creamy, smooth. >> you want some whipped cream? >> cream cheese. we give you a dollop. >> a dollop? >> yeah, hook him up. then we've got the red velvet which is also -- >> this is my grandma's just called to say, you know, and so grandma, happy holidays. and i don't do it in a circle because if i did, it would look like hers but not quite like hers. >> what's the frosting on this? >> one thing you don't see people do with a cream cheese frosting. my grandma does an old-fashioned roux topping on the stove top, milk, sugar, flour, and a little pinch of -- >> i don't understand. i'm not following what you're saying. >> there you go. a little research. >> there you go. >> and a little something to wash it all down with.

>> these are all availal at foodnetwork.com. you can have the recipes, as well. it's not just about eating dessert. you've got to wash it down. this is what i like to call hot toddy big brother. it is a hot, buttered rum. it will cheer the hot and cold. it's got rum in it, of course. butter, some brown sugar. pineapple juice. some pumpkin spice. >> wow. >> you like? >> it's so good. >> that's good. >> that's amazing. >> you like it? it's perfect for watching the game, too, on christmas day. you know, going to get on the couch and cozy up. >> i like it. thank you so much. >> we'll be right back. but first these messages.

if you live for performance, upgrade to castrol edge advanced synthetic oil. with eight times better wear protection than mobil 1. castrol edge. it's more than just oil. it's liquid engineering. ["stir it up" playing]

stir up a smile with hershey's syrup. [ pony ] she had a fever yesterday. [ elephant ] well, her pediatrician recommended new triaminic fever reducer syrup. [ dog ] so she'll feel better! [ female announcer ] with the #1 doctor recommended ingredient to help bring down children's fever... trust in triaminic. ♪ it's that chocolate ♪ it's that whipped cream ♪ it's that caramel, and espresso you mix in ♪ [ male announcer ] your two favorite flavors together. new mccafé caramel mocha. ♪

that's going to do it for us on this saturday morning. norah o'donnell, bill karins, and of course sunny anderson. thanks very much. tomorrow on "today," last-minute gift ideas for the holidays. >> i have almost cleaned my plate here. >> what? >> this cake is killing me. i'll see you back here tonight for "nbc nightly news." have a great day, everybody.

i [captioning made possible by constellation energy group]

>> good morning. and welcome. >> here's a look at some of our top stories. one person is dead after an early morning house fire in northeast baltimore. that fire broke out around 6:15 this morning in the 1400 block of homestead street after making entry the crews found the victim inside. there's no word on a cause. fire investigators are now trying to figure out if the victim died of smoke inhalation or burns. funeral services are set for the family killed in the fire. three members were killed. it happened early tuesday morning. services will be held next weand at the empowerment temple. a wake is scheduled for 10:00 in the morning followed by the memorial service. if you'd like to do nate or to help the family send your condolences, go to our wabltv

and click on news. individuals claimed it will sifeb awand and argue that it violates state law against no bid development contracts. >> coming up next, dr. kim has your answers for your pet questions. >> it's called restoration gardens, a special place for homeless young people in baltimore city. that story coming up. >> toys on your child's wish list without the expense that comes with last-minute shopping. >> it's wintertime and what can you expect. cold temperatures and the threat of snow.

[captioning made possible by constellation energy group] >> welcome to 11 news saturday morning. >> we'll get to our top stories in just a moment but let's check outside with meteorologist john collins. it does feel warmer. >> it's cold but not extremely cold. we've seen temperatures in the teens. we have a little cloud deck and blanket in the atmosphere so it's held the temperatures up a