good morning. breaking news, five u.s. service members killed in central iraq overnight. the military in the process of notifying their families. we'll go live to the pentagon for the latest details. flames and floods. new evacuations ordered in arizona as one of the largest wildfires in that state's history burns out of control. while further north, the swollen missouri river triggers a flood emergency in at least seven states. and out and it. john edwards' former mistress spotted in public with their now-3-year-old daughter as some critics blame the government's case against the former

presidential candidate. why they say what he did may not have been against the law today. monday, june 6, 2011. from nbc news, this is "today," with matt lauer and meredith vieira, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and good morning, welcome to "today" on a monday morning, i'm matt lauer. >> i'm meredith vieira. details coming in about what happened in iraq. we have more from the pentagon. what can you tell us? >> reporter: good morning, meredith. this is the single worst if not one of the single worst attacks on u.s. military forces in iraq since the official end of formal compat operations there in iraq last august. according to u.s. military and iraqi officials, five u.s. service members were killed in a rocket attack on a u.s. military base, one of many, in or around baghdad this morning.

now the timing of this attack cannot be dismissed because this comes at a time as the u.s. military is, in fact, preparing to withdraw all combat forces, all u.s. military forces from iraq by the end of the year. meredith? >> so does that now call that into question, whether or not the troops will be removed by the end of the year? >> reporter: that's why the timing is so important. the iraqi government itself is struggling with how to ask the u.s. military to stay. there are currently 50,000 u.s. troops there. again, they're supposed to be out by the end of the year. but it's clear that the iraqis cannot provide all the kind of defenses that they need, and they're preparing to ask the u.s. so again, this attack appears aimed at convincing the american people that all american troops should leave iraq by the end of this year. >> story still developing. jim, thank you very much. it is 7:02.

here's matt. >> thanks. we're following two breaking news stories at home. new evacuations ordered in arizona where a massive wildfire is raging. this as anxious homeowners in parts of the midwest are keeping a nervous eye on the rising missouri river. we've got two reports beginning in arizona with nbc's george lewis. george, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. these are monster fires burning in arizona. over a quarter million acres scorched, 2,100 people on the fire lines. thousands of homes threatened. >> we just dropped the line up -- >> reporter: firefighters spent the weekend attacking the fast-moving blaze from the air. the dense and rugged forest has made it difficult for ground crews to get equipment into the area. officials say this particular wildfire near the new mexico border has been unusually hard to get a handle on. >> it's mostly in the way it's behaving. it's such that we can't get anywherenary it.

it's such -- anywhere near it. it's such that our resources are a limited value because we need people on the ground even using the air resources that we have. >> anybody who's not critical personnel stay off of 191 and 180. >> reporter: sunday afternoon the fire jumped highway 180 into the town of esqudea. >> it's a wilderness area, there's no fire treatment. it is going to be a hot fire. >> reporter: the fire swept through beaver creek ranch and destroyed several vacation cabins. daytime looked more like night in the small town of alpine. >> it feels surreal. >> reporter: with mandatory evacuations ordered over the weekend throughout the area, police escorted residents back to their homes on sunday, allowing them only a few minutes to choose what to save. >> they said 15 minutes, and they were very gracious with us. i know we had closer to maybe 30 or 45. >> i was driving faster so we wouldn't hold up -- >> reporter: this woman wasn't as lucky. >> when i got down in there,

another sheriff came pulling up and said i had to get out. i said i had an escort. he said, you know, we had to leave because the fire was right there. we had to turn around and leave. >> reporter: with zero containment and hot temperatures expected today, firefighters will also be dealing with 50 mile-per-hour winds, a deadly combination. meredith? >> george lewis, thank you very much. meanwhile, authorities have asked thousands to evacuate in parts of the midwest from record rainfall and snow melt is causing problems. miguel has more. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. at 8:00 a.m. local time there's going to be a record release of water upstream from the missouri river. it's going to be a critical day here. there's no question the water level will rise, but for homeowners here along the river, there is little room to spare. swollen and about to surge even higher, the missouri river is threatening to swallow homes and take lives. in north and south dakota,

nearly 20,000 people have been asked to evacuate. >> very, very traumatic for a lot of people. >> reporter: but many refuse to leave. instead, they fortify homes and protect communities on the water's edge. still the rising river threatens to spill over levees and burst banks. >> we have already said good-bye. we've shed our tears and said good-bye to the house. >> reporter: across the plains, they could see the worst flooding in decades. >> i'm telling our citizens that they should assume the levees will not hold. they should move out of the area that will be affected. >> reporter: with the missouri river nearly 2,400 miles long, seven states face serious flooding. a series of six dams control the river's flow. today's record release will gush even more water downstream. as reservoirs sit nearly full, there's too much winter water to hold back. >> mother nature really put a

significant event to us in a huge rainfall event. there's no way you can really plan for a rainfall of that magnitude. >> reporter: the national has scrambled to shore levees and reinforce river banks. the water so dangerous, 180 miles of the river is shut down. today, the missouri is rising, and so is the fear. after today's release of river, the drama certainly won't be over. tomorrow there will be yet another record release of water. the missouri here may not crest until mid july. they say that we could see flooding here all summer long. meredith? >> all right. thank you very much. lets us get a check of the rest of the top stories. ann's off, natalie's at the newscast. good morning to you. good morning, everyone. we'll begin with the aftermath of last month's deadly weather. officials in joplin say that devastating ef-5 tornado has claimed three more lives as several other residents die from their injuries, taking the total

death toll now to 141. tensions are running high in the middle east yet again this morning. nbc's stephanie gosk is following the story from tripoli, libya. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. well, taking their inspiration from the peaceful demonstrations of the arab spring, unarmed palestinians and their supporters challenged the israeli military on the syria-israel border for the second time in a month. and for the second time in a month it lead to bloodshed. [ gunfire ] >> reporter: gunfire again in the golan heights. unarmed palestinians and their supporters attempted to push across the border from syria into israel. [ gunfire ] >> reporter: when warning shots didn't stop them, direct fire did. israeli officials are calling it a deliberate provocation, supported, they say, by the syrian government to deflect attention from its own internal uprising. it was the worst violence between the two countries in more than 30 years. syria says 22 were killed, israel says only 12 were

injured. and with the new front in the arab spring taking hold in israel, a familiar uprising entered a new phase. in yemen, thousands celebrated the sudden and unexpected departure of president ali abdullah saleh. he fly to saudi arabia for specialized medical treatment after being injured in a rocket attack on his compound friday. an operation reportedly removed shrapnel from the leader's chest, but there is no official word on his condition. many hope the man that has ruled yemen for 33 years as a dictator will not come back, and they fear what might happen if he does. >> i think there's a strong chance that the civil war will take place in yemen. and yemen will see a war that will last for many, many, many years. >> reporter: despite what the embattled president decides to do, it may be too early for celebrations. even if saleh does not return, there are still competing armed factions vying for power in

yemen, and an active branch of al qaeda looking to take advantage of the chaos. natalie? >> stephanie gosk in tripoli, libya, this morning. thank you, stephanie. several u.s. missile strikes bombarded suspected militant target along the afghan border this morning. at least 16 people were killed as the u.s. ratchets up the pressure on insurgents in the area. former international monetary fund chief dominique strauss-kahn appears in a new york city court today where he will plead not guilty to charges of sexually assaulting a hotel maid. he resigned from his imf post last month. and another nail-biter in the nba finals last night as the miami heat took game three beating the dallas mavericks 88-86. with a tied game and 39 seconds on the clock, chris bosh scored the winning points despite being injured earlier in the game. the miracle on the hudson plane could have used a little help from former pilot chesley "actually" sullenberger on sunday. take a look as the famous airbus got stuck while the flatbed

truck tried turning a corner in new jersey. after an hour, the plane was back on its way. it will be on display soon at the carolina aviation museum in charlotte, north carolina. i'm sure folks will be lining up to see it. it's 7:11. back to matt, meredith, and al. huge plane. >> beautiful plane. >> trying to get through the roads of new jersey, not so easy. >> the crowds will be lining up

>> it is going to get hot later this week. for today, still going to be nice and. temperatures in the 60's right now. mostly sunny this afternoon. that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you very much. there are growing questions over the indictment of former presidential candidate john edwards for allegedly using campaign funds to hide an affair. did the government overreach? nbc's senior investigative correspondent, lisa myers, has the latest. good morning, lisa. >> reporter: good morning. usually when a disgraced politician gets indicted, there is widespread applause. but not this time. even some who find edwards'

behavior despicable question the strength of this case. john edwards' former mistress, p rielle hunter has made no public comment about the indictment. this weekend she was all smiles, posing with the little girl she shares with edwards, 3-year-old frances quinn. these photos obtained by nbc news, a striking contrast to this one, as edwards prepared to face the media throng after being charged with six felonies. >> i did not break the law. >> reporter: edwards spent the weekend out of sight at his estate, focused, a spokesman said, on getting daughter emma claire ready for camp. a friend of late wife elizabeth told nbc that despite john's betrayal, no one wanted him to face criminal charges. they worry about the couple's young children, jack and emma claire. local reaction is less forgiving. >> i have no trust in someone that continually lies.

>> john edwards has become a rather pathetic figure. >> reporter: edwards is charged with soliciting and covering up almost a million dollars, provided by two wealthy donors. and used to keep hunter and later their child hidden away in lavish homes and on private jets while he ran for president. >> thank you. thank you. >> reporter: though the payments did not go to edwards' campaign, the government alleges they amounted to unlawful campaign contributions because they were meant to keep his candidacy viable. edwards' lawyers say the money was a gift from friends to hide the affair from his wife. the indictment has triggered unusual criticism of the justice department. from conservatives -- >> i think he's a reprehensible person, but not every scum or liar or reprehensible person is a criminal. and the federal government seems to be criminalizing bad behavior. >> reporter: and from campaign watchdogs -- >> i think that john edwards is a lousy human being, but i think this is a really lousy and flimsy criminal case. >> reporter: a "washington post"

editorial said, "it is troubling that the justice department would choose to devote its scarce resources to pursuing this questionable case." but others argue that prosecutors have more evidence than they reveal, and that these kind of campaign finance abuses need to be prosecuted. >> what the government says is there has to be a line. john edwards crossed that line. we believe it's criminal behavior. >> reporter: hunter's publicist said edwards and hunter now raise their daughter together and see each other quite often. a friend of edwards told us that the senator and his parents have a close relationship with quinn and see her quite often. meredith? >> lisa myers, thank you very much. it is 7:16. once again, here's matt. >> thank you. john edwards isn't the onliy former vice presidential candidate making headlines. sarah palin is as well. our chief white house correspondent joins us, chuck, good morning you to. let's not just talk about what sarah palin is doing to make headlines.

let's talk about what former chair of the democratic national party howard dean is saying to make headlines. he's warning democrats against the traditional refrain that in an election, barack obama would route sarah palin. he says sarah palin can win. what's the reason for his comments? >> well, what howard dean is saying is that the biggest opponent that president obama faces is not anybody who could become the republican nominee. it's the issue of the economy and the unemployment rate. so the point he was trying to make was, look, even sarah palin when you've got 9% unemployment, when you've got a lot of people questioning whether this housing market's ever going to recover, whether government and the stimulus even work, that anybody, any republican nominee can give president obama a race. i can tell you this -- if you would ask the white house and their political strategists who would they prefer to run against, they would pick palin every single time. >> back to howard dean. he did single out another candidate. he talked about john huntsman, former governor of utah and the former ambassador to china.

he said he would pose the toughest challenge for barack obama. why does he match up so well? >> well, right now he has positioned himself as the moderate in this race. and if you believe this country is either center left or center right, the one thing pretty much everybody agrees with, it's center something. and huntsman is the most moderate, probably the most electable that's sitting in this field. the problem for huntsman is he doesn't look like a guy who's going to be able to win the republican primary. over the weekend he announced he's not going to compete at all in iowa. not going to do that. i can tell you there are a lot of people that have never become president who skip states. you can't skip states, particularly swing states like iowa. >> something got your attention, i know, in reading your comments over the weekend. so newt gingrich announces he's running for the republican nomination a few weeks ago. and then right now, he goes on a two-week vacation with his wife. you think it's odd timing, why? >> it is. he already knew when he was going to announce his run for president. and when you go, you go. and there are a lot of things

going on right now. he missed another candidate cattle call over the weekend in washington, d.c. he sent a videotape rather than attend live. there's obviously some debate prep he should be doing, lots of stuff going on the ground. >> let me flip the point over on you, chuck. in the past he has received criticism that he had allowed some of his previous marriages deteriorate in part because of his own political ambition. here he is on vacation with his wife. why shouldn't we applaud that? >> well, why not do this vacation and announce afterward. that's what seems odd about it. when you do this, when you announce, it's all in. that's when you do that, you take the time. it's odd timing especially, matt, considering how poorly his announcement went. you would think he would be doing everything he could to fix that and while week one didn't go well, make sure week two, week three, week four -- particularly while there's so much attention from the presidential race. he's missing. i had iowa republican activists

e-mailing me, where's newt, why did he do this? >> chuck todd in washington. thank you very much. >> reporter: you got it. it's 19 minutes after the hour. once again, meredith? >> thank you. there was a scary scene on new york's long island over the weekend when a big wind gust blew away three bounce houses with children inside. john yang has that story. oh, my god. >> reporter: it was a terrifying sight caught on cell phone video. three inflated bounce houses or moonwalks picked up by the wind at a long island soccer tourism and tossed into the air with kids playing inside. >> stay here. >> where's my daughter? >> i couldn't believe it. it was like something out of a movie. kids were knocked over. there were kids everywhere. >> reporter: lara radigan was waiting in line when she got a rope caught on her neck. >> a rope got caught on my neck and dragged me over. >> reporter: one cartwheeled on the grounds. >> everyone jumped on top.

probably 100 on each one holding it down. >> i tried to grab on, and it knocked me down. >> reporter: police said 13 people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries. it's not the first time something like this has happened. in the tucson, arizona, area, three separate incidents since february alone. the most recent caught on cell phone video. parents and teachers evacuated the bounce house before wind whipped it around a light pole. six kids were slightly injured by debris. in february at a birthday party, two sisters were in a wind-blown bounce house. >> i closed my eyes, and i just felt myself bumping and -- and being tossed around. >> reporter: her sister, elissa, ended up on a roof two houses away. >> she was crying. she was full of blood. you know, her head, her face. >> reporter: she had a concussion and required staples to close a cut in her scalp. in april, strong winds blew a bounce house away in rockland county, new york. four children had minor injuries. the federal consumer product safety commission estimated that

from 2005 to 2007 all types of bounce house accidents sent an average of 6,000 people a year to emergency rooms. most of them aged 5 to 14. the most frequent injury -- broken bones. they warn operators to anchor them properly, but not all states regulate their use which concerns parents. >> never in my mind imagined that the thing would take off and fly. >> reporter: a popular attraction with an unexpected danger. >> oh, my god. >> reporter: for "today," john yang, nbc news, new york. and coming up, morbid curiosity. the people who line up every morning for a chance to be in court at casey anthony's murder trial. we'll have details and the latest on that case. first, this is "today" on nbc.

just ahead, the florida teacher suspended for punching a student in the face. prosecutors say it was self-defense, but should that woman be allowed to teach again? and the controversial

attraction at an animal park that lets you pay to watch tigers hunt live prey after your local news. in the bathroom. stop all the cutesy stuff. and start talking about what you really want from your toilet paper. it's time to talk about clean. feeling clean is so important. vo: quilted northern soft & strong is stronger than the leading rippled brand to help protect against breakthrough. for myself, for my family, it keeps us clean. i use quilted northern. quilted northern soft & strong. protection for a confident clean or your money back. who's ready to break through more barriers, from brick walls to budgets. then let's get our hands on some of those tools that only live on orange shelves. cause when we come home with that fistful of doing,

and keep that pocketful of savings, there's nothing we can't conquer. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. power more projects, with this ryobi starter kit or dremel multi-max, each just 89 bucks. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get a check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> rougher ride at this monday morning. lots of delays. disabled vehicle creating a big back up on northbound 85 approaching colubrid.

look how far the delays stretch back. montrose, watch for those closures and take 395 onto m.l.k. as the alternate. 140 and said thomas lane in reisterstown, bus involved in that one. southbound harrisburg expressway just past middletown road, this one just in ties -- in to us. not moving in the northbound direction from plaza towards paul byrd. live view as we switch over towards the harbor tunnel. that is the disabled go on the left lane and a big backup resulting. tony has a check on a forecast. >> at least there's nothing going on, weather-wise. temperatures are very comfortable. 61 in taneytown. 64 at the airport. 70 degrees in annapolis. you will see if you fairweather team as clouds in the afternoon.

we will turn up the heat with 86 tomorrow and chance for a thunderstorm. scattered thunderstorms at the end of the week, going into the weekend we will cool things off by saturday and sunday. >> check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information. we will have another live update at 7:55.

♪ i'm on the top of the world >> loob 7:30 on monday morning, 6th of june, 2011. a hazy morning in manhattan as we check out a view of the top of the rock. down below we have an energetic crowd filling rockefeller plaza. meanwhile, inside studio 1-a i'm meredith vieira along with matt lauer. was it self-defense, a bad decision or both? a florida teacher is fighting to get her job back after she punched a student in the face. the confrontation caught on camera. coming up, that teacher will explain her side of the story in an exclusive live interview.

also ahead, it makes for riveting nature shows on tv, but would you pay to see a tiger attack live prey right in front of you? we'll tell you about an attraction at an animal park with a firestorm of controversy. natalie morales, we'll show you what happened when she traveled all the way to colombia. let's start with the murder trial of casey anthony, entering its third week today. nbc kerry sanders is in orlando with the very latest. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. today prosecutors in the court are putting forth their technical case, the crime scene forensic evidence they say proves that casey anthony murdered her 2-year-old daughter, caylee. meantime, outside the courthouse, again today, the public jostling for tickets for seats inside the 23rd floor of this courthouse. almost every day 3 1/2 hours

before court begins -- >> go, g go. >> reporter: -- there's a race. no someone is allowed on courthouse property until exactly 5:30 a.m. at that moment from sidewalk and back allies, the curious hoof it for position. >> number one in the line. >> reporter: there are 62 seats a day set aside for the public, spectators from across the country, traveling here to see for themselves the 25-year-old mother casey anthony, accused of murdering her daughter caylee. >> it's wonderful to be a part of it. and we're really excited the public has an opportunity to be a witness to this and see the action in the courtroom. >> you can see the root portion of the hair is distorted. >> reporter: on saturday, karen lowe, an fbi expert on trace evidence, began to detail the prosecution's forensic evidence. a single strand of hair taken from the trunk of casey anthony's car, that the fbi crime lab concluded fell from the scalp of a corpse.

>> one of the items had a hair that exhibited -- >> reporter: the defense arg gus not only is the testing inconclusive that the hair was from a dead person but that the single strand was even caylee's. >> the best we have at this point is that the hair either belonged to caylee, casey, cindy or even cindy's mother. any other maternal relative? >> correct. >> reporter: casey now admits she waited 31 days to tell anyone her daughter was missing. when she did, the store that a nanny had caylee was all made up. prosecutors allege casey stowed her daughter's dead body in the trunk of her car before eventually dumping it in the woods near her home. >> this is my label identifying what's inside the can. >> reporter: prosecutors claim they captured the stench of death. orange county senior crime scene analyst explained how the odor was extracted from the trunk of casey's car. >> this is the very first time you've ever taken air samples,

correct? >> yes, it was. >> you have no training whatsoever in the collection or preservation of air samples? >> this is the first time i've heard it done, that's correct. >> reporter: the cans have not been opened in court and the judge may never allow it. if he does, it will be the first time this sort of evidence has ever been presented in a u.s. courtroom. meredith? >> kerry sanders, thank you very much. pat brown is a criminal profilerauthor of "the profiler," and savannah guthrie, our legal analyst. good morning. as kerry mentioned, the prosecution is now in the scientific phase of its case. how important was the testimony regarding that hair found in the trunk? >> it's incredibly important because, of course, for the last few weeks we've been hearing these witnesses talk about the lies that casey anthony told, her behavior, but the bottom line is, we haven't yet seen scientific evidence that ties casey anthony to this crime

scene. this single piece of hair, if the prosecution expert is believed, shows that casey -- caylee anthony's body was in the trunk of the car after death, but there are some problems with the science, as the defense pointed out. >> exactly. and she admitted that she can't say for certain -- with certainty that is, in fact, a hair from caylee. >> not only can she not say with certainty if it's caylee's hair, she can't say with 100% if this is a hair that fell off the body after death. that's a crucial fact. >> also this testimony that the prosecution is expected to present this week about the stench of death, what they say is the odor of caylee anthony's decomposed body in the trunk of her car. she have admitted they have never collected air samples before, they are not trained to do so. is this a risky piece of evidence to present to a jury? >> i think it's very risky. obviously, if it works, this would be a profound piece of evidence for the jurors. on the other hand, the prosecute

ares already have lots of testimony from varying witnesses about that powerful foul odor inside the trunk of the car. they say it was unmistakenably human decomposition. to use this novel science, something that potentially, if there were a conviction, could be the basis of being overturned on appeal, i'm not sure why the prosecutors want to go that far. >> yeah. pat, prior to this trial casey had said repeatedly that her daughter was kidnapped. then you have that opening argument from the defense that said, no, actually she wasn't kidnapped, she drown in the family pool and casey's father helped cover it up, in fact, casey was molested by her father george as a trial. what do you make of that defense strategy? >> i think it's a very stupid defense strategy. we thank you, jose baez. he's basically admitted that child died in the home, so we can already get that one out of the way. now we have all this physical testimony coming in about, you know, i think it's pretty good, actually, because what we're doing is showing that not only did that child die in the home, but then casey's running around

with a car with her dead child in the back of it. so, they set up -- the prosecution set up a good thing. they showed her as a really cold-blooded psychopath for the past week. i think anybody sitting there is going, wow, you know, that's a scary woman. and jose baez made another stupid move by throwing the antho anthonys under the bus. only three people in the world that believe in casey and he just tossed them out. i mean, now there's nobody. i think the jury is already looking at her as someone capable of killing and now the physical evidence is showing she's the one that had the body with her. >> do you think the defense will have to put casey on the stand? >> i think they're up against the wall right now. there's not much left they can do. i think they actually might take the chance of putting her on the stand hoping, because they have a little interesting thing going on with cindy anthony. cindy anthony was not well liked until cindy anthony took the stand. now there are people out there saying, we really feel sorry for cindy. now, i guess they might be hoping casey can pull off the

same thing. put her on the stand, have her start sobbing and crying and looking pitiful and maybe one person on the jury will say, that's one messed up girl. maybe she really didn't kill her daughter on purpose. i think that's what the defense is going to hope for. >> pat brown, savannah guthrie, thank you both. now let's get a check of the weather from al. >> "today's" weather is brought to you by new carmel. >> got a little surprise for your grandma? >> i do! grandma, she's in enid, oklahoma, we want to tell her i'm expecting and this will be her fourth great grandchild. >> that's fantastic. when are you due? >> december. >> is this your first? >> my first, too. >> hope you're watching, grandma. >> they're on central time. let's check your weather and see what's happening. we're watching the tropics, area of low pressure south of grand caymen has a chance of -- even

if. it doesn't become a tropical depression, may cause problems in florida with moisture. eastern two-thirds of the country above normal temperatures, midweek period more above normal temperatures from texas into the northeast and colder weather, cooler weather, out west. and then the latter part of the week, that heat hangs into the southeast, mid-atlantic states below normal and plains, showers out west and tropical moisture possible down in >> it is going to be a nice day. fog of burning off as we head through the morning. comfortable

got the birthday girl here, 16. what's your name? >> emma. >> like your wings. don't forget f you're flying with knees wings, you can check your weather any time of the day or night, go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. meredith? >> al, thank you very much. and up next, should they stay or should they go? the tough choice facing a whopping 80% of homeowners in las vegas who are now under water. plus, kate gosselin on her life now, the kids and her relationship with jon. first, these messages. erika: ... my computer is the same as a new computer. vo: so to show her what she's missing, we built a pc store in her house. erika: (gasp) employee: come on in. make yourself at home! erika: this is my home! employee: let's take a look! erika: (lifting laptop) it's really light. honey, help me shop! employee: you can get up to seven hours on this battery. jesse: the color really pops out. employee: everything's wireless. wireless keyboard. jesse: that's impressive. i like this one better. erika: and i like this one... vo: new pc. what's it gonna be? erika: i'm a pc, and i got what i wanted. jesse: as usual.

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gambling you think of the large cluster of lights that make up the las vegas strip. it turns out some of the biggest bets in this town were made in the real estate market, in the homes and suburbs that surround the strip. now, a recent report shows that the las vegas area home prices are now at a level that they were the same when bill clinton was president. in parts of las vegas, it's tough to get to know your neighbors when 80% of them are under water with their mortgages. >> one day they're there, the next day it's like, they're gone, too? it's definitely very sad to think how many people it's affecting. >> reporter: back in 200 5 when the real estate market was red hot, they had to win a lottery for a chance to purchase this home. >> doesn't seem like a lottery when it's worth half of what we paid for it. >> reporter: they have one child in college, another on the way, and like many americans, they put their savings into real estate. >> we've always thought that was going to pay for our kids' education somewhere down the road.

now, 6 1/2 years into it, it's virtually all gone. >> reporter: yet, they refuse to go into foreclosure. >> we signed those papers. and i don't want to walk away from it. i don't want to live with the conscience, my conscience. >> reporter: they're part of a shrinking group of homeowners thinking with their conscience and not their wallets. >> we're seeing a new base of homeowners, people who can actually afford their mortgage payments but are electing to strategically default or let their house go into foreclosure because they're so far under water. >> reporter:tivemy murphy thinks walking away hurts her home and her neighborhood. you live on a street where two houses next to you are in foreclosure. is that the new normal? >> unfortunately, it is. it's embarrassing for us when we have people over. >> reporter: her home has it all. views, a koi pond, a great kitchen and $200,000 in negative equity. >> my husband says he feels stupid and i get angry.

you know, and i don't know what the answer is. >> reporter: by not walking away, experts say families like the murphies are keeping the real estate market from another freefall. >> if everyone was under water defaulted on their mortgage we'd be in really serious trouble. >> reporter: the same experts say those most under water may not live to see their homes bounce back. >> for those that stick it out there should be a reward in the end, a star next to their name to say, they did what was right, they paid their bills. >> reporter: and credit counselors we spoke with say if your financial situation is so dire, you're thinking about walking away from your mortgage and, two programs, cash for keys where a bank or lender will give you cashes for keys to vacate the property or a deed for lease, which means you transfer your property deed over to the lender but you stay in your home and pay rent to that lender. matt? >> tom in las vegas for us this morning, thank you very much. coming up next, would you

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for a chicken. $90 for a sheep. $300 for a cow. >> doesn't get any better than this. >> reporter: the bizarre spectacle has become a big hit on youtube. >> this is unbelievable. >> reporter: the park describes this as a thrilling scene of tigers preying on other animals, viewed from what it calls the number one adventure bus. though, in january spectators got more than they bargained for when the driver of one of these buses was dragged off and killed after he stepped out to check his engine. this park has been extremely successful in breeding a lot of very hungry tigers. what's less clear is just how much this has to do with conservation. there are at most only 20 siberian tigers left in the wild in china, having been hunted to near extinction because their body parts are highly prized in folk medicine. conservation is protecting these

endangered wild tigers should be the priority. >> to ensure we have good quality natural habitat for tiger and to protect the tiger in the well. >> reporter: teasing the tigers is all part of the fun at harbin. in the wild one individual has a massive range. they're not naturally social animals, but here they're crowded in and encouraged to hunt in packs. tigers bred this way will never survive in the wild. we found a surprising amount of criticism among visitors. >> you know, tiger is from the wild, yeah. they have to live in, you know, the wild. >> you know, the tiger here have no freedom. >> reporter: the conservation movement is growing in china, and with it, an appreciation that's saving these mighty animal, the world's largest tiger, means so much more than ghoulish entertainment on a tiger farm. for "today," ian williams,

harbin, china. >> i think it's disgusting. >> we have been here shaking our head. i'm all for saving the tigers. >> of course, but what they're doing is -- >> not for throwing cows down and watching them happen. >> and getting off on it. everybody's excited. it's terrible. just ahead, kate gosselin. she's going to talk about what's going on with the kids, her private life. just celebrated her birthday. man: everybody knows you should save for retirement, but what happens when you're about to retire? woman: how do you go from saving to spending? fidelity helped us get to this point, and now we're talking about what comes next. man: we worked together to create a plan to help our money last. woman: so we can have the kind of retirement we want. now, you know how this works. just stay on the line. oh, yeah. fidelity investments. turn here.

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>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get a check on the morning commute with traffic pulse 11 and sarah caldwell. >> it back up on northbound 895 from the toll plaza towards the harbor tunnel. 10 miles per hour due to a disabled vehicle taking up the left lane. conway street close and it is city. take 395 to mlk as your alternate. bit of a delay on the inner

loop, also on the out of the northeast side. and volume-related delays. we still have one on southbound 83 just past middletown road. dry times, 16 minutes through the spot with the disabled vehicle is. 20 minutes on the out of west side. -- outer loop west side. what a mess. here is what it looks like at childs st. out of the toll plaza. let's switch over to the other side of the tunnel. you can see where the disabled vehicle continues to block the left lane. tony has a check on the forecast. >> at least the weather is nice. temperatures right now in the 60's. low 80s this afternoon. there was fog earlier this morning. most of that has burned off now. 74 in the city. 66 in rock hall. mostly sunny and pleasant.

temperature of 82 or 83 this afternoon. we will turn up the heat tomorrow. 90s on wednesday and thursday. scattered thunderstorms should cool off going into the beginning of the weekend on saturday and sunday. >> we will have another live update at 8:25.

we're back at 8:00 on a monday morning. it's the 6th day of june, 2011. et cetera a gorgeous start to the day here in new york city. we have not a cloud in the sky. temperature is about 64 degrees, greeting these people who come from all over the country. some places -- sometimes we get people from all over the world. we welcome them and we're going to say hi to them in just a couple of minutes. i'm matt lauer along with meredith vieira and al roker. coming up, an emotional story out of florida. a teacher caught on videotape

actually punching a student in the face. she was suspended. she will not face criminal charges. she says this was self-defense and she's going to join us in a couple minutes to tell us her side of thor to. should she get her job back? >> we'll talk to kate gosselin, her show "kate plus 8" returns tonight. we'll see how she's doing, how the kids are and what is her relationship with jon like these days. and natalie morales taps into her inirdiva by going on a latin soap opera. we'll show you her performance. >> i'm a married woman and my -- >> looks like the scene in the makeup room every day. normal stuff. speaking of natalie, ann is off. natalie is standing by at the news desk with a check of the headlines. >> good morning. we have serious news beginning right now with one of the deadly attacks on u.s. troops in iraq

this year. the military says five american service members were killed overnight in central iraq. iraqi officials say it happened during a rocket attack. high winds and hot, dry weather are frustrating firefighters trying to make headway against one of the worst wildfires in arizona history. mandatory evacuations are in effect. flood emergencies were declared in seven states along the missouri river. german health officials are now focusing on bean sprouts as the possible source of that deadly e. coli outbreak. michelle kosinski with the very latest. good morning. >> reporter: hi, natalie. it's been like e. coli csi. one of the big mysteries, why are the victims so young, healthy, highly educated, affluent? if this is the source of the mutant, highly toxic strain of e. coli, which some officials feel it is, it's an organic

sprout farm that served nice restaurants all over northern germany. hamburg has been the epicenter of the deadliest known e. coli outbreak, but now state health ministers say this beautiful farm 50 miles south is looking like the source. they say sprouts grown here, several types, went to a number of upscale restaurants and markets where people ate before becoming violently ill. reportedly some farm workers also got sick. now it's shut down and all it's produce, herbs, fruit, flowers, recalled. >> translator: in our opinion, this is the most convincing trail. >> reporter: 21-year-old student, the bacteria attacking her kidneys and eyesight, every day must have all of her blood plasma replaced. >> when i was getting sicker and sicker -- >> reporter: she says the only thing she ate that her family didn't is strawberries. this is still a mystery and almost all the victims, young and strong.

doctors have never seen anything like it. what we have seen, more than three dozen times since 1995, are bacterial outbreaks linked to sprouts. one in japan in 1996 sickened 9,000 people, killed 17. the cdc and fda then issued warnings in the u.s. not to eat raw sprouts. for children, the elderly and people with weakened immunity. turns out the highly nushtritio greens is produced every year in the u.s. can be a perfect bacteria breeding ground. scientists say because of the nutrients, moisture and heat they contain. often the contamination is in the seeds they grow from. if test results today show the deadly e. coli is here, then this outbreak can finally end. some of the tests done on this farm have come back negative. if you're worried about sprouts, health officials say, look, the vast majority of food borne

illness comes from animal products. still, the fda saw fit just in the last year and the year before to again warn people about the risks. natalie? >> michelle kosinski in germany, thanks so much. now let's head to wall street with cnbc's courtney reagan at the new york stock exchange. good morning. >> good morning. the chatter on wall street today surrounds the state of the economy. following friday's disappointing jobs report the big question is, is the recovery temporarily stalling or ready to hit the skids? investors hoping stocks can gain some positive traction as the dow records its longest weekly losing streak since 200 4. natalie, back to you. >> courtney reagan at new york stock exchange, thank you. that connecticut teen briefly banned from his prom had a night to remember saturday. james tate escorted his date to the big dance and was even voted

co-king of the event. she says her date was funny and pretty cute and she looks mighty beautiful herself. 8:05. back outside. glad they had a great time at their prom. >> good for them. >> why did you say it was going to rain? it's gorgeous out today. >> i think you said it was going to rain. >> i don't think so i. >> i said we don't have a cloud in the sky. >> just two more days, just two more days. over to you with the weather. >> i still marvel. it's like there's another channel running in her head. she's watching another show. i love it. >> yeah, come thursday. i'm kidding. >> nice! yeah, yeah. hey, there you go. you turn 40 in new york city. what's your name? >> stacy. >> where are you from? >> houston. >> was it fun turning 40 in new york? >> absolutely. >> come back for 50. >> i sure will. >> let's check your weather. we'll show you for today, lacrosla crosse, wisconsin, hot, humid, 92 degrees. yow! as we look on the

satellite/radar, not a lot going on. strong storms making their way through parts of the southeast, the southwest, southern california may see a few morning showers. risk of strong storms possible today. back in the plains and around the great lakes. the record heat continues from the gulf coast of texas into the southeast, mid-atlantic states as far north as minneapolis. beautiful here in the northeast today. lots of sunshine and temperatures will be in the upper 70s to the low 80s. your tenth anniversary with you guys. >> yes. >> everybody was kind much standing together there. and they said it would nev i >> nice quiet start to the work week. in little bit of fog of burning off as we head through the morning. mostly sunny. high temperature of around 82.

and that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you very much. up next, the florida teacher caught on camera punching a student in the face. she will not face charges but will she get her job back? we'll talk to her right after this. [ male announcer ] can a cup of coffee fill an entire community with joy? maxwell house believes so. that's why we've partnered with rebuilding together to help revitalize communities in need.

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being the squeaky wheel is just not their style. you'll find them with their heads down, working their butts off. ♪ occasionally, they look up from their work, look behind them, see the pack in the distance, then put their heads back down and begin working again. the new chrysler town & country. quietly, convincingly the best-selling minivan in america. we're back now at 11 after 8:00 with a florida high school teacher cut on kaut on camera punching a student. prosecutors have decide she won't be charged. we'll talk to that theecher ee teacher exclusively.

>> reporter: the video from a student's cell phone is shaky and lasts a few moments but it shows the intense confrontation between a florida art teacher and a student. >> i told you, step back! >> oh, my god! >> get away from me. >> he didn't do anything. you can't punch him in the face. >> he did. he pushed into me. >> you can't call him stupid. >> reporter: 64-year-old sandra hadsock lands a punch to the student, cutting his lip. others say what the student didn't show is backing her against the wall and calling her vulgar names. the student has not made any public comment and has not been identified. hadsock, voted as teacher of the year last year, was arrested and charged with felony child abuse after the incident last month. the school placed her on leave. the first time she's been disciplined in her 23 years in the district. the state's attorney's office has now dropped the charge because it says it appears hadsock acted in self-defense. her future with the school is uncertain.

school officials say they're still decides whether she has a job. >> certainly, our evaluation and our determination is based on what's best in the interest of the students in this school district. >> reporter: the teachers union representative says there are times when teachers have to defend themselves against students who threaten them. >> it's easy to take a look as a monday quarterback and say, you can do this, you can do that, but at that very second, when you see that student coming at you, when you see a person coming at you expressing violent terms at you, what are you to do? >> reporter: hadsock was not allowed to attend graduation friday night but yet she's hopeful she can return to the school and job she loves. >> sandy hadsock is with us exclusively with her attorney, ty tyson. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> you were acting viscerally to watching that videotape. a couple of things. you gasped at the moment of the punch. you want people to know, this is just a very small portion of

that tape. >> well, the tape only captured a very small portion of the whole incident. >> and the entire incident lasted how long? >> probably a minute. that's the second time he comes at me. and the first time he made physical contact and it was pretty frightening. >> we can't say -- i'm going to ask you to characterize the types of comments he was making, but clearly keeping in mind, this is a live morning show. don't get too detailed. what kind of things was he saying? >> he screamed you f'ing and punched his fingered fist in the air coming at me. he called me a stupid f'ing -- >> did you have a past experience with him? was there a history here? >> no. he was clearly dangerous, but i had not had encounters like this before. >> so, he's coming toward you after this encounter started. when he began to approach you

and you are now backed against that door, did you assume this was going to get violent on his part? >> no. i was afraid, because of the look in his face. it was very vicious and violent looking. but i've been teaching all these years. i never assumed that he would attack me. but he just came on and, like, chu chest bumped me -- >> other students in the room saying, you can't do that. you can't punch him. you can't even call him stupid. so, were you not getting any support from the other students in the room? >> that one person was very vocal, but she was not in a position to see that he had made contact. students who were over to the side who saw it wrote in their statements, which is why the state's attorney looked at their statements, the ones who could see, and looked at the video and determined that this could be self-defense. >> you went to the principal's

office, then the police were called. you were actually cuffed, i believe, put in the back of a car, taken to the precinct. had you that mug shot, which you gasped at also, taken. were you surprised the school administration did not stand more firmly behind you? >> yes, i did. i don't know what position they considered themselves in, but i felt really strung out there except for my union representative. by the way, the sro, the school resource officer, was very polite in that he walked me out to the car. i sat in the front seat. and then cuffed me there. >> do you want your job back? i mean, you know, i mean, is this something -- has this completely changed your impression of this school, of teachi teaching? >> i do want my job back because of the large percentage of students that are wonderful

human beings, that are going to grow up and be productive, health y happy citizens and love art, that love me. i love them in return. and it's a small faction of students that's making it so bad all across the nation. >> ty, where does this go? >> well, i'm hoping that the school district realizes that you don't lose your god-given and statutory right to defend yourself just because of the status of your life of being a teacher. i mean, this is a profession that was honored at one time. now, we're really losing control in schools and we're hoping the school district recognizes teacher of the year, a 22-year veteran that started the day that school started and has a right to defend herself. >> do you regret anything you did? when you look at the tape, do you regret the way you handled it? >> i don't know if i would say -- i -- i can't say i regret

what happened. i'm really sorry that i was put in a situation where that's what i felt like i had to do. i had to defend myself from this violent person. >> sandy hadsock and ty tyson, we'll follow this story. let's catch up with kate gosselin after this. first, these messages. i can't let allergies stop me from leading the way.

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back now with kate gosselin, per hit tlc reality show "kate plus 8" returns with a twist. she gets a surprise night out in new york city while the kids reek havoc back home. good morning. >> good morning. >> this is nice to have you by yourself with your buddy that takes to new york city. what was that like to be without the kids? >> a surprise. a very good surprise. it was -- i don't know. i just realized how much i'm at home and working. and it was one of the best weekends ever. >> did you hit you that maybe you've neglected yourself along the way, or does that come with the territory, being a mom? >> yeah, it does. i focus more on my kids and exercise and i haven't neglected myself, but, you know, she had to throw in a couple things that made me uncomfortable. >> like what? >> well, she made me go to a club. we all know how i don't dance. >> well, you know, that's not fair. you did a good job on "dancing with the stars." you did. you don't like that scene at

all, huh? >> not so much. >> she might have been hoping you met someone. i know we hound you about this, about the dating scene, but where are you in that in your life? >> probably still the same place i was the last time i was here. i mean, i'm ready. the kids have talked about it, have brought it up, saying, are you going to get married any time soon? >> really? >> i say, you usually have to be dating somebody from you get married. leah said that at dinner. she said, it's kind of getting boring around here with just you. i took that at permission, really. >> right. >> and the other kids agreed. it's good. it's good to see them moving that way. >> seriously, have you to move that way, too. >> i just don't feel like i'm anywhere where i'm going to meet anyone. i don't know. it's hard the second time around. >> sometimes it happens when you least expect it to. when you go looking for it, that's when you don't find, it obviously. how are the kids doing it? last time you were here, two were taken out of skooshlgs collin and alexis because of some problems, they were being home schooled but it all worked out. >> they returned shortly after i

was here the last time. they returned to school and successfully completed the year. i'm so proud of them. they've done a great job. all of the kids have done a great job this year. so, it's all good. >> yeah. i don't know, do you ever really adjust to a divorce, children? >> you know, people tell me that for the rest of your life you hope your parents get back together. since that is definitely not the case here, you know, i can give them that permission to hope and wish and just be there for them and be supportive and talk about anything they want to talk about. i think through this experience, my kids and i have grown so, so much closer. you know, overall, i'm very happy. >> what about your relationship with jon, how is it? >> he -- you know, in a positive change, i mean, he's definitely, you know, in a situation where he's doing better for the kids, trying to provide a more stable place for them to visit. i'll give him credit there. the kids come home happy

generally. if they're happy, i'm happy. >> and are the kids still happy doing "kate plus 8"? >> they love it. maddie mentioned she feels like it could come to an end. she said, i don't want to be done. i said, i don't want to be done either. they're constantly asking, what are we going? what's next? they are still enjoying it. i think they would miss our crew if they weren't around. i mean, i say often, i can't get my kids -- my 10-year-olds to do their homework if they don't want to do it, so certainly i'm not going to get them to film a show happily if they're not doing it. if i have that magic, i mean -- >> what's coming up with the series this time around? >> well, tonight is my birthday in new york, as you mentioned. we have an easter, an awesome easter episode coming. we have a gross dinner episode that i won't talk about more. it was my brainy idea and it sort of was gross. >> we'll leave it the-t at that. kate gosselin, always a pleasure to see you.

best of luck to you and your family. we're back after your local news. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell. >> still a mess for motorists on 895 on the northbound direction from potee to chiles. lanes are blocked to let people off at childs st. so you don't get in the tunnel. disabled vehicle in the northbound lanes that hall bird. heavy delays leading up to that.

again, you are being diverted off at childs st.. northbound 100, accident coming in there. there is your delay leading up to the harbor tunnel. if you are going to travel at caroline street and ashland ave, we have an accident coming in. watch for the closures and take 395 and m.l.k. as your alternate. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> add these to the weather is nice. very comfortable start. we will make it into the low seventies this afternoon. 68 in westminster. 69 degrees in rock hall. mostly sunny skies. a few fairweather team is clouds this afternoon. -- cumulus clouds this afternoon. we are going to turn up the heat

the next couple of days. 30% chance for a thunderstorm. well into the 90s on wednesday. it should cool off going into the weekend it with scattered showers and thunderstorms on thursday. >> we will have another update at 8:55.

8:30 on this monday morning, the 6th of june, 2011. a lovely morning for a little sight seeing in the heart of midtown manhattan. we have a great group of people starting it off in rockefeller plaza. i'm meredith vieira alongside matt lauer and natalie morales.

here she comes. and mr. roker. >> yes, i ended up traveling to south america for a special series for a starring role on the hit latin show. let me tell you, that drama was flying on and off the set, even a cat fight is involved. you'll see some of that coming up. >> you're a tough cookie, based on what we've seen. >> i can throw a good cat fight. >> no stunt double? you did all your own stunts? >> i did my own stunts. i rode on a horse and almost got flipped off. >> meaning? >> the horse. >> oh, okay. didn't know where we were going with that. >> you know, i'm going to take it in another direction. we're going over to the grill and meet the winningest man in barbecue. >> i thought that was you. >> no, no. this is the real deal. byron mixon. >> that looks good. >> sausage. >> before we go any further, can we say hi to two stars of very

hot shows on usa network. >> hi. >> hi. >> how are you guys? >> let me get this right. you're starting season three, starting season two. the critics love these shows. does that make it easy? does that take the pressure off? >> no. >> no? >> not really. >> why not? i think you could coast and say, they love us. >> i think we're digging in more deeper. >> it gets excited when you know people are watching. >> remind us of your character. you're a con man but helping -- >> prison sentence shortened to help consult the fbi on white collar crime. >> and you're a cia agent. >> yes. >> so, maybe there will be some cross -- >> i keep getting this tomorrow write a crossover. >> you're back to back, right? >> pretty much. >> what happens with your character this year? >> the first year i was a rookie in the cia so this year i've had

some experience they're letting me do bigger missions, i'm traveling internationally. >> is you're boyfriend going to survive? >> we'll find out in the first episode. >> talk about six degrees of kevin bacon. both you and matt were born in texas. >> correct. >> you and matt went to ou. and you -- piper, you and meredith both won gracies this year. >> wow! >> there you go. >> small world. small world. >> unbelievable. >> that's good. >> and you're both on the cover of "tv guide." there you go. >> very cool. >> very cute. >> you look beautiful, as always. >> oh, so sweet. >> she didn't even need hair and makeup. >> i thought you said she didn't need air and makeup. a woman without oxygen. >> doesn't need air. >> congratulations, season three and two, good luck. good to have you here.

and go bobcats. >> that's right. >> mr. roker with a check of the weather. >> yes, indeed. let's see what's happening today. risk of strong storms back through the plains, great lakes, wet weather in northern california. lots of heat from the gulf coast into the southeast. tomorrow, risk of strong storms in the eastern great lakes, western new york and pa, wet weather also through the west. we've also got that record-breaking heat continuing from the ohio and mississippi river valleys back into texas. that's what's going on >> it is going to be a nice day. fog of burning off as we head through the morning. comfortable

don't forget, you can get your weather any time of the day or night, weather channel. >> he was just attacked by a moth and it was nearly career-ending. by the way, can we tell you the season premiere of "white collar" at 9 p.m. followed by season premiere of "covert affairs" on our sister cable network usa. >> one of those brooklyn cockroaches. >> when they take flight -- >> coming up next, natalie heads to south america for a starring role on latin soap opera. first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪ [ female announcer ] have you ever seen a glacier while sunbathing? why not? have you ever climbed a rock wall in the middle of the ocean? or tried something really wild? why not? it's all possible in the nation of why not.

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back now at 8:37 with more of our special series "anchors abroad." we've visited some of the hottest television shows in

other parts of the world. >> this morning it is natalie's turn. >> why did i get the hard one? growing up as a little girl in south america and latin america, i was hooked on telenovelas but i never imagined starring a landing role in one. if i was going to steal the show i had to let my hair down and let my inner passion be my guide. >> reporter: colombia, south america, lush landscape, urban sophistication and bright people and the back drop for some of the most popular telenovela, filled with smimery skin, and enough love triangles to make a girl dizzy. and they see casanovas will be my leading men as i'm starring in an episode, the delmont

heirs. >> about five brothers who inherit a chunk of money and a beautiful woman comes to destroy their lives. >> reporter: all that drama unfolds right here at the stunning el portico ranch, shooting location for prime time telenovela. >> welcome. >> reporter: thank you. no, i'm definitely not in kansas anymore. and it feels like i'm in my own telenovela already. some of my co-stars welcome me with open arms. if not a little more. but others like margarita, who plays the show's villain, are feeling a little threatened. here she is ticked off because someone is stealing her lover. and here she is ticked off because i'm here. but natalie morales, telenovela

la star is above petty jealousy of petty actresses with fewer lines. i'll be playing the role of caroline wolf, spoiled daughter of texas tycoon who drags her to the tropics to buy thoroughbred horses from the brothers. >> you walk on the runway. to become a soap opera star, she has to believe that she's somebody else. and you smile with your eyes. >> reporter: veteran actress diana helps me flesh out details of my character. i must embody caroline wolf. at least that's what the acting book i read on the plane said. i have not acted since high school, but i will become this woman. ♪ >> are these the delmont brothers? >> reporter: my performance in the first few scenes is truly

emmy-worthy. typical story, girl comes to hot climate, really sizzling hot. is afraid of small insects. and falls right into the arms of a young romeo, a very uncomfortable plot line. and i don't like where this is going. [ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: after all, i'm a married woman and i'm also a lady. so, you're going to be my love interest. >> exactly. >> reporter: there's not going to be a lot of love going on. >> no fake kiss? >> no kiss. must be realistic. >> reporter: you're saying had this is a deal-breaker? >> it's just a kiss. >> hey, diva. >> where are you going? >> reporter: my contract clearly states no nudity, no fuschsia and an endless supply of corn nuts. where are those corn nuts anyway? hello, corn nuts. breck speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: it's about time. no attitude either, missy. and absolutely no kissing.

these aren't nacho flavored. these are gross. >> i hear natalie doesn't want to do kiss kisses and she wants to be a te will he noti telenoe? she's crazy. >> reporter: the husband has gone off to make sure the horses have good teeth. seizing the moment, my character's love interest kidnaps me by throwing me on a horse and dragging me toward an abandoned sugar factory nearby. jose has no idea my husband, both on set and off, will kill him! as the day progresses, i feel the cast and crew turning against me. ow! i can't fathom why. >> i hear there's a lot of tension between margarita and natalie. natalie should know she cannot go there because there's going to be a lot of trouble.

>> watch out with margarita, natalie. watch out. >> reporter: you know i don't speak spanish. and then out of the blue, it happens. i cross paths with my nemesis margarita at the snack table. when i accidentally grab the last occasion she goes loco. ♪ >> reporter: that's how it's done. >> reporter: but i handle her with the grace of a true thespian. it's still in here, page 6, the kiss. this has to be out. you fix it. unfortunately, the producers are a little more difficult to manage.

on set, tempers are flaring and i'm in a bit of a pickle. back at the sugar factory, jose and caroline are in the midst of an innocent game of charades when in storms my husband in a jealous rage, guns blazing. >> i like your woman. >> reporter: all this over little old me? a girl could get used to so much attention. >> that is enough! >> natalie. >> reporter: behind the scenes, morning news and 4 a.m. wake-up calls seem so far away right now. and then i remember the words of my wise mentor, diana -- >> she becomes her. si? easy. >> reporter: to succeed, i must go through with it. >> just a little kiss. just one. >> reporter: should i? well -- no, i can't. but maybe. nope, definitely not going to happen.

but -- >> cut! >> that's a wrap. >> reporter: but wait? hey! i'm ready. i can do this now. come on. i can do this! come back here! >> thank god that didn't work out all that well. i do want to thank my evil nemesis who was actually very sweet. she taught me to cat fight like a pro, special thanks goes out to the cast and crew for putting up with my very diva-like behavior. so, i was just acting after all, guys. >> i don't know. >> you wanted us to see some of the reviews that came in. have you seen these? >> emmy worthy, right? >> we went online and saw reviews. one said, what the heck is natalie doing on this show? i saw her screaming and doing a bad job. she needs to stay on "today" show. acting is not her thing. >> that's good. i like that. >> we thought you did very well. we really did. >> did you happen to notice, my

acting may not have been all that great but did you notice my assistant, the girl who brought me the corn nuts? take a look. good, huh? my evil twin. >> i couldn't get over -- >> she stole the scene, brilliant, emmy-worthy. >> i couldn't get over the men. unbelievable. >> why didn't you come? >> i'm going to the sugar factory. >> in lieu of an emmy, because that's not happening, we decided instead to celebrate your birthday. >> >> happy birthday. >> happy birthday. >> look at this right here. he's better than corn nuts. >> happy birthday, sweetheart. >> thank you. >> cheers. >> cheers. >> cheers. >> happy birthday. >> happy birthday. >> i'm not 40 yet. not yet. >> up next, we'll head outside for some tasty pointers from a three-time world barbecue champion. this is "today" on nbc.

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woof.

this morning on "today's kitchen," mouth watering taste on the grill, myron mixon with a few recipes, the most winningest man in barbecue. his new cookbook "smoking with myron mixon." good to see. >> you good to see you. >> what makes your stuff -- why do you win so many awards? >> i pay a lot of attention to flavor profiles. that's what it comes down to. if everybody can get it done, get it moist, tender, then it's a flavor contest. you have to always be tweaking, changing thing. i think i'm very good at it. >> always be tweaking. >> always be tweaking. >> abt. so, we're making an interesting pork loin, stuffed pork loin. >> we've got sausage stuffed

bacon wrapped pork tenderloin. >> nothing wrong with that. >> what do we start with? >> first thing, we have our sausage here. we have to make a hole big enough for it. take a steel and a regular turkey baster. go in there to make the hole bigger. >> what kind of sausage is this? >> any kind you want to use. >> frozen? >> put them in the freezer for a little while. it makes them easier to go up in it. then we take a little of our rub. >> dry rub? >> dry rub. >> is that a secret rub you got there? >> it's one i use in the competition. it's in the cookbook. then we take it, wrap it in bacon, lay it in the smoker. >> is this direct heat or indirect? >> indirect. we leave it bland in the middle that way it's doing indirect smoke. you'll have the grill covered to hold the heat in all throughout the process. >> how long will this take? >> takes about an hour and 15 minutes. >> what are you glazing that with? >> apple juice, a little apple

jelly, vinegar, corn syrup. >> and you just keep beasti iba? >> keep basting it. let it rest. then our next little dish we got here. this right here is coca-cola marinated chicken. it's a little version of what my grandmother used to do on top of the stove. she used to smother chicken in coca-cola. reach in there, get your chicken, been marinating overnight in coca-cola, crushed garlic and onions. >> you come from a long line of barbecuers, don't you? >> my dad got me started. that's where the jack comes from, jack got me started. chicken rub with a little honey powder in it. >> more bacon. >> more bacon. got to have that fat because this white meat doesn't have a whole lot. >> not going to get an argument from me. as long as you got that bacon in there. how long will this sit on the grill?

>> about an hour and 15 minutes. these two products take the same length of time. >> indirect heat again? >> indirect heat again. we'll glaze these with the same sauce. see how it shines line a new penny? >> nice. >> doesn't that make it shine? >> it does. >> all right. we're going to come over here now. let our tenderloin rest. do a little of the slicing. >> like the gift that keeps giving. a little something inside there. what's the coleslaw you got there? >> that's my momma's coleslaw recipe, coarse chopped cabbage, tomato tomatoes, my rub, salt, coarse ground pepper. that's good, isn't it? >> that's fantastic. >> my grandpa used to make it all time. tea, almond extract, vanilla extract. >> that's terrific. >> she used to boil it down. i don't know why, she called it

jenkins punch. i figured it was an old boyfriend or something. >> myron mixon, the book is "smokin' with myron mixon." good to see. >> you good to see you. >> a lot more coming up but first this is "today" on nbc.

not bad. >> pretty good way to start the week. this really is. when we come back, we'll are

some tips -- oh, sorry. >> that's all right. >> i didn't -- you got so short. >> she's already kicking her heels off. >> what happened to your shoes? >> i couldn't run here fast enough. >> you got shorter. >> we'll talk tips about when you should hire a home stager to sell your home. >> okay. >> okay. >> how to learn the signs your body -- >> what happened to you. >> people know how short i am.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. and mindy basara. here is a look at one of our top stories. the manager of an edgewood kfc is recovering from surgery after being stepped the attempted robbery up a mother with a knife in her shoulder. they were closing the restaurant one at two suspects forced their way in. she was stabbed when she tried to reach for a button. the suspects were scared off and left with no cash. left with no cash. back in a minute w

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>> now let's look at the forecast with tony pann. >> it is going to be a nice day today. temperatures in the 60's and 70's. you will see if you fairweather cumulus clouds developed. but still mostly sunny. sunset's this evening at 8:30. we turn up the heat and humidity tomorrow. 30% chance for a thunderstorm. hot on wednesday. the-to-mid-90's. it should cool off with scattered thunderstorms going into the weekend. >> another weather update at 9:25.