good morning. triple threat. troubling situations at three nuclear facilities in the u.s. los alamos, new mexico evacuated, as a wildfire rages near that city's secretive nuclear lab. in nebraska, floodwaters threaten two more facilities near there. we're live in both states. iowa tea party, sarah palin heads to the hawkeye state the day after michele bachmann kicked off her presidential campaign there. they worry bachmann will be, quote, palinized. and grand slam, princess kathryn dazzles the crowd in wimbledon and 30 minutes after

she shows up, her dress sells out online as the couple prepares to head to north america today, tuesday, june 28th, 2011. from nbc news, this is "today." with matt lauer, and ann curry. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. # captions paid for by nbc-universal television welcome, i'm ann curry. >> i'm matt lauer. this morning, firefighters are struggling, trying to hold back the flames near the los alamos national laboratory. officials, though, are insisting the hazardous materials inside that facility are safe. >> that's right. authorities ordered a mandatory evacuation of the 12,000 residents. we'll get the latest on the situation there and the flooding fears around nebraska ahead. also ahead, another strange twist in the casey anthony case. her lawyers asked the judge to declare a mistrial. that happened on monday. this after anthony underwent and

passed mental evaluations over the weekend. so we're going to get some details live from the courthouse on that subject. also this morning, an 18-year-old who just graduated from high school nearly beaten to death by a group of fellow teens in south carolina. he was apparently the victim of a random attack. he's going to share his story in a live interview later this morning. >> tough images to look at. also ahead, the kids out of school, 4th of july weekend around the corner. how do you make sure your kids have a good time, but at the same time stay safe. answers in today's whip. let's begin with three nuclear facilities being threatened by mother nature, wildfires and floods, putting sensitive sites at risk. two reports beginning with nbc's janet shamlian in los alamos. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the fire threatening the los alamos laboratory is not looking better today. in fact, flames are now within four miles of the center of this town.

and firefighters are saying that this blaze could still double or triple in size. now, in terms of the laboratory and the hazardous materials stored there, the lab will be closed for a second day today, but special teams have been brought in to monitor those levels. it seemed to come out of nowhere. this time lapse video shows a broad column of heavy smoke pouring out of the city of los alamos. seemingly chasing its 12,000 residents as they fled their homes. as a voluntary evacuation turned mandatory and urgent in a matter of hours. mark nyberg, a lifelong resident, who has seen his share of wildfires here, says he has never seen one grow so dangerous, so fast. >> it kicked in really fast. i mean, it was amazing how quickly it got here. >> reporter: by midday monday, fire had crossed the boundary of the los alamos national laboratory. >> the headquarters and secretive center for u.s. nuclear research. a massive complex with 2,000

buildings spread out over 36 square miles. officials acknowledged the threat, but insisted all hazardous and radioactive materials were protected and the fire had not reached essential buildings. >> i will not say it's not going to go in the lab. we're doing our best to keep it off the laboratory. >> reporter: as word of the mandatory evacuation spread, cars were bumper to bumper trying to get out of town. >> what makes me nervous, only one way out of here. >> reporter: while thousands left, the national guard moved in. with a quantity of supplies that indicated they would be here for a while. los alamos has absolutely cleared out. while it's easy to see the smoke, what you can't see is the ash falling from the sky floating in the air. and yet even amid the threat, a desire to stay and help. at a small diner on the edge of town, they turned out meals like it was thanksgiving. and in a way, it was. >> we're a small business, but we can make a difference. and that's important.

>> reporter: and in terms of other help, air tankers and helicopters were grounded yesterday, due to those high winds. that really put firefighters at a disadvantage. we should know within a few hours whether they can get back into the air today. matt, back to you. >> all right, janet shamlian in los alamos this morning. thank you very much. floodwaters in nebraska are the cause for concern around two more nuclear plants. nbc's mike taibbi is at the ft. calhoun plant surrounded by the swollen missouri river. mike, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. this is the most serious threat from flooding ever faced by a nuclear power plant in the u.s. and all eyes are on the two reactor facilities here in eastern michigan, the ft. calhoun plant, as you say, which is behind me, and the cooper station unit, about 80 miles down river. authorities who have been inspecting and monitoring both facilities say neither one is in immediate danger. >> the way it's laid out -- >> reporter: the ft. calhoun plant is now virtually an island. but even though a so-called aqua

berm collapsed and failed sunday morning, sort of a huge water-filled inner tube to shield the facility from the rising missouri, they say that was a secondary safety measure, and other emergency procedures have done their job. >> we were ready for this. we practiced, drilled, trained. and so when the actual event happened, we put in all those things which are working well today. >> reporter: in fact, a tour of some of the plant structures show water tank doors and barriers have held. and extra pumps and sandbagging and emergency generators are all in position, if needed. >> i'm worried. >> reporter: but over at the rustic inn, owner faith stevenson and customers like retired farmer raymond zekeus hope. >> it's out of our control. >> reporter: they say in minot, north dakota, where one-fourth of the town remain under water and 4,000 homes have already been swamped.

and even though the river has crested, thousands of other homeowners up and down stream are getting help from the national guard and army corps of engineers. but the worst, a breach of one of nebraska's two nuclear reactors at ft. calhoun or 80 miles down river at cooper station is not at hand. and, says the federal agency in charge, not likely. >> fundamentally, we don't believe that the plant is posing an immediate threat to public health and safety. >> reporter: by the way, north dakota's governor got a call from the white house yesterday. president obama expressed his concerned for the people living in the flood plain and offered additional federal help as the state and region struggled to recover. matt? >> mike taibbi covering this story for us, thanks very much. it's 7 after the hour. here's ann. now to politics. in the 2012 presidential race, iowa holds the first content in the gop nomination battle and it's already getting a lot of attention from big names who

have and haven't declared. kelly o'donnell is in pella, iowa this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. well, when the name palin and the state iowa are in the same sentence, it gets people wondering, will she or won't she run? we know sarah palin will be at an opera house tonight for the premier of a movie about her. meanwhile, another presidential campaign is actually debuting in iowa for a woman who is not leaving any mystery about her plans. >> we can win in 2012, and we will win! >> reporter: michele bachmann's campaign kickoff played up every bit of hometown girl appeal. >> i often say that everything i need to know i learned in iowa. >> reporter: that now includes vying for attention with the tea party's other force. sarah palin is here to launch a movie, not a campaign. a documentary-style, glossy

review of her time as alaska governor. with the curious title "undefeated." >> she was the ceo of 25,000 employees. >> of all the 50 governors in the united states, she was sitting at the desk as one of the most powerful. and she wasn't afraid to use those powers. >> reporter: mitt romney focused solely on the president. >> president obama had said if he hadn't turned the economy around, in three years, that it was a one-term proposition. well, he's absolutely right. >> reporter: back in iowa, bachmann ran with that same obama quote. >> if i don't have this done in three years, then there's going to be a one-term proposition. >> reporter: but it's her own words causing more distraction. a comment that came out of left field. bachmann brought up actor john wayne as an example of waterloo's american spirit. >> but that sensibility of how we were grounded here, so important. for instance, another american that was born in waterloo, iowa,

was john wayne. >> reporter: but iowans will tell you john wayne was born in winter set. details that fit a pattern of factual errors that hurt bachmann. >> those kind of gaffes will catch up with her, and they're more meaningful and will get more attention because of her status. because she's not just someone running for office, she is the front runner in the iowa caucuses. >> reporter: bachmann did receive a personal apology from fox news host chris wallace for his question -- >> are you a flake? >> well, i think that would be insulting to say something like that, because i'm a serious person. i had not heard from him until supper time today when he called. he did apologize, and i was happy to accept his apology. and we'll move on. >> reporter: and tonight, the film about sarah palin will be screened by an audience invited by the local republican party, by the filmmakers, victory films. sarah and todd palin will be guests. there will also be a barbecue after the screening.

and you've got to think there will be questions about her own political future. matt? >> all right, kelly o'donnell in iowa this morning. thank you very much. congresswoman michele bachmann is with us this morning from manchester, new hampshire. congresswoman bachmann, nice to have you here again. thank you. >> good morning. always a pleasure. thank you for having me on. >> let's talk about the polls, the des moines register poll released over the weekend has you running neck and neck with mitt romney in that state. obviously, the iowa caucuses are important. you get a lot of early attention in the race. they haven't always, though, been the greatest predictor of who eventually gets the nomination. i think only 50% of the time. so are you at all concerned that your socially conservative views that make you very popular in iowa might not play as well down the road? >> well, i'm in new hampshire now. i was in this iowa yesterday, new hampshire today. i'm on my way to south carolina where we'll start a bus tour, and then we'll be back to iowa. i intend to have a 50-state campaign, because i intend to be

the nominee that takes on barack obama and defeats him in 2012. that's why we've had so many people flock to our new website launch at michellebachmann.com and facebook and twitter and recognize we are the candidate going places in this election. we're very excited with all of the response across the country. >> let's talk about some -- obviously, you talked to people around the country. they say jobs. that is the most important issue in the upcoming campaign. so what would you do today, congresswoman, that president obama is not doing to bring down the nation's unemployment rate of 9.1%? >> right. well, probably the first thing that i would do is, i would repeal obama care. that's the worst regulation that's come forward. i've talked to business owners all across the united states, and because of the fear of the uncertainty and the huge fines that employers will be imposed to pay to the federal government, they aren't hiring. and that's a very difficult

proposition. so i would do that. i would also not be looking at spending $1 trillion that we don't have. i would be cutting back on federal spending. i would also bring down the federal corporate tax rate. and i would be looking at theel federal regulatory burden, which costs our businesses $1.7 trillion a year. there's a lot we could do to turn this around. >> i remember back in april you were critical of the budget deal that was reached between republicans and democrats. you thought, i think, in some ways the republican leadership caved in. so are you confident now in the debate that's going on over raising the debt ceiling that people like mitch mcconnell and john boehner will not cave in and ke you angry again? >> well, we're -- this is the debt ceiling vote. and this would be allowing the federal government to continue borrowing money that we don't have. it's $2.4 trillion. and from what i've seen in my time in washington, is a lack of a serious attempt at cutting

spending. unless there's a serious attempt on cutting back federal spending, i just simply can't vote to raise the debt ceiling. >> no, and republicans have already said they cut that cut back in spending. are you confident there will not be a compromise of the nature that will make you angry again? >> i'm not confident at all. that's why i'm very concerned about what i'm seeing. i'm hopeful. i'm hopeful that politicians in washington will be listening to people on the ground. and there are a lot of good people. a lot of good colleagues that i have. but we have to deliver results for the american people. and turn the economy around so we get it on the right track. there's a lot of people that are suffering right now. i see them. i saw them in iowa yesterday. today i'll be with people in new hampshire. and when they see me in the backyard barbecues and town hall meetings, it's real. this isn't something that's hype. the suffering is real. and unfortunately, president obama is not paying attention to

what people are trying to get his attention and tell him. >> let me read you something. amy kraemer said to nbc's andrea mitchell monday, congresswoman bachmann, that you will be -- and this is her word i think , quote, palinized in this campaign. do you understand the verb, and what would your definition of it be? is. >> well, i know i bring a unique skill set to the race, that of being a former federal tax lawyer, my husband and i started a successful small business. we also started a charter school for at-risk children. >> i'm not trying to interrupt, but i'm asking specifically what this leader is worried about that you will be palinized. her word. what do you understand that to mean? >> well, i think that means that there will be a media onslaught of attack. but that's nothing new. that goes with the territory. it doesn't matter who the candidate is, whether they're male or female.

there will be attacks that come. and that's simply what we have to be prepared to deal with. and i'm prepared. >> all right. michele bachmann just announced her candidacy for the presidency. congratulations congresswoman, and again, thank you for your time this morning. >> thank you. we'll be back again soon. >> all right. we hope so. now let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories, natalie morales at the news desk. >> good morning. three u.s. nuclear facilities are under threat of fire and floods today, a new investigation out this morning finds the nuclear industry is now claiming that reactors can last for a century. but during the '60s and '70s, officials claimed reactors were designed to last only 40 years according to the associated press. the revision allows plants to extend their licenses with little on-site inspection and verification. rod blagojevich says he is stunned he was found guilty on 17 of 20 charges in his corruption retrial. he was convicted of all 11 charges involving his attempted

sale of president obama's one-time senate seat. texas lawmakers have passed a preliminary anti groping bill that would make an intentionally inappropriate touch during an airport security patdown a crime. this as outrage ignited after a 95-year-old cancer patient says she was forced to remove her adult diaper in order to clear security. the tsa denied the elderly woman was forced to remove the undergarment. and the largest breast cancer study ever showed women who were regularly screened for breast cancer were 30% less likely to die of the disease. the international team of researchers is blasting u.s. guidelines released two years ago that scaled back on mammogram recommendations. and inspirational moments from gabrielle giffords last night as she honored her husband at a nasa ceremony in houston.

she stood from her chair to hug and kiss kelly after he received nasa's space flight medal. we go to the new york stock exchange this morning. mandy, what are you watching there? >> recently, economic data is coming in on the weak side and today we focus on home prices and what's happening on the other side of the pond with the greek debt developments. it does seem bizarre that such a small country so far away should have such a big influence on our markets, but it does go to show how globalized our financial systems are. and today's national average for gasoline is once again lower than this time yesterday. it's now $3.55 a gallon, according to aaa. it is nonetheless higher than the $2.75 that we saw for the national average this time last year. back over to you. >> mandy at the new york stock exchange thank you. and a baby koala is making its grand debut today with its mother in sydney, australia. the two are doing well despite

the chilly australian winter and enjoying some mother/baby bonding time. very cute. 7:18 now. now back over to matt, al and stephanie. >> stephanie abrams is joining us. >> good to see you. let's talk about the heat. our jet stream >> we have a chance for a few light rain showers in a couple of neighborhoods. nothing more than sprinkles. they did this afternoon and evening, scattered thunderstorms will develop. warm and humid.

ann, over to you. >> stephanie, thank you. it's been more than three weeks since an indiana university student disappeared without a trace. now the girl's parents are expressing their frustration over a lack of answers in the case. nbc's peter alexander joins us now with the details. peter, good morning. >> ann, good morning to you. this is a tough one. the mystery keeps deepening. police have interviewed at least ten people close to lauren spear or were with her night she vanished. now her parents believe her daughter's friends have not been totally forthcoming. the agonizing search now in its fourth week and still no sign of 20-year-old lauren spierer. police are perplexed that most of her friends didn't come forward on their own. >> perplexing, perhaps. curious, perhaps.

disturbing. pick your adjective. >> reporter: and lauren's heartbroken parents have become increasingly frustrated. >> perhaps it was a terrible accident that happened, and we can deal with that. we can deal with whatever it is. it's what we can't deal with is what we don't know. >> reporter: this shot of lauren was captured by her apartment building security camera, june 3rd, just hours before had he vanished after a late-night spent partying with friends. while there are no suspects, at least five of lauren's friends considered persons of interest by police have hired lawyers, including her boyfriend jesse wolf and corey rossman who has given detectives dna. >> i hope they find her as soon as possible and i'm praying for her and her family. >> reporter: police say the person who admits having last seen lauren is 21-year-old jason rosenbaum. authorities tell nbc news, rosenbaum told them, he watched lauren from his apartment as she walked home barefoot at 4:30 in the morning. rosenbaum's lawyers told nbc news in a statement, rosenbaum

has fully cooperated with the investigation and passed a polygraph. mr. rosenbaum hopes for nothing less than for lauren to be found and to be safe. after countless searches, hundreds of tips, and still no answer. lauren's parents question whether her friends know more about that night than they're willing to share. >> i think it's frustrating and challenging for investigators to know that several people had contact with her the night she disappeared, may well have information that could help solve her disappearance and have not come forward that everything that law enforcement believes they might know. >> reporter: for now, lauren's parents are left begging for a break that could help bring their daughter home. >> lauren, i miss everything about you. there's not one thing any given day that i'm not missing about you. >> just heartbreaking to hear that mom. bloomington police say all of lauren's friends who have been interviewed have been cooperative. lauren's parents are not giving

up. >> very tough stuff. peter alexander, thank you so much. coming up, what are the cases now that casey anthony will take the stand. we're in court where the fallout happened to declare her incompetent. first, this is "today" on nbc.

just ahead, kate dazzles at wimbledon, and her dress sells out within minutes online. >> but first, your local news. it's got real, sliced california almonds with a third less sugar per serving than honey nut cheerios. wow! delicious! try honey bunches of oats with almonds! the chevy cruze eco offers an epa estimated 42 miles per gallon on the highway. how does it do that? well, to get there, a lot of complicated engineering goes into every one. like variable valve timing and turbocharging,

active front grille shutters that close at high speeds, and friction reducing -- oh, man, that is complicated. how about this -- cruze eco offers 42 miles per gallon. cool? ♪ >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> big problems on 97 this morning. accident in the southbound on 100. delays stretch back prior to 100 around dorsey road. that is where the back of develops. all lanes were closed just a moment ago.

left lane closed in the northbound direction. watch for delays in both directions because of that accident. westbound 100 and washington boulevard, dry times not all that bad. told minutes on the outer loop north east side. a-minute ride on the inner loop from 7195 towards the 83's. you can see they have much of this confined to the shoulder. the right lane is squeezing by an update bank should be getting all those short the -- at they should be getting all those out of there shortly. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> there is a slight chance you could run into a couple of sprinkles in a few neighborhoods this morning. later this afternoon there is a better chance for rain. right now, mostly cloudy skies. 73 and the kids thought, 70 in jarrettsville.

-- 73 in catonsville, seven in jarrettsville. chance of a thunderstorm late in the day and this evening. good news in the seven-day forecast. mother will be beautiful in the middle of the week. we will lose the humidity and on wednesday and thursday. hot on the weekend with high temperatures at 90. >> check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information. back at 7:55 with another live update.

7:30 now on a tuesday morning, the 28th of june, 2011. it's a pleasant morning to be up and about early here in rockefeller plaza, although we could get some storms rolling through our area later on. the week looks good, though, for the most part, and we're happy people have gathered here. we'll get outside and say hi in a little while. meanwhile, i'm matt lauer alongside app ann curry. more drama at the casey anthony trial. the defense asked for a mistrial two days after they tried to get their client declared incompetent. we'll get the latest from court just ahead. also this morning, a brutal

beating that has one south carolina city on edge. a group of teens, some as young as 13 years old, are accused of randomly attacking an 18-year-old as he was jogging home and nearly killed him. we'll talk to the victim coming up this morning. and we have a word of warning. if you have paid for one of those extended auto warranties, two years ago in a "today" investigation, we raised concerns about one company that sells them. now its founders are facing criminal charges. we'll have details on that. plus, princess catherine wows at wimbledon, and the dress she was wearing at the tennis stadium actually sold out online in about a half hour. we'll tell you that story, and also the story behind this "newsweek" cover showing kate alongside her late mother-in-law, princess diana. let's begin with the latest twists and turns athe casey anthony murder trial. kerry sanders is covering this for us. good morning. >> reporter: we fully understand

why on saturday without warning testimony halted. casey anthony told her lawyer she was having mental problems. her legal team then asked the judge to declare her incompetent to continue to stand trial. the judge ordered three independent mental health experts to evaluate her. they came back and said she is just fine, that she fully understands what's going on in court, and she fully understands she is accused of murdering her 2-year-old daughter caylee. the many faces of casey anthony, crying, laughing, studious, distracted. signs of a mental break? on saturday, the courtroom camera caught the accused murderer in this beyond the courtroom meeting. the 25-year-old in deep conversation with her attorney and others. a short time later, her lawyers asked the court to declare casey incompetent. >> a legal issue has arisen. >> reporter: we now know, casey anthony underwent two days of mental evaluations by three experts. their conclusion?

>> the court will find that the defendant is competent to continue. >> sometimes when you're under extreme stress, you can have a break like that. >> reporter: psychotherapist fran certifiman did not review casey anthony's mental health, but has conducted similar evaluations. can you draw a conclusion that in the middle of a trial she is asking for this evaluation because she thinks she knows where the jury is heading? >> maybe. but my other thing is, i think, boom, reality struck. i think the denial, which is a great defense mechanism, kind of started to fizzle away, and she said oh, my god, my life is in the balance. and i think she became terribly frightened. >> reporter: in the motion now no longer sealed, casey's lawyers asked mental health experts to consider casey's capacity to appreciate the charges against her, and if she would be able to testify relevantly. >> i have to wonder whether casey anthony wants to take the stand against the advice of her own attorneys which could certainly be an explanation for why those attorneys wanted a

competence hearing for casey anthony. >> reporter: on monday -- >> would not create a decomposition odor found in the car, correct. >> reporter: prosecutors challenged the conclusion that the smell found in casey's car was anything other than the stench of death. >> may i pass this around to the jury, your honor. >> reporter: the trash found in the car was handed to the jurors to decide for themselves. >> doctor, you would agree with me, would you not, there is not sufficient organic material in any of the things we have just looked at to create the level of decomposition odor in this vehicle. wouldn't you agree? >> reporter: the defense attorneys also filed this motion asking judge belvin perry to declare a mistrial, and start all over, beginning with picking a new jury, arguing that the death penalty in florida is unconstitutional, and citing a recent federal ruling in the southern district of florida, which is nonbinding, that the

florida death penalty is unconstitutional because juries recommend the sentence and then the judges can do whatever they want. ann? >> all right, kerry sanders, thanks. andrea lion is a former member of casey anthony's defense team and is now a law professor at due paul university, and also the author of the book "angel of death row." savannah guthrie is "today's" legal correspondent. good morning. nice to have you both here. andrea, you were on once casey anthony's defense team. did she ever at that time make you wonder, worry, about her mental state? >> there's obviously things i can talk about, things i cannot. but, you know, as was evidenced by the opening statement by mr. baez, we are talking about somebody who is very damaged. and the amount of pressure that is on somebody who is facing a trial, especially a trial under the kind of scrutiny and kind of mob atmosphere that this case has, can push somebody over the edge. >> so you're saying it's really

possible this could have been justified. let me ask you, savannah. of given that the bar is so low for mental competency to stand trial, do you think the defense had a serious worry about casey, or do you think this also could be a play? >> i don't think it's a play, because even if they had had her declared incompetent, all it does is pause the proceedings. it doesn't mean she walks free, oh, there's a mistrial. it just means they'll get her to a place where she is competent to stand trial, and then a trial happens. so i don't think it would be a great strategy if that's what it were. i think we should give the defense attorneys the benefit of the doubt. in some kind of conversations they have had with casey anthony, perhaps about whether to testify, they worried whether or not she really was understanding the nature of the proceedings, they wondered whether she was able to assist in her defense, so in an abundance of caution, they asked the judge to look into whether or not she was competent to stand trial. as you point out, ann, it's a low bar and the judge found she was. >> what about the chances for a

mistrial and chances it will be considered? >> i argued the legal basis that is now part of this motion to reconsider, which has to do with the fact that in it florida, a jury does not have to find beyond all reasonable doubt what's called an aggravating factor or plus factor. in other words, before you can ask for the death penalty, you have to have a first degree murder plus, say, the killing of a police officer in the line of duty. something like that. and the supreme court has said in a line of cases, they have to prove that plus factor beyond a reasonable doubt. but the jury does not have to sign any kind of verdict form in their recommendation saying they found any aggravating factor. and so it's unconstitutional. that was our position. for that reason. and the federal court in florida agreed with that. and so if the judge were to reconsider, he would have to start over again with a jury that is not a death-qualified jury, that is a jury from which everyone who against the death penalty is gone. >> it seems to me, based on what we are seeing from the

defense -- i mean, i'm not a lawyer, but it seems there are indications that the defense possible. this is going to increase the chances for casey anthony to need to take the stand. if, in fact, she is not in a good state. now, i may be assuming too much here. what's your answer to that? >> first of all, you have to file such a motion. when there's new law. if you don't, in this florida, they have such strict waiver rules, you've waived it forever. that would just be a requirement, number one. number two, you have to take seriously any doubt you might have about the competency of your client. i've represented people and i've talked to my students at the clinic about this, and where you have any doubt about it, you have got to as an officer of the court ask someone to take a look. and i have unfortunately represented a woman who killed herself in the middle of the

proceedings. >> right. >> you cannot -- you cannot look at this as a ploy. it's really serious. >> all right, andrea lyon thank you so much this morning. and also savannah. we'll now get a check of the weather and in place of al this morning, stephanie abrams. >> "today's" weather is brought to you by the makers of sen trum. >> it's try in new york city, but that's not the case southbound. we have the threat for severe weather, the storms firing up. we have a severe thunderstorm watch area. and as we head throughout the day today, the storms will continue to fire. otherwise we have the heat in the plains and also the rain in the west >> there is a slight chance you could run into a few rainshowers in your neighborhood destroyed the day. the later this afternoon and evening,

ann, over to you. >> all right, stephanie, thank you so much. coming up, the recent high school graduate nearly beaten to death by a group of fellow teens. we'll talk to him. but first, these messages. [ male announcer ] from nutritional science comes centrum. with vitamins and minerals balanced to support your energy... ♪ ...immune function... ♪ ...healthy skin... and help protect your cells from environmental stress. everyday benefits from advanced formulas. the complete benefits of centrum. and if you're over 50, discover the age-adjusted benefits of centrum silver.

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it's so itchy. thou art not funny. [ fife and drum corps plays ] we are back at 7:43 and this morning on "today," investigates new indictments in a case we first reported right here on "today." it involves popular tv ads selling extended warranties for your car. nbc's jeff rossen is here with the latest on this. there's a lot to report. >> reporter: there is. good morning. a lot of us have gotten these phone calls and letters warning your auto warranty has expired and you need to buy new coverage right now. we investigated this back in 2009. authorities told us the biggest company doing it was ripping off customers. well, state prosecutors were

watching our story, and now they have filed criminal charges. >> you can save thousands of dollars on car repairs with an extended warranty from u.s. fidelis. >> reporter: in the national ads, it seemed like a great deal. >> this is better. >> it sounded like just what i needed. if my car breaks down, i can get it fixed, no worries. >> reporter: so she bought a $3100 extended warranty from u.s. fidelis. when her car broke down, she says the warranty didn't cover much. >> it was the biggest scam. the biggest scam i ever got involved with. >> reporter: u.s. fidelus is so big, its headquarters this massive complex outside st. louis. our "today" investigation found it sold over 400,000 service contracts. and got over 2,000 complaints and an f-rating at the better business bureau. >> in my 35 years of experience, i've never seen this kind of

activity on a company where so many people have told us this company is using deceptive practices, misleading advertising. >> reporter: investigators say u.s. fielis duped customers by mailing them these urgent notices claiming to be from the dealer warranty division. they warned your factory warranty has expired or may be expiring soon and as a loyal owner, you qualify for one of their extended warranties. >> i'm telling customers, we're just like the warranty you bought at the dealer. and i'm like, no we're not. but that's what we're taught to tell them. >> reporter: these former employees of u.s. fidelis who said they were let go because of poor performance said they were trained to deceive customers. >> we were told to give them the impression we were with dodge, ford, chrysler, bmw, honda, all of them. >> reporter: even though you weren't. >> exactly. >> reporter: we interviewed the then ceo in 2009 who denied the accusations. >> u.s. fidelis at all times is

committed to treating customers with honesty and integrity. >> reporter: here's one of the letters your company sends out to people. look at the top. it says 2003 buick owner notification dealer warranty division. is that misleading to begin with? it makes it look like you're part of the automaker, part of the manufacturer, when you're not. >> there has never been any intent to mislead our customers. >> reporter: but the company's founder and president, darren atkinson, is a convicted felon, who did time in his 20s in state and federal prisons for theft, burglary, forgery and counterfeiting. back in 2009, we found atkinson building this $26 million mansion in missouri, complete with indoor and outdoor pools, an 11-car garage, a bowling alley. even an underground passageway. but following our investigation, state authorities say his empire came crashing down. missouri attorney general chris koster. >> the attention brought by the "today" show a couple years ago

to it certainly moved this office into action. >> reporter: just months after our story aired, u.s. fidelis went out of business, now the company owners have been indicted on more than a dozen felony counts of stealing, and unlawful merchandising practices. both accused of using deception, false promise and misrepresentation to sell extended warranties. >> they told customers that the policy coverage was much broader than it really was. so people were paying for something they never got. >> fraud. >> unquestionably we believe missouri customers were defrauded. >> reporter: and there's more. beyond the collapse of their business and facing prison sign, the brothers were sued, for stripping more than $100 million from company coffers to fuel their lifestyles to buy cars, expensive jewelry and extravagant homes, including this $4 million beachfront hide

away in the cayman islands. a settlement forced them to auction it all off. and while la ray eventually got her money back, others may not be so lucky. >> now that there's no more money to get out of u.s. fidelis, you've got customers who have lost any opportunity for recovery. >> which means the customers lose again. the atkinson brothers have pled not guilty to the new charges. their attorneys had no comment for this story. if convicted, darren atkinson could get up to life in prison, his brother kory could face 15 years behind bars. experts say, matt, before you buy an auto warranty, what you want to do is go online and investigate the company. and in this case, there were more than 2,000 complaints, and customers would have seen that. >> and most importantly, good job in bringing the story to light in the first place in 2009. well done, jeff. we appreciate it. next, the story behind a magazine cover that brings the past and present of the royal family together. plus, where did she get that? details on princess catherine's

dress that had a lot of heads turning at wimbledon. right after this. [ female announcer ] we asked coffee lovers to come and try coffee-mate's new cafe collection flavors. then we asked them to show us how the taste inspired them. new rich caramel macchiato. one of three new ways to add your flavor. with coffee-mate, from nestle. but also a caring touch. you learn to get a feel for the trouble spots. to know its wants... its needs...its dreams. ♪call 1-800-steemer.

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uh, it's okay. i've played a pilot before. back now at 8:51. you're looking at some videotape of wimbledon yesterday. and that dress caught a lot of people's attention. how much of a fashion icon has she become? well, she showed up at wimbledon wearing a dress that sold out online in less than 30 minutes. >> it was a $1270 alice temperly dress that was on sale for $1625. i would buy that dress for half price. no more available. so if you're interested, stop bidding. by the way, speaking of the royals, take a look at the cover of "newsweek", princess diana would have turned 50 this month and they juxtaposed her with catherine and tried to figure out how they would get along.

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>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. time for a check of the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> looking a lot better than last jack. we had an accident on southbound 97. it has been cleared. the delays have not filtered out complete the. southbound around dorsey road to the earlier accident scene. you're only delay from i-70 down to 40. if you are going to head out on the north side outer loop, 36

miles per hour. but if a backup from the belt by towards the 895 split. 97 and 100 starting to clear out. we will switch to 8 live view of traffic on the west side. coming towards us on the outer loop, a little bit slow. not that bad on the beltway. tony, over to you. >> a couple of sprinkles to start the day. not going to affect traffic all that much. 72 in cockeysville. 70 in rising sun. forecast for today, a chance for rainshowers to start. later this afternoon and evening, better chance for thunderstorms. in between, a mixture of sunshine and clouds. high temperatures in the upper 80s. cool front will go through tonight and that will set up a beautiful weather for wednesday and thursday. temperatures and a dealer-to- mid-80's. it will warm up over the holiday weekend, near 90 on saturday and sunday and on the for the july.

>> be sure to check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information throughout the morning. back with another update at 8:25.

8:00 now on a tuesday morning, the 28th day of june, 2011. we stepped outside to say hello to everyone who is spending the morning with us here at rockefeller plaza. we're so happy to have them all stop by and hang out with us. meantime, i'm ann curry along with matt lauer. and such a beautiful morning. so perfect. we've got a very disturbing story we're going to start off with, however, this morning. the victim of an apparently random attack. >> this is a young guy, his name is carter strange, 18 years old, he was jogging home last week, a week ago monday, when he was attacked by a group of other teenagers. they range in age from 13 to 19.

he was nearly beaten to death. the victim, as you can see, will join us to talk about what happened in a little while. >> hopefully we can learn something from that. and also this morning, on a very different note, a lighter note, we'll talk about the summer months bringing out fun for summer, but the question is, how can we protect our children? the little ones from the hazards of summer? coming up, we'll have a summertime survival guide for parents. all right. also one of the hottest young acto actors around will join us, shia labeouf, a nice young man. >> yes, he got a cheer. let's step inside, however, now and find out the rest of the morning's top stories. >> good morning, matt and ann and good morning, everyone. crews in new mexico are battling a fast-moving wildfire near the los alamos national laboratory, the nation's top nuclear research facility. the radioactive materials there are safe, but thousands of local residents have been forced to flee. meantime, federal and local

authorities claim two nuclear power plants in nebraska threatened by floodwaters are safe as well. the gaming industry is praising the supreme court's decision not to restricts the sale of violent video games to minors. nbc's justice correspondent pete williams has more. pete, good morning. >> reporter: natalie, the court said there is no hard evidence that video games actually cause children to become more violent. and it said young people have been exposed to depictions of violence for centuries. the court struck down a law passed by the california legislature in 2005 and signed into law by then governor arnold schwarzenegger that made it a crime to sell or rent video games depicting violence to anyone under 18. >> the game industry called the ruling a victory for free expression. >> it means you'll have access to the great entertainment choices you want, and not just those the state wants to provide or would allow to be provided to you. >> reporter: writing for the majority, justice scalia said some of the games may be

disgusting, but disgust is not a valid basis for restricting expression. besides, he said, children's are books are full of gory violence from hansel and gretel to the classics on high school reading lists. and those california argued the children become more aggressive after playing violent video games, scalia said studies show bugs bunny cartoons produce a similar response. but supporters of the ban say those comparisons miss the point. >> there is is nothing in grimms fairy tales that causes the user to become a violent actor in order to progress in the game. and that's exactly what happens with these ultra violent video games. >> reporter: the legal battle has prodded the police industry itself, putting more prominent labels on packages to guide parents on what's inside. natalie? >> thanks so much, pete. now here's brian williams with a look at what's coming up tonight on "nbc nightly news." >> good morning. coming up on "nbc nightly news" tonight, a story about small children learning big lessons.

we'll take you inside a program that helps young girls take big steps toward a bright future. that and more when we see you for "nightly news" tonight. now back to you. >> thank you, brian. now for a look at what's trending today, what has you talking online. among google top searches today, the combination of rod blagojevich on corruption charges. he'll likely get ten years behind bars. and josh hamilton is a hot topic on twitter. his batting average is worse during the day than night, and he says it's because his blue eyes make it harder to see the ball in sun lights. and twitter users are buzzing about charlie sheen and a new report he signed a deal to star in a new sitcom that could net him more cash than he made on "two and a half men." but he apparently won't have a goddess. his one remaining friend, natalie kenly, has reportedly left him. it is now 8:04.

let's go back outside to stephanie who is in for al for a check of your weather. steph? "today's" weather is brought to you by chevy. we've got them today. this is judy and her two sisters. what does grits stand for? >> girls raised in the south. >> are you loving it in the north, though? >> loving it in the north. we've had a great time. >> you brought up all the heat and humidity. let's see if that heat and humidity is going to make its way into minneapolis. that's our pick city. and it will. sunny and mild, 78 degrees. but as we take you way down south, we're looking at a broad area of low pressure. a small chance for development over the next couple days. we'll continue to monitor that situation. otherwise, in the lower 48, it's the east coast where we will seo >> couple of sprinkles are possible to start the day.

stronger thunderstorms are possible later this afternoon and evening. ann, over to you. >> all right, stephanie, thank you so much. coming up, a story about a recent high school graduate tracked down and brutally beaten at random by a group of teenagers. we will speak to the victim coming up right after this. ll h. ok. [ cellphone rings ] hey. you haven't left yet. no. i'm boarding now... what's up? um...would you mind doing it again? last time. [ engine turns over ] oooohhhh...sweet. [ male announcer ] the chevy cruze with the my chevrolet app.

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and the ones tomorrow will bring. prudential. bring your challenges. we're back at 8:09 with a brutal crime that railed a community. an 18-year-old beaten by a fellow group of teenagers. we'll talk to the victim in his parents in a moment. but first thom truong. >> carter strange was hanging out at a friend's house. he started running here to his parents' home hoping to make it in time for his midnight curfew, but never made it. friends chased him down and beat him down. we should warn you, some of the images are graphic. 18-year-old carter strange's face, beaten, blooded and bruised. his skull fractured.

a far cry from the smiling face you see in his high school photo. at a bond hearing last week, 19-year-old tyheme henry broke down in tears while four other teens conspired to rob him. the suspects' ages range from 13 to 19. carter's father says for now, henry can forget about forgiveness. >> find god, pray for forgiveness. he will forgive you. i don't have that in my heart right now. >> reporter: police say surveillance cameras captured the pack just moments before the attack, walking in columbia's five-points area, the popular district known for its bars and shops. authorities say before the teens ambushed carter, they tried to rob four other people that same night. this senselesses beating has ig nighted outrage in the city. >> these eight group of guys that were set out to do someone in our community harm, and that

is exactly what cannot be tolerated. >> reporter: since the assault, carter has undergone surgery to alleviate a blood clot in his brain. he'll likely need more reconstructive surgery on his face. his mother says she'll do whatever it takes to make sure he gets the care and justice he deserves. >> i'm going to fight for him now. and i'm going to fight for him until my last breath. >> reporter: and none of the suspects have made any pleas or comments. and in the wake of this attack, the local city council now is considering a new curfew for kids 17 and under. matt? >> thom truong thank you very much. his parents are with us, vicki and john. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> carter, i'm looking at you. this happened a week ago monday, the 20th. i'm amazed you're sitting upright after this. how are you feeling? >> i'm just as amazed as you are. i'm actually feeling amazing

compared to how i probably should be feeling. >> tell me about the surgeries and treatments you have been through so far to get you to this stage. >> well, the first surgery was an emergency surgery on the part where i'm pretty sure they cracked my skull. and i was hemorrhaging. and then i had a reconstructive surgery done on my nose thursday, i believe. >> yeah. i understand you do not remember anything about the actual beating. i always think that's the body and god's way of protecting people. you do remember waking up in the hospital. that was your first thought, right? >> right. >> john, let me go to you. you were at work when all of this happened. and when carter didn't show up at home at about his curfew time, even though he had called to say he would be a few minutes late, you started to monitor his cell phone activity online and i understand you monitored until

about 12:16 when it went dead and 1:09 when it became active again and you realized someone else had carter's cell phone. >> that's correct. we were already worried because he was missing and it's not like him to miss his curfew. maybe a few minutes, and he had had already talked to vicki and told her that he was, you know, running a few minutes late. but then when he just hadn't shown up and the later it got, we got worried. and then when we started seeing phone calls and text messages to numbers that weren't familiar, we knew were not friends of his, that's when we went into kind of a panic mode. >> vicki, there was a long period of time where you didn't know where he was, and then you found out that possibly he was in the hospital. i know you went there. can you describe what you saw when you walked into that room? >> i -- actually, i was in the hallway waiting to be taken back to where he was. and there was a gurney coming down the hallway with a man on it. and there was really nothing

else to look at. and i saw how bad he looked. i felt really bad for him. my first thought was, that poor guy. and as i looked at him, i realized his hair looked like carter's. and you know, i'm still standing there waiting as they're coming towards us and a lady came out and asked who i was there for and i told her carter's name, and by this it time he had gotten up to me and i couldn't stop looking at the gentleman on the gurney and his hair. and i literally walked up and bent over and looked at him and saw his hands and realized that, you know, that was carter. i didn't recognize him. i just knew him from his hair and his hands. and i was relieved, because i had finally found my son. you know. despite the condition, i had finally found him. >> you know, i'm looking at some of the court transcripts, and it seems to me the defense so far is saying, look, these kids who were between the ages of 13 and 19 are basically good kids who did a bad thing and made bad judgments. i guess vicki and john, do you feel that way, how do you feel about that idea?

>> you know, it -- it sounds like they're trying to make excuses and make light of the situation. this is not like it was a group of kids that went out and, you know, just did some property damage. they almost took someone's life. and i think at least several of them had already been in trouble before and were on probation. so it's not their first time. so to say they're good kids, they've already been in trouble. i just don't understand how they can make excuses. >> and carter quickly, your dad has already said he find it hard to find forgiveness in his heart. what about you? >> i don't know forgiveness. but i mean, i don't really think about it that much. i try not to let them be on my mind too much. because i mean, i don't know why i would. there's really no reason for me

to think about them that much. >> well, we wish you the very best for your recovery, and we appreciate you sharing the story with us this morning. and vicki and john, thank you for being here as well. >> thank you. >> thank you so much. >> thank you. we're back right after this. [ male announcer ] imagine facing the day with less chronic low back pain. imagine living your life with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is a non-narcotic treatment that's fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing of the skin or eyes.

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with a special edition of today's whip. this morning, what every parent needs to know to keep your children safe this summer. >> we have three experts to help out, beginning with pediatrician dr. thornton, good morning. sun blocks to think about. >> you want to use a sun block with an spf of 35, you don't want to go higher because you won't get anymore protection. there are no waterproof sunscreens. so reapply if your child sweats a lot or gets in the water and be sure to keep it on them. if they do get a burn, a burn is really -- a sunburn that is red and swollen is a first degree burn. cool it down and apply some gentle emonthlients or gel. if your child gets blisters, the covering is protective. that's a second degree burn. and any child 1 year of age or under who gets a burn, you need to notify your pediatrician. >> best advice on choosing a bug spray. >> bug spray's contain deet. the deet up to 30% is the best

to use. and the highier the deet, the longer the protection. so 30% will get you four to five hours of protection. if you go lower, less protection. be sure to reapply when you need to. don't put it on their face, wash it off at the end of the day. >> uptick in lyme disease in the summer months and pun intended there. >> deet does protect against lyme disease. be sure to keep it on your kids. and there is products you can put on the clothing, too. >> dr. lisa thornton, thanks so much. now here's matt. between 4 and 5,000 people die from accidental drowning each year. how can you keep your family safe? pj fischer is with the american lifeguard association. good to see you again. >> good morning, matt. >> we want to mention the vast majority of these drownings take place in unguarded waters. that's a major thing to be thinking. >> it is. what we need to do is always have our children learn how to

swim at an early age. proper supervision. we're recommending parents to keep an arm-length supervision with them and have an action plan in case something comes up. have a cell phone, know where you are, get ready just in case something does come up. >> you talk about parents should be or care-gives should be within arms' length and there are other items parents should have in their arms'-length as well. take me through them. >> first off, no matter if you have the swimming pool or beach, know where the safety equipment is. you should have a reaching pole somewhere, a ring buoy. drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death of children under the age of 14. we're recommending the small children have a life jacket on at all times. even with the arm-length supervision. we can prevent drownings, almost every drowning you look at, there is a way to prevent it. boating is also a big concern. make sure you have the life jackets.

>> if you're a parent or a care-giver and you see someone in the water or beach struggling, you first call for help, correct? >> that's right. have someone call the 911 system to get it activated. but the other is to try to reach out to them. i c you can extend the reach with a pole or shirt off your back or throw something out. one thing you don't want to do is go in after an active drowning victim. this can cause a double drowning. a single incident creates a double tragedy. >> bj fischer, good to see you again. thank you very much. let's go over to natalie. all right. thank you, matt. obviously, kids have more free time in the summer and that means less structure which can lead to more trouble. ron shin dell is a former deputy inspector with the new york city police department. good morning. >> good morning. >> kids spending time outdoors. what are the primary safety dangers? >> one of the things we have to realize, during the school year, they spend six hours a day under supervision and professional care. once the summer comes, now they're free and making their

own choices and doing activities they're not used to. one of the biggest things is bicycles, roller blades and all of those types of things. we have to make sure as parents they have all of their safety equipment, especially helmets, roller blades, wrist guards and knee guards. things we didn't do as children ourselves, but now they're standard features. >> what are some other things parents should be safeguarding as well and protecting their kids. >> things people should be thinking of is garden tools, things that are normally not dangerous, but when children get involved with them, they're dangerous. lawn mowers should be put away, any type of power tools, sheds should be looked, things in garages should be put on high shelves, chemicals we use on our lawns and things like that. >> obviously, real quick, internet safety, as well. got to watch -- supervise. >> internet safety is a big thing. we need supervision, supervision, supervision. monitor and cpu should be somewhere where the parents can see at all times. >> ron shin dell, thank you so much. we're back after your local

news. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am sarah caldwell. let's check on the morning commute. we are recovering from earlier accident. this is on a 6 between eastern boulevard and marlyn avenue. in a little slow getting towards the harrisburg expressway. you can see delays on the inner loop as you make your approach to the j.f.x. 32 miles per hour on average getting towards 40. let's give you a live view of traffic, and here is what looks like on 97 and 100.

activity off to the left shoulder. moving in a lot better than a last check. as we switch over to the j.f.x., going away from us. great shape as you make your way from the beltway into town. tony has a check on the forecast. >> a couple sprinkles in neighborhoods to start the day. not really a big deal, won't affect the traffic all that much. better chance for thunderstorms this afternoon. 75 in catonsville. 78 downtown. at 72 degrees in jarrettsville. slight chance for a range are to start the day. scattered thunderstorms possible this afternoon. in between, a mixture of sunshine and clouds. may feel a little bit warmer than that because of the humidity. we are setting up a bit of weather on wednesday and thursday. to buttress go down along with humidity. -- temperatures go down along with humidity.

we will have another update at 8:55.

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it is 8:30 now on a tuesday morning. the 28th day of june, 2011. we have a loud and boisterous crowd on rockefeller plaza. a lot of these people laughing because natalie just walked in. other people screaming because that man right there, shia labeouf is out on the plaza.

we'll be talking to him in just a little while. meanwhile, i'm matt lauer along with ann curry and natalie morales. what else is coming up? >> a little more eye candy coming up, "american idol" winner from season 7, out with his sophomore album, performing for us live this morning coming up. all right. plus linda hogan, the ex-wife of the hulk of hulk hogan out with a scathing, tell-all book does not hold back when she says what life was like. she is here to fill us in. >> yeah, there's a lot of stuff in this book. there really is. we'll talk to linda about that. first, a check of the weather. al is off today. we have stephanie abrams filling in. take it away. >> that's right. we are here with some people from naples. a little bit better than the city, she says, at your age. right? let's have a look at our forecast. see if it's beach weather or

not. and we are going to see that sunshine in the center of the country. maybe you can go to a lake. they call those beaches, right? tomorrow, unfortunately, on the gulf coast, could see showers. but you could >> there is a slight chance you could run into a few rainshowers in your neighborhood destroyed the day. the later this afternoon and evening, is this good birthday weather for you? >> yes, it's beautiful. >> find out what your birthday weather is like. all you have to do is go to weather.com 24 hours a day. matt, back to you on the other side of the plaza. >> thank you very much. when we come back, we catch

up with the star of the "transformers" film. shia

back now at 8:35, it is not summer without a blockbuster action adventure movie, and "transformers dark of the moon" fits the bill. shia labeouf returns in the third film of the franchise to once again fight the humans -- fight for humans and autobottoms. take a look. >> i have an idea. how about we get back to the important topics like the fact i almost had my face cut off. i would like to lodge a complaint, as a matter of fact. >> we cannot entrust national security to teenagers. if you breathe a word of what you have seen here, you do time for treason. do you understand me? >> i'll take my orders from the autobots. i know them. i don't know you.

>> you will. >> hmmm, shia labeouf, guood morning. francis mcdor monday, no small change. that belies the truth, which is this the most intense action film i think i have ever seen. i mean, in addition to the fact that it's 3-d, so with those glasses on, you're going 100 miles a minute. and this movie seems to be made for 3-d, it seems. it's also got this fast-paced story line, and so much intensity. i mean with all of the running and the falling and the crashing, the flying. i mean, this looked like it hurt. did it hurt? did you get bruises from doing this movie? >> always. you always feel it at the end. >> and amid this story line, you also gets to work with some pretty amazing people. you've got -- let's see, let me think, walter cronkite, bill o'reilly, i'm not going to give it all away, but richard nixon and kim jong of "hangover" legacy. do you want to explain or let

that lie? >> i don't think walter cronkite showed up. but we had a great cast. it was really like a family. >> and you were the emotional glue in all of this, because there was this intense clash of metal, incredible story that continues, but your character, sam wiki, he's just finished college, and can't get a job. but he can get a smashing girlfriend. >> how about that? >> oh, my gosh, lucky, lucky shia. you want to tell us about her? >> she is incredible. rosy is a tough spot to jump into, and she was poised and like a cheerleader for us. she is beautiful, and also really smart and good at her gig and really good in the movie. >> you must have been very happy when you saw her cast, i would guess, as a guy, a young man -- >> sure, yeah, for all those reasons, of course. >> of course, for all those reasons. and i saw the movie and she did a good job. is this her first acting gig? >> first ever. >> we saw megan fox.

and with all of the stuff aside about why that was, did you miss her? >> yeah, she was a friend of mine. i love megan. and we spent four years together and these are hard-fought movie to say make. you really get battle-tested. but it was beneficial to the story line. what happened in the movie, the characters became cinnamon news. there is no one to be heroic for. so bringing a new fresh set of eyes actually selfishly benefited my character. >> meantime, there's a wonderful i think honest article about you in "details" magazine. maybe you might think a little too honest. you talk about having a dad who wasn't always there. but you also tell this really lovely story about your dad and your mom and you, you know, being raised poor, trying to make money, dressing up as clowns to sell, what, shaved ice? >> snow cones, my dad had an industrial freezer and made

these bricks of ice, and put syrup on it. dance around, juggle, smile. nobody wants to buy anything from fighting clowns. so everybody was very -- my family was very happy and at that young age, you don't know the difference between performance and reality. >> how old were you? >> 3, 4. >> really? so you've been performing a long time. how does that intensity inform your work? because there is something so incredibly honest about you when you're on the screen. >> thank you. >> well, i think i'm saying what -- the reason why you're continuing to be cast in all of these great movies. there is something quite honest. is that, you think, connected to this background, this past? >> probably, yeah. maybe a lack of fear also. and i understand the benefits of the honesty, as well. and people do capitalize on it. and myself as well. yeah, i understand. and usually i get anchored. i'm being hired to anchor these films, these fantasy films and i'm usually the human element. yeah, so my job really is to make it as natural as possible and as real as possible and

that's what i try to do. >> you also have made a turn into directing? at 25? a kid -- no, that's pretty -- no, a kid cutie video. you directed it. >> yeah. >> so is this the new you? is. >> no. >> what is the you? the thing about it, you really made the splash with these sort of great movies for teenagers and also done some indy movies, but you're 25 years old. what are you going to be at 75? >> walter cronkite. that's what i'm aiming for. deductible definitely the hair-do. this is a chance for me to follow my heroes around. never wanted to, you know -- it takes an attention span to be a director and i have an actor's attention span which is a windows of three months. mike has been working on "transformers" for three years. >> well, the attention span increases with age.

give it some time. >> i hope. so. >> "transformers 3" dark side of the moon opens in i max today. linda hogan opening up about her the kincaids live here. across the street, the padillas. ben and his family live here, too. ben's a re/max agent, and he's a big part of this community. there are lots of reasons why re/max agents average more sales than other agents. experience, certainly. but maybe it's also because they care about the markets they serve and the neighbors who rely on them. nobody sells more real estate than re/max. visit remax.com today.

hulk hogan became the face of professional wrestling in the early 1980s and the world got a chance to meet his wife linda and their children on the show "hogan knows best." at the end of the show in 2007, it would also mark the end of the hogans' marriage with a public and bitter divorce. now linda is telling all in her new book, "wrestling the hulk, my life against the ropes." >> how are you? >> during the time of the divorce, you said i knew i had access to the press back then, i could have told my side of the

story, i chose not to, but i also knew the time would come to talk. why is now the right time? >> now is the time because, you know, a lot of it is behind me. at the time there was just enough going on that i just felt, you know, anymore would just put fuel in the fire. i didn't want to embarrass my kids. >> but there will be fuel on the fire now based on a lot of thins you write in the book. >> probably so. but, you know, one of the reasons i think is that there are a lot of women out there in the world that are going through the same thing i went through. you know, if they can learn something by what i wrote, i hope i can help other people. >> i want people to understand -- first of all, we reached out to your former husband and asked him for comment on this, his only comment was no comment. i want people to keep that in mind. you write about good times, you traved a lot, saw the world. what was the turning point? when did things go bad? >> the turning point for me was when i found out he had an affair back, you know, ten years into the marriage.

it shocked me. that was the bitter point for me. it was hard trying to rebuild after that. but i did. >> you write about hulk hogan in drug abuse. in general, you discuss drug abuse and professional wrestling. you say from life on the road to the physical brutality of the business to the schedule and traveling, not to mention being bored and lonely on the road, it seemed like wrestlers had a reason to do every kind of drug and narcotic that was around. it also helped numb them from the pain of being injured. how much drug use did you especially witness? >> drugs were always around, prescribed. they always got injuries. there was constant flow of pain pills and anti-inflammatories and steroids. a lot of them did take steroids. you know, combined, you know, it makes somebody -- you don't know what you're dealing with. >> did you get to a point you knew it was a problem and did you try and get him help? >> that's not something that was my position to do. >> you're his wife, though.

>> i didn't care if he took them, but he did change. it changed him. >> you talk about arguments between the two of you and you wrote, quote, he tore my shirt, he threw lamps, held me down on the bed with his hands around my throat during arguments, slamming doors, poundsing walls. i was always afraid he would kill me during his rages. did the rage decrease significantly, did he feel remorse, did he apologize? >> he did not feel remorse and to this day he has never apologized for his actions. that is something that scared me. i did not want to be a static like nicole simpson. >> did you contact authorities? >> that's one of the things i talk about in my book. i was quiet. i was afraid to say anything. had i said something, the carpet would have been pulled up underneath his career. my kids were little. it's a very scary position. you don't know how far they're

going to go. one fight can escalate and turn into something you don't want. >> and, again, i just want to mention, we reached out to hulk hogan, he had no comment. back when you did the reality show in 2005, that's a kiss of death for a lot of couples and yet you write about it in pretty positive terms. don't you think it -- your marriage ended just as the show was ending. didn't it contribute in some ways? >> in my opinion, it did not contribute. in fact, you know, when we were having marital problems, i noticed that, you know, our marriage was not so good. we were having some rough times. but, you know, when we get makeup on and go down stairs and start filming, the kids would be in there, and it was like everybody put on a happy face. and just going through one of the scenes that we were filming kind of brought us out of it, and brought us together. and, you know, so we would laugh and do the scene and stuff. but, you know, it -- you fake it til you make it. but, you know, clearly there were definite problems. >> one of the side effects of the show was back in 2007, your

son nick, i think he was 17 at the time, was involved in a car accident. he was intoxicated. his passenger severely injured. i think still requires care. the judge sentenced your son to nine months in jail. he received five months. he actually served five. and you think the judge treated him unfairly in part because of the wild child image that was created during that reality show. some would say five months in jail is not a lot for what he did. >> well, you know, there's a lot of -- everybody is going to have their opinions. nick is a really good boy. he was not trying to hurt his friend john. john was like a son to us. it was a horrific accident. that's something that we live with every day. i don't really know what the proper, you know -- >> punishment? >> -- punishment would be. but i do know that nick has learned a serious lesson. we all have. and it's a difficult thing. it's the phone call that no parent ever wants to get. >> well, you write about a lot

of things in this book. and i think a lot of things will turn heads, there's no question about it. linda, good to have you here. >> thank you, matt. >> appreciate it. again, the book is called "wrestling the hulk". up next, a live performance from "american idol" winner david cook. but first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪

the toyota concert series on "today," brought to you by

toyota. ♪ david cook's first album went platinum, now the winner of "american idol" season self sen ready to take it up a notch with his sophomore cd called "this loud morning." good morning. >> good morning. >> since you won three years ago, you've been through a lot of ups and downs, ups, selling 1 million records with your first one. but some serious downs, losing your brother to brain cancer. how much has music been your cushion? >> it's everything. this new record especially was more of a therapeutic outlet than i think i envisioned when we were going into the process. so this record was great. definitely saved me some money on some psychiatrist bills. >> faster to write because you had so much to put into it, is that what you mean? >> the last three years have been so crazy and i certainly had a lot of amazing experiences and a lot of awful experiences and just really to be able to take the time with this record. we spent a year-and-a-half on it, and to really, you know, delve into some things and write about them and get them on this record. and so now, you know, it's out

today. and we decided to play it for everybody. >> a lot of us who were watching the oscars, you were pretty impressed with this young class of of what, ps-22? in fact, so much you called them up and went to hang out with them? >> yeah, i sent them a message asking if they would hang out with me and they were awesome and obliging to do so. and we went to staten island and had a lot of fun. i think we played four or five songs. >> you connected with the idea they're new and fresh and here you are, you had this chance, so there was a connection. >> i think sometimes actually now it's easy to get caught up in the business aspect of everything. a show like inherently excited about music. >> what are you playing? >> are we're playing the new single, "last goodbye." >> david cook, ladies and gentlemen. ♪ hear this on the radio and we've already said our last goodbye ♪ ♪ i won't be there when you get

home but now there's someone else that hears you cry ♪ ♪ ♪ i wonder if he holds you like i do i hope you feel better ♪ ♪ because we hear everything that's right and wrong inside ♪ ♪ i didn't want to lose you leave you with a broken heart wherever we are miles apart i know we tried but this is the last goodbye ♪ ♪ ♪ i didn't want to let you go wherever we are miles apart i know we tried but this is the last goodbye ♪ ♪ ♪ it really is beautiful a broken place put on display ♪

♪ nearly but impossible another perfect moment thrown away ♪ ♪ i know somebody out there with love you they'll be there forever we never were ♪ ♪ ♪ i didn't want to lose you leave you with a broken heart ♪ ♪ wherever we are miles apart i know we tried but this is the last goodbye ♪ ♪ ♪ i didn't want to let you go wherever we are miles apart i know we tried but this is the last goodbye ♪ ♪ ♪ no no no

♪ ♪ if you hear this on the radio we've already said our last goodbye ♪ ♪ our last goodbye ♪ i didn't want to lose you leave you with a broken heart wherever we are miles apart i know we tried but this is the last goodbye ♪ ♪ ♪ the last goodbye ♪ i know we tried but this is the last goodbye ♪ >> the soulful sounds of david cook. thank you so much, david. again, the new album is called "this loud morning." we're back after your local news.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> baltimore police search for impersonators in a northeast baltimore. investigators said the suspects kicked open the door of a home monday morning and shot a man inside the home in the neck and handcuffed him and a woman and ransacked the house. police said the victim was treated for

>> let's get a check on the forecast with tony pann. >> a couple of sprinkles are

possible in some neighborhoods to start the day. the best chance for rain will be later this afternoon and evening. in between, just a mixture of clouds and sunshine warm and humid, high temperatures in the upper 80s to near 90's. next couple of days going to be very nice. we will lose the humidity and high temperatures will be in the low-to-mid-80's. overnight lows may be in the 50's. going into the holiday weekend, it will warm up. near 90 on saturday and sunday and on the fourth of july. >> we are back in 25 minutes with another update.