good morning. campaign mode? president obama comes out swinging at congress and the gop as his bus tour in the midwest gets under way. will his message do anything to boost his record low approval ratings? we'll ask his former press secretary robert gibbs. kentucky connection. the fbi arrest a man in louisville for a dturbing crime in australia. this morning new details on the man who allegedly strapped a fake bomb to the neck of a young girl, and what he was doing here in the u.s. and switcheroo, an 11-year-old makes a nearly impossible hockey shot to win $50,000.

but he had changed places with his twin brother who was actually supposed to be on the ice. their dad made them come clean, and it could cost them big bucks today, tuesday, august 16th, and it could cost them big bucks today, tuesday, august 16th, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a tuesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> good morning. i'm savannah guthrie in for ann who is on assignment. we'll check in with her. but meanwhile, matt, the white house says president obama three-day bus trip through the midwest is not a campaign trip but it kind of had that feel on monday. >> they'red ament about that. during his first stop in minnesota the president says he's working on a new plan to fix the economy that will be ready when congress returns from summer break. he also took a few shots at the gop field for the 2012

presidential race. also ahead, the suspect in the disappearance of a maryland woman in aruba appeared in court on monday and was ordered to remain behind bars. coming up, we'll go live to aruba and get new details on why he's continuing to be detained. also, he won an oscar for playing a down and out country singer in "crazy heart." now jeff bridges has turned that into a new album of his own. he's going to perform for us live in our studio a little later on. but let us begin on a tuesday morning with presidential politics and day two of president obama's bus tour through the midwest. nbc's chief white house correspondent chuck todd is in dubuque, iowa. chuck, good morning to you. >> good morning. as you noted the white house insists this bus tour has nothing to do with politics. but with three of the five president's town halls in the state of iowa where republicans are constantly criss-crossing the state, it's hard to avoid it. with the president's poll numbers sinking so low that even

some democrats are expressing disapproval, mr. obama revealed he's working on a post-labor day plan to fix the economy. >> i'll be putting forward, when they come back in september, a very specific plan to boost the economy, to create jobs, and to control our deficit. and my attitude is, get it done. and if they don't get it done, then we'll be running against a congress that's not doing anything for the american people and the choice will be very stark and will be very clear. >> reporter: the white house is not officially calling this bus tour a campaign trip, but it looks and sounds like one. but gone is the rhetoric of hope and change from 2008, replaced with frustration. >> there is real anger and frustration, understandable, about the economic situation that we're finding ourselves in. i get that. >> reporter: in one heated exchange -- >> i know et cetera not going to work if you just stand up when i ask everyone to raise their

head. >> reporter: the head of the iowa tea party jeered them over unsubstarchs yated reports that joe biden referred to them. the two even had words after the event. in an interview with nbc news, ryan rhodes explained what he was going to say. >> i didn't expect anything different, continue blaming of the other side. >> reporter: meanwhile republican front-runner mitt romney also didn't miss a chance to attack mr. obama. >> frankly, i think the american people would rather see him in washington working on getting this economy going again. >> reporter: romney would like to focus his attacks on the president but since this weekend, he has a new target, texas republican governor rick perry. >> my jobs record spans not just four years as governor but 25 years i've lived in the private sector. >> he said that he has pry vaet sector experience and that makes him better qualified to create jobs.

>> give him my love. >> what do you think about that, though, sir? >> i think oranges and apples. running a state is different from running a business. >> reporter: now, later in the evening rick perry gave a speech in cedar rapids around he had some really tough words about fed chair ben bernanke, didn't call him out by name, matt, but he said he ought to be careful going down to texas. a lot of republicans are not happy with that kind of talk early on in the campaign. >> chuck todd in iowa this morning. thank you. former white house press secretary robert gibbs is now an adviser to the president's re-election campaign. robert, good to see you. >> good morning. how are you? >> doing well. let's get something out of the way. if it smells like a campaign trip and looks like a campaign trip and sounds like a campaign trip, why does the white house say it's not one? >> look, matt, i think the president enjoys being out in america, talking to people, particularly in the midwest about what they see and what's going on. i don't think the campaign would part the president for two town

hall meetings in illinois if it was a campaign. >> let's talk about the approval ratings. 39%% of the american people now approve of the job that president obama is doing. that's a all-time low. clearly not the news you want to run for re-election on. what's driving the numbers, in your opinion? >> as the president said in the opening clip, people are frustrated about this economy. i don't think there's any doubt about that. the question, matt, is what are we going to do about it, not what is the president going to do about it but what we as country is going to do about it. we've got to get congress to get back to work and pay attention to helping this economy get jobs again. we have to do it without all allegiance to one party or one aspect of the republican party like the tea party. it's not the democrat or the republican united states of america, it's the united states of america. and that's what we have to focus on. it's frustration. >> frustration does not look good on a bumper sticker. clearly it doesn't look as good

as when your last bumper sticker said hope and change. so how does the president get this excitement going again surrounding his re-election bid so that he can keep this office? >> well, look, matt, i will tell you this. first and foremost, the president is not focused on keeping his job, most of all. he's focused on creating jobs for the american people. that's what he's excited about and that's what he's focused on. i think you heard him talking about laying out specific ideas when congress gets back, let's renew tax cuts for payroll tax cuts, let's extend unemployment benefit, let's figure out how to give new tax incentive to businesses that hire new workers. i think those are the kinds of things that the president has talked about and that's the kind of thing that congress needs to act on when he gets back. again, i think you watched over the weekend and you watched that republican debate, the republicans are going to have to make a choice. are they going to swear allegiance to the tea party or are they going to work on behalf of the united states of america?

i think that's a cynical question when congress gets back. >> this idea that the president said he's got this new plan to jump-start the economy when congress gets back in session. when i first heard him say this over the weekend i was shaking my head thinking, where was this plan a month ago when we were in the middle of the deficit, you know, debate, the debt ceiling debate? what is new here and why should people believe it's going to work? >> well, look, i think part of what the president is going to talk about are things that we have going on right now. as i said, the payroll tax cuts, and other ideas that he would like to see renewed for another year that would give this economy confidence. but let's understand there are also things like increased trade, things like entrepreneur and patent reform that will help spur innovation in this economy. there are things, quite frankly, matt, that the president talked about on a number occasions that we just can't seem to get the republican house of representatives to deal with. and at some point you get to ask yourself are they not dealing

with these things because, quite frankly, they just don't want to see this economy get better because they want to see an election that might turn out better for them? i think what the american people want is for people to put aside their party labels and instead work together for the united states. >> robert gibbs, top campaign adviser to the president. robert, good to see you as always. >> thank you. nine minutes after the hour. >> thank you. there's been a break in the case of young woman in australia terrorized by a masked intruder. the suspect allegedly strapped with what he claimed was a bomb around an 18-year-old girl's neck. now an arrest has been made here in the u.s. nbc's sarah james is in sydney this morning with the details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. our nbc affiliate channel 7 here in australia has confirmed with authorities that this is the picture of the suspect in the case, paul douglas peters.

they say police arrested him at a home in louisville, kentucky, today. now, interestingly, he just got to the united states a couple days after the attack here in sydney. those in sydney are shocked, not just because the arrest happened half a world away, but also because this is a respected businessperson. it's the news 18-year-old madeleine pulver and her family have been waiting for. >> we're here to announce the arrest of paul douglas peters. >> reporter: after nearly two weeks, an fbi s.w.a.t. team in the u.s. arrested a man they believe masterminded a terrifying plot, one that madeleine will never forget. on august 3rd she was alone, studying for final exams inside her luxurious family home in an upscale sydney neighborhood. police say a masked man broke in and chained a device that looked like a bomb around madeleine's neck. they say the man left a note demanding money and took off. madeleine was able to call for

help. police and bomb experts rushed to the scene. >> we have secured the release of the young lady. >> reporter: it turned out to be a sophisticated fake, but the crime was real. now the search for a suspect has gone from sydney all of the way to louisville, kentucky, where police and an fbi s.w.a.t. team arrested 50-year-old paul douglas peters at the home of his ex-wife. >> the arrest was done fairly quickly and safely and there was no incident surrounding it. >> reporter: for the pulver family, the arrest is a huge relief. >> this has been a baffling and frightening experience. it has tested us all. we've been overwhelmed with the lovend support that we have received from family and friends and neighbors, the school, and the local communities. >> reporter: on monday madeleine went back to school for the first time since the incident. peters is an unlikely suspect. the father of three daughters, a lawyer, a businessman, a polo

playing graduate of a prestigious private high school. mike madeleine's father, peters worked around. they say peters and the pulvers both had beach houses just minutes from one another, an hour north of sydney. for the pulver family, the healing can now begin. >> our priority as a family is to be provide a loving and supportive environment for maddie, a bright, happy young woman, whose reasons we still don't understand had her life turned upside-down going through this dreadful experience. >> reporter: peters will be in court in louisville, kentucky, later this morning for his initial appearance. he'll face an extradition hearing in the next couple of weeks. authorities here in australia want to charge him with breaking and entering, and kidnapping. savann savannah? >> sara james, thank you. it's 7:0012. here's matd. >> victims of that deadly stage

collapse at the indiana state fair was remembered with a silence of moment since the fair opened for the first time since the accident. this as the investigation into it unfolds. nbc's ron mott is at the fair grounds this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. investigators will try to pinpoint exactly what part of this stage structure failed. family members of the victims and others are questioning whether more should have been done keeping people safe. the stage during a storm fell ominously and now questions are being raised about why concert goers were never told to seek shelter as dark, ominous clouds approached the fairgrounds. but on monday, as the fair reopened, the focus was on the fallen five. >> let us pray. >> reporter: flowers marked a memorial, prayers and a moment of silence offered to honor their lives. but governor mitch daniels choked back tears, both for the victims and the response from

the crowd saturday night, what the governor described a hero every ten feet. >> i cannot tell you how proud i am to be the employee of 6.5 million people like that. and i bet you share that pride, too. >> reporter: 51-year-old spotlight technician nathan byrd, a father of two working high up in the rigging when it collapsed was the pride of his family. his brother brian is haunted by what ifs. >> you know, these people are just as remorseful for losing my brother as i am, you know. but i just wish, like i say, that when they knew the storm was coming, you know, i just feel like maybe he might have had a chance. >> reporter: forecasters predicted a rough night across the region, although the unpredikd ikt for thunderstorms had the potential for producing hurricane force wind gusts left plenty of uncertainty.

>> moving at 35 miles an hour west to east as it was moving toward the fair grounds and down the track and over the stage. once it got to this point it accelerated and moving off at 60 miles an hour. >> reporter: the head of the state fair said officials was tracking the storm closely hours before it hit but said it arrived before they could make an evacuation announcement. the spectators had been warned of the threat. >> as dark as that cloud was, we were on our way back stage to get up on stage and announce to ask people to seek that shelter now, that the storm was approaching quicker than we had anticipated. >> reporter: still, the storm system that triggered the stage collapse prompted another outdoor venue 15 miles away to evacuate its audience. waiting to hear the enindianapo symphony orchestra. >> reporter: he said this will be structured and systematic and like everyone else, she wants answers, too. >> ron mott in indianapolis. thank you very much. now let's get a check of the

morning's other the stories from natalie morales over at the news desk. >> good morning. hopeful economic news as we begin this morning. according to the credit reporting agency transunion most americans are paying their credit card bill on time, bringing the rate of late payments to their lowest level in nearly two decades. this as the dow closed up 213 points monday, erasing all of last week's losses. for the very latest now head to wall street to check in with cnbc's melissa francis. >> good morning. credit card holders are so worried about paying their debt on time that late payments have dropped. at the same time, though, they're using their credit cards even more, which is a sign of the times. markets are very disappointed about news out of germany this morning. that economy is growing in a very slow rate. it's almost stalled. . 1 of a percent, much below expectation. germany, the driver, will have an affect on european markets lower this morning. back to you. >> melissa francis with the new

york stock exchange, thank you. escalating tensions in libya as reports emerge that embattled leader moammar gadhafi fired a scud missile for the first time in this year's conflict. the missile landed harmlessly in the desert as rebels are making key advances pushing toward the capital of tripoli. a new call for war from al qaeda's new leader iman al zawahiri calling for holy war against america. al zawahiri references his predecessor osama bin laden saying his mission of violence did not end with his death. a chlorine leak at a sacramento water park sent nine children and 11 adults to a local hospital on monday. officials are investigating the accident. they say it appears to be caused by a mechanical problem in the pool's chlorine delivery system. and a milestone only seven other baseball players have reached as jim of the minnesota twins hit his 600th home run. out of the eight players in the

600 club, only babe ruth accomplished the feat in fewer at bats than tome. congratulations to him. as every bride-to-be wants a dream wedding and none of the planning. colleen thought she was going to a retirement party this weekend but she had no idea it was actually her own wedding. when she arrived, boyfriend shawn got down on one knee, asking her to marry him on the spot. >> right now? >> well, shawn had been planning operation white take for the past year, secretly finding out all of colleen's dream wedding details to surprise her. he even bought the dress she picked out when talking about eloping to las vegas. family, friends, and bridal party were all there to help them celebrate the happy unexpected day. it is a good thing she said yes because all that planning would have been for not. >> awkward. >>

>> so far so good. we expect rainshowers to drift in from north and south this morning. a 30% chance you will run into one of those.

. >> that's your latest weather. >> thank you very much. now to the crisis in africa. millions are fighting for their lives as famine, drought, and violence rage in somalia. ann curry is there with an eye-opening look at what people are facing. ann, good morning. >> matt, good morning. as you know, minus team and i have covered many humanitarian disasters over the years, but never have we witnessed one in a place as dangerous as somalia. mogadishu, somalia, is the capital of chaos. torn to ruins by decades of war and anarchy. it is filled with weapons and suffocated by fear. this is where blackhawk down happened where somali pirates operate. it's considered by many the most dangerous place in the world, even by the battle hardened. lieutenant colonel and african union peacekeeper takes us to

the front line of just the latest fighting. our armored personnel carrier at the ready for any sign of attack. we keep moving, ieds and suicide bombs an ever present threat. at one stop seconds after an ak-47 sounds off we move quickly out of the area. we reach protected high ground, a command post in an old stadium. peacekeepers at the moment are winning the battle for territory against al qaeda-supported islamists called al shabaab. you say over there is a. field factory where al shabaab was manufacturing ied snz. >> yes. >> reporter: we were given an exclusive look at the bomb factory seized 24 hours earlier. a munitions expert was securing the site and gathering evidence for the fbi. >> hand grenades. >> yes. >> ieds. and those are? >> mortars. some can be used for ieds. >> reporter: the bombs remain so

they can be triggered to cell phones, similar to ieds used in afghanistan and iraq. you're saying this is a training ground for al qaeda? >> you got it. >> reporter: the spread of the terrorism has turned a drought into a famine that didn't have to happen. the violence making it hard for international aid agencies to reach people in need. all these children are hungry. they have their hands out, they're shaking my hand. and with the need so great, especially with the lives of millions of children in the balance, one frustrated aide worker asked me, where is the humanity? hope came from members of the u.n. security council on monday who called on the world to contribute more resources to these peacekeepers who are trying to create safe passage for international aid so that fewer people will die in this famine. matt? >> ann curry, thank you very much. stay safe. we appreciate it. coming up, new details in

the disappearance of a maryland woman in aruba as the american suspected in the case is in court. we're live in aruba with the latest, but first, this is "today" on nbc.

just ahead, the 4-year-old dubbed the world's youngest preacher. >> we'll meet him, right after your local news and weather. [ female ] we will always be dependent on foreign oil. [ male ] using clean american fuel is just a pipe dream. ♪ [ female announcer ] we're rolling away misperceptions about energy independence. did you know that today about a quarter of all new transit buses use clean, american natural gas? we have more natural gas than saudi arabia has oil. so how come we're not using it even more? start a conversation about using more natural gas vehicles in your community.

[ pneumatic wrench buzzing ] [ slap! slap! slap! ] [ male announcer ] your favorite foods fighting you? fight back fast with tums. calcium rich tums goes to work in seconds. nothing works faster. ♪ tum tum tum tum tums >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. time to check on that morning commute. here is sarah caldwell. >> good news on the harrisburg expressway. accident in the southbound direction at timonium, that is now gone. residual delays and there. we are tracking what at the south side of the city. cherry hill road. use caution in their bread

rolling road shut down between security boulevard and fairbrook road. looking at a slow-go on the west side. tapping the brakes around liberty. prior to that, outer loop northeast side, moving very well. slow spots developing southbound 95 right arm around the white marsh area. here is a live view of traffic. coming towards us, as outbound traffic, the slow on southbound 95 to 32. looking at delays at the harbor tunnel as you make your way southbound on 895 around o'donnell. let's get the latest on the forecast with tony. >> so far is a nice start for us this tuesday. you will notice the clouds thickening up the next hour or so. rain drifting down around pennsylvania this morning. 67 at the airport. we will sneak into the low-to-

mid-80's this afternoon 30% chance it will run into one of the rainshowers. breezy this morning and into the afternoon as well. another chance for scattered thunderstorms on thursday. it should stay dry going into the beginning of the upcoming weekend. >> 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, august 16th, 2011. you're looking at pint size breacher kanon tipton in action, 4 years old. his passion has wowed his church and millions on the internet. i'm matt lauer alongside savannah guthrie who is in while ann is on assignment. my passion when i was 4 was pizza and finger paint. >> this little boy is really gifted. he's here. he's so adorable. >> that's right. how did he start preaching? where does he get his talents? we're going to talk to him and his parents just ahead. plus, this story stirring up a little controversy around

here. an 11-year-old makes a charity hockey shot worth $50,000. just one problem, he wasn't supposed to take that shot. it was his twin brother's turn. should they still get to keep the money? they did come forward. we'll have more on that story coming up. >> savannah is taking a very hard line on this one. >> i am not. give them the money. >> can't find anything to wear this morning jill martin says it could be time to throw out about 75% of your wardrobe. she's going to explain that. >> all those pastel ties? i don't know. all right. we'll begin this half hour with the latest on the disappearance of a maryland woman in aruba. a judge has now ordered the man who was arrested in connection with that case to be held in custody for 16 more days. nbc's janet shamlian is in aruba this morning with the latest. janet, good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good morning to you. this is a suspect for the maryland man who insisted he had nothing to do with the disappearance of robyn gardner. prosecutors have 16 more days

but they admit they face an up hill battle. very little evidence tying giordano to any crime. authorities have not found robyn gardner. with a shirt pulled over his head and carrying a trash bag of personal items, gary giordano left a local jail for aruba's prison. prosecutors asked for another 16 days behind bars for giordano as they gather evidence p. the prison is just a few miles from the beach from giordano said robyn gardner went missing as he says they snorkeled together two weeks ago today. >> can you proceed with prosecution without a body in this case? >> i can only give a general answer to that. it's always harder to try a case like this when you don't have a body but it's not impossible. >> reporter: aruba solicitor general tells nbc news the evidence presented to a judge includes witness statements and

details on how what investigators found at the beach was not consistent with giordano's version of events. >> i believe a lot closer attention to details this time than last time, yes. >> reporter: he is a publisher of aruba's largest paper. he believes investigators learned lessons from the natalee holloway case but face the same issue, a missing woman and no body. >> i think that he needs a body in order to take the case to court. if he can't find the body, i don't know how he's going to take the case to court unless he's a magician. >> what transpires? >> reporter: giordano's attorney says his client is innocent and had nothing to do with gardner's appearance. but the attorney had nothing to say after the hearing accept the maryland man would not be released. >> the judge has instructed he be detained for 16 days. >> 16? >> yes. >> reporter: gardner's mother issued a statement after the hearing saying, we are confident in the decision made by the

arube ban authorities to keep gary giordano in custody. we are so hoping to find out what has happened to our daughter, as we have not given up hope that she may still be alive. it's a sentiment shared by those on the beach where gardner is said to have gone missing, an area not known for snorkeling and a disappearance many have said just doesn't make sense. >> you have a girl, you're on vacation, you pay attention to your partner. i mean, to me, it's strange. >> reporter: investigators ask giordano for a dna sample. he refused. so they fought and received from a judge a court order to take one from him. that goes against his claim that he is cooperating with the investigation. meanwhile, savannah, the next step in this case after these 16 days, prosecutors are likely to go back and ask for 60 days. that's the next step. i have to tell you unless they have more evidence than they have now, gary giordano is very likely to go free.

back to you. >> thank you. and now let's get a check of the weather from al. >> all right, thanks so much, savannah. we've got a cutie here. who is this? >> this is naomi. >> how old is naomi? >> 15 months. >> she's fascinated with everything behind her. where are you from? >> l.a. >> thanks for coming down. let's check your weather, see what's happening today. we've got a little action going on in the trop bricks. that's going to get out of here. we are watching a couple of tropical waves moving into the eastern caribbean. we'll keep an eye on those for sure. as we look at today we've got a risk of strong storms through the upper mississippi river valley, showers in new england, plenty of sunshine from the great lakes down into the southeast. the heat continues down in texas. fantastic river in the pacific northwest. low humidity, plenty of sunshine. 79 and sunny in l.a. and her sister is 50. is this your sister? >> here. >> whoa, wait a minute. the arrow is pointing there. >> you're 50.

there we go. all right. got to get their sign si synchroniz >> mixture of sunshine and clouds, and a couple of showers pop up again. only a 30% chance you >> don't forget you can check your weather any time of the day or night, go to weather channel or cable, weather.com, online. >> matt? >> thank you very much. now to what could become a costly lesson in honesty for two minnesota brothers. it all began when an 11-year-old made an incredible $50,000 hockey shot at a charity event. but his twin was supposed to be the one who took it.

dave from the nbc affiliate kare tv is in blaine, minnesota, with details on this. good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. you know, it is still being talked about here in minnesota. we love our hockey stories. fans get pulled down to take a half court shot at a basketball came or field goal in a football game. in this case it was an amazing center ice shot that went in for $50,000. but that cash still very much up in the air at this point. who knows what's going to happen. insurance company still trying to figure this out. you'll find out why in just a moment. we'll give you perspective on that shot in just a moment, as well. either way, cash or no cash, an amazing sports memory. what are the odds of this happening? an 89-foot shot into a tiny opening in the net. but it happened last thursday in minnesota and people who witnessed it couldn't believe

it. >> i just was amazed. i just said, oh, my gosh, it went? >> the crowd went crazy. >> reporter: the incredible shot happened between periods at a celebrity hockey charity game. fans paid ten bucks for a chance to take a shot at a $50,000 prize. shooting a three-inch puck into a 3.5-inch opening. nick smith was the lucky name drawn, and from center ice the unbelievable shot went in. but wait, it turns out this wasn't nick smith at all. it was his twin brother nate. nick was outside of the building when his name was called so their dad told nate to take the shot. >> i know how to shoot and stuff, so i lined up and, yeah. >> so what was your reaction when you heard that your brother made it? >> i went in the arena and my friend was like, nathan just won $50,000. i'm like, yeah, right. and then i walked in and they were sitting -- nathan was

standing on the ice. >> reporter: after making the shot the boy's father decided that honesty was the best policy and came clean with charity officials about the sibling switch and who really made the shot. and while officials decide whether the smiths will get the $50,000, the twins already know what they'll do if they get to keep the money. >> most of it in our bank for college. >> college? maybe give some away? >> yeah. our school may buy some stuff, donate some stuff. >> reporter: well, people who saw the shot who were witnessing that shot said the place erupted like it was game seven stanley cup final match. i spoke to the dad and he said, hey, i looked around for nick, couldn't find him, saw nate. not thinking in a million years it would happen. 89-foot shot from center ice. you get one chance. let's give you some perspective here. yeah. go right. go right. you got to talk to it a little bit. yeah, that's not happening. no cash coming my way, either.

insurance company still trying to figure out what they'll decide. no word on whether they will get the $50,000 or not. either way, still pretty cool moment. guys, back to you in new york. >> that is very cool moment. thank you very much. so, savannah? >> i would just give them the money. they were honest, they came forward. it's not like they premeditated it, matt. one kid was outside and then the other one was ready. someone had to take the shot. >> as our executive producer jim bell says, first it's a hockey shot, then it's dates in high school, and then where does it go from there? >> they're going to use the money for college, matt. >> sorry. up next, the preacher who has church goers hanging on his every word. he's only 4 years old, or is that his twin brother? we're going to meet him right after this. [ woman ] jogging stroller. you've been stuck in the garage

while i took refuge from the pollen that made me sneeze. but with 24-hour zyrtec®, i get prescription strength relief from my worst allergy symptoms. so lily and i are back on the road again. with zyrtec® i can love the air®. so lily and i are back on the road again. you've been there. you pick out a makeup thinking it's your shade... until you actually try it out. now, i have a makeup that always gets it right. smart shade makeup instantly adjusts to match perfectly to your skin. almay smart shade makeup. only from almay. only for me.

[ woman ] we didn't know where to go next with eric's adhd. his stimulant medicine was helping, but some symptoms were still in his way. so the doctor kept eric on his current medicine and added nonstimulant intuniv to his treatment plan. [ male announcer ] for some children like eric, adding once-daily nonstimulant intuniv to their stimulant has been shown to provide additional adhd symptom improvement. don't take if allergic to intuniv, its ingredients, or taking other medicines with guanfacine, like tenex. intuniv may cause serious side effects, such as low blood pressure, low heart rate, fainting, and sleepiness. intuniv may affect the ability to drive or use machinery. other side effects include nausea, tiredness, trouble sleeping, stomach pain, and dizziness. tell the doctor about your child's medicines and medical conditions, including heart, liver, or kidney problems. [ woman ] adding intuniv helped eric. [ male announcer ] ask the doctor about once-daily nonstimulant intuniv.

back now at 7:43, with a pint-sized preacher. kanon tipton was just 21 months old when he first took to the

pulpit at his family's pentecostal church in mississippi. now the 4-year-old internet sensation is set to be featured on a national geographic special. we're going the talk to kanon in a moment, but first, his story. out of the mouths of babes has new meaning in the digital age. >> when kanon did what he did that night preaching, my wife just started videoing and we put it on youtube, called a few of our friends and said, hey, look what kanon did. it just got over 4 million hits. so absolutely shocked us and was amazing. it was all sdernaccident, but thankfully we did capture it on video. >> very overwhelming. we put it on apostolic live and they shut down the website, people trying to view it.

>> who was on the platform with you? >> daddy. >> what were we telling you, preach, kanon, preach. >> yeah. i'm preaching. >> you were preaching. he's been labelled the world's youngest preacher. and that intrigues me, something that we've never dreamed. it feels like a fantasy world that we're living in. >> reporter: kanon's family says he doesn't preach on queue, only when the spirit inspires him. now 4 years old his evangelical enthusiasm also has a message. >> i love you. i'm preaching about -- i'm preaching about holy god.

the main church, the needy church of pentecost, of pentecost. what we can do for the one lord. >> and 4-year-old kanon is with

us now along with his parents, pastor damon tipton. we'll ask qanon a couple of questions in a minute. but damon, how do you explain this gift, this ability to stand in front of crowds and preach? >> well, one word comes to my mind, and i believe it's phenomenon. i really believe it's a phenomenon how in what kanon does. it's very unusual. i've never seen anything like it. even being his parent, so it's quite something. >> you, of course, are a preacher. you're the son of a preacher. he grew up in church. there will be some out there watching this who is saying he's just 4 years old, started at 21 months. is he mimicking? do you think he's mimicking what he hears or do you think this is a calling? >> i think it is a -- i think it's a little bit of both. i think, you know, yes, children absorb whatever you put in front of them. most all of his life, all of his life thus far is, you know, he's

been around the ministry, church, and, of course, he is mimicking. but i do feel like the hand of god is on him in a special way. >> candy, do you think he understands at he's saying, the words that are coming out of his mouth? >> yes, ma'am, to a degree, i do. yes, ma'am. >> he started when he was 21 months, i imagine he's evolved in your understanding more and more of the words he's saying. is that right? >> he's learning. yes, ma'am. >> kanon, can i ask you a couple of questions? >> yes, ma'am. >> why do you like to preach? >> just like my daddy preach. >> just like your daddy, yeah. are you ever nervous up there with all of those people or do you like to stand up there? >> i like to stand up there. >> yeah. how do you decide when you want to preach? >> because i -- because i'm more capable. >> you do? you do. so like father, like son. >> yes, and like grandfather.

so he is third generation preacher. he certainly is. we're very proud of him. >> do you ever find yourself surprised by what comes out of his mouth? >> absolutely. some things that you really can't put together, and others, which i think is part of the phenomenon, in the anticipation of the audience is the fact that he -- when he says some things that has substance, savannah, it really captures the audience. a little child like this would be saying that. >> before i let you go i have to ask you. you know there are going to be people out there who say at this young age, whether it's a gift or whether he's just mimicking you, maybe he's too young to be standing in front of crowds. how would you respond to that? >> well, i think everybody has their own opinion. the bible does say train up a child the way it should go. when they get old they will not depart from it. all that we have done is involved him in church and he himself have taken upon this

passion. and so, you know, we're not pushing him. we don't have an agenda. we don't travel with him. >> you don't mind if he's a preacher or not? >> no, not at all. if the lord's will in his life takes him to a different direction, i'm fine as long as it's in god's will. >> kanon, thank you so much for coming on. nice to meet you. >> absolutely. >> pint-sized preacher airs tomorrow night on the "national geographic" channel. we'll be back right after this. a network of possibilities. in here, the planned combination of at&t and t-mobile would deliver our next generation mobile broadband experience to 55 million more americans, many in small towns and rural communities, giving them a new choice. we'll deliver better service, with thousands of new cell sites... for greater access to all the things you want, whenever you want them. it's the at&t network... and what's possible in here is almost impossible to say.

[ male announcer ] get ready for the left lane. the volkswagen autobahn for all event is back. right now, get a great deal on new volkswagen models, including the cc. and every volkswagen includes scheduled carefree maintenance. that's the power of german engineering. right now lease the volkswagen cc sport for just $289 a month. ♪ visit vwdealer.com today. ♪ your kids will each take care of our class hamsters, lewis & clark. then i'll tell them the story of pluto,

the sad little planet that was. i'll introduce them to some new friends, the fractions, and some cold blooded ones, the dinosaurs. [sfx: dinosaur growl] clark! anyway, here's what they'll need: markers, scissors, crayons, pencils, folders, juice boxes, pretzel sticks, glue sticks, tape that sticks, and glitter. so much glitter. school takes a lot. target has it all. a dog, well, a dog is family. and when it comes to your family's health, you want the best. now you can have it without paying the most. new petarmor plus flea and tick protection. it has the same active ingredients as frontline plus, so it's just as effective against fleas and ticks, but costs about half as much. sure our dogs may be called pets, but we all know they're family. new petarmor plus. same protection as frontline at about half the cost. only at walmart and sam's club. just ahead, why throwing out

75% of your clothes could be the fix to your wardrobe blues. ♪ [ recorded voice ] onstar. we're looking for city hall. i'm sending directions to your car. [ recorded voice #2 ] turn right on hill street. go north for two miles. ♪ [ man ] this is onstar. i got a signal there's been a crash. do you need help? yes, please. i've got your gps location. i'm sending help. [ female announcer ] introducing onstar fmv. get it installed on your car at best buy or visit onstar.com for more stores. [ female announcer ] kellogg wants to help make kids happy, one tummy at a time. because 9 out of 10 kids don't get the fiber they need. froot loops, apple jacks and frosted mini-wheats have good-for-you fiber in every yummy bowl. they're the cereals your kids love and the fiber their tummies love, which makes for a whole lotta happy. froot loops, apple jacks and frosted mini-wheats... a good source of fiber and made with whole grain. kellogg's makes fiber...fun!

maybe not. v8 v-fusion juice gives them a full serving of vegetables plus a full serving of fruit. but it just tastes like fruit. [ male announcer ] get five dollars in money-saving coupons at v8juice.com. in money-saving coupons (telephone ring. pick up) usa prime credit. my name ...peggy. you got problem? ggy? third time i've called, 's time i speak with a supervisor. supervisor is genius...i transfer. transfer! transfer! transfer! transfer! transfer! hello...my name is... peggy? come on!!! hello? want better customer service? switch to discover. ranked #1 in customer loyalty. it pays to discover. your favorites, in pieces.

♪ would you like to be my friend? ♪ ♪ i can run just like the wind ♪ i will hide up in that tree ♪ no one will ever find me ♪ wish this day would never end ♪ ♪ would you like to be my friend? ♪ ♪ everybody's trying hard to catch me ♪ [ sneezes ] [ female announcer ] only kleenex® brand has sneeze shield in all its tissues to help catch sneezes in their tracks so kids can pass on the fun of being a kid. sneeze shield your kids wherever they go. now in new convenient on-the-go packs. [ vet ] your turn max. [ cat ] inside and out. and i'm not the only one who thinks so...right doc? [ female announcer ] vets agree, a healthy check up starts inside. our breakthrough iams premium protection formula is developed with vets... ...with cutting edge ingredients for the lifelong health of your pet. [ cat ] what a surprise... straight as again! [ female announcer ] iams premium protection. our most advanced iams nutrition. ever. [ cat ] oh, i'm not in your way, am i doc? i...[yawns] am an iams cat.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. time for another check of the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> a lot more volume than last check. delays around the area in the west side. rolling road remains closed between security and fairbrook due to water main break. if you are going to travel on the north side, 34 miles per hour on the outer loop. also looking at a slow go on southbound 95 from white marsh down to the 895 split.

let's give you a live view of traffic and see what is going on in our cameras. bw parkway, running slow down to 132. we will switch to a live view of traffic at o'donnell from 895 southbound direction. delays from the harbor tunnel also a bit slow at the fort mchenry southbound. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. let's check in with county. >> couple of showers may drift southbound into maryland and the next few hours. 68 in westminster. the forecast for today, mr ixture sunshine and clouds. high temperature around 84 degrees. nice day tomorrow. sunshine up to 86. another front on thursday. it looks like it is going to stay dry going into the beginning of next weekend on friday and saturday. >> bottom of your screen,

updated news and traffic information. we are back at 8:25 with another live update.

we're back now at 8:00 on a tuesday morning, 16th day of august, 2011. not nice, let's be honest, not nice here in the new york city area. couple of days of rainy weather. it continues today. but we understand al is going to promise us some nicer weather for tomorrow. that's a good thing. we will enjoy that. i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie. holding down the fort while ann curry is on assignment. it's large. mr. roker joins us, as well. coming up, an incredible young girl you will never forget. rachelle beckwith was turning 9 years old. she decided she didn't want a

big party or a lot of gifts. inste instead, she wanted to raise money for charity, people in need. sadly, rachelle died a short time later and now total strangers have taken up her cause. it's incredibly inspiring. and we'll tell you that story in this half hour. >> all of us tearing up. she is a darling little girl. and then we'll take a turn. we know a lot of people get up in the morning about this time look in their closet and think, i have nothing to wear, even when it's overstuffed. jill martin is here. she has a new book. she says we should actually throw out 75% of our wardrobe. what? >> wow! >> that would still leave you with a building full. >> i know. i would still have this crazy coat. >> we like that coat. >> thank you. i was fish for compliments. thank you. >> you landed a big one. okay. oscar winner jeff bridges, yeah, we love him, showcased his singing talent in the movie "crazy heart." he's doing it again.

release of a major label debut album of great country music. coming up we're going to catch up with jeff and he's going to perform. >> live in our studio. that should be cool. let's head over to the news desk. natalie is standing by with a check of the morning headlines. >> good morning, matt, savannah, and al. president obama is promoting his rural economic policies at an appearance before farmers and small business owners in iowa today. the tal town hall meeting monday the president said america's future is sound but he said progress is being limited by members of congress to put their party ahead of the nation. the indiana state fair reopened monday with a memorial service for the five people killed when a concert stage collapsed there in a storm on saturday. investigators are still looking into whether the stage had been inspected and why the venue had not been evacuated as that fast-moving storm approached. a little exercise can give a big boost to your health. researchers in taiwan found that people who exercise just 15 minutes a day cut their cancer

risk by 10% and live an average of three years longer than those who don't exercise at all. a suspect in under arrest this morning in the disappearance and death of a 3-year-old missouri girl. she is in missouri with the latest. good morning to you, angie. >> good morning, natalie. morgan is charged with first degree murder and he's due in court later today for his arraignment. last night i spoke to the family who told me they want to be here, also, to face the man who killed their little angel. after nearly a week of exhaustive searches for little breeann rodriguez, they arrested a neighbor, shawn morgan. >> morgan is caused with causing the death of breeann rodriguez, 3 years old. >> reporter: breeann was last seen on the 6th, riding her big bike on the dead end street outside their home. neighbors say morgan, who is 43

and the father of three, even participated in the search. in the arrest affidavit, he said he brought breeann inside his home where he suffocated her with a white plastic trash bag. in a chilling statement, morgan told police he, quote, felt like it took an hour for the girl to die. morgan says he then put breeann's body in the trash bag and dumped it in a nearby river. >> i heard in jail they don't like people who hurt little kids. i just want him to pay. >> reporter: now morgan does not have an attorney. it is expected the court will appoint one for him later today. in the meantime, the search for little breeann's body continues. natalie? >> such a heart-breaking story. angie, thank you. and now for a look at what's trending today. our quick round-up of what has you talking online. kate gosselin is a top search

onnia how after tlc canceled her reality show. the last episode airs september 12th. elvis presley fans are searching google to remember the king on his 34th anniversary of his death. hundreds gathered at the graifr site for a candlelight procession overnight. and our internet picture of the day comes from nasa. if it's not worth 1,000 words it's worth one big exclamation point. the mark was formed by the collision of two galaxies. some 450 million light years away. pretty cool. 8:05. let's go outside and get a check of the weather with mr. roker. >> that was a great picture. thanks, nat. we have folks here with a teal walk. >> battle of ovarian cancer. we're trying to get the word out on awareness and we want more research done. >> when is your walk? >> september 10th at prospect park, brooklyn.

>> for more information go there. >> yes. >> let's check your weather and see what's happening. pick city of the day. sacramento, kcra nbc 3. sunny, hot, temperatures in the low 80s. as you can see, we've got showers a still making their way through the northeast. we expect to see beautiful weather along the west coast. spectacular day in the pacific northwest. sunshine and 70s. the heat continues down through texas with hundreds there. we're looking for a risk of strong storms in the upper mississippi river valley and the sunshine continues from the ohio river valley down into the southeast. hey, we've got new york renaissance. when is that? >> already open. >> it's open. all right. >> september. >> fantastic. okay. very good. looks like they escaped from that >> couple of scattered showers will develop as we head through the morning into the afternoon brought 30% chance you will run

into one of those. mr. of sun >> and that's your latest weather. savannah? >> al, thanks. coming up next, 59-year-old girl's touching legacy. how she's helping people in a big way one month after her tragic death. thha's right after this. ft you nowhere to go. when you've lost interest in everything. when you've had one too many days feeling sad or anxious... aches and pains, fatigue. when it becomes hard to ignore that you need help. that's the day you do something. depression hurts. cymbalta can help with many symptoms of depression. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens, you have unusual changes in 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. talk with your doctor about your medicines, including those for migraine, or if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles, to address a possible life-threatening condition. tell your doctor about alcohol use, liver disease, and before you reduce or stop taking cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. side effects include nausea, dry mouth, and constipation. is today your day? talk to your doctor... and go to cymbalta.com for a free 30-capsule trial offer. depression hurts. cymbalta can help. new revlon age defying with dna advantage makeup. its powerful skincare ingredients and spf 20 help protect skin's dna and reduce the visible signs of aging. 96% of women saw flawless,

younger-looking skin in just 2 weeks. age. defy it! with aveeno nourish plus moisturize. active naturals wheat formulas target and help repair damage in just 3 washes. for softer, stronger... ... hair with life. [ female announcer ] nourish plus. only from aveeno. ♪ for the big day ahead of you morning. big day, huh? morning, mom! are you excited? ♪ the best part of wakin' up ♪ is folgers in your cup. ♪ ♪ the best part of wakin' up why settle for a one-note cereal? get more with honey bunches of oats. four nutritious grains come together for more taste, more texture, more healthy satisfaction.

have a bowl of happy. [ female announcer ] there's a cream... that's been trusted to care for skin for 100 years. across all generations. ♪ [ female announcer ] nivea. 100 years of skincare for life. enter to win a trip to see rihanna face to face. look for specially marked nivea products for the chance to meet rihanna at her european concert this december. [ male announcer ] but with pizza hut's tuscani tuesday, we have you covered! dinner made easy? check. [ male announcer ] get pasta for two for just six dollars, or family-size pasta for just ten bucks -- both complete with breadsticks. only on tuesdays. only at your pizza hut. but not in my neighborhood. ♪ [ female announcer ] we're throwing away misperceptions about natural gas vehicles.

more of the vehicles that fuel our lives use clean american natural gas today. it costs about 40 percent less than gasoline, so why aren't we using it even more? start a conversation about using more natural gas vehicles in your community. ann's been reporting about the terrible famine and drought in parts of africa. it's a problem that could be remedied if enough people pitched in to help. 9-year-old washington state girl decided to do her part by foregoing birthday presents to raise money for a cause. tragically she died before her goal was fulfilled. but as nbc lee cow wen explains that's when something remarkable happened. >> reporter: everyone who knew her said it was rachel beckwith's smile which is unforgettable, but those who never met her, it was her heart. on her 9th birthday rachel

decided instead of presents she wanted donations, money for thirsty kids in far away lands to get a clean drink of water. >> we've been blown away by the wish of this little girl. >> reporter: she raised $220. she vowed to do it again next year on her 10th birthday. but then tragedy struck. in july, a pile-up on i-90 near seattle claimed more than a dozen cars, and one life, rachel's. family and friends were inconsolable. the best memorial was just to keep rachel's water going, and it is. and then came the flood. >> looking at rachel's -- >> reporter: her story spread. on talk radio, on facebook, and twitter. and soon, rachel's tally grew. >> there were times when we were on air talking about it where i just be hitting the refresh button on my browser and it would go up $1,000 at a time. >> reporter: in california, april was one of them. >> i just -- i get really

emotional thinking about her passion and just that her life wasn't in vain. >> reporter: strangers have even to do nated to her family. >> her basic idea of just loving and giving, those two things are so simple and in such a broken world, it's really easy to get behind that. >> reporter: rachel set out to raise just a few hundred dollars. her total is now over a million. enough to help more than 50,000 people get clean water for life. it's a record that stands not only for its size but for what it says, that in her death, rachel taught the rest of us how to live. for "today," lee cowan, nbc news, seattle. >> rachel's mom, samantha paul, is with us now along with scott harrison, the founder and ceo of charity water. good morning to both of you. samant samantha, my condolences on your loss. >> thank you. >> tell me about rachel. >> she was always so giving and so loving.

even at a pretty young age. for her first hair cut when she was 5 she wanted to donate her hair to locks of love to make wigs for kids with cancer. and then after we did that she wanted to do it again, so the next hair cut we did the same thing. she was always going out of her way to think about other people and just an amazing little girl. >> she sounds like it. this accident happened only three weeks or so ago. >> yes. >> a very short time. she did not make it out of the hospital. how long after her death did you decide to carry on this wish? >> it was actually before she passed. we decided to open up the campaign again. it just took off even before she passed. >> what was your reaction to the response? this was a little girl that very few of these people ever knew, and yet they responded, they

connected in some very emotional way. >> you know, i'm still blown away by the response that we have gotten. i just -- i'm at a loss for words. reading the comments and, you know, hearing how people from all over the world are being touched by her and what she wanted to do for people. >> scott, i mean, she fell $3 short of her wish that first time around, and, boy, has she exceeded that now. let me read a couple of comments. adam dunn who sent in $20, amazing story of selflessness has reached us down here in australia. rachel was an inspiration around the world. julie, 20. currently the dry season in east africa and the need for freshwater is great. thank you for your generous spirit. the impact of your life and mission, rachel. andrea, $30, touched our hearts, tears are flowing. the kids contributed their money. my 8-year-old said soon there

will be too much water in africa. i mean, why do you think this is happening? >> i think people are just overwhelmed by the unselfishness of this little girl. you know, no birthday, no gifts, no party. you know, she cared about others, you know. learning that kids didn't have clean water, something so basic. wanting to do something about it, not being paralyzed. >> rachel had a goal. she wanted $300. that's what she wanted to raise. >> yes. >> it's over a million now. something like 3,000 times what she had hoped to raise. so have you now set a new goal? >> it changes daily, basically. >> i remember i was up, you know, until about midnight waiting for 1,000 times her goal. $299,000. i need to screen shot this. and that seemed big. you know, 1,000 times her goal. and now who knows. >> samantha, again, she sounded

like a remarkable little girl. i'm so sorry for your loss. >> thank you. >> but it's amazing what she lives on with this effort. >> yeah. >> and we are going to make sure that our viewers understand this more and can get in touch with us because if you would like to know more about charity water you can head to our website at today.com. thanks to both of you for being here. back in a moment right after this. we all have internal plumbing. but for some of us with overactive bladder,

our pipes just don't work as well as they should. sometimes, i worry my pipes might leak. but i learned there's something more i can do. now, i take care with vesicare. once-daily vesicare can help control your bladder muscle and is proven to treat overactive bladder with symptoms of frequent urges and leaks day and night. if you have certain stomach or glaucoma problems, or trouble emptying your bladder, do not take vesicare. vesicare may cause allergic reactions that may be serious. if you experience swelling of the face, lips, throat or tongue, stop taking vesicare and get emergency help. tell your doctor right away if you have severe abdominal pain, or become constipated for three or more days. vesicare may cause blurred vision, so use caution while driving or doing unsafe tasks. common side effects are dry mouth, constipation, and indigestion. so why wait ? ask your doctor today... ... about taking care with vesicare. i use the dove beauty bar. i use this bar.

[ female announcer ] would you switch right now? please don't make me get in the shower. [ laughs ] ♪ [ female announcer ] did you notice a difference? it feels a bit tight. i couldn't rinse enough. [ female announcer ] soap leaves behind soap residue that can cause a tight draggy feeling. dove cleansers rinse cleaner than soap. with its 1/4 moisturizing cream, dove leaves skin feeling softer and smoother. this is my gift to you. [ laughs ] ♪ ♪ [ laughs ] why settle for a one-note cereal? get more with honey bunches of oats. four nutritious grains come together for more taste, more texture, more healthy satisfaction. have a bowl of happy. ♪ it's made with tender white meat chicken. zero grams trans fat. mcdonald's chicken mcnuggets. crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and made just for you. ♪

i don't normally associate with salty snacks. huh. i thought berries were supposed to be sweet. [ female announcer ] new quaker chewy smashbar. kid-loved ingredients, smashed together. with 33% less sugar than the leading sweet snacks. now's a great time to save big on a toyota the most fuel-efficient full-line automaker. take advantage of the summer's best selection and the year's biggest deals on our most popular models. don't miss the perfect opportunity to get the toyota you've always wanted. plus, every new toyota comes with toyotacare,

a complimentary maintenance plan with roadside assistance. toyota's nationwide clearance event ends soon. hurry in today before time runs out! ♪ how many times have we all stood in front of our closets and uttered those five dreaded words, i have nothing to wear? counter intuitive as it might sound, getting ritd of 75% of your wart droeb can drobe can a you more options. jill martin is here with pam who was brave enough to turn her closet over to jill. good morning to all of you. quick, jill, 75% of your closet, are you crazy? >> i know it seems extreme. once you get in there and start to declutter you find things and you're like, what is this doing in my closet? it's just about -- like weight loss, take that first step. >> speaking of, here's jill taking a look at your closet. let's see.

>> pam, what is this situation here? >> i'm a lawyer, so i tend to work crazy hours. when i wake up in the morning i just want whatever i need to wear in the day accessible to me. this is what i end up with. >> but i think a lot of women can relate to this. the first step to fixing this is admitting you have a problem. >> i have a problem. >> the second step is finding a friend to help you sort through. do you have a friend? >> i have a friend who cares very much about this. >> i think i'm more excited than pam is. >> this is a big day for her. >> what's her biggest problem? >> halloween costumes. >> step three, catharsis. we are going to get rid of 75% of the closet. and this is for all women. 75% of your closet does not belong here. are you ready for that? >> yes. >> high five. >> all right. >> we're going to make three piles, keep it, donate it, maybe. >> this dress. well, this dress has two parts.

>> i worked my friend's rehearsal dinner in 2007. >> 2007. >> yeah. >> does it make you feel great and fabulous? >> it does not. >> okay. >> this is still in the dry-cleaning bag. there's a stain on it. i'm going to make this executive decision. donate. we'll get to the iphone charger box necessary a second. i see shoulder pads. wow! the '80s called and they are looking for one of their tops. oh, i love this. we're getting to the jeans. many women do this. how often do you wear jeans? >> almost never. >> two pairs you can keep. extra hanger. we love our customers. >> they really love me. >> because you dry-clean things and you don't know they're there. this has made it into the closet. do you think there's a man out there who would want this? what is this? do you have a child i don't know about? donate. 75% of the shoes are going. they're not perfect, you have to

be comfortable. >> okay. >> oh, wicked witch of the west. i think we need to go to allison for this one. >> i can't stop laughing. >> dorothy, clicking your heels, and the wicked witch of the west. can we give these away? well, i can barely see you over this pile but you did it. we got rid of 75% of your closet. so now it's time for me to do my work. and you're going to go to lunch. when you come back you're going to have a whole new closet. >> i can't wait. >> ready? >> yes. >> get out of here. >> brave woman. let's take one last look at pam's closet before. and then we will reveal the after. and pam, as we look at your new closet, i have to ask you, how does it feel? >> i can honestly say at this point that this book and jill and this experience has changed my life. >>ally, i know you've been begging pam for years for this. >> it was so long overdue.

but finally, i think i'm more excited than she is. >> jill, how can we assist at home -- this is the reaction. wonderful. >> that's my closet? >> how can people achieve this at home? >> she's so surprised. this is actually from the container store. you can go in there and design it. we put a chandelier in. i want to show you actually how much we donated. >> oh, yes. >> 13 bags. this is 75% of her closet. >> if people want to know what it looks like, that's it. >> that's it. >> i want to show you a few ways you can do it at home, inexpensive way. starting at $1.99, bins from the container store. put a quick picture and put your shoes in them. stack it up. huggable hangers will quadruple your room. and then we added a chandelier and pretty. >> what is this doing in your closet? >> we didn't have enough light. it's from target. it's pretty and fun. when you get up in the morning you should stand there and say i have something to wear and i feel beautiful. so start your closet cleanse. >> stay on the straight and

arrow? >> yes. i never had so much fun packing and getting dressed and shopping. >> i can vouch for that. >> jill martin, appreciate it. if you need closet cleanout tips, you can subpit your photos and jill may have an interven >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am at mindy basara. let's get a final check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> just a few problems to get to. dorsey road, we are tracking a new accident. delays around rolling road. completely shut down between security boulevard and fairbrook road. that is due to water main break repairs. seeing some read on the inner loop topside as you make your

approach to the j.f.x. right around greenspring. inner loop, 12-minute ride through that stretch. 14 minutes to get through the outer loop north east side. 295, still waiting for these delays to filter out between 175 at an 32. looking at better south of o'donnell. wrong.ed "o'donnell" there is an extra l. tony, over to you. >> don't feel bad. i misspelled "rain" on the air. we have showers that may pop up later this morning. if you are watching us near the pennsylvania line, you might already have a sprinkles up there. 71 at the airport. at 73 degrees in middle river. mr. of sunshine and clouds. a little bit on the breezy side. 30% chance for a rain shower. best chances north of baltimore.

tomorrow, this big storm pulls away bit another front comes in on a thursday. then it looks dry on friday and saturday. >> thank you for joining us. another update at 8:55.

8:30 now on tuesday morning, 16th day of august, 2011. we've got a nice crowd starting their day with us. breezy midtown manhattan. right now they're listening to songs off the new album by the one and only jeff bridges. i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie, ann is on

assignment. natalie morales is joining us, as well, and al roker. we all know that jeff bridges won an academy award for playing bad blake in the movie "crazy heart." now he's making music of his own. he's releasing a brand new album titled "jeff bridges." we are going to be talking to him in just a couple of minutes. he'll be performing in our studio. we look forward to this. >> he sounds great. breakfast time in the kitchen. eggs benedict, we love to order them but can we make them? we're going to see if we can do this at home. i don't think i'm probably the best person to try it but matt is going to try it. >> i love eggs benedict. also, another inspirational story from jane pauley. she's back. a couple on the brink of retirement they decided they still had a lot more to offer. >> you don't want to miss the fourth hour. it's kathie lee's birthday. that's right. fire marshal standing by for the candles. we have a lot to celebrate.

and some surprises. cool. >> you're a meany. >> she comes down and puts a whooping on you. let's get a check of the weather. >> let's check it out, show you what's happening. we've got for today a risk of strong storms in the upper mississippi river valley. showers in new england. beautiful weather in the pacific northwest and los angeles, upper 70s to mid 60s. sizzling conditions continue throughout texas on into oklahoma. we've got beautiful up and down the eastern seaboard. the heat into the southwest. mild conditions in the upper mississippi river valley. >> mixture of sunshine and clouds, and a couple of showers pop up again. only a 30% chance you

>> and don't forget you can check your weather any time of the day or night, go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. up next, one yummy breakfast. we are going to have the secret to making the perfect eggs benedict at home. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

we're back now, 8:35, this morning in today's kitchen, back to basics, a breakfast classic, eggs benedict. a popular item on lot of brunch menus. also one of the more difficult dish toes prepare at home. chef michael white from here in new york is here to put a personal touch on a classic dish. good morning. >> good morning. >> one of the hottest chefs anywhere in the world right now. great to have you here. >> thank you very much. >> here's the problem with eggs benedict. i have tried this at home probably 50 times. it's all about timing.

>> all about timing. it's going to break soft. >> exactly. you could make these things individually. getting them to come out at the same time and in good shape is the problem. >> i'm nervous today. >> really? >> crazy. >> we have the poaching process. we also have the hollandaise. >> that's the key to this. hollandaise is one of the five post the mother sauces. we have three egg yokes. >> some people will try to do this in a saucepan. you do it over boiling water. >> thaks it a little bit more gentle heat underneath. it's going to be not -- fingers crossed -- not break. >> we're going to froth it here a little bit. >> yeah. >> okay. and then we add a little bit of lemon juice to it. you need to add a little bit of water, lemon juice liquid. it helps to absorb. >> when you say so it doesn't break. >> so it doesn't break. scramble the eggs. that's not what you want to do. so this will take probably

seven, eight minutes. what we're going to do is put this over and we have already started this. you will see how this yolk starts to form. >> that's the consistent you want that loose pudding feel. >> exactly. this is very much like a mayonnaise except the fact that we're using -- we just keep adding to it. okay. >> how long should it take you to make a proper hollandaise? >> depends on who you're talking to. >> you. >> me, a few minutes. six or seven or eight minutes. what we have here is a little bit of lobster stock that we reduce down. >> this is your personal touch. >> exactly. we're going a lobster benedict. we want to continue with that lobster flavor. >> we're going to poach an egg now. how long does it take and how you get it to come outlooking the way it does in a restaurant? >> this is the easy part. a little bit of white vinegar. white vinegar helps the egg solidify and keep the white, the protein, around the yolk. >> as opposed to spreading out looking like a scrambled egg in the water?

>> yes. a little bit of vinegar. we're going to create a vortex. i know that sounds crazy this morning. >> right here in the studio? >> yes. >> fsh everybody is going to ge sucked out through the door. >> watch out. we're going to drop these yolks with the whole egg. >> that's the trick i've never seen. get it moving around. >> hey. did you see how it's going to come out? >> that's great stuff. okay. >> spinning. >> okay. >> now, i have these done. >> how long? >> this is the real trick. if you have a breakfast party what you can do, two minutes, those cook. what you do is you do this pre. and then you trim around a little bit of yolk. then soft side. we're going the add this to warm water. >> okay. >> a little bit soft. >> because one of the worst things on eggs benedict, your guest cuts into it and it has a hard yolk. >> yes. don't want that. what we're going to do is take these out. replace them on top. here's a little bit of salty

spinach, lobster, shrimp, you could use crab. you name it. >> we're replacing the canadian bacon. >> exactly. and then toss this on top. and then we have a little bit of this beautiful lobster hollandaise. >> we missed another timing issue here because you've got to get the english muffin done kind of close to this time because if it sits on the plate it becomes an english rock. >> exactly. tell me what you really feel. >> it's a hard dish to make. >> sauce over the top of it. okay. >> fantastic. >> here we have sweet corn season right now. corn meal, baking powder, fresh corn, and we're going to put a little bit of blueberries over the top of it. a light breakfast for you this morning. >> this is really good stuff. >> you use this savory and put a little bit of caviar on it, too. >> you showed me how to make hollandaise sauce. i have my own personal tip, north swiss.

>> north swiss. oh, man. >> come on. >> it's not sexy. i know that. michael white, thank you so much. >> thank you. up next, jane pauley introduces us to a couple who decided to change careers and the world in one process. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

not that long ago, many families were priced out of an overheated housing market. but the times have changed. get the facts at remax.com. it's a great place to see all the listings in thousands of cities and towns. with lots of houses to chose from and down-to-earth prices the dream of owning a home seems more attainable than ever. find out what an experienced re/max agent can do for you. nobody sells more real estate than re/max. visit remax.com today.

back now at 8:42, with your life calling today. "today" contributor jane pauley has been working with the aarp who sponsored a series of reports for us. jane, good morning. >> it's great to be here. 40 years, they have been partners in every sense of the word. ten years ago when they were both 58, they didn't merely decide to change careers. they decided to change the world. here is their life calling. >> i thought about my great grandchildren asking, well, when

it became clear that civilization was headed in a destructive direction, did you do anything about it or did you just sit there and watch? >> you were in your late 50s. >> uh-huh. >> you're thinking it might not be too late for me to change the world. >> what else is there to do, really? >> reporter: a fairy ride from seattle, nestled in the woods, into bainbridge graduate institute. it may look like a summer camp, but bgi is fully accredited. >> our graduates work at microsoft, boeing, timberland, t-mobile. >> reporter: ironically, neither of them have an mba. >> we learned business experien experienceally. when they were the age of many of their students they were grad school dropout with a farm and a

glass smithing business. >> i claim that my blacksmithing career was my mba. >> reporter: they emerged from the '70s corporate. >> at that point i said, okay, giffords, do you want to retire? he kept saying, no, i just feel like we need to do one more thing. >> there's this sort of is this all there is to life. that was beginning to happen to us. >> reporter: and then 9/11 happened. >> suddenly life seemed short. we can't just sit around and think about these things. i had to do something about it. so we looked and said, what's the highest leverage way in which we can change the world for the better. >> reporter: for giffords, whose grandfather was the first chief of the u.s. forest service, the answer was a school with a mission. >> we a actually generate -- >> reporter: teaching future business leaders how to keep the planet healthy while turning a profit. >> it cuts our wastes down to 99% waste diversion. >> reporter: where did your seed money come from? >> initial seed money came from

us. >> reporter: they sunk their retirement money into starting the school. >> there's a give-back period in life. now it's time to really ask what can we do for the world. >> why is it in the forest? >> we started out in our living room, and the third year we had to go somewhere. there wasn't room anymore. and so we found this place. >> reporter: an environmental tea facility from monday to thursday noon. >> we wanted it thursday at 1:00 through sunday noon. >> reporter: it was a perfect match. bgi students are on campus just four days a month. the rest of the time students and professors work together online. what are you looking for in students at bgi? >> one, do you have the map skills to do an mba, do you have the english writing skills so that we don't have to teach you how to write, and do you have the kind of passion that's necessary to change the world? >> reporter: the bainbridge graduate institute may be the model of the school of the future.

>> other schools began copying us. i think our largest impact is the fact that we're transforming schools all around the world. businesses are the dominant institution of our time. business doesn't do it, it's not going to happen. so we might as well change business. >> reporter: as of today, bgi has graduated 440 students. so the last ten years, the best ten years of your life? >> yes. >> the best. >> the best. >> thank you. >> are you finished? >> we've only got one more thing that we can do. we only have one more thing. >> so it seemed at the time. no, i'm pretty convinced that as soon as we stop doing this we'll find one more thing to do. >> bgi's motto is changing business for good. and so far, so good. but here's the reality check. it's been very hard work. and bgi is still a young institution that leans pretty heavily on its mom and pop

founders. i hope you will join me today in a call-in internet radio show at noon eastern at aarp.org/jane. >> i love how you ask, you decided to change the world and he said, what else are you going to do? fascinating. thank you, jane. coming up next, a live performance from oscar winner and now singer, jeff bridges. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

the toyota concert series on "today" brought to you by toyota. >> jeff bridges won the academy award for playing a country singer in "crazy heart," it highlighted not only his ability as an actor but also his talent as musician and songwriter. now he's out with a new self titled album. good to see you. >> good to see you, man. >> anybody who pays attention knows you're a great actor but anybody who has really paid attention knows that music has been a passion of yours for a long time. 16 years old, i want to call myself a musician. is this something you wanted to cross off a bucket list? >> i don't know about a bucket list. i've been doing it since i was a teen up until now. it's been really a big part of my life. it's nothing that i have to do to put in a bucket or anything. >> people who have watched "crazy heart" is going to say this is an album, of bad blake songs. is that accurate, unfair, is

this music a step away from that character? >> 50%, you know, correct on that. some of these songs, as a matter of fact, the song we're going to play for you this morning, was a song that was considered for "crazy heart" but there's only so many slots you could fit. so there are some songs on the album that are terrific songs but just didn't quite fit bad blake for one reason or another. >> so now is this going to be something you're out doing live gigs to support this album? >> would love to. just did sturgis, you know, motorcycle rally. that was pretty wild. we did austin city limits. we're doing a little -- we're touring here and there. going up to seattle. >> you picture the day where there's a grammy up on the mantle? >> no. >> really? >> no, i don't do that. but, you know, i'm hoping there's going to be more music. you know, this is, as far as i'm concerned, this is kind of the tip of the iceberg. you know, i got a lot more music i want to play. >> what are you going to play the morning. >> we're going to do a song

called "what a little love will do." >> ladies and gentlemen, jeff bridges. ♪ ♪ i know there you've been feeling down and blue there's nothing wrong with you ♪ ♪ you've gotten meaner and i'll show you what a little bit of love can do ♪

♪ it's amazing what a little bit of love can do ♪ ♪ i've been told someone needs a little help ♪ ♪ having trouble getting on with someone else ♪ ♪ i'm here to tell you everything is gonna be fine ♪ ♪ yeah i know you're hurting because your heart is breaking ♪ ♪ i think that i can alleviate the situation ♪ ♪ look in my eyes and listen to me baby ♪ ♪ put your little hand in mine ♪ i know that you've been feeling down and blue ♪ ♪ but there ain't nothing really wrong with you ♪ ♪ you just need a little tending to ♪ ♪ let me show you what a little bit of love can do ♪ ♪ take your time listen to all that i'm saying ♪ ♪ i've got a hunch that loving you is worth the waiting ♪ ♪ i'm gonna prove it to you

before the night is through ♪ ♪ there's a way to turn the pain right into pleasure ♪ ♪ drastic times seem to call for drastic measures ♪ ♪ you need to know girl i can fix you if the remedy is tried and true ♪ ♪ i know that you've been feeling down and blue ♪ ♪ but there ain't nothing really wrong with you ♪ ♪ you just need a little tending to ♪ ♪ let me show you what a little bit of love can do ♪ ♪

♪ i know that you've been feeling down and blue ♪ ♪ but there ain't nothing really wrong with you ♪ ♪ you just need a little tending to ♪ ♪ let me show you what a little bit of love can do ♪ ♪ i know that you've been feeling down and blue ♪ ♪ but there ain't nothing really wrong with you ♪ ♪ you just need a little tending to ♪ ♪ let me show you what a little bit of love can do ♪ ♪ it's amazing what a little bit of love can do ♪ ♪ let me show you what a little bit of love can do ♪ >> jeff bridges, very cool, jeff. thank you very much. we'll be back with more music a little later on, but first, these messages and your local news.

- --

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is a look at one of our top story to the baltimore city police officer convicted of shooting a man to death outside a nightclub will be sentenced today. he was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and the shooting death of tyrone brown. he says he was defending himself and a female friend during an altercation. his attorneys are already

>> now let's take a look at the forecast with a tony pann. >> not a bad day.

a 30% chance you will run into a rain shower. mr. of sunshine and clouds as we head into the afternoon. high temperatures range between 81 and 86. sunset this evening when a minute before 8:00. sunshine on wednesday. we will take up to 86. another front on thursday with a 30-40% chance for thunderstorms. right now about optimistic view for the weekend, with high temperatures in the low-to-mid- 80's. >> another weather update at 9:25.