good morning. heading home. amanda knox is on a plane, making her way back to the u.s. right now, after her murder conviction was overturned, but this morning italian prosecutors tell nbc news they will definitely appeal. could knox's newfound freedom be in jeopardy before it really begins? her lawyer speaks out in an exclusive live interview. are you ready for some controversy? the classic abthem pulled from last night's game after hank williams made this comment about president obama.

>> it would be like hitler playing god with netanyahu. >> he claims he was misunderstood. and ellen degeneres gets in my head to prank fans. >> laugh like crazy. ann, start laughing like crazy. just stay silent. don't talk to him. stare at him. just stare at him. >> we get inside her head for her thoughts an finding peace, and jesus. an ellen you've never seen before. "today," october 4th, 2007. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >> and welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning. i'm ann curry. >> and i'm matt lauer. you can only imagine the emotions on board that plane this morning as amanda knox is traveling home for the first time in four years. >> that's right. we can tell you she's on this

flight to london for a connection to the united states but knox was not with her family when they checked in at rome's international airport. instead police reportedly escorted her through a private entrance. >> it was such an emotional scene in court monday, knox broke down in tears as she learned she was being cleared of murder charges. in a letter released overnight, knox thanked her italian supporters for helping her "survive with hope." how is she feeling now? what is next and what about this appeal? we'll talk exclusively to her defense attorney in just a couple of minutes. we begin with nbc's lester holt in perugia this morning. lester, good morning to you. >> good morning. amanda knox is out of italy on her way back to seattle. the last we saw of her she was coming out of prison being whisked away in a black car. the prosecution plans to file an appeal with the formal italian

supreme court. the bottom line the chances of knox returning toity will i to face that court are between slim and none. the kercher family, meantime, has reality and held a news conference saying they accept the decision of the court but they were us. led because they were told about a narrative of three people killing meredith kercher and two charges exonerated. they are puzzled what this means in terms of whether justice has really been carried out on behalf of their daughter. the italian papers of course it's front page news, here's o e one, "amanda and raffaele are innocent." typically the italian papers would show pictures of amanda knox that lended toward the more diabolical story line, this is one of the more humanized faces after she was exonerated of the crime.

my colleague keith miller has been here from the beginning of the story and here for the final and dramatic end. >> the verdict overturning the murder conviction was not based on technicality or lack of evidence. in a stunning declaration and reversal the judge and jury declared that amanda knox and her co-defendant did not commit the crime. inside the prison van speeding her to court, amanda knox had no way of knowing which way the verdict would go. all she could focus on was, this is it, all or nothing, freedom or a life behind bars. the strain of not knowing clearly etched on her face. the judge in a somber tone, seemed to take forever. guilty of slander, announced the judge, the sentence of three years, erased by time served. then the verdict on the charge of murder. the judge declared she was free. knox collapsed.

family and friends cried openly and embraced. escorted from the courtroom for the last time, knox had to be supported by prison guards. her former boyfriend, raffaele sollecito also found not guilty was led out of court in obvious shock. scattered applause and jeers greeted the verdict from crowds gathered outside the courtroom. >> we're thankful that amanda's nightmare is over. she has suffered for four years for a crime that she did not commit. >> reporter: hundreds of italian shouting "chain, chain." outside the main police station just next to the court after the verdict was read a volatile crowd, very angry, some of them about the verdict, others scattered applause, but also a little bit of tension between the americans and the italians over the verdict in this case. back at the prison to sign out, knox was greeted by inmates

chanting her name, "amanda, amanda!" an eyewitness said it was the first time knox smiled since hearing she was freed. her defense team overjoyed with the outcome said the prosecution built a case on a foundation of mistakes. >> there was no evidence. there was no motive. there was no murder weapon, there was no dna. >> reporter: and the knox family finally free to bring their daughter back home to seattle. she was a 20-year-old exchange student when she arrived in italy for the experience of a lifetime. four years later, she leaves italy with more experience than most people ever achieve in a lifetime. the prosecutor will, of course, file an appeal on the appeals verdict but it will take some time because lester we're told at least 90 days the current judge has to write up his written decision about how they came to free amanda knox and her

co-defendant so it will be some time before we're back in court. >> and some of what was heard outside the courthouse last night you showed some of the anger reaction. some of the folks there sounded like they believe the american media led to this, and some were suggesting there might have been american government influence in that. how much of an undercurrent is there here of an italy/america tension in. >> reporter: it started building within a year after the case started. everybody in perugia, and i would say in italy thought that amanda knox was guilty because the prosecution was leaking information. then the american media started digging in, started having a look. investigative journalists at its best, saying wait a second, not so fast, that led to conspiracy theories, is the government involved, was the secretary of state clinton involved. it mushroomed and it hasn't gone away. >> i know this has been your second home during this four-year ordeal. keith miller thanks very much as always. matt we send it back to you for more. >> lester and keith thank you

very much. >> krcarlo dalaverdova, amanda knox's attorney, thank you for joining us. >> good morning and thank you for the invitation. >> i want to talk to you about the appeal. first amanda seemed very unstable, looked as if she could pass out any moment and it it was read and she melted into your arms when broke down. take me through the moment. what do you remember? >> as everybody has seen because it was a live registration, amanda was extremely scared. she was scared about this decision, she knew that this decision would change her life, she was in between a request of life in jail or get dismissed and the entire week was extremely difficult, hearings

every day until 6:00 in the evening so she was particularly stressed but i would say she was mainly scared. when she heard she was dismissed of course she started to cry because for her this was the end of a nightmare, the end of a tunnel, and she almost collapsed, yes, she is weak. she hasn't got so much sleep and this week has been extremely heavy on her, so for her the way of drying was a relief. >> what was the moment like for you, mr. dalla vedova, personally? >> i never make a personal issue when i'm working. i work for my clients and we knew we had good reason for having her appeal accepted, so we were waiting for this moment. this moment could have come the first grade if we had a complete analysis of all the evidence so for us it's just a matter of work and of course we were happy

and satisfied that all of our reasons of appeal were accepted, and we are extremely happy for the future of amanda. amanda is a very good girl and she deserved to go back to her life and freedom. >> as you know the prosecution has now said they will, indeed, appeal this verdict to the italian supreme court. do you think they will be able to meet the criteria to be granted that appeal? >> it's hard to say, because we need to read the motivation. the motivation is going to be filed within 90 days so we will know exactly what is the ground based on which the court decided to dismiss the accusation. we are ready. if the prosecutor has, according to law, will file the opposition to the supreme court which is a special opposition, the opposition to the supreme court can only be filed for violation of law, so there will be no review of the evidence and we will not go into the merit. it will be only limited to a possible violation of principle of law and if that happened, we will be ready to defend and

support our client's rights, also in front of the supreme court. we are not worried, and this is quite standard. we have this procedure in italy where you have a second grade and also a third grade and we are ready. >> let me ask you about the prosecutor, mr. menini. he went very far during this appeal process in characterizing amanda knox as evil, he said some very derogatory things about her. he's now decided to take this to the next level to the italian supreme court. in your opinion, do you think that he has perhaps crossed a line from the professional to the personal here, that in some way he has a grudge or vendetta against amanda knox? >> well, i think first of all we have to respect the work of the prosecutor. the prosecutor for us, it's neutral person, is not an individual. he works on behalf of the state and is acting in order to support the accusation in the interests of all the citizens.

it's a very difficult job so everybody has to respect this position. it's not a personal issue. it's a big mistake to bring any evaluation on a personal level. certainly the prosecutor has made a huge mistake and it's the office of the prosecutor has made a big mistake, the mistake at the beginning because they evaluate amanda behave in a wrong way and the court recognized this mistake and there's been a number of mistakes that have been confirmed, therefore all together the handling of the accusation, especially in the first investigation period is a result of a big mistake. thank god we have an appeal to rectify the mistake. >> let me end on this question, mr. della vedova, the reaction outside the courtroom was mixed, some applauding, others cheer -- or yelling "shame, shame." do you get the sense in italy there is an appetite among the public for this to go further or

do you think the italian people would like to put this whole case behind them? >> first of all, i don't agree with your statement. there was no critics outside. i was outside and deanna, amanda's sister made a statement and there was no comments when we made a statement and the comments were made on a different occasion. i was standing outside with thousands of people in the main road of perugia, and i think i gave something like 20 interviews last night and there was no comments when i was talking, so i think you have to refer to somebody else. for what the concern is the public opinion there's been a complete change in the last months, and so despite the fact that the media have certainly had a role in this especially at the beginning in the investigation phase, we also have to acknowledge that the media have changed the public opinion in the sense that they're moving to a possibility of being innocent in the last year, and this was certainly something that was not done by us, but it was given only by the fact that many observers have

clearly identified that there was no evidence supporting the accusation. so we actually are satisfied also on how the media have handled this. >> carlo della vp vedova, one of the defense attorneys for amanda knox, thank you for your time this morning. i appreciate it >> thank you. >> :13. here's more with ann. for more on what's ahead with amanda knox we beginning in samantha guthrie, "today's" legal analyst praxilla sabbatoni in perugia. praxilla, with amanda leaving the country and the prosecution telling nbc it will appeal do you foresee any circumstance in which amanda knox would have to be returned to italy? >> well, this would have to be a

strategic choice of the lawyer. the prosecutor menini says it's beyond any doubt in his mind he will appeal. he said consider it done. whether the case does get admitted is an issue. if it does and she doesn't decide to return it will be up to the extradition treaties as to whether the u.s. allows extradition. if she should travel back to italy under a conviction she will be immediately arrested. she should travel to another country that allows these ext extradition, they will arrest her as well. >> assuming the prosecution prevailed in appeal it would come over to this country, the u.s. has an extradition treaty withitily, there's an important caveat there. the u.s. has to believe there is "evidence to sustain the charge in the foreign which to

extradite a u.s. citizen." there's a real question whether u.s. authorities would extradite given the weakness of the prosecution's case. >> it brings up the question lester brought up, the relationship between the two countries. matt was talking about in appealing the overturning of this conviction, this is the same prosecutor who once called amanda "demonic, die bollic, satanic, a she-devil." do you think there's a personal vendetta on the part of this prosecutor against amanda knox? >> i think there is a career here at stake. there's a life not just one career, not just the prosecutors and the other prosecutors that have been involved but all of the forensic experts, the police. we saw the police lined up in court to rally their support. everyone's very worried about the repercussions this will have on the perugia prosecution, on the perugia police. >> i see and savannah, the other

question about that is that there is a man who is in jail convicted of murder, so the question that begs is, is that not, does that not suffice? does this thing have to move forward especially given that the victim's family, meredith kercher's family is basically saying they feel she's been forgotten. >> you put your finger on it. the kercher family said they were perplexed because they believe based on what the prosecution and police have supplied to them in terms of information and evidence that rudy guede, the man who has been convicted whose dna was at the scene, acknowledged being there, they believe he didn't act alone, they think maybe there is someone else involved. obviously the kercher family really believed in the prosecution's case, so to the extent to the prosecution was sloppy, that the police were sloppy, i look at the kerchers as victims all over again because they were led to believe in a case that was discredited and couldn't stand up in court. >> samantha guthrie and praxi a

praxilla trabattoni, thank you so much. today to be the day chris christie announces whether he'll join the republican 2012 race for the white house. chuck "todatodd is with us. good morning to you. >> today could be the day. he's not talking to aides or fund-raisers anymore. behind the scenes, chris christie's asked prominent republicans to hold off. john mccain's chief strategist charlie black says putting together a campaign is hard and time may have already run out. >> some of the conservative intellectuals pushing christie into the race haven't thought this through. >> reporter: in an interview with abc and yahoo! news monday mr. obama was asked about a recent christie comment calling the president a bystander in the

oval office. >> if the guy is thinking about running for president he's going to say a lot of stuff. >> reporter: he calls himself the underdog in 2012 because of widespread concerns about the economy. >> i don't think they're better than they were four years ago. >> reporter: and a texas ranch leased by the perry family since 1983. in the statement perry's father painted over the offensive language on a rock soon after leasing the parcel in the early 1980s. in new york businessman herman cain who called the inaction by the perrys insensitive now says he accepts governor perry's response on the issue. >> i really don't care about that word. they painted over it. end of story. >> the republican presidential race has been a story of candidates going down as fast as they've gone up. one of the candidates michele bachmann has a campaign running on financial fumes, had to announce a series of staff

departures last night including her pollster and having to send a bunch of staffers back to her congressional payroll. >> chuck todd thank you very much. >> mr. roker is here with a first leaook at the weather. >> heavier showers around boston will be leaving, record highs in the plains today down into the gulf coast of texas, plenty of sunshine, another big storm system moving into the pacific northwest, the sierra nevada may be seeing anywhere from one to two feet of snow in some of the upper elevations above 1,000 to >> it will be a pretty nice day. a mixture of clouds and

>> and that's your latest weather. matt? >> thanks, al. coming up, what are the chances amanda knox will return to a normal life in the united states? first, this is "today" on nbc.

just ahead, should you be charged for using your debit card? also ellen gets inside ann's head. what does she find there, after your local news. ♪ ...harvested the same... ♪ ...and roasted the same as our other premium coffees. ♪ it only makes sense it would taste the same. so, try it for yourself. buy a pack of 100% natural starbucks via® ready brew. we promise you'll love it or we'll send you a bag of starbucks coffee.

it's the starbucks via® taste promise. look for it at starbucks stores and where you buy groceries. it's the starbucks via® taste promise. twizzlers. the twist you can't resist.

usa prime credit... this peggy... hi, i'm cashing in my points... peggy? no more points - coupons now. coupons? coupons. coupons? next, you convert coupons to tokens. tokens? then you trade tokens for credits. and then i get the cash? then you call back. bye bye. peggy? hello? what just happened? want rewards that make sense? switch to discover. america's #1 cash rewards program. it pays to discover. our turkeys in november. and want to pick up our gifts in december. that's why sears layaway lets you reserve any item you want, whenever you want, and with no finance charges. that's real convenience for real people. sears. dr. scholl's custom fit orthotic center recommends the custom-fit orthotic that's best for your tired feet. foot-care scientists are behind it.

you'll get all-day relief. for your tired achy feet. for locations, see drscholls.com. thank you... fresher less processed foods introducing freshpet recipes so fresh the only preservative we use is the fridge freshpet fresh food for fido >> the time is 7:26 and here's a look at one of our top stories. the occupied wall street movement is expected to hit baltimore later today. demonstrators are protesting the corporate greed of the financial sector and have been communicating through facebook. a rally at the inner harbor is expected to take place today at

noon. similar demonstrations have been held in boston, los angeles, and washington. time to get a check on the morning commute. >> good morning, looking at a foggy start in some areas this morning. we will show you in our cameras the first southbound 795 is an area that is experiencing foggy conditions for it we have an accident near owings mills. southbound 83 from middletown down to mark -- mount carmel is extra foggy. you have reduced visibility. baldwin mill at 152, watch for a crash and an accident reported at north avenue and mccullough street. the biggest delay is on the west side, 16 miles per hour approaching reisterstown toward edmundston. this is what traffic looks like. we are at a standstill. it is very foggy there on the harrisburg. here is what it looks like at harford road.

>> good morning, apache and dense fog is the major weather story this morning. for the most part it will be a dry morning commute with temperatures in the 40's. medvedev 40's in rising sun. today we will have a mixture of clouds and the 20% chance for a rain shower and it will be breezy this afternoon with a high near 65. outstanding weather for the rest of the week. los 70's for the next couple of days and we will make it into the upper 70's by sunday. the upper 70's by sunday.

morning, the 4th of october, 2011. it is really feeling like fall here in the northeast this morning. temperatures have dipped down, a little blustery. we have lenny with the fur collar, faux fur out on the plaza, we'll say hi in a couple of minutes. i'm matt lauer alongside ann curry. just ahead what is next for amanda knox? her life has been on hold for the past four years. now she is returning home and i would imagine ready to start

again. will she ever be able to have a normal life? we'll get into that just ahead. >> that's right. plus this morning a question a lot of people are asking, should you be charged to use your debit card? bank of america is taking the heat for the new plan it's got and other banks are experimenting with their own costly new fees. what if anything you can do to avoid paying for them. an off the field football controversy. hank williams famous monday night theme song was pulled from last night's game after the singer used aen analogy to adolf hitler discussing president obama. what williams is saying this morning. we begin with more on amanda knox tasting freedom for the first time in four years. stephanie gosk is in her hometown this morning, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. amanda knox tearfully asked that she go home to an italian court. now she gets that opportunity today.

she and her family are expected to arrive here at the airport in seattle this afternoon. what she does then and where she goes next is still being kept very private, but we know at least from one family friend that he hopes she's whisked away to the mountains to escape all this attention. when amanda knox was set free, friends and supporters here in seattle dissolved in joyful tears. >> thank you, god, thank you. >> reporter: and they had a message for the 24-year-old. >> god speed and safe travels and see you soon. >> reporter: winning back her freedom was all anyone focused on for nearly four years, but now it's time for the next chapter and a whole new set of daunting challenges. john lang was amanda knox's drama teacher and one of her most passionate supporters. how does she do that? >> i don't know. i think that you know she's got a plan. she's got lots of good friends. she's got a fabulous family.

>> reporter: in prison, knox spent time planning her future. journalist nathaniel rich interviewed madison paxton who read knox's journals. >> one of the most disturbing pages from the journal was a list, two lists side by side of her life goals, if she were to stay in prison, and her goals if she were to be released. >> reporter: knox wants to help other convicts wrongly imprisoned and she has dreams of being a mother, but the young woman dubbed "angel face" by the italian media may not know how famous she has become. it's going to dawn on her when she gets off that plane and get an immediate taste of that. >> right. >> reporter: her parents can help ease the transition but they, too, have difficulties. the legal fees have nearly bankrupted them. >> i don't even look at how deep the hole, the financial hole is. i can't. you know when amanda gets out, then i'll think about that. >> reporter: knox's grandmother

spent $250,000 of her own money. >> i'm knee deep in debt. >> reporter: but debt can be paid off especially when there is such intense public interest in amanda knox's story. what will be harder, if not impossible to regain is a normal life. many books have already been published, cashing in on amanda knox's story. many suspect now that she's out she will take advantage of that as well. we know she was a prolific writer in prison. much of that book, ann, may already be written. >> important points. stephanie gosk thank you so much. ted simon is the american attorney for amanda knox and tom wright has known the knox family for ten years since amanda and his daughter went to prep school together. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> simon, nbc news confirmed that prosecutors decided they will appeal. as her u.s. attorney, what is your reaction? >> that's not surprising, but

neither is it much of a concern, because in italy, the second stage or the appellate procedure she just went through, the court can eevaluate and we examine the law as well as the facts. it was due to the reexamination of the facts that caused the overturning of the conviction. when the further appeal is taken to the supreme court it's a much more narrow scope of review and they will only reviewererrors o law. we feel confident at this point that the right result was determined, it was clear that this decision announced to the world that amanda knox was wrongfully convicted and she was not responsible for the tragic loss of meredith kercher. >> ted, we saw the reaction when the verdict was announced. she clearly broke down. what can you add, having spoke on it her since the verdict, the overturning the murder

conviction was announced. what can you add to what her reaction is to this development? >> yes, i spoke to her last night, and it was a wonderful conversation. she was joyful, thankful, and ever so grateful. she couldn't contain her thanks and appreciation to everyone that has lent their support. she's truly, truly grateful. she's truly a wonderful, compassionate human being. >> tom, you've not only known the family but you were actively involved in trying to raise money and to support her creating a website, really working hard on behalf of this family. you had actually set up a viewing party so that people could watch this unfold in a live way. can you describe the feeling in the room? >> yes, well the end result of course was a thrill. everyone was ecstatic, overjoyed for the family, really happy for amanda and her homecoming looking forward to it. the early part of that vigil we had was very tense.

we saw amanda address the court in an eloquent way, she did a terrific job, she wrote a wonderful address and delivered it extremely well and then we had a long wait, some ten hours, everyone stayed through the night. i believe her speech was at 1:00 a.m. and we did not have a result until about noon the next day and everyone stayed to the very end. >> really, that's a lot of commitment and meantime, what are the plans, if there are any already, in terms of how to welcome amanda home? she's already on a plane, it looks like she's going to be coming home any time now, so what is your, what are you hearing about what people are planning? >> well, we're going to be available to celebrate whenever the family feels it's appropriate. we've joked that it will be a flash mob party, wherever they tell us to go, and we'll arrive with bells on, and it will be a great day. >> meantime, ted, i want to ask you about this discussion that we just heard in the prior reporting about amanda being a writer. what do you know about her plans to write a book?

is there really any doubt that she would write a book, ted in. >> i think all of those topics and speculative rumors are not something at this point to really discuss. i mean she always was a very good writer. i certainly have experienced that, and i'm sure she has an incredible story to tell. i would not be surprised if that should happen, but i think all of us, the family, amanda and everyone else really remains focused on being extremely appreciative, extremely thankful, and enormously grateful for this decision. and i think that's basically where we're all focused. it's just a really wonderful day, and it's a great tribute to her family, her parents, and all the support she's had. it's been unwavering her parents have shown steadfast devotion and commitment and it was well deserved and it earned her her freedom. >> i can see, tom, by the look on your face you agree with him.

ted and tom, thank you. >> thank you, ann. >> let's get a check of the weather from al. >> we have a lot of friends hanging out. it's a little nippy so everybody's bundled up. another big storm from the west bringing rain and mountain snows in the sierra, expecting 6 to 12 inches above 7,000 feet, some of the high country up to 18 inches of snow. wasatch mountain looking at rain and snow as well. look at that rain along the west coast, talking one to two inches, and out to the east we've got that pesky low still hanging around, won't get out of here and that's bringing some showers into the northeast as >> good morning.will clear the big storm will still be close enough to give as a 20% chance for a sprinkle. the best chance will be in the mountains an

>> got a whole bunch of folks from the csea convention and they all know to tune to the weather channel for their weather needs or weather.com online. paying someone else to spend your own money? how to get around the costly new fees some banks are starting to charge, after this. my doctor told me calcium

is best absorbed in small continuous amounts. only one calcium supplement does that in one daily dose. citracal slow release... continuously releases calcium plus d for the efficient absorption my body needs. citracal. things like fresh fruit, fruit juices, have acids that can soften our enamel. once you've lost your enamel it's gone for good. pronamel iso-active is different, it's new, it's a toothpaste in a can. it starts off as a gel, transforms into a foam and actually surrounds your teeth and gets into all those nooks and crannies. dentists recommend pronamel. pronamel iso-active rehardens enamel and helps protect against the effects of acid erosion.

[ male announcer ] build your better breakfast with all the flavors you choose. try an irresistible steak, egg & cheese, with toasty tomato or chipotle southwest sauce on tasty flatbread. only at subway! ♪ to talk about our blueberry juice drinks. they're made with my sweet, ripe blueberries, so they're good for you -- taste real good, too! let's whip up a sample. or just try this. [ chuckles ]

bounce over and ask the blue crew about savings of 50 to 60% on all mattresses. instant savings of up to $350 on assorted mattresses... and ask about free delivery and free haul away. that's real deals for real savings. sears. back now at 7:42, this morning on "today's money" kobsly new bank fees. bank of america announced last week it will start charging customers who use debit cards to make purchases. that's not the only bank creating new fees or raising some existing ones. what does it mean for you? jean chatzky is "today's" financial editor. good morning. >> good morning. >> how did this go over? bank of america, it's not just a little amount of money $5 a month to use a kedebit card. what's the reaction been? >> a lot of people upset and angry and saying they're going to switch banks. we'll see if they actually do. >> a spokesperson for bank of

america said "the economics of offering a debit card have changed with recent regulations." they say that legislation on swipe fees and cracking down on credit card and overdraft practices is costing banks about $15 billion a year. so congress, do we blame congress or blame the banks? >> i think we blame a little bit of both. congress said the banks are getting too much money from the merchants. we're going to shut that down. the banks are actually doing quite well if you look at their profits so i don't think you can argue there. >> something struck me. bank of america has said they will waive this new fee if the customer can qualify for a premium account. that sounds to me like the guys with more money get no fee and the guys with less money have to pay the fee >> that's absolutely right and you'll see it across the board. what bank of america is offering is an account, a portfolio of accounts, they're all linked together. you have to have a mortgage with the bank or maintain a $20,000 balance. >> which is hard for people. >> absolutely.

citibank, too, let their customers know they'll charge minimum account monthly fees unless you can maintain a balance of at least $1,500 which a lot of people can't do these days. >> a lot of other banks are going to come up with new fees or raise existing fees. >> exactly. >> what can consumers do if you're hearing about this? >> you have to understand what your bank is telling you, what are the requirements that you have to clear in order to avoid these fees? it may be as simple as direct depositing a couple of checks and paying bills online. know what you're up against. >> one of the other things you suggest is perhaps switching to a smaller bank and i think that you may get rid of a fee here but you may also lose convenience. >> the thing you've got to watch out for with the smaller banks and the credit unions, their fees are definitely lower but they often don't have the atm convenience. you go to an atm a couple times a month that doesn't belong to your bank it can quickly top the fees on the monthly maintenance charges.

charles schwab, ally bank, usaa, because they pay you interest on your deposits and waive the atm fees. the only thing is you can't see a teller. >> going back to a credit card as opposed to a credit card. >> only if you pay your bills on time. >> if you want to switch banks you have a good place to do research. >> findabetterbank.com will walk you through the steps. up next hank williams jr. compares president obama to hitler and gets his famous monday night football theme yanked off the air. the point he claims he was trying to make. we'll talk about that right after this. hritis... ...could mean living with joint damage. help stop the damage before it stops you... ...with humira. for many adults with moderate to severe ra,... ...humira's proven to help relieve pain and stop joint damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events can occur, such as infections,

lymphoma, or other types of cancer, blood, liver, and nervous system problems,... ...serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. ask your rheumatologist how you can defend against... ...and help stop further joint damage with humira.

the best approach to food is to keep it whole for better nutrition. that's what they do with great grains cereal. they steam and bake the actual whole grain while the other guy's flake is more processed. mmm. great grains. the whole whole grain cereal. [ male announcer ] each of these photos was taken by someone on the first morning of their retirement. it's the first of more than 6,000 sunrises the average retiree will see. ♪ as we're living longer than ever before, prudential's challenge is to help everyone have the retirement income they'll need to enjoy every one of their days.

♪ prudential. bring your challenges. back now at 7:49 with some controversial comments from hank williams jr. that led espn to pull the country singer's song from monday night details. savannah, what's up? >> hank williams jr. is known to be very conservative, outspoken

supporter for the right. he traveled with sarah palin in the 2008 campaign. he's also known for at times being a little bit too blunt. this time perhaps it appears he went too far. >> are you ready for some football? >> reporter: he was the iconic voice of monday night football for over 20 years. ♪ are you ready for some football ♪ >> reporter: that voice was silenced followed by a rant monday morning. >> remember the golf game? >> that was one of the biggest political game ever. >> reporter: he spoke about the summit between president obama and john boehner. >> that turned a lot of people off. >> reporter: comparing president obama to adolf hitler. >> it would be like hitler

playing golf with netanyahu. er this at enemy. >> who is the enemy? >> obama! >> he's known to be controversial in the past but comparing him to one of the most hated men in history is going completely too far. >> reporter: espn acted quickly removing williams from monday night show releasing the following statement. "we are extremely disappointed with his comments and as a result we have decided to pull the open from tonight's telecast. williams is hardly the first public figure to get into hot water with words. ♪ back in 2003, fellow country singers the dixie chicks stopped getting radio play when natalie maines made a statement about president bush saying "we're ashamed the president of the united states is from texas." that year rush limbaugh lost his job after comments he made comments about donovan mcnabb. >> he got a lot of credit for

performance he didn't deserve. >> reporter: and done imus comments about the rutgers women's basketball time. >> those are some nappy-headed hos. >> he went too far. he did not apologize to the president, not only did this thing linger but he plans to run for senator in 2012. these words could come back to hurt him. >> williams released a statement monday night, said "some of us have strong opinions and are often misunderstood. my analogy was extreme, but it was to make a point. i was simply trying to explain how stupid it was to me, how ludicrous that pairing was." he went on to say "when both sides are high-fiving it on the 9th hole when everybody else is without a job, it makes a whole lot of us angry. something has to change." he went on to say he's always

respected the office of the president. >> we'll have to see if this is a one week removal of the song or if that goes further. >> espn didn't let on one bay or the other. coming up, ellen uses me to pull pranks on some fans and opens me about finding happiness. uh, it is, yeah, it's a chevy volt. so what are you doing at a gas station? well it still takes gas to go farther. but you're not getting gas. true. not this time. uh, don't have to gas up very often. so you have to go to the bathroom? no. yes you do. thought these were electric? yes, it's a uh, a chevy volt. so what are you doing at a gas station? it burns! it's singeing me. it's the sun. get out of the office more often, with chili's $6 lunch break combos, featuring texas toast half sandwiches.

chili's lunch break combos. 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. 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. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer.

>> this is wbal tv 11 news today in baltimore. good morning >> , the time is 7:56 and time for a check and the morning commute. >> it is stressful, a major pain in the neck if you're heading out in the next few minutes. we are looking at delays around the area like an southbound 95 past 198 where there is a vehicle fire. we're looking at a back up on southbound to 95. 12 miles per hour on the outer loop west side from reisterstown down to edmundston and looking at delays on the jfx down to 28

street. a backup building on the northbound outer loop. 26 miles per hour on southbound 95 coming out of the northeast. watch for a crash at pulaski highway and moravia. for middletown down to mark camel is a heaviest spot. a lot of view of traffic shows you what is going on on the west side with our live traffic and that is the pace of traffic all the way down. we are looking at delays and 95 coming out of white maersh. >> morning. the fog is starting to burn off. there could still be a few patches of reduced visibility. 48 degrees at the airport and 53 degrees downtown. you want to take a life jacket with you today. a mixture of clouds and sunshine today and a 20% chance for a

rain shower. the high temperature will be in the mid 60's. the seven-day forecast, outstanding weather coming up in the next couple of days, sunshine through the weekend and we will be on the low 70's and the winds will shift to the south and we will jump into the upper 70's by

8:00 now on a tuesday morning. the 4th day of october, 2011. a bit of a brisk day weather wise but we have a large weather with cold handshakes here at rockefeller plaza. the temperature reads at 50 degrees. i have a coat on but the two men alo alongside me are braving the chill, matt lauer and al roker. we have been talking about the amanda knox appeal. >> amanda knox now on a plane

headed back to the united states. the question is what is going to be her life after she gets back to seattle? we have our "today's" professionals donny deutsche and star joins to talk about that this morning. >> a good looking trio. we'll talk about ellen degeneres, gets into my head which as you know is a scary place. >> go up there with a pistol and a whip. >> we mess with some fans and what she told us about her thoughts an humor and happiness and thoughts on jesus, if he were alive today. >> also a dog found in a trash bag could barely walk, she's learning to take her first steps, we have her story just ahead. >> so cute. >> you could help some folks here. >> oh, yes, your birthday wish is to meet me. you have a sign. happy birthday my dear.

>> hi, matt. >> hi, matt. al roker nice to meet you. >> a pleasure. samantha guthrie is in for natalie, on assignment. the first day of freedom for ammaanda knox whose conviction assault and murder of her brit irroommate was overturned on monday. knox is on a flight home right now after leaving the prison where she spent the last four years as the italian public prosecutor said this morning he would appeal knox's acquittal to italy's highest court. jury selection is said to begin in the trial of the accused underwear bomber. umar fa reek abdulmutallab, charged with trying to blow up an airplane with chemicals in his underwear. prosecutors say he was directed by radical cleric anwar al awlaki who was killed by a u.s. military strike in yemen last

squeak. the tsa begins testing a program that lets some pre-screened frequent fliers pass through more checkpoints in miami, detroit, atlanta and dallas ft. worth and the agency will start testing new technology next year to spot fake i.d.s and boarding passes. two americans and a u.s. australian have won the nobel prize in the universe. reese an astronomy profs sore at johns hopkins university is also the brother of "today" contributor dr. gail salt. fan emay made robo-signing, led some lenders to hold off on foreclosures last fall and investigations are currently under way in all 50 states. apple is expected to unveil the newest version of the iphone

today, in its first product launch since chief executive steve jobs stepped down in august, citing health issues. the hotly anticipated new device is expected to have a larger touch screen, a better camera and a slimmer body than the current iphone 4. here's brian williams with what's coming up on "nightly news." >> good morning. maybe you've heard about this story through a loved one or a friend, hip replacement surgery for people who had a cerin kind of hip implanted. they're starting to fail and they're going to have to come out. we'll have this story for you tonight on "nightly news." for now back to you. >> all right, brian, thanks. for a look at "what's trending today" what has you talking online. starbucks is causing more than its usual buzz by perking up the job market. the coffee chain is asking customers for $5 donations to back job creating loans for small community businesses. target sweeted last night that jason wu will be the next

big name designer to create an affordable line for its customers. wu designed the inaugural ball gown for first lady michelle obama who was photographed making a target run just last week. ann's hilarious shtick on tuesday's "ellen degeneres show" is going viral. >> ann start laughing like crazy. stay silent. don't talk to him. stare at him. just stare at him. >> all righty. >> just mess it up. >> coming up ann's exclusive interview with ellen. it is 8:05, back to al with a check of the weather. >> when i do weird things now i'll blame on ellen. ellen's in my head. it's your 50th birthday. happy birthday. >> thank you. >> and 49th anniversary. what are your names? >> bonnie. >> dave. >> happy anniversary. >> san diego. >> san diego! let's check your weather and see what's going on, washington, d.c., nbc 4, partly sunny, mild,

looking at a temperature of 70 degrees and you can see we got that pesky low getting its way out of the northeast, bringing rain with it now but it will move later. we've got a trough out west bringing a lot of moisture, morning showers through southern california, later today on into tomorrow looking at snow in the sierra nevadas but also expecting plenty of sunshine, record highs from the plains down into the central plains. what's your name, young lady? >> faith. >> faith, >> it will be a pretty nice day. a mixture of clouds and

>> ann? >> all right, al, thank you so much. coming up next, "today's" professionals, we'll get star and donny and nancy's take on amanda knox, the world's first fat tax, and more, much more right after this. whoo! uh-oh. what? mom's doing her exercise video again. when mom's on a health kick, all of us are. and now she's made us breakfast. uh-oh. ♪ [ male announcer ] eggo nutri-grain waffles. you know it's made with 8 grams of whole grain and is a good source of fiber. all they know is it tastes great. eggo nutri-grain waffles. simply delicious.

[ female announcer ] starbucks via® is planted the same... ♪ ...harvested the same... ♪ ...and roasted the same as our other premium coffees. ♪ it only makes sense it would taste the same. so, try it for yourself. buy a pack of 100% natural starbucks via® ready brew. we promise you'll love it or we'll send you a bag of starbucks coffee. it's the starbucks via® taste promise. look for it at starbucks stores and where you buy groceries. i know you're worried about making your savings last and having enough income when you retire. that's why i'm here. to help come up with a plan and get you on the right path. i have more than a thousand fidelity experts working with me so that i can work one-on-one with you. it's your green line. but i'll be there, every step of the way. call or come in for a free portfolio review today.

who came to walgreens because she remembers last year when she and her husband fought congestion and lots of coughs, like the machine gun... [ rapid coughing ] [ female announcer ] ...the grand dad... [ hoarse cough ] [ female announcer ] ...and the big squeezy. [ heavy coughing ] [ female announcer ] so this year, kim's getting prepared at walgreens with answers like mucinex dm to help break up mucus and quiet lots of coughs. right now, buy 2 mucinex products and get a $5 coupon. only at walgreens. ♪ that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm [ male announcer ] for half the calories -- plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8.

back now at 8:09 with "tooled's professionals." it's been a wild 24 hours in the amanda knox case. here star jones, donny deutsche and nancy nancy snyderman. >> good morning. >> we watched the emotional scene in the courtroom. we start with the lawyer. >> i'm concerned a young victim has been forgotten in this. everybody is happy ms. knox, the verdict was overturned, but there still seems to be some unanswered questions about the death of the young woman, and that's the thing that bothers me. >> remember the o.j. simpson trial we talked about what we were learning about the american justice system by watching that. what have we learned by watching this case in. >> i can tell you as a parent of children who have studyed abroad i remind every kid who steps out

of the united states of america to mind your ps and qs, partying, drugs, sex, rock 'n' roll whatever you think you're doing outside of the borders, one justice system, even part of the g-10 or g-8 it's not ours. >> you mentioned o.j., a guy acquitted who everybody is quite sure did the murder. we saw what happened to him person non-grata. people for amanda assume she is innocent, is she going to be this revered celebrity or little outcast status? >> she will be rich. >> we'll have a lot to do with that in the moo eddia. >> she could be huge, it's insane but the truth. >> move on to food. denmark decided to implement a fat tax, basically you go to the supermarket, you buy a food that has above a certain level of fat they charge you extra. do we feel good about this? >> absolutely. there should be a tax on colas with sugar in it, foods you don't need, the necessities

should be cheaper, so that people can get good fruits and vegetables and meats and the junk that's processed should be taxed higher. i have no problem with it at all. >> you can knock me down if you want to, i'm concerned when the government with its long arm tries to tell people we're not going to help you on the front end deal with the disease of obesity bsh -- >> they are by doing this. >> tax something not the way you help people. >> it worked with cigarettes, absolute. >> listen to me, listen -- >> where are we now in this country with cigarettes. >> denmark does not have the same level of obesity problem as we do. >> exactly, star -- >> 33%. >> 66. >> if you solve obesity you solve the health care problem in this country. >> i'm 100 in agreement with that. >> what is the argument to not make people healthier? >> i don't think the way to do it is by taxing people especially poor people. i disagree. >> the poor people argument i don't understand. they need the help more than anybody.

>> you ain't been poor in a long time okay? >> they need the help. >> in denmark -- >> you can't find fruits and vegetables? >> in denmark they announced this law was going in place people started to hoard the high-fat. which ones mostly to hoard butter? >> yes. >> and you can afford it. next topic a mother in canada, online invitation, encouraging people to join her online and witness the live birth of her child, natural childbirth. >> yuck. >> fantastic. >> anybody want to get a burger with me that day? >> some people are going to have a problem with it but with all the nonsense on the network, all of the horrific stuff if you don't want to watch it don't watch it. >> my concern is, we always assume childbirth is going to be beautiful and everything's person. what if something goes wrong and things do go wrong. >> ask dr. murray. things can go wrong in a medical procedure. >> i wouldn't put dr. murray in

the same thing as a mother having a baby. >> in a medical procedure something can go wrong. >> do you have curiosity to see this? no, no, no? >> i've delivered babies so. >> all of the disgusting stuff on the net a childbirth, nothing wrong with that. >> god forbid the kid wants to be president in 46 years, his mother's has been all over the world. last one, trying to decide who i should start with on this one, mexico city, considering passing a new marriage law basically allows for a two-year marriage contract, after two years. >> i've got it. >> you reevaluate and if things aren't going well you go your separate ways. before you go out and buy the book "spanish for dummies" what do you think? >> if people want to get divorced they can get divorced in a week, month, 20 years. why set up a scenario in two years you look and that's too

much government. >> the time frame is wrong. a woman needs three husbands, pre-child, great sex, child rearing and then the third third of your life. >> isn't the third the best sex? >> i don't know yet. >> i don't know either. >> having gotten divorced after three years, two years would have been okay. >> i agree with donny, i don't think this is a road to happiness. >> it's a formula for making attorneys wealthy. >> bravo! maybe i can afford the butter. >> as someone who has been marriage challenged i think it will create more problems. >> it's silliness. >> we're all grownups. we can figure it out. >> you get together with an attorney, go over the contract, i liked this part and haven't. >> it's almost juvenile, you take the things your parents gave you and i'll take the things my parents gave me and we'll depart. >> you've been in one marriage you've had enough time. >> they said i wouldn't get to all the topics, look how time has flown. star jones, donny deutsche, nancy snyderman thank you very

much. >> no longer ever to be seen in the 8:00 hour, thanks. a pill that's being koef developed that stops hair from turning gray. up next, ann's revealing interview with ellen degeneres. ! so you earn 50% more cash. according to research, everybody likes more cash. well, almost everybody... ♪ would you like 50% more cash? no! but it's more money. [ male announcer ] the new capital one cash rewards card. the card for people who want 50% more cash. what's in your wallet? woah! [ giggles ] if you're the adventurous type like me, then get in on the subway taste for adventure for a chance to win epic trips and exclusive access to uncharted 3. get your code on 30-ounce drinks today. subway. where winners eat.

ow. would they switch? notice a difference? it feels a bit tight. [ female announcer ] soap leaves behind soap residue that can cause a tight draggy feeling. with 1/4 moisturizing cream, dove cleansers rinse cleaner than soap. with 1/4 moisturizing cream, hershe y's bliss.4 moisturizing cream, one square inch of incredibly smooth rich chocolate. one square inch of joy... fun... indulgence... one square inch of bliss. hershey's bliss. ♪ looking forward to your first cup ♪ morning! big day, huh? thank you. ♪ oh that mountain grown taste, ♪ ♪ just what you need ♪ for the big race. daughter: morning mom!

are you excited? ♪ as you finish every mile... ♪ how rewarding are those smiles... ♪ [ cheers from the crowd ] ♪ the best part of wakin' up... ♪ mommy, you did it! ♪ is folgers in your cup. ellen degeneres first kicked off her talk show season, she has a record company, a vegn blog and also a model for covergirl. what does she do in her spare time, she's written a third book called "seriously i'm kidding." we met to discuss happiness, jesus and the weather. >> ten seconds, everybody. laugh like crazy, ann. app, start laughing like crazy. just stay silent. don't talk to him. stare at him. just stare at him.

put the mike closer to her mouth. really, right up against her mouth. put it right up against her mouth. >> reporter: ellen degeneres takes her silly seriously. >> mess it up. >> reporter: i'm caught off to take a laugh. these tourists think i'm reporting for the "today" show. she pulls out all the strings. i had the earbud in my ear and got a sense of what is happening inside your mind, and i'm wondering, what possessed you to tell me to put a microphone basically in -- >> you didn't do it as hard as i hope you would. i was hoping you made their lips where they had to keep talking. sometimes when the mike is too close people back away. put it against the side of her cheek. my observation of human behavior is why i started doing standup. the first jokes that i ever wrote were, you know, somebody tastes something that tastes

bad, they always want you to taste it immediately. they're like this is disgusting taste it. taste how bad it is though. >> reporter: her inside humor and aw shucks charm have earned her and her show more than 50 emmys. watching guest after guest few might imagine she's actually quite shy. reading the book i get the distinct impression while you may be this famous talk show host you are a private person. maybe even shy. >> i'm an intro vert for sure, as i have a career despite myself. because i really am awkward socially. i hate going to big events, hate having to do small talk. i don't like a lot of attention. >> it's bold of you doing annen intro vert to not only do the show but put yourself out there realizing that not everybody's going to like it. >> if it costs me some viewers and cost me some money i'd

rather talk about what i think is important than just be, you know, vanilla and try to be liked by everybody. >> reporter: that honesty has cost her especially in 1997, when she famously came out of the closet. >> i'm gay. >> reporter: only to have hollywood shut the door. advertisers pulled out, within a year her sitcom was canceled, her career stopped cold. >> i don't think it was a failure, but it certainly gave me a lot of free time for three years to sit still and go, okay, who am i without a career? who am i without people loving me. >> reporter: did you feel that you had made a mistake in coming out? >> absolutely no. absolutely not. >> reporter: why? >> it's the best -- because i'm free. i'm completely able to be exactly who i am. to have to hide anything is just a horrible way to live. >> reporter: if you're standing up and saying things, no matter

what people may say or what some people may judge, then why are you so popular and successful? >> beats me. like they do know i'm gay, right? i'm gay, and yet you know, we can't pass a vote to have marriage equality, so there's opinions about who i am but yet they like me. >> reporter: during the five months in 2008 when same-sex marriage was legal in california, ellen tied the knot with her girlfriend, actress portia derossi. you say she is the most important person in your life. >> s said something when we got married that it is important to be loved. it is profound to be understood, and that's what i get from her. she supports me, and loves me. she gets me like nobody's ever gotten me. >> reporter: wow, this is a serious garden. the couple shares this

three-acre compound, ellen's tenth home in ten years. now this house is on the market. >> i love houses. i love architecture. i like that feeling of creating a new space. i get bored very easily, so i need to stay stimulated and that's one of the ways i stay stimulated is design. we have a bunch of fish in here and they all have different names that portia can tell you. >> reporter: with the koi pond, vegetable garden and home of incense their home exudes tranquility and ellen who admits she has trouble sitting still is learning to meditate. what makes you consistent in your downward dogging yoga vegan eating feel the workout. >> isn't this beautiful weather? this is not like l.a. ever. i miss season. we have an hour of a sewson. >> reporter: l.a. is a season.

>> because it feels good, kind of like when you have to kind of shut your computer down, just sometimes when it goes crazy, you just shut it down and turn it on it's okay again. that's what meditation is for me. >> reporter: ellen says while meditating hasn't given her all the answers, this she does know. there is too much judgment in the world, buried within her humor is a lesson of acceptance. in this book you say "i actually think if jesus were alive today there would be polls about him in "us weekly." >> should he cut his hair, is that a nice robe? didn't he wear that to the last event? that's the society we live in. you can't tell me that wouldn't happen today. we do it to everyone. >> she's so fun and i want to thank her for the hospitality. "seriously i'm kidding" all of the funny bits, i think they're really kind of lessons really, little thoughts, really guide us to be better people. >> i've always been impressed by how smart she is.

i think a lot of comedians are extremely smart but she's always impressed me. >> her observations are so simple but they're so charming and hilarious, that's why people i think respond to her. >> ten houses in ten years? amazing? >> she moved around a lot when she was little and her parents never really bought a house. one of her parents was in real estate so they'd look at the different houses and always be thinking i'll have that room and they never moved in, so for her it's always that journey. >> full employment for the moving company. >> exactly. thanks so much. coming up next just ahead, a puppy rescued from a trash bag is learning to walk for the first time, after your local news.

>> live, local, late-breaking - this is a wbal-tv 11 news update. >> good morning. the time is 8:26. let's get a final check and a morning commute. >> we're getting word of a new accident on eastbound i-70 of the baltimore county line approaching the belt way. we will let you know more about that in terms of what is going on elsewhere, 32 approaching 95, we have an accident in howard county. the heaviest spot is on the west side outer loop at reisterstown.

a long line of volume there. in towson at york road, watch for ace crash at the southbound jfx from the belt way down to 28. watch for an accident at philadelphia road and the middle river road and some delays in place on the north and south of 95. a bad accident at baldwin mel. mill. this is white marsh where we are backed up toward the split. >> good morning, we had some pretty thick fog a couple of hours ago which is burning off. we have a slight chance for a shower but it will not be a bad day. 48 degrees in at the airport. take a light jacket with you. a mixture of sunshine and clouds into the afternoon at a slight chance for a rain shower, breezy later today with high temperatures in the mid 60's.

beautiful stretch of weather for the seven-day forecast. sunshine, low 70's, and a high temperatures this weekend may push into the upper 70's. >> thank you for joining us. we will have another update at 8:55at

at bank of america, we're lending and investing in the people and communities who call baltimore home. from funding to help a local business expand their operations... to financing for an organization which provides affordable housing for artists... and partnering with a local hospital to help expand patient care. because the more we do in baltimore, the more we help make opportunity possible.

complete this merger, and present to the board, sink your teeth into some big n' toasty if you understand. good. you've got spunk. a big day calls for the big n' toasty. wrap your hands around fried eggs, cherrywood smoked bacon, and cheese on texas toast. america runs on dunkin'. 8:30 now on a tuesday morning, this is the 4th day, october, 2011. cooler temperatures in the northeast, some of the people bundled up like lenny there but overall a great crowd here, happy to have them join us on

the plaza. matt lauer along with ann curry, al roker and samantha guthrie. coming up get ready to say aww! we have a remarkable little puppy. >> a little puppy named harper found in a trash bag suffering from a rare condition that left her unable to walk. a good samaritan was able to save her and now she's learning to get around on her own. she's adorable, we'll all meet her coming up. the cast of the new reality show "dance moms" kind of like "toddlers and tiaras" and "the real housewives" combined. we'll head into the kitch on it learn how to make something called garlic chipotle love. >> why not? okay. before we get to all of that shall we get a check of the weather? >> i think that's a great idea. >> we need a warm blanket today. >> we do, but we're not going to

get one. let's show you what's happening for today. wet weather in the northeast, as low pressure moves out, some afternoon hours, windy conditions in the pacific northwest, rainy in the southwest, sunshine through the southeast into the plains with record highs. tomorrow, the sun returns here in the northeast, nice and mild, going to be warm, we're looking at plenty of showers and heavy rain moving into california, mountain snows tomorrow, back into the wasatch mountains. >> good morning.ne inf the big storm will still be close enough to give as a 20% chance for a sprinkle. the best chance will be in the mountains an

>> and of course you can always check your weather on the weather channel or weather.com. we have two talented and daring meteorologists from the weather channel, justin drake and sam drewer, "storm riders" start their third season tonight. good to see you.. >> good to see you. >> this past tornado was insane, worst in 75 years. during that time you were chasing these storms, any time you felt you were in danger? >> we definitely got in danger changing the tuscaloosa tornado. we were on the south side and it barely missed us. we had to move out of the way the last second to avoid being hit. >> do you worry people see these shows and folks with less experience, you have 17 years experience with you chasing storms, folks who have less experience might go out and do this, might put themselves in harm's way? >> because of shows like ours a lot of people see the tornadoes that we chase and think they look awesome and feel like they

should be able to get in their car and chase but simon and i have a lot of experience and also have a degree in meteorology. we know how to forecast where the storm will be at and how to follow them and keep ourselves out of danger. people have to realize that. >> justin drake, simon brewer, thank you very much. catch the season premiere of "storm riders" 9:00 p.m. eastern on the weather channel. thanks so much. >> no problem. >> good to see you. >> thanks, man. >> oh, oh, oh! >> we're going to take a break, when we come back our young dancers, are they being pushed too hard on the reality show "dance moms"? we'll speak to the woman behind it. first this is "today" on nbc.

♪ [ female announcer ] have you ever seen a glacier while sunbathing? why not? have you ever climbed a rock wall in the middle of the ocean? or tried something really wild? why not? it's all possible in the nation of why not.

royal caribbean's floating nation. where you are free to do anything you want. which may be nothing at all. royal caribbean international. why not cruise from baltimore? visit royalcaribbean.com today. ♪ you are the dancing queen, young and sweet only 17 ♪ back now at 8:36 with the stars of lifetime television's

popular show "dance moms" follows girls and their doting mothers as they train at pittsburgh's abby lee dance company under the watchful eyes of one of the toughest teachers in the business. >> knees together, paige. if you're bow-legged you need to fix that. sharper page, hit, hit. you're tall, you're skinny, you're a beautiful girl. you can do better than this. focus on your technique. you're right in the middle of the stage, paige. come here. i'd have your head on a platter, yes? do you understand? yes? all right. man up. get out there. if i see flaws that haven't been corrected, i correct them. that's my job. and sometimes that's offensive. >> don't cry. >> abby lee miller, and joining us is kristina zeigler and christine lucaziek.

abby, i'll have your head on a platter, that sounds kind of rough. that's a rough bit of language. they're pretty young. >> what you didn't see is the 14 other times i told her the same correction. children don't always apply corrections so when you tell a kid pick up your socks or whatever on their bedroom floor and tell them over and over and over e pretty soon you want to take those socks and like -- >> does that work in your view? does it cause them to follow you when you say stuff like that to them in. >> yes. all children learn differently. some children you can speak very calmly and nicely to and you need to open up your hip and press your knee back in your turnout and other children you have to yell at until you're blue in the face. >> we'll ask the moms a question. i'm going to show a clip and i want to get melissa and kris your reaction from the other side. >> that's not playing by the

rules. i would never think to go with the producer because i think of playing by the rules. >> playing by the rules, why isn't that playing by the rules? >> because it's going above and beyond what the rest of us do. >> i'm opting out of this, sorry. >> melissa? >> i'm done. i'm done. >> excuse me don't talk to me that way. >> i'm just saying i'm done. >> can you explain why you guys were upset there? >> we had a music video audition for our children, and abby asked me to meet with the producer, and i went for coffee, just to ask him, give him some pointers for the kids. >> but looks like it becomes, i mean this is kind of a reality show, so it looks like at some point it stops being about the girls and it starts to become more about you as parents. is that true? >> because i think so, any time you got a group of women together and then you throw in our children in the mix, obviously we're all passionate, we all believe the same things and want the best for our kids and when you see somebody doing something that you view is not

fair, you want to speak up about it and kind of level the playing field. i think that's what we were doing in that clip. >> do you want everybody to see that? melissa your ex-husband claimed that dance basically blames it for contributing to the end of your marriage. >> he's clueless. >> for real? really? >> no, so that's -- >> he did that to our marriage years ago. >> when you want to be at the dance studio and away from your home and you want to be busy and active? well, she didn't want to be at home. >> let's talk about your children and bring them in. maddie and makenzie and chloe. i know you have fun. are there times when it's really fun and times when it's not fun? do you ever think about stopping or do you want to do it all the time? what's your thought? >> i like dancing pretty much all the tile. i never really stop. i do it down the aisle nms the grocery store anywhere. >> yes. >> what do you like about it? >> i like learning new steps and

learning choreography and it's fun. >> chloe, is it fun all the time or times when it's not fun? >> it's always fun for me especially because i'm around my best friends and doing what i love to do and it's just a really great thing to do and i don't know. i just love it. >> um-hum. what is it you think the girls really get out of this, christy? >> not only are they learning a beautiful skill they're talented at but they're learning how to persevere, learning that discipline and being committed to something, those are skills that they're going to take for the rest of their lives and apply if they never go on to be professional dancers they'll be great employees or bosses someday, and i think that i would much rather have a daughter who is spending her life in the dance studio than somebody sitting on a couch playing a video game. >> and they clearly are expressing a lot of joy for what they're doing and a lot of talent as we can see from the videotape. do you sometimes wish you could do this not on television, not in a way where you're so because

it's a warts and all television situation, believe me i know. there's a warts in all kinds of situations and sometimes there may be things you may not want to reveal about yourself. >> there's certain tricks of the trade i would not like to reveal, little things that i do that i've taught my students over the years i don't want everyone in the country to know, and the show wants me to reveal those secrets, but i have kids on broadway, kids in tokyo, kids all over the world dancing. this is what i do. i train employable dancers, so to have my children dancing on national television, that's, what more could you ask for? she gets to do a solo, they get to do a solo for two minutes of what i or my staff created on national television. that's amazing, even the best dancers on broadway don't get to do what they want to do or a solo on national tv. >> right. >> week after week. >> the girls, the children don't get to sort of weigh in or do they as to whether or not they get to be a part of this thing

on television? i'm wondering when you're 25 and 35 or my age or really old woman you may say oh, man, i wish i wasn't on tape on video out there. what do you think? are you concerned about that for your girls at all? >> absolutely not. they look beautiful on tv and they're showing their talent and abby has given them a lot more than just that. they have interview skills and a lot of things. >> these aren't the only girls on the show. there's mia, paige and brooke as well, and they're getting to do something with their best friends and we all have a very open dialogue with our girls and we talk to them and if there ever was a true concern i think that is something that we would hear and address. i don't think anybody's forcing anyone to do anything. >> no. >> you're beautiful girls and i hope it is fun forever. thanks for joining us. back to you, melissa and madison. okay, i'll sily makenzie and ch

christy. coming up next, you might want to stick around, a puppy without the ability to walk, he's rescued from the trash and given a new chance at life. look at him -- look at her rather. first this is "today" on nbc."t

we're back now at 8:46, with a puppy thrown in the trash getting a second chance at life thanks to the kindness of strangers. harper was born with a rare disorder and could not walk. look at her now. we'll talk to the woman who saved her, in a moment. first savannah guthrie has harper's story. >> reporter: to most people, a dog learning to swim isn't a big deal, but for little harper, it's nothing short of a miracle. harper was born with a rare disorder that wouldn't allow her to stand or lift up her head. it's called swimmer puppy

syndro syndrome. her owner threw her in a trash bag and threw her away. >> noticed a trash bag on the floor next to imhad, the bag was making noises. she asked what was in the bag, he declined to answer. >> reporter: inside the bag was baby hamper. the woman took the pup to seminole county air services and they called erica daniel, runs a pit bull rescue called dolly's foundation. >> they did not think she would survive, but we weren't willing to give up on her. >> reporter: erica called some friends and got harper into doggy rehab where she gets massages. and hydrotherapy. >> the swimming is to teach her the natural gait that dogs have. seems to be working. it seems to have clicked with her neural pathways, okay this is how i'm supposed to do it. >> reporter: it is working. take a look at harper's first

doggy steps. here she is at 11 weeks, getting stronger every day. >> i think she's determined. she wouldn't be here, she wouldn't have survived this long if she didn't have the determination she does. she's a fighter. she's fighting to survive and she's amazing. we love her. >> erica, daniel and harper are with us in our studio. good morning. >> good morning. >> she wants to go to sleep so badly this dog. how is harper doing? >> harper is doing awesome. we had no idea how quick her recovery would be, and she's walking almost like a normal dog now. she's able to take on concrete and tile now, too. >> i had not heard of swimmer puppy syndrome. what is it and what causes it. >> we hadn't heard of it either. it's actually from what we hear is a symptom. it's not necessarily a disease or anything. >> it's a symptom of another disorder? >> right.

she has from what we found out a brain abnormality and a heart murmur so we think that may have been what caused this swimmer puppy syndrome. >> you rescue dogs for a living and seen animals in bad situations. how would you characterize the condition harper was in when you first saw her? >> to be honest i took her home expecting to euthanize her the next day because of how horrible the condition she was in. >> what made you not do that? what gave you hope? >> i spoke with some friends. she started to move her head around, you know, she started to lift her head and started to try and crawl and in just a couple of hours of massaging her on her own, amateurly. >> i mentioned she's a little on the tired side. you have a leash. can you see how she's walking not to put her on the spot. she lays down spread eagle it's not our fault. look at her. now, is this a case where you think as harper gets older she will be running? >> she runs now.

>> she has a normal life. uh-oh. i thought harper was going to do something very normal there. >> she runs now, she's got kind of a funny walk, but yeah, she runs almost like a normal dog. it's normal to us because when we saw her she couldn't walk at all, she was splayed out on her belly. >> he with featured this on today.com, e-mails from people curious about adopting harper. >> harper because of the hard work our organization has put into her, she'll be adopted to somebody within our organization, so she's not available for adoption, no. >> what's the message? what do you want people to take away from this story? >> our message is most important thing to us is that pit bulls are just dogs. every dog deserves to be evaluated individually and give them a chance. that's our passion is rescuing the breed that everybody hates,

but they're amazing to us. we love them. they're just dogs. >> you've done a great job with harper. erica thanks so much. nice meeting but >> thank you for having us. >> up next -- hey, that's mine. up next in "today's kitchen" delicious mexican inspired meals. first this is "today" on nbc. i will awaken you with a song.

i will present your world, at a glance. i will remain untangled and uncomplicated. and let nothing or no one go unnoticed. all from one. all for you. i am the new rhyme by htc. only from verizon.

today's kitchen" is brought to you by folgers, the best part of waking up is folgers in your cup. >> this morning on "today's kitchen" delicious one, two, three easy mexican meals. good morning, aaron sanchez. >> good morning. >> you were raised in the kitchen of a legendary chef of mexican food. >> yes. >> in this country. >> yes, absolutely, my mom is sort of one of these pioneers in mexican cuisine and i grew up in that environment and it inspired me so much that i wanted to do that with my life as well. >> so you've now branched out and have this book and also i understand a restaurant but also created this sauce that you say is multipurpose. you don't have to just do it for one thing. it's called your garlic chipotle love sauce. why do you call it the love sauce? >> food is love.

>> it is. >> i get excited when i start to cook and this sauce exemplifies how simple and packed with flavor the recipe is. starts simple with garlic and we make a garlic oil, so i've taken canola and garlic cloves. >> why canola and not olive? >> you don't want something flowery. you want something neutral. put this in the oven 45 minutes to an hour, low temperature, let it get nutty and sort of sweet. >> look at that. >> this is what we're left with. no tord make the base for the chipotle love, we put a couple cloves of garlic in the processor and lime zest, something i enjoy, a little bit of cilantro and chipotle. this is a smoked jalapeno that comes canned. straightforward, a little bit of residual oil, give that a pulse, you get the idea, vvvt!

it gets grounded up and this is the love sauce. >> the love sauce people, there it is. what do we do with that? >> mix it with a butter and in essence you make a compound butter or flavored butter. keep it in your fridge or up to a week or a month. taste how that comes together simple. spicy. >> nice. >> you take a little bit of this butter, stack it underneath the chicken carcass, put fresh herbs underneath the skin, leave that there, make sure it gets beautiful and march nates for 45 minutes, cook this in the oven for about an hour and a half at 350. >> let's check it out. >> what you have back here is you have the chicken after it's been cooked. >> wow, look at that! >> another quick recipe to show you how versatile and easy the sauce is. >> hey guys, come on in. >> you want your friends? >> yes, hey guys. >> how are you matt? >> nice to see you. >> al always a pleasure.

lime juice, extra virgin olive oil and you're left with a beautiful vinaigrette that goes on top of the vegetarian. >> making it easy for those of us at home don't want the complication of one recipe after another. you can use the same bases. can you freeze that? how long can it last? >> a month in the freezer, tightly wrapped, wrapped tightly -- you know what i mean, basically said the same thing and drizzle this over the salad, and what you're left with is something beautiful. >> yum! now we're going to mangia. thank you, aaron sanchez. coming up, bruce jenner and more. >> live, local, late-breaking - this wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning, the time is 8:56. we now know what killed 40-year- old former ravens play orlando

brown for the offensive line and died of complications from diabetes. he was nicknamed zeus and was found dead inside his federal home back on september 23. he is surv

>> good morning, this will be a pretty nice day today with a mix of sun and clouds and a 20% chance for a rain shower. most of you won't see that and high temperatures will be in the mid 60's and outstanding weather for the rest of the week with temperatures in the mid 70's. temperatures in the mid 70's. [ female announcer ] this is trish.

trish uses aetna's personal health record to track her kids' immunizations, get lab results, see her family medical history, and when she's at the doctor's office, she uses it to remember what to ask before she leaves. it helps trish keep everyone in her clan healthy. even on the go. see for yourself, aetna.com. ♪ aetna. know more. get better.