good morning, sleeping in seattle. amanda knox spends the night back home after speaking out for the first time since winning her freedom. >> what's important for me to say is just thank you to everyone who has believed in me, who has defended me, who has supported my family. >> what did she do on her first night home? how is she adjusting? what does her future hold? her attorney speaks out about the private meeting he had with amanda last night. tragedy in manhattan. one woman is killed after a helicopter crashes moments after

takeoff. the survivor is forced to hang on to the skids. an unlikely intruder. a pennsylvania couple attacked in their own living room by a black bear. they have the battle scars to prove it. their incredible story today, prove it. their incredible story today, wednesday, october 5th, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television from nbc news, this is "today," with matt lauer, and ann curry. live, from studio 1-a in rockefeller plaza. >> and good morning, everyone, welcome to "today" be on a wednesday morning, i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm ann curry. certainly an emotional scene last night. you can just imagine amanda knox's emotions as she returned to the united states after all she has been through for the first time in four years. >> as you can see and as you heard, she was moved to tears as she thanked everyone who supported her throughout this ordeal. but she did manage to make one joke. she said she had to be reminded

to speak english after being in italy for so long. we're going to be hearing more from amanda straight ahead. also coming up this morning, michael jackson's doctor. was he too busy juggling several girlfriends to be properly caring for the singer? three women conrad murray was dating at the same time all testified on tuesday, and the prosecutors claim one was on the phone with murray when jackson stopped breathing. we'll have the latest from los angeles with that story. and later on, we'll ask the question, what are your young girls learning from television? some popular shows with being blasted by critics. coming up, why they say certain programs are teaching tweens and teens to become mean-spirited, vindictive and self-absorbed. but we begin with that emotional homecoming for amanda knox. nbc's stephanie gosk is in seattle. stephanie, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. amanda knox spent 1,450 days in an italian jail cell. it took just 30 hours to get her back here to seattle. she sat next to her mother on the british airways flight that

landed just after 5:00 in the evening. the last time that amanda knox was in this city, she was just a kid with her bags packed, heading off for a school year abroad. walking out into a sea of cameras, after an unimaginable four years. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: cheers broke out for amanda knox, and the 24-year-old sobbed. finally, home. her family was at her side, now able to grab her hand whenever they wanted to. after several deep breaths, she spoke. >> they're reminding me to speak in english. because i'm having problems with that. i'm really overwhelmed right now. >> reporter: how could she not be? just over 24 hours before, she stood in front of an italian court, visibly shaking. her life in their hands. [ speaking in italian ]

>> reporter: the murder verdict overturned, she was whisked away in cars, through airports, on to planes. at times during the journey, moments of relief were clearly visible on her face. her family wasted no time getting her home. >> i was looking down from the airplane, and it seemed like everything wasn't real. what's important for me to say is just thank you to everyone who has believed in me, who has defended me, who has supported my family. >> reporter: her parents also thankful and emotional to finally have their daughter back. >> this has been a very long four years. but we couldn't have made it through it without all of you people out here that have supported us. and especially amanda. >> reporter: amanda knox has been given her life back. the prosecutor says he will appeal to italy's supreme court,

leaving open a small possibility that the italian government may try to extradite knox. but legal experts say the chances of that are slim. amanda's father described the moment just after they won the appeal when he first hugged his daughter. >> i mean, she pretty much squished the air out of us when we were hugging her. >> reporter: back at the family's home, his biggest concern now was trying to regain some of the normalcy they have lost. >> it's extremely surreal. it's something that we kind of feel like we're just regular people in a neighborhood, and then all of this happens. >> reporter: he would not say where amanda was going, only that she needed time to adjust. >> a lot of it is just going to be talking to friends, you know, being able to, you know, touch and hold your friends and, you know, to be able to just kind of reconnect. >> reporter: and spending time with her family.

>> i just want -- my family is the most important thing to me right now, and i just want to go and be with them. so thank you for being there for me. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: for the first time in four years, nothing is stopping her. amanda is in an undisclosed location with family and friends. a local paper says that the 24-year-old is now planning the 21st birthday party that she never had. and her father said she has another priority, matt. that is that after four years in a concrete prison, she is looking for some grass to lie down in. >> stephanie gosk, thank you very much. theodore simon is the american attorney for amanda knox. he had a private meeting with amanda after that press conference and was with her and her family last night. mr. simon, good to see you. good morning. >> good morning, matt. >> before we get to the emotional side of this, take me through the choreography, if you will, of the arrival at the airport, how the speech

occurred, all of that sort of thing. >> sure. this was very carefully planned, with great concern for amanda and her welfare, as well as her security. basically, everyone at british airways helped, and is all of the people at the airport helped. it was arranged for a private meeting, just myself and david mer, the family's press relations person. everyone came off the runway. amanda, her mom, chris, curt and the rest of the family. it was truly amazing. it was emotional. >> had she always planned to speak, mr. simon, or was that more spontaneous? >> no, this was a question that was going to be put to her. it was going to be her decision. she either was not going to say anything, say a few words, or as much as she wanted to. and she, despite the fact that she was very worn and tired, felt a great obligation to thank everyone and said she would do it. she did it spontaneously and of

her own accord. i can tell you, just before she spoke, she had a very emotional embrace with her father that was -- it was just tearful. and powerful. >> do you think -- she talked about the fact that as she flew in, she looked down from the plane and nothing seemed real to her. and then she landed, there was this huge outpouring of supporters and a crush of media. even though she has been somewhat kept aware of the interest level, do you think she fully grasped the level of interest in her story? >> i believe she has a great appreciation of how worldwide this story is. but when you know amanda, you really get to see what a sweet, kind, generous, charitable person she is. i mean, she's joyful, and incredibly thoughtful. she is just a sweet, nice person. and this is what i think dominates her character. she has indomable strength. she clearly gets that from her parents. >> right. >> and it's much more about

everyone else and less about her. the way she interacts with her family, the way she interacts with her cousins. i mean, after we left the airport, we left in two cars. and fortunately, we were able to manage a way in which to go in one direction and avoid the this wrongs of press. >> i'm glad you bringhat up because there is this huge interest level. the press wants to see her, they want to hear from her. it would seem very unfair to keep her locked behind the door of her house. what kind of freedom is that after all these years? so how do you intend to get her the space she is going to need? >> well, you know, i would have to disagree with you, matt. this was anything but being locked away. >> no, i'm talking about in the near future. >> well, she is going to make these decisions as things go forward. but i can tell you, and i've been a criminal defense lawyer for more than 37 years, i am amazed how strong she is and how healthy she seems. >> as you know, ted, the

prosecution in italy has already said they will appeal this to the supreme court. so is there any trepidation on amanda's part that, in fact, it's not quite over? >> that was not discussed. but legally, we feel fairly strong. as you know, the first appellate process permits a review of the facts, a reopening of the facts, a redetermination of the facts. and that's what caused this case to be reversed, and a recognition that she was wrongly convicted. but on the further appeal to the supreme court of italy, they don't have the same broad scope of review. it's really just very narrow, simply was there an error of law? we don't think there was. so we remain pretty confident that this will hold. >> all right, ted simon, who spent time with amanda and her family over the last several hours. mr. simon, good to see you. thanks for your time. >> you're welcome. and now here's ann. >> matt, thanks. here in new york, in the somebody is trying to determine what caused a private helicopter to suddenly crash into the east river, leading to a dramatic rescue operation.

one woman died, but four others managed to survive. nbc's tom yamas has the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. one of the best ways to see the skyscrapers and landmarks of new york city is inside a helicopter. this week a family met up with a family friend her, he happens to be a pilot. they wanted to see the big apple up in the air. the goal was sight-seeing. they took off from this area, but 50 yards from this point over the east river behind me, the people inside of that helicopter and people here on the shore saw a sight nobody wanted to see. >> it's crazy what's going on. someone just straight sunk into the water. >> reporter: this amateur video shows rescuers swimming out to a sinking helicopter in new york city's east river. the chopper's white skids sticking out of the choppy, murky water, and holding on for dear life, a survivor. possibly people still trapped --

>> reporter: eye-witnesses say they noticed trouble just after the helicopter took off late in the afternoon from this tiny held port on manhattan's tuesday. >> he looked like he went over the pier and into the water. >> reporter: the pilot, along with a family of tourists. >> i yelled over, where is everyone, where the hell are the people? and they said they're not out. >> reporter: with victims trapped and drowning, the nypd, coast guard and fdny launched a frantic rescue. >> they were like shipwrecked almost. >> reporter: rescuers located three of the four passengers, two of them in critical condition. one woman needed cpr the moment she was plucked from the water. the pilot, paul dudley, also survived the crash. >> he seemed to be pretty much almost in shock. but he was saying at the same time there was someone else left in the -- in the helicopter. >> reporter: more than an hour later, with the chopper now sitting on the river bottom, divers would find the body of australian resident, sonia ma a

marra. she turned 40 three days ago, in town to celebrate her birthday with her partner, mother and stepfather. >> they had the family come here to see and experience the best of our city, and end up in a tragic accident like this, just breaks your heart. >> reporter: aviation records show the helicopter, a bell 206 jet ranger, is more than 30 years old, and owned by dudley. in 2006, dudley had to make an emergency landing near coney island after the cessna plane he was flying had engine failure. in that case, no one was hurt, no damage to the aircraft. >> from what witnesses have described, the aircraft spun two to three times. that's indicative of a loss of tail rotor effectiveness. that type of failure can be recovered from if proper emergency procedures are followed. >> reporter: the ntsb is currently investigating the case. of but it could take months to find out exactly what happened. as for the pilot, paul dudley, he could not be reached for comment, but the nypd tells us

he refused medical attention after the accident. ann? >> all right. tom yamas this morning, thanks. it is now 7:13. here's matt. >> thank you very much. now to politics and where the republican party goes from here. now that new jersey governor chris christie has said for the last time that he is not entering the presidential race. today national correspondent jamie gangel has details on christie's decision. jamie, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. and he did it with his usual flair. the press conference was vintage chris christie, blunt, funny and plain-spoken. he said he gave the race a hard look, but in the end, his decision came down to one thing. >> now is not my time. >> reporter: christie admitted he had seriously reconsidered but would not rise to the bait of criticizing republicans when so many had pushed for him to run. >> i don't think it says anything particular about the field. i would like to think it says something about me.

it wasn't my charm or good looks, you know that. >> reporter: and in his trademark style, dismissed questions suggesting he didn't get into the race because of political attacks. >> that's when i knew that i could actually win. when they started -- when all these people started shooting at me before i even got in the race. >> reporter: or because of his family. >> mary pat and the kids were completely behind me running. >> reporter: in fact, he said they had been moved to reconsider by letters from regular voters. >> we got fedex over the weekend at home from a farmer in nebraska to my children asking my children to sit me down and tell me that it was okay to miss their games and their concerts and their events because our country needed me more. >> reporter: christie also addressed questions about his weight, laughing off late-night comedians. >> you talk about tons of fun, here we go. >> it's not a news flash to me that i'm overweight. their job is to be funny.

and if one of the things they want to make fun of is my weight, then, you know, it's fair game. >> reporter: but then took to task columnists who suggested he was too overweight to run for president. >> the people who wrote it are ignorant people. they further stigmatize people in a way that is really irrelevant to people's ability to do a particular job. >> reporter: for the moment, christie said he is not ready to endorse another candidate. and brushed off speculation about being vice president. >> i just don't think i have the personality to be asked. i mean, seriously. can you imagine? you know, the guy would probably want to get a food taster. >> reporter: and when he took the opportunity to take a swing at president obama -- >> he has failed the american people, because he has failed that absolute litmus test to be president of the united states. and that's to know how to lead and decide. >> reporter: in the end, christie said, 2012 just wasn't his race.

>> so new jersey, whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me. >> just the kind of authentic line that has made him so appealing. i spoke to the governor yesterday. he admitted he came very close to getting in, but in the end, all the reasons he had been given hadn't changed. that said, candidates are already lining up to try to get his endorsement. ann? >> all right. jamie gangel, thank you so much. chuck todd is nbc's political director and chief white house correspondent. hey, chuck, good morning. >> good morning. >> after all the hype about christie, it's interesting to note that romney, kerry, kane and huntsman sure had a lot of nice things to say about him. you could almost hear the relief. is this field set? >> it is basically set. look, is there a possibility sarah palin could make a last-minute entry? is yes. is there a possibility former new york city mayor rudy guiliani might decide to jump in, sure. but neither would have the impact chris christie would have had to be a co-front runner.

so when you look at the top tier of this field, it's set. it's romney, it's perry, a herman cain. >> so if that's the case, which candidate is likely to benefit from chris christie deciding not to run? who gets his endorsement and the political contribution that are waiting as a wave to crash ashore? >> mitt romney is the short term beneficiary, the biggest pusher of chris christie to get into this race has said he's signing up on team romney. so you're going to see some of this money around wall street, in the new york city area, that was holding off, pining for chris christie. they're more comfortable going to mitt romney. but this doesn't mean that rick perry is somehow hurt by this. the best thing that happened to rick perry over the last ten days has been the chris christie speculation. it froze the race at a time when perry was in a perilous position. and he got time to sort of get his sea legs a little bit. and potentially raise a ton --

be able to get this big money that he is likely going to report in the next 24 hours, and show that he can be a formidable front runner. >> meantime, i want to ask you something interesting that msnbc's joe scarborough said in the wake of christie saying he's not running. he was saying that republicans, independents and even democrats would have been well-served if christie had jumped in the race, because, quote, this silly campaign about hpv, ponzi schemes and tiffany credit lines will become a deadly serious debate about america's uncertain future. like romney, obama seemed to take pride in his efforts to be all things to all people. christie, on the other hand, just doesn't give a damn. given all the excitement that christie generated, wouldn't it be smart for the other candidates to perhaps take a look at his playbook? >> well, i think they have all been trying to replicate it in some form or another. yesterday mitt romney in a town hall an hour after christie's announcement tried to get aggressive, tried to be an in

your face kind of guy, but that's just not his personality. i think you're going to see rick perry trying to emulate that a little bit. you know, when he got hit for calling social security a ponzi scheme, he said, hey, you know, i'm going to tell it like it is. they're all trying to do that. they know that this idea of authenticity is what the american voter is looking for. now, of course, the idea of authenticity is a little bit subjective. but that is what they're looking for at this point. so we'll see. i think ultimately what we don't know about this race is we don't know what does mitt romney look like as a republican candidate after millions of dollars are spent attacking him, saying he's not a conservative? what does he look like after that happens? when we know that, then we'll know whether he can get this nomination. >> okay. a story, a great story that's still playing out. chuck todd, thanks so much. let us get a check of the morning's top stories. tamron hall is over at the news desk while natalie is on assignment. good morning to you. >>. the occupy wall street protests are gaining ground as the movement enters its third week.

other demonstrations have popped up in cities across the country, and thousands are expected to march today in lower manhattan as several labor unions have now joined in the anti corporate protests. another developing story on wall street, where a late surge brought the s&p back from the brink of failing or falling into bear market. cnbc's mandy drury is there with the latest. good morning. >> good morning, tamron. it's getting harder and harder to predict where the stock market will end up each day with such volatile and wild swings. you're right with the dramatic turn around yesterday, as stocks here were cheered by reports that european authorities are getting more serious about protecting their banks. why is that important to us? well, it lessens the risk to the global banking system which includes u.s. banks. apple unveiled its latest iphone, the 4s. and i believe that sprint/next telewill be somewhere where you can get that phone, ending months of speculation about whether or not it would be the third u.s. operator to offer the iphone. back to you. >> mandy, thank you so much. and one-third of u.s. veterans believe the wars in

iraq and afghanistan were not worth fighting. according to a pugh recertain opinion poll out today. the nonpartisan group surveyed veterans who served after 9/11 and also found 37% say they suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. but 96% say they're proud of their service. and those slam dunks have come out of the nba labor discussions as owners and players have left the table and not set another meeting yet. without an agreement by monday, the regular season cannot begin as scheduled, costing millions of dollars, and, of course, disappointing fans nationwide. preseason has already been cancelled. it is 7:22. back to matt, ann and al. at least we have baseball. texas rangers baseball, i should say. >> yank key baseball. >> all baseball. >> anyway. >> well, out west, they're already feeling a little winter out there. we've got some heavy rain to talk about in parts of southern and central california. we've also got mountain snows in the sierra nevada. i mean, we're talking anywhere from 1 to 2 inches of rain.

we've got wind gusts to 50 miles per hour, wind advisories, winter storm warnings and snowfall amounts up to a foot or more in the sierra nevada. >> good morning.ing on around l little on the cool side. it will be a fantastic ever do. sunshine in the forecast. and that's your latest weather. matt? >> all right, al, thank you very much. just ahead, a 10-month-old girl snatched allegedly from her own crib as she slept. we're live with the desperate search to find her. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

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coming up, was conrad murray distracted by a telephone call when michael jackson stopped breathing? the doctor's three girlfriends take center stage at his trial. also ahead, how did a couple get attacked by a black bear in their own living room? they'll speak out about an unforgettable ordeal after >> live, local, late-breaking - this wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning, i am stan stovall at 7:26. family and friends will gather later today to lay to rest two retired baltimore city educators. a wake and a funeral will take place from 6:00 until 9:00 tonight at morgan state university. flames erupt for their home

yesterday morning on mohawk avenue and their bodies were found inside. the pattersons leave behind a son, daughter-in-law, and three grandsons. time for a check on the morning commute. >> there is a new bridge and we will tell you about that in a moment. we'll tell you what is going on on major roadways. there is a heavy diligence outbound to 95 that extends from the belt way. there is another crash southbound at 195. 95 coming out of the northst has heavy delays, 5 miles per hour toward the beltway ne. that is due to an earlier accident. on the inner loop past york corp., an accident and one southbound on the harrisburg expressway. that is just that middletown road. watch for a crash involving an overturned vehicles and a new bridge is now open on route 24

in abingdon. here is the delay on 295 coming toward us in the southbound direction. you can see it stretches all the way back to approaching the beltway. >> it will be a beautiful day today and we have clear skies. temperatures are little cool but not as cool as yesterday. 53 degrees at the airport. the forecast for today, lots of sunshine and we will make it up to 74 this afternoon and the great weather will continue into great weather will continue into

7:30 now on a wednesday morning. the fifth day of october, 2011. couldn't ask for a nicer start to the day. it's supposed to be a beautiful day today in manhattan. we have a wonderful crowd enjoying the fall weather out on the plaza. meantime, inside studio 1-a, i'm ann curry alongside matt lauer. and just ahead, the desperate search for a baby missing in kansas city, missouri. 10-month-old lisa irwin was last seen monday night in her crib. and police believe she was abducted. we'll get the latest in a live report on that story.

also, another i guess you could call a home intrusion. a pennsylvania couple is lucky to be alive after being attacked by a black bear. this didn't happen in the woods near their home. it happened in their own living room. coming up, they'll describe the chaotic scene and what they did to fight off their house guest. >> oh moorks my goodness. plus, take a look on our plaza. we're having items gathered from our offices, doing it for charity, including a rather handsome beaded face of matt lauer. we'll explain more later. but we're talking essentially about this really i think increasing fascination. >> yeah, a lot of people love those things. let's begin this half hour with the latest of the trial from michael jackson's doctor. tuesday, prosecutors tried to paint conrad murray as a womanizer too busy to care for the singer. jeff rossen is live with details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. up until now, this trial has

been about the propofol, the science of the day michael jackson died. but now prosecutors are going right after conrad murray's personal life. this is a man who is twice divorced, he has seven kids, six of them out of wedlock. and now his former lovers, his mistresses, all called to the stand. just months before the trial, that's dr. conrad murray, enjoying a day at the beach with his girlfriend, nicole alvarez, and that's their son, born while murray was married to someone else. >> i am an actress with a screen actor's guild since 1998. >> reporter: prosecutors say dr. murray was dating two other woman, sade anding, whom he met at a texas steak house. and michelle bella, a dancer at a club in las vegas. >> did he give you his telephone number? >> yes. >> reporter: prosecutors

insinuated murray tried to impress the women -- ♪ >> reporter: -- by bragging about his work with michael jackson. >> were you interested in that information? >> absolutely. >> reporter: and why is that? >> it's michael jackson. >> must have been pretty exciting? >> definitely. i was speechless when i met him. >> reporter: murray lived with alvarez, still does, and paid her rent. murray even had the propofol delivered to her apartment, four gallons worth, telling the pharmacy, it was the address of his medical office. all the while, alvarez was working on her career as an actress. >> as a professional actress, my daily duties consist of maintaining my instrument, going on several castings. >> when you refer to an instrument, what are you referring to? >> as an actor, your instrument is your self. >> reporter: the morning of michael jackson's death, prosecutors say murray was on the phone with one of his other girlfriends, sade. >> i heard mumbling of voices.

it sounded like the phone was maybe in his pocket or something. it was -- and i heard coughing. and nobody answered. >> reporter: prosecutors say this is the moment murray realized michael stopped breathing. but on cross-examination, the defense said, not so fast. >> you said you heard mumbling? >> yes. >> and you said that -- what you just said is i didn't recognize voices at all. >> yes. >> so it could have been any voice, frankly. >> correct. >> the doctor, prosecutors say, was living a double life, juggling a parade of women, and the famous patient, until it all came crashing down. >> prosecution's goal was to attack conrad murray's character and they did that by showing he was too busy talking to his girlfriends while he should have been watching michael jackson. >> reporter: shaping up to be another big day here at the l.a. courthouse behind me, matt.

prosecutors are going to try to use dr. conrad murray's own words against him. they want to play a two-hour-plus audiotape of his police interrogation. that could happen as early as today. >> jeff rossen in los angeles. jeff, thank you very much. martin bashir is the host of msn msnbc's martin bashir show, and star jones, good to see you. what do you think of this tactic, previous to this, we have seen the prosecution talk about conrad murray's abilities as a doctor. whether or not he adhered to medical practices. now we're attacking his character as a womanizer. is it strong? do you think it's going to work? >> i think it is. because what you have now is a man who is being painted as a man under financial pressure. most doctors work in communities, in localities, in hospitals. they have an accountability system. this guy is a medical mersonry. he is the father of children,

six out of wedlock, maintaining four separate recommends. this is a man who needs money. and they have done a brilliant job. >> star, you always say you need to keep an open mind as you're hearing testimony. >> yes. >> but the prosecution is methodically painting a picture here. >> they are painting a picture of conrad murray in his own little version of the seven dwarfs. we've got greedy, we've got sneaky, we've got dopey, dizzy and now we've got sleazy. yesterday with all of the women being paraded around, we looked at the sleazy conrad murray. and that was on purpose. >> so you think it's effective from the jury's point of view. they're sitting in this room, they're hearing this. you think this is effective testimony. >> incredibly effective. this man is suffering a conflict of interest, all of the time. there is his medical practice on the one hand, and his hippocratic oath to do no harm. and simultaneously, he's worried about multiple girlfriends, and the financial pressure that he's under. >> and also remember, though, the jury does not know a lot of the personal items that we know. we know that they performed in

social clubs. we know that he has seven children, six out of wedlock. the jury has not been given that information yet. so as we analyze this, be cautious of the jury still seeing it in the box. >> right. >> of the jury box. >> let me go at something else the prosecution seems to be wanting to get out there. they want to paint conrad murray as a guy who used michael jackson, this mega star, as a chip, if you will, to gain entry to these women's lives, to impress them. >> it's pinching. >> but take it from the other side. if michael jackson was so important to conrad murray's social life, wouldn't the doctor do everything in his power to keep him healthy, so that he continued to have that chip? >> which is what makes me know that he was desperate in that emergency room, listening to those doctors. conrad murray really wanted michael jackson to pull through. there's no question he was not trying to kill michael jackson. he was just not skilled enough to keep him alive. >> all right. you feel the same way? >> i think so.

i think when you look at the doctor's practice, nobody -- the defense is trying to suggest by bringing on this former colleague of his that he was a very attentive doctor, he was very concerned. but you've just had a litany of examples where this man is conflicted all of the time. >> and we should keep in mind that while the prosecution is now painting this personal picture of conrad murray, when the defense gets its turn, they're going to paint a personal picture of the victim here. of michael jackson. >> i guess they are. and again, that's another reason why this direct financial relationship between the patient and the doctor is so significant. because it places the patient in a powerful position. he can start deciding whether he's going to withhold money and the doctor himself feels vulnerable in those circumstances. it's an awful situation. it's a situation that, frankly, shouldn't be allowed to materialize in this way. and that's why this is, i think, deeply damaging for the image of this doctor. >> martin bashir and star jones.

folks, thanks for your perspective. appreciate it. let's get a check of the weather now from al. >> thanks a lot, matt. we've got a lot of weather to talk about out west. not just snow, dust was a big problem. this was in central arizona, portions of i-10 were closed for a long time thanks to this situation. 23 people injured. one person was killed. a 30-plus car pileup. there was another one a couple hours later where about 20 cars were all piled up. really, really dangerous. as we check and show you what's happening for today, look at these temperatures. anywhere from 10 to 25 degrees above normal. high today in bismarck, going to get up to 89 degrees. 83 sioux falls, 76 chicago. minneapolis will see a high of 83. rest of the country, nice and cool in the northeast with temperatures in the 50s and 60s. 70s the mid atlantic states. 90s in southern texas. 50s and 60s out

>> good morning. a nice stretch of weather on tap. up to 74 this afternoon. and that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thanks. now to a frantic search under way in kansas city, missouri for a 10-month-old girl believed to have been abducted from her crib in the middle of the night. peter alexander has the latest on this investigation. peter, good morning. >> reporter: ann, good morning to you. investigators are expected here again early this morning to begin again their search to try to find that 10-month-old baby girl, lisa irwin. her parents say she was snatched in the middle of the night from her home inside the crib. that's the home there, still blocked off by police tape.

overnight, investigators once again searched the home. they searched two of the cars in the family's driveway. but so far, no suspects, and no solid leads. late tuesday night, detectives reexamined this kansas city home, where authorities say 10-month-old lisa irwin disappeared from her crib less than 24 hours earlier. police and fbi agents spent much of tuesday dusting for fingerprints, combing the neighborhood, even rappelling off a nearby cliff, searching for any clue that might lead to the adorable little girl. police say lisa's father called to report her missing after checking her room around 4:00 tuesday morning. >> we believe the mother was home at the time, probably asleep, and the father had come home from what we believe work at the time, noticed that the baby was gone and called 911 right away. >> reporter: initial police reports said a window at the home appeared to have been tampered with. investigators interviewed lisa's distraught parents, hoping for any information that might help them find the missing baby girl. >> we have been with them all day and they have been cooperating with our detectives

all day. and as you probably can assume, they have the most intimate knowledge of what's going on in the house, so they're a very important part of this investigation. >> reporter: more than 100 investigators are now involved in this search that's covered neighbors' homes and these nearby woods. >> i just think about the little child, you know. what's really happening to her. >> reporter: one neighbor reported that her husband saw a suspicious man holding a baby at about the time baby lisa went missing. >> he was carrying a baby, and he kind of was pushing it against his chest. and my husband kept looking at him. and then the gentleman just kind of kept walking. >> reporter: police said they were pursuing that lead, as well as others. but so far, no sign of the missing 10-month-old. >> i hope they find that baby alive. >> reporter: we're hoping to hear from the parents yesterday, but they were questioned by police until late last evening. there's a chance they returned to the home today to put out a public plea for helping finding their young baby girl. ann? >> all right. may that plea be heard.

peter alexander, thank you this morning. coming up next, the pennsylvania couple attacked by a black bear inside their own living room. the remarkable story of survival in their own words, right after this. [ 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.

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we're back now at 7:45 with a life and death struggle between a pennsylvania couple and a bear. and it happened inside the family's own living room. today national correspondent amy robach is at the home where it all unfolded. amy, good morning. >> reporter: matt, good morning to you. it was early monday morning when a black bear came right through this back door. it was in hot pursuit of the moyer family dog, brindy. hi, brindy. there she goes. hello! that's when the bear barrelled right into rich moyer and turned his living room into what looked like a bloody crime scene, a wrestling match between man and bear. and things turned from bad to worse when his wife angie came downstairs. one day after the vicious attack, the horrific battle wounds are still fresh and painful, and very visible. >> i have 37 sutures on the back and top of my head. i have about 20 puncture wounds, scratches all over my back and arms. >> he actually bit me quite well

on might left breast and torso. i have a huge chunk of tissue missing from my left buttock. >> reporter: and there are mental scars for angie and rich moyer. >> this morning, i wouldn't come down when it was dark by myself because i was too freaked out. >> reporter: it all happened as rich got up for work and let their dog britain deout, leaving the door open. in a matter of minutes, rich was on the floor of his living room, fighting for his life, wrestling with a bear. >> i just saw a bunch of black hair. >> reporter: when angie heard the commotion upstairs, she ran down, but unfortunately, right into the bear's clutches. >> it knocked me down. i was down on the ground wrestling with it, in front of the door, actually. at one point, that's where it bit me. and then ended up wrestling it outside yet again until my husband -- my hero came and jumped and knocked the bear off of me. >> reporter: rich then suffered his worst head injuries. >> it kept my head down the whole time so the bear wouldn't rip my face up. and it literally ripped the back

of my head open. i started feeling the hair pull and thought it was the end. >> reporter: but he saved his wife's life. >> part of me thinks we saved each other. part of me wishes she never got involved. if you love each other, you're just going to jump in. >> he's more my hero than i'm his. >> reporter: all of this was going on while their 10-year-old son josh was sleeping upstairs. and while josh saw the gory aftermath, angie is relieved he didn't wake up any sooner and will now change the way josh plays outside. >> i looked at him and said, "oh, by the way, josh, you're not going outside ever again." but that's not a reality that can exist. he loves to play outside. so now it's just going to be a matter of i think one of us go outside with him, keep a closer eye on him. >> reporter: wildlife officials in the area believe this may have been a female bear protecting her cubs from the moyer's dog. and add even though they have set up a trap complete with jello doughnuts, it's a rare

situation. >> >> i've been at this 23 years, never had one go in a house. >> reporter: in the end, the moyers are just grateful they had each other at the most frightening, unexpected moment of their lives. >> a lot of times, men aren't as caring, especially over the years. i think that's going to change some. >> and i do have to admit, i sort of take him for granted sometimes. i have to change a little bit in light of this. it made me see the light, too. >> reporter: there is a financial toll to all of this, as well. as you might imagine, rich and angie have mounting medical bills, and as they have found out the hard way, homeowners insurance doesn't cover bear attacks inside the home. matt, back to you. >> wow. that's a wild story. amy robach, thank you very much. just ahead, why today's most popular tv shows could be teaching your girls to be mean and competitive back-stabbers. we'll explain that. but first, these messages. do w. aflac... and major medical? major medical, boyyyy!

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>> live, local, late-breaking - this wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. the time is 7:56 and time for a check on the morning commute. >> good morning, a very busy right and we're looking at have delays on southbound to 95 from the belt way down to 32 due to an earlier accident. you can see 95 is a much better bet than 295. northbound route 10 has an accident and on the topside inner loop, the ramp to

southbound york road is closed with that crash. the southbound jfx is looking at the delays d. if you want to trouble this morning on southbound 83 past middletown road, another accident and what you had out this morning in darlington involving an overturned a vehicle. a quick live look outside will show your cameras on the topside at your road. there was an inner loop accident on that ramp. if you travel into '95, this is what you can expect. take 95 alternates. >> we are off to a nice quiet start with a beautiful sunrise that little while ago. it is not as close yesterday at this time. 54 degrees at the airport. you probably want to take a light jacket with you but you may not need this afternoon. the high temperature will be around 74-75 degrees. it looks like we will keep that

going into the weekend. dry weather all the way through sunday and may cool off a couple of degrees on thursday and friday but it will be very nice. the wins will turn to the south of the weekend of the tempters may jump to the upper 70's on sunday, may be near 80. bge's instant discounts got our homeowner to switch to

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8:00 now on a wednesday morning. it's the 5th day of october, 2011. starting out to be a beautiful day here in new york city. we're starting to get some of the warmer temperatures that al roker talked about. it will last right through the weekend, and that's great news for these people who are visiting new york. hopefully from other nice parts of the country, as well. we hope the weather is good everywhere. i'm matt lauer, along with ann curry and al roker. it's nice to be out here today. >> it is really nice. >> 57 degrees. coming up, we've got a really interesting topic, especially for the parents of young girls. >> that's right.

because, you know, we have all been hearing about this idea of back-stabbing and cat fights. they're pretty common these days on television. but a crop of shows aimed at teenage girls are really focusing on that kind of behavior. so critics are wondering whether these programs are actually teaching our girls to hate each other. we're going to get into the bottom of that, because i think it's a cause for a lot of concern for parents. we'll see if it's true. >> all right. also ahead, take a look inside our studio, martin sheen and emilio estevez. obviously most people know they are father and son. they're teaming up on a new movie that really is about a bond, an unusual bond between a father and son. they're going to talk about the importance of making that film, and we'll chat with them about a lot of things happening in their lives. they're two very talented people. >> no question about it. >> absolutely. and later on, how would you like to own some of our personal treasures? yes, we cleaned out our offices and dressing rooms for a very special tag sale with proceeds going to a great cause. and we're going to show you how you can get --

>> not sure maria is going to be all that happy -- >> i don't know. >> a tag sale -- >> what's going on? it wasn't me. somebody is going to -- let's get inside and get a check of the news from tamron in for natalie this morning. >> hey there, ann, matt and al. good morning, everyone. freed american student amanda knox is enjoying private time with her family today after landing in seattle last night. knox thanked supporters who fought to have her sexual assault and murder conviction in italy overturned on monday. she had spent four years in prison. new jersey governor chris christie says now is not his time to run for president. he announced tuesday that he would not seek the republican nomination for 2012, despite the appeals of some party leaders. christie told new jersey residents, like it or not, you're stuck with me. and federal crash experts will examine the wreckage of a helicopter that went down tuesday in new york's east river near the united nations. a tourist from australia celebrating her 40th birthday was killed. police and divers rescued three of her loved ones. the pilot also survived.

today could be the biggest day yet for the occupy wall street protests in lower manhattan. nbc's mara schiavocampo is there with more. mara, good morning. >> reporter: tamron, good morning. protest organizers say they are expecting thousands today for a rally and march here in lower manhattan. the occupy wall street coalition is growing quickly, as several labor unions have now vowed to join demonstrators in their protests against corporate interests. three weeks in, and no signs of slowing. the occupy wall street protest growing in size and scope. hundreds gathering to vent their frustration at big banks and corporations, demonstrations spreading to more than 50 cities from boston to los angeles. protesters joined by very influential allies. >> we are powerful, thank you! >> reporter: tuesday, transit workers and teachers joined activists for a march to wall street. today they plan to join protesters in what could be

their largest event yet, a rally in march in lower maattan. the grass roots movement has no official leaders. >> we the people are here to take the power back. >> reporter: while their frustration is clear, their goals are not. >> occupy wall street, if it wants to be successful, they're going to have to zero in on specific pieces of legislation. >> reporter: a movement still taking shape as it continues to grow. organizers are also hoping students will join them in today's events. they're asking college students across the country to walk out of class at 2:00 this afternoon in a show of solidarity. tamron? >> thank you. china and russia last night vetoed a u.n. security council resolution that would condemn syria's bloody crackdown on nonviolent protesters, prompting outrage from the u.s. ambassador to the u.n., susan rice. rice said the countries would rather sell arms to the syrian regime than protect the syrian people. now here is brian williams with what's coming up tonight on "nbc nightly news." brian. >> tamron, good morning.

coming up tonight on "nightly news" we'll have the cost of good intentions, a life-saving breast cancer drug, though it has a big drawback. we'll tell you about it tonight. that's "nightly news" this evening. now back to you. for a look at what's trending today, what's got you talking online this morning. say it ain't duh! i didn't say that right. threats to cancel the longest running comedy unless the actors take a pay cut. they reportedly earn an $8 million each per season. and griping on twitter today about the long-awaited iphone that was unveiled tuesday. critics say it's just an upgraded iphone 4, not the iphone 5 many had been waiting for. preordering starts friday. and movie buffs are buzzing about newt gingriches unlikely favorite movie. the republican presidential hopeful revealed he and his wife have seen "the hangover" seven times. newt says they just can't help

themselves. and added, quote, i watch almost anything that moves. all right. it is 8:05. back to al with a check of the weather. how many times have you seen "the hangover?" >> well, only twice. of but tamron you've got to work on your "doh!" >> doh! that's why they get $8 million an episode to do it. we've got the foundation for physical therapy. maybe you could work on tamron and get her doh correct. thanks. always love the physicaisphysic. thanks. pick city today, wilkes-barre, pennsylvania. sunny, breezy, 65 degrees. a gorgeous day today. as you can see, we have fabulous weather, thanks to a big area of high pressure for the eastern half of the country. but out west, storm system coming, moving its way to the east, bringing heavy mountain snows, a lot of rain, heavy rain in central and northern california. record highs on the back side of that high pressure system in the plains today. >> good morning.

l little on the cool side. it will be a fantastic ever do. sunshine in the forecast. hmmm, doughnuts. matt? >> all right, al, thanks very much. coming up, are certain tv shows teaching your young girls to behave badly? we'll talk about that right after this. ♪ d walmart have teamed up to bring you a low-priced medicare prescription drug plan. ♪ with the lowest national plan premium... ♪

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[ 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. back now at 8:11. for young women, the tween and teen years are critical for building friendships with other girls. but with so much on television focusing on females who can't get along, are we sending our girls a dangerous message? here is nbc's janet shamlian. >> reporter: if you have a television and a teenage daughter, you've probably seen it. >> shut up!

>> you shut up! >> reporter: cat fights, back-stabbing, lying and cheating. they used to be the signature moves of middle-aged women on daytime soap operas and evening reality shows. >> i was arrested! >> reporter: but now, mean girls are all over television. >> those kind of shows do not portray women in a very good light. and then parents have to battle against that, constantly. >> reporter: lynn's daughter abbey and her high school friends in california like the shows, but don't always love the behavior. >> i think they show women being like kind of bitchy and fighting and never getting along when women can get along really well and be best friends. >> reporter: on programs like "the bad girls club" on oxygen, a network owned by nbc universal, young women are often their own worst enemy. >> a lot of these girls you see, they parlay 15 minutes of fame and making tons of money off of it. and i think it does send a message that if you act in a ram

panty narcissistic way, you can move forward in the world. >> reporter: experts say the programs reinforce a stereotype that women can't get along. an unsettling message at a time when girls and young women are still trying to figure it all out. for their part, the networks wouldn't comment on the criticism. and while the shows are clearly labeled entertainment, some fear it's a misguided moral compass. >> we need to raise our girls to be powerful and independent and wonderful women that get along. >> reporter: there are exceptions, with no outrageous behavior. tia and tamara are a style network hit, proving female friendship doesn't have to be a twisted sister hood. for today, janet shamlian, nbc news, los angeles. >> carol lynn nor is with common sense parent hood. good morning. >> good morning. >> boy, am i yearning for the days of ethel and lucy and

laverne and shirley, right? >> yes. >> the days seem to be gone. >> yeah, i think over the past couple years, we have really seen an explosion in these types of shows that kind of amp up this drama. you know, all these shows are competinging for your kids eyeballs. >> that said, i did find some research in the "new york times" from last year from two researchers who say that girl violence is actually plummeting. that the serious crimes committed by girls has gone down significantly, really significantly, compared to what happened decades before. so how should we be thinking about the full impact of this kind of programming? >> well, also, there's relation aggression, which is common amongst girls, gossip and being nasty to one another. >> so you're saying there is a difference between violence and relational -- >> physical violence and relational aggression, which is more prominent amongst young girls. and that's what we see a lot on television. and the truth is, if kids are watching these kinds of interactions, and the message

is, you're popular if you're nasty and mean, girls who identify with that will certainly make that a part of their mental script. >> so you're concerned about how this will play out in the future. i mean, but this is really anecdotal evidence. is there any kind of clinical evidence that would support this idea? >> yes. i mean, they are doing studies, but they're newer studies. so, of course, the longer we study it, the more information we'll have. >> so carolyn, you know, your job is to think about this and what media is doing and how it's influencing our kids. so what is the best advice that you have for parents, especially moms who are concerned about their daughters? >> yeah. i really think that now kids are watching tv on the internet, it's -- tv is mobile. and i just think that if parents really get involved and take a look at the tv guide and make a conscious decision about what tv shows they really want to watch that reinforce their own values, then they will be showing shows that, you know, really show better behavior. >> are you saying that we should talk to the networks, are you saying we should watch tv or ban certain programs with -- from our girls? >> well, i think that, you know,

we all love outrageous tv. it's fun to watch and it's entertaining. so i think that, you know, if -- you know, not everyone is going to watch, you know, the ozzy and harriet style shows. so talk about some of these issues that come up and talk to your daughters about, do you think this is realistic? how would these women, you know, work together and support each other, how could this friendship, you know, be more positive? >> okay. so you're using it as a learning lesson. >> absolutely. >> to watch together and talk about. i'm wondering if -- some of this stuff is so shocking that i wonder if it's having kind of an opposite effect because some of the girls are saying there's no way i would do something like that. >> that can happen. certainly girls who say i know what real friendships are like, it doesn't look like what we see on tv, can differentiate. although young boys who are looking at this really are mischaracterizing or stereotyping what female relationships are all about. so it does have an impact. but, again, if parents train their kids to think critically, that makes all the difference in the world. if you train your child to say, how do you think the victim feels in this situation?

then you're really teaching empathy, and you're using what's part of this it media diet in an effective way. >> so much of this violence also seems to be connected to this idea of judgment. girls judging each other. women judging daughters. i mean, it almost seems that if you could have a home where you have less judgment -- >> we have judgment tv. that's what reality television is all about. we like to be in judgment, and we like to feel superior. and that's all part of the appeal right now. >> all right. well, robby ludwig and carolyn moore, thank you so much. helping our daughters. and coming up next, martin sheen and emilio estevez talk about their new movie. that's coming up right after this.

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and the one that plugs in. they're all a little different, just like us. real-life father and son, martin sheen and emilio estevez have teamed up for a new movie about a father and son. the "the way" centers on a personal crisis that sends one of them on a life-changing journey, walking 500 miles along the ancient european pilgrimage route known as the carmen de santiago. he is the boss on the set. but it was your idea, based on a trip you took. >> well, that's how the whole story started. i was in spain with his son, my grandson, taylor, who was 19 at the time, and working for me as an assistant on the west wing. we had a few weeks off in the summer. and so i was trying to do the camino with him in two weeks. and -- >> 100 miles, by the way, yeah.

>> so we did the practical thing. we rented a car along with my friend, matt clark, who played the rabbi/priest you just saw in that segment there. and we drove across, and we got to burgos, one of the major cities along the way and taylor met his future wife at a supper. >> so there has to be something to this. there is a reason we did this and maybe a reason to go further. a lot of challenges, though, in bringing this to the screen. we just saw a little snippet. out you're out there in rustic areas, you tried to trim down your crew, 50 people traveling. what were your biggest challenges? >> just the days. we had had a small crew, shot the crew on super 16, the sound guy had a backpack. we were very nimble. and we moved. we could never go back to a location. so we were always moving forward. and we shot the film in about 40 days. >> we shot in sequence across the actual camino. >> you are known as a guy who doesn't shy away from a challenge when it comes to making a movie.

you've got some epic stories and epic roles in the past. and the stories from this one are coming out where you're carrying a backpack, which is what people do along this route. and it weighs a ton. and you basically come to him and say let's lighten this load. >> well, i didn't talk to him about it at first. i just took things out. i said we're going to take this out, you don't need this, you don't need that. and he picked up the bag and he said what the heck is this? it's the only time he ever got mad on the set was when we lightened his load. >> had all my money in there. >> that's why it's so heavy, right? so you wanted the reality of it. >> i did. you know, the guy in the story is not prepared for this trip. he -- he makes an impromptu decision to carry his son's ashes and finish the journey for him. so he doesn't have a clue what he's in store for. and i really wanted to experience it. i knew the weight of the bag would make a difference in the way i breathed and talked and walked. and the journey itself. so whatever happened actually happened on camera. >> i read something, emilio, that struck me onset.

you're the director. you never called him dad. >> that's right. >> you made a conscious decision to call him martin or ramon. why? >> keep it professional. i didn't want the crew to be so familiar with him that they would call him "dad" as well. >> they probably wouldn't call him "dad." but you wanted him to be treated as the icon he is. >> right, right. and the crew had a great respect for him. but i wanted them to keep that. i wanted to keep that going. >> i think -- you approve of that or did you ever look at him and say, hey, i'm your father? >> he didn't always call me ramon or martin. there are a few other things that shall remain private he called me. >> maybe. >> let me ask you something we have been talking about a lot here. charlie paid us a visit a while ago. i was struck by the fact that he seems to be on a much better path now than he was six months prior to that. bring me up to date. >> yes, indeed. in fact, we juskreebd the film r the aarp convention two weeks ago and he showed up unexpectantly on the red carpet

and it was great. and we were delighted to see him. he is a big supporter of the film and we're grateful to you for that interview. it made all of the difference. >> i see the smile on your face. it had to be hard during a certain period this yasser arafat leer in watching what seemed to be a slow-motion disaster. >> you're a father. you know what that's like. >> and is as a brother. >> of course. >> but thank god something really important has happened and he has turned a corner. so we're grateful and we give thanks and praise every day. >> that is good news. martin sheen, always good to see you. it's been too long. emilio, we've got to get out skiing sometime. >> snowboarding. >> snowboarding for you, skiing for me. "the way" opens in select cities this friday. and just ahead, we're going to throw a tag sale. how you can own a piece of personal treasure. i don't know if they're treasures. right after your local news.

>> live, local, late-breaking - this wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning, the time is now 8:26. let's get a final check on the morning commute. >> it has been really busy this morning. we have a new accident if you travel westbound on the 100 at oakwood road. you could see the red on 295, a holding onto delays as you make your way toward 100. those delays are spilling over onto i-95 southbound. we have word that a pedestrian was struck at first avenue near melrose ave. that is an area to avoid this

morning and on the inner loop topside, a second accident at the harrisburg expressway and other one is still on the inner loop ramp to southbound your road. on the inner loop, delays stretch back to liberty and jammed on southbound 95. we'll show you what it looks like at 95 and here are your southbound delays. >> good morning, is a beautiful star on this wednesday morning, chris and cool. temperatures are in the 50's right now. the forecast for today -- lots of sunshine after the cool start we will make it into the low to mid 70's this afternoon with a breeze coming out of the northwest. the seven-day forecast, going into the weekend it will turn a little cooler on thursday and friday but not much. upper 60's and low 70's and the overnight lows will drop into the 40's. it will be chilly in the morning but over the weekend things will start to move up.

it may get near 80 degrees on sunday. the next chance for rain will hold off until the middle of next week. less >> blogs > thanks for joining us.

♪ 8:30 now on this wednesday morning. it's the 5th of october, 2011. and those screams you hear are for joe jonas, one-third of the super successful jonas brothers greeting our crowd this morning. he is coming out with his first solo album and will be performing for us live in just a

moment. if he can pull himself away from his adoring fans on the plaza. >> he has talked about writing a blog about food, so that tells you something. i'm ann curry alongside matt lauer and tamron hall and al roker. also today, we'll be talking about a tag sale for charity. >> here's what we did. we scoured our offices and our dressing rooms for any knickknacks or collectibles we could find, anything from clothing items to shoes, stuffed animals. even, and we're shocked about this, even the olympic torch that ann ran with in salt lake city. >> on this very broadcast, in fact. well, anglo mcgrek, the producer, said i had to give up something valuable. that's very valuable. >> no. >> i have to take it back? so you have a tag sale and you say i'm going to give it up and -- now i'm going to take it back? anyway. >> we're going to tell you how you can get in on the tag sale phenomenon in just a little while. >> it's for charity! >> i'm going to buy it and run

around the plaza with it. and pretend it's mine. also coming up, healthy foods for the autumn months. in fact, delicious recipes from the barefoot contessa. we'll show her fall favorites to warm our tummies. >> yes we do. and have you ever wondered what it's like to raise kardashians? chris jenner is upstairs with hoda, getting ready to co host the fourth hour. hoda is just doing a lot of double duty this week. >> that would be an air brush right there. you don't actually touch it. it's like air guitar. >> exactly. >> work with me here. >> never touch the do. >> are you going to do the weather? >> a great day in the east. a big area of high pressure taking care of things. showers left over in northern new england. record highs in the plains. it is a mess along the coast. for tomorrow, the rain and snow moves into the rockies and the northern plains. beautiful weather here in the east. it's going to be sunny and cool

in new england. mild in the lane particular states. nice and warm into the mississippi riversi >> good morning. a nice stretch of weather on tap. up to 74 this afternoon. and don't forget, you can get your weather at any time of the day or night. go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com. coming up, ann says no to the olympic spirit by selling -- selling the torch from the 2002 games. now we've got our tag sale coming up. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

♪ this morning, kicking off today's tag sale, everyone loves a bargain. so we're throwing a tag sale this morning for charity. and in a moment, we're going to give you some pointers on how you can set up your own tag sale. but first, a look at this american tradition. ♪ what you gonna do with all that junk ♪ >> from furniture to clothing to music, books, antiques and one of a kind items, more and more americans turning their driveways, garages and front lawns into shopping mechanicas on the weekends. >> it's hard work. you've got to get up early in the morning and i love it. >> might be $350 for this. and it's going for $50. no one is even looking at it. ♪ from the spring season to the fall, whether you call it a garage sale, a yard sale or simply a tag sale, all signs

point to a potential treasure for the buyer. >> how about $1? >> your dollar is worth $100 in a yard sale. that's why this is so important. that's why so many people want to do it. >> it's the thrill of the hunt. >> these days, it seems everyone is tag saling it. >> see you at the next sale. >> from people looking to downsize and unload their belongings to make extra cash, to professionals who liquidate estates and sell your collectibles for you. >> we tell everyone not to throw anything out, because anything and everything is fair game for a tag sale. >> we'll bargain. we'll make it happen. >> $3. and i'm sure i could bargain. that would be $1.50. we will never know. >> even celebrities like the entertainer liza mow nellie sold off personal items. >> these are all liza's dance shoes. look at these. they're beautiful. >> and here at the "today" show, we came up with our own "today's" tag sale donation. >> 2002 salt lake city olympics.

i ran with this. but you know, what i think it now needs to go to someone who really will donate for a good cause. >> we valued the items, but would anyone else? >> this is something that was given to me in cape town, south africa years ago on a where in the world trip. a beaded version of me. so get top dollar. have fun. >> golf shoes, anyone? could be a bargain. >> our choices were certainly personal. ♪ >> there you go. true nbc base. >> this is hard to part with. >> this is a find. >> i like it. >> this can be yours. beautiful. >> i rode up and down the pacific coast highway on the

back of a motorcycle with this outfit on. if you don't think this is valuable enough, i'll throw in al roker. >> it was al who reminded us that one person's junk is apparently another person's treasure. >> okay. now we've got elizabeth mayhu, the editor in chief of "women's day" magazine. good morning. >> good morning. >> we've got to get the words out. best ways. >> you've got to advertise in the paper. you want to use your social media. you want to tweet about it, you want to make signs, use really stiff cardboard with waterproof markers. make sure you list anything that's important. the address. put these up the friday before your sale. the other thing that you might want to do is check with city hall, because it's possible that you need a permit. >> okay. >> so you want to do that. list, again, like things have big arrows, make them bright. you want to be able to see them

as you go 40 miles per hour past. >> meantime, what you have chosen. how do you display them for the sale? >> you want to display so that it looks good. but you really need to choose and sort. so all clothes, hang them together. have something like a mirror so that people can try them on, see themselves. you want to put it in bins, make it clear. have things like tape measures, so somebody is measuring a piece of furniture, an extension cord. if you've got something electrical, the whole thing, though, is you're pricing to sell. >> i know. how do you make a decision about how much tngs are worth? >> you have to figure that things are going to sell 10 to maybe 20% of retail value. so you're really -- again, this is about getting rid of stuff. anything that you make is found money. now, another thing you want to do is you want to display it nicely. think like a store owner. so group like items together. go ahead and set a table if you've got leftover flowers in your garden, stick them in a vase. anything that you can do to make it look better. it will sell better. >> tagging. >> tagging. so things that you want to have on hand. tags, markers, bags.

keep prices at, like, $1, $5, clean. you need to have money on hand. you want to collect plastic bags from the grocery store, newspaper to wrap-up things. things to make it easy to get rid. >> and at the end of the day, end of the sale, time to open up your mind to negotiate. >> the whole idea is to get it out the door. >> let's talk about some of the items we put together. i'm getting a lot of grief -- in fact, i'm getting so much grief, i thought this was for charity, i'm thinking -- now i'm thinking, how could i possibly give up something -- >> it's the olympic spirit. >> you have to be careful about what you choose. you don't want to have regrets. >> obviously, you guys are doing this for charity, so it's a whole different ball game. you want to raise money and raise the stakes. but yes, you need to know the value. go to ebay, other places, find out how much stuff costs and what the value is. >> how could you place a value on the olympic dreams of so much athletes all around the world? >> i'm going to take it back. i really am, angela. no, really. how do you price it?

priceless? >> you would say priceless. >> all right. so then you would negotiate or something. but something like this little item -- >> some of the stuff, toys do really well, guys. like, al, you hit the jackpot, probably, because things like that. anything for kids, you have a short usage time on this. that usually sells. matt, ties are good. you want them to be in good condition. >> right. >> but, elizabeth, talk to me. really, how could you put a price on this? >> wait. >> i think -- >> oh, oh! now! >> as i said, it's all about merchandising. it's all -- and then you just add a few shoes and you're good to go. >> yeah. >> so, again, though it's about getting the stuff out of your house, out of your office. as you and i have said before, al, one person's treasure can be someone else's junk. or vice versa. >> these mark mcewen bobbleheads are very impressive. >> we want to mention, by the way, all if not most of the material on this desk is going to go up on our website, today.com. and remember, all of the proceeds are going to a great

cause, the salvation army. so try to be generous. coming up next, barefoot contessa in the garden. and this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on "today's" kitchen, what's for dinner? roast loin park with fennel. takes advantage of the best flifrs. flavors. here is ina garten. we love easy. your business is like being in the fashion business, because the seasons change, and you have to get new inspiration. and what are you inspired by in fall? >> i think in the summer, you want fresh, light and sort of quick things. in winter, you want things that are comforting. so your body really tells you want to go towards potatoes, apples, fennel, things that are warm and comforting. >> you like loin pork.

why do you choose this? >> it's so easy to make. you just throw everything in the oven. what i'm going to do is a loin of pork with fennel and potatoes and carrots all in one pan, you into the oven, you set a timer, you're good to go. >> we joked about the fact, people are going to go to the supermarket and see this and say what am i going to do with that? fennel is not something people are comfortable making. >> what it is, it has a strong annis flavor. so what you do is you cut it like this, and you cut it in big, thick wedges. and when you cook it, it gets very sweet. so you throw this away. nobody wants to eat that. and you just cut the whole thing in wedges. and it goes into a pan. and what i've done, actually, is i've cooked for about a half hour, potatoes, carrots, fennel, all of this together and onions with olive, oil, salt and pepper into the often. >> softens it enough. >> starts to cook it and then the loin of pork, which i'm going to put a mustard glaze on, mustard, thyme, glaze, the whole thing on top of these vegetables. into the oven for another 30 to

50 minutes. >> all right. now let's get you in trouble here, okay? the usda says when you're cooking pork, i think they say you want to have it to 142, 143 degrees. you disagree slightly. >> because when you take it out and you put it under foil, it's going to keep cooking. >> so you can take it out at 138 degrees? >> about 138 degrees. and it keeps going. so what i do is, i'll show you how -- this is how it comes out when it's done. and what i do -- >> crust. >> from the mustard. instead of doing it this way, which is hard to measure, you do it this way, right in the middle. and you always get the middle every time. >> let it rest after it comes out of the oven anyway, always a good idea. i'll meet you over here. one of my favorite comfort foods for fall and winter, polenta. >> it cooks for five or ten minutes, and you add a cup of parmesan cheese, which gives it real spiciness. dump it right in. creme fresh for richness. a little bit of butter right in. and you've got polenta. >> what's that song my kids

sing? somebody call 911? shorty fire burning on the dance floor? >> i'm not saying to eat the whole thing. but a little bit is really delicious. >> and you can't mess that up? >> you can't mess it up. you really can't. and i'll show you how this tastes. it's just fantastic. so this is the loin of pork. >> thank you. i'm a lefty sorry. >> loin of pork, slice it thickly. and is for dessert -- >> is that good. >> is that good? >> really good. >> and it's autumn. that's what you feel like. >> cranberries. >> cranberries, apples, orange juice, brown sugar. and i take a batter that's like a pancake -- >> i thought that was more polenta -- put the polenta right in there. >> and pour it right over the top, just like that. easiest thing in the world. i call this easy cranberry and apple cake. and put that in the oven. and what comes out is this. and this you have to taste. it's going to say. >> because it's really unbelievable. and the apples and the cranberries are right there. whoops. >> got it. >> and you've got a great meal.

>> it's hot! >> oh, it's hot. sorry. >> right out of the oven. >> are you okay? >> that's delicious. but it's very hot. very good. ina, thank you very much. now someone truly call 911. up next -- it's really great. good to see you. a live performance from joe jonas. but first, this is "today" on nbc. drinkin'? i'm drinkin' dunkin'. coffee -- black, straight up. extra cream, three sugars. iced coffee french vanilla. for me. iced coffee with a turbo shot. i'm drinkin' dunkin'. i'm drinkin' dunkin'. i'm drinkin' dunkin'. drinkin' dunkin'. america runs on dunkin' coffee.

the biggest iced coffee i can get. iced coffee helps me keep up. i love iced coffee. drinkin' dunkin'. i'm drinkin' dunkin'. drinkin' dunkin'. dunkin'... iced coffee. i run on dunkin' iced coffee. america runs on dunkin' coffee.

joe jonas is the middle child of the hit group, the jonas brothers. the music apparently just stopped suddenly. but now he's taking a break from his famous sibling -- there we go -- with his first solo album coming out next week called "fast life" we want to welcome joe jonas. you're the music we want, because in just a few days from now, you're going to release your first solo album. what are your emotions? >> very excited. you know, i think having my brothers' support going into this project means everything to me. and the fans seem to like the new music. and i'm just ready four it to be out there. ready to show the world what i've been working on the past year. i'm looking forward to it. of. >> were you nervous asking your brothers about this? >> i think so. we were trying to figure out what to do for 2011, a year-and-a-half ago, sat down with them and said guys i would

love to work on a project, not sure for myself or somebody else. and fell into it. started working with different producers and writers and here we are today. >> one of the songs, in fact, the one you're about to sing is called "just in love." and apparently the video that goes with this is -- raised some more than one eyebrow. you're -- you're frolicking in paris with a french model. are there some times where you just think my job is just too hard? can't keep doing this job. >> yeah, that was a difficult day, for sure. >> anyway. so that gives us a little heads up on the song. and you're about to sing it. i want to thank all of you for getting up so early to do this for us. ladies and gentlemen, joe jonas. >> thank you very much. ♪

♪ i love a girl in a whole another language people look at us strange ♪ ♪ don't understand us they try to change it i try to tell her to change it ♪ ♪ ♪ girl listen to me ♪ girl i'm just in love with you girl i'm just in love with you ♪ ♪ no other words to use i'm just in love with you ♪ ♪ maybe you're just confused ♪ girl i'm just in love with you girl i'm just in love with you no other words to use i'm just in love with you ♪ ♪

♪ i'm just in love with you ♪ oh yeah ♪ when i tell you i would never leave you do you hear what i say ♪ ♪ don't understand you you say you need time ♪ ♪ but you've been calling all day ♪ ♪ take love and they say it sounds crazy ♪ ♪ love's even more wild when you're angry i don't understand why you want to change it ♪ ♪ you're just running from the truth and i'm scared of losing you ♪ ♪ you are worth too much to lose ♪ ♪ girl you still are confused ♪ i'm just in love with you do you hear what i say ♪ ♪ i'm just in love with you ♪ can't nobody change it

♪ there is just too much to lose i'm just in love with you just in love with you ♪ ♪ ♪ i'm just in love ♪ never knew what we have they don't understand noout that is waste of time ♪ ♪ we know this is real i know how you feel when you put your happened in mine ♪ ♪ because i'm just in love with you girl i'm just in love with you ♪ ♪ ♪ there are no words to use ♪ i'm just in love with you let me say it again ♪ ♪ no

♪ just in love baby ♪ oh baby the song is called "just in love." joe jonas, thank you so much. album comes out next tuesday, october 11th. we'll be back after your local news. >> live, local, late-breaking - this wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning, the time is 8:56. uncertainty surrounds dr. joe harriston's future with the

district. he may not stay on after his current contract expires in six months. he has been with the district since 2000 denies rumors about his contract and future with the district. district. we' my fashion blog is about my personal style and things that inspire me. i like to think of myself as the voice of real girls. since i post new looks almost every day...

i have to shop almost as often. t.j.maxx is great because i can score designer fashion... without spending like there's no tomorrow. that's what it's all about. fashion direct from designers. savings direct to you. i post for fashionistas... but i'm a maxxinista. t.j.maxx. let us make a maxxinista out of you. >> welcome back. it will be a beautiful day to day and a little cooler now with temperatures in the 50's but sunshine this afternoon will push temperatures and the low to mid 70's. we will keep the sun going into the weekend and it might get warmer, highs near 80 by some the. >>