good morning. newt rising. newt gingrich surges to the top of the gop field in iowa and is set to meet with power broker donald trump today, as trump takes heat for his plan to moderate a republican debate. this morning the donald answers his critics in an exclusive live interview. back at it. volunteers launching a new search for missing florida mom michelle parker, while new details emerge about the violent past of the primary suspect in that case. and brave battle. two months ago e! news host giuliana rancic revealed she has breast cancer. how's her treatment going? she'll be here to share an emotional new development in her fight today, monday, december 5th, 2011.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning. welcome to "today" on a monday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> i'm ann curry. good morning, everybody. >> it's good to have you back from a week in iraq. safe trip home? >> very safe. i leave iraq really impressed with all those men and women in uniform. it's always sobering to go, but they're all coming home as of december 31st. >> nice to say that after a long time. meanwhile i came back to a lot of breaking news because now with less than a month to go before the first votes in the republican primary season, there's a new marist poll released on sunday and it shows that newt gingrich is leading in iowa and his lead is very likely to continue to grow when you factor in voters who were supporting herman cain before he suspended his campaign over the

weekend. >> we understand today gingrich will meet with donald trump who's become a big voice in the republican race and a man who may still be flirting with a run of his own. gingrich is the only candidate to sign up for trump's debate in iowa coming up on december 27th. two candidates have already said no way. the event is being blasted by conservative critics. we'll talk about that and much more with donald trump when he joins us live in just a couple of minutes. but we begin with nbc news political director and white house correspondent chuck todd. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. by just about every measurement it's safe to say for the moment that newt gingrich has surged to the top with mitt romney. when you dig deep within the polls in new hampshire, a strong argument can be made that it's gingrich and not romney that may deserve to be called front runner. herman cain's campaign is nearly in the history books. >> i am suspending my presidential campaign. >> reporter: but cain's use of

suspension and plan b make it clear he has no plans to leave the gop stage for good. he's even keeping a prior commitment, a rally with oklahoma republicans, tonight. the biggest beneficiary of the cain collapse is newt gingrich. with just four weeks until the first votes are cast, two polls show gingrich's surge in iowa and new hampshire. in iowa with cain included, gingrich leads the field with 26%, mitt romney and ron paul behind him and herman cain in fourth place with 9%. when you redistribute cain's vote total among its supporters second choices, gingrich's lead grows to 28% with paul pulling into a second place tie with romney. in new hampshire mitt romney continues to lead the field with 39%, but gingrich is also surging there with 24%. up nearly 20 points since october. the results are also a red flag for mitt romney, who has seen his support slip significantly in both states since october. he's down seven points in iowa

and six points in the state he's made a second home, new hampshire. as for gingrich, in another sign that he and not romney has become the man to beat, opponents and even his former colleagues whom he led as the leader of the 1994 republican revolution are starting to attack. >> he's as establishment as you get. his address is located on the rodeo drive of washington, which is k street. >> i think character is definitely an issue. there's all types of leaders. leaders that instill confidence, leaders that are somewhat abrupt and risk, leaders that have one standard for the people that they're leading and a different standard for themselves. i just found his leadership lacking. >> reporter: today gingrich becomes the latest republican hopeful to meet with businessman donald trump, just after trump announced that he'll moderate a republican debate on december 27th in des moines. so far gingrich is the only candidate to commit. some conservatives aren't happy about trump's involvement. >> surely it is time for these candidates to do something

presidential. stand up and say we're not going to be hijacked. >> reporter: even the rnc chairman is distancing himself. >> it's up to the candidates. i mean i don't make those decisions. >> reporter: and it's unclear whether a donald trump endorsement would actually help. it could hurt in both iowa and new hampshire in our polling, matt, by nearly a two to one margin. in new hampshire voters say they are less likely to support a candidate who gets the support of your next guest. donald trump is our next guest and joins us exclusively. he's out with a new book called "time to get tough, making america number one again." donald, it's good to see you. >> good morning, matt. tell chuck todd it will only help. >> you said you were going to host this debate december 27th. you heard george say people should say away from this. ron paul says it's beneath the office of the presidency. he went on to say it contributes

to a, quote, unwanted circus-like atmosphere and people surrounding jon huntsman called this the presidential apprentice debate with the donald. do you think other candidates will stay away? >> no, i don't. i think most candidates will join and i think those two candidates have zero chance of being elected so it makes no difference. ron paul says iran should have nuclear weapons are can have nuclear weapons and doesn't even think in terms of israel. i think they are joke candidates and they are doing poorly. mr. huntsman is doing extremely poorly in the polls and gives more air time to those that have a chance of being elected. >> do you think the other candidates might agree you have them exactly where you want them? a lot of them stop by looking for your approval or support. that would be a wasted effort if they snub you or don't show up at your debate. >> a lot of top rips ask--

republicans asked me to do the debate. we're doing it with news max and i have millions of people that follow me because they're tired of seeing this country, our great country, the united states, getting ripped off by china, by opec, by almost every country, matt, that does business with us. i'm tired of it and a lot of other people are tired of it. i think the candidates know. i mean i left when i left because of the equal time provisions i'm not allowed t. e have a show and run. when i left i was leading in the polls. >> i've known you for a long time. let me tie this up by asking you this isn't going to be all about donald trump. you're not going to use this as a way to get on center stage and talk about what you believe, this will truly be about the candidates, right? >> i want a great candidate, a candidate that is going to beat president obama. it's very important. it's vital for this country. if we don't get that candidate, we are in big, big trouble because the country is in big,

big trouble. it's being led down the drain. >> let's talk about newt gingrich surging to the top of the polls in iowa. you're going to meet with him a little later today. as i already mentioned, he's agreed to show up at your debate. he made some controversial comments lately about the poor and jobs. i'll play them for you and get your reaction. >> really poor children in really poor neighborhoods have no habits of working and have nobody around them who works. so they literally have no habit of showing up on monday. they have no habit of staying all day. they have no habit of i do this and you give me cash unless it's illegal. >> maureen dowd in the "times" on sunday has he not heard of the working poor? the problem isn't that these kids aren't working, it's that they don't have time with their parents who often toll day and night at more than one job and earn next to nothing. difficulties newt gingrich

mischaracterize what's happening? >> no, it may not be politically correct but it's the truth. one of the reasons he's surging is because he says it like it is. i like maureen dowd very much but in terms of what newt said, that's the way it is. he's looking at the inner city where obama has done nothing, he has done nothing for the inner cities and he wants to do something to get them going. >> but the children in those inner city areas really have no role models who work? >> well, i think you have a role model in president obama. let obama be the role model. >> in their own families, though? >> it hasn't turned out to be much of a role model. no, they don't have in many cases role models, matt, it's very sad. they do not have role models. so i know it's not a popular statement, but it happens to be true. >> let's talk about mitt romney. obviously he's someone who has had a difficult time breaking through in the polls. he's going to be on the cover of

"time" magazine this week and it says something to the effect of why don't people like me. what is it with mitt romney? why has he had a difficult time either getting to or maintaining front runner status? >> well, i'm actually a little surprised. he's a very attractive guy. i've gotten to know him very well. he's been up to the office a number of times. he really is a very good, solid person. he doesn't get traction. i've actually spoken to him about it. i don't understand. he's not getting traction. >> does he have a problem with flip-flopping? >> well, i don't think so. look, everybody changes their mind. we have, you have, i know for a fact you have over the years. we all change our minds or things. i think people have done a good job in saying that, but for some reason he doesn't get the traction. when herman goes out and herman i got to know very well and he's a good guy but has suffered greatly over the last few weeks. when herman, now you take those votes and divvy them up, in theory he should get a lot of those votes but he just doesn't seem to get traction.

i don't know what it is. >> you write over a lifetime i've seep many people who don't change and they always get left behind. smart people learn things and change their minds. only stupid people never change their minds. is it more important to you that you have a candidate that can beat barack obama or someone that sticks to conservative principles? >> well, i actually think it's going to be a combination of both. i think you're really going to have a combination of both. but you do have to -- you know the fighters, you learn a lot from boxing. they have an expression. you have to go with the punches. you sort of have to go with the punches. and it's true. life changes, the world changes, things and events change. sometimes you change your mind. if you don't change your mind, you're stuck. >> you are someone who's changed your mind as well and you're right, i have as well. have you completely ruled out a run for president even as a third party candidate? >> well, as you know, and again the equal time professions don't allow me to run until may, when i'm a free agent and you happen

to like because i have a very successful show on your network. i hope that's the reason you like me. anyway, but the fact is if the wrong candidate is nominated to run, if i think it's a candidate th that's not going to win and not very good and that could happen, i'm seeing some very good people an talented people and if the economy continues to be bad and i think it will because i think we have incompetent leadership i would certainly think about running. >> you flirt wed this a lot in the past. i was in your office when you talked about it. but do people have a right to say at some point you talk the talk, roll up your sleeves and walk the walk? >> absolutely. but i never really looked at it seriously until this year. people thought that i looked at it years ago because people wanted me to do it, twice. i looked at it once for a period of one week. i love what i'm doing, i love the real estate. in fact in my book which comes out today, i actually disclose the financial disclosure. i give it, and it tells my

network. >> how many billion dollars? >> $7 billion and almost $300 million in cash. nobody ever knew that before. i've never disclosed it before. frankly i did it because i'm very proud of what i've been able to build. i built a great company and i'm proud of it. >> donald trump, good to have you with us and thanks for your time this morning. >> intense interview. now let's get a check of the other top stories. we've got savannah guthrie at the news desk. in the news today we'll start with mounting tensions with iran this morning after an unmanned u.s. drone went down in the eastern part of that country. iran says it shot down the drone, but the u.s. denies that claim. nbc's chief pentagon correspondent, jim miklaszewski has the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. not surprising that the u.s. and iran would publicly fight about something, but u.s. officials strongly deny that the iranians shot down this drone. the officials say this unmanned drone was on a retuneen

surveillance mission when operators lost control. it appears the drone veered off course and fell into the lapse of the iranian military. the problem is this is not just any drone. the iranians claim it's an rq-170, a super secret stealth drone that looks more like a flying wing than an airplane and the same kind of drone that secretly circled over that compound in pakistan where osama bin laden was killed. but the concern here, though, is that this could be a technology bonanza for the iranians, that they could try to retrieve the drone's high-tech cameras and sensors, even its stealth technology to try to develop it for themselves. but even if they can't, this episode in itself could prove to be a huge propaganda coup. >> mik, thanks. a standoff between occupy washington protesters and u.s. park police ended last night when officers used a cherry picker to remove a half dozen protesters from the roof of a

wooden shack. police say 31 people were arrested after they refused to dismantle that structure. the last friday and cyber monday have not drained online shoppers' drives. last week shoppers spent some $6 billion online, a new record. and cyber monda turned out to be the biggest online shopping day in history with sales reaching $1.25 billion. an exuberant victory for oklahoma state university's football team turned into a riot on the field. 12 people were injured, one seriously, when the osu cowboys beat their rival, the oklahoma sooners. students and fans stampeded onto the turf, tearing down the goal posts and trampling people who had fallen to the ground. the material girl is headed to the super bowl. madonna will perform the halftime show during football's biggest game in indianapolis in february. the halftime show is the most watched musical event of the year. by the way, you can catch it right here on nbc on february

5th. and five of this country's finest performers are now kennedy center honorees. president obama saluted meryl streep, sonny rollins, barbara cook and neil diamond last night but it was a sing-along of "sweet caroline" that got the crowd moving with the help of smokey robinson, lionel ritchie and some red sox fans from boston where this song, as everyone knows, is an eighth inning tradition. ♪ sweet caroline, i believe they never could ♪ ♪ sweet caroline >> and of course you see there caroline kennedy had to join in. she is the song's inspiration as well as the host of the kennedy center honors in memory of her father. president obama said, quote, everybody sings to neil diamond, no matter how many drinks they

have had. it is now 7:17. it is kind of irresistible. matt, ann and al, should we actually -- >> it isn't that irresistible. >> you don't need any drinks, al, you've done this. >> fortunately we burned the tape. we've got a lot of stuff to talk about in the midsection of the country along this front stretching from texas all the way up to new england and canada bringing rain from upstate new york and heavy rain along from cleveland all the way back to shreveport. we've got flood warnings, flash flood watches as well. rainfall amounts, anywhere from 2 to 4 inches of rain. some areas could get 5 inches. 1 to 3 inches of snow back through texas and parts of new mexico and arkansas -- i should say arizona are going to be looking at anywhere from 3 to 8 inches of snow. >> good morning. we have some fog to contend with

on this monday morning. a mixture of sun and clouds. chance for rain tonight. and that's your latest weather. now to the child sexual abuse scandal at penn state. did former assistant football coach jerry sandusky hurt his case even more by speaking out in a long interview with "the new york times." michael isikoff is in state college, pennsylvania, with more on this story. michael, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. sandusky's lawyer says he gave the surprising interview because he wanted the public to learn more about the positive aspects of his life. but a lawyer for one of the alleged victims tells nbc news that some of what he said raises

new questions about whether sandusky tried to tamper with witnesses before he got indicted. >> that he didn't know -- >> reporter: it seems an unusual legal strategy, giving public interviews while facing major criminal charges. >> these allegations are false. i didn't do those things. i don't know. >> reporter: accused child molester jerry sandusky wants the world to hear his side of the story, but that carries risks. >> are you sexually attracted to young boys -- >> reporter: last month sunshine dusky stumbled when nbc's bob costas asked him if he was sexually attracted to young children. a "new york times" reporter gave him a second chance to explain but he wound up needing help from his lawyer. >> if i say, no, i'm not attracted to boys, that's not the truth because i'm attracted to young people, boys, girls. >> reporter: sandusky's lawyer interrupts and speaks with him

off camera. >> yeah, but not sexually. you're attracted because -- >> right. that's what i was trying to say. i enjoy spending time with young people. i enjoy spending time with people. >> reporter: many legal analysts say sandusky's attempts to explain himself in public while facing 40 counts of child sex abuse are an unusual strategy and some of what he disclosed could complicate his defense. sandusky said he has stayed in touch with some of his alleged victims, even inviting him to dinner, just months after it was reported a grand jury was investigating him. >> i had dinner with one of -- you know, this past summer, whose father and he were in my home in the fall, in the previous fall. >> reporter: but the lawyer for that alleged victim, known as victim six, tells nbc news that when he got sandusky's dinner invitation, his client was so nervous he went straight to the police. >> one of the questions it raises in my mind, was this an

effort on his part to tamper with witnesses? was it or wasn't it? >> reporter: the police encouraged victim six to attend the dinner and bug sandusky. >> they went so far as to inquire if he would be willing to wear a wire. >> reporter: the alleged victim balked at bugging sandusky, fearing something could go wrong, but agreed to go to the dinner and report back to the police. sandusky's lawyer told nbc news that two of the alleged victims were actually at that dinner, but nothing improper took place. it was, he said, totally social in nature and pleasant. victim six is now prepared to testify, along with other alleged witnesses, at a crucial hearing in sandusky's case next week. ann. >> all right, michael isikoff this morning. michael, thank you. and coming up, new details on the troubled past of the primary suspect in the disappearance of a florida mother named michelle parker. we'll have an exclusive interview with the family of dale smith. but first, this is "today" on

nbc.

still to come, she joined us in october when she revealed that she was battling breast cancer. this morning, e! news host giuliana rancic is here with her husband, bill, to share a significant new development in her fight. >> we look forward to hearing from them. first these messages and a check of your local news and weather. great prices. i just wish you could guarantee me they won't be beat. oh, actually...

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>> good morning, everyone. 7:26, there are a few school delays due to the fog out there. impacting traffic as well, speaking of the fog. >> it has been an issue all morning. we have several accidents. one of them has just been a problem on the west side, over loop. just past 70, delays down to 14 miles per hour approaching 795.

backed up, look at the jfx. it is in the red, southbound, due to an accident right at falls road. the southbound 85, passed white marsh, the accident is gone. the delays are in place just backed down road. looking at the blaze just as the inner and outer loop, -- looking at the delays just as the inner -- just that the air -- looking at the delays on the inner and outer loop, itself out from the belt way all the way down to falls road, an accident is being cleared on the jfx. looking at southbound delays coming out of that region all the way down to the 895 split. take highway one as your alternate. tony? >> the fog is starting to break up a little bit. which is good news. there are still some spots where it is pretty thick near the water.

42 in randallstown. a relatively mild start for this time of the year. there are some clouds, could be rainshowers tonight, but i think it will stay dry and mild today around 60. seven day forecast through the rest of the week, a good chance for rain tomorrow. it stays warm, high near 60. then it cools down. 40's for the rest of the week. a clipper comes through on friday. looks like we are set up for a dry weekend with seaso

7:30 now on this monday morning the 5th of december of 2011. we are in the thick of the holiday season here at rockefeller plaza. the tree is lit. and we have a big crowd gathered outside our window and you can see everyone is very happy, waving to the people back home. meantime inside studio 1a, i'm ann curry along with matt lauer. meantime, we've got a very serious topic we'll be addressing. we'll be talking about e! news host giuliana rancic. she received an outpouring of support when she announced her battle with breast cancer. now seven weeks later, her treatment is taking a new turn,

and this morning giuliana is going to be here along with her husband, bill, to share a rather big announcement about her treatment, matt. >> and some very important information. we've all been on flights and look at that passenger safety card that's in the seat back pocket ahead of you. some people pay attention to it, others don't. what about the flight attendant safety briefing. do you pay attention to that? well, would you really know what to do in case of an emergency? coming up, we'll talk about the information that could save your life and why it's important to pay attention during those things. >> very important information. and also her first aerobics video changed the way millions of americans work out. well, now, nearly 30 years later, jane fonda is out with two new exercise videos geared towards the boomer generation. she's in her 70s now. >> 73, and she's also had some of the problems a lot of us have had with surgeries and hip -- all kinds of things, so we'll talk to jane about that. >> she's a good example about how we should all continue to move. but we begin this half hour with new details on the man

identified as the prime suspect in the disappearance of a florida mother, michelle parker. lillia luciano is here with more. >> reporter: good morning to you, ann. michelle parker was reported missing 18 days ago today when she didn't show up to her bartending shift here at the barn. now this parking lot serves as a gathering site for rescue crews. few questions have been answered in terms of her disappearance, but we are learning a lot more about the man police say is the only suspect in this case. 33-year-old michelle parker disappeared on the same day she was seen on a taped episode of "the people's court" fighting with her ex-fiance over an engagement ring. >> i felt somebody grab me and yank me around. >> reporter: police have searched on land and underwater finding no trace of the missing mother of three. >> that's when she came home from college. >> reporter: over 300 miles away the collins family said

michelle's disappearance reopened a painful wound. the link, dale smith, michelle's ex, and according to police the only suspect in her disappearance. >> he's the link and unfortunately he has linked our families through crisis. >> reporter: dale smith was married to april collins' sister-in-law, shannon. records show she died of an ecstacy overdose in april of 2001 after a night of partying in orlando. smith was not there that night. in fact he was in jail serving time for a different incident involving shannon. the collins family says shannon was partying with dale's closest friends and they still have questions surrounding her death. shannon was 26 years old and living in orlando with dale smith's parents. the two met in 1999 when dale was a u.s. marine in north carolina. they married soon after. that's when shannon's family says smith became violent. >> one, the physical and mental abuse that he gave to her, she

was -- she was pretty upset. she had never been treated like that by anyone. >> reporter: on september 15th of 2000, shannon was treated at a south carolina hospital for head injuries and smith was arrested for criminal domestic battery. >> i remember when she came home there was a cut on her head, and her feet were cut up. and it was through some concrete where she had been -- i don't know if she was dragged or what, but her feet were bloody. >> reporter: in a military court smith was convicted of domestic battery and drug possession and was dishonorably discharged from the maerps. when shannon died, smith was still serving time for both charges. that was not the first time he had run-ins with the law. in 1992 he pled no contest to attempted aggravated battery after a fight in orlando. he was given two years probation. in 1997 he pleaded guilty to battery charges and served jail time. in 2009 michelle parker filed a

restraining order against dale smith which a judge later resolved. >> if i'd have known more about this guy before, he'd have never stepped in the house, let alone seen my sister. >> reporter: now ten years after shannon's death, the collins are coming forward to shed light on the man linked to parker's disappearance. smith denies any involvement. >> our hearts go out to michelle's family. with shannon, we knew where she was. she was brain dead on life support, but she was in a hospital bed and we could go to her. i can't imagine what they're going through. >> reporter: we reached out to dale smith's attorney for comment, but received no response. ann. >> all right, lilia luciano, thank you so much. clint vanzant is a former profiler. good morning. >> hi, ann. >> with dale smith's domestic violence be enough to name him as a suspect in the disappearance of michelle parker? >> well, it's a logical reason to look at this guy. obviously he has a history of

anger management, he has a history of violence against women, he's someone who feels that he should get what he wants, and if he doesn't, he's willing to do something physically. and when we see these incidents where he's railed against women, where he's physically hurt them, i think it's logical when you look at him, when you say he's the last person on earth that we know had contact with michelle parker, that would make him an obvious suspect in anyone's mind. >> what does it say to you that police have not arrested their prime suspect in this case? >> you know, these are the frustrating things for law enforcement. whether you look at the natalee holloway case or the recent robyn gardner case in aruba or now michelle parker, you've got someone who was with that person when they disappeared. it appears they had means, motive, opportunity, and for law enforcement you know that you know that you know that person logically has something to do with it, but if we go all the way back six years ago to aruba

when we're told no body, no case, that appears to continue today. without either the body of a victim or some massive amount of physical evidence to suggest what happened to that victim, the person that law enforcement feels is closest, perhaps involved in that disappearance many times goes free. >> in trying to create a timeline, investigators seem to be monitoring the pinging from her cell phone, clint. could that in itself be misleading? >> it really can. there are so many csi-type stories on television today. you're not going to find anyone who doesn't know that law enforcement is going to look at pings, so what can happen, ann, is that, for example, where i had kidnapped someone, i could take them to one location, north of town, i'd take their cell phone south of town, let it ping and power it down, throw it away, trying to create a red herring and point law enforcement in another

direction. so as police pursue these pings on a cell phone, they also have to know that it could be someone trying to point them in a whole other way as opposed to where the victim might logically be. >> meantime, clint, on november 18th, smith posted on his facebook, i'm with my babies holding them tighter than ever before. i haven't slept in two days. i hope they find her and bring her home. her kids miss her. he's talking about the twins he had with michelle. why does the law allow smith to have these children when he has been named the prime suspect in their mother's disappearance? >> you know, this is something that frustrates so many of us, ann. we're parents, we're grandparents. but as far as the law is concerned, children belong with their biological parents unless you can prove that person presents a danger to the children. did he present a possible danger to their mother? absolutely. but does he present a danger to the children? it appears that at least one judge has ruled he doesn't.

and in one more case, ann, the investigation continues and we've got more children who likely will not be with their mother on christmas day. >> all right, clint, on that moat we must leave it. thank you so much this morning. >> thank you, ann. now let's get a check of the weather from al. >> today's weather is brought to you by advil. make the switch to advil now. >> and good morning. we've got a nice story. it's your 80th birthday. what's your name? >> mary. >> and your husband? >> bob. >> you guys gotten gauged when you were 22 at the top of the rock? >> right. >> oh, that's wonderful. and now you're back. >> 58 years ago today. >> congratulations. >> thank you. >> happy birthday. let's check your weather and see what's going on. wow, talk about the texas two-step n amarillo, it's going to be 23 for a high. in port arthur, it's 64. laredo will be 59. 34 in odessa, that's a big change there. that's the difference of that cold front coming on in. look at the rest of the

temperatures, teens and 20s through the plains as far south as the southwest. pacific northwest a little on the chilly side, temperatures in the 40s. the only really warm spot down in southern florida with temperatures in the 70s and 80s, windy there. rain stretching from texas all the way into new england. heavy snow through the southwest, plenty of sunshine along the west coast into the pacific no >> good morning. we have some thick fog this morning. maybe some sunshine will break through. >> and don't forget you can check your weather any time of the day or not at weather.com

online. >> coming up next, here's a question. in an emergency would you really know what to do to survive a plane crash? we'll tell you how right after. this. great fall. ugh, it's my sinus congestion, and it's all your fault. naturally blame the mucus. he's funny. instead of blaming me, try this, advil congestion relief. often the real problem is swelling, not mucus. advil congestion relief reduces swelling due to nasal inflammation. so i can breathe. happily ever after. another story? from him! [ mucus ] advil congestion relief. the right relief for the real problem.

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we are back now at 7:44 with information that could save your life. we're now in the middle of the busy holiday travel period. while airline accidents are extremely rare, would you know what to do if the plane you're on is involved in an emergency? nbc's tom costello went to the faa research center for some answers. tom, good morning. >> reporter: hi, matt, good morning to you. you know, by any measure, flying has never been safer. planes are better designed and built than ever before, cockpits have advanced avionics and

computers, air traffic controllers better trained than ever before, but would passengers know what to do in an emergency? crash and safety experts learn a lot by studying accidents, but the miracle on the hudson landing revealed something surprising. many of the passengers who read the passenger safety card just minutes earlier admitted they could not remember what to do as the plane headed for a river landing. >> when the captain said brace for impact, they did not know what that meant. >> we recommend you review all of the safety information. >> reporter: while the flight attendant's demonstration doesn't include showing the brace position, it is on the briefing card. >> read the briefing card. >> reporter: in oklahoma city we asked veteran faa safety researcher matt mcclain to demonstrate the brace position to us. >> when the flight attendant says brace, cross your arms on the seat back in front of you and push your head tightly against your wrist. >> reporter: and if you're in an exit row, hundreds of passengers could depend on you.

don't bring the door into the plane, throw it out. >> right. reach up, grab it, throw it out. >> reporter: if there's a crash, getting out of the plane could include moving through a dark, smoke-filled cabin. follow the floor lighting to the nearest exit. if you have to make an emergency exit, the key is to move fast. you have to jump, slide on your rear and lean back, then keep moving and get out of the way. from the exit door of a jumbo jet, it could seem like a big drop but the slides are wide enough to carry you to safety. whatever you do, don't waste precious time grabbing for a carry-on bag or laptop. >> the briefcase, the books, clothes, none of that is important. >> reporter: faa research has shown that panic can often set in, with passengers literally climbing over the heads of other passengers to get out first. but the goal, say crash experts, is to get everyone out safely in

just two minutes. all the more reason to read that safety briefing card. >> chances are you will never need this information. but when you need it, you really need it. >> reporter: this all comes under the heading of being prepared. about two and a half billion people fly worldwide every year. matt, the chances of dying in an accident right now, about one in ten million. flying, again, has never been safer. back to you. >> tom costello, tom, thanks for the information. coming up, giuliana and bill rancic make a big announcement about giuliana's battle with breast cancer. we'll hear from them live. but first, these messages.

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well, it's the holiday season and that means shoplifters are out in force. ad week magazine has come up with the top items to be targeted this year. this list apparently says basically that shoplifting is up about 6%. one in every 11 people shoplift. >> one in 11 people shoplifting?

that's crazy. >> they say 75% are not troubled teens but actually are adults. as an unscientific list, we should mention, but basically the number one thing is up 21%, is grade a meat. >> luxury meat. you can understand if it was just plain meat, people in this economy need to feed themselves. luxury meat number one, pricey alcohol number two. >> and not just teens looking for drinks, but adults. >> exactly right. >> power tools, one of the most -- >> i've got a power tool in my back pocket. hello. it's not battery operated and goes off. >> electric tooth brushes big items, razors, and not just any, apparently the gillette fusion razor. >> that's why they're literally locked up at the drugstore. >> is that a badge of honor for gillette, we've got the most shoplifted razor in the country? >> it sounds like men items. meat, gillette.

>> but one of the most poignant things is the rock elmo, a hot toy for christmas. that's almost kind of sad. it is very sad in fact. still ahead, we'll be talking to jane fonda about working out and staying in shape. >> first your local news and weather. [ male announcer ] imagine facing the day with less chronic low back pain. imagine living your life with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is a non-narcotic treatment that's fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine

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>> good morning. is 7:56. time for a check on your morning commute. >> hello. good morning. good news on the jfx accident. it is now clear. it was southbound of falls road. the bad news is that there is still have a backup. and, all lanes are open. looking for delays on the inner loop, making your way over to the jfx and outer loop from bellaire road, to the harrisburg expressway, you want to head out where things are improving on the outer loop.

7 miles per hour on southbound 95 from white marsh to the aid of 95 spread. eastbound 100 -- to the 895 spread. let's get a quick look outside. we will update you on the jfx. from the belt way, down 2 falls rd., a live view of traffic from green spring, up to the jfx, and our live traffic going away from us. hopefully the backup will start to dissipate. now the problems have been cleared. a check in your forecast with tony. >> still a little bit of fog left out there. the worst stuff is on the eastern shore counties, but it should be burning off over the next couple of hours. 42 degrees in jared's veil. the forecast for the day, once the fog burns off, and especially decent day. there is a slight chance for showers this evening. i think that most of the rain is going to hold off until late tonight.

it will be a mild day tomorrow. a good chance for rain on tuesday. turning cooler, for a pause for the rest of the week. the rest of the week. it should

we're back now, 8:00 on a monday morning. it's the 5th day of december, 2011. a little bit overcast here in the new york city area, but pretty moderate, about 46 degrees, and a big crowd lining our plaza this morning. these are all holiday revelers, a lot of people have been in town the past couple of weeks and we're happy to see that. out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer along with ann curry and al roker. coming up in this half hour, we're going to spend a lot of time getting to hear the latest on giuliana rancic. >> she announced on our broadcast that she has breast cancer and since that time in october when she was here, she's undergone a double lumpectomy. well, this morning there is a

significant new stage in her treatment and we're going to find out what that is. >> that's her husband, bill, obviously. >> absolutely. then a little bit later on jane fonda, we know her as author, actress and fitness guru. she is out with a new fitness video, the first one in more than 15 years, aimed at the boomer generation. jane is in fantastic shape. we'll be talking with her and getting tips for exercising smart, as you get a little bit older. >> that's pretty cool. >> she looks so great! >> she does. she looks fantastic. we also have a little bit of good news for you. on friday we had our latest installment of from bow to wow with jill rappaport. one of the dogs was walked out by olympic great michael phelps. well, apparently it was love at first sight. michael memberships has decided to adopt penelope, which is really cool. so michael, congratulations and thank you very much. we wish you a lot of good times

together. >> they can dog paddle together. >> there you go. let's go inside. natalie is on assignment. savannah guthrie is standing by at the news desk. >> good morning, guys. in the news, the collapse of her man cain's presidential campaign appears to be benefiting newt gingrich the most. a new marist poll shows gingrich surging to the front in iowa and new hampshire. gingrich is meeting today with donald trump to announced plans to moderate a republican debate december 27th in des moines. a crucial week for europe could also be a critical week for wall street. cnbc's courtney raeagan is at te new york stock exchange in morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. after last week the stock market gained more than 7%, many investors are hoping a santa claus rally has begun. but as has been the case lately, a lot of the week's trade will depend on crucial meetings between european leaders. today the german chancellor

meets with nicolas sarkozy to discuss differences in their debt remedy proposals and the italian prime minister submits his economic plan to the country's parliament. back to you. >> thank you. country singer mindy mccready is due in court to fight for custody of her 5-year-old son. tamron hall has more her 5-year-old son is now in the custody of the arkansas department of children and families after being found with mccready over the weekend. mindy mccready has fought a very public battle with drug addiction. a battle that has caused her to lose custody of her 5-year-old son. last year a missing person's report was filed after mccready took her son from his fatheres

home. the 36-year-old country singer who's now pregnant with twins has been in a legal battle over zander since her mother won custody of the boy in 2007. she spoke to nbc news about her daughter over the weekend. >> she's very talented, but there are some underlying problems and, you know, the only time a person really gets help is when they want help themselves. >> reporter: mccready told the associated press said she believes her son suffered abuse while living at her mother's home, allegations her mother denies. recently mccready was attempting a career comeback after a battle with drug addiction. >> mindy mccready suffered a severe generalized seizure. >> reporter: even appearing on the show "celebrity rehab." but it appears that comeback will now have to be put on hold once again. we reached out to mindy mccready's attorney and publicist for a comment and did not hear back. >> now here's brian williams with what's coming up tonight on

nbc "nightly news." >> good morning and thanks. coming up tonight a big concern for a lot of parents of young athletes, protecting them from devastating concussions. we're learning a lot more on this and there's a lot more being done. we'll have an update tonight on nightly news. savannah, for now back to you. now for a look at what's trending today. our quick roundup of what has you talking online. the world's most costly car crash. eight ferraris, three mercedes and one lamborghini were mangled in a smash-up in japan. the cars may have been speeding on their way to a car show when that lead ferrari spun out. there were ten injuries, but they were minor. early damage estimates range from 1 to $3.8 million. facebook is abuzz about tiger woods' first tournament victory since his personal scandal broke two years ago. woods birdied his last two holes on sunday to capture the chevron

world challenge by one shot. and former miss usa tried to tweet her way out of a public relations disaster after a drunk driving arrest near detroit this weekend. she posted a tweet claiming she wasn't even in michigan, let alone in jail, but that tweet was removed after her lawyer confirmed the story. it is now 8:06. back to matt and ann. let us get a check of the weather all the way at the other end of the plaza. mr. roker has taken up residence with some of his fans. >> we've got a great spell of the holidays here. happy holidays. are you all from pittsburgh? >> gettysburg. >> oh, saw the pittsburgh steelers stuff. where are you from? >> texas. >> where are you from? >> southlake, texas. >> south lick? >> lake. >> oh, lake. sorry. big difference. let's check your weather, see what's going on. eau claire, wisconsin, nbc 13,

scattered morning snow showers, 26 degrees. as we check out the rest of your day today, we've got a front running from new england all the way down into texas, back behind the system we've got snow from texas into the southwest. heavy rain in the mid-mississippi river valley with anywhere from 2 to 3 inches of rain. west coast a little on the cool side but at least sunny. santa ana winds will be dying down. clouds along the eastern seaboard. windy conditions along the >> good morning. we have some fog to contend with on this monday morning. a mixture of sun and clouds. chance for rain tonight.

>> and that's your latest weather. thank you, al. when we come back giuliana rancic will open up about her battle with breast cancer. she'll we joined by her husband, bill. we'll talk to them right after these messages. it's like this... now you do it... ♪

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♪ [ male announcer ] it's movie time. with a wii twist. netflix now delivers unlimited tv episodes and movies instantly through wii and nintendo 3ds. all for only 8 bucks a month. be five percent more merry with the target red card, i love it! by getting an extra five percent off our already low prices. plus free shipping at target.com ♪ back now at 8:11. in october, giuliana rancic came on this broadcast on "today" to share a very personal struggle, her fight against breast cancer. in a moment we'll find out how giuliana is doing. but first, her story. for nine years, she has been the e! network celebrity news personality working the red carpet. and co-hosting the popular e! news, reporting on the latest

celebrity scoops. >> they saved their biggest secrets for us. >> it was here she interviewed bill rancic. >> bill, you're hired. >> they fell in love, married, and since 2009 have chronicled their lives in the show "giuliana and bill." the reality show highlights the couple's married life and their struggle for infertility. >> thinking about having a kid again. >> on the season finale they went seeking treatment from a top ivf clinic in denver, leaving viewers would they have success this time. >> bye, wish us luck. >> but just a few weeks later giuliana shocked everyone on "today" when she revealed some very personal information. >> i have early stages of breast cancer. >> the next day giuliana underwent a double lumpectomy and had lymph nodes removed. bill joined us with a follow-up. >> she's a trooper. she pulled through it and was kind of relieved to get it over with and get the cancer out. we're hoping that we get a good report tomorrow, god willing. >> and giuliana and bill rancic, good morning to you.

>> good morning, ann. it's great to see you. >> you look really well. >> thank you. >> we know that you've had lumpectomies. >> mm-hmm. >> but now there's a new decision, a major decision you've had to make about your treatment. what is your decision? >> last time i was here, i told you that i was getting the double lumpectomy and radiation. now instead of radiation, i'm going to go ahead and move forward with a double mastectomy. >> yeah, and i think when you saw in that report, the next day we were going into the doctor hoping for some good news. unfortunately, the one breast they weren't able to clear the margins and get all the cancer out, so we were then faced with a decision to make. do you go back and do another lumpectomy and try to clean it out or do you go for a more radical procedure. >> this is a very dramatic decision. it's a drastic decision. to what degree does wanting to have children play into your decision to go for a double mastectomy. >> that was actually a big part

of it. not all of it, but a big part. if i had chosen to just do another lumpectomy and then do radiation and then do anti-estrogen therapy, which means two to five years of medication, that basically puts me into early menopause, then i would have to put off having a baby for several years. so that was something we took into account. but to be honest, at the end all it came down to was just choosing to live and not looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life. > >>. that's really what it came down to. >> and that isn't a decision we made lightly. we talked to as many experts as we could, we got the best information available to us. one of the other factors that came into play was quality of life. if she would have gone with the lumpectomy and radiation, then you have to go in every six months for the rest of your life getting mammograms. knowing giuliana, she's going to be worrying three weeks before the mammogram, waiting for the results worrying and you're

always looking over your shoulder. so i think in this particular case this was the best option for giuliana. >> and it could have come back more aggressively next time. so for me it was just very important to get the cancer out. that's what i wanted to do is just get it out. >> what did doctors tell you about the chance of not ever getting it back? with the double mastectomy. >> with the double mastectomy i have less than a 1% chance of getting it back. with another lumpectomy, radiation and medication, i could have seen 20 to 30 to 40% chance in my lifetime. and for me it just wasn't worth it. and like i said -- like bill said, it was a very hard decision to come to, but really in the end what happened was, you know, bill said to me, i think this definitely got me. bill said to me i just need you around for the next 50 years, kid. that's what he said. he goes i don't care what you look like, i don't care about the physical portion of this, i just need you around for the next 50 years, so let's just get you healthy. and that certainly helps me come to the decision.

>> beyond that, what do you want to say about how important bill has been, having a spouse who is supportive, who's there for you can be in your personal and emotional survival going through all this? >> oh, my gosh. bill has been the world to me through this. i couldn't have done it without bill. even right from the beginning when we found out we had the option about mastectomy, we went in the backyard and i remember -- in typical bill fashion he pulled out a yellow legal pad and made a pros and cons list of the mastectomy. and he just -- he brought some laughter to the process, some light to it and just kept reminding me who we are as a couple and that none of this is going to break us apart or get us down or affect our love for each other. in fact it's just made it stronger. and i couldn't be more at peace with the decision, but it was hard. and i still break down some nights, you know, when it's quiet in bed. it's easy to just start crying

and be very sad. but i'm okay. >> i know from my own family's experience that it's also hard to be the spouse. what is getting you through this, bill? >> well, i'm focused on the finish line, and i'm thinking our goal is to be done with this by christmas time and then we don't look back. my role was to make sure that she was armed with as much information and the best information possible so she could make the right decision. and i tried to take the emotion out of it a little bit, that's why i pulled out the legal pad and we put pen to paper and when we looked at it, it made the decision i think a little bit easier because in our particular case, and i think the message here -- there's no right or wrong answer, it's an individual decision that each person has to make for themselves, but this is the right decision for giuliana. >> i tell you, i had to see it as well. i think that was very important. when they first told me mastectomy was an option, i said absolutely not. absolutely not. i am 37 years old. i don't want to do it.

because to me the word was very scary and it meant i would be disfigured. and so a very, very wonderful friend of mine who actually has been on this show, she's in an organization called bright pink, she had a mastectomy in her early 20s when she found out she had the breast cancer gene. she said not only am i going to tell you what a mastectomy is but i'm going to show you what a mastectomy is. and when i saw it and she was wonderful enough to share that with me, i thought, okay, this is okay, she looks beautiful, she's healthy, she's vibrant and doesn't regret her decision and i think that is very important. that girls, women stick together and we share our experience with each other because that helped me i think more than anything was to get to the decision was to see another woman, similar age as me, who had been through it. >> well, we found from our website and the e-mail that we've been getting about you, that you've been helping a lot of women. so coming up in just a few moments, we're going to call in a breast cancer specialist to

join this conversation and sort of see what more we can learn that might benefit other women from your own personal experience, so stand by and we'll be right back right after this. ♪

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back now at 8:22 to talk more about giuliana and bill rancic. we're also joined by dr. kathy ann joseph, a professor of surgery at new york university's medical center and the director of the breast service southern manhattan. dr. joseph, welcome. >> thank you. >> good morning to all you have once again. dr. joseph, what are the choices, as this is a very personal decision. what are the factors that a woman must weigh before she decides to foe with a double mastectomy. >> almost all my patients that have to undergo a mastectomy, i always refer them to a plastic surgeon for reconstruction. you know, and then they decide -- the plastic surgeon decides what type of reconstruction options they can have and if they can have reconstruction. most women, if they're healthy, they can undergo reconstruction.

sometimes they can't if they're very ill or so forth, but almost all women can have reconstruction and we do like them to have it immediately. i think that's so important for their psychological well-being. >> what giuliana was mentioning is that she was able to see someone's breasts after reconstruction and that that took a lot of the fear away. is it fair to say that reconstruction today, double mastectomies and reconstruction today are not the same as they were for our mother's generation? >> it's so much different. it's come such a long way. we have much more options. the surgery itself is not as morbid as it was 20 years ago. and the reconstruction itself just looks so much better. it looks so much more natural. so i think it's so -- it was such a good thing that you did, giuliana, to look at someone's reconstructed breasts. it takes -- it doesn't look -- you were worried about what it looked like. >> sure. >> that you would be mutilated.

it's not. it looks very, very natural. so the options that we can do for a patient is so much better now. >> we've been overwhelmed with e-mails from our "today" show viewers as a result of your being on the broadcast and being so public about it. but have there been moments as you've been going through this process where you wish you had not chosen such a public life, given how personal and painful this really is to kind of go through this? >> yeah, it is very personal, but at the same time it's just the way we've chosen to live our life, you know. we see it as an honor to be able to share our story and help people and let them feel less alone. so my gosh, i mean i've been given this incredible platform and you allowing me to be here on the "today" show to talk about this issue that affects so many people. all of us are in it together. it's like you, i think we love helping people. >> it's a privilege. >> it truly is a privilege. i'm happy to do it. >> on twitter kristi is writing

women all across the country are standing behind you. >> so there is this kind of opportunity. you talk about it being a platform. we should remind people that you discovered your breast cancer because of a mammogram. >> correct. >> because it was required by the ivf doctor. >> correct. >> what do you want to say about that? i can see that there's an emotion right now. >> yeah. i think when i hear from those women and especially after the double lumpectomy, that's what got me through my recovery so quickly is reading those messages. but the most important thing is my gosh, was i fortunate that i went to my doctor, i got a mammogram and i am choosing to get the mastectomy because i can and it will save my life. i just beg all women to get checked. >> giuliana, bill, dr. joseph, thank you so much all three of you. we're back right after your local news.

>> good morning. it is 8:26. we have a final check on the morning commute. >> the biggest delays are still on 95 coming out of harper county as you travel down from mountain road to the 895 split. around 7 miles per hour is the average speed. tapping the brakes approaching 95. looking at the latest on the jfx, not half as bad as we saw earlier, and if you want to head out on the inner loop between green spring and the jfx, is backed up a little bit. delays itself around on 295 down

towards 197. also, eastbound 100. let's give you a quick, live look. the jfx is emptying out at rough road. you are looking at the blaze down toward 28 street. a live view of traffic in the area. green spring, going away from us, inner loop traffic. 95 is even worse coming down from harper county. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. tony has a check and your forecast. >> you can still see some follows camera shots. it will start to get better as we go through the morning. 39 at the airport. 45 at westminster. 47 degrees with the fort -- with the forecast today, a mixture of plotting and sunshine. high temperature, 10 degrees above average. a around 60 degrees. a good chance for rain tomorrow. it will stay mild.

high temperature around 60. it will cool off. high on wednesday of only 49. 40's for the rest of the week, clearing up over the weekend. >> fenty, tony. join us for another upd

feeling in the holiday spirit? it's monday, the 5th of december, 2011, and we have actor jason lee, there he is, collecting toys and books. >> i've got a big bag. >> that's right, for the annual holiday toy drive. this morning they were going to

homeless families in south louisiana and also disadvantaged kids. we have one group that actually gave us a check for $1,500 today, and they have had a little fund-raiser. and just ahead, we've also got another star, jane fonda, is stopping by. >> she's an icon, obviously. she helped revolutionize the fitness industry with her workout videos back in the 1980s, getting everybody to feel burn. remember she used to wear those leg warmers? now at 73 she's got some new videos out for baby boomers. we'll talk to jane fonda in just a couple of minutes. we've got another big name in the house, mr. harry connick, jr., he's currently in a play on broadway -- is he alive? he's written a new holiday book for kids. he's going to tell us about it coming up.

>> he's a musician and musicians don't like to get up early in the morning. >> i think we should just stay on him. >> let's give that man a cup of coffee and a massage. not everyone is al roek'. also michael buble has a special that will air on nbc. remember, you can catch the michael buble christmas tomorrow night 8:00/7:00 central time right here on nbc. now let's go back to one of our aforementioned stars. jason lee is joining us now. co-starring in the new animated movie called "alvin and the chipmunks, chipwrecked." they donated 400 alvin toys to our toy drive. can you just do one thing, can you say alvin really loudly? >> alvin! >> there you go.

that just made my day. >> what does alvin get himself into this time? >> we go on a cruise. not a good idea. i lose the boys and i have to go find them on a deserted island. this was definitely the most adventurous of the three, very exciting. >> in fact this is listed as an action adventure. >> absolutely. it's an alvin action adventure. >> which means much trouble. >> high jinx, as they say in the business. >> with life lessons involved. >> life lessons, absolutely. >> the third time is a charm. of course the first two were also charms. all of these were so popular. i still wonder how is it possible to act with chipmunks in this particular regard? >> do you know jason? >> i mean it seems a challenge. >> yeah, they can be a little bratty sometimes. no, they're -- you know, it's a lot of very technical things. antennas and tennis balls.

that's when they aren't there. >> and they also remember you from "my name is earl." do people come up and say hey, earl. >> yeah, less without the mustache, which i miss. i used to not miss it, but now i miss it now that the show is no longer. i'm fond -- i have fond mum res of that mustache. i miss it. >> well, congratulations on another one, i'm sure it will be a block buster. >> thank you very much. >> chipwrecked opens on december 16th. now let's get a check of the weather with you. >> that's right. as we show you what's happening as far as our week ahead, rain and warmer than usual along the east coast. heavy snow through the southwest where it's going to be much below normal right through the western two-thirds of the country. midweek period it's still warm and wet along the coast. cooler from the mid-mississippi river valley into the southwest with snow in the plains and then the latter part of the week, well, temperatures get a little cooler here in the east with a mix of rain and snow, above normal in the northern plains, normal out west but much below

normal texas into t >> good morning. we have some thick fog this morning. maybe some sunshine will break through. >> and don't forget you can check your weather any time of the day or night, go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. by the way, congratulations to this sweet young couple that just gotten gauged, i want to say hi to them. coming up next, we've got jane fonda in the house showing us how to get back in shape. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

today's health is brought to you by united health care. >> and that morning on "today's health," jane fonda. she conquered hollywood as an oscar and emmy winner and in 1982 she revolutionized fitness with jane fonda's workout which remains the top grossing video of all time. now at 73 years old jane is out with two new fitness dvds for baby boomers. jane, welcome back, it's good to have you here. >> thanks, matt. >> it's been since 1995 since you released a fitness video. why did you put the leg warmers back on? actually you didn't, but why again? >> i spent four years researching a book called "primetime" about the latter part of life. when it came to researching the

role of exercise and aging, it just blew me away. it's important to exercise when you're younger, but it's like the number one ingredient for successful aging. it makes a difference for all aspects of your life and your body. >> but a lot of people are frustrated and i wonder if this has occurred to you. what are your limitations today? i have a hip replacement, a knee replacement, all kinds of things. nobody is doing videos for people like me who can't do what they used to do or maybe people who have never exercised in their lives. it's never too late. >> do you think it's possible that you've had these orthopedic problems with the back and the hip and the knees because you worked out so much? >> no, it's genetic. my father had it, my brother has it. no, i don't. >> so nothing to do with wear and tear? >> not really. i think it would have happened anyway. >> you have not always had, although you've become known for these fitness videos, you have not always had a positive body

image. you talked about dealing with things like anorexia and bulimia. what allowed you to change the way you viewed your own body and in some ways is that always a part of you? >> you can really get over food addictions, you can 100%. and i think it was just a matter of deciding that i was either going to live or die. and i went for the light, i went for living. and right after that is when i started my workout business. and, you know, it's -- it gives you a sense of power and of control. you know, i realized when i started the business that it was much -- it wasn't just about being thin or something, it had to do with your brain, your attitude about yourself, the sense that you had some control over your life. and now i've made these new videos under a new brand, the primetime videos, and the new one, the two that i just -- are now coming out, they're more like the ones i used to do in the sense we are in a studio, i have other people working out with me and this time we have a live band. it's really fun.

>> you said it's about what's inside not as much as outside. i remember years ago you said no plastic surgery, i'm not going to do it. and now you've admitted that you in fact have had plastic surgery on your neck and your chin. >> and under the eyes. >> why change your mind? >> i was walking down the street one day and got a glimpse in the window and was like who's that? and i thought oh, my god, it's me. i feel so great and rested and looked so different and i just decided -- i'm not proud of it. i decided i wanted to look more about how i feel. >> were you feeling pressured to maintain a certain image? >> no, i just decided that i wanted to buy myself some time and look more like how i feel. but the new workouts are more functional. it's less about trying to look a certain way as being able to get up and town out of a chair, carry your grandkids, look over your shoulder when you're backing down a driveway. everyday life things, you want to stay as independent as you can.

you know, you can maintain muscle mass, make strong bones, make a healthy heart, and the brain -- people don't realize when you get older your brain shrinks. by staying physically active, you can minimize the brain shrinkage and postpone alzheimer's and things like that. >> reading about you last night, one of the things that struck me, for all the success that you've had, the awards and the recognition, you say that you have always had low self-esteem. >> not always. >> but why did you for a while? what caused that? >> oh, i don't know. it all has to do with how you're raised, right? the way your parents were with you but not necessarily they're bad people. it took me a while to sort of move back into myself and become an embodied perpendiculson. it really didn't happen until i started to get older, until i passed 60. so the message of my life is it's never too late, it's a hopeful message. i'm happier now than i was before. it's not exactly what i expected at 73. >> you mentioned a second ago that you were going to take your boyfriend to an event last

night. you didn't, but you are very much in a relationship. three times married? >> three times married. >> what did you learn about love through those marriage sns. >> well, i learned that for some people, me included, it's hard to find somebody that is able -- not be afraid to really show up, not be afraid to be really intimate. that has nothing to do with sex, it means being able to be fully present in a relationship. sometimes you need a little mileage under the belt to get there. i feel i've gotten there. and i feel really good and i'm very proud of these videos. oh, they're not videos, anymore, they're dvds. >> we have to get with the program. jane fonda, it's always good to have you here. >> thanks. >> it's 8:43. up next, we'll catch up with harry connick jr., but first this is "today" on nbc.

♪ rudolph the red-nosed reindeer ♪ >> that song you hear is the happy elf by grammy and winner harry connick jr. his new holiday children's book tells the story of you'll be the happiest elf in the north pole. it's called, appropriately, "the happy elf." harry, good morning. >> good morning, ann. >> it's just amazing to me, here you are a movie star, a singer, a broadway star, we'll get to that in a moment and now the author of a children's book. what, are you going to run for politics next? >> that i won't do. >> you're drawing the line. what is it about you that makes you keep broadening, reaching out for new things? >> i think everything i do is based on the same sorts of creativity and inspiration. it's just sort of slight variations of it. this book, "the happy elf" is based on a song that i wrote which led to an nbc animated special which led to a workshop

that we're going to try to get eventually on stage as a children's musical. so it's all kind of coming from the same place, it's just slightly different takes on things. >> it's a sweet story to read to your chipper aboldren about an s very happy until he discovers one town where everyone is naughty and not nice and he sets out to correct the situation. >> yeah. oh, that's a cue for me to tell you what it's about. yeah, it's really a fun story. he is super, super excited about christmas and even a little too excited for santa. you know, he goes down to this town called bluesville and tries to come up with some innovative ideas to inspire the people there to get on santa's nice list. >> and interesting you call it bluesville, because that is kind of the connecting piece of tissue in all of your work, the idea of jazz and blues. >> yeah. we just put out a cd from the children's music with my trio,

which is not children's music in a sense that it's very accessible. it's a jazz trio. some of the music is a little bit complicated, but, you know, i grew up listening to jazz music and i loved it so we thought we'd put it out there and maybe give kids a chance to hear some christmas music performed in a different way. it's no singing, it's very different from the book which is geared for children. this is more adult music but we think that kids can enjoy it too. >> speaking of adult, your appearance in this -- in broadway, this musical revival of "on a clear day you see forever" we've got "the new york times" writing about your performance. you may think you know harry connick jr. as a performer, but "on a clear day" presents a different sort of harry because you play -- it's a very dramatic role. it's a musical, obviously. >> yes. >> and it's also different from the film version of "on a clear day". >> yeah, it's very different. in that show barbra streisand

plays two characters, a modern woman and a woman that is a regression of her former -- of her present self. in this show i play a psychiatrist who regresses a young man and his former life as a woman, and i fall in love with the woman. the only way i can get to her is to keep hypnotizing this young man. so it's kind of an impossible love triangle. it's really, really interesting the way it's presented, i think. >> it sounds like a huge challenge to take on. it sounds like it's almost a struggle to take on that kind of a role. >> it is. >> so why did you decide to do this? and what is it that you're getting out of it? >> oh, i get so much out of it. the thing i get out of it the most is the honor of being with the people i'm with on stage. i mean every night, really that's what this show for me boils down to is sharing the stage with david turner, who plays daisy, and this young woman i'm dancing with there on

screen, jesse mueller, i try to be eloquent about it but she's a super freak. i mean she's just a crazy talent from chicago. and i get to spend my time, eight times a week with these people on stage, among the other cast members. it's really a great honor. >> one might say that you have some crazy talent because you are actually one of the few people who could be in line to get an egot. a tony, emmy or grammy. all you've got to do now is get an oscar. >> that's all i've got to do? >> work on it. harry connick jr., nice warm handshake. good luck to you. >> thanks, ann. >> and again the book is called "the happy elf" and you can see harry in the musical "on a clear day you can see forever" on broadway at the st. james theater. we want to thank you once again. coming up next, being smart. this is "today" on nbc.

we're back now at 8:52 with eat smart today. when it comes to eating healthy, you typically think of colorful foods, leafy green vegetables, things like that. sometimes good nutrition is as easy as black and white. here to explain is madeline furnstrom. black and white don't get enough attention. >> right. >> let's start with the white.

potatoes get a bad rap, why? >> because they're nature's perfect carbohydrate. we load them up with oil, butter, cream, everything else so that's why they get a bad rap but they're really a nutritious item. something about the size of your fist, 100 calories. >> leave the butter, sour cream and bacon bits out. we've got cauliflower, my favorite crew sif russ vegetable. >> it has cancer-fighting properties. it's good for you, a lot of fiber and other nutrients. you can eat it raw, steam it, puree it, chop it up and roast it as we have it here. >> when you roast it you can use things like onion and garlic with it and you want to talk about onion and garlic. why are those so good? >> these are fabulous. they have a plant nutrient that's a cancer fighter, good for the immune system. this is something you use all the time. there's not a cuisine that doesn't use garlic and onions. >> down on the end you've got

par snips. we use them in my family like mashed potatoes. >> parsnaps are great. one cup has a third of your fiber for the whole day. they're not like white carrots, they're really nutrient. when you roast them and cook them, they're delicious. mix them with anything. >> white mushrooms are also great in terms of nutrition. when we get over here to the black foods, you love black beans. >> black beans are great because they're inexpensive, packed with nutrition, there's a lot of fiber. the blackness comes from a plant nutrient that is good for your immune system, cancer-fighting, good for your heart, good for your brain. >> i love black olives but never thought of them as health food. why are they good for you? >> pot of that whole mediterranean diet. antiox dapauxoxidan antioxidants, and black oils. >> better than green olives? >> they are picked when they're ripe from the tree. they're really fruit. >> black rice? >> black rice is a variant of

rice where the hull has this nutritious pigment so it's going to be chewier and dense and you can blend it with other rice. something else that's not black rice, you may have heard of wild rice. it's full of b vitamins. to mix and match grains is a good thing. >> i love blueberries. strawberries, raspberriesraspbe blackberries are high on your list. >> because they have that deep pigment so they're full of those antioxidants but also have a ton of fiber. just one cup of them fresh or frozen will have a ton of fiber, a ton of b vitamins and also  because they're pricey, you can get them frozen in a bag and use them just the same. >> i think green tea gets a lot of attention, but black tea, what are the health benefits of that? >> that's got some flavonols but you need to have four or five cups a day. it does have a little bit of caffeine. >> that's going to juice you up, isn't it? >> not that much. it takes four cups of black tea to have the same caffeine as one

cup of coffee, so that's not very much. >> don't forget the black and white foods. madeline, thank you very much. good information. still ahead, from escalators to the fitting room where hidden germs are lurking at the mall after your local news. >> good morning. is 8:56. here's a look at one of our top stories this morning. the accused of murdering a 25- year-old -- 15-row baltimore boy will be in court today. parish has pleaded not guilty to

the charges. we will have the details we will have the details tonight at 11

>> welcome back. good morning, everyone. the fog will burn off for the next few hours. a mixture of clouds and sunshine. high temperatures in the upper petipa's to around 60's. >> thank you for joining us. we will