good morning. breaking news. mt. rainier national park locked down this morning as police hunt for the gunman who shot and killed a park ranger and mother of two. the suspected shoot, an iraq war veteran, who could also be using survival skills learned in the military to hide out in the park. closing arguments, the gop presidential presidents barnstorming the hawkeye stave on the eve of the iowa caucuses, and according to the latest survey, 41% of unlikely voters are still undecided. this morning texas governor rick perry makes his case in a live interview. and winter revs up the new year, ushering in a big change for millions in the eastern half of the country.

much colder temperatures, high winds and heavy snow on tap. some areas could see up to two feet. "today," monday, january 2nd, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >> welcome to "today" on this monday morning. i'm natalie morales. happy new year. >> happy new year to you. i'm peter alexander, matt and ann will be here tomorrow. i'm back from iowa, the raucous before the caucus. >> please go on. >> they have several ahead, these guys will be busy as will the candidates. . >> all of us watching what's going on in iowa. also including mt. rainier, the shootinghon a park ranger.

he's also suspected of shooting four people at a house party earlier in the day. police believe he's armed and dangerous. the latest in a live horp straight ahead. significant developments in the search for maine toddler ayla reynolds. coming up, ayla's father will speak out in his first live interview here on "today." a possible break into the investigation into the string of dangerous arson fires in los angeles. officials released video of a person of interest late last night and this morning investigators are now questioning a potential suspect. we'll have all the breaking details there as well. we begin with the desperate search for the gunman believed to be on the loose inside mt. rainier national park. natalie suavy from king 5, in seattle is there. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, peter. police believe they're dealing with a man armed with at least

an assault rifle and possibly others. a helicopter was able to spot tracks in the snow. that's the lead they're focusing on. >> we have someone armed with assault sks-8 type rifles. >> reporter: mt. rainier national park was locked down and visitors turned away in a desperate search for benjamin coltbarnes, with possible military experience and survival skills he's believed to have shot margaret anderson when she stopped him at a road block, the mother of two young daughters. >> deputies tried to get to her were fired upon, they managed to get her out of the line of fire, medics checked her and unfortunately she was deceased. >> reporter: barnes is also suspected in a shooting earlier in the day at a house party that

left four people wounded, two critical. still on the loose, police believe he has not left the scene.ñi married to a fellow ranger who was in another section of the park at the time of the shooting, anderson's family begins the new year with a terrible loss. >> the body is still up there and probably will be there until we can make the scene secure. >> reporter: and we can tell you there were visitors in the park when the shooting happened, about 125 visitors have been brought to this fire station so they can be escorted safely out of this area. some park rangers who worked with the slain ranger have been working alongside officers, their focus is to make sure no one else loses their lives and they'll deal with the pain once this is over with. live in washington, natalie swaby, back to you. >> thank you very much. 7:04, here's natalie. >> thank you.

we're following overnight developments tied to a string of dangerous arson fires in los angeles. police have now detained a person of interest. nbc's mike taibbi is in north hollywood with more. >> reporter: police finally say they have something, they're not calling him a suspect yet. there have been more than 40 incidents, accelerant tossed at a car or several cars to set it ablaze and the residents in the nearby building waking in fear. >> they're trailing the gentleman with the bag. >> reporter: late sunday they released a video of a man only called a person of interest. >> this individual was seen at several of the locations where this fire started. we're not labeling this person as a suspect but we'd certainly like to talk to this person. >> reporter: it's been a nerve-racking four night. scott's wife woke him to tell

them their neighbor said their car was on fire. >> luckily it was just the car. >> reporter: it's taken a lot of luck, a burning car in a carport in a garage poses real dangers in these dense residential neighborhoods. >> auto fires, as soon as they get going they burn really hot, really fast. >> reporter: frustrated investigators have poured over hundreds of leads and witnesses. >> they're looking at every option. could be one, could be many. >> reporter: the lack has neighborhoods and residents on alert and onening. >> last night when i got home from work almost all the carports were empty. nobody wants to park in the carports. >> shocked, an overwhelming feeling. who expects to come out and see their car on fire. >> reporter: local and federal agencies put together a reward

that totals about $60,000. they're getting lots of information, if they don't have a suspect, they have someone they call that infamous phrase "a person of interest." >> mike taibbi in north hollywood, thank you. 7:06, once again here's peter. to presidential politics and things are truly heating up in the gop race, on the eve of the iowa caucuses we're going to speak to republican hopeful rick perry in a moment. first chief white house correspondent chuck todd is in des moines with the latest. >> good morning, peter. if iowa is a three-way race between mitt romney, rick santorum and ron paul, each face ace key test going into tomorrow's caucuses. can rick santorum, does he have the infrastructure to take advantage of the late momentum and will enough democrats and independents show up to put ron paul over the top?

>> we pray your hand in protection behind senator santorum. >> reporter: he's striking a chord with social conservatives. >> the key of america are strong families and strong faith. >> reporter: with one day left until the iowa caucuses, republican candidates are blitzing the state, making their closing arguments. mitt romney leading in the latest iowa poll says his conservative credentials can easily stack up against santorums. >> i'll let people make their own assessment of our respective records. >> reporter: romney has refrained from criticizing santorum but on sunday he offered this mild criticism. >> he spent his career in the government in washington, nothing wrong with that but it's a very different background that i have. >> reporter: santorum makes a case for his own electability. >> who has the best chance to beat obama, rick santorum, he's

rock solid on valuesis issues. >> reporter: romney is seen as the most electable candidate by a wide margin. on the other hand santorum beats romney handily when it comes to relating to ordinary iowans. >> i love it, i'm going to get rid of this one and this one. >> reporter: reminding of santorum's endorsement in 2008. >> he was nice to endorse me last time around. >> the best chance to stop john mccain, which was what my person was. >> reporter: michele bachmann, rick perry and newt gingrich, who have all seen their support collapse, are desperately trying to make up ground and ron paul, whose support seems to have stalled is explaining news letters containing racially

charged statements sent out in his name in the 1980s and '90s. >> i was not the editor, i did not review them and that is an error on my part. >> newt gingrich who of course has seen the fastest rise and fall of any candidate perhaps in presidential campaign history spent yesterday complaining about mitt romney, said he was trying to buy the election and a reporter asked him do you feel swift boated and he said "i feel romney boated." texas governor rick perry has spent more on advertising in iowa than any other candidate. governor perry, good morning. nice to have you here. >> good morning, happy new year. >> as i mentioned you have a good ground campaign going on in iowa. you have spent more in ads there in iowa, but "the des moines register" poll showed you placed fifth, second to last there in the poll with just 11%, voting in your favor. realistically, what do you think

are your chances in iowa if you don't come out in the top three or four and moving your campaign forward? >> well, 41% of the folks in iowa haven't made their decision yet. that's one of the reasons we're in the midst of a major bus tour. we'll end up in perry, iowa, this evening with a great rally. we have a great ground game, over 1,500 precinct captains going to the caucuses for us, over 500 volunteers have descended upon iowa from 32 different states to share with the people of iowa about rick perry and our record of job creation and our executive gn government experience running the state. all of the white noise that comes out of the other campaigns, i'm going to do this, x, y and z, we've done it in texas and that's what we want to see happening in america and washington, d.c.

>> you're counting on the undecided. given you've already spent so much there, over $4 million in ads, how do you expect then to stand out from this crowded pack? >> well, we got in the race late, so obviously introducing ourselves to the people of iowa was very important, but the fact is we do stand out. we're the only outsider, you got 63 years of collective congressional time in four of the candidates and then a wall street insider. people are looking for a real change in washington, d.c., to clean up the corruption and fraud in congress. rick santorum talked about being a fiscal conservative but voted eight times to raise the debt ceiling. he's raised it more than obama has. he's a serial earmarker and stood up as late as yesterday and said he was proud of all of the earmarks. that's the mr. emin washington, d.c. while they're scratching each others' backs on the earmarks

they're fleecing the americans. >> rick santorum has become a target of yours as he's seen a surge in his campaign, but you sfe specifically said he targeted earmarks in the senate and on "meet the press" here's what senator santorum had to say in response. >> i love the candidates who get the huge applause, i'm going to get rid of this one and this one, and one other one, and then -- oh, no, no. he's running the negative ads, not me. >> governor, the senator there somewhat responding saying you can't get rid of entire government agencies shto shrink you there. did he spoof you there because of your oops moment back in november? >> listen, you can get rid of entire agencies. he's part of the problem because you've got a culture there, a person who has been in washington, d.c., so long, who

doesn't understand what the american people want. why do we have a department of education? does rick santorum want washington to tell the people of iowa how to educate their children? i don't think so. i can promise you, there are a substantial number of agencies of government we could do away with and americans wouldn't miss them at all. >> governor rick perry, good luck to you and your campaign. i appreciate your time this morning. >> godspeed. >> take care. with more now here's peter. "the des moines register" survey shows 41% of likely caucusgoers could be persuaded to change their mind before tuesday. savannah guthrie has made her way to iowa, standing by with some of the undecided voters. good morning to you. >> peter good morning to you. as you say there are a lot of undecided minds here in iowa. we have five of them here. first we have melissa brem, 21 years old, alan franson, wally

brown, cozette and ron, good morning to all of you. >> good morning. >> anybody change their minds since we last spoke to you? >> nope. >> i'll start with you, what are you waiting to hear. you've had 13 debates, the candidates have been here. what do you still need to know? >> they've all done a good job. one of the things that i've had my mind made up, i thought, and then i met someone tuesday, house speaker gingrich, and i thought i had made up my mind with he and romney, and now i've made some changes. >> what are the changes? >> i think the changes are that i've seen others come up the ladder. >> are you talking about santorum now? >> saner up, right. >> melissa, why? >> i feel like he connects with the american people and could

understand what needs to be done and take care of it. >> alan, who are you leaning towards. you call yourself social conservative? >> i think all of them. bachmann ripping out obama care, governor perry good on energy policy. >> if we could only slice and dice and come up with a perfect candidate. cosette what is important, having a fiscal conservative or someone could pebeat obama? >> it doesn't do any good to have a candidate if they can't win in the election. they have to beat obama. >> ron are you happy with the field of choice? >> my choice is huntsman but he didn't participate in the caucus so i'm probably leaning towards romney but i'm looking at competency and people who have the ability to execute and not just rhetoric, but who can really execute and i know how it

is to be in an administration and how to perform and what it takes to perform. that takes leadership. >> who is the most electable candidate? >> romney. >> romney. >> everyone agrees with that. why isn't he your guy? >> i think he will be romney. i like him because he's a businessman. i like him because in '07, when he took hold of the olympics, which was going down the tubes, and he turned it around. i like, i think he'll be good at foreign policy. >> do you have reservations about romney? >> romney, i just haven't been able to connect with him. there are so many things that i do like about him but i question whether he's a true fiscal conservative. >> melissa, you're nodding. fiscal conservative you are worried about. >> um-hum. >> are you concerned about social issues? >> kind of.

so much in the past he's flip flopped and given in quite easily if someone didn't agree. i'm concerned about standing ground and taking care of it. i'm not sure he'll be able do that. >> you can't turn on a television set and not see the attack ads. what do you think of them? do they work, be honest? >> they're annoying. >> they're having an impact honestly. >> i don't like them. >> i don't like them at all. >> the negative ads make it difficult for the voter to sort through the details. >> quickly, when are you going to make up your minds? >> tomorrow. >> i'd ask you all to breakfast but i'm afraid we'd be there all day deciding what to order. good morning to you once again and peter back to you. >> a lot of minds still to be made up. >> a lot of game changing moments for sure no doubt. let's get a check of the morning's top stories. tamron hall is covering the news desk for me. >> good morning, everyone.

just days after it threatened to put a stranglehold on oil shipments eye rain is raising tensions with the west. it says it successfully test-fired long missiles to counter any attack by the u.s. or israel. on sunday, iran's navy reported testing an upgraded cruise missile. south korea's president is open to the possibility of nuclear talks with north korea's new leader. however, he warned any provocation from the north will be sternly dealt with. former egyptian president hosni mubarak was wheeled into court on a stretcher to face charging in the killing of 800 protesters during an uprise that toppled the regime. concerns are that mubarak could go free. president obama and his family head home from their hawaiian vacation tonight. they viewed a public exhibit

about the anthropological work done by president obama's mother. tickets for the multistate lottery will double to $2 apiece starting january 15th. the starting jackpot of the $20 million will also doubl 40 million bucks. and talk about straddling the fence. two girls born in tampa, florida, were born in different years. little jenna behr arrived one minute before midnight giving her a 2011 birth date. leah was born a few minutes later in 2012, both three weeks early, so their parents are surprised by that as well. how cute are they? born in different years. talk about real big sisters. natalie, peter and stephanie, super cute. >> equally adorable and sibling rivalry, i'm the older one by a year. >> who saw the ball drop.

>> exactly. >> thank you, tamron. stephanie abrams is in for al covering the rose parade. >> yes he is. a big lake-effect snow event. for some of you, we could see two feet of snow. rochester we're two feet below average on snowfall and it a >> now over to you.

>> stephanie, thank you. coming up, foul play now suected in the disappearance of a 20-month-old toddler in maine. this morning the girl's father speaks out in his first live interview, but first this is "today" on nbc.

just ahead, using your child's weight in custody disputes, why a growing number of parents are doing exactly that. >> coming up, after your local news. why se ttle for a why se one-note cereal?

♪ more, more, more... get more with honey bunches of oats 4 nutritious grains come together for more taste, more healthy satisfaction. get more with honey bunches of oats. ♪ that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm [ male announcer ] for half the calories -- plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8.

you bet. wow. man: do your simple return with the turbotax federal free edition, and now get our free, one-on-one, expert tax advice, live by phone or chat. get the federal free edition, at turbotax.com. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. here's a look at one of our top stories. baltimore city police said they closed the book on 2011 the lowest murder rate in 20 years. it is the lowest rate since 1978, when 197 homicides were recorded, and a far cry from 1993's peak murder rate of 353.

per capita, baltimore still ranks as one of the deadliest cities in the nation. leaders of said that increased community engagement lead to the drop in baltimore. >> pretty quiet out there except for one problem at aberdeen. stephanie wrote, be extra careful there. entire beltway running smoothly. wind warnings are in effect at all of the area bridges. be careful as you travel across the area bridges. we are looking good both northbound and southbound. volume very light this morning. website at dulaney valley, problem free towards the harrisburg expressway.

tony has a check on your forecast. >> windy and cold start this monday morning. temperatures are in the thirties. gusting 24. breezy and cold today. slight chance for snow flurries. temperatures in the 30's all day. after a high temperature will be 29 tomorrow. 29 tomorrow.

m ba 29 tomorrow. llral,was m ba 29 tomorrow. unl llral,was vet.veou

♪ should old acquaintance be forgot ♪ 7:30 now on this monday morning, the 2nd day of january, 2012. >> 2012, let's move it forward. >> we have a big crowd enjoying their final days of a holiday break at rockefeller plaza. we thank everybody for being here today, inside studio 1a, i'm peter alexander along with natalie morales. matt and ann will be back tomorrow. an interesting look at the high cost of fine food. >> if you ever splurged on a pricey lobster dinner you may be surprised to know that meal may have cost someone his life. coming up we're going to take to

you a place where lobster diving is commonplace and having a devastating impact on the people who rely on it for money. >> speaking of spending money on food, a lot of people spend too much money on their holiday gifts. the bills are starting to arrive before people have even taken everything out of the plastic yet. you could probably use a little bit of side cash. coming up, five ways to earn quick money in 2012. >> we could all use those tips. after just 14 months of marriage, katy perry and russell branch are calling it quits. what was the split about? the mysterious disappearance of maine toddler ayla reynolds, the search is in its third week and police now believe foul play was involved. in just a moment we'll speak to ayla's father. adidi roy is in waterville, maine. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning,

peter. police have scoured this area searching local trails, woods and waterways and spent a considerable amount of time at her father's home where the little girl was last seen. they've turned this into a criminal investigation. they've looked long and hard, even offering a $30,000 reward for information leading them to ayla reynolds. still no sign of the little girl. the missing person case is a criminal investigation, in a statement released friday night, the waterville police department says "we believe that foul play has occurred in connection with ay ayla's disappearance. we base our conclusions as evidence gathered by investigators during the past two weeks." ayla was last seen by her father, josh dipietro. she had a soft cast on her arm from what police called an

accidental fall. dipietro hasn't been seen publicly since ayla disappeared but is cooperating with the investigation. in a statement he said "it's important the public hear it from me personally that i have no idea what happened to ayla and i'm not in hiding." >> this investigation has gone over for two weeks. law enforcement satisfied itself a 20-month-old little girl could not have wandered away in the middle of the night from her own volumition. >> reporter: her mother, trista reynolds has made repeated pleas. >> i love her, i miss her, i want her home. >> reporter: reynolds says ayla was in dipietro's care when she was in treatment for substance abuse. in an interview with matt last week, trista reynolds questioned dipietro's actions. >> he said he's not hiding, but

why won't he talk to me? >> reporter: and what happened to ayla, a question for the maine state police as they take the lead in what's turning out to be an increasingly mysterious case. >> every investigator involved in this case as far as they're concerned are still looking for a live, little 20-month-old girl. >> reporter: and late last night, trista reynolds issued the following statement exclusively to the "today" show, she says "when i found out from law enforcement that this has become a criminal investigation, i got chills up and down my spine, but i am keeping my faith. i am not giving up." we should add police are sifting through nearly 400 leads in the case. at this point they have not named any suspects. peter? >> aditi roy reporting, thank you. the father justin dipietro is with us exclusively. good morning. thank you for your time today. >> i thank you for having me. >> this is our first chance to speak to you publicly. can you give us a sense why you're coming forward now?

>> there's a few reasons why. initially the first few days i was emotionally incapable of coming out to do an interview, and i had been advised that by coming on and doing an interview, by law enforcement, it could possibly hinder the investigation, and i'm here to help in any way i can, and by coming on here is in hopes of reaching out to the person that does have my daughter and to let them know that what you're doing isn't right. you may think what you're doing is right for ayla, but it's not. you have no right. you're not her parent. she belongs home with her family. >> justin, as you heard in the piece, police believe foul play is involved. what are investigators telling you about what happened, what they believe may have happened here? >> as far as i know, from --

that's just been a change in terminology. as far as i know, we're at the same place that we were at on day one with this. >> can you tell us about the last time that you saw your little daughter? i know it's now more than two weeks ago. she was wearing polka dot pajamas, the top said "daddy's little princess." tell us about that night. >> it was just a normal night, there was nothing -- i put her to bed and just been a normal night. >> a lot has been said about you, obviously, in the last couple weeks, before we had a chance to speak to you directly. what do you think people should know about you and about your relationship to your little girl? >> i can tell you what i'm not. i love my daughter. i'd never do anything to harm my daughter. she's the world to me. >> if we could ask you specifically, ayla's mother,

trista has been on the air with us twice, specifically questioned your parenting skills, even raised the question of an arm injury that your daughter has. she said she worried ayla wasn't safe in your care. your reaction to that? >> as far as i know, there was never any concerns. we had both agreed that me having her at this point in time was the best thing for her. >> trista had been in october in rehab for substance abuse. can you tell us specifically then about your daughter, tell us what makes your daughter so special? >> she's my daughter. she's my child. she's everything to me. >> mr. dipietro, justin, what do you hope happens now, what do you think will happen now and what are you doing to help try to find her at this point? >> i just want my daughter home. i'm doing anything possible that i can, to get my daughter home.

feels like a helpless situation at some points, but i'm doing what i can, it's part of the reason i'm coming on here today in hopes of reaching out to the person that does have her. >> our thoughts are with you and your entire family. we should note if you have any information, call maine state poli police, that's their phone number on the korean, 207-624-7076. again, ayla reynolds now missing for about two weeks. we want to get a check of the weather, stephanie abrams in for al. >> much cooler air coming into the northeast and south as well. a dip in the jet stream means the cold air could go as far south as the jet stream. it's mild here, 40s in the northeast, tomorrow it's going to be a solid ten degrees

>> we have friends still celebrating, in times square, keeping it going. >> it was awesome. >> happy new year and for your new year forecast go to weather.com 24 hours a day. peter, party on. >> they slept through january 1st, just now waking up. stephanie, thanks very much. coming up, what would you do about your child's weight? could it be used as a weapon in a custody dispute? why courts are now seeing it happen more and more. up next, going to ex-streams for red gold. natalie explores the danger of lobster diving, right after

this. [ woman ] weighing myself in times square is a little frightening... i weigh myself naked. can i take my clothes off, too? [ woman ] oh, i don't want to look. ♪ [ woman ] let's get it over with. ♪ satisfaction! satisfaction! pizzazz! pizzazz! confidence. i like it! just what i've always wanted! joy! ♪ this was the gulf's best tourism season in years. all because so many people wanted to visit us... in louisiana. they came to see us in florida... nice try, they came to hang out with us in alabama... once folks heard mississippi had the welcome sign out,

they couldn't wait to get here. this year was great but next year's gonna be even better. and anyone who knows the gulf knows that winter is primetime fun time. the sun's out and the water's beautiful. you can go deep sea fishing for amberjack, grouper and mackerel. our golf courses are open. our bed and breakfast have special rates. and migrating waterfowl from all over make this a bird watcher's paradise. so if you missed it earlier this year, come on down. if you've already been here come on back... to mississippi... florida... louisiana... alabama. the gulf's america's get-a-way spot no matter where you go. so come on down and help make 2012 an even better year for tourism on the gulf. brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home.

when sugar plums appear, temptation's all around. donuts, cakes and pies, they've got a gift for me, i wish that i could take it back, but there is no receipt. oh jiggle bells, jiggle bells, jiggle all the way. oh how i wish i could resist, jiggling this holiday. oh joy oh natural joy! truvia®, box of bliss, zero calorie sweetness from a leaf, my sugar plum happiness. truvia®. honestly sweet. gives you a 50 percent annual bonus. so you earn 50 percent more cash. if you're not satisfied with 50% more cash, send it back! i'll be right here, waiting for it. who wouldn't want more cash? [ insects chirping ] i'll take it. i'll make it rain up in here. [ male announcer ] the new capital one cash rewards card. the card for people who want 50% more cash. what's in your wallet? sorry i'll clean this up.

shouldn't have made it rain. back now at 7:43. when you sit down for a lobster dinner you probably don't think much about where it came from. i recently traveled to honduras, where some men dive to the bottom of the ocean to spear their valuable catch, one lobster at a time and they're risking their lives every time they do it. every day, men dive into the pristine waters off the coast of honduras, hunting for lobsters that for the most part end up on american dinner plates, but often they come to the surface with something else, decompression illness, caused by constant diving with inadequate

equipment. how dangerous is what these lobster divers do? >> they are diving so far beyond any acceptable limits that it's not even on any chart anywhere. it's incredibly dangerous what they're doing. >> reporter: and it's leaving thousands of men on the mosquito coast permanently disabled. you called this economic genocide. those are very strong words. >> it is, they are, and the reason i say that is because there is an entire population dying because of lobstering. >> reporter: dr. elmer mahia runs the only clinic there that specializes in treating the divers. most of his patients are impoverished mosquito indians who live on the remote mosquito coast. we flew there with dr. mejia as our guide. this is the poorest part of honduras. the area is so underdeveloped that the only way to travel so many of the villages is by boat. we stopped at the home of 50-year-old alessio panting who

became paralyzed diving 11 years ago. because he didn't have access to the health care he needed, his organs were shutting down. is this what happens to a lot of the divers who have been injured or paralyzed? >> well, he had treatment right away but even with that, the infection into the blood was very large. >> reporter: he died less than a week after our visit. how old are you? >> 21. >> reporter: 21 years old. but there is hope. this man couldn't walk when he arrived at the doctor's clinic. the treatment, the hyperbaric chamber, which has allowed many who would otherwise be paralyzed to leave on their own two feet. yesterday you couldn't walk. [ speaking in foreign language ] "i feel completely normal."

the honduran government wants to ban lobster diving by 2013 but the men can't and won't stop without other jobs. as for dr. majia he plans to continue helping the injured divers as long as they need him. you can see more on "rock center with brian williams" tonight at 10:00, 9:00 central on nbc. coming up, what led to the split, new details on the end of katy perry and russell brand's 14-month marriage, right after this.

mid grade dark roast forest fresh full tank brain freeze cake donettes rolling hot dogs bag of ice anti-freeze wash and dry diesel self-serve fix a flat jumper cables 5% cashback right now, get 5% cashback at gas stations. it pays to discover. left behind by some mop. why you... nobody's taken a shine to me in a long time. phooey. i don't need anybody...but you!

♪ i believe in miracles [ male announcer ] swiffer attracts dirt. used mops can push muddy water around. swiffer wetjet's new, upgraded solution helps prevent streaks and residue to reveal more shine than a mop or your money back. you're a fresh swiffersnapper! hey, aren't you supposed to be following that fidelity green line? yeah, but it keeps leading me back to my old office. i think it might be broken. or maybe it's trying to tell you something. yeah, but what could it be -- oh! i left my 401(k) at my old job.

and i left a jacket on the back of my door. but i think the line's talking about my 401(k). leave a 401(k) behind? roll it over with the company that's helping more people reach retirement than anyone else. call or come in for a free portfolio review today. are hidden in the contours of your teeth & tongue. introducing a breakthrough for aquafresh. new extreme clean pure breath action. its micro active foam penetrates those hard to reach places. and it now contains a mineral compound that captures and neutralizes bad breath odors giving you 80% cleaner, purer breath. for all the confidence of pure breath try new extreme clean pure breath action from aquafresh. we are learning more about what may have led to the end of katy perry and russell brand's marriage after 14 months.

stephanie gosk is in london with the details. >> good morning, peter. 2011 was a blowout year for katy perry's career. the first female singer to have five singles from the same album, launched her "california dreams" tour but professional success could not keep her personal life together and by the end of the year it crumbled. it was a whirlwind romance. they met at the mtv awards in 2009, engaged the same year, married the next. in 2011 it ended as quickly as it had begun. russell brand filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences. a year-end surprise for fans that believed in the couple's fairytale. >> these were two people who were very in love, very committed, for the time that they were together, and it unraveled very quickly. >> reporter: rumors had been

twirling for months that the marriage was off to a rocky start, despite brand's efforts to keep their lives private. >> the romantic element i keep private, between me and my lovely wife. >> reporter: in early november ellen degeneres asked them if they had split up. >> what! she should have told me. >> they never are in the same place at the same time. >> reporter: katy perry kicked off her "california dreams" tour. brand who starred in the remake of "arthur" had his own demanding shoot schedule. when they had a chance to take a break, they spent the holiday thousands of mild apart, brand back home in england with friends. perry took time off in hawaii, neither one was wearing their wedding ring. hollywood watchers spent the holidays speculating on what finally broke them apart. >> it's the age-old problem in the world of celebrity, one is

more successful than the other. russell did ride on katy's coattails when he hit hollywood. >> reporter: the two came from vastly different backgrounds, perry raised in california by strict evangelical christians, brand had a troubled childhood, raised in working class england by single parents. as a young adult he struggled with drugs, alcohol and sex but whatever the irreconcilable differences may have been the pair that thrilled their fans with a lightning fast fairytale romance have now become just the latest hollywood casualty. the celebrity gossip website tmz reports that brand filed the divorce papers because perry didn't want to overly upset her conservative parents. regardless, it must still be a very difficult time for everyone involved. peter? >> steph, thank you very much. hard to imagine that relationship working, where they're like never together. >> hard to start a marriage like

that. just ahead, five ways to make extra cash in the new year. is it fair to the kids, why childhood obesity is becoming a factor in a growing number of custody battles. there's no charge for the bag. thanks. i know a quiet little place where we can get some work done. there's a three-prong plug. i have club passes. [ male announcer ] now there's a mileage card that offers special perks on united, like a free checked bag, united club passes, and priority boarding. thanks. ♪ okay. what's your secret? ♪ [ male announcer ] the new united mileageplus explorer card. get it and you're in. united mileageplus explorer card. why se ttle united mileageplus explorer card. for a why se one-note cereal? ♪ more, more, more... get more with honey bunches of oats 4 nutritious grains come together for more taste, more healthy satisfaction. get more with honey bunches of oats. [ shark 1 ] uh, steve. [ shark 2 ] yeah, the guy.

with steve i tasted peanut butter and uh snickers. yeah, that's it! steve had just eaten snickers peanut butter squared. ohhhhh! steve was delicious. [ male announcer ] if you like peanut butter and chocolate, you'll love peanut butter and snickers. try snickers peanut butter squared. i had[ designer ]eeling enough of just covering up my moderate to severe you'll love peanut butter and snickers. plaque psoriasis. i decided enough is enough. ♪ [ spa lady ] i started enbrel. it's clinically proven to provide clearer skin. [ rv guy ] enbrel may not work for everyone -- and may not clear you completely, but for many, it gets skin clearer fast, within 2 months, and keeps it clearer up to 9 months. [ male announcer ] because enbrel suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal, events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b,

have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. if you've had enough, ask your dermatologist about enbrel.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. . >> time is 7:56. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> not a whole lot to complain about this morning. fire activity in annapolis at dogwood tree drive and summit drive, bay bridge wind warnings are in effect. something to keep in mind as you travel. looking good on the entire beltway. 83 checking in fine, too. 95 out of the northeast.

we will start at 50 at the severn river bridge. looking at a smooth start both east and westbound. sat down traffic, no delays all the way down to the beltway. tony has a check on your forecast. >> big changes coming up for us weather-wise. cold air is starting to work its way in. 34 at the airport. west winds at 9. gusting up to 24, 25. feels like it is in the 20's. forecast today, breezy and colder. there is a chance for snow flurries. most of the accumulating snow will stay out in western maryland. partly cloudy skies, temperatures between 36 and 41. tomorrow will be the coldest day of the stretch. i have only 29.

-- high of only 29. it will start to warm up a little bit by the time we hit the end of the week and beginning of the weekend. chance for rain on saturda

8:00 now on this monday morning, january 2nd, 2012. i just love saying 2012. i'm still getting used to it. hello to all of the fantastic folks who came out to cheer us on the first week of the new year at rockefeller plaza and last look at our beautiful tree. this say picture perfect tree, comes down by the way on saturday so folks enjoy it while you can, while you're here. i'm natalie morales along with peter alexander and matt and ann will be back tomorrow, after enjoying a little time off for the holiday. >> happy new year to you. >> did you make any resolutions?

>> yeah, i was walking out, had a doughnut for breakfast, two days deep and it was over. >> be thin, be healthier. still to come a sober be statistic. nearly one in five children in the u.s. are obese, and that's three times higher than the number back in 1980. now the issue is actually showing up in an unexpected area, child custody cases. the question is, should a child's diet influence who gets the kids after a divorce? is that fair? we're going to talk about it whereas the kid is caught in the middle of this as always. a question for a lot of people who probably have full plates. have you ever considered opening up like a store online or perhaps pet sitting as well? this morning we'll reveal five ways to earn extra cash in 2012. this stuff you don't have to leave home to do so it may help you out coming up. >> we could all use that. jenny mccarthy is here, we love her and here with one of

her favorite chefs, all about cooking healthy and based on the zodiac sign she helped ring in the year in a good way. wow, hello there. >> good way for the officer. >> she better explain what she was doing on new year's eve. getting a lot of attention. >> been some tweets about that. tamron hall is at the news desk with the latest headlines. good morning, everyone. mt. rainier national park in washington state is closed as tactical teams search for the gunman suspected of fatally shooting a park ranger, suspect is described as 24-year-old benjamin barnes, barnes is an iraq veteran said to have been suffering from post traumatic stress. he has survival skills and believed to be hiding in the woods. a person of interest is being questioned in a string of arson are fires in hollywood,

california. there were 12 more fires overnight adding up to more than 50 since december 30th. some of the fires spread to houses and apartments. so far no one has been hurt. what has been an unusually warm, dry winter is changing across much of the country. the weather channel's mike siedel is in dundirk, new jersey. >> reporter: it's a reality check for the eastern third of the country after a warm december and lack of snow kicked in. traverse city, michigan, it snowed yesterday, snowing now, whiteouts with winds gusting up to 40 miles an hour. in western new york, syracuse this time last year you shoveled six feet of snow. so far this season only seven inches. buffalo you've only had about four inches of snow. that's changing. the snow belts off ontario pick up as much as two feet of snow but most of us, it will not be about the snow. it will be the cold and the wind. tomorrow's highs, new york,

philly, boston will not get to freezing for the if, time this season and by wednesday morning maybe some patchy frost as far south as the suburbs of miami but good news, this is quick. it will be warming up by the end of the week. back to you. >> thank you, mike. hopefully it's in and out, thank you. on the last full day of campaigning before tuesday's iowa gop caucuses, mitt romney is trying to keep his narrow advantage and hold off a surging rick santorum. romney faces an unpredictable ron paul and winning over many undecided conservative voters in a state that burned him four years ago. his central argument is he's the best republican candidate to beat obama in november. now a quick roundup of what has you talking online, video of more than 100 blackbirds who fell dead to the ground on new year's eve in arkansas, this is the second year in a row this happened. the noise and light from fireworks are blamed.

music fans are googling ce lo green after he changed the ly c lyrics of john lennon's "imagine" he changed it to "all religions true." he meant no disrespect. he was singing about a world where everyone can believe what they want to. a hotel lockout on new year's eve, electronic room keys at a denver marriott malfunctioned when the transition came to the new year. some people got sick, others got into fights. all of the affected guests were comp.ed for their inconvenience. at least things will get better as the year progresses i hope. it is now 8:05, back to natalie and peter so it's uphill after you get locked out of your room. >> they were hurting. >> they were certainly hurting in the hallway, a lot of them looked like they could have used a little reprieve there. it got colder for sure but not as bad in the midwest.

stephanie abrams is in for al this morning. hey, steph. >> it's going to get colder here tomorrow. are you trying to figure out how to do your hair. does the cold weather help it stick up tighter? >> but it acts like a sail and blows me around. >> good point. let's have a look at where the weather is on the warm side, where al roker is located at the rose bowl parade, 81 degrees, mostly sunny skies. for the rest of the country, windy and chilly side. maybe

>> so peter what do you think, a little like that for you? >> i'll change it up, steph, we'll see what happens tomorrow. coming up, the latest on five ways to earn more cash in the year 2012. also ahead, why a growing number of parents are making childhood obesity an issue in custody disputes, the impact that can have on the kids, right after this. that's why at h&r block... you could get money that's both fast and free on an emerald card. just bring in your tax information and get a refund anticipation check... in 7-14 days, for up to $9,999. you pay nothing out of pocket. hurry. this offer ends february 4th. why pay for fast money when you can get it for free? call 1-800-hrblock to make an appointment. h&r block. never settle for less. mid grade dark roast forest fresh

full tank brain freeze cake donettes rolling hot dogs bag of ice anti-freeze wash and dry diesel self-serve fix a flat jumper cables 5% cashback right now, get 5% cashback at gas stations. it pays to discover. hey, i'm really glad we took this last minute trip me too. you booked our room right? not yet, thanks for reminding me. wait, what? fret not ma'lady. i have the hotels.com app so we can get a great deal even at the last minute. ah, well played sir. download the free hotels.com app and get exclusive mobile deals. hotels.com. be smart. book smart. to stay healthy. but did you know fiber choice can help support your overall well-being? every tasty tablet has prebiotic fiber from fruits and veggies... that lets your good bacteria thrive

and helps support your immune system. fiber choice. an easy way to defend your health everyday. learn more about prebiotics and get a free sample at fiberchoice.com. livi ng w ith the pain livi of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis... ...could mean living with joint damage. help stop the damage before it stops you... ...with humira. for many adults with moderate to severe ra,... ...humira's proven to help relieve pain and stop joint damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events can occur, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, blood, liver, and nervous system problems,... ...serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores.

you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. ask your rheumatologist how you can defend against... ...and help stop further joint damage with humira. is really my mother. they keep asking me if the dirty guy is really my son. huh -- what do you tell 'um? holy smokes, these viva towels really are tough, even when wet! [ mike ] for the record, that's my real father, cleaning up a real mess on a real grill. see? very impressive! you're a natural. oh that's much better... dad's got his tough mess, i've got mine. [ female announcer ] grab a roll and try it on your toughest mess. i think you got it.

back now at 8:11, childhood nutrition and obesity are getting a lot of attention, from school cafeterias to grocery stores and rightly so. should a child's weight and diet be used in custody disputes? nbc's john yang has the details. ♪ >> reporter: when conan angus filed for divorce from his wife in 15 years they couldn't agree on custody of their children, aged 10 and 6. conan argued they'd be better off in his rural home. >> it's a natural area, when they first moved out here, dad, we live on animal planet. >> reporter: he also provides the children with a healthier

diet. >> without trying to hurt anyone's feelings, i didn't think they were getting what they were supposed to before. >> reporter: the children's mother denied her husband's claim that he'd provide a healthy environment. she declined to be interviewed. a judge ordered a temporary arrangement, children live with their father during the school week and with their mother on weekends. angus's attorney says it's impossible to know what role nutrition played in the decision but said the issue is being raised more often. >> it will be becoming more and more involved in custody disputes. >> reporter: reflection of the growing concern over childhood obesity and diet. according to the centers for disease control, about 17% of children aged 19 and younger are obese. that's triple the rate in 1980. >> it's truly about the health and well-being of a child. is a parent taking that child and stuffing the child full of fast food? >> reporter: when awarding custody, judges have to decide

the best interests of the child, among the factors weighed, the home environment, the quality of the school, the child's wishes. analysts say nutrition should only be a deciding factor in extreme cases when the child is malnourished or grossly overweight. >> we don't want to say they can't have a cookie, we don't want to say they can't go out and have things that kids want. >> some liken it to the rise of arguments about secondhand cigarette smoke in custody cases about 20 years ago, another weapon for one parent to wield against the other as societies concerns evolved. >> coa noncustodial parent grab and make it an unfair weapon, sure. but in the end as we look at what's happening to our children, maybe it's a weapon that ought to be used. >> if it's in the best interests of the child. for "today," john yang, nbc news, antioch, illinois. >> wendy murphy, former

prosecutor and child advocate and gail saltz, editor. how often are we seeing weight and nutrition factor into the child custody disputes? >> more so now than ever before. it's likely courts have been reluctant to make judgments on what i would describe as deeply personal issues in the family. it's really about adequate food, adequate shelter, adequate shelter as they go into school, to pride too much further into what's on the dibnner table has been perceived in the law as a breach of family privacy but because obese nit childhood is growing as a major public health problem, we're seeing judges willing to take that extra step. >> gail, what do you think more and more often parents are going that route of claiming i'm betting off for my child, they're going to be healthier in my care? why is this happening in. >> emotionally, this is the

stuff that divorces are made of. when you feel rejected, when you feel lost, when you feel hurt, you want to justify and defend your position, you are the better parent, you are the better person. they're the bad person. it's okay if you split from them and unfortunately that comes to bear often in a custody case. you don't want to have to share your child. some may want to punish the other parent, and so this is potentially one more weapon which is unfortunate, because it goes together with eating, and -- >> it hurts the child psychologically, emotionally? >> exactly. you're talking about obesity, it's already stressful in a divorce situation and you add to that becoming about food and food potentially being a weapon you could instigate other eating programs, overeating or frankly undereating in an attempt to stay with the parent being threatened with this. >> this is a slippery slope for the courts, where you mentioned it is extremely personal. how do you really monitor what a

parent is giving to a child when it comes to nutrition or what kind of care they're giving? >> some of this is just not possible. you can look at a seemingly normal sized child, and not really know whether they're getting a healthy diet, and you know, certainly the most obvious sign of trouble is a severely obese child and you have to be careful not to let this become which parent has more money. often -- >> because this will definitely go that way, where people don't have access to the organic foods or they can't afford them. >> that's right, but courts are not allowed to side with the parent that has more wealth. to be fair, you really have to be sort of blind to who's got more money to provide that diet t we know that starchy, sugary foods are cheaper and those are the kids that tend to be obese. >> but those children would be pre-disposed to being overweight, they may need medical intervention which also may cost money or maybe a matter of education, more education about nutrition and about the kind of medical care that a

child who has a propensity toward obesity. >> what i like about this is that in a sense parents competing to be the better parent, may really ramp up their own skills in the kitchen, and i like the competition here. >> gail is shaking her head no. >> i don't. >> because you feel the child is caught in the middle? >> i feel the child is caught in the middle and every parent needs to aspire to become a good parent. when it becomes a competition the claws come out and parents need to be coming together for the betterment of the child, trying to mediate, have it be not -- >> i need them to cook healthy foods. >> not about going at each other's throats, i'm better than you. when it comes down to where the courts can intervene and how they're doing this, we have seen two high profile cases, kids were taken away from social services from their parents, morbidly obese, placed in temporary custody with other family members to see if that

makes a difference. when do the courts decide this is a case that deserves extreme measures? >> the cases we're comfortable with so far and can tolerate that encroachment into family privacy which is a constitutionally protected area. the cases that have been acceptable so far in the courts have been those where it's pretty apparent the child is both overweight and likely has other issues. >> so it's created a lot of outrage socially. >> that's right, it's hard on the child emotionally to go to school and be teased. we want the court to intervene. the government's intervention is likely to be good from the child from his physical health and emotional health, ability to get along with his peers and so forth. it's worth it. it's an intrusion into family privacy that's worth it. >> we have to leave it there. wendy murphy, gail salttz, than you so much. now here is peter. this morning on "today's money" earning extra cash in 2012. everybody would like more money

but how do you get it? sharon epperson is here with five things to boost your bank account. sharon, good morning. nice to see you. >> good morning, peter, happy new year. >> give us a sense of how does this work out. everybody would like a little extra money right now. how much cash are we talking about? >> you can earn a couple hundred dollars easily with some of the projects and some of these ideas that we have to earn extra cash in 2012. >> the challenge is everybody's overtaxed and overburdened with responsibility so where do you find the time for a part-time job? >> that's why the first place to start is to get a part-time job, a great resource is snagajob.com. the website offers postings for hourly jobs and usually pay about $10 to $11 an hour and a lot of jobs in retail, that was one of the biggest jobs you could get in 2011, particularly on the holiday season, that's still a good place to go, virtual call centers great place to go, travel agencies, and also direct selling companies like avon or something like that, all of those can be found on the

website like snagajob.com. >> start an online store. it seems intimidating. >> it seems intimidating because we think about the fact you have to have a business plan and the cash saved up to start your business. starting an online store does not have to take a lot of -- it has to take a lot of initiative on your part but not a lot of cash. do it through ebay or amazon. another site if you make jewelry and crafts you can put it on the side. etsy.com. >> that's good information as well. what commitment is it to start an online job like that? we've been at crafts fairs and created stuff. seems like this is a good alternative. >> it doesn't have to be that time consuming or financially up front that consuming. you have to have initiative and stick with it to see if it will pan out for you. you want to make that commitment to some of these things. >> a lot of people have hobbies,

they're good at making jewelry or like to do whatever else at home on the side when their kids are at school. the mini projects are a way to find jobs. >> fiverr.com, pay for getting help on facebook or maybe do a product review for someone and they'll pay you $5, you get actually $4 back after the payment process and a little bit of a fee and that's a way to get a couple of bucks. >> kids over the holidays, get a little cash to wrap gifts, clearly something i should have tried given up the way my gifts looked this time around. tutoring, looking for ways to help other kids, rather than going on an expensive tutoring service. >> i have small children so they're in elementary school. tutoring a lot of my moms are looking into but there's most twist on tutoring, teaching a course, they call themselves the

academy of youth, youtemy.com. maybe it's something you studied for a long time, you think your take is different than other professor, post the video and get paid for people taking that course. >> if you had an issue with your professor, your chance to play the role. >> exactly. >> how does it feel to be a teacher now? babysitting or petsitting are good alternatives. everybody is looking for a way that's affordable. >> great way to earn extra cash and if you love children and pets and sittercity.com is a large resource where you can post your picture and resume and get people to review you, put your references out there, a good way for people to check up on you. >> a lot of times we see a sign that says part-time work, money, money, money. this is a way to do it that's safe, respectable, you don't have to worry. >> you want to be wary for some

of the work from home e-mails or letters unsolicited. sometimes those are scams and you want to be careful of what you pick. >> sharon epperson happy new year. appreciate it. here's natalie. let's head to washington and check in with our good friend mr. willard scott. hey, willard. >> ahh, cookie, eggnog. i love fruit cake. am i the only one in the whole world who eats fruit cake? i love it. fo dorothy royal, from salemburg, 103 years old today, loves to listen to music and love to have it played on the piano and smucker's on toast, she loves it. i do, too. we have carol anderson of eden prair prairie, minnesota, 100 years old today, and remains a super health nut. loves sports and activities, and watching sports as well.

i guess she's got to be healthy, my lord, all that sports. elizabeth tatspaugh. i like that name. hyattsville, maryland, right there about four miles, anyway, 101 years old today. enjoys eating maryland crabcakes, and there are only a few places that make great crabcakes, almost all of them on the eastern shore. she enjoys that and so do i and she loves to read books and give them away to kids. that's a good idea. silvia robb of state college, pennsylvania, 101. loves to stay current, keeps up with everything in the news, especially politics. she's probably having a ball. opal carver, is that right? from new carlisle, ohio, 101

years old today, and enjoys spending time with her family, and credits her longevity to eating healthy, and working hard. not a bad combination at all. all righty, philomena dobek, from livonia, michigan, 103 years old today. has a vibrant personality, everybody is crazy about her, enthusiastic and the secret of longevity is eating garlic, every day. that will fix you up. keeps the enemy away. that's it. god bless. >> all right, thank you, willard. coming up, jenny mccarthy comes clean about her new year's kiss that has a lot of people talking, that's after your local news and weather.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. time for a final check on the morning commute with traffic pulse 11 and sarah caldwell. looks like a ghost town. >> that means a nice, it did not dealing with any delays. we will start in mount airy. some fire activity we are learning about. also in parkville, taylor ave, defective traffic lights. north side omoving well. wind warnings are in effect at the area bridges.

that includes the bay bridge. we will see what is going on at j.f.x. as you approach northern parkway. not seeing any delays in town. the idea of traffic at 295, southbound traffic at 175. delay-free ride to the capital beltway. tony has the forecast. >> we had a strong cold front go through last night. temperatures have been dropping all morning. we started early in the low 40's. it might recover a couple of degrees. we will be in the 30's for the rest of the day. forecasted a day, breezy and colder. even a chance for a few snow flurries. accumulating snow in far western maryland. early this afternoon, it kind of windy. tomorrow will be called it a high of only 29 on tuesday. maybe some snow flurries again.

down to 16 on wednesday morning. 33 in the afternoon. by saturday, we will make it close to 50. >> we will have another update at 8:55.

you feel that music? >> i like it. >> we're here live on the "today" show, 8:30 now on a monday morning, the 2nd day of january, 2012. 37 degrees outside but i think we would all agree in the heart of midtown manhattan it is a little colder today. it is going to be a lot colder, snow and rain in parts of the

northeast today and into tomorrow with a blast of arctic air rolling in. we'll have the forecast. coming up, a way to save money on your next flight. >> we all heard of frequent flyer programs. many accumulate miles. you may be surprised to learn there are deals based on the airports that you're using as well. we're going to tell you how you can take advantage of the frequent airport programs. >> all righty, and what is your size? >> gemini. >> i'm a proud leo. >> i'm a virgo. it's not just a pickup line from the 70s. chef to the stars and astrologer has brought along her biggest fan, jenny mccarthy and we have to ask jenny about that kiss she planted on a new york city police officer. i read she picked this guy randomly. he's the most popular person in his precinct, if not the whole police department.

look at her face, i love it. >> i didn't even get his him. >> i want to ask him about the kiss. ma marlo thomas will be here talking about her new broadway show. >> in a few weeks we're going to be celebrating turning 60, that's right, the 60th anniversary of "today," we want you to tell us how and where you've watched us through all these years, the more exotic the locale the better, share your stories, photos and videos on the website, today.com. you could be featured on our 60th anniversary special on january 13th. exciting. >> coming up fast. very cool. al taking a little holiday off. stephanie abrams in with the weather. >> and the cutest engagement story ever. show off your bling while the fiance tells us why. >> i proposed under the tree. >> was it perfect?

>> it was very early this morning but it was perfect. >> 6:30 in the morning but it doesn't matter. have a look, maybe you're going to do a proposing today of your own, if you like the snow, today is the day to do it around the great lakes. otherwise the sunshine throughout the southern half of the country and our forecast shows that cold air in chicago, guess what, headed our way into the northeast and

>> point it out there, girl. getting back, airline rewards. the next time you get on a plane, how do you save? we'll tell you about that but first this is "today" on nbc.

here's your sausage and pancakes, sweetie. thanks, mom. who are you calling "mom"? dunkin' sausage pancake bites, delicious like mom's, only easier to carry -- get three for $1.59.

♪ come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away ♪ this morning on "today's travel," airport perks. ever receive a gift card for traveling, free parking for taking a flight from nashville? welcome to the world of airport loyal programs where choosing the right runway can save you a bundle. sarah spaggonla from "travel & leisure" is here, good morning. >> good morning. >> what about the loyalty programs and where do i sign up? >> free programs offered to travelers who shop, dine or fly

out of a particular airport. it's a great way to earn frequent flyer miles, to support your local community going through a community art. >> you have good tips on taking advantage of the airport, focus on the small regional airports. why are they better than going to the grand big old airports? >> exactly. the small regional airports are offering the most innovative and unique programs. i have a couple great examples at outagamie airport offers you points which can be redeemed for travel oriented prizes, noise canceling earphones and universal travel adapter, at lafayette regional airport in southwest louisiana you can participate in their program and be offered discounts at local restaurants and shops, a great way to support the local community. >> love it. >> and lehigh valley airport preferred spots to help lure you away from the larger airports as

newark and philadelphia, about 80 miles away. a great way to find out, go on to the airport website or follow the airport on twitter and facebook. >> i love the sound of it, free ipods, groceries. look for the airports offering shopping and parking rewards. why? >> when they offer shopping and parking rewards, those are perks that are of great value to travelers and something you'll use. it's a great opportunity to save money. for example at pittsburgh international airport, frequent parkers are offered such perks as discounts on car wash, oil changes, car detailing so it's a great perk to come back to a nice clean car, at greater binghamton airport, traveler awards, programs that can offer frequent flyer miles and coupons for coffee and newspaper so for business travelers that's great to go out of southern new york and last but not least, low deal regional airport in alabama, traveler points can be applied to shuttle rides and discounts with travel agents if you're looking to take a more elaborate

trip down the road. >> the airport lounges can be expensive, they have a membership fee to join but you say that's one reward, you can also look into reaping as well? >> exactly. if you're looking to access an airport lounge, this is a great program to look at your airport, see if they can offer special perks. harrisburg international airport in pennsylvania, not only will your members offered access to the lounge itself but my favorite perk they're offered access to the front of the line at the security checkpoint so that saves time. >> huge. >> looking to get out quickly and easily. at north carolina's raleigh-durham, not only easy access in and out of all the garages at the airport but offered a day, a complimentary visit to the airport loupg to terminal one. >> there are specific programs you can sign up for that would help you maximize your reward potential as well. what are some of the sites? >> there's a company called thanks again, offered at 160 airports around the country. you sign up with your credit card and select the type of

frequent flyers, whether it's continental or united. you can spend at certain vendors at shops and restaurants, coming in and out of the parking at the airport itself and you can earn up to one mile for every dollar spent. a great thing is also at 11 of these airports including such large airports as portland international and newark this is an airport wide program. no matter where you use your credit card, at a shop, a restaurant, you're going to be earning miles across the board. >> the other thing you say to check out, i love the sound of this, check for international offers. i guess this is a trend of a loyalty program that started overseas, now catching on here as well, right? >> exactly. >> tell us how it works. >> there are a few international airports also using this type of program. its first is british airport authorities six airports including heath row. if you're part of their world points program, if you shop, you can earn points which can be applied to frequent flyers and virgin and it's a london based company such as burbery, links of london, great way to buy

great souvenirs and earn loyalty points. amsterdam, 15% off and in canada, abbott international airport a brand new called yxx rewards. when you shop you get points and they can be attributed to a ticket to an ice hockey game or round trip ticket on west jet. >> this is fantastic news. sarah spagnolo thank you for sharing the details with us. >> thank you. coming up next, marlo thomas

not give a little bit, give a little bit of your to me ♪ back at 8:43 with the lovely and talented marlo thomas, actress and supporter of st. jude. she's starring in "relatively speaking" a collection of one-act plays written by woody allen, alane mae.

she plays a role in "george is dead." >> forgive me, dori, but don't you listen? >> no, not really. i'm always stunned that people listen to each other's stories. it's like having someone give you their underwear to keep. you'll never use it. it doesn't fit. it just uses. you your space and you can't throw it out because it's in your drawer. >> i have no idea what you're talking about. >> neither do i. it was kind of in a metaphor but i got so bored in the middle of it, i just said anything. >> marlo thomas, good morning, nice to see you. >> thank you. >> you had two shows yesterday. >> we did. it certainly is, but it's fun. >> your character is narcissistic, and blond. >> her husband died three hours

ago and she's talking nonstop, unable to deal with what's happened. in anybody else's hands this would be a drama but this is hilarious. >> what are the lessons learned from doreen? >> i think what they really learn is that you have to go through a couple of stages to come out the other side and be okay when something big happens to you, and you also have to face it but mostly what they come away with is they're laughing like mad and it's not just alain. they're laughing at woody allen, and there's a huge ensemble cast. there's 15 of us. julie caben, steve martin, fabulous people. >> you're working with st. jude and you're playing people who face tough life circumstances, helping them. here you're playing that part. >> right. >> is humor the way to kind of deal with grief and adversity? >> humor is the way to deal with everything, marriage, getting up early in the morning, and

certainly what you want when you go to the theater. we have 1,100 people laughing hysterically at us eight times a week and i think they come because you can hear it. you can hear them as they're coming in. they've come to laugh. woody allen, alain mays and cohen, you know they'll have a good time and that's exciting to be a part of that experience. i've been in "who's afraid of virginia wolfe" and sad and serious plays. it's wonderful to be at an evening where everybody is coming and want to have a good time. >> talk about the adrenalin rush, when you hear the audience loving and laughing at every line. >> that's right. >> what does it feel like? >> it's a thrill and also it's a high wire act. we're like the flilgying woland out there. everybody has to make it work. that's excite being live theater. >> it's a series of one-act plays by the legendary writers, woody allen, alain may, edgar

cohen. >> everyone comes once a week to see their play to take out the improvements is what they call it. i'm very impressed with thative dedication to the work. they could all go do something else but still coming to be sure that their play is taken care of and i love that about all three of them. >> "relatively speaking" has been running for several months. what is next on your agenda? >> i want more "relatively speaking." i have a movie with miley cyrus and demi moore coming out in the spring. >> thanks very much and happy new year to you. >> happy new year. up next, healthy eating based on your sign of the zodiac with a chef to the stars and jenny mccarthy. first this is "today" on nbc.

-dad, why are you getting that? -that's my cereal. is there a prize in there? oh, there's a prize, all right. is it a robot? no. is it a jet plane? nope. is it a dinosaur? [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] inside every box of heart healthy cheerios are those great tasting little o's made from carefully selected oats

that can help lower cholesterol. stickers? uh-uh. a superhero? ♪ kinda. [ male announcer ] and we think that's the best prize of all. ♪ back now at 8:49 and this morning on "tooled's kitchen" with the stars, we're having lobster for capricorns. good morning. >> good morning. >> i got to ask you about this new year's kiss, jenny. did you even get this police

officer's name. >> no, and if he's out there, get a hold of me. he's really cute and sweet. >> lucky guy. did you have fun doing that? >> i loved that. i was grateful. speaking of the potential suitors out there, you wanted a man's man, you'd date bald guys. turn around, my crews are there waiting for to you pick your man's man. which one will it be. >> that is awesome! >> maybe you'll give one a chance at the end of the segment. >> maybe if you match up with my sign. >> absolutely. you're a leo? >> scorpio. >> i'm gemini. peter alexander was a leo. it el me how astroll gee combines with cooking. what is the belief behind that? >> astrology has been a passion since i was a teenager and i've

been cooking and it's been a dream to combine the two and because each sign rules a different part of the body i came up with this book for eight foods for each sign that promotes the health of that particular system. >> okay. >> so like you're gemini and gemini rules the lungs and gemini is ruled by mercury, the planet of communication. >> so i'm in the right end of work. >> right. >> what are we going to make for a gemini meal if lungs are the organ? >> cornmeal is loaded with antioxidant and zinc and magnesium, vitamin a, b and e, so it promotes lung health. >> we're making cornmeal pancakes. >> that's right. this is our baking powder, baking soda and salt. if you want to just dump that in. >> dump all that. how did you two get to know each other and why are you such a

huge fan? >> she cooked for me for the past i think ten years on vacation, and the first time she did, i ate her cooking and thought oh my god, this is really the best chef i've ever had. she also gave me a reading at the same time. >> you're also tarot.com. good reading. we've got this going, you've got milk and eggs in here and honey. >> a lot of antioxidant for the lungs. >> you have to have a lot for doing as much talking as you do. >> and chasing after the kids as well. >> these are bubbling already. should we flip them? >> i think so. meanwhile you two are scorpios. that's pretty golden. looks good. scorpios are ruled by what organ? >> reproductive or ggan.

>> i'll be making up with the nypd for the next few years. >> or any of these bald men here, take your pick, they're available. what are you making for the scorpios? >> we're mixing brown sugar into the sour cream and then -- >> voila! and the blueberry is more anti-oxidant. >> exactly. >> instead of syrup. >> would you like to try it? >> it's not my sign but can i still? >> absolutely. >> the naysayers who say that's bl baloney, astrology. >> aries rules the brain. if you want to boost brain power you can eat aries food. even if you're not a believer in

astrology you can still eat the foods. >> it's a healthy cookbook. >> it makes a boring cookbook way more entertaining. >> for the scorpios you're making apasparagasparagus, if y ruled by your sexual organ? >> asparagus was served in the middle ages to the bride and grooms for their wedding banquet to boost the libido. >> who knew? >> i don't think i need help in that area. >> clearly not but peter alexander walked in on cue. >> i was trying to have my head waxed really quickly but it's nice to see you. >> you can get a kiss. what sign are you? >> i'm a proud leo. >> leo. >> so what food would that be? >> leo rules the heart, and my book "lobster for leos." >> lobster guys. >> there you go. sounds like you've got a match

already. >> i usually come for the eating part. >> that's right, we'll drizzle just a little bit of truffle oil on there. >> this will boost your libido, peter. >> just putting it out there. >> you came at the perfect time, my friend. >> a bald cap for you. put it on. >> priorities are priorities. >> it is a fascinating read. i'm intrigued. peter, hotness. again the cookbook is called lobster for leos and cooking for capricorns. back after your local news and weather.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. a 26-year-old anne arundel county man tells detectives he was trying to get a drug man out of this house on new year's eve when he was stabbed. police identified the suspect as

26-year-old michael daniels. the victim is expected to make a it's the perfect time to find great deals on the 4g lte devices you love. like the droid bionic by motorola for $199.99.

or the pantech breakout for $49.99. our lowest price ever. get the technology you love, on the network you deserve. and for a limited time, get twice the data for the same low price. verizon. >> it is going to be a breezy and cold monday. temperatures in the 30's. it will feel like the 20's. even a slight chance for a few snow flurries. high temperature tomorrow, only 29. 29. >>