good morning. dead heat. mitt romney, ron paul and rick santorum running neck and neck and neck headed into today's iowa caucuses. this morning, mitt romney speaks out his chances of winning, criticism of president obama and why he can't seem to break free of some vo with some voters. >> you see there's a problem with connecting with certain parts of the electorate. locked up. 50 fires in just four days across los angeles, a suspected arsonist is locked up. and good samaritans jump into an icy river in utah to save three kids trapped in an

upside down car as it quickly filled with water. one of them shoots out a window. two of them join us tuesday. "today," january 3rd, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >> welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning. i'm ann curry. >> i'm matt lauer. it's been a long time. >> i know. >> everybody off on different vacations. so last year. 2012 nice to see you again. >> nice to see you again. the gang is all here and 2012 has a nice ring to it. >> hopefully good things will happen. seems like we've been talking about this day for a better part of a year. after months of campaigning, millions in political advertising and all kinds of debates, the first contest in the presidential debate is hours away. >> more than 100,000 caucusgoers

in iowa are expected to record their choices tonight. the candidates spent monday courting last-minute undecided voters and mitt romney is sounding confident about his chances in iowa and the general election if he should win the republican nomination. savannah guthrie caught up with him on monday. we'll get to her in a moment. peter alexander is in des moines with the latest. peter, good morning to you. >> reporter: matt good morning to you and ann. welcome back. happy new year to you. consider these statistics, 354 days of campaigning, more than 900 events between the candidates and more than $16 million in advertising spent in the state of iowa alone. it is finally decision day and iowa voters have been wooed by the candidates up until the last minute. rick santorum is feeling energized about his late surge. >> very encouraged by that and i think we have the momentum here. >> reporter: the former pennsylvania senator was greeted by a standing room only crowd

inside this coffee house monday. among those in attendance, reality tv stars the duggar family, 12 of their 19 children in tow there to endorse the social conservativconservative. later in a highly emotional moment he spoke about the family's decision to take their son, baby gabriel home, hours after having died prematurely. after fox commentator alan holmes called it crazy. >> i'm saying i think it shows a certain unusual attitude taking a two-hour baby home to die. >> you playing that issue -- >> he's coming home so our children get -- and to some who don't recognize the dignity of your life, recognizing the humanity of your son is somehow weird, somehow odd, and should be subject to ridicule. >> meanwhile, mitt romney told an chuck crowd ofñi about 500 supporters he's expecting a good night as well.

>> we're going to win this thing with all of our passion and strength and do everything we can to get this campaign on the right track to go across the nation. >> reporter: facing plummeting support, newt gingrich lowered expectations. >> i don't think i'm going to win. i think if you look at the numbers i think that volume of negativity has done enough damage. >> thank you, sir, you bet. >> reporter: and rick perry is struggling to break from the conservative pack, comparing the election year to a marathon. >> at mile 21 you kind of start hitting that wall a little bit and we'll see who is still running at mile 21. >> reporter: michele bachmann is counting an divine intervention. >> i believe in a miracle on tuesday night. >> reporter: ron paul along son rand paul made his final push. >> we may well send a message heard not just throughout iowa, but throughout this country, and believe it or not, it could be heard throughout the world.

>> reporter: that fox news commentator alan combes late ear poll gilesed for a hurtful comment and santorum accepted the apology. today's weather is expected to hit a high of roughly 38 degrees here in des moines. >> peter, thank you. savannah guthrie spoke with the gop front-runner mitt romney on the eve of the caucuses, savannah, good morning. >> good morning to you, ann. even romney advisers did not expect to be here six months ago at the top of the polls, in fact, after disappointment four years ago they didn't spend nearly the time or resources. but with iowa social conservatives split over all the other choices it's romney who is benefiting. spending a fraction of the time and money he did four years ago, mitt romney is poised to finish strong in the state that once rejected him. does it strike you as ironic? >> we built a lot of strength

last time around, built a lot of friendships that have been helpful to me this time and i'm pleased we'll probably do pretty well and have the send-off we need for a long campaign season. >> reporter: a late-surging rick santorum is trying to convince conserbives he not romney is the real thing. he said don't settle for anything less than true conserve of it. i'm bold colors. not pale pastel. >> i congratulate rick, he's worked hard in iowa, good guy, i appreciated the fact he supported me for my last campaign for the presidency. >> he said that was a political decision. >> i'm not sure what that means if we're talking about bold and pastels, what a political decision is, but i appreciated his support nonetheless. >> former speaker gingrich claimed a new term that he'd been romney boated, third water groups not connected to you in any way have run a barrage of

ads in iowa. do you approve of what you're doing? >> there's a lot of heat in the campaign kitchen. i know the speaker's angry. i don't know why but myager is focused on president obama's failures of putting people back to work. >> reporter: romney's top spot is unexpected. social conservatives spent the summer and fall searching for any alternative to romney. here you are in the waning days of the caucus, and you're polling 25%. you got 25% in 2008 so it's as though people do know you, they're getting to know you and yet you can't break that threshold. >> if i get 25%, if that turns out to be the case that will most likely be the highest number so win something just fine. i'm not predicting a win. maybe i get 20%, someone else gets 25%. >> the large e point, do you really not see any problem in your campaign? you're a form her consultant so you can diagnose problems. do you know there's not a

problem in connecting with a certain part of the electorate? >> if i'm able to do well and perhaps better than anybody else that's success to me. this president has not been a success. it's failure. >> reporter: romney has ever sharper attack lines on the president. talking about president obama seems the primary argument you make against him is that he lacked experience when he took office, in terms of national security experience, what would you cite to say that you are prepared to be commander in chief. >> i've worked in multiple countries around the world competing in american businesses to make them successful. >> how is that national security experience? >> let me continue. in addition i worked in the olympics and at the olympics i negotiated with people around the world. i have not led the department of defense. no one is commander in chief until they're commander in chief. president obama wasn't commander in chief until he had that experience. >> on the one hand you're saying president obama fails because he lacked experience, yet you

acknowledge okay i don't have the exact national security requirements to be commander in chief but that's okay because i'll get it once i'm on the job. >> president obama failed because he'd never been a leader anywhere. he never led in the state senate. he never led in the u.s. senate. never led an enterprise of any kind. his lack of experience is not just a lack of experience in foreign policy, it's a lack of experience as a leader. >> you're certainly running on your business experience, a life in business but what is the last significant business accomplishment you could point to, something recent? >> i can tell you the things i've done throughout my business career. >> but something recent. >> now why would i only have to do something in the last year to make it significant? i reject the premise of the question. my business career has included helping lead a consulting firm as its chief executive at a time of great difficulty, turning that around. >> one thing you said recently about santorum and gingrich, they're career politicians but some people say mitt romney,

he's been running for president for about the last five years or so. >> and i think the others that you mentioned have been in politics for what, 30 years, 40 years. there's five years versus 40 years. >> ever present on the trail, members of romney's family who help to humanize the candidate. who here calls him cheap in. >> all of us. i think it's a character we need in the white house to be honest, the kind of guy knocking on my shower taking a ten-minute shower, time to get out. that's the guy i want in the white house right now. >> your sons say that you're cheap, most people don't take as a compliment. >> i grew up in a family where if you were wise with the dollar that was a good thing. >> there are people that don't know you. here is an opportunity to tell us something that most people don't know about you. >> i'm just an ordinary guy. i never thought i'd be doing this. i spent my life in business,

raised a family but found myself backing into a setting where i could run for the presidency of the united states. >> it's clear romney advisers feel good not just about where they are on the polls but who is at the top of the polls with them. the fact is they don't really fear santorum, they don't fear ron paul. the real threat would have been gingrich or perry for the moment they feel have been neutralized. back to you. >> interesting stuff, savannah guthrie in iowa this morning, thanks very much. let's get more from david gregory, moderator of "meet the press" and chuck todd, our chief white house correspondent, good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> good morning, matt. >> david, we talked about mitt romney not concentrating on iowa, here he sits at the 11th hour perhaps on the verge of a victory there. how big would it be in terms of momentum and confidence, moving forward? >> very big. look, he's a weak front-runner. he's been that for a long time. if he has an opportunity to win

here, after setting expectations low, after being criticized by governor branstedt of iowa, we'll see if he can get above the 25% but it puts him in good stead in new hampshire where he's well ahead right now. >> and chuck, rick santorum has made up enormous ground, is this traditional the 11th hour staunch conservative tends to rise toward the top? >> in the last two major republican nominating contests, two of the last three that's exactly what happened, mike huckabee surged in the last two weeks and overtook then mitt romney, pat buchanan against bob dole in 1996, bob dole a weak front-runner, same position mitt romney was in. buchanan emerged in the same way and santorum has done it in the way candidates in the past,

connect on the personal level on the ground in iowa. at this moment it still seems like he's on an up-trajectory and romney has kind of flat lined. >> david, circulating in the papers in the last couple of days, why does iowa matter so much? relatively speaking, about 100,000 people are going to take part in these caucuses and yet the way we talk about it, it makes or breaks a campaign. why? >> well because it is a campaign here that can eliminate some folks. it may not be the case this time. i was at an event in iowa, mind a couple, had two kids about my kids' age, there's something terrific about that. a group of people in iowa who engage seriously and thoughtfully and normally you don't have to have big money politics to compete and win here. that's what's been disappointing, you had nearly $17 million in advertising, most of it negative on the air waves

that made it seem like big time primary politics but normally this is a place that if it's got to start somewhere it's a serious place to start. >> i don't know if either of you is sitting on a fence but get off it. the last question, chuck, one, two, three, what are we going to be talking about tomorrow morning, the finish order? >> i think it's a coin flip between mitt romney and rick santorum and depends on turnout. if this is a values electorate, more concerned about social issues and the economy, more concerned about connecting on a gut level, that's good for santorum. if it's a high turnout, above the record turnout from four years ago, that is solely focused on beating president obama, then mitt romney will have a good night. the guy that's sitting in number three no matter what happens is probably ron paul. >> david, how do they finish, one, two, three? >> romney withed into turnout, good weather, more moderates caucusing, in a pretty good position but he comes out well,

even if he doesn't beat santorum and if paul is in the mix somewhere, it's not seen that act necessarily follows on the road. >> david gregory and chuck todd, thanks very much. busy day ahead. good luck. >> thanks, matt. >> thanks. >> we'll have complete results from the iowa caucuses tomorrow morning right here on "today." it's 15 after the hour. here's ann. to los angeles where a suspect is under arrest in connection with a series of arson fires. there were more than 50 in all, over four straight nights leading to millions of dollars in property damage. nbc's mike taibbi is in north hollywood with the latest on this story. mike, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. pick a word, frustrated, frightened, even terrorized, the folks in the apparently targeted neighborhoods have been feeling all that night after night. the suspect was reeled in. it was amazing good luck and quick response by firefighters that kept car fires like these,

many scorched adjacent buildings where thousands lived and slept from leading to multiple tragedies. by late monday the man believed to be the sole arsonist for all of it had been formally charged. >> around 3:00 a.m. harry burkhardt was charged with one count of arson, of an inhabited dwelling and currently being held out bail. we expect as the investigation continues he will face additional charges. >> here's how authorities say at rest came out. a business surveillance camera caught this video of a white man, pony tail, receding hairline and the police released the video. a member of the public called and said he knew who the suspect was, harry burkhardt, a german national driving a canadian registered van. that information was circulated immediately to the huge task force working the case. >> literally thousands of law

enforcement officials had the information when they needed to have it and that's what led to this arrest. >> who made the traffic stop near sunset boulevard that ended with burkhardt under arrest? a volunteer deputy sheriff named shervin lahe willezare. >> thank you to the two officers who backed me up, as soon as i put on my lights and initiated a traffic stop of the suspect vehicle, i had an lapd vehicle behind me. >> one of the last fires waking eric jones of north hollywood. >> i smelled smoke, i'm like holy moses my place is on fire. >> reporter: last of the fire was extinguished, no deaths or injuries from any of them, the man allegedly responsible was off the streets. >> our long four-day nightmare is over. i haven't had a good night's sleep since last week and i'm

looking forward to one tonight. >> reporter: asked to the motive, no official word yet but there have been reports that burkhardt had been in an escalating dispute with immigration officials over the deportation status of his mother, that's only a report that came out unfoofficially at this point. >> to be continued. mike taibbi thank you so much. let's get a check of the rest of the stories making headlines this morning. natalie is at the news desk, back there after a while off. >> thank you, and good morning everyone. the remains of a woman discovered at the royal sandringham estate has questions of murder. a local dog walker discovered the body there on new year's day, just two miles from the estate's main residence where the entire royal family, including prince william and catherine, spent christmas. a manhunt for the iraq war veteran suspected of fatally

shooting a mt. rainier park ranger ended. benjamin colton barnes was found dead, surrounded by snowbanks. it appears he succumbed to the elements after he fled after shooting four people at a seattle house party and later killing ranger margaret anderson. police are guarding a major islamic cultural center in new york city after it was fire bombed over the weekend. several other properties were also fire bombed, including a hindu worship center, private home and corner store. one of at tacks was caught on tape, a person seen hurling a lit object that burst into flames when it hit the home. new york police are investigating whether or not the attacks are hate crimes. bp is suing hall burton for $20 billion in damages caused by the gulf of mexico oil spill, seeking cleanup and lost profits and all damages resulting from

the deepwater horizon blowout. the explosion killed 11 workers and sent more than 4 million barrels of oil spewing into the gulf. major lake-effect snows are battering parts of southwest michigan and indiana and another six inches of accumulation could be on the way today. dozens of accidents are blamed on the near white-out conditions and major roads had to be shut down in indianapolis for several hours and al will have more in his weather. the mighty oregon ducks won their first rose bowl victory in 95 years monday night, trouncing wisconsin 45-38, in the highest scoring rose bowl game ever played, and deanthony thomas was the star, scoring a 64-yard touchdown, he's going, he's going and he's still going, incredible record breaking 91-yard touchdown. ann curricy proud oregon duck. >> she has been quacking all morning. >> i'll just wear the jersey.

one of the reasons why i don't have a voice left because i was screaming so loudly at the tv. thanks so much. >> green uniforms, you can't see them. >> nor the helmets you see yourself. >> we've got a turn for the cold. >> we're talking about some chilly air and in fact it's going to be pretty cold in iowa. temperatures at 9:00 a.m., sioux city, 18, 15. as we get to the afternoon, folks going to caucus later on in the day, temperatures will be in the mid to upper 30s. windchills though will make it feel a little chillier but those folks in iowa are tough, they can handle it. >> good morning.ing le another breezy and cold day today. wind chills in the low 20's. there will be a chance

>> and that's your latest weather, ann? >> al, thanks. just ahead, good samaritans rescue three young children trapped in a car after an icy river in utah, one of them using his gun to shoot out a window to reach the children. we'll share their life-saving story, but first this is "today" on nbc.

just ahead, "today's professionals" back to weigh in on hot topics. >> after your local news. i wouldn't do that. get married?

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>> 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. maryland is remembering william polk carey this morning. he passed away sunday at the age of 81. he reportedly donated $40 million to the university of maryland law school and another $50 million to johns hopkins university to discuss the school of business. let's check on the morning

commute. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> we are looking at a return to reality, and those delays on the west side. 15 miles per hour approaching 795 down to edmondson. if you are putting on a out of the doubt to security, we are checking on an accident there. monumental ave at hammonds ferry, water main break. we are experiencing icy conditions because of the temperatures where they are. 32 miles per hour on southbound 95 out of the northeast. slow go from yorktown to middletown road. delays in place from white marsh down to the 895 split. we will switch to a life of the accident scene. again, off to the left shoulder, but making the right in little bit heavier on the west side outer loop. tony, over to you. >> breezy and cold today.

temperatures are standing in the 20's to 30 degrees. not going to move much as we head to the afternoon. wind chills are in the upper teens and low 20s. that is what you want to address the kids for. mixture of the clouds, showers and flurries. high temperature between 20 and 33. we will make it down into the midteens tomorrow morning. 34 in the afternoon. back into the 40's on thursday and friday.

7:30 now on a tuesday morning, january 3rd, 2012, the first business day of the brand new year, a cold one across much of the country as we gaze at all the people starting the morning out here in rockefeller plaza. some people are extending the holiday a little bit, happy about that. inside studio 1a i'm matt lauer along with ann curry. nicholas evans who wrote "the horse whisperer" thought he was feeding his family a tasty sidedish, left his wife and

brother-in-law in need of kidney transplants. has the tiger mom gone soft? amy chu wrote a book that sparked a huge controversy. now one of her daughters is at college and you may be surprised how amy is handling the transition. "today's professionals" are searching from quiet to constantly plugged in world to legos targeted to girls that might fall across the line of sexism. >> they always have something to say those three. we begin with a horrible accident in utah that could have been a new year's tragedy, if it weren't for the kindness of strangers. first janet shamlian has more. >> reporter: this was a terrible accident on new year's eve in utah that could have easily ended in the death of three

small children had it not been for a small team of strangers. together they literally waded into danger and in the process putting their own lives at risk. at the time even they thought these kids might not make it yet they fought for those children's lives and they won. the icy logan river on new year's eve was well on its way to becoming a frigid liquid tomb to three young children after the car they were riding in skidded off the road, slid ten feet down an embankment and landed upside down in the bitterly cold water. >> the first thought was, so this is how it ends, which is kind of, you know, not a good thought. this very easily could have been, you know, a funeral for four of us. >> reporter: roger anderson was able to free himself but the children, his 4-year-old son baylor, 9-year-old daughter mia

and her friend 9-year-old kenya wildman were trapped inside. it was a moment and seconds the difference between life and death. >> i was gone in a second. i was completely off the road and then sliding down the embankment, within a second the entire cabin of the vehicle was full of water. >> reporter: and just as quickly, anderson says, help appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. >> these people that were there at the scene, without hesitation, they just did what they had to do. and that for our family, made all the difference. >> reporter: his own two children were by now floating lifeless in the river water that was filling the car, little baylor still strapped into his child seat. kenya had found an air pocket but she couldn't get out of her seat belt. the men tried opening the car windows or another door but the water was rising and nothing would move.

then one of them, chris willden, pulled out his handgun and shot out a window. the group of strangers turned rescuers pulled the kids from the car, passing them up the icy riverbank where others performed life-saving cpr. almost against the odds, all three children would live to see the new year. >> it was greater than just the physical hands and the hearts, it was something more divine that went on that day. >> reporter: two families and three children who are doing just fine today, thanks to a random act of kindness, and courage. >> i love them. i will be forever grateful. they are my heroes in every sense of the word. really. they are the reason i have my children. >> reporter: the children are doing great. they were released from the hospital early monday. they spent the rest of the day enjoying what was their last day of holiday vacation, in fact one family member said they are more traumatized by the fact they have to go back to school today

than anything that happened on the river on new year's eve. ann, back to you. >> janet shamlian, thank you. chris and bruce willden, two of the rescuers joining us, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> chris, you were first on the scene. can you explain how not one, not four, not six but at least eight people voluntarily ran down that embankment to help rescue these kids, knowing the risks. >> i honestly i can't say why people did what they did. i just know that there were kids in harm's way and a lot of volunteers came out of the woodwork to help get the tids out of the river. >> the clock was ticking. as a former police officer you knew what to do. how did you know shooting the bullet to break it open was not going to hurt the kids? >> i had actually fired handguns underwater previous. i had a pretty good idea on the

trajectory, what the bullet would do from that caliber. i pulled out my handgun, pushed the firearm as far down in the riverbed, when it stopped i knew i was at the top where the door frame and window joined, straight up and down. if the bullet went through the window it would travel two, three inches before it lodged up inside the roof of the vehicle. >> bruce your son also had the knife needed to break open the seat belts. how proud were you watching your son in action? >> chris has always been one who has been prepared, like he always says, he never leaves the house, but what he doesn't have, these three items with him, a firearm, and a knife and a portable flashlight, portable, in his pocket. >> you saw two of the children brought out lifeless, and this could have gone so much a different way. so how was it hard not to be

emotional when you realized that those two children would survive? >> i think at first when i noticed the little girl honestly i thought she was a doll floating upside down. after that, real ooilszed there's other lives in there, you press on, get as many people out as you can. >> right, but as i understand it, you were being treated for some cuts on your arms when you could hear people screaming because they were so relieved that the kids were fine. were you emotional at that point? >> i wasn't emotional until we got home. i think finally after the adrenalin dropped, that's when reality kind of set in. >> when you add it all up, that a bunch of good samaritans, including a former police officer, including an expert in cpr, would all arrive at the same time, how stunning is that for you, bruce, to see how this all unfolded? >> until things started to wind down, you just, we didn't

realize how many people were there and how many people were involved, the people taking the children up onto the bank and wrapping them, bundling them in blankets and coats, and placing them in warm vehicles. it was just a surreal situation. we're just very grateful it turned out the way it did. >> and the parents have called you and the others heroes. when you, how do you think you will look back on this experience as a measure of saving these children as a measure of your lives? >> i'm just glad the kids are okay. how is it going to affect our lives down the road? i don't know. i was happy to receive a phone call from one of the parents yesterday, just very grateful we managed to get one of his children out of the vehicle, so, i'm just glad that everybody's okay and the kids were released yesterday. >> well we're really glad for people like you, chris and bruce willden, thank you so much for what you've done and also for

joining us this morning and our best to you. >> thank you. >> happy to be here. and now let's get a check of the weather from al. >> ann, thanks so much. we have it on good authority you're 40 and you're fabulous. >> it's my birthday. >> what is your name? >> amy. >> happy birthday. >> thank you. >> we are looking at chilly conditions, 13 chicago for a high, current temperature 70 in nashville. atlanta 22 degrees, windchills bring them down to the single digits, feels like zero in minneapolis, 40 in tampa. lake-effect snow around the great lakes, snow from cleveland, syracuse, buffalo, snowfall amounts from five to eight inches of snow around syracuse and the snow extends all the way down into west virginia. that's what's going on in the country. here's what's >> good morning. a mixture of sun and clouds. there will be a chance for some snow showers or flurries.

>> and that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thank you. coming up next the real life and death drama facing a best selling author after he accidentally fed his family wild and poisonous mushrooms, right after this. ase. [ announcer ] to do a job well, you need the right tools. [ thuds ] that's not gonna work. so if you're filing your taxes online, make sure you pick the best software available... with h&r block at home. nobody knows taxes like h&r block. we guarantee no other tax software... will get you more money back. file for free with the very best tool for the job at hrblock.com. h&r block. never settle for less.

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back now, 7:43, with "curious medicine." a popular author's brush with poisonous mushroom that nearly killed him and his wife. nbc's keith miller has the details. >> reporter: telling a gut-wrenching story is what nick evans does as a novelest. the author of the best selling "horse whisperer" wrote millions writing family drama. >> come over here and sit next to me. >> reporter: three years ago his family's life took a dramatic turn and he became a character right out of one of his books. >> it was a beautiful day. >> reporter: he'd gone for an idyllic walk in the beautiful scottish countryside and picked wild mushrooms, later served them for dinner, sauteed with butter and parsley with his wife

and in-laws. >> very, very sick and saw it said deadly poisonous. >> reporter: legal web capped mushrooms, the mushrooms almost killed him. >> it was the thought of my children that kept me alive actually. i'd much rather have been dead. >> reporter: your deal sounds much like your novels, guilt, redemption, got a bit of tragedy. >> it was a big journey, and to begin with, we were really lucky to survive this, you know, these mushrooms that we ate should have killed us. >> reporter: the poison led to kidney failure, dialysis is the only thing that kept them alive. evan's daughter lauren, now 29, offered her kidney but he refused. >> i just thought i can't do this, because your every instinct as a parent is to protect your child from any kind of risk.

>> i understood it was a very difficult decision for dad. >> reporter: as his health failed and options running out, evans this summer finally accepted a transplant from lauren. she calls sometimes to ask how her kidney is doing. >> it's something that's unspoken really between us, you know. it's too much to say thank you for. it's too much to really talk about it, but i think quietly it's bonded us in a way that is deeper than we could have ever imagined. >> reporter: but like an evans novel, there are twists to this tale. his wife, charlotte, and her brother, are still waiting for transplants. kidney dialysis two times a week keeps charlotte alive. >> how was it? >> hard, i came off feeling dizzy and weird. >> left their young son with some scary memories. >> they put a plastic tube into your neck. >> yes, it was pretty grim. >> we looked like zombies. >> the experience, says evans,

is too raw to work into a new novel. >> one day maybe, keith, maybe. >> reporter: the family has set up a charity, give a kidney, one's enough, to help others suffering from kidney failure. along with the guilt and pain, evans says he's also discovered humanity and generosity, and a family bond now unbreakable. as a father, he says -- >> she has given me my life back. >> reporter: as a novelist, he says i've taken extreme research to rather extreme degrees. keith miller, nbc news, england. >> the health battles didn't keep evans from writing his latest book called "the brave" and it's now out in paperbook -- paperback, excuse me. just ahead "today's professionals" weigh in on the hottest headlines and trends. but first these messages.

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cool. it's crazy, right but you know, on the other hand, though my son when i said to my 6-year-old son we're going to go to india. he goes "on christmas, mom, are you kidding me, really?" after the therapy, which will probably happen over a couple of years i think he'll be happy we did it. what about you? >> hung out in our house, did the rose bowl parade. >> a day later. >> because they never held it on sunday because they don't want to disrupt church services. >> cool. >> great weather. >> fantastic. >> what about you guys? >> went home to see my family in west palm beach. chamber of commerce weather. >> matty? >> i went to a petting zoo and saw a llama, different from the one you saw and a happy meal at mcdonald's and we were home. >> oh, come on! the tiger mom, after your local news.

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. this >> is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> definitely a return to normal, as we see the volume- related delays into place. 12 miles per hour in this area. delays stretch back to mountain road. if you want to hand out at pulaski highway and hillen road, we have a disabled vehicle. if you want to travel on the north side, delays in place. reisterstown all the way down to edmondson, the exit is gone on the out approaching security.

accident -- has gone on the outer loop approaching security. water main break it hammonds ferry paid icy conditions as a result. harrisburg expressway, a little bit of snow on the grassy median and shoulder. a life ofch to traffic in security. we're moving a lot better at this point. definitely seeing some heavy delays on the west side. tony has a check on your forecast. >> we have scattered snow showers and flurries. most of us will not see that, especially south of town. winds are still gusting close to 20. wind chills are running in the teens and 20s. we will call it a mixture of sunshine and clouds today, with

a chance for snow showers and flurries. down to tomorrow morning. 34 in the afternoon. 34 in the afternoon.

8:00 now on this tuesday morning, it's the 3rd day of january, 2012. a lot of nice people outside at our rockefeller plaza, saying hello to families back home. it is 39 degrees out here so we're all a bit chilly but smiling. i'm ann curry along with matt lauer and al roker. coming up we'll get to "today's professionals." >> they're back after a holiday break and they're all geared up to tackle the hot trends and topics of the day, including these, a controversial psa campaign in georgia set to target childhood obesity, we'll weigh in on that, also a perk being offered by an airline to first class travelers, and i'm

curious to hear their thoughts on. also coming up this morning, we're going to, you may remember a year ago this month, a book came out, "the battle hymn of the tiger mom" that set off a firestorm, the author, amy chua talked about her strict parenting style, a lot of people very angry about it. we'll catch up with her on what's happened since. >> all right. and how many people overindulged a little during the holidays? yeah, okay. well, if you want to get back on track, we've got seven steps for you to get your diet back and get to a healthy lifestyle. >> okay, just in time. all right. inside, natalie is by at the news desk with the headlines. >> good morning, matt, ann and al and everyone. white house dreams could be on the line for tonight's caucuses, the polls suggest former massachusetts governor mitt romney is in a race too close to call with former pennsylvania senator rick

santorum and congressman ron paul of texas. the president arrived this morning in washington after his hawaiian vacation. he'll host a live web chat with his supporters in iowa this evening. the man suspected of setting more than 50 car fires in the los angeles area has been identified as a german national, 24-year-old harry burkhart was arrested and held without bail. people said he resembled a person of interest seen on a video. an expert investigating small earthquakes in northeastern ohio says they were probably caused by a waste water disposal well from the fracing industry. in fracing water sand are forced underground. the liquid waste is disposed of in a similar fashion. look at wall street for the first trading day of 2012. cnbc's mary thompson standing by at the fork new york stock exchange. off to a good start there?

>> natalie, trader also start the new year much as they finish the old year. traders will be watching for any signs of progress on dealing with the region's debt crisis. u.s. companies may not be spending a lot on new hires, but higher rates aren't stopping firms from advertising during the super bowl. all of the games' 30-second ads going for $3.5 million each have been sold. the game airs on february 5th, right here on nbc. natalie, back to you. >> good to know they've made their money. thanks so much, mary thompson. for a look at "what's trending today" just days after launching his first twitter account, rupert murdoch suffered a slip of a tweet, he offended followers with a message that said "maybe brits have too many holidays for a broke country." his wife, wendy, fires back, rupert, delete tweet! which he quickly did. officials in japan say a new

way of silence apps for smartphones is behind a voiz ri voyeurism. it can put innocent looking text messages on the screen, while the peeping toms snap away. the queen of soul has found her king. arena franklin is the top search on yahoo! and google after announcing she is now engaged to long time companion willie wilkerson. she says the wedding will likely take place this summer in miami and the 69-year-old ads, no, i'm not pregnant. it is now 8:04 right now. let's go back outside to ann. always has a sense of humor. >> great sense of humor. what a party that will be. congratulations to aretha franklin. a check of the morning weather with al. >> congratulations to the queen of soul. we love that. emma and wawa, which one is emma and which one is wawa?

hi wawa, hi emma. welcome to our fair city. let's show you what's happening today. lubbock, texas, sunny, breezy, 64 degrees. their high school band was in the rose bowl yesterday. lake-effect snow around the great lakes, some areas may pick up five to six inches of snow especially in the new york state. rain moves back into the pacific northwest, sunny but cool through the southeast, a high today of only in the 30s in atlanta, they're worried about the citrus crop down in florida. high surf advisories along the southern california coast and windy conditions through the plains. >> good morning. another breezy and cold day today. wind chills in the low 20's. there will be a chance fo

>> and that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thank you so much. coming up next, "today's professionals." but first these messages. -pound i can even ask a tax expert by phone or chat, for free, which helps me know it's done right and get my maximum refund, guaranteed. man: get free, one-on-one, expert tax advice. go to turbotax.com.

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♪ and i'll be taking care of business ♪ back at 8:09, for the first time in 2012 time to check in with "today's professionals," star jones, danny deutsche and dr. nancy snyderman. happy new year. >> happy new year. >> the iowa caucuses held tonight. we'll come on tomorrow and say this made or broke all kinds of political campaigns. do we put too much emphasis on this one contest? >> no, because it allows you at the dinner table to talk about politics. i have a 17-year-old who will vote for its first time next year and explains the process of why it's important. >> like the starting gun, like bam! we're off to the races. >> i got two words for you, mike

huckabee, two other words, pat buchanan. america's biggest audience participation reality show. i'm going to say whoever wins we're going to bring somebody else in. >> i think we may it's make or break for a candidate. >> not at all. >> instant gratification. >> it's he not make or break. i want people invested in the process. >> we've gone from bachmann to perry, da, da, da, da, whoever wins tonight the audience will say i want another contestant. >> let's move on, down in georgia they're trying to combat an epidemic of child obesity for 1 million children in that state are overweight or obese. they're starting an interesting psa campaign actually continuing it, let's look at a tape. >> i don't like going to school because all the other kids pick on me. it hurts my feelings. >> so here's the message, it's not about health problems with

children being overweight, it's saying they're going to be ridiculed. effective? >> i think that's one of the worst ads i've ever seen. obviously, star, no, let's say there's a child at home who is overweight and they feel great about themselves, you're putting them into you shouldn't feel good. >> being a fat learn i lied to everybody when i told you oh, i feel so great. i didn't feel great. i couldn't walk. so when you're obese you can't walk. you cannot breathe. you are weighing down your limbs. >> if i had a child that's overweight at this point and they are loving life and obviously it's my job to get them nutritional -- >> are they overweight or obese? >> the difference is does it change anything and the answer is no. those ads will not change anything. >> a parent might be more attentive to the health needs of a child? >> no. and i have never been as depressed about a health care problem as i am about the obesity issue in the united states. i think we have a chance of bet getting an anti-cancer vaccine.

this is going to kill us as a nation. >> families have to talk about it honestly. it's like race. >> i think that ad hits a dangerous spot. i did this for a living. i'm telling you, there's a child looking at that ad feeling bad about themselves. >> you may feel something but i lived it. >> sometimes it's best to leave things up in the air like this time. we just went through christmas, and i would say probably the most popular items for gifts for christmas, electronic gadgets, the smartphones and the tablets, everything that connects us in the world, and yet when you look at one of the trends for 2012, and the "new york times" covered this twice in the last couple of days, it's quiet, unplugging. why the contradiction in terms? >> one of the most dangerous things is that children are too connected. i think -- >> and adults. >> and adults but particularly for children. there's no time for creativity, no time for them to figure out on their own what to do.

as a parent one of the biggest jobs we have in the coming generation is making sure our kids are not plugged too much. you've got to teach your child how to get unplugged. >> we've taken a big step back in our family, a huge step back from being plugged in to the point of pushing kids outside and quiet time and interacting, a lot of art. i have to say i think this is a necessary rebound from being too plugged in. >> nancy, is there a physical need for quiet and is there emotional need for quiet? >> a huge mind/body connection for restoring your brain and the health of your body, when you are so plugged in all the time, your stress chemicals are just surging through your body, hurts your heart, hurts your lungs. it's too much being intense. >> i think quiet is for the spirit, like sleeping is for the body. it just re-vitalizes you, recharges your -- >> it ends up being a learned skill again though because kids are so connected now. you end up deprogramming them. >> the side of the industry it will create is the whole industry of escape, hotels that

allow you no we don't have internet connections, we don't have wide screen tvs, places where you can get away. how do you market quiet? >> you market quiet exactly the way i said it, basically you can't do your child a disservice of taking away the ability to create, to think, to be on their own as individuals, versus being plugged in. >> who laid with legos for a kid? i loved legos. they have a brand new line of products marketed specifically to girls. some argue it's sexist and stereo typical. the lady legos work in places like beauty salons, cupcake factories and vet offices. >> they give you little electric mixers and brushes and combs and purses. >> you're down on this. >> when you're a little girl you want to build bridges also. you want to put them on top of each other. >> buy the architectural legos. >> which is the way my 3-year-old goddaughter does, she

has the architectural one. >> these are perfectly okay. the reality is there is a gender difference. girls like playing with girl things and you're still constructing things. if the cup take girl can still do calculus i have no issue. >> i took my little girls to a craft studio where you paint and draw. they picked the cupcakes and the things, they were still learning to draw but they were doing it their way. having said that, though, what i do have a problem is when you separate 50 most powerful businesswomen, the more we separate men and women that's keeping the distinction. >> it was typically acknowledged as a toy for boys. 9% of the american girls are building. the lego friends line is a result of four years of global research to attract girls to build. >> architecture and math and design. >> give them alternatives for goodness sake. >> but there's no law that says they can't go to the store and buy the frank lloyd wright line.

>> they put the legos in the girls section. >> girls like princesses and things like that. >> and will there be parents who buy this for their boys? >> that's probably not going to happen. let's have fun, i'm browsing a website last night, singapore airlines, singapore airlines has a new perk for their first class travelers. how's this, okay, if you are a couple traveling together, you can book those two center seats that recline completely, they will remove the center divider right there and they will make a double bed. now, does anyone else here think singapore airlines will get a whole lot more than they barg n bargained for? >> that is sexy beyond belief. >> there are other people around you. >> can it fit three? [ laughter ] >> there's not enough oxygen masks in the area. >> don't you think people are going to try to stretch the envelope there? >> they do already. absolutely.

>> the mile-high club, i've been in the bathrooms. >> this is a double bed, donny. >> there's a little partition that goes up. >> but there's noise. noise. >> you have to be quiet. >> i can see in your eye you like this. >> i like it as a topic but is this going to turn flight attendants into chaperones, are they going to have to walk over and go are you just spooning under that duve? what's going on? >> they put a partition on the side. >> look at the picture quickly. it doesn't go up all the way. see the guy standing there, you can look in that. >> take a test drive. let's do it. >> let's all go to singapore airlines and see what we can do. >> we'll all cuddle. >> finally we'll end on this. steve johnson who is a receiver for the buffalo bills, found himself benched and his team penalized 15 yards after scoring a touchdown in sunday's game, johnson lifted his jersey, a guy who has had a history of showing off in the end zone but lifted

his jersey and under it he had a t-shirt on that said "happy new year." should that be against the rules? >> yes. >> no. >> slippery slope. the next guy pulls up and says "buy nike sneakers. "? >> how is it different than tebowing? he's saying happy new year. >> this guy has been put on notice by his coach. he got a 15 yard penalty, it penalized the bills and helped the patriots and anything that helps the patriots gets on my nerve, absolutely. >> let's end it there. you guys are good with a little vacation behind you. that's good. >> we're practicing down here, i took two women and just went like this. >> let's go over to ann. >> matt, thank you so much. one of the most controversial figures of 2011 was not a politician or a celebrity, but a mom. amy chua ignited a firestorm

sharing the surprising details of her strict parenting methods in the book "battle hymn of the tiger mother." now it's out in paperback. >> good morning, thank you for having me. >> you've been pounded with criticism in the one year the book was released you described as i just mentioned the extreme methods of parenting in which some people might say you actually berated your children into excelling. if you had to do it over again, would you write this same book? >> i think i would. you know, i'm -- the book is a memoir, and you know, i made a lot of mistakes. i have some regrets but if i had to do it all over again i would raise my kids the same way. in other words i'm a proud, strict mom, incredibly proud of the girls i raised. you say extreme parenting but it's interesting, if you think about it, this kind of "tiger" parenting is not that different from america's founders and

pioneers. i don't think it's berating or violent. it's strength rather than weak innocence our children and helping them to be the best they can be. >> how bad did it get. >> the first two months were pretty terrible. the internet is scary, just there was so much stuff out there. i would say 99% by people who had not read the book so i felt like i was trying to defend something that i hadn't written and also at tacks on my children were the cruelest, people were writing about two girls they had never met saying oh, these girls are definitely going to be mentally ill and commit suicide, but my girls were amazing. they took it better than i did. >> one even wrote in "the new york post" an essay to defend you. but i was surprised that you are surprised, that people responded so neglectively, because you do in this book while you do talk about a lot of different things you do in this book admit to calling your kids lazy and

self-indulgent and pathetic, to motivate them. so why are you surprised the public would react negatively to that kind of parenting? >> i think it's weird to pick out a few little lines from the book without reading the whole thing. >> do you regret saying those words? >> yes, to my kids, the book exposes some of my own worst moments as a mom and anybody who has had a teenager they all say things we wish we could take back but i don't think that's the center of the book. for me it's not about, that's not what tiger parenting is about. for me it's about basically teaching your kids that they are capable of so much more than they think they are and not letting them give up, and to pick out words like "lazy," i want to say the flipside is so many american parents or western parents, myself included, were afraid, were afraid if we say something our kids will not like us, and i don't think -- >> or they won't be happy. it's not about them not liking us.

it's about wanting them to not be emotionally damaged. would you be surprised if your children don't, would you be surprised if your children do seek counseling given the response people have, they're concerned about how difficult it might be? >> maybe. my kids right now are thriving. when the book first came out i thought oh my gosh is my family going to fall apart because i wrote this book. it was the opposite. my oldest daughter wrote an op. ed, and started a blog. but she's light-hearted and mischievous and took it very well. my younger daughter got me on facebook, she went, looked through the internet for the few nice comments that were, texted it to me and said mommy, some people support you. they're very strong girls actually and i think that's part of the whole idea. it's really about instilling inner strength, like deep strength and confidence, and i do think that if you just tell your child, you're great, you're perfect, all the time, at some point they're going to go out into the real world and it's

going to be a shock when they fail at something or they make a mistake. >> and now sophia is at harvard in college and you have been writing about your hands-off style. you wrote in the "wall street journal" about how you forgot to attend her parents weekend. is that a joke? did you really do that? really? >> well, she's two hours away and i can't believe i'm saying this but i love texting so we're very close. i kind of know what's going on, and i think the key point here is that people ask me, are you all over here as a college student and i was saying no, it's exactly the opposite. you know, ann, i feel like my job is done. what people miss is this strict parenting is really all about very early child rearing. instilling a sense of focus and discipline and work ethic in the kids when they're really young so they can go off and be bold, independent, daring kids who can live their own lives. >> the paperback is now out, amy chua thank you for joining us once again and again the book is called "battle hymn of the tiger

mother." here's matt. >> ann, thank you very much. let's check in with our good friend willard scott. hey, willard. >> well i guess the presents are scattered and broken and santa won't be back for one more year, son of a gun. happy birthday from smucker's, always a pleasure. take a look at a hand some, beautiful lady, albina micna of seymour, it etexas, 104, plays bingo, secret to longevity, eats a pickle every day. gladys williams, bakersfield, california, 100 years old, lives alone and still drives her own car, it's a humvee. nobody messes with gladys. wonderful baker, everybody loves her goodies and ettie williams, shelbyville, tennessee, 101 years old, an excellent cook,

believes you should eat anything you want. god bless you, and you'll live forever. she's right. florence majors, long beach, california, is 108, enjoys drinking a cup of coffee every morning and a cup of coffee every night, and believes that the good lord has let her live this long. myrt myrtle schnarre, from washington, montana, 102 years old. loves to sew and make homemade pies. i like to eat homemade pies. olar scott, belton, south carolina, 102, enjoys music and loves to sing and hear spiritual music and that's all from washington at this time. >> willard, thanks. how to boost your will power, after your local news.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get a final check on the morning commute with traffic pulse 11 and sarah caldwell. >> still dealing with heavy delays on 95 in the southbound direction out of the northeast from mountain road all the way down to white marsh. prior to white marsh southbound, we have an accident. to the side, but definitely impacting your right in that direction.

now carmel, watch for a crash at there. goucher boulevard and taylor avenue, we have a bus involved in an accident. heavy delays on the west side. looking at a slowdown southbound 795 out of the owings mills area. on j.f.x. south of the beltway to coldspring. we will start with the harrisburg expressway to mount carmel. there is snow in the media and on the shoulders. ruxton road, south of ruxton come into the city, looking at southbound delays on j.f.x. county has a check on your forecast -- tony as a check under forecast. >> we have at snow showers scattered around. they could cut the ground in some spots. 27 in randallstown. temperatures are not going to move much today. we still have winds to contend with. wind chills will be in the low

20s. actual high temperatures between 28 and 33. it will be call tonight. down to 16 tomorrow morning. 34 and it afternoon. >> we will have another update at 8:55. [ female announcer ] what would you call an ordinary breakfast pastry that's been wrapped in a flaky crust stuffed with a gooey center toasted up all golden brown then given a delicious design? a toaster strudel. pillsbury toaster strudel. so delicious...so fun. here's a better idea... pillsbury grands! flaky layers biscuits. in just 15 minutes, the light delicate layers add a layer of warmth to your next dinner. pillsbury grands! dinner ideas made easy.

we are back now, 8:30 on a tuesday morning, it's the 3rd day of january, 2012 and our crowd is bundled up with good reason. we've got 27 degrees here in new york city, so it's the chilliest morning we've had in a very long time. it's clearly the chilliest morning of the new year and it's going to warm up in the 30s, right? >> and it's going to really drop tomorrow. >> something to look forward to.

the gang is back together, i'm matt lauer along with ann curry. al roker and natalie morales, and how are your new year's resolutions going so far? >> if your wish is to get thin or fix your finances, clean your house, what you need is willpower and you know what? there's actually a way we're told that you can boost your will power so find out how coming up. >> remember what you guys were doing when you were 11 years old. >> yes. >> yes. sticking my finger in my nose probably. >> more than we needed to know. coming up, meet an up and coming rock band made up of sixth graders who are already performing in some of the hottest clubs and stadiums around. >> impressive, guitar playing. also we'll teach you seven ways to take back control of your diet, now that all of that holly gorging is over with. >> another way to get back in shape is hire this man over here, dabed quince from "the

biggest loser." nice to see you. >> nice to see you. >> you took the ranch by storm and you've been training for a long time. were you surprised at how big a challenge it was to get these people to lose weight? >> actually i was, only because you know, the mind-set is where you really have to ta. into, psychologically everyone who is at that stage in their life they have so much doubt, so my job is to help them lose that doubt and also them help them lose weight. >> i hate to mention this dolvett, last season bob harper and his contestants did a better job at losing weight. >> "i hate to mention." >> but what i'm asking, is there going to be a throw-down this coming season? >> do you know who won the finale by chance? >> oh! >> ooh! >> so what are we looking at with season 13? >> they come in as contestants, mother and daughter, grandma and

granddaughter, but then they compete against each other so they thought they were coming in as a team but no, they're definitely on their own, no excuses. >> i can't imagine that goes over too well with some of the contestants. >> no, you should see their faces. it's going to be fun to watch. >> you are clearly inspired. i can see it in your eyes, something about this to appeals personally to you deeply. >> i love transforming. i look at myself as a trainer, i look at myself as a transformer. that means mentally, physically, emotionally, whatever that means. >> you are the bumblebee of weight loss. >> i love it. >> good luck with season 13. great to have you here. >> pleasure to be here. >> catch "the biggest loser" season premiere tonight 8:00, 7:00 central time, where is that, on nbc. >> thank you very much. >> get a check of the weather, mr. roker. >> funny, funny stuff. >> not so much really, but thank you for saying that, i appreciate that. like you didn't want to mention the dolphin.

as far as today is earned can, snow showers, lake-effect snow around the great lakes, rain in the pacific northwest, plenty of sunshine to the southwest. it's going to be chilly in the southeast. tomorrow we've got more lake-effect snow, the eastern great lakes generally frigid conditions, northeastern new england heavy rain moves into the pacific northwest with windy conditions, sunny and warm through the southwest, some showers through the big island of hawaii, and plenty of sunshine in the beautiful state of alaska. that's what's goina. >> good morning. a mixture of sun and clouds. there will be a chance for some snow showers or flurries.

>> don't forget check your weather any time of the day or not. weather.com. how to harness the power of willpower. we'll get to the bottom of that. first this is "today" on nbc.

hi papa! >> hi dad! >> hi! >> we're back now at 8:37, third day of the new year and some of you are probably already struggling with your resolutions. in a moment tips on how to boost your willpower to accomplish your goals. first a closer look at what willpower really is. ♪ maybe your willpower challenge is hanging in a shop window. >> the girl in the green scarf. >> or maybe it's a cigarette. >> don't worry, dr. murphy, just one, that's all. >> for perhaps your temptation looks like something else

entirely. whatever it is we're trying to do or not to it's our willpower that gets us there or lets us down. according to stanford university lecturer kelly mcgonigle most people have the wrong idea of how willpower works. >> i define it as whatever it takes to get to what you want. >> it was something you fought against. i felt like people had more that were inwardly stronger people. >> jennifer jakum took the science of willpower course and says learning about the biochemical basis of desire helped her overcome an eating problem. >> when you have an eating disorder, when you have something you're struggling with you do sometimes very much feel like you're alone in it but when you understand the science behind it you realize i'm not alone in this. we're all dealing with it in our own way. >> if beating ourselves up worked we wouldn't necessarily be having these kinds of discussions. >> monica hanson, another former student says her biggest willpower challenge is learn how

to say no and stop taking on more obligations than she can handle. >> another key idea in the course that willpower is like a muscle and we can learn to strengthen that muscle but that willpower muscle can also become fatigued. >> but what can we do to build up those mental muscles? mcgonigal says even a few breaths can go a long way to making our best instincts become second nature and kelly mcgoniglle author of "the willpower instinct: how self-control works, why it matters and what you can do to get more of it." good morning, happy new year. am i born with a certain amount of willpower, some people born with more than others? >> willpower is a strength that we all have. no matter how much you think you have, you can always strengthen it. >> what surprised me over the

years, certain times of my life and certain times of the year i tend to have more than at other times. >> one of the things that weakens willpower is stress. if you're stressed out, busy or overwhelmed it's harder to find the willpower you need. >> let's talk about the ways you can boost it. we heard the young lady in the piece and you said this is like a muscle, you can strengthen it and thes first thing you say that's important is get sleep. >> yes. get at least six hours of sleep. >> so i'm going to say no to that cake tomorrow morning if i have more sleep tonight than if i have less sleep. >> surprisingly the studies show less than six hours of sleep a night the brain has a harder time resisting temptation and staying focused and actually equivalent to being a little bit drunk which is not great for self-control. >> and then the next tip i think would follow logically, and that is if you have something big to tackle that's going to require a lot of willpower, tackle that early in the day as opposed to later in the day. >> absolutely. you can think of willpower as a

battery being charged by sleep but it drains throughout the day as you spend it. if you have a resolution it makes sense to schedule it when you have a lot of willpower. >> the next, it's important to have a willpower role model. >> yes. >> so what that takes us to is, it's really important who you hang out with. >> absolutely. you can catch good habits and bad habits. >> like a bug? >> yes but you can also catch self-control. if you have a friend who quits smoking or loses weight you can catch their self-control. >> if you're having a difficult time with will power, dieting, cigarettes, something like that, you may have to break off a friendship if that person in some ways is contributing to your lack of willpower. >> maybe, but i also think if you can surround yourself with people who share your goals, find one ally who can support you that's the most important thing is to find that role model. >> what do you find is the thing people complain about most when it comes to trying to harness

their willpower? >> everyone thinks that they don't have any, first of all, which isn't true and people often feel like they have to use their willpower to do things they don't really want to do. one of the most important things is reframe. >> we've done diet segments, given advice to people said treat yourself, splurge every once in a while. when you're dealing with temptation and there's something in front of you, is it ever in your opinion a good thing to actually give in to temptation? >> absolutely. you have to prioritize your willpower. it's not an unlimited strength, and so sometimes it's really important to give in, to say yes instead of no and save your willpower for things that are most important to you. >> kelly mcgonigal thank you very much. the book is "the will power instinct." up next the 11-year-olds taking the music industry by storm, meet the youngest rock band in the world, but first, this is "today" on nbc.

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♪ hey now, you're an all star, get your game on, go play ♪ coming up on 8:45, we're back with the rock band from northern california, making a big name for itself, and it's the only thing unique, nbc's miguel almaguer introduces us to haunted by heroes. ♪ >> reporter: their sound may be larger than life, but the rockers themselves are pretty small. ♪ hxh, haunted by heroes are dubbed the youngest rock band in the world. the san francisco bay area boys are old enough to rock the stage, but still years away from being able to drive to their own show. >> they're like dude, how old are you? we're 11. still rockin'. ♪ >> reporter: the group of five,

including twins nick and chris, geddy brandon and charlie have been jamming together for years. the brand first became friends at day care. >> it was one summer day. ♪ my sister said why don't you start a band. >> reporter: with a few years of practice -- ♪ -- haunted by heroes has taken their success from the garage to center stage. ♪ >> when you first see the audience, it gets pretty scary. >> reporter: whether it's candlestick park at san francisco or whiskey a-go-go on the sunset strip they've played some of rock's most popular ven sues. >> the first time we came down the stairs, we're like we're about to touch legends, get ready. >> and now we're the legends. >> reporter: haunted by heroes might be pint-sized rock stars

but also normal regular kids. this year they started the sixth grade, their first year in junior high. and when they're not playing or practicing, we'll find the boys studying. their parents make sure they're better students than rockers. >> school is really important, so is practice. you can't become a huge rock star without good grades. >> it's all about scheduling and, you know, making sure they're in bed at the time they need to go to bed. >> reporter: but from time to time, haunted by heroes has been known to break curfew. ♪ after all, when the lights come on after dark, the band is just getting started. >> rock on! >> rock on! >> rock on! >> go with your dreams. >> reporter: kid rockers who hope to one day become living legends. for "today," miguel almaguer, nbc news, pacifica, california. [ cheers and applause ] >> by the way the band says their name is a reference to any hero who does good things and

inspires others to do the same. up next, seven ways to take back your diet, after a holiday season of overeating. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on "eat smart today" a post holiday diet do-over. you may be feeling stuffed after weeks of overeating,

overdrinking and just plain overindulging. it's a new year and a new slate and time to take back your diet. we've got nutritionist cynthia sash, contributor to "shape" magazine with some tips to enhusband. >> good morning. happy new year. >> happy new year. >> you are like the cavalry just arriving just in time and you say these tricks can over the course of a year actually save us some calories, maybe even cause us to lose weight. >> definitely lose weight in the same way you can stick with these, they're not going to fizzle out in a couple of weeks like the fad diets will. >> some of the tricks, seven of them are surprising. the first one we've heard before, to eat a good breakfast and what constitutes in your mind a good breakfast? >> this is all about a high protein breakfast. a recent study found compared to less protein a higher protein breakfast led to reduced hunger, and it naturally led to eating less later in the day which is really key because a lot of us overeat at night, we're watching

tv. if you start with a high protein breakfast, include something with ten grams of protein. we have organic versions of non-fat greek yogurt and egg whites and on the go options like soy nuts and this is jerky you can take with you. >> mmm. >> turkey jerky and salmon jerky. combine with fresh fruits, whole grains, heart healthy fats and nuts and you're good to go. >> i skip breakfast all the time, i know that's a no-no. i know, oh no. no more skipping of breakfast. drinking lots of water, this is an eight ounce glass of water and we need eight to ten of those. >> we do, here's the thing about water. this is going to optimize your metaboli metabolism. some researchers show it helps you eat less and gives you quick relief after that overeating because water flushes out water revention so it debloats your body. >> debloats you, okay, enough said. >> get things moving in the digestive system to relieve

constipation, eating too many sweets that can happen. think 16 ounces per meal. >> let's move on from constipation to why are -- we've heard before that soda should not be a go to. >> that's right. >> you have a visual example. >> it snowballs. the average american drinks about one and a half cans a day and 12 teaspoons of sugar per can adds up to 28 two-pound boxes of sugar in a year's time. trade the soda for the water you get better results. >> good news, don't cut out the carbs all together. >> it's too difficult for a lot of people to do. cutting out carbs can cause you to burn the protein in your fuel, not available to support your muscle mass. we don't want to lose that benefit of the protein. we're eating way too many refined carbohydrates and not nearly enough vegetables. we want to trade those proportions. if you normally sit down to a cup and a half of pasta, reduce the pasta to a half a cup,

preferably whole grain and add in something like spaghetti squash or other cooked vegetables. this is spaghetti squash mixed with a half a cup of pasta, still the same sized portion. you don't skimp out on your meal, but you reduce your intake of carbohydrate by the equivalent of three slices of bread and you get more fiber, more anti-oxidants, more ne nutrie nutrients. make that simple swap. >> and let's move over here. there's some interesting ideas here. you also say we should eat more garlic. i myself love garlic. >> i do, too. >> obviously it has a negative side effect. >> lots of positives, though. >> what do you have here? >> black garlic. one of my favorite things on the planet. a new animal study found when they fed mice a fattening diet, plumped them up for eight weeks and give them the diet with garlic added the garlic fed mice weighed less, less body fat, increase in metabolism and better blood and liver values. >> do we know why? >> we don't but if you want to

try something different this is aged at high heat for 30 days, makes it sweet and spreadable, twice the antioxidant as raw garlic. spread it on crackers. i have a simple salad dressing, the recipe is on my blog at shape.com on the weight loss blog. it helps blood pressure and boost immunity and may help you lose weight. ve veganize your meals. meat eaters have the highest body weights for their height, vegans the lowest and vegetarian and semivegetarians in between. add things like beans, avocado on your toast instead of butter or ranch dressing, try tahini sauce. >> a few seconds left. >> the chocolate. >> one piece of chocolate a day, a little piece will help you lose weight. i love that tip. >> curbs craving for sweet and salty. >> thank you so much.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. the 13-year-old boy becomes the first shooting victim of the year. the boy was shot at the 500 block of oakland avenue sunday evening. he was rushed to hospital, suffering a gunshot wounds to

the hand, arm, and chest. back in a mi

>> it is going to be another breezy and cold today. there is even a chance for snow showers and flurries. high temperatures in the upper 20's and low 30's. teens tomorrow morning. >> we will have another weather update at 9:25.