good morning. decision day. polls already open in new hampshire this morning for today's presidential primary as frontrunner mitt romney faces criticism from his opponents for saying he likes being able to fire people. this morning john huntsman reacts and joints us for a live interview. unexpected departure. president obama's chief of staff suddenly resigns. why did he leave and was the president surprised by the announcement? and greatest creation. jay-z raps about the birth of his first child with beyonce and reveals for the first time their struggles to have a baby. ♪ last time the miscarriage was so tragic. we was afraid you'd disappear ♪ ♪ but i don't, baby you're

magic. today, tuesday, january 10, magic. today, tuesday, january 10, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning. uh i'm ann curry. >> i'm matt lauer. let's go from new york city to a live picture of a polling place in bedford s, new hampshire. we have early results -- a few, but some results. >> that's right. nine voters in the tiny town of dixville notch have made their votes. mitt romney and john huntsman tied. a trend the former governor hopes to see throughout the day. we'll talk to them ahead. >> also ahead, new details on a colorado couple seriously injured by a bomb that was hidden inside a paper bag and

left by their car. the ex-husband of one of the victims has been named a person of interest in that case. we'll fill you in on that. >> uh imagine spending thousands of dollars to rent the vacation home of your dreams only to find out it's not for rent. it was a scam. coming up, the results of an investigation. >> also, it's tuesday. today's professionals join us to tackle a lot of hot topics including the young lady we met on monday, a high school senior who wanted to use this photo as her official yearbook portrait. we asked you to weigh in as well. our website was flooded with responses. more than 220,000 of you shared your opinions. our most popular vote ever on today.com. we'll have the results for you. let's begin in new hampshire with the presidential primary there. savannah guthrie is in manchester. good morning, savannah. >> reporter: good morning, matt. mitt romney has a double digit advantage in the polls here.

the other candidates fear an early sweep of iowa and then new hampshire would make him unstoppable. so the attacks are intensifying and striking at romney's business experience. romney touts his experience as a ceo. now his rivals are trying to portray him as the kind of guy that would fire you. >> thank you. bye-bye. >> what do you say, did you get her? >> she said she's with me. >> reporter: in a mad dash of 11th hour campaigning that turned into chaos in one case. >> there is a lot of congestion. >> reporter: republican candidates monday piled on the frontrunner, mitt romney, who provided a huge opening, discussing poor service he perceived in the past from insurance companies. >> uh i like being able to fire people who provide services to me. you know, if someone doesn't give me the good service i need i want to get somebody else to provide that service to me. >> reporter: romney's opponents were quick to pounce. >> governor romney enjoys firing

people. i enjoy creating jobs. >> reporter: rick perry's website had a custom ringtone. >> i like being able to fire people. >> reporter: born into a wealthy family romney raised eyebrows for saying he worried in his life about losing his job. >> there were a couple of times i wondered whether i was going to get a pink slip. >> reporter: perry delivered a blistering retort, ripping romney's tenure at the head of bane capital. >> i have no doubt he worried about pink slips -- whether he would have enough to hand out because of all the jobs they killed. i'm sure he was worried he'd run out of pink slips. >> everything go to the people. >> reporter: and a super pac supporting newt gingrich plans to air a 30-minute film on mitt romney's experience. >> a story of greed, playing for a quick buck.

a group of corporate raiders led by mitt romney, more ruthless than wall street. >> reporter: are you feeling momentum now? >> i'm feeling energy on the ground. >> reporter: john huntsman who bet it all on a strong showing here was eager to go on the attack. >> if you like to fire people combine it with pink slips -- >> reporter: do you think he's out of touch or a flawed messenger? >> i think the combination of some of those messages would strike a lot of americans as being not in contact. and would not encourage a lot of voters, i don't think. >> reporter: not every candidate took the bait. >> do you think that's a legitimate line of attack. >> i'm not taking shots at him for that. capitalism is constructive as well as destructive. i think he's got a lot more about his record as governor to talk about than his record at

bane capital. >> reporter: romney tried to brush off the criticism. >> i understand in politics people will take it out of context, make it something it's not. i have to be an adult and recognize it goes with the territory. >> reporter: this morning the democratic national committee is using romney's statement without context in a web ad. with romney so far ahead in the polls it may be a race for second place. on the other hand new hampshire is known for surprises. four years ago remember then senator obama was pulling far ahead of hillary clinton. she came back and won the primary, ann. >> savannah, thank you. former utah governor john huntsman is also in manchester. good morning to you. >> ann, it's a pleasure being with you. this may be a harbinger of the race. >> let's talk about that. congratulations are in order. you're rising to three in the latest new hampshire poll. you have been endorsed by the boston globe which is in mitt

romney's home state. that said, having skipped iowa to concentrate on new hampshire why are you not doing even better? >> we started in new hampshire at zero. we are moving up with each passing hour. let's see what the results are tonight, but i can tell you this. if we can move out of new hampshire with a head of steam we'll prove the issue of electability. that's the one thing on the minds of voters in south carolina and beyond. if you can prove that point, fund-raising improve. we must beat the marketplace expectations. >> beyond how well you do in new hampshire, in a race that's often won by the loudest, sharpest voices, how has your being relatively quiet in this race shown you to be electable, not only against the other republicans but also against barack obama? >> well, in order to beat barack obama, the bottom line is you've got to convince people who voted for barack obama last time to vote for you. that's the mathematical reality.

we have taken a message to people in new hampshire. we have republicans, independents and democrats. the message of tackling the economic deficit and this trust deficit. we've got people coming to us as supporters from all over the spectrum. that's what's going to prove electability. you have to have math in your favor to beat barack obama longer term. that means you have to reach beyond the republican party to get it done. >> let's look at the math. right now according to polls you're ahead of -- behind romney by 20 points. behind paul by at least 7 points. gingrich is nipping at your heels. if you don't come in the top three in new hampshire are you out of the race? >> i don't want to play the expectation game. all i can tell you is new hampshire downtoesn't like to b told for whom to vote. i have a sneaking suspicious tonight may be a replay of new hampshire, stepping up and upending conventional wisdom. >> you talked about resourcese.

some of your supporters say if you don't prevail it will be because of lack of resources. why as the son of one of the richest families in america have you gotten to the point where your campaign could falter because of a lack of money? >> well, the campaign isn't going to falter. i think having a well-to-do family member has nothing to do with it. we believe in giving to charities and humanitarian causes. politics isn't a charitable cause. you earn it the old-fashioned way. voters will respond. the traditional funders of campaigns will respond, too. they want a winner. tonight i think we'll prove that we have the staying power and we've got the ability to bring this thing home from an electability standpoint. uh i think that will change the financial dynamic in ways that will be positive. >> those are fighting words. i should ask you about something in the washington post, a column that suggests that 2012 is a dry run, in your mind, for to 16.

i -- 2016. is it? >> i don't think in terms of long-term political calculations. the issues on the stump are 2012 issues. they can't wait for 2016. i care about this country. i uh'm passionate about taking the message out. 2012 is the year for e me. i don't spend time thinking beyond that. >> all right. governor john huntsman, thank you very much for joining us. >> thank you. >> it's 7:10. here's matt. >> thank you very much. david gregory and chuck todd are in new hampshire. good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. >> good morning. >> chuck, it seemed governor huntsman contradicted himself. first he said he needs to beat marketplace expectations and then he said i don't want to play the expectations game. where will e he finish and does anything further down the line than second place doom his career? >> i think it's fascinating that places two, three, four and five we are so unsure of.

it wouldn't shock me if anyone in those spots ended up the second place candidate. huntsman is in a fight with ron paul for a large chunk of immaterial vot independent voters here. uh i think he has a hard time having the rationale to go forward. it will be a struggle for him in south carolina. a pretty conservative electorate. there are elements that are less conservative including military veterans. without second place i don't see how he can make the case to go forward. >> david, mitt romney is the favorite there. it's an adopted home state for him. he owns a home there. the polls are in his favor. what kind of margin of victory does he need? what would be considered a disappointment for him? >> i think anything that gets into single digits in terms of the number 2 would be a disappointment. he wants to win by double digits. there will be talk about can he get above 30%, closer to 40%.

the expectation games will be bufted around as the day goes on. he h has to win a state big. this is a state he should be able to do it with the time he's got in here. >> let me ask you about news from the white house on monday. the departure of president obama's chief of staff bill daly. the announcement was said to surprise the president. is that accurate? >> it is. bill daly came back from the holiday break and said, what am i doing? my responsibilities have been cut down. there is a deputy chief of staff handling a lot of day to day. there aren't fights on the hill. he doesn't play a role on the campaign and he didn't enjoy living in washington, d.c. putting all that together he threw in the resignation. the president tried to get him to think about it again. he thought about it and still said, i want to go to chicago. >> he doesn't play a big role in the campaign but the uncertainty, the shake-up within the administration, as we are nine months away from the

election, does it just look bad? >> having a little problem hearing you, matt. but it is dysfunction. it comes on the heels of the book about the first lady and relationships in the white house. there is a campaign team for the president. any kind of dysfunction is an unwanted story. they have enough of a challenge facing this economy and this kind of condition as they move forward. >> david gregory and chuck todd both in place in new hampshire. a busy day ahead. guys, thank you very much. >> thank you, matt. >> going to be interesting. in the meantime, let's go to natalie morales at the news desk for a check of the other top stories. hey, natalie. >> good morning, everyone. mahmoud ahmadinejad in a meeting with hugo chavez joked if they were building a bomb then, quote, the fuel of that bomb is love. meantime, the white house slammed the death sentence iran issued against an american man

accused of es spee naj. the state department denies he was a spy. his parents say they are shocked and terrified by the sentence and say he was just an american-born citizen visiting relatives in iran for the first time. violence in northern pakistan near the afghan border. a bomb targeting an anti-taliban militia detonated in a market killing at least 29 people and wounding dozens of others. this is the deadliest blast the country has seen in months. half of the wreckage of a cargo ship that ran aground in new zealand in october has finally sunk into the ocean spewing ten tons of oil into the sea. the ship wreck had emergency teams on alert as it was carrying hazardous metals and oil. for now the chemicals on the ship do not pose a serious threat. the other half of the oh vessel remains on top of the reef. two alaskan towns are digging out of an exceptional amount of snow, even for alaska.

some ten feet of snow have left people trapped in homes and triggering avalanches in cordova. there is even a fuel shortage. in texas, there is flooding and even tornadoes that cut off highways, damaged buildings and a mall. now to wall street. mandy, what are we looking for this morning? >> earnings season yesterday kicked off with aluminum maker alcoa. if gains for the stock hold today it may boost sentiment. it's seen as a bellwether for the economy. this earnings season doesn't have great expectations as u.s. corporations finish 2011 with the slowest profit growth in two years. get this. apple ceo tim cook's total compensation package for 2011 has been revealed at $378 million. but to get that he has to stick around for ten years. back to you. >> mandy drury, thank you.

crimson tide fans flooded the streets of tuscaloosa after alabama crushed lsu in new orleans to avenge a regular season loss and win the bcs national championship. the 21-0 route was the first time lsu have been shut out in ten years. for alabama it's the second bcs title in three years. congrats to them. take a look. little sophia has nerves of steel. the 3-year-old came face to face with the king of the jungle at a new zealand zoo. good thing there is a heavy plate of glass. the lion clawed at her but little sophia standing her ground. she barely flinches. in fact, she wants to go back to the zoo for her fourth birthday next month. that's a little too up close and personal for me. 7:16. now back to matt, ann and al. >> that lion says, don't you eyeball me. >> what are uh you looking at? >> pretty good. >> mr. roker, what's happening

weatherwise? >> we have a few areas of severe weather to tell you about. we have multiple rounds of all the heavy rain overnight, possibility of tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds down south. there is an area stretches from texas to montgomery, alabama. rainfall amounts going to be fairly heavy. areas into oklahoma picking up two to three inches of rain. heavy rain from the gulf to the >> good morning.river valley. we will see sunshine. watch out for some dense fog watch out for some dense fog west of

and that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thank you. there are new details tying the investigation of an explosive device that injured a colorado woman and her husband. police now have named a person of interest in the case. nbc's george lewis is in lafayette, colorado, with the latest on the story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. it's been three days since allison stone and her husband chris were hurt inside their volvo station wagon. he's been released from the hospital. her condition has been upgraded to fair. her family is asking her location be kept secret since the suspect is still at larmge. her ex-husband has been named a person of interest. >> car is smoking and there is a woman yelling for help. >> it is an explosion from a package inside a vehicle. >> reporter: after the explosion 911 sent police and firefighters to the scene. >> they saw a woman standing outside who was very frantic. she had obvious traumatic burns.

>> reporter: officials say allison stone picked up a paper bag addressed to her near the vehicle on saturday, got in the car with her husband and when she began opening the package, it blew up. the bomb squad used explosive detection robots to make sure the area was safe for emergency responders. investigators scoured the scene for evidence and nearly 20 homes for evacuated. monday police confirmed stone's ex-husband michael britton is a person of interest in the case after searching his home. >> we haven't ruled out other leads. right now this is our primary focus. i have no idea if he's hired counsel at all. he did invoke his 5th amendment right. >> reporter: court documents show michael was arrested and charged with domestic violence in 2003. he was found not guilty. according to reports a judge ordered him to pay allison $120,000 in restitution just

last year. in 2010 stone herself made headlines after being bitten by a dachshund named spork while work as a veterinarian technician. >> before i knew it, he hit me hard. >> reporter: the case caused an uproar because the dog was deemed vicious and could have been put to sleep. thanks in part to public support spork was spared. as for stone's most recent injuries family members say they have yet to learn the full extent. her brother told nbc news the skin on her hands is gone and it will be a long road to recovery. in this town described as peaceful, neighbors hope this was an isolated event. >> there was a little bit of concern like that. they were pretty reassuring that what they thought was just isolated. >> reporter: we tried to reach michael britton for comment. he declined to talk to us. meanwhile stone's family refused

to comment on his being called a person of interest. they say they are focused on her recovery. ann? >> george, thank you. just ahead the family of a missing toddler in maine. we'll hear from the little girl's mom. first, this is "today" on nbc. [ female announcer ] they've been off limits to dieters

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♪ i've got hungry eyes >> 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. fire officials are investigating cause of a deadly house fire. two women were killed when flames broke out at the 900 block arncliffe road. the 43-year-old and 63-year-old were found upstairs. neighbors say that two or mother and daughter, no official identification has been released yet. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11.

>> let's start on the west side on the inner loop at i-70. west side delays on the outer loop begin right around liberty towards edmondson. not as bad as we normally see. at owings mills, we have an accident to watch for. 83 is in good shape. at the overpass, there is an accident in harford county. seven miles per hour, backing up quickly from white marsh to the 895 split. on the north side, not to bet on the outer loop. 95 is running smoothly in this area. quick live look at traffic. j.f.x. at ruxton road, coming towards us, southbound traffic, back up developing quickly. if you want to had out on the west side, no sign of any delays, but an accident reported on i-70. >> as you saw the skycam -- with

a camera on 83, there is fought out there. -- fog out there. is less likely west of 95. that is where you could run into low visibility through 9:00 a.m. to 3 percent in maryland -- 53 for southern maryland.

on a tuesday morning, the 10th of january, 2012, as we say hi to the folks filling rockefeller plaza. decent start to the day in mid-town manhattan. 34 degrees out there. nice of people to stop by. inside studio 1a i'm matt lauer alongside ann curry. before you book your next vacation, a warning. >> people go online to book houses to rent. when some of them arrive they find the houses are already occupied and were never available for rent in the first place. coming up, we'll tell you about the scam that could cost you thousands of dollars, matt. >> also, jay-z opens up in a new song about the birth of his baby daughter with beyonce and in the process reveals their struggles for years to have a child. we'll have details on that.

>> that's right. also, today's professionals will be tackling a topic that has people talking. it's the yearbook photo controversy in colorado we told you about yesterday. we asked for your take. in less than 24 hours -- get this -- we received more than 220,000. that's the most popular vote of all time. we have the results coming up. >> the question whether that was an appropriate photo for a yearbook or not. we begin with the family of a missing toddler in maine pushing for answers in the three-week-old disappearance. we'll talk to her mother in a few minutes. first we have the latest from waterville, maine. good morning. >> reporter: it's been 25 dais since little ayla reynolds went missing from her father's home behind me. now family, friends and strangers are trying to keep people focused in the story in the hopes of breaking the case. pinse and flyers bearing a litte

girl's face. >> would it be okay if i hung one of these up on the door? >> reporter: ayla's father is using these tools from the recovery center in texas to find his little girl. >> the t-shirts are set to be ready. >> reporter: the center helps find missing children like ayla. >> we are hoping all the eyes out there seeing her picture on tv, on posters and it only takes one person to recognize that picture to bring her home. that's what we are hoping. >> reporter: on friday night depietro and friends went door to door, trying to pick up where police left off. >> we're trying to keep her face out there. i want my daughter home. i'll do anything to make it happen. >> reporter: he said he put ayla to bed december 16th. the next morning he said she was gone. ayla was in his care while her mother, trista reynolds, was in rehab.

police believe foul play was involved but they are not naming suspects. authorities initially searched trails, woods and waterways, using cadaver dogs and trained volunteers. community groups had vigils and reynolds hit the air waves. >> i love her. i miss her. i want her home. >> reporter: but days passed and still no breaks in the case. just more pictures of ayla blanketing the region. >> help spread the word. >> reporter: and loved ones who hope one of them will be the turning point in this heart-breaking mystery. we did contact justin and he said the following. thank you to everyone in their continues efforts in finding ayla. don't lose hope. police say both parents are cooperating with investigators. matt? >> all right. trista reynolds is ayla's mother. good to see you. good morning. >> good morning. >> you were here in the studio december 29th. one thing you told me that surprised me and got a lot of

attention was since your daughter disappeared her father had not spoken to you. i understand you have now actually had a conversation. what can you share about that? >> ijustin and i have spoken. we talked about ayla and wanting to see her come home soon. >> are you more comfortable with his side of the story after speaking to him than you were during the time he wouldn't talk to you? >> somewhat. >> that's not a rave review. what makes you suspicious about justin? >> just why after so many weeks he's finally wanting to come out here and, you know, put up posters and get t-shirts made for her and, you know, why?

i find it -- why wasn't he out here with me in the beginning doing all of this? why after two weeks of it you're finally saying, hey, this is what i'm about to do. i want to get t-shirts made and go door to door. >> did you ask him about that? did you ask him why it took so long? >> i did. he said, you know, he was just really emotional, distressed. he didn't know how to handle it up until now. >> something else you told me when you were here in the studio that you had questions about how ayla broke her arm while in justin's care. he has issued an explanation saying he was carrying her while he was carrying groceries and he slipped on steps and fell on top of her and that's how the arm was broken. are you satisfied with the explanation? >> yeah. he told me that himself when ayla first broke his arm. so i was aware of that. i was not aware that he wanted

to take her to the doctor's as soon as e he wanted to. but i was reading his mother i believe -- informed him not to bring ayla to the doctor, that she was fine. i kind of was misleaded by the fact that i personally thought justin didn't want to bring her. now that it's come out that e he did and it was his mother who said, no, don't bring her, i find that to be a little wrong. >> you mention his mother. there seem to be discrepancies in phoebe's story, ayla's grandmother. first she said there was no party the night she disappeared at justin's home and she wasn't the last to go to bed. now she says she wasn't at the home the night ayla disappeared. does it make you concerned you >> i know i'm not getting the h? whole truth. his mother put it out a few times that she wasn't in the house. then she said she was.

now she's going back to that she wasn't. what is the truth? was she there or not? >> there is a website, aylareynolds.com asking for information about her disappearance. what type of response have you found so far and what do you hope to find? >> we're just hoping by her website being out there that somebody will recognize her face. maybe they have seen her or maybe they know what's going on. we were hoping somebody out there, once they see this page, they will really know that, like, ayla is missed. you know, she needs to come home. that's what we're hoping for by having her web page out there and having it be viewed by millions of people that, you know what, she's still missing. this is supposed to help maybe

get her home. >> trista reynolds, thank you very much for your time this morning. i appreciate it. >> thanks, matt. >> if you have any information on this case you're asked to call the waterville police department. the phone number, 207-680-4700. let's check on the weather now with al. >> thanks, matt. we have temperatures that have been crazy. we've also had snow to talk about in washington, d.c. they are seeing a little system move through yesterday. but all will be well today. plenty of sunshine. but the heat continues out west as we see temperatures today way off the chart as far as above normal temperatures. minneapolis will be 26 degrees above normal. bismarck, 30 degrees above normal. lexingt lexington, kentucky, 54 degrees above normal. we have 20s and 30s through the

rockies. 70s in florida and southern california. >> good morning. we have some areas of fog. sunshine will break up. temperatures near 51 in don't forget to check your weather any time day or night on the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. matt? >> thank you very much. up next, an internet scam targeting travellers. vacation homes being rented online. the problem is they are not actually for rent. the results of our investigation right after this. i'm a beef snob.

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a deep, throbbing, persistent ache. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia -- thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and for some people, it can work in as early as the first week of treatment. so now, i can do more of the things i enjoy. lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior, or any swelling or affected breathing or skin,

or changes in eyesight including blurry vision, or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs, and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. with less pain, i'm feeling better now that i found lyrica. ask your doctor if lyrica is right for your fibromyalgia pain. back now at 7:42. if you are planning a getaway to sunny florida, watch out. that house you thought you rented could be nothing more than a scam. kerry sanders joins us from ft. lauderdale to explain. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. it seems to simple.

go on the internet, find a beach house to rent, sign a contract, send money and go on a dream vacation. what if you show up and it turns out the contract is bogus and the person you paid to rent the house from doesn't even own it? it is one of ft. lauderdale's most desirable neighborhoods, only five blocks long, right on the beach near a shopping district where the rich live and play. for three generations of family and friends for quebec it was the perfect spot for a girls' getaway. >> it looked just like what i wanted. perfect house. >> reporter: louise bedard found the house on a rental website. $5700 for 24 days. $237.50 a day. a deal. especially when the cost for the five bedroom house was split among everyone. this is the house they paid to rent. but in the window of the front door, a sign.

>> it's not for rent. it is absolutely not for rent. >> reporter: in the last 12 months steve chase, the owner, has had four families show up from quebec, montreal and south carolina, all believing they rented his house for a vacation. his neighbors have had a dozen more families show up to rent their houses. >> there was a taxi in my driveway and the driver was actually taking luggage out of the taxi, leaving it on my front door. >> reporter: steve chase isn't a victim. he hasn't lost money. but he's angry. he turned to police who told him since the scammed victims were not locals he should call the secret service. he then contacted ic-3, a partnership with the fbi and the national white collar crime center which led him to florida's attorney general who said, call the local police. >> i'm looking here at your dining room table which is command central of an

investigation. you're running into brick walls. >> brick walls and just going in a vicious circle. >> reporter: so we took that contract for steve's house that those women from quebec had and shared it with experts at dell secureworks, an internet security company in atlanta. >> analyzing the document -- >> reporter: john ramsey found code hidden in the document. >> there is a name of odigie which is a common nigerian name. >> reporter: could it be a scam with a new twist? in this case it appears the money is staying in the united states. the women from quebec traced their check to a bank in lowell, arkansas. others sent checks san bernardino, california. that's where richard adams found anthony peretes who said he cashed checks for the fake rental listings saying he would

get $100 for every check and then he wired the bulk of the money to someone he never met. >> i don't get much. i get chump change. >> reporter: as for the women from quebec, a somewhat happy ending. they came to florida on vacation, found a legitimate house to rent and they are getting their money back from the phoney rental thanks to a fast-acting banker who froze the check when it was deposited. >> the next time? we're going to be a little bit more careful for sure. >> reporter: the better business bureau said the scams look small. $3,000 here, $6,000 here but they add up to millions. the best advice, don't wire money, don't send a check. use your credit card. that limits your liability. ann? >> kerry sanders with good advice this morning. thanks, kerry. up next, jay e-z celebrates the birth of his baby with a new

song that has surprising revelations. details after this. ca ca can . my doctor prescribed dulera to help prevent them. [ male announcer ] dulera is for patients 12 and older whose asthma is not well controlled on a long-term asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. dulera will not replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. dulera helps significantly improve lung function. this was shown over a 6 month clinical study. dulera contains formoterol, which increases the risk of death from asthma problems and may increase the risk of hospitalization in children and adolescents. dulera is not for people whose asthma is well controlled with a long-term asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. once your asthma is well controlled your doctor will decide if you can stop dulera and prescribe a different asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. do not take dulera more than prescribed. see your doctor if your asthma does not improve or gets worse. ask your doctor if dulera can help you breathe easier. ♪

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well, beyonce and jay-z's new bundle of joy, blue ivy carter, already has a song about her. craig, good morning. >> reporter: matt, good morning to you as well. the celebrity words started immediately. magic johnson tweeting well wishes. michael jackson's daughter paris sending her thoughts. oprah already sent a trunkful of children's books. meanwhile we are told beyonce either checked out last night or will today. for some of the parents who had to share the hospital with her, that's fine by them. this was the belly rub that brought down the house at mtv's video music awards a few months

ago. so far no pictures of the baby but blue ivy carter has her own song. her proud papa posted monday on his website. ♪ the most amazing feeling i feel ♪ ♪ words can't describe what i'm feeling for real ♪ >> reporter: also in the tribute, a revelation. beyonce was pregnant before. ♪ last time the miscarriage was so tragic ♪ ♪ with we was afraid you disappeared ♪ but, no, baby, you magic ♪ >> reporter: they called the birth emotional and extremely peaceful. not for neil and his wife roz. precautions taken for baby blue's birth had them red hot. they claim body guards stopped them from seeing their twin girls who were born prematurely. >> we were leaving the nicu and they said we couldn't travel farther. we said, why. they said, we are moving hazardous materials. i said, really? on the maternity floor? >> they bounced my family off the 6th floor from the waiting

room and made them go down stairs. >> reporter: hip hop's royal couple reportedly paid a king's ransom to beef up security at the hospital. they shelled out $1.3 million to renovate and reserve an entire wing. bulletproof a door and tint windows. hospital officials deny the payment and say the couple is in an executive suite with their own security. officials also said no security plan would have prevented families from gaining access to their newborns. going to great lengths to shield famous newborns isn't unusual. >> we saw angelina jolie have her baby shyloh in africa. we saw katie holmes in her hospital in the dead of night in secrecy so no one would know. >> reporter: part of it may be privacy. the other part, pictures. the first ones of celebrity

newborns can fetch millions from magazines. jay-z and beyonce are private so there are a lot of folks who say we should not expect to see baby pictures on a magazine any time soon. meanwhile, last night roz said the hospital called to apologize. they said they didn't know any parents had trouble seeing their newborns. roz said the apology was not enough. >> all right, craig. thank you very much. just ahead, today's professionals weigh in on the hot topics of the day including that one. >> first your local news and weather. ♪ you signed up weeks ago

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>> this is wbal tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. time for a check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> let's check some of the area roads. we will start on 83. 33 miles per hour. those delays are all volume- related in place the there. walnut avenue, watch for closures in effect at owings mills. another one coming in on the city at belvedere ave. west side filling up quickly from 95 to edmondson. 543 at the i-95 overpass, watch for an accident at harford county. seventh miles per hour at 95 out

of the northeast. slow going on the inner and outer loop. if you want to travel but down on the bw parkway, there is an accident. greg live look at traffic. these delays are in place because of the inner loop closures at the curtis creek drawbridge. construction in place, two-way traffic pattern on the outer loop. good times on the east side of beltway. outer loop from 795 down to edmondson. ava, over to you. you can see some fog on the roadway. b.w.i. marshall -- 28 in gaithersburg. fog is likely into the next hour. today is shaping up to sunshine.

51 in the afternoon, 53 in said the maryland, 40 in the mountains.

happy anniversary to the "today" show for 60 great years of informing americans. >> happy 60th anniversary "today" show. you're not quite as old as i am, but keep going. you'll get there. >> 8:00 now on a tuesday morning. it's the 10th day of january, 2012. of course we want to thank the former first lady laura bush and also secretary of state hillary clinton for warm wishes as we celebrate our 60th year of "today" as we look at the crowd warming up on the plaza. i'm ann curry alongside matt lauer and al roker. should be fun looking back. we have more of "today." >> we do. by the way, this is a day we wish there were smell-o-vision. this bakery is pumping out some croissant smells that's awesome.

>> i'm getting fat just wafting it in my nostrils. >> the today professionals are coming up and they will talk about hot topics including the high school senior and what some say is a controversial photo. also, do companies have a right not to hire people who smoke? >> interesting. as we mentioned we are marking 60 years on the air. another anniversary coming up. the queen -- queen elizabeth is celebrating 60 years on the throne. coming up, the author of a new biography series shares intimate details about the queen's life. her fears over the divorce of prince charles and princess diana and the question that's on everybody's mind -- what's with the bag? what's in there? >> you know, the writer of the book found out information that until now has not been known including what's in the bag. we'll get to that. first a check of the morning's top stories.

we have nat at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. it is decision day in new hampshire where the first primary for the gop race for the white house kicks off. iowa caucus winner mitt romney is the overwhelming favorite in new hampshire. in the tiny village where the first ballots were cast at mid might mitt romney was tied with john huntsman with two votes apiece. they have just nine registered voters there. president obama's inner circle was jolted by word that white house chief of staff william daley is quitting to spend more time with his grandchildren. he was brought on board a year ago to help the president broker deals with congress. he will be replaced by the budget chief, a seasoned washington insider. police in arkansas are searching for a man who allegedly forced a grandmother to rob a bank. 73-year-old betty davis says the gunman held her husband hostage, strapped what he said was a bomb to her ankle. instead of taking money the woman told bank staff what was

happening so they could safely evacuate the building. police rescued the husband and removed the suspected bomb to test it for explosives. a new study adding to evidence that cholesterol fighting statin drugs may increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. in a study at the university of massachusetts 10% of the post menopausal woman who used statins developed diabetes compared to 6% of women who had not used the drugs. most say the benefits of statins outweigh the dangers for people at high risk of heart attacks. now our quick round-up of what has you talking about on linebacker. the texas mold who lost a hand and eye after walking into an aircraft propellor is thanking well wishers. lauren scruggs writes, my heart is grateful beyond what i could ever imagine. denver quarterback tim tebow's winning pass in overtime

triggered 9,420 tweets per second. that's the most ever for a sporting moment. the popular bible verse john 3:16 is a top search because tebow, a devout christian, used to wear john 3:16 in his eye black. he also threw for 316 yards, averaging 31.6 yards per toss. hmm. and a tsa blog taking heat online as the agency defends its decision to bar a woman from bringing a cup cake through security. the tsa said the jar was filled with icing which was considered a gel. thankfully everyone was safe from cakes on a plane. ha, ha, ha. let's go back outside to matt and ann. >> you have to come out here. we have been immortalized on the hood of a car by this -- >> what's your name? >> i'm john. >> you do this for man caves? >> yeah.

i do vehicle custom painting. >> we have to get natalie out to sign here. >> here's what's happening in our hood. [ laughter ] >> anyway, show you what's going on as far as your forecast. midland, texas. look at this. they have had more snow in midland than buffalo. clearing skies and cool. 47 degrees. here's the storm track that brought snow yesterday to west texas. it makes its way today to tomorrow into the midwest. eventually into the northeast. by thursday, bringing snow and then the secondary low back behind it will be bringing lake effect snow from minneapolis, chicago and later into cleveland. today we have a risk of strong storms, possibility of tornadoes through the gulf coast. rain and wind in the pacific northwest, especially for the california/oregon coastline. sunshine in the northeast but cooler. >> good morning.

we will see sunshine. watch out for some dense fog watch out for some dense fog west of >> now to complete the signing of our hood, natalie morales. >> i came out to sign the sign. >> excellent. john, you did a great job. the pen isn't working well though. >> sorry. >> we'll work on that. great job. this is going to hang up where? >> i'd like to give it to the show and you can hang it in the green room. >> oh! i thought you were going to put it in the shop. we'll take it. >> all up in your grill, ann. >> thanks, al.

nice job. by the way, kudos to you. 14 years in the u.s. army. anyway, meantime, coming up next, do businesses have the right to propose a ban on hiring smokers? we'll tackle that topic and more after this. . i'm a wife, i'm a mom... and chantix worked for me. it's a medication i could take and still smoke, while it built up in my system. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these, stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these, stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, tell your doctor if you have new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away

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without controversy. according to some reports the couple paid money to renovate a section of the hospital and secure it for their purposes which inconvenienced other couples who had just had babies. nancy, let me start with you. is this unusual? do celebrities get different treatment at places like that? >> celebrities get different treatment. there are areas of hospitals called the gold coast whether it's a suite, a floor or an area where the rooms are usually nicer and they are reserved for vips who they hope hospitals can hit up for cash or fund-raising later. the issue here though is that even if you're put in one of the special rooms you should not ever block another parent from seeing babies. my suspicion is lennox hill didn't stop them from seeing their children. i suspect body guards stepped out of bounds. >> the hospital has said they did not pay a large amount of money in a donation. do they have more explaining to do? >> does the hospital have more

explaining to do? >> yeah. >> i think the hospital made a phone call to a parent who felt they were inconvenienced. the hospital has done its community outreach unless someone makes a specific allegation, the hospital's obligation is done. >> all three of my children were born at that hospital. although i think they were nice to us, i don't believe we had that kind of special treatment. >> we don't know the allegations are for sure. >> do vips get better treatment? >> absolutely. >> you get corner places and i can honestly say -- >> i'm sorry. >> i'm just going to say it. >> i know there were no phones allowed in my room. my chart stayed in my room. they do allow certain privilege. i admit that. >> are you done? seriously, duh, celebrities get preferential treatment, number one. number two, obviously if they got in the way of somebody having a kid is crazy.

they paid a million dollars? that money could have done to charity. >> whatever they paid it did because they didn't take the room with them. >> apparently we are seeing an increase in the number of hospitals for example that are refusing to hire people who smoke cigarettes. should people be discriminated against because they have a nicotine habit? >> this is not driiscrimination >> tell me why. >> the cleveland clinic won't hire you because job productivity is less. their health care costs are increased. if you sign up for a job they say we'll help you kick the habit. you go through a smoking cessation program. we'll give you the necessary medication, come back in. urinate in a cup. if there is nicotine residue you don't get the job. it makes good business. >> also, by the way, if we solve cigarette smoking, cancer, there are no health care problems. why is as a business person should i fund people killing themselves and making health

care more expensive for everybody else. >> would you hire a smoker? >> i would, but i have no problem not hiring a smoker and i would rather not. >> legally you are protected as an employer. you can say, no, i will not have smokers there. >> here's where the slippery slope is coming. obesity is the next topic. >> that's where it's going. >> right now it's tobacco. but obesity is protected under the disability act. >> the equal opportunity employment commission doesn't consider smokers a protected class. >> it's not race, religion or somebody who suffers from a disability. >> it's an addiction. >> the theory is you can kick it. they say no. >> let's move on. target has a new ad campaign out right now that features a group of young children. one is a 6-year-old boy born with with down's syndrome. he's not singled out in any way in the ad campaign. he's part of the group. what do you think of the ad campaign? >> i love it.

this is your area of expertise. >> i love it. >> fantastic. if all you are saying is we are inclusive of everyone. years ago for ikea our agency showed a gay couple in an ad and the statement was, we're for everyone. there is no norm in our society anymore. that's wonderful. what a fantastic -- >> getting rave reviews online. the fact that it's even a subject is a sad commentary. it should be the accepted norm in 2012. >> it is out of the norm and it's wonderful. >> to be home and see someone who looks like your child in an ad would make me more interested. >> let's move on. on monday on this program we had an interview with sydney spies, an 18-year-old high school senior from colorado. she submitted this photo as her official yearbook photo. at first it was approved and then rejected by the all-student editorial board of the yearbook. did they make the right call? >> yes.

>> yes. >> i will tell you that as the editor of my high school yearbook, the role of an editorial board is to make editorial decisions. it's done on this show, in yearbooks. they made the right decision. >> if it doesn't fit with what they think is an appropriate senior picture then they get to make the decision. and when, in fact, did we start -- >> the men are biting their tongues. >> when did we start thinking that a photograph where you look like you are 20 minutes off the pole was an appropriate photograph for a yearbook picture? >> if this is the way -- obviously if there was nudity or it was pornographic, but this is the way she wants to be displayed. i wonder if a guy did the equivalent if it would be the same. >> yeah. >> i wonder. >> if he's holding his package -- >> she's not. >> she is an aspiring model. >> okay. >> she feels it is an artistic photo of herself. >> good for her. >> she can pay the $300 to make

it an ad which the yearbook committee allows. this little portrait collar -- >> it's prudish. if a guy was in the same pose in a tight t-shirt it would be the same issue. it's sexism in reverse. >> she submitted a second photo. this one was also rejected. >> okay. same issue. >> can we blow it up a little bit? >> no, no. >> it looks like hoochies-r-us. you're having a fantasy here. >> i'm not. >> the interesting thing was when her mother said part of my job is to get behind her and say, you go, girl. i would argue that's not the role of a mother. not to be your best friend. it's to say, sweetheart, in 30 years you may not think this is a good idea. >> we conducted a poll at today.com. 220,000 people or more responded. 76% said it is inappropriate. 19% said it is not.

4% still making up their mind. like downny, they want to see te photo again. thank you very much. up next, an inside look at the life of one of the world's most fascinating women, queen elizabeth ii. right after this. used by all the nutritional information out there? from centrum. it puts you in the center of everything that's good for you. its unique self-assessment tool helps identify the multivitamin and supplement combination

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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. it's a big year for queen elizabeth ii. she's celebrating her diamond jubilee in 2012. 60 years on the throne. in those six decades she's experienced highs and lows both personally and politically. we have sally smith, the author of "elizabeth the queen, the life of a modern monarch." good morning. >> good morning. great to be here. >> kudos on the timing of the book, timing it to the diamond jubilee. you did not interview the queen but you interviewed 200 people described as being close to her -- friends, family? how close did you get? >> her inner circle of close

friends who have known her for her whole life. family members, close advisers and then a wonderful gamut of people like men who run her estate, the people who trained her dogs and her horses, the crown jeweler. it enabled me to get a 360-degree view of her. >> as a result, the l.a. times notes despite the fact that you're writing about someone so well known over the decades there are things to be learned about queen elizabeth ii. for instance, when the queen and prince philip -- at the time they were the william and kate of their time. they had very serious battles because of her station, specifically over the naming of their children. >> that happened right after she became queen in 1952. she had to make a decision. her family was the house of windsor. really out of loyalty to her father and her grandfather before her, she chose that as her name. philip was upset.

he wanted his family name to be the one. that hung in the air for a number of years until finally, right before the birth of their third child, prince andrew, she came one a compromise that the nonroyal successors, those who didn't have the h.r.h., her royal highness, attached to oh the name would be called mount baton windsor. >> you say the queen saw the breakup of charles and diana as perhaps a replay of history that could threaten charles's opportunity to ever be king. >> yes. in the middle of all the trouble she was counseled by the archbishop of canterbury. he said she never really -- her mood was always very calm. but she was worried. he said they were talking about the possibility of divorce and she said, i really worry that history may be repeating.

she was obviously thinking of the duke and duchess of windsor and when edward viii her uncle abo abdicated the throne to marry her. >> we dug through our archives and found a clip of prince philip being interviewed by barbara walters. take a look. >> -- of the queen abdicating at some future date. is this something that's been considered or is it a rumor? >> as far as i know it's a rumor. i mean, it has its attractions. >> what did you learn about whether the queen would ever abdicate? >> it's a job for life. she's made that clear from the beginning. sh she gave a touching speech when she was 21. she said, i pledge to you however long i live, whether my life be long or short i will be at your service for the rest of my life. she has repeated that over and over throughout her 60-year

reign. the reason is that she has -- it's almost -- she's been consecrat consecrated. the coronation in 1953 was a solemn, important act for her. being anointed and taking the oath to serve her people for the rest of her life. >> unless, of course, she has alzheimer's or some other failing. that would be her word. >> one of her cousins told me that. no one's mentioned that. she said she wouldn't step down, but her son, prince charles, could step in as prince regent. >> we have a few seconds left. you found out what's in her purse. >> i did. the kinds of things we would think. lipstick, coin purse, kleenex, comb. >> a practical woman. we'll have more after this.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. final check on the morning commute with traffic pulse 11. >> not bat out there. delays in place around the area. seven miles per hour, down to that around white marsh. once you travel on the beltway on the north side outer loop, tapping the brakes from r four reports that a spurt expressway. inner loop delays on the northeast corner. if you want to head south on 83, that speed sensor is not correct. you are looking at delays from middletown to mount carmel.

delays may be found on wheldon heights and belvedere ave. 795 towards edmondson. another problem spot coming into davidsonville. we will switch to a lot of traffic instead. if you want to have out here, we are looking at some delays, that due to construction. two-way traffic pattern on the outer loop. inner loop shutdown on the curtis creek drawbridge. coming towards us come out of the traffic is slow. ava, over to you. >> mdot cameras are showing a little bit of fog on the j.f.x. that is something you have to watch out for. there could be dense areas of fog through 9:00 a.m. today, temperatures reached all the way into the low 50s. a taste of the polls sunshine with high pressure in control and winds out of the west at five to 15 miles per hour.

colder on friday into the weekend. >> we will have another update at 8:55.

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america runs on dunkin'. 8:30 now on a tuesday morning. it's the 10th day of january, 2012. our crowd out here on the plaza enjoying themselves, taking in the sights, sounds and the smells of rockefeller plaza. we're happy they've joined us. out on the plaza i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, al roker and natalie morales. coming up, more of the celebration of "today" is 60. >> we'll talk about how the show stayed true to its roots.

also the way we brought you the news has changed. we'll talk about that this morning. >> and another show we're very excited about of course is nbc's "30 rock." it's back with the new season. coming up, the lovely ladies of the show who make us laugh every thursday night are here to tell us all about it. >> look at them. so beautiful. >> a little bit later on, of course, new year. everybody's trying to eat healthy but a lot of times people equate eating healthy with losing flavor. our friend bobby flay is her to tell us how to eat well and not lose the taste. bobby also will help with the search for the best pot pie in the country. so head to today.com to enter. remember, deadline for the pot pie off is tomorrow. >> he's making filet mig nnon ts morning. >> laura is the star of "are you

there, chelsea". >> good to see you. >> based on the books of chelsea handler. the first question is obvious. her style of humor, a little edgy. how do you make that work in primetime? >> it's edgy, but i think if you look at the shows that are successful now with "two and a half men," "modern family" and even on hbo, they are pushing the boundaries. we're right in there. i think audiences are ready for us. we have racy subject material. but i think people will be able to handle it. it's good. >> we remember you from "that 70s show." i loved you. >> thank you. >> are there moments when you think, uh-oh, i'm not sure. i'm uncomfortable. >> i'm never uncomfortable. it's such an amazing role to play. this woman is -- you know, she's strong, grabs life by the horns and is going through all this stuff. she makes mistakes, fumbles

through. you know, she's real and flawed. i think people can relate. >> there are things that are scary though. you're like, oh. >> you compare it to an updated "cheers". >> yes. the main set piece is a sports bar where we all hang out and we work in. the only difference is "cheers" could never get away with what we get away with on our show. >> chilelsea herself has a rolen the show. she plays your born again christian sister who's a new mom as well. >> people ask chelsea, why didn't you play yourself? she said, i'm sick of being myself. >> that has to be weird to play somebody who's still alive and keeps showing up. >> you know, it's so comfortable. i have never felt intimidates portraying someone who's next to me. they trust my vision of her, my version of the character. it's amazing.

it's creative and i can do what i want. they love it. it's awesome. >> and it premieres tomorrow night here on nbc. 8:30/7:30 central time. good luck, laura. congratulations. >> thanks for having me. >> mr. roker? >> let's show you what's happening as far as your weather is concerned for today. we have a risk of strong storms. down in the gulf coast, wet weather. the oregon/california coastline. showers working their way through the plains states. tomorrow we've got more sunshine here in the east, but rain mid-atlantic states into the southeast. plenty of sunshine through the southwest. frigid conditions in the plains and plenty of sunshine around the gulf coast, texas into the southwest. a little bit on the cool side. our sister studio, universal celebrating 100 years this year. got doc brown, dracula and the minion. very nice. people can get restored versions of classic universal pictures.

good to see you guys. big celebration! oh, marty! we're having a doc brown off. >> good morning. we have some areas of fog. sunshine will break up. temperatures near 51 in and that's your latest weather. >> when we come back, the evolution of "today" from 1952 until now. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:37 with more of today at 60, our week-long celebration of our 60th anniversary. >> back in 1952 the "today" studio was one small room filled with telephones, typewriters and tape recorders. things have changed a lot over the years but our core message holds true. >> well, here we are. good morning to you. >> reporter: 60 years, thousands of broadcasts. >> welcome. i'm bryant gumbel. >> welcome to "today." >> reporter: countless stories touching millions worldwide. it all began with one simple promise. >> we're going to try very much to put you more closely in touch with the world we live in. >> reporter: ahead of its time, "today's" original means of communication was wire services and fax machines. film was flown from all over the world. >> and a d.c. 6-brgs converted

into a film laboratory is en route with the coronation story. >> reporter: in 1965 a giant leap forward. "today" became the first regularly scheduled program to broadcast live from europe. >> hello, america, from paris. >> reporter: an amazing feat made possible by groundbreaking technology. the communications satellite early bird. >> announcer: the following program is brought to you in living color. >> reporter: black and white soon turned to color and "today's" reach stretched far and wide. >> this is "today" in romania. >> it's a blazing hot afternoon in iran. >> this first visit of "today" to the orient. >> reporter: "today" chronicled the age, helping viewers understand the world around them, uniting us in times of crisis. >> we have been told this is a plane. we don't have confirmation on that. >> reporter: the faces became familiar. in time we became family. and as the technology changed, so did our studio.

>> if you have a high definition television at home, it's a new day for you as well. >> reporter: but the mission has remained to give you a window on the world. >> we have, for the first time ever, all spanned out across the globe. >> reporter: "today" pushes live tv to the limit. >> on this side, southern hemisphere. on this side, northern. >> reporter: sometimes we miss the mark. >> i landed about half a mile away in somebody's front yard. they gave me a ride here. >> reporter: when we get it right, it's magical. >> we touched down at the south pole! [ cheers and applause ] >> please pull back to reveal one of the most amazing locations you will ever see. beautiful shanghai. barcelona. vatican city. >> the kremlin. this is good times ten. >> reporter: the show continues to inform and evolve in ways dave garroway never could have imagined 60 years ago. >> here is an example of some of the tweets we have received.

>> reporter: "today's" remarkable journey has been insightful and innovative. enduring success built one show at a time. >> for all of us, thank you for watching. peace. >> i'm really excited to think about how technology will continue to change and how we may be able to deliver our message even wider. now the show is not just an american show. it's seen by people around the world. >> next year al will be a hologram. >> i'm not here. the idea of tv anywhere, on your mobile device, your tablet. people can watch us wherever they want to watch. >> and on demand. >> we'll be on demand. >> we hope. by the way, we want to get your involved in our anniversary special. pick the most iconic moment for "today." we'll reveal the winner on

friday. by the way, coming up next, we have great people in our audience. two of our favorites, tina fey and jane krakowski on the return of "30 rock." oh, yeah, shake those shoulders.

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back now at 8:45. "30 rock" returns for season six on thursday night. as we know, anything can happen to the lovable work aholic liz lemon and her cast of characters. tina fey is the creator and star. jane krakowski is the self-absorbed and not so nice -- hmm -- jenna maroney. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> can we talk about news that's transpired since -- you were pregnant last time you were here. >> yes. >> with your second child. >> yes. >> had that baby where? >> lennox hill hospital. both of us.

>> we had similar experiences to beyonce and jay-z. >> did you contribute $1 million? >> my celebrity treatment involved taking a group breastfeeding class in a closet. it's basically -- have you been to this class? >> all three of our children were born there also. >> it's clearly supposed to be a storage closet with a bunch of mothers. the nurse grabs one of your breasts and another lady and shoves them in a baby's mouth. >> you don't even know if it's your baby? >> oh, you're doing really good. >> what was yours like? >> similar to this one. >> do you feel now you were treated run of the mill? >> no. i think the nurses at lennox hill are fantastic. they are the best. the room is -- it's a new york city hospital room. there's an atm machine in the corner. it's not fancy. >> and you're thinking of having another child because you're sucking up to the nurses. >> no. >> yes, you are. >> next time i'm there it will be because of a broken leg.

>> you said the decision to have a second child kept you up at night. you were just afraid the store was closing. >> yes. we did go for it. >> is the store officially closed? >> closed. the store has been burned down. >> your baby is 10 months old? >> almost 9 months. >> how is motherhood treating you? >> it's the best thing ever. just awesome. although i have gotten sick from my boys. i sound like peter brady now. >> do you share all the mothering stories on a monday morning? you won't believe what happened at home? >> we have pictures, look, look, look. >> now that we have motherhood out of the way, return to the season on thursday night. your character is a judge on a reality show? >> yes. my character has taken -- is it a step up? >> yes, for her. the show within the show in the fake nbc world there is a show called "america's kids got

singing." jane's character is a judge. she's the mean judge. >> we'll take about it after we take a look. >> i'm about to get well with you. you're weird-looking. even if you could sing, with that face it would be like eating a steak that came out of a dumpster. here's my advice. work on your presentation. take voice lessons. then seal yourself in a barrel and fall off a waterfall. >> you live her alone! >> i need it quiet to record my catch phrase. >> do we go up from there? >> the joys of being a new mother. how lovely and kind i am to children. >> that little girl is so sweet and adorable. >> do you have fun writing that character? >> yes. my favorites would be writing for jane and tracy morgan's characters. >> love interest? >> yes. liz lemon got it together.

she's happy and they are uh trying to figure out what it might be. >> played by -- >> james marsden. such a nice guy. >> is this the one? >> i don't know. maybe. >> you know. if you don't know, who knows? >> i don't know. he's a good one. going the best it's ever gone for her, for sure. >> he's a keeper. >> we survive a trip to ikea. >> which is the challenge. you are nominated for a golden globe again, coming next week. alec baldwin also nominated. is he allowed to fly first class anymore? >> i don't know anything about his travel plans or his gaming habits. >> are you going together? >> i doubt it. >> will you chaperone? >> no. i'm flying american. i'm not going to be any trouble! i'll bring a big sodoku book and old time music box. >> i think everyone knows what we are talking about. he had trouble on the american

airlines flight. good for the show? >> i don't know. >> she won't answer that question. >> are they still playing "30 rock" on american airlines? >> last season of the show there was -- again at the hands of alec baldwin a rumor that this was the last year. what's the status? >> think we're all ready to come back if nbc wants us back. including alec. >> 180 on that? okay. i wrote down here, she will not answer that question. >> it's an irish negotiating technique. >> tina fey and jane krakowski. catch the season premiere of "30 rock" thursday night on nbc. thank you. up next, bobby flay shows us how to slash the fat but not the flavor. first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on "today's kitchen" step by step, cutting the fat without cutting the flavor. trying to get things tasty. welcome, bobby. >> good to be here. >> i think of you as a fancy chef, not a low cal guy. what happened? >> everybody needs to watch their intake. it's important. but we don't want to get rid of the flavor.

that's important. when you go to a french bistro you have steak, french fries and bearnaise sauce which is sort of like hollandaise with tarragon and vinegar. so it's eggs and butter. i have a filet with little fat in it. it's the most popular cut of meat we buy. >> let's get it started. you're using spices. >> just a spice rub, salt and pepper and oil. we'll put it right on the grill, let it cook for a little while. while it's cooking, i'm going to make my bearnaise vinaigrette. >> it's interesting you didn't figure out -- i mean, you're thinking of taking something that's traditionally caloric and making it less. you try to maintain the flavor so we can eat the things we love but not gain weight. >> exactly. when people try to make healthy food it usually doesn't have a lot of flavor. i want to keep the flavor in there. here we have dijon mustard,

shallots, honey, lemon juice and we're going to mix it up. >> you probably didn't need this big of a blender today. >> definitely not. >> and olive oil instead of butter. we'll let it whip up. what happens is the mustard works as an emulsifier, a thickening agent. you get a sauce with no cream or butter but it has a beautiful texture. >> can i taste it? i'm a fan of bearnaise and i don't eat it much because it's fattening. >> you think about tarragon, black pepper and a little bit of vinegar. >> ooh, extremely flavorful. >> lots of flavor. >> it does. it's creamy but not over the top. >> exactly. we get the flavor in the spice rub. >> nice, bobby. we have sea bass enpapillote. >> this is a white bass. we're going to steam it in

paper. this is one of the first things i learned in culinary school. en papillote as they call it. we'll take wine for moisture. >> does it matter? >> some chardonnay. whatever you have around. a little bit of oil, salt and pepper. then we're going to -- thank you. we're going to cover this. this is a heart shape. >> where do you get this paper? >> cut it out like a heart. that's a great question. a piece of parchment paper, cut it out. fold it over and we just seal it up. keep going around like this. we preheat the oven to 425. you don't add extra oil or fat. >> that's enough? you don't have to glue or staple it? >> just seal it by overlapping it. 425 and it comes out like this. >> okay. >> want to open it up for me? >> you bet. >> you can tear it open and serve it right in there. >> oh, my.

>> look at this. citrus fruits are fantastic in january and february. >> healthy, good vitamin c. >> i have reduced tangerine juice. >> thick. >> i will add sherry vinegar and oil. hello, matt. this is going to be our sauce. we'll pour the sauce on top. >> beautiful. >> lots of flavor. it has a soft consistency. here we have the citrus fruits to reinforce, fortify the flavor. oranges, tangerines, red onion and capers and a little bit of fresh herbs. we'll mix it up, pour it on top. >> i'm getting in there. >> natalie took my fork. >> i love sea bass in parchment paper. >> i don't want to miss talking about this. this is a beautiful creme caramel. >> it has 1% milk in it. mostly egg whites.

so you get rid of the fat. lots of flavor, too. >> thanks for doing this. i know you will be back for the potpie contest. we'll be right back after this. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. city police are investigating a shooting in northeast baltimore. a 28-year-old woman suffered multiple graze wound last night around 6:00 p.m. we are told she is in stable condit

>> we started off with a little bit of fog, but that should be clearing out. sunshine into the afternoon. high temperature up to 51. our next storm system develops tomorrow. colder conditions by friday. >> we will have another weather update at 9:25.