good morning. snowy in seattle. a major winter storm, one of the worst in years hitting the pacific northwest this morning. schools closed, flights cancelled, roads a mess. we're there live. too risky. work suspended on the bad di damaged cruise ship in italy. this as the captain is placed under house arrest and new details about his refusal to return to the ship as it sank. and blackout. head to some of your favorite websites like google and wikipedia and you will notice something unusual. why some of the most popular sites online are protesting

today, wednesday, january 18, sites online are protesting today, wednesday, january 18, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> i'm ann curry. this storm is expected to dump half a foot of snow on seattle which is typically what they see in a year. >> even more snow in other parts of the region. al's forecast is coming up in a few minutes. >> also, after being pressured by republican rivals, mitt romney said he pays a federal tax rate of about 15%. he stopped short of releasing his entire income tax return. does new jersey's governor chris christie who has pushed for full disclosure in the past agree

with the decision. if mitt romney asked him to be a running mate would he say yes? more with the governor in a bit. >> good to have you in studio. let me fire that political question at you. if the giants go on to win the super bowl in three weeks the victory parade, should it be in new york or new jersey? >> new jersey, matt. they train in new jersey, they play in new jersey -- >> what's it say on the mehelme? >> that's all you've got, baby. >> nice to have him here. we have new details on the medical mystery we told you about on tuesday. what caused 12 girls in one school to suffer tourette's-like symptoms. the school district has released two reports on environmental testing done on the school building. more on that coming up as well. >> we begin with this major winter storm out west. jim cantore has more on this from seattle. good morning. >> reporter: yeah, good morning,

ann. dangerous conditions here all up and down the hills here of seattle. steep hills like the one behind me. you can see a car trying to make its way up queen anne avenue having a difficult time doing so. it won't be long before they close downhills like this as the city prepares for a year's worth of snowfall today. near whiteout conditions are making driving in washington, oregon and northern idaho treacherous and frustrating. >> it delays you. you know? got the chains laid out, they go on easy, but it's part of it. >> reporter: in olympia, people are bracing for the storm. >> cheese, lunch meat, bread and wine. >> reporter: the essentials. >> got to have wine and a cigar for when it's over. >> reporter: in snohomish, snowmobiles are replacing the

cars. >> we need to realize speed limits are for dry roads. >> reporter: in seattle the space needle is in the clouds while plows are busy clearing roads. >> one thing in portland i have never seen anywhere else when we get a valley snowstorm people abandon their cars. >> reporter: these are boom times for towing services helping motorists who did stay with their cars. >> they try to make it up the hill, get stuck, pull to the side of the road. >> reporter: this storm hit the pacific northwest from northern california to british columbia. >> snowmageddon, baby. >> reporter: flights have been cancelled and hotels are booked with stranded passengers. >> thursday afternoon, i guess, but we'll take off to avoid the snow. >> reporter: maybe the saving grace is the fact that a lot of snow is coming before the heart

of the rush hour in seattle. as folks look out the window they may say, you know, i may work from home today which would be a good idea. >> snow day, jim. thank you very much. >> more from al roker upstairs monitoring the path of the storm. hi, al. >> good morning. as we look on the big map you can see we have winter storm warnings, watches and winter weather advisories as far south as central california a and as far east as montana. we have a pretty big storm. not as huge as yesterday but still good as the system comes in another big problem. winds, hurricane-force winds for coastal waters in oregon. wind gusts up to 85 miles per hour. and a lot of rain, not just snow with the system. as you get into the pacific northwest, northern pacific northwest in the cascades, some areas more than two feet of snow all the way down into the southern and central cascades. as we move to the south, rain will be a factor. look at the rainfall totals.

some areas, 7 to 10 inches of rain along the oregon, california coastline. this will be a big weathermaker. with the strong winds we expect a lot of power outages. ann? >> we'll have the rest of the forecast in a bit. now let's turn to the cruise ship disaster off the coast of italy. rescue and recovery operations were suspended for a second time overnight after the ship shifted in the water. a costly delay in the search for two dozen people who are still missing. michelle kosinski is in giglio island with the details this morning. hey, michelle. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, ann. divers today say they need to blast four more holes into the hull of the concordia. they have been focused on the rear where they found the bodies of five victims yesterday and they expect to find more today. there's also more scrutiny of the captain, the man who was ordered to get back on board while passengers scrambled to escape. prosecutors believe he never

did. the man accused of causing the problem, manslaughter and abandoning ship is now back home. captain schettino is home under house arrest and the world's eyes are on him. while at the scene of the epic capsizing comes the task of identifying the bodies of four men and a woman found inside tuesday under water, all wearing life vests, believed to be passengers in their 50s and 60s. this video shot by divers tuesday, you see deep within that ship in the murky, silence. they go through the same spaces where friday night vacationers had just begun their mediterranean cruise. above water, a blast. no accident. just searchers using every means possible to break through the hull. as this was happening, captain schettino was in court. now we know more of what he said

that night. in a recorded phone conversation with a furious port authority captain in hours after the accident. [ speaking in a foreign language ] >> reporter: listen, schettino, there are people trapped. get on board and report to me how many people there are. is this clear? schettino says why he's staying near the shore -- coordinating. what are you coordinating? get on board the ship is and coordinate the rescue. are you refusing? >> no, no, i am not refusing. you get on board. this is an order. get going. there are already corpses, schettino. at one point, it's dark. we can't see anything. and in reply, what do you want? to go back home, schettino? get on the ship and tell me how many people there are.

but he stayed on land while desperate passengers struggled to find a way off themselves. the parent company carnival put out a statement saying they commend the tremendous efforts of the crew that night though they have been widely criticized by survivors. the captain claims he didn't abandon ship but said he was thrown overboard by the tilting of it. his attorney said he likely saved many lives beaching it here or it might have sunk in deeper water. ann? >> michelle kosinski, thank you so much. it is 7:09. here's matt. >> now the race for the white house. with the south carolina primary now just days away the attacks are flieg, most aimed at front-runner mitt romney. we'll talk about it with new jersey governor chris christie in a moment. he is a romney supporter. first, peter alexander is in columbia. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. sarah palin has added her voice to the chorus in the state

saying if she was voting in south carolina she would vote for newt gingrich to try to extend this race. late last night nbc news spoke to a senior adviser for the campaign who said for conservatives this is a pretty darn clear call to arms. in south carolina's final stretch, mitt romney's challengers are scrambling to cast themselves as the best alternative to the gop front-runner. >> we have governor romney who is timid and isn't what the country needs and you have newt who's bold but all over the place. >> any vote for santorum or perry, in effect, is a vote to allow romney to become the nominee. >> reporter: even sarah palin weighed in. while still not endorsing anyone she said on fox news tuesday night she wants the race to keep going with gingrich. >> if i had to vote in south carolina, in order to keep this thing going i would vote for newt. i would want it to continue. >> reporter: ron paul says he'll stay in the race even if romney

wins south carolina. >> of course he won't win the nomination on saturday. why should everybody walk away if me wins this primary. you have to wait to see where the delegates are. >> reporter: romney's campaign hoped to build momentum with a high energy rally tuesday. but romney was greeted by a small crowd. after mounting pressure to release tax returns romney appeared to be knocked off message, promising to share his returns in april and disclosing he pays 15% in income tax, like many wealthy americans but less than many middle class americans. >> my income comes from investments made in the past rather than ordinary or earned annual income. then i get speaker fees from time to time but not much. >> reporter: his form shows he earned nearly $375,000 in speaking fees in 2010. throughout his campaign romney has produced jobs at bain capital.

>> if you take the businesses we invested in over our many years over a hundred different businesses that net-net they added over a hundred thousand new jobs. >> reporter: he cited a new number. 120,000. >> 100,000 or 120,000, which number should we stick with. >> four companies, 120,000 jobs. very simple. >> reporter: struggling to revive his candidacy, rick perry wouldn't commit to his campaign's future. >> we're headed to south carolina, south carolina and south carolina. >> reporter: while governor romney has been slow to commit to releasing his tax returns, ironically it's believed the first modern presidential candidate ever to release their tax returns was governor romney's own father, governor george romney. matt? >> peter alexander in south carolina. thank you very much. new jersey's governor chris christie campaigned for mitt romney in iowa and new hampshire. he's with us this morning

exclusively. >> good to be back, matt. >> you're a full disclosure guy. you like it when politicians reveal their financial situations and tax returns. is mitt romney missing the boat? >> i don't think he's going to. i think he'll release the taxes. >> why wait? >> the most relevant information is the most recent. he'll release when he files in april. that's going to be up to him. my practice all along is i release my tax returns every year as soon as they are filed. >> the appearance here is you wait until april, the nomination would be secured by that time and you don't have to worry about fallout in the primaries. >> he already started to speak yesterday about the rate he pays. i would say if you have tax returns to put out, you know, you should put them out sooner rather than later because it's always better in my view to have complete disclosure, especially as the front-runner. >> for five years he's been talking about his trump card which he says is his business

resumé, his ability to turn around companies to handle the economy. as you know his opponents are using what he sees as the trump card and making his achilles heel, attacking his days at bain capital. is it fair? >> no. they're missing the boat. at the end of the day what governor romney did as the head of bain capital was help create jobs and turn around businesses. it's stunning to me somebody like newt gingrich would come out with the attacks he did. somebody who says he's in favor of american capitalism would come out with those attacks he's come out with. >> to separate mitt romney and say he's part of the 11 1%, a w street guy, a financial tycoon you think is unfair. >> from a guy with a half million credit line at tiffany? that's a problem. >> in 2009 you ran for governor against then governor john corzine with ads that labeled him a gordon gecco guy during

his days at goldman sachs. isn't that a play out of your playbook? >> no. he spent money to buy -- police call office. this is attacking the core of the way we try to build and turn around companies in a capitalist system. if the other candidates are so desperate they have no other message other than to attack somebody who created over 100,000 jobs in his career, their campaigns are bankrupt. >> let's go to your state of the state address. you borrowed a phrase from mitt romney. you said, quote, the politics of envy have overtaken the imperative of opportunity. talk to me about that word "envy." i asked governor romney as well. why choose that word? >> i chose that word because i have been using another word for a long time which is the politics of division. yesterday i used the politics of envy. the reason i did it is because what we are setting up is people

don't want to feel badly about other people who are successful. they want the same success themselves. we need to set up a system like we are in new jersey where people can be just as successful as people already are. >> why envy as opposed to unfairness? >> this is what the president is setting up. he's saying the american pie is finite. if you don't like the size of the piece you have, only government can take more pie away from somebody else and give you a little bit and government keeps the rest. >> as people raise questions about wall street, financial institutions and practices and the division of power and money in this country, you do not think it's about envy. you think it's about fairness? >> if they raise questions about practices under the law which i spent a lot of time as u.s. attorney going after people in corporate america not acting within the law that's fair. that's not what you are talking about with mitt romney. the attack with mitt romney is somehow his concept of capitalism at bain was wrong and

destructive when the facts show he created jobs at bain capital. >> at your state of the state in new jersey you said, together we have done something trenton hasn't seen in a long time. we work together. we achieved compromise. talking about compromise and achieving it are two different things. we are in a climate where congress is as politically divided as it ever has been. americans seem to want people to get their act together. what you accomplish in new jersey, how can it be accomplished nationally? >> only through presidential leadership. in the end what i have done as governor is bring the democrats into the room and say, they are not leaving until we come to a solution. there is a boulevard between getting what you want and compromising your principles. no one should compromise principles. but you will never get everything you want. >> you don't think president obama tried to compromise? >> listen, i don't think the president has showed leadership. simpson-bowles, he put it on the shelf. stimulus plan, turned it over to

congress. the super committee, never got involved to make shg something happen. that's the tough part of leadership. giving speeches in the oval office is easy. getting in a room with mitch mcconnell, john boehner and other leaders of congress and saying, we are not leaving here until we get solutions. that's leadership and the president hasn't done it. >> i hate to get into this subject because you're a good dancer and you danced over the presidential thing on the other of whether you would run as a vice president yal candidate to mitt romney, will you tell me now it is out of the question, it will not happen? >> no. no, i won't. no matter how much you want me to. stop, matt. i have said all along i want to be governor of new jersey. if you're a betting guy, bet on me being governor of new jersey after 2012. i think it is rude and wrong to say you wouldn't do something you haven't been asked to do. >> have you had discussions with governor romney about it? >> zero. my job is to help him become

president of the united states. i don't want anything in return except for a better country. >> if you can be part of achieving that as a running mate for mitt romney you would do it? >> i could be a better part of doing it by leading new jersey to a rejuvenation of america. that's what we are trying to do. cut income taxes, reform education and bring people together. what we have done in new jersey more than anything else is you have seen the divided government can work. republicans and democrats can work together if there is strong executive leadership. >> chris christie, always good to see you here. >> thanks, matt. >> let's get to the news desk. natalie has the top headlines of the morning. welcome back. >> thank you, matt. good morning. some websites including wikipedia have gone black for 24 hours beginning today to protest anti-piracy legislation before congress they claim amounts to censorship. other sites including google are

showing solidarity. more on this coming up. the white house was under lockdown after someone threw a smoke bomb over the north fence. no one was injured. it happened as protesters marched from the capitol to the white house. the streets were closed while the secret service investigated. the president and first lady were at dinner celebrating michelle obama's 48th birthday. a new book out today claims the youngest son of kim jong il believe it is current regime is ready to collapse. the book quotes kim jong nam saying his younger brother kim jong sung is just a figure head. nearly double the amount of signatures needed to force a new election. the effort was spurred by anger over walker's public fight against public sector unions. this morning the world bank

is warning of a global economic slowdown. courtney reagan is at the new york stock exchange. how do you expect it to affect the markets? >> it's not good news but the main reason for the economic slow down warnings is a possible recession in europe. something that's not a surprise to the markets and traders consider the debt crisis somewhat baked in to stock prices. while the world bank is slashing the economic forecast for the world it still does expect positive growth for to 12. natalie? >> thank you. and people in indiana and kentucky are assessing the damage after apparent tornadoes ripped through several cities on tuesday tearing apart homes and businesses. there are reports of as many as nine tornadoes touching down across three states. it is 7:21. now back to matt, ann and al. wild weather out there. >> let's show you what's

happening in between lake ontario, lake erie, just to the east of buffalo in leroy, new york. they will pick up two to three inches of snow. generally we are talking three to five inches around the great lakes. from cleveland, erie, buffalo to syracuse we will be looking at anywhere from three to five. some areas may have eight. heavy rain and snow in the pacific northwest. windy conditions in the northeast. airport delays boston, new york, philadelphia, washington, d.c. sunshine through the gulf coast into southern texas and the >> good morning. the temperatures will be falling as week had throughout the day today into the 30's. this will be the warmest part of the day. a slight

and that's your latest weather. ann? >> thanks, al. new details coming up on environmental testing done in a school where 12 girls are experiencing tourette's-like symptoms. we have the latest findings. first, this is "today" on nbc.

just ahead, did the pilot do enough? new findings on the accident where a model walked into a plane's spinning propellor. >> after your local news. there's no charge for the bag. thanks. i know a quiet little place where we can get some work done. there's a three-prong plug. i have club passes. [ male announcer ] now there's a mileage card that offers special perks on united, like a free checked bag, united club passes, and priority boarding. thanks. ♪ okay. what's your secret? ♪ [ male announcer ] the new united mileageplus explorer card. get it and you're in. united mileageplus explorer card. [ thuds ] [ man ] that's it! [ thudding ]

- [ announcer ] to do a job well-- - this is gonna take a while. you need the right tools. nobody knows taxes like h&r block. so file for free at hrblock.com. never settle for less. >> this is wbal tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning, everybody. i am stan stovall. 40 dead animals are found inside a town hall in the 9600 block of lambeth court did they say they found nearly half of the dead animals stored in the freezer. authorities said there is no power or heat in the home. neighbors say they have not seen the owner in about a week. time for a check of the morning

commute. traffic pulse 11. >> good morning, everyone. we're looking at a few problems, but nothing like yesterday. in anne arundel county, westbound 100 just passed catherine avenue, you may find some delays due to an accident there. some delays on the west side. 26 miles per hour there. they do not stretch back to 795 live. verdi heights at garrison boulevard, watch for a crash on the city. southbound i-95 at the keith ave. off ramp, that has just been cleared. 95 coming out of the northeast right around white marsh. here is a live view of traffic at 95. we will switch over to a live view of traffic at the harbor tunnel. as m smooth ride there. >> a breezy and cold start for

us. we had a cold front go through last night. temperatures continue to fall as we had through the afternoon. right now, 40 at the airport. this will be the warmest part of the debris we will drop into the mid 30's in most locations -- and as part of the day. we will drop into the mid 30's. seven-day forecast. maybe some light snow or flurries tomorrow night. another chance for light rain or another chance for light rain or snow perhaps

7:30 now on this wednesday morning, the 18th of january 2012. you're looking at conditions on our plaza, but there you are in the pacific northwest, being slammed now by a powerful snowstorm. one of the worst there in years, but it's a very different scene as we just pointed out in rockefeller plaza. we have had barely any snow. >> it's been a pretty easy winter. >> knock on wood. >> jinx. >> al's forecast is coming up. inside studio 1a i'm ann curry along with matt lauer. we'll be talking about the tragic propellor accident that seriously injured a texas model. >> a new report from the ntsb

reveals the pilot tried to warn lauren scruggs to stay away from the propellor, but the question remains, did he do enough. >> and the governor is launching a new crackdown on deadbeat parents who in some cases owe more than $1 million in child support. an inside look on that operation is brewing. >> lots of people here excited because michelle obama gave young jason wu a huge boost when she wore one of his designer gowns at the inaugural ball. he's about to day buy a new line at target and nothing costs more than $60. he'll give aus first look at his collection in a while. >> very exciting. we begin this half hour with details on a story we told you about on tuesday. 12 girls at the same high school struck with debilitating symptoms similar to tourette's. amy robach has the latest on the

story from leroy, new york. good morning. >> reporter: ann, good morning. 12 girls here at leroy high school in upstate new york say they have been suffering from severe tics, almost like tourette's syndrome. for three months the girls and their parents have been searching for answers and now they are finally getting some with newly released test results from the school district. what's going on at leroy high school? that's what many students and parents want to know after 12 teenaged girls started suffering from body movements, tics and outbursts. brook dupont said she has the symptoms. >> it's frustrating because when i get nervous or anxious or anything that's when it comes out more. >> reporter: sara sanchez is a senior at the school and says her symptoms are so bad she can no longer go to class. she shared her story with ann tuesday on "today." >> there was nothing going wrong

and then i just woke up and that's when the stuttering started. i want an answer. a straight answer. >> reporter: now some possible answers in two newly released reports by the school district. a private company did environmental testing at the school in december. the reports found that no substances were detected within the school building that might be expected to cause any health issues in the student or staff population. dr. meschel and his team at dent in new york are treating brook and many of the other girls. he told nbc news they have a rare form of conversion disorder or mass hysteria, a psychological problem that can happen in groups like female teenagers. >> it's happened before all around the world in different parts of the world. it's a rare phenomena. physicians are treegeintrigued  it. the bottom line is these teenagers will get better. >> reporter: some parents aren't

satisfied including brooke's dad. >> not all of us are accepting this is a stress thing and our kids didn't all get sick by coincidence. it's heart-wrenching. you fear your daughter won't be able to have a normal life. >> reporter: brooke is feeling better, showing no symptoms when we spoke with her but constantly worries about her next outburst. >> it's frustrating. i want an answer. i would like to know why this is happening and i'd like to fix it. i don't want it to happen anymore. >> reporter: all the girls with symptoms have seen their own doctors and are getting treatment. the school district did not want to be interviewed for our story but issued this statement saying, in part, that all the girls -- these symptoms are real and that the girls are being treated with the best care possible and they hope all the girls get back to normal soon. ann, back to you. >> amy, thank you very much for your reporting on this. matt? >> thank you.

nearly seven weeks after a young texas woman was injured after she walked into a plane's propellor we are learning more about the accident. the national transportation safety board is out with its report. savannah guthrie has details on that. good morning. >> good morning. lauren met with doctors about getting a property at the time tick arm but as she works hard at recovery there are new questions about who was responsible for the accident. lauren was returning from a trip to see christmas lights in dallas. the ntsb describes it as dark night visual conditions. the pilot, who was not named but previously identified as curt richmond told investigators he warned her when he saw her exiting toward the front exe extending his arm to divert her. he told the passenger to walk behind the plane. once he thought she was beyond the wick he turned his head to look for the next passenger on the other side.

the pilot heard someone yell -- stop, stop. he immediately shut down the engine and saw the passenger lying in front of the airplane. the report has many asking who was responsible. >> if the pilot saw her start to walk forward, stopped her, i think at that point that should have guided him that, hey, she's going to need some additional help. i'm going to shut the engine down. pilots are responsible for the safe operation not only of their aircraft but people operating or moving around their aircraft. >> just wanted you to know we are starting a pumpkin -- >> reporter: this report didn't find fault with the pilot for the accident. a final report in greater detail is expected within months. >> the ntsb will come out with a final report and there will be a determination of prostate canba. then it's up to the faa to determine if they need to take legal or regulatory action against the pilot. >> reporter: lauren has been in

intensive therapy in a dallas hospital since the accident. she's had to relearn how to walk, talk and dress herself. lauren's mom cheryl has been blogging on her recovery. lauren recently reached out with gratitude on her website. i don't know how to thank each of you properly for so much love during this difficult incident in my life. my heart is so grateful beyond what i could ever imagine. we reached out to the pilot for comment. he has not spoken publically and didn't respond to our request. he is a family friend and the scruggs say they don't blame him, matt. >> now a check of the weather from mr. roker. >> thank you very much, matt. it's your birthday. what's your name? >> kat. >> where are you from? >> alabama. >> i like the hat and the tiara.

we have extreme cold warnings and wind chill advisories and warnings from the dakotas to montana as far east as parts of wisconsin. look at the temperatures. air a temperatures, 23 degrees below zero in cut bank. international falls, 11 below and they won't warm up much. zero in international falls bechlt low zero throughout much of montana. as we look at the afternoon highs and temperatures, weather conditions are a mess in the pacific northwest. snowshowers northern new england. showers and thunderstorms in northern and central florida today. sunshine from southern california into the desert southwest. >> good morning. a cold front when through overnight. the temperatures are going to fall as we head into the afternoon.

make sure you check your weather any time day or night. go to weather channel on cable or weather.com online. matt? >> al, thank you so much. up next the federal government's crackdown on deadbeat parents who owe thousands and in some cases more than a million dollars in unpaid child support. plus, does your family need a new ride? we have the new list of the best family friendly cars on the market. first, these messages. like many chefs today, i feel the best approach to food is to keep it whole for better nutrition. and that's what they do with great grains cereal. see the seam on the wheat grain? same as on the flake. because great grains steams and bakes the actual whole grain. now check out the other guy's flake. hello, no seam. because it's more processed. now, which do you suppose has better nutrition for you?

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back now with the federal government stepping up efforts to track down parents who are behind in child support payments and seem determined to avoid paying. nbc's tom costello has details. good morning. >> reporter: hi, ann. good morning. the project is called project save our children. deadbeat parents collectively owe more than $100 billion. while many have fallen on hard times and can't afford the payments others are trying to avoid paying for their kids. tracking them down is not easy. 7:00 a.m. in arlington, virginia. >> sheriff's office. >> reporter: with a stack of warrants, sheriff's deputies are hunting for deadbeat parents. [ knocking ] >> he doesn't live here. >> reporter: it's a weekly, even daily game of cat and mouse where dads and moms who are

behind in child support by hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars have become very good at slipping away. >> how often do you knock on a door like this and nobody's home? >> 90% of the time. we knock on the door and there is no answer or the person we are looking for does not live there. >> reporter: because it is a civil warrant if a parent moves across state lines local police can't go after them. if they owe more than $5,000 and cross state lines it's a felony. that's where the feds get involved. gerald roy is the hhs deputy inspector general. >> you are talking about willful intent to avoid paying for your children, for their livelihood, for providing the basics they deserve. >> reporter: now federal investigators are naming names with a new fugitive website aimed at tracking down the most egregious cases. at the top of the list, robert sand who owes more than $1

million in child support. >> where do you mr. sand is now? >> we believe he is hiding out in thailand. >> reporter: he knows he's wanted? >> he knows. >> reporter: some of the biggest cases include pro athletes including tyrone nesby who pleaded guilty to avoiding to pay and is now paying nearly $1 million. in des moines, arlene shepherd and her seven kids are on their own. glen shepherd has been on the run since 2003. he owes more than $160,000 in child support while arlene and the kids get by on minimum wage. >> i would hope he could look at them and apologize. i don't think anything could take away the pain, anger, hurt, sadness. but i would hope he could apologize to them. >> reporter: just after christmas police caught up with shepherd in arizona. he's declined to talk to us. since 2006 the feds found more than 500 deadbeat parents

recovering more than $33 million in child support. in this county alone in northern virginia they have 175 outstanding child support warrants, some dating back to 1997. >> you can't stand your ex, you should care about the children you brought into this world and make sure they are protected and okay. >> the feds are now working 170 investigations involving the most egregious cases. fleeing the country won't necessarily mean those people are free. the fbi and interpol have been used to track deadbeat parents overseas. ann? >> tom costello, thank you very much for that. still ahead, giada de laurentiis shares recipes for comfort foods. inspired by her golden globes after party menu right after this. looking for financial advice. ars ago, he wasn't

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♪ mountain-grown aroma coming through ♪ ♪ a new challenge waits for you ♪ ♪ ♪ jumpin' into something new ♪ you really see all you can do ♪ ♪ ♪ the best part of wakin' up ♪ is folgers in your cup we are back now at 7:50 with a kickoff of this year's doodle for google contest. it lets kids try designing a google logo that could end up on the website's home page for a day. >> that's right. marisa myers is the vice president of development for google. >> thank as for having me back. >> before we get to the doodle let's talk about what happened when i tried to google. there was a big black rectangle over google.

>> we are drawing attention to the fact that there is legislation moving through congress we believe will ask us to sencensor the internet and affect the economy. >> comcast is in favor of the legislation saying it is imperative to protecting copy righted content and avoiding piracy. where is this going in your opinion? >> we are worried about piracy. that said we think there are better, smarter, more targeted ways to address rogue foreign websites than asking for broad censorship. >> this is something going through the mill. let's talk about doodling. first of all, what is the criteria -- this is specifically for kids. >> this year we have a theme. we always have a theme. this year is if i could travel in time i would visit. you want to inspire kids to pick the time they would always want to see. they can go into history and see the signing of the declaration of independence or in the future with space travel or scientific

discovery or maybe a sentimental theme like wanting to meet a future baby brother or sister. >> they design a google -- a doodle, excuse me. i knew i would say that. >> once they do the doodle they can submit it to google by march 23. it goes through a series of judging which results in a national winner. they will have the logo on the home page may 18th for the whole day. >> and any other prizes? >> we are giving a $30,000 college scholarship. a $50,000 technology grant for the winner's school. the logo will be seen by hundreds of millions of users. in partnership with crayola we are having the logo appear on the 64th crayon box. >> thank you so much. >> kids, get to it. >> looks like you're in the witness protection program with that box.

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>> this is 11 news at 7:00 in baltimore and. >> good morning. time for a check on your morning commute. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> good morning, everyone. there are some delays. one note on southbound 295 approaching 175 -- a reported accidents there. delays are already in place. southdown the 95, 27 miles per hour. tapping the brakes on the inner loop and also on the outer loop between providence and the harrisburg expressway. as you will find delays and

pretty heavy on the west side. we are at 25 miles per hour were approaching 795 all the way down to edmonton. that is causing some backups, of owings mills. outer loop traffic, that's the pace of things all the way down. pretty normal stuff. a live view of traffic going away from us. not as bad there. things start to get heavy towards the beltway. that's the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> good morning, everyone. a breezy and chilly start for us. the trend will probably continue. this is the warmest part of the day. 39 at the airport. 43 downtown. we will settle into the 30's in most areas later on today. a mix of sunshine and cloud. slight chance of some snow flurries, especially in north and west of baltimore. temperatures between 35 and 43 degrees. seven-day forecast.

increasing clouds tomorrow with a chance of some snow flurries. a high of 38. there could be some light rain or snow on friday night and into saturday morning. it wil

we're back now at 8:00 on a wednesday morning, the 18th day of january, 2012. it's a pretty nice day in new york. we have a brilliant blue sky and 40 degrees greeting these people in our plaza. that's always good news. thanks to them for stopping by. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry and al roker. we want to think back a few years and remember that michelle obama wowed people with that dress she wore to the inaugural ball. >> a white, beautiful dress. that put the designer, jason wu, even more on the map. now he's coming out with a line where everything is under $60.

>> it's wu, not wow! >> he'll give us a sneak peek. there is a lot of buzz about what may be coming out. young people want to afford the outfits. we'll show you more coming up. >> giada de laurentiis, you spent time with her at the golden globes dancing at one of the parties. she also cooked for some of the stars and was a hit with comfort food and that outfit. she'll share comfort food recipes with us ahead. >> very exciting. also coming up, some cars that are family-friendly. they have gotten a little bit of a plus from parenting magazine because they have certain attributes that are particularly good for having children in the car. >> and then a little bit later on, president bill clinton knows a thing or two about comfort food. i think we all do.

>> not anymore. he's vegan and has a new push to help fight childhood obesity. dr. nancy snyderman talks to him about it. it's a great cause. >> totally good. >> inside, natalie is at the news desk with the headlines. >> good morning, everyone. the search for some two dozen missing people aboard the crippled italian cruise ship was suspended overnight when the vessel shifted and they feared for diver safety. the captain accused of abandoning ship is under house arrest. republican presidential front-runner mitt romney said he will release tax returns this spring. romney said the returns will show he pays close to 15% in income taxes, similar to many wealthy americans. but that's much lower than the 35% paid by middle class wage earners in the top tax bracket. winter storm warnings and advisories from the west coast to montana. snow has closed schools and forced flight cancellations in the pacific northwest.

seattle could see as much as eight inches today. the storm could bring heavy rain and hurricane-force winds. a new jersey couple has been invited to meet with hospital officials after claiming their daughter was turned down for a kidney transplant because she's mentally disabled. amelia rivera suffers from a disease causing physical and mental delays. her doctor said amelia wasn't eligible for a transplant even if a family member was the donor. in a statement the hospital said it does not disqualify potential transplant candidates on the basis of intellectual ability. there was no drama when lindsay lohan appeared in court tuesday. the judge said lohan is meeting her requirements by attending therapy sessions and doing cleanup duty at the county morgue. lohan is on track to complete her probation for theft and drunk driving by the end of march. for a look at what's trending

today, our quick round-up of what has you talking online. paula deen revealed she's had diabetes for three years. critics say it was wrong for her to promeet high calorie dishes and then become a paid spokesperson for a diabetes drug. deen says moderation is key and die bet the ticks can have a piece of the cake but not the whole cake. beyonce is buzzing because of a photo being used to promote her album. her skin tone appears to be much lighter than usual. l'oréal was accused of lightening her complexion in a hair color ad. and rick santorum is a talker on facebook. it's an old high school portrait that bears a striking resemblance to the character mclovin' in the movie "super

bad." we all have a bad high school photo out there. let's go back outside to al. al has a great high school photo of him. >> we all have great high school photos. there goes mr. lauer. just zipped right out of there. we have friends from cape cod. >> yes, absolutely. good morning. go pats! >> go giants. let's see what's happening? your pick city today, albuquerque, new mexico. i knew i should have made that left turn at albuquerque. kob-tv, sunny and cool. we have a front bringing showers and thunderstorms to florida. there is a mess in the pacific northwest. mountain snows. snow around puget sound and right along the california coast, heavy rain. up to eight inches in spots. lake effect snow in the eastern great lakes. showers and thunderstorms through central and southern florida. >> good morning.

the temperatures will be falling as week had throughout the day today into the 30's. this will be the warmest part of the day. a slight and happy anniversary. you have been married 15 years? what's your name. >> i'm denado and this is my beautiful wife mika. >> and they never had a fight. >> when we come back, jason wu is in studio to reveal some of his affordable new designs right after this. , i'm a mom... and chantix worked for me. it's a medication i could take and still smoke,

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back now at 8:09. this morning on today's style one of the fashion world's hottest new designers. jason wu designed michelle obama's inaugural gown and there is a lot of buzz around his new line for target where everything is under $60. he'll be giving us a sneak peek in a moment. first, jason is's rise to fame. it's the ivory gown that made michelle obama a fashion icon. >> how good-looking is my wife. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: and catapulted jason wu, then 26, into the spotlight. appearing on "today" the day after the inauguration, wu said -- >> i wanted to say something about who she is. i'm a part of history and that's amazing. this is pretty surreal. >> reporter: as mrs. obama continued to wow in wu. the designer's feminine

silhouettes became a red carpet staple with hollywood's elite. while the first lady's silk chiffon dress now resides in the zit sewn yan, wu's new collection will cater to a different audience. following the likes of mossoni and versace, he's launching a line of women's wear and accessories with a price tag under $60. long lines are forecast when the line debuts february 5th. jason wu joins us along with the editor in chief of glamour magazine and today's women's lifestyle contributor. good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> jason, what does the buzz, this excitement say about what american women want from fashion? >> i think american women are telling us they want beautiful clothes. they want something that's versatile, something that's quite timeless and something they can enjoy for not just one season. for a long time. >> and afford. what's happening here?

jason is not the first top designer to do this. >> there have been a lot of collaborations. for my money it's one of the best fashion inventions of the last decade. luxury designers doing affordable collections for retailers. karl lagerfeld did one for h & m in 2006. mossoni for target was so popular it crashed the website. >> my girlfriends and i find out after it's all sold out. your inspiration was this french new wave cinema which i never knew what that was before i tried googling it. what is that exactly? what does that look entail? >> it's a chic, little mischievous, nonchalant. i love french new wave films. and the women that define the style of film are so chic.

i look up to them. i thought, let's pay homage to them for my collection for target. you know, of course, there are little american sportswear details in there as well. >> let's look at a young american look with our first model olivia wearing the work look. oh, it's cute. how does this work, jason? >> well, olivia and i went to high school together. i have known her for a long time. i love the idea. she's a real person and she is really working it hard. actually, wearing the striped sweater is casual. it can be worn with jeans. the pleated skirt is feminine and the whole three pieces can be taken apart. >> right. it's also difficult to find great work clothes on an assistant's budget. a lot of inexpensive clothes can be too young-looking or too sexy. here you have the boss's

wardrobe on the assistant's salary. >> and you can mix and match it with other separates. olivia, you look adorable. i love the bow on the collar. >> i love a bow tie. >> me, too. >> our next model has a weekend look. hi, cherise. this is beautiful. it's got the beautiful striping at the bottom. what do you want to say about this? this is not something you can mix and match but i think you could wear it to work or the weekend. >> i think it's quite versatile. the bag, also part of the collection. it's so chic. so affordable. looks great on her figure. it's also body conscious and the belt defines the waist. >> this is one of the most flattering shapes on the planet. because the fabric is poplin, so not super dressy you could wear it to work, put on keds and ride

a bike or over a swim suit to the beach. >> you're right. terrific. you look beautiful in that. our next model is kristin mo modeling an evening look. wow, look at the little bottom there. that's all part of the same dress? >> all part of the same dress. i worked hard to achieve some wonderful details for the pieces. >> what women know about the little black dress is it's incredibly versatile. i love it with a nude belt like this to define the waist. >> comes with it. >> oh, great. >> you can also do it with a big belt, a leather jacket or denim vest. the fashion girls in my office would put a collar shirt under it. >> that would be cute. >> someone in my ear, our senior editor don nash said that's $49.99. >> yep. >> i can't believe it.

>> audrey hepburn for $50? hello. >> we want to bring out all the models. there is a lot more. this is just three looks and there are more than 40. >> 53. handbags, scarfs and clothes. >> thank you for making fashion more democratic. thank you, cindy. >> thank you. >> we have much more coming up including giada de laurentiis cooking up her favorite winter comfort foods after this. >> i think the chocolate curls are melting.

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so i'm glad it's with fidelity. they offer me one-on-one guidance to help me choose my investments. not just with my savings plan here at work. they help me with all of my financial goals. looking good, irene. thanks to fidelity, i can stay on top of my financial future, huh? good one. why, thank you. whether it's saving for retirement, college, or anything else, contact a fidelity investment professional today. we are now back at 8:19 to do some cooking with giada de laurentiis. she kicked up her heels with al and a lot of stars at the golden globes on sunday. she says hollywood's a-listers really went for comfort foods. she's back with us this morning. good morning.

>> hi. good morning. >> stars like comfort food? next thing you'll tell me is they put on their pants one leg at a time, they're normal people. what did they like the most you prepared? >> the pot roast with creamy polenta. heidi klum sat at my table. she ate all four courses, devoured it. >> and she's a supermodel. >> i was happy with myself. or she was super hungry. >> it's a twist on comfort food. it's not just mac & cheese and baked potatoes. we started with baked gnocchi. >> it's giada style comfort food. when i think of comfort food i think of baked pasta. these are store bought gnocchi. i butter the bottom and make a fast cream sauce. we have chicken broth -- >> not for the faint of heart this cream sauce. >> i didn't say eat the whole

dish. >> that's heavy cream. >> yes. and we'll add flour to thicken it. just whisk it for five minutes until it thickens. then you have a sauce like this. add salt, pepper and fresh nutmeg right on top. just add a little bit of warmth to it. and then you pour it over the gnocchi. >> this goes into the oven? >> yeah. 400 degrees but we have to add cheese. hold your horses one minute. we have four minutes. give me a second! >> trying to use my time wisely. >> i like to add spinach as well, but i should have added it in there. >> see, you're so busy criticizing me you lost your train of thought. >> it's improv. it's all good. then parm and goat cheese. >> in the oven for -- >> 30 minutes. >> it looks beautiful when it comes out. >> pretty good. >> on now to -- >> your favorite.

>> chianti marinated beef stew. >> take a piece of brisket. i soak it for three hours in the fridge in wine. >> dry it off? >> pat it dry because you don't want the meat to steam. you want it to brown. put it on paper towel. dab it. >> what's in here? >> pancetta. >> brown it until it's nice and golden. the pancetta adds flavor. you could use bacon. >> carrots, green beans, potatoes and what was at the head of it? >> celery. >> use some kalamata olives for extra flavor. it's basically a one-pot meal. tomatoes. sage and rosemary. add the beef broth and simmer it and cook it for about three hours. >> through the wonder of television we'll show people

what it looks like right here. >> aah! >> i want to relive a little bit of the moment from the golden globes. you two were cutting a rug. >> look at those moves. she's got the moves like jagger. >> were there nerves involved with the cooking thing or did you have a good time? >> there were tons of nerves for a long time. >> you were actually out partying. >> that was at the after party. i had a dinner for 160 people beforehand. then i had an after a party dinner, buffet. when you saw me, that was long into the night, my friend. >> you had been drinking pretty heavily. >> congratulations. good to have you here. let's go over to ann. >> this morning on today's health the fight against childhood obesity. former president bill clinton is working with 13,000 schools across the country to provide healthier meal choices to millions of kids.

>> i would sit home and eat probably something i shouldn't be eating when i wanted burgers, fries. i would go home, sit on the couch and meld into it. >> reporter: a common problem for nearly 25 million children in this nation who are overweight or obese. today a war is being waged on the front lines and students are getting support of the school. ultimately choosing healthier foods and opting for exercise. >> one thing i notice you don't have is a fryer. >> oh, no. this is what a kitchen looks like in a school. there are no fryers. we have increased vegetable consumption by 30% over what we had in the beginning. >> the driving force behind this -- >> hi! >> reporter: former president bill clinton. his emergency heart surgery several years ago forced him to change stubborn habits. a realization he hopes will motivate others, especially the young. why do you see the investment in the kids as important? >> children need enough of the

right kind of food to grow and develop their bodies and brains. when i had all these heart problems i realized this was totally unexamined. >> reporter: a multi faceted approach combining healthy food and exercise is key to the initiative. >> you will see people come into the cafeteria and complain if there aren't oranges. >> reporter: and here at ps-2 elementary in west new york/new jersey students participate in activities ranging from scheduled class breaks to an indoor fitness trail. even teachers attend physical fitness boot camp. the philosophy is catching on. >> kids spend six to eight hours a day in school. they want school to emulate the environment that they want to produce at home. >> this is in the dna of the school district now. >> reporter: they're having fun! >> they are. they're into it. >> reporter: for "today," dr. nancy snyderman, nbc news, west new york, new jersey.

>> just ahead, the top family-friendly cars on the market. we'll check them out. but first, these messages and a check of your local news and weather. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. let's get a final check on that morning commute with traffic pulse 11 and sarah caldwell. >> good morning, everyone. a couple of accidents just coming into us. if you travel south on 295 right near 197, you can see the delays stretch all the way back to 100. we have another accident on 95. that may make for a difficult ride southbound on 198. route 1 might be a better bet. been street, we have an accident at the annapolis -- on

main street. we have some delays on 95 out of the northeast, as usual. 25 miles per hour approaching white marsh. north side for the harris for expressway, also running slow. 30 miles per hour on the outer loop west side. 795, backed up all the way down to edmundston. let's take a live view outside. here is what it looks like in the area of liberty. pretty tough there. here is what it looks like on 95 at white marsh going away from us, southbound traffic. that's the latest on traffic pulse 11. now, a check on your forecast. >> good morning, everyone. a breezy and cold start on this wednesday. temperatures will not move much. right now, we are in the upper 30's and low 40's. 39 at the airport.

43 downtown. it will be breezy as we go into the afternoon. winds will diminish a little bit. even a slight chance for some snow flurries. thickening clouds. light snow later in the day pre- 38. >> thank you. thank you for joining us. thank you for joining us. we will

8:30 now on this wednesday morning. the 18th of january, 2012. it's a pretty morning here in midtown manhattan. the sun is coming up in the sky. we'll take a good look at that as we say hello to our enthusiastic crowd. 39 degrees. it's a bit cool. i'm ann curry along with matt

lauer and al roker and natalie morales. coming up, we have help for you if you are in the market for a family car. >> we have great examples chosen by parenting magazine as the most family-friendly vehicles. the cars are great but it's the features, things that make life easier for parents and children. we'll show you those. >> it's magic. >> that's cool. we like it. and the must have gadgets of 2012. we'll show you gizmos that have made their debut at the consumer electronics show. parents will love this one. look at the stroller. it's a power folding stroller. >> it's got running lights. >> that's cool. >> i thought you would say a power mower. >> take it for a walk and mow the lawn. i like it. >> that's brilliant. >> doubles as a snow blower in the winter. >> and makes mounds of julienne fries.

and jenna bush hager catches up with thomas horn, the star of "extremely loud & incredibly close." what's it like making your big screen debut as a 9th grader alongside tom hanks and sandra bullock. he'll tell us. >> and both major actors had huge -- >> they have great reviews. >> they have been complimentary of him. anyway. >> i feel like we are in the blue period here. we have folks here from l.l. bean. how about a check of the weather? >> i still have my duck boots. let's check it out, see what's happening today. we have snow advisories, a lot of messy weather in the pacific northwest with a lot of snow. we are looking at heavy rain in northern oregon and parts of california. beautiful sunshine throughout the south. that will continue tomorrow. the arctic express makes its way into the plains. lake effect snow from the great lakes into northern new england and the heavy rain will continue

in northern oregon and northern california as well. i should say southern oregon and northern california as well. >> good morning. a cold front when through overnight. the temperatures are going to fall as we head into the afternoon.

rom california,ay and believes the good lord is her strength. how about that? good old joe, what do you know, just got back from the radio show. joe elias, central, south carolina, is 101. an excellent pool player and still beats the young guys -- over the head with the cue. ivy nelson, grangeville, idaho is 103 today. master gardener and attributes her longevity to having one beer every day. doesn't say what kind. one beer every day. and we have charles bliss of arnold, pennsylvania, is 100 years old today. loves to prepare dinner for the family and they love it and he's

legally blind. how about that? throws stuff on the stove and goes wild. jennie -- i love that pretty name -- biancone of columbus, ohio, home of the slider. 103 years old today has a positive attitude and a great sense of humor. can't beat that combination. finally, clarence simmons of grace, idaho. two idaho. great place idaho. what beautiful country. 100 years old today. happily married to his wife vivian for 77 years. wow. that's it. now back to new york. >> willard, thank you so much. up next the hot test new gadgets for 2012. first, this is "today" on nbc.

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smartphone you control with your eyes to a dancing robot with an mp-3 player, this year's recent consumer electronics show had gadgets to wow even the most tech savvy buyers. mario armstrong just got back from the show. >> still recovering from jet lag. >> do you find yourself just going, wow, all day? >> you do. then you have to filter that and get through the smoke and mirrors and find products that are practical and useable for people. >> one of the themes was smart home. this fits into the category. it's a stove. it's the latest on the market. >> this is a thermador smart stove. >> you're touching it because there is no heat to the surface. >> induction cooking. it knows what pots are on it. i can move -- see the diagram? watch what happens. >> it follows the pot around. >> and the temperature. if i know i'm cooking something at a certain temperature and i

move it to make more room. >> it cooks at that temperature. it's instant heat like gas but safer. talk to me about the wine cooler. >> they are getting smart. this is an a 18-bottle wine cooler. number one it keeps the temperature for wine at the right level but also alerts you on your cell phone when is the optimum time to drink it or when the temperature is dropping. >> your favorite chardonnay falls below the required temperature you get an alert. >> start drinking today. >> is it expensive in. >> around $200. >> some haven't hit the market yet and we don't want to get ahead of ourselves. >> this one has. >> i have three kids and i when i read about this i thought, why didn't they come up with this. >> i have kad and now i want three more. >> this is an amazing stroller. >> it's made by four moms which is great because moms made this. essentially you turn the dial, press the button and it is a

first power folding stroller. it completely collapses for you. >> you know the question everybody has -- how do i make sure that doesn't power collapse on my kid? >> it's a vegetarian. it won't eat the kid. it has smart century is ssensor know if there is weight. and you can manually override the power and close it yourself. >> four cup holders. a place to charge your phone. >> powers up itself. running lights at the bottom. you can get the pedometer and everything. >> how much? >> $849. >> smartphone. >> this is cool. we'll see thinner, larger screens and lower costs. this one by fuji is awesome. it goes into five feet of water for 30 minutes. toilet drop, don't worry. you're okay now. >> will that be expensive? >> not bad. it's available in japan but not in the u.s. yet. they are working with a carrier. >> these are new, better than the traditional tablets. >> intel ultra books.

thinner, lighter, faster, stronger battery. they are windows machines. this is for someone on the go, a busy professional, wants a light machine for e-mail and work. >> you need a bag to put your laptop and other stuff in. these come with an extra feature that's handy. >> yes. everything needs power. i use this during the show to test it out. it saves me so much. everybody is running around looking for power outlets. they have messenger bags and others, but i have multiple devices all being charged. there is a battery inside the bag. >> you charge the bag first and the bag allows you to charge your device. >> simultaneously, multiple devices. tablets, mp-3, phone. >> wireless head set. >> yes, by fitty. this is sms audio, a line 50 cent is putting out. smart entrepreneur. these can sync up to four

different head phones listening to the same source. >> how does it do that? >> amazing. it has a wireless transmitter. if you have an mp-3 player, put on the transmitter and all four head phones. or if you have kids that want to play a game, they can listen to the same game. >> 50 cent in competition with dr. dre who has the hot head phones of today. >> he welcomes the competition. >> speakers. >> these are play cast, the first android wireless speakers. pretty much all iphone devices have the chance to stream music to them. we'll play a song from a kindle. meaning now for $199 each speaker are $199. if i have my kids in the basement they can listen to rock. i could be in the kitchen listening to jazz playing it through my device. >> very cool. >> do you like this song? >> straight from your playlist. i know. >> always trying to get matt to dance. >> this game is bizarre. >> it's fun.

this is is sphero ball. you control the robotic ball with your physical device, with your smartphone. there are different apps you can use for this smartphone. there is a golf game here as well as a drawing game on here. if you really want to practice your putting, you can do it while you're at work. you can actually move the ball around. the idea is that for $129 you could have multiple balls playing that people are using. >> you create obstacle courses and you can roll the ball through the house just with your smartphone. >> the big thing is you can have multiple applications developed for this. new games are always going to come out. >> it's not looking that impressive right now. at least get it to move a little bit, mario. >> i'm working on it. >> go, go, go. there we go. all done with no sleight of hand. up next, the most family friendly cars on the market.

first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on today's family, smart family cars. a list by parenting magazine. we've got sean bean, the magazine's executive editor joining us to give us a preview. hey, how are you? >> doing great. >> nice to have you here. what is your criteria for what makes a smart car for a family? >> well, parenting's genius issue on newsstands now is about everything smart for families -- smart kids, smart foods, smart craft projects. obviously we wanted to cover smart cars. we did our research, our hoerk and found the cars we thought were the smartest, coolest, most family-friendly for the year. we have three of our favorites. >> you have seven on the list and you brought three. the chevy traverse. what makes it a smart family

car? >> this is the chevy traverse. for starters it's a 3-year-old car. i have two boys and sometimes it's like transporting prisoners. there is a lot of fussing and wet willys. they have their own row and it makes for an easier ride. >> and they can bring friends. >> gm did take your kids to work day to bring the gm employee kids to offer feedback and kick the tires. they found the sliding second row seat even a 7-year-old can manage. >> easy. >> we have the perfect dvd screen placement in the middle and figured out, duh, let's get cup holders that fit sip cups. it makes sense. it's retro-fitted for kids. >> all right. what about this car? this is a chrysler town & country. >> this is the town & country. minivan with all the bells and whistles. for starters, the second row seat folds into the floor.

it's a great hidden storage space. >> oh, my god. that's great. >> if the kids are misbehaving you can call it the timeout van. >> no, no. how great for basketballs and things like that. that's terrific. >> we have two dvd screens that have game hook-up. we have the sony playstation hooked up right here. >> that's crazy. i have never seen a car with two. that must be new. >> all the kids in every row are happy. sp you move to the back if we hit this button, one quick button. >> that's pretty nice. let's look at this car. this is a prius. we normally think of them as being environmentally friendly but not necessarily family friendly. what makes this family friendly? >> the prius is great on mileage. they did more with space.

the cool thing that toyota has, the prius has is the n-tune system. they have an ipad basically in the dash. you have bing, pandora, you can get movie tickets. let's get coffee in the neighborhood. >> coffee! >> this is going to search for whatever restaurant is around. and if i stop talking it will find it. >> right. >> there are no coffee results here. >> there is no starbucks apparently in new york city. that's a bummer. but there is all kinds of stuff. live traffic updates, toyota is trying to put al out of business. live weather right here on the dash as well. very cool. >> thank you so much. i want to mention the other cars. the nissan quest, honda odyssey and infinity js.

we have much more coming up. the young star of "extremely loud & incredibly close." first, this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:51 with the young actor making his debut in the new movie "extremely loud &

incredibly close," a role that's already earning 14-year-old thomas horn rave reviews. "today" contributing correspondent jenna bush hager caught up with him in oakland's jack london square. >> reporter: thomas horn, like many 9th graders, enjoys being with his friends. but unlike most he's at a screening of a film in which he stars. >> i would like to introduce this movie "extremely loud & incredibly close" and i really hope you enjoy it. so please sit back, relax and enjoy the show. >> reporter: yes, 14-year-old thomas is the leading man in "extremely loud & incredibly close," a movie adapted from the best-selling novel. thomas plays oscar, a sensitive little boy who loses his father on 9/11. >> after he died i found this key in my dad's closet. >> reporter: and sets off on a journey to make sense of it all when he finds a key he thinks his dad left for him. >> this key once belonged to my father. >> reporter: a heartbreaking,

complex role for a first time actor asked to audition based on his performance on jeopardy. >> article v spells out the procedures for making these changes to the constitution. >> what are amendments. >> good. >> reporter: you had no acting experience before this. >> that's true. >> reporter: little parts. >> i had one small part in a school play. that was it. >> reporter: "james & the giant peach"? >> that was the play. >> reporter: from a school play to sharing the set with sandra bullock and tom hanks. >> he's knowledgeable about everything and opinionated about everything. but he's not a young man who has to be tricked into performing. he's very, very focused on the intentions that he needs to communicate in each scene. >> we had a really good relationship on set. he's a really nice guy. i mean, people say it all the time about him and it's true. he's great. >> reporter: thomas is in almost

every scene in a film that took seven months to shoot with constant script changes and emotional subject matter. what did you do to prepare? >> i would go into a room the director built for me offset. i would think about how the character would feel and i would maybe do this 15, 20, 30 minutes. eventually i felt that the character had entered my body and that i had left. at that point when i was the character, then i could leave the room and try to do my job. >> reporter: oscar goes on this amazing journey. what did you learn from going on this journey with him? >> i think one of the biggest things i learned is about the nature of grief. i'm lucky. i haven't had anything major to grieve about in my life which is super, but he has. from hearing what other people thought about him and from reading the book and the script, i got the feeling for maybe possibly how someone in grief would act. >> reporter: because thomas was only 3 on that fateful day he

researched and learned a lot about 9/11. i heard you met with families who lost people they love in september 11th. what was that like? >> it really made a big impact on me. it made me feel like in a way that's what made 9/11 real for me. i grew up around here. i didn't -- i don't remember the day. i don't really hear about it that much in my normal life but meeting those people made me realize on an emotional level the tragedy that so many have gone through. >> reporter: while thomas continues on his own unscripted journey he says he wants to maintain a normal life though it may get increasingly difficult as he's already picked up a critic's choice award a. >> it's funny to think about. but i'm so lucky. everything that's happened since i got the role has been very lucky. >> reporter: an extraordinary boy and a role of a lifetime.

jenna bush hager, nbc news. >> i saw that movie. he is spot-on in it. amazing. "extremely loud & incredibly close" is playing in select theaters. it opens everywhere this friday. >> and still ahead, we're cooking up a hearty feast with none other than the scottos. coming up after your local news. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. here is a look at one of our top stories. fans of edgar allan poe may be forced to call an end to an annual tradition. for decades, a mysterious visitor left roses and cognac on

the grave to mark his birthday. for the last few years, the toaster has been

>> good morning everyone,. temperatures will hold steady in the 30's. a mix for some snow flurries. high-temperature today of 38. >> thank you. thank you for joining us. thank you for joining us. we'll have another weather