good morning. breaking news -- nbc news has confirmed new certified total from the iowa caucuses reveal rick santorum actually finished ahead of mitt romney by 34 votes. will it and should it impact the race at this stage? we'll ask gop hopeful newt gingrich in a live interview even as the house speaker sees a surge in the polls in south carolina. the captain of the ill-fated cruise ship in italy now telling prosecutors he didn't abandon ship, but tripped and fell into a life boat. while the search for the missing passengers gets back under way this morning. and picture of hope -- a texas model who walked into a spinning airplane propeller seen in public for the first time

since the accident. the news on her recovery today, since the accident. the news on her recovery today, thursday, january 19th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome on this thursday morning, i'm ann curry. >> and i'm matt lauer. it sounds a little strange, we're talking about breaking news coming out of the iowa caucuses. they were held more than two weeks ago. but the news is breaking and it appears that mitch romney may not have won there. >> the initial count gave romney of course an eight-vote win. but as it stands this morning, rick santorum wound up a with 34-vote advantage. officials are calling it a virtual tie. at the latest from chuck todd straight ahead and we'll talk about the impact on the race

with gop hopeful, newt gingrich. matt? >> and did the obama administration share top-secret information about the killing of osama bin laden with the oscar-winning director of a new movie about that operation? we'll tell you about a pentagon investigation that is now under way. and also coming up this morning, john f. kennedy junior's long-time assistant is out with a new tell-all. and in it she reveals never before heard details about kennedy's proposal to carolyn. the constant strain on their marriage and why carolyn almost didn't get on the couple's ill-fated flight 12 years ago. let's begin on a thursday morning with breaking news. the surprising new totals from the iowa caucuses. chuck todd is nbc's political director and the chief white house correspondent. he's in rock hills, south carolina this morning. two and a half weeks ago we thought mitt romney won by eight votes, now it appears that rick santorum won by 34 votes. will this impact the race? or should it impact the race at this stage?

>> well, will it and should it? it is interesting. because when you look at how mitt romney has spun his first two victories. he talked about it was historic and the fact that no republican had ever won both iowa and new hampshire in the same year. and in fact, 72 hours ago we were talking about almost a coordination. he was going to go 3-0. well here he is now in a 48-hour period and a week ago for mitt romney thinking he was about to go do something that nobody had done before. and either side, win all three, a nonincumbent, iowa, new hampshire, south carolina. now he can come out of here, if he doesn't win here and be 1-2. and only have won a primary that was held in his back yard in new hampshire. so you know, it can have an effect on the perception of mitt romney's inevitability. does it help rick santorum? unclear. because yesterday, for instance, i was at one of his events and he was talking about this for 20 minutes. he was talking about the fact that you know what, it may turn out i won iowa.

well, it may be too late for him to take advantage of it. >> as we look back, let's also look forward here. south carolina is next up. what are the polls saying there? >> well, look, we just got out of the field. it's fascinating to think on monday night, it looked like it was going to be a romney going away, that he was actually going to do something he couldn't do four years ago. but then that debate happened and the following night, after the debate, we're finding out that the newt gingrich surge, matt, is very real. newt gingrich is on the move in south carolina. closing the gap with front-runner, mitt romney. >> with your help, we will win the primary on saturday. >> a new nbc news/marist poll shows romney leading gingrich by ten points. but half the poll was taken  before gingrich's fiery debate performance monday night. >> i'm going to continue to find ways help poor people learn how to get a job, learn how to get a better job and learn someday to

own the job. >> of those polled after the debate, romney was ahead of gingrich by just five points. that has the romney campaign on the defensive. forcing them to hastily recycle their iowa attacks from december against gingrich. >> chaotic decisions, erratic behavior, it's a problem when your own leader is the biggest political problem that you're dealing with. which is why we removed him as the speaker. >> when the focus is newt, the republican party loses. >> gingrich fired back. >> they're desperate, they thought they could buy this. they're discovering they can't buy this. >> and unlike iowa when gingrich failed to respond to romney's attacks, the super pac backing gingrich released a dmu ad mocking romney for changing positions or abortion, gun control and health care. gingrich is still making hay out of romney's waffling on releasing his tax return. gingrich plans to release his own returns today, they're expected he paid a 31% rate last

year, compared to romney's 15%. >> my goal is not to raise mitt romney's taxes, it's to let everybody pay mitt romney's rate. >> and gingrich is basking in the glow of tuesday's near-endorsement by sarah palin. >> in order to keep this thing going, i would vote for newt. >> gingrich returned the compliment, sort of. >> i would ask her to consider taking a major role in the next administration, if i'm president. but nothing has been discussed of any kind. >> meanwhile, president obama's campaign released its first tv ad, in response to a multimillion-dollar attack ad funded by wealthy conservative activists, criticizing the obama administration for its handling of the bankrupt solar power company, soly dmmpb dra. >> now, ann, speaking of negative ads, newt gingrich is out with a response ad this morning, right here in south carolina, where he uses mike

huckabee and john mccain's words from 2008 to attack mitt romney. >> all right. chuck todd this morning, chuck, thanks. newt gingrich, the head, south carolina, joining us this morning exclusively. mr. speaker, good morning. >> ann, good to talk to you. >> let's begin with this breaking news that with most precincts counted, it was actually rick santorum and not mitt romney who won in iowa. given this news, why shouldn't rick santorum and not you, be the alternative to mitt romney? >> well the fact is if you look at your own poll, i'm clearly within five points now of beating romney. there's a poll that will come out later this morning that says as of last night i'm two points ahead of romney. the only effective conservative vote is to vote for newt gingrich. rick santorum is a fine person, but i think he's running in fourth place in south carolina. so south carolina conservatives,

if they want to stop a massachusetts moderate only have one effective vote, for newt gingrich. that's a mathematical reality, given the polling. >> you talk about the numbers and this surge. is it purely because of the negative ads that are running? or is it, as is this what voters deserve? >> well, first of all, the voters deserve a totally positive campaign. and as you'll remember when we had a totally positive campaign, i was leading romney by 15 points nationally in the gallup poll. then we got hit by a wave, a tsunami of negative attack ads, i stayed positive all the way through iowa. and what we discovered was, if you didn't match romney's willingness to be very, very clear, you were just going to be unilaterally disarmed. so we haven't gone negative, we have been very clear and very factual. the new ad we just released has senator mccain attacking romney for being so negative and for flip-flopping. it has governor huckabee attacking romney for being so negative. those are real clips of what they said.

they're clearly totally accurate. we're not distorting anything. unlike some of the romney ads. >> let's talk about some of the things you are saying. because the numbers are tightening. while in recent days you've been increasingly stepping up your characterization of president obama as a food stamp president. interestingly, in the lead-up now to south carolina, quoting a "new york times" editorial, in south carolina, where confederate flags still wave on the front lawn of the state capital, largely because of the efforts of the state gop, it remains good primary politics to stir up racial animosity and then link it to president obama. are you intentionally playing the race card to win votes? >> you know, modern liberals are just, i think frankly totally off the deep end. i went to the martin luther king jr. breakfast monday morning with a republican congressman who is an african-american. tim scott. we talked about the corridor of shame, which president obama campaigned in in south carolina and has done nothing for. i outlined a plan to build an

i-73 corridor that would turn that corridor of shame into a corridor of hope. >> i'm asking you, newt gingrich about the nature of the way you're characterizing president obama as a food stamp president. go ahead. >> i'm trying to make a point to you, which is when conservatives care about the poor, and conservatives offer ideas to help the poor, and conservatives suggest that the poor would rather have a paycheck than a food stamp, the very liberals who have failed them, at places like "the new york times," promptly scream racism, because they have no defense for the failure of liberal institutions which have trapped poor children in bad schools, trapped them in bad neighborhoods, trapped them in crime-ridden situations. liberal system has failed. >> point taken. but you are using these words, leading up to south carolina. why are you not, why didn't you step up these words, this campaign before new hampshire? before iowa? why now? >> i use these words, i used

these words at the georgia republican convention last year in may. and i was asked about it. on "meet the press" in may of last year. i have consistently all year long, began doing it in the 2010 campaign. i have said, barack obama is the best food stamp president, the most effective food stamp president in history. his policies have put -- and he just did it again yesterday, with the keystone pipeline. his policies have put more americans on food stamps than any president in history. why is it the liberals get so touchy about a fact? it is a fact that he has put more people on food stamps. i've been saying this for like eight months. >> but there's now -- i've been saying it consistently. >> back in 1995, your ex-wife mary anne, told "vanity fair" she could derail your campaign with one tv interview. tonight she is giving that interview. is there anything she could say, newt gingrich, that could end your campaign? >> i'm not going to say anything

negative about mary anne. my two daughters, kathy and jackie have sent a letter to the president of abc news, saying from a family perspective, they think this is totally wrong. they think abc should not air anything like this. and that intruding into family things that are a decade, more than a decade old, are simply wrong. now, i let my daughters speak for it i'm sure they'd be glad to come on and chat about it i'm not going to comment about it i'm focused on the big issues that concern the american people, which are the current challenges we have, largely because of the failure of the obama presidency. >> it is your ex-wife someone that you think people should see as credible on your character? >> i think that my two daughters are very credible on my character. i think the people who have known me a long time are credible on my character. i think we have lots of folks willing to speak about this. i'm not going to. people will have to judge me, i'm a 68-year-old grandfather. see how close i am to my wife, calista. and how close i am to my

daughters and son-in-laws, my two grandchildren, they'll have to make their mind up. but 16 and 20-year-old stories, we have real stories this week on the failure of the obama administration. i realize that some of the elite media would like to do almost anything other than cover his failures. but the fact is you look at the keystone pipeline yesterday, you look at the saudi decision to go with china to build nuclear capability on sunday you look at the failure of this administration to stand up to the iranians and actually cancel an exercise with the israelis. we have a lot we can talk about today about real problems. >> i know you've got a busy few days ahead leading up to south carolina. former house speaker, newt gingrich, thank you so much for joining us this morning. >> thank you. it is now 7:13, here's matt. now to italy and the latest on the cruise ship disaster. divers resumed the search for 21 people still missing. but rough seas could once again threaten the operation. nbc's michelle kosinski is in italy with the latest. good morning to you. >> hi, matt.

when the ship moves, divers can't get near it. and to look at it here, day after day, time lost, it's just generated more global anger towards the captain. and this morning, police say they want to talk to a young maldovan woman they believe who was a stow-away who may have been spending time with him. >> he's being called the most hated man in italy. concordia captain francesco shettino. who ended up off the ship, well before the desperate passengers. in a phone conversation friday night with a furious port authority officer, shettino insists he did not abandon ship. the ship listed abruptly and we were thrown into the water. well now reportedly, he told prosecutors he tripped and fell into a life boat. so comes vilification in the papers, online, even t-shirts quoting the officer yelling at shettino, to get back on board.

but other voice on the line, was the port authority captain. being called a hero. the port authority says this was a first time ever they had launched a rescue before a ship had asked for it. the first time, they say, they've seen a captain leave his ship this way. >> a part of breaking the law is a moral question. >> in this video of shettino welcoming passengers on what's believed to be this cruise. he wishes them what he hopes is an unforgettable journey. industry analysts using satellite data say shettino took a virtually identical route during a festival in august. a course they say was authorized and charted by the cruise line and the coast guard. >> must have come perilously close, possibly within touching distance. >> now this is what the concordia looks like, visible even from space. new video has emerged from the

depths of the once-grand ship. full of murky water, lit only by search lights. the first identity of a victim has been released, hungarian violinist who helped other people leave and went back for his violin. the families of those still missing are photos hung in town, must wait. a waiter from india, his brother says last seen assisting passengers toward lifeboats. >> i'm very proud of him. and i'm still hopeful. anything could happen. and hopes. >> parent company carnival say it's committed to helping all of those affected by this. providing travel, counseling, refunds and also says it will address all the loss of property aboard. matt? >> michelle kosinski in italy for us this morning on this story, thank you very much. a lot of other stories to get to this morning.

we've got natalie morales at the news desk. >> good morning ann and matt and good morning, everyone the we begin with new weather concerns this morning out west. more ice, snow and heavy rain are expected in parts of washington and oregon. and milder temperatures over the next two days could cause flooding there. on wednesday, seattle avoided a major winter wallop. but still saw nearly seven inches of snow and icy roads covered and they're expected to be a problem for drivers again this morning. more than 40,000 people in tacoma and seattle lost power. meantime, coastal oregon got battered with 100-mile-per-hour winds. well as you heard from the newt gingrich interview, republicans have been quick to criticize president obama for rejecting a proposed 1700-mile oil pipeline from canada to texas. the president blocked the $7 billion plan temporarily wednesday, saying more environmental studies were needed. house speaker, john boehner accused the president of destroying tens of thousands of jobs. eastman kodak is hoping to

stay? business, filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy this morning. the 131-year-old photography company struggled for decades to keep up with strong competition in digital technology. this morning, rupert murdoch's news corps says it will pay damaging to victims of the tabloid phone hacking scandal in great britain. among those receiving a settlement, actor jude law and british deputy prime minister john prescott. facebook is launching a slew of new apps it hopes you will like. it will let users share everything of photos of what they cooked for dinner to details on what they're wearing. and look at this tennis tantrum at the australian open on wednesday. cypress tennis star became so miffed that he began slamming his tennis racquet into a mangled mess. he grabbed another racquet from his bag, slammed that one. and then he grabbed another. oh, and then yes, one other. four total.

he went on to lose the match and was fined $800. there is a definition of a sore loser. 7:19 right now back over to matt, ann and al. not having a good day. >> please don't do that with the forecast. >> i blew a forecast, just whacked the thing out 678 neb, let's see what's happening. more problems to our friends in the northwest. look at the plume of moisture extending way out into the pacific. it's going to be bringing more rain, more snow. not quite as bad as what we've seen, but it's going to add to the woes already in the pacific northwest. with anywhere from three to seven inches of rain. from san francisco up to portland. and sawtooth, the bitterroot mountains looking at one to two feet of snow. wasatch mountains as>> good mor. it is state dry with no snow or ice. there could be some snow

flurries overnight. that's your latest weather. ann? now to the difficult recovery for the texas model, battling injuries when she walked into a plane's still-spinning propeller. this morning we're seeing lauren scruggs for the first time since the accident. nbc is in dallas with details. janet, good morning. >> good morning to you. this is such encouraging news, for everyone who has been watching lauren scruggs' story. six weeks after the awful accident, she is starting to venture out more. in what's been described as very grueling sessions of physical therapy just about every day. now we're getting the first video of one of those outings. they are pictures that reveal just how far this young woman has come.

it was just a simple walk. but considering what she's been through, this was a triumph. lauren scruggs leaving her rehab center on tuesday. her family is alongside her. but the 23-year-old is walking without help. and appears relaxed. her familiar blonde hair in full view. but also visible, the affects of her devastating accident. when she unknowingly walked into a plane's propeller, now six weeks ago. a patch covers the area where she lost her left eye. and her jacket pulled down over her left arm. her hand on that side was severed in the accident. >> she is still a beautiful girl, but she's lost sight in one eye. she's lost one hand. it means a lot of work ahead. in terms of accepting these losses. and figuring out how you're going to function both physically and psychologically going forward. >> i am lauren scruggs. >> the accident happened in early december. the part-time model and fashion

blogger had been in a small single-engine plane with family friend, looking at christmas lights. she hit the prop after they landed, the pilot told investigators. despite his telling her to walk around the back of the plane. doctors say she's lucky to have even survived. lauren's mother, sheryl, always by her daughter's side, has been updating lauren's recovery on a blog that's now topped a million views. but the stress of it all may be taking a toll. usually optimistic, on wednesday, sheryl wrote, i want to appear upbeat and positive. but i'm burdened. more burdened than i have ever been. it is just plain hard to watch lo come to grips with the fact that she has lost her hand and lost her eye. it's hard to hear her tears. lauren's mom may be struggling, but lauren, despite her rehab, has had only words of thanks on her own website. i don't know how to thank each one 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. >> being a model, this has been her identity. and what is in store for her is a lot of work to find a new identity. a new source of success and feeling good about herself. >> there are still questions about any neurological damage lauren may have suffered. but these pictures are giving so many people a reason to cheer. >> thank you so much this morning. still ahead, did the obama administration give a hollywood film-making team classified information about the killing of osama bin laden? the controversy that sparked a government investigation. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

still ahead, a new tell-all book from john f. kennedy's assistant.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. it is the end of an era. an overnight vigil at westminster hall did not bring the poe toaster. paul last three years, no visitor has shown. the tradition may be over now, but the museum will still celebrate poe's birthday with

the readings. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> still dealing with the west side delay is. we are down to 17 miles per hour at edmondson. if you want to hand out at fairmount avenue and east ave, watch for an accident. pennington ave and church street, watch for an accident. let's update you on the tydings memorial bridge. they have opened up one lane. major delays approaching the perryville plaza. two left lanes getting by. you were holding that the delays all the way down to edmondson. >> it is a quiet but cold start this morning. beautiful sunrise in progress. 21 at the airport. same thing in westminster. we'll start with the sunshine this morning.

high-temperature expected around 38 degrees. there's a chance for snow flurries tonight. dry tomorrow, 40. better chance for a mixture of rain and snow on saturday morning. high near 39. it is going to warm up again. rainshowers on monday, but the temperatures will get back to close to 50 degrees but the middle o

♪ it's the way you bring out the sun. ♪ sunny d! ♪ it's the way you make it all fun. ♪ know who makes the day sunny? my mom and sunny d! i love the taste. mom loves the vitamin c. and now it has 40% fewer calories than most regular soda brands! sunny d! ♪ make today a sunny day! find out more at sunnyd.com

well that's pretty, we're back at 7:30 on a thursday morning, 19th day of january, 2012. it is cold in new york city, as you look out across central park. and the hudson river in the background. and on the ground level, it's chilling, only about 19 degrees out on the plaza this morning. we'll get out there a little later. all bundled up to say hi to them. meanwhile inside the studio, i'm matt lauer alongside ann curry with advice that's going to interest a lot of people. >> everybody in the studio is already talking about. we have a segment coming up on how you can look ten pounds thinner just by changing the way you dress. we've got an expert in the house

to help us figure out how. then one of the world's last great adventures, more people have walked on the moon a than have traveled to the deepest waters on earth. that could soon change. coming up, we'll take you for a ride on an incredible new submarine. and also in today's professional, star, donnie and dr. nancy will tackle the day's hot topics, including celebrity chef andny bourdain's harsh words for paula deen now that she's announced she has diabetes. we begin with a new tell-all book from john f. kennedy junior's former assistant, 12 years after his tragic death. >> he was the reluctant prince of camelot who grew up before our eyes. when jfk junior often dubbed the most eligible bachelor in the world, found a mate in a beautiful sophisticated new york fashion executive, the world took notice. >> john and carolyn were one of the most famous couples on the

planet. >> in a new book, "fairy tale interrupted," john's assistant, rose marie terenzio, says there was more to this couple than their public persona. she writes, john was more than a mannequin of good looks and privilege. carolyn was not this uptight, cold and guarded person. >> sometimes he was incredibly sweet and genuine. she was a real person. very motherly with her friends. very caring. >> the author spoke to "people" magazine about the book, in which she reveals, despite being one of the most photographed couples in the world, even john and carolyn were surprised by the attention their 1996 wedding, a secret affair, generated. >> they called and said, did it make the papers? and she said, are you kidding me? it's everywhere. >> as with many couples, terenzio says things weren't always perfect. >> it was very difficult for carolyn to get used to being in the limelight. and i think she did need some empathy on his part. >> rose marie says by the summer of '99, the couple's relationship was strained.

she said carolyn did not want to attend his cousin's wedding in cape cod. according to the magazine. she told rose marie, i'm not a priority, it's is always something else, "george" john's magazine. >> that morning, we spoke to carolyn, told her that she thought she should go, it was a family wedding and he thought she should be there. >> carolyn did join john that day in july of 1999, accompanied by her sister, lauren. the three never made it to their destination, when john, the pilot, lost control of his plane in heavy fog. >> nbc news has learned that a small plane being piloted by john f. kennedy junior has been reported missing. >> rose marie was staying at the couple's apartment when she got the fateful call. she writes, i thought about my last conversation with carolyn. and how i had told her to get on the plane. oh god. >> 12 years later, rose marie does regret that they had that conversation. but i think one thing she feels, in fact carolyn bessette in the

end did what she wanted to do. >> we reached out to the kennedy family for reaction, but did not hear back. the bessedte family declined to comment. now let's get a check of the weather from al. today's weather is brought to you by turbo tax. it is a brisk morning here. and sweet 16, what's your name? >> rachel. >> where are you from? >> virginia. >> very nice. you are so 40! >> i am. >> you look great, what's your name? >> kelly. >> where are you from? >> nashville. >> nice to so you, happy birthday. >> let's check your weather, we'll show you today, we're looking at cold weather. you think this is cold? it's ten degrees below zero in bismarck, 36 in casper. 6 in des moines. in east it's a little bit warmer. after these temperatures, it

would be 8 below in glascow. salt lake city, 48 degrees. the rest of the country, as far as the high tempts, we are looking at temperatures warming up a little bit as you head down to texas. only in the 70s, southern florida as well. single digits and 20s in new england and the northeast. heavy rain moves into the pacific northwest. northern california. flooding possible. arctic air funneling down into the plains. and we've got some lake-effect snowshowers as a clipper moves across through the great lakes. that's what's going on around >> good morning. we will see plenty of sunshine to start the day. the clouds will thicken up this afternoon.

and that's your latest weather. matt? now a controversy that's getsing a lot of attention in washington, did the obama administration leak classified information about the killing of osama bin laden to hollywood film-makers? nbc's kristen dahlgren is following the story for us. kristen, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. we're talking about this as yet untitled film by oscar winner katherine bigelow that details the hunt for osama bin laden. but some say the hollywood version may contain a little too much truth. hollywood has long had a love affair with war movies. but when word surfaced that hollywood had set its sights on last year's osama bin laden raid, some in washington, led by new york republican, peter king, claimed the filmmakers were leaked top-secret information. the new film is from the duo best known for the oscar winner "the hurt locker."

director katherine bigelow and screen writer, mark bowles. when a "new york times" column suggested the filmmakers were being given top-level access to the most classified mission in history, amid reports that bowles gained access do a high-level c.i.a. ceremony honoring those who killed him. on wednesday, the white house denied any wrongdoing. >> those days with folks involved in making this film or writing books or articles or doing tv pieces, we said all the same things and none of it was classified. >> the film was slated to be released in october and republicans worried it would help president obama's re-election bid. bigelow openly supported him in 2008. the movie's release has been pushed back to after the election. in a statement the producing duo called the bin laden raid an american triumph. claiming there's no basis to suggest that our film will represent this enormous victory otherwise.

retired marine captain dale dye is a military adviser for hollywood and has consulted on and appeared in more than 100 movies and tv shows. he finds the idea of top-secret leaks more likely in the movie than real like. >> i think the risk that classified material was formally shared with filmmakers, whether it's katherine bigelow or anybody else, i think is very, very slim. >> the filmmakers pointed out they've been working on this idea for years and they have cooperated with past administrations. but the c.i.a. and the defense department are investigating in a statement the c.i.a. told us the protection of national security is an integral part of its mission. matt? >> kristen dahlgren on the story. new york congressman peter king is the chairman of the house on homeland security. have you personally seen any evidence that indicates that these filmmakers were given classified information? >> i've seen evidence that before they even met with the

filmmakers, there was reports put out by the administration, there were newspaper articles written which did contain classified information. mistakes i believe made by the administration and leaking it out. >> do you, but do you have any evidence that these two filmmakers, katherine bigelow and mark boal have talked to someone who gave them classified information? >> no, the defense department had preliminary investigation, based on that they decided to do a full investigation. so obviously the defense department believes something is there. >> obviously there was so much written and said about that raid that killed bin laden in the days after it went down, in august of 2011. that the "new yorker" published a very detailed account of the raid titled "getting bin laden." did you feel there was clay fied information in that account? >> i had a former c.i.a. official analyze that for me. there was between 12 and 15 classified pieces of information come out in the "new yorker" magazine. the way the helicopter had been modified. the observation post we had used. how we had launched prior raids. how many people involved, the

weaponry, all of that. >> leaks happen all the time in washington, we know that, it's like a sieve. do you think this was an intentional leak to paint the obama administration in the best possible light? are you willing to take that leap of faith? >> i believe they were taking to make the obama administration look good. and i think mistakes were made. i was on your show the day after the raid. i give president obama all the credit for this. he deserves tremendous credit for the raid. i no he people in the situation room who told him not to go ahead with it and he did it, anyway. >> what about your motivation? had it been a republican president who was in office at the time osama bin laden was killed, and a movie was to come out that would paint that operation in the best possible light, would you be sitting here today? >> i would. >> i think there should be a movie made about this. these people performed heroically, the president did a great job. my concern is that people mistakenly in the administration will be giving out information they should not. >> we now know that the movie will not be released in october, it will come out after the

election. would you suggest that the movie must be screened by the military or the c.i.a. before it's released? would you go that far? >> i'm saying that as it's being done, the c.i.a. is going to have someone working with the film. the defense department is going to investigate it, yeah. i don't want anything in there that's going to help the enemy. >> peter king, congressman from new york. good to see you. 7:41. up next the race to the bottom of the abyss. some amazing new sights deep below the ocean's surface. right after this. i love taxes. people say to me, "you're so lucky. after tax season, you get to relax." we're not here for a couple of months; we're here year-round. after april 15th, we don't close down. we're working late, learning next year's tax laws, to make sure that turbotax is the easy way to get your taxes done right. and we even guarantee that all turbotax calculations are accurate. i'm lisa skelly, and i'm an experienced tax professional. man: go to turbotax.com.

might seem... ♪ ...impossible. no, no... well how about the purp? ew! ♪ yeah. wow. unless you have eggo® waffles. they're quick and easy to make, and there's something about them... that just makes people move. [ male announcer ] golden crispy outside, warm and fluffy inside. who says breakfast together can't be done? [ male announcer ] eggo® waffles. simply delicious. with less chronic osteoarthritis pain.

imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaids, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing.

ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer. back now at 7:45, with a remarkable new submarine that's launching a new era of ocean exploration. investigative journalist oliver steven is joining us with more. >> it's called the triton 3300. we got exclusive access as it headed into the deep ocean. with over 70% of our planet covered with sea, we have more planet ocean than planet earth. in the deep, it's a mystical abyss. a wonderland of immense beauty. but 95% of the vast world deep below the ocean's surface remains an utter mystery. completely unexplored, unmapped for science and millions of species still thought undiscovered. our magical journey begins in

the caribbean ocean. several mims off the coast of the bahamas, where this astounding new submarine is being tested. dive after dive. day and night. we're about to go down into the deep ocean. many people like to say that the final frontier is outer space, but we know more about the surface of mars and the dark side of the moon than we do about the deep ocean. our submersible is the triton 3300. 13 feet long, nine feet wide, it's designed to take three passengers down. as the name suggests, 3300 feet deep. >> get in, quick. >> meet our pilot. >> my hatch is secured, my lifeboat systems are running. >> pat rick leahy, the head of the triton submarines. the head of this technology. it's fast, smooth and silent going down. >> it's 167 millimeters thick

hull. and just several minutes, we descend hundreds of feet. and a classic adventure into eternal darkness. we fall through what's called marine snow. particles of mainly dead plankton. >> down at about 300 feet, the more we descend, the more we lose light. we're traveling through twilight. it's the most extraordinary feeling i have ever had. this remarkable glass sphere is designed to withstand massive pressures. if you take everyone in a large football stadium and stand them on that one square meter, that's the pressure on the surface of the sphere. now down past 400 feet, with the external light on we see a sloping wall. >> three of them, do you see? one, two, three. look at the size of that fish. >> triton's next submersible, they say, will be able to reach the deepest part of the ocean, in the mariana trench in the

western pacific ocean, it's 36,000 feet below the surface, that's seven miles down. today's military subs only go down to three or 4,000 feet. no one really knows what's down there. it's considered the most inhospitable place on our planet. and only once has ever been seen by human eyes. in 1960, two explorers descended in the u.s. navy's trieste, a steel research vessel with a tiny window. they spent just 20 minutes at the bottom. it was one of the greatest feats of exploration of the mechanical age. >> over 95% of the ocean has never been explored. every dive will be a voyage of discovery. >> so it's not alone in the race. virgin's tycoon, richard branson, director james cameron, google's executive chairman eric schmidt and china is now in the mix with a submersible. >> something as exciting and as

exploratory and new is going to the deepest part of the ocean will capture people's imagination. >> on our triton test dive, we go as far as 500 feet down. look at all of these colors. we're gliding through another world. it's an extraordinary taste of what's next to come for submarine exploration. >> we want to build a commercial and viable vehicle. we want to allow scientists, tourists, exploration geologists and geophysicists, whoever wants to go to the deep ocean, we want to be able to take them. >> triton is already working on their next submarine. it will be tested in two to three years and will descend to the ocean's deepest point in less than an hour and a half. the estimated cost? $15 million. >> you'll be doing this again? >> i hope so. you should come. >> i would love. i'm so engineerous. thank you for your reporting on this.

and still ahead, today's style, how you can dress to look ten pounds thinner. but first, these mention. [ female announcer ] did you know that the sources of bad breath are hidden in the contours of your teeth & tongue. s. s. a. ge. s. pure breath action. its micro active foam penetrates those hard to reach places. and it now contains a mineral compound that captures and neutralizes bad breath odors giving you 80% cleaner, purer breath. for all the confidence of pure breath try new extreme clean pure breath action from aquafresh. chili's lunch break combos are full of delicious choices, starting at just 6 bucks. choose from savory favorites

or our new philly cheesesteak sandwich. layers of shaved steak and grilled peppers served with fries and a tasty soup or salad. chili's lunch break combos. smooth sensation from nivea. the light lotion with moisture enhancing 24-hour-plus hydra iq. to keep skin smooth all day... all night. nivea. touch and be touched. when bp made a commitment ato the gulf, we knew it would take time, but we were determined to see it through. today, while our work continues, i want to update you on the progress: bp has set aside 20 billion dollars to fund economic and environmental recovery. we're paying for all spill- related clean-up costs. and we've established a 500 million dollar fund so independent scientists can study the gulf's wildlife and environment for ten years. thousands of environmental samples from across the gulf have been analyzed by independent labs under the direction of the us coast guard. i'm glad to report all beaches and waters are open

for everyone to enjoy. and the economy is showing progress with many areas on the gulf coast having their best tourism seasons in years. i was born here, i'm still here and so is bp. we're committed to the gulf for everyone who loves it, and everyone who calls it home. for just a little money? let's start with a paint we know can do the job. new glidden duo paint plus primer. ♪ one coat does double duty. ♪ and fits our budget perfectly. so there's a brand-new room right where the old one used to be. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. new glidden duo paint plus primer only at the home depot and starting at only $24.97 a gallon. just ahead, celebrity chef,

anthony bourdain slams chef paula deen because he says she's cashing in on her diabetes. but first, your local news and weather. [ designer ] enough of just covering up my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. i decided enough is enough. ♪ [ spa lady ] i started enbrel. it's clinically proven to provide clearer skin. [ rv guy ] enbrel may not work for everyone -- and may not clear you completely, but for many, it gets skin clearer fast, within 2 months, and keeps it clearer up to 9 months. [ male announcer ] because enbrel suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal, events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure,

or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. if you've had enough, ask your dermatologist about enbrel. you should alsooney, get it for free.st get it fast, that's why at h&r block... you could get money that's both fast and free on an emerald card. just bring in your tax information and get a refund anticipation check... in 7-14 days, for up to $9,999. you pay nothing out of pocket. hurry. this offer ends february 4th. why pay for fast money when you can get it for free? call 1-800-hrblock to make an appointment. h&r block. never settle for less. yes. yes. noooo!

[ male announcer ] yep, subway broke the 200-calorie breakfast barrier. with delicious fresh fit mornin' melt breakfast sandwiches. subway. eat fresh. [ male announcer ] why do we grow quaker oats? because there are mountains to climb. ♪ dreams to be realized. ♪ new worlds to be explored and hearts to be won. quaker oats. energy to get you going, fiber to help fill you up and help keep your heart healthy. super people eat super grains.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> time for a check on your morning commute. air is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> this isn't over with yet. we have an accident on westbound i-70 on 32. looking at speeds rapid 14 miles per hour on the west side. that delay still in place. 17 miles per hour, making way towards the harrisburg expressway. if you want to head out on pennington avenue and church street, accident mapping out at there. coming towards us this

southbound traffic. we will switch over to a live view of traffic. heaviest on the out of it, making a way towards dulaney valley. tony has a check on your forecast. >> no problems weather-wise. 24 at the airport, 21 in rising sun, teens in the northern suburbs. there was a breeze earlier this morning, but that has diminished now. we will start with a lot of sunshine. clouds will thicken up as we head into the afternoon. average high temperature is 41. there could be light snow showers tonight. clipper storm comes in, but it should be dry during the day. high temperature near 40 tomorrow. another storm comes in on saturday. there could be a mixture of rain

and snow in the month, it changes the, then of minor 39. warms up to 50 by the middle of warms up to 50 by the middle of next

up now on this thursday morning, january 19th, 2012. and it is a chilly morning here in rockefeller plaza. the temperature here is near 20 degrees. but the smiles are keeping us warm. as we stand outside to say hi, everybody, i'm ann curry along with matt lauer. coming up we have today's professionals. >> a chance for our third remote edition. nancy in florida, and donny and star in studio. they'll takele some of the hot topics of the day. including paula deen's announcement that she has type

ii diabetes. and you're involved in a relationship, with a spouse, or boyfriend-girlfriend situation, would you ever give as a sign of commitment, that person your password? >> boy, that would be -- i haven't even given them to my husband. i don't know. >> what i mean is i haven't -- okay, stop you guys, stop. also coming up, i'm going to switch gears and talk about something that's much more important. how to look ten pounds trimmer. we have an expert in the house who says you wear certain kinds of clothing in just the right way, you can actually look a lot thinner. we're going to find out what her tricks are. and then a little bit later on in our fourth hour, you might hear the strains of. ♪ reunited and it feels so good ♪ >> peaches and herb. >> because regis and kathie lee, together again. i mean, don't they look exactly

the same? >> and i'm really looking forward to this. >> regis has a new book out and he's stopping by. meantime, let's go inside. >> and get a check of the weather, i mean the news. >> i'll take it, thanks, guys, good morning once again. new outrage this morning towards the captain of the grounded cruise ship off the italian coast. francesco shettino who is under house arrest and facing manslaughter charges, reportedly told prosecutors that he didn't abandon ship. he claims instead, that he -- he tripped and then fell into a life boat. meantime, divers resumed their search today for 21 people still missing. mitt romney's race to the republican presidential nomination may have hit a speed bump. nbc news has confirmed it was rick santorum, and not romney, who actually won the photo finish in this month's iowa caucuses. though officials are calling it a virtual tie. and with just two days to go until the south carolina primary, an nbc news/marit poll shows that romney's lead over

newt gingrich has been cut in half since monday's debate. another debate is set for tonight. now let's head to wall street and cnbc's courtney reagan at the new york stock exchange for us. what are you watching there? >> good morning, natalie. well eastman kodak has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. but with a $9 50 million credit lifeline it will continue to operate. meantime, look for tech and bank earnings to steer the direction of trade today as well as a handful of economic reports. and for a more in-depth look at best buy, cnbc is debuting an original documentary "best buy the big box fights back." thank you. now here's brian williams with a look at what's coming up tonight on "nbc nightly news." hey, brian. >> thanks, good morning and coming up tonight, when we join you for "nightly news," we're coming up on the south carolina primary of course. tom brokaw is there walking around, talking to folks, finding out what the media barrage under way, what's on

voters' minds there. we'll check in with him. that and more tonight. natalie for now, back to you. >> all right. thank you, brian. now for a look at what is trending today. our quick round-up of what has you talking online. and apology has action movie star, mark wahlberg trending on google. wahlberg says he regrets telling "men's journal" that if he had been on one of the hijacked 9/11 planes, it would have gone down differently. adding that there would have been a lot of blood in the first-class cabin. wahlberg's said his comments were disrespectful. indianapolis colts quarterback, peyton manning is a hot topic, thanks to another top search. rob lowe, the actor caused a twitter storm after tweeting, hearing my face-off number 18 peyton manning will not return to the nfl. peyton's dad, archie said that's news to him. and wednesday's internet blackout protest against anti-piracy legislation inspired this song parody. which is now going viral on youtube.

♪ why oh why can you buy ♪ they got paid off, re-election denied ♪ ♪ our web needs more than lawyers, lobbies and lies ♪ ♪ speak up before the internet dies ♪ speak up before the internet dies ♪ >> all of the websites, meanwhile, that took part in that blackout protest are now back online. it's 8:05, let's go back out to al for a check of the weather. >> thanks so much, natalie. where are you guys from? >> from oceanside. >> if you see tom brokaw, would you tell him to say hi for us? >> we're from south carolina. let's check your weather, our pick city of the day, allentown, p.a., increasing clouds from nbc 10. cold, 35 degrees. as we show you what's happening, we've got a clipper coming across, bringing light snow from chicago, second system will follow that between now and saturday, we are talking about

generally, about one to three inches of snow. but in a swath of heavier snow, six to nine inches from chicago to central pennsylvania. new york city could see one to three inches of snow. that's what's goi>> good mornin. it is state dry with no snow or ice. there could be some snow flurries overnight. and that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thank you so much. should paula deen have come forward sooner about her diabetes? that's one of the topics that today's professionals will be tacking after a break. ling afte.

we're back now at 8:10 with a brand-new edition of today's professionals, star jones, donny deutsch and dr. nancy snyderman are ready to dish out. nancy has gone the extra mile to join us, she's in fort myers, florida. nice to see you all. >> hi, matt. >> let us start with something that happened on this program on tuesday. paula deen, the famous southern chef who likes the comfort food,

lifestyle, came on the program and announced three years ago she was diagnosed with type ii diabetes, she has continued to go on this show and her own show and bring out the recipes high in fat and butter and calories. and we know that diet is one contributing factor to diabetes. nancy, i'll start with you, did paula deen do her audience a disservice by waiting three years to come forward with the news. >> her behavior is egregious. paula deen had a chance to do right thing and she blew it let's be real. you can't blame your genes for everything. and as a southerner, we know that obesity is the number one killer of for people with heart disease, diabetes, it's now an independent risk factor for cancer. if you're going to eat a diet high in sugar, fat and salt and then say, oh, by the way, it had nothing to do with how i am, and then foe three years, sit on that information and then make a seed deal with a pharmaceutical company to treat the problem?

the real problem is to prevent the diabetes, not to treat it after the fact. absolutely blew it. >> guys, weigh in. >> i can, i can tell you my heart says, everybody has the right to reserve their own health information for when they're ready to handle it. and i know a little something about that. but what you don't have a right to do. is then to profit from it and that's when you make the decision to come out with the information. that will damage your brain. >> time-out. first of all, i'm not a believer that she makes america eat butter and -- >> absolutely. >> she is who we are. this country wants to eat and then we have to pay the price for solving it. >> donny, you're wrong. >> what do you mean, i'm wrong? what am i wrong about? >> here's what you're wrong about. people absolutely watch celebrity chefs. they watch these people as iconic figures. so she's in fact saying, this is yummy and it is yummy. and you can make it and at the

same time talk portion control? give me a break. you're absolutely wrong. >> all i'm saying is she is a symbol of who we are as a nation and we want to indulge. >> and that's wrong. >> then let's indict our whole society. >> get on the part with the deal with the drug manufacturer. how do you feel about that part? >> i feel it's a smart deal for the drug manufacturer and she should do what she should do. let's hold, us accountable. she's no different than this country. >> it's not even about the obesity issue. it's about what the audience will ultimately say. were you telling the truth to me when you say this is what you eat? i know -- >> that's -- >> in ten seconds, nancy, you say her behavior is egregious. could she become a force for good in this, somehow? >> the right thing to do is say, folks, guess what, you're my following. i love you. this is southern cooking, this is part of my dna. but guess what, i'm sick now. so follow me as i change the recipes we know and love and make them better. because you know what, america,

i want to lead you to a better place. that's the right thing to do. >> let's hope that happens. let me move on to this subject. you're involved in a relationship, you're married or deeting somebody. you get to the period in the relationship where there's a commitment. is a good way to show that commitment sharing, by sharing your passwords to online accounts and things like that with the significant other. donny, go? >> my password is leo, 4567. if that's what it comes down to to show a commitment, we've got a problem. i believe as individuals or as couples, you decide what level of connection. but i do think we live in a world where privacy is okay. there's such an overexposure. >> would you share your passwords with a significant other? >> i'm very practical. significant others don't last all the time. and for always and i've got to tell you, i'm not giving you my password that has all of my personal and private information. >> what about like netflix passwords. you're not going to give the code to your american express

card. >> correct, netflix password is fine. but what i'm not going to do is give you information that can be used against me later on, if we're no longer together. >> nancy, is it a situation, should be it mutually assured destruction, like the cold war? in other words, if i give you my password, you have to give me yours? >> you know, you show me yours, i'll show you mine? no, listen, i'm with ann on this one. if she doesn't show her husband, i'm not showing mine. >> let me move onto the next one. i've got two minutes left. chris christie was on the show yesterday, he's someone who generate a lot of buzz in politics. they've been talking about him as a possible presidential candidate, he's brash, he's blunt. he's also like millions of americans, someone who struggles with his weight. he talked about it to oprah. if he decides to go on and seek higher office, in other words, the highest office in this land, will his weight be an issue? >> it will be an issue for his opponents. >> should it be yeah? >> yeah, honestly. what's going to happen, any time you put yourself out there in the political sphere, every

aspect of your life is open to scrutiny. and one of the things they're going to talk about is can you control yourself. if you can't control yourself, can you control your administration. >> i actually think it helps his brand. people want nonpoliticians. he looks like us. having said that, once in office, it would bring up actual physical challenges for that job. but actually i think it adds to his brand. >> nancy if he's the most qualified candidate in an upcoming race for president, are people going to hold it against him? >> matt, if he showed up today and said, i want to join the u.s. army, he would not meet the qualifications to serve. so how can he be the commander-in-chief? it's time to elect a man who has the fortitude to push himself away from the table and leave. >> keep in mind, he looks like a lot of people in this country. >> but a lot of people aren't ready to be the president. >> maybe our leaders aren't supposed to look like us.

maybe our leaders are supposed to be smarter than we are, leaner than we are that's why they're called leaders. i don't want joe schmoe next to me. >> the guy is -- >> what's wrong with you guys this morning? >> nancy, you're in naples, so you're whacked out. joe schmoe, because he's heavy? you're tough when you're not with us. >> it's not about him being overweight. it's about the perception of how people who are overweight are perceived. they think we are, we lack discipline. if you lack discipline in your personal life, the question will be will you lack discipline when it comes to making the hard decisions. i know what the feeling is. >> i know he's smart and a great politician and he's going to run. i happen to thing he has a lot of interesting guys and he's a guy to watch. but i think it's going to come up. >> nancy, thanks for joining us from florida. donny and star, thanks for joining us as always. up next, dressing slimmer. the secret to dressing ten pounds thinner, without losing the weight. it's a weight-obsessed day

today, right after this. ♪ you signed up weeks ago ♪ sunlight says get up and go ♪ 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 forty years ago, he wasn't looking for financial advice. back then he had something more important to do. he wasn't focused on his future. but fortunately, somebody else was. at usaa we provide retirement planning for our military, veterans and their families. now more than ever, it's important to get financial advice from people who share your military values. for our free usaa retirement guide, call 877-242-usaa. the best approach to food is to keep it whole for better nutrition. that's what they do with great grains cereal. they steam and bake the actual whole grain while the other guy's flake is more processed. mmm. great grains. the whole whole grain cereal.

yes. yes. noooo! [ male announcer ] yep, subway broke the 200-calorie breakfast barrier. with delicious fresh fit mornin' melt breakfast sandwiches. subway. eat fresh. beautiful furnishings from the romance and explorer lifestyles. with 10% savings or 36-month financing, your design aspirations are delightfully attainable. the drawer closes on these offers january 31st.

♪[music plays] ♪[music plays] purina one beyond. food for your cat or dog. back now at 8:21, this morning on today's style. how to dress ten pounds slimmer if you want to look longer and leaner but you don't have the time to lose a few pounds, we have some flattering fashions. we've got dana roberts rossi, the senior fashion editor of "marie claire" magazine. we want to encourage people to

get healthy and lose weight. but how much can we actually depend on fashion to help us out? >> i think we can a lot. there's sort of minimum effort, maximum rewards, just by learning how to shop and knowing your body type. >> and there are some specific mistakes that you say women make. let me go down the list of some of these mistakes. number one we'll talk about how to slim down our hips. which you know there are a lot of women listening who say, hey, that may be me. we'll talk about that and we're going to bring out a photograph now of a model who is very brave. all of our models are very brave. meredith klein shown in this picture, what's wrong with this dress? >> there's so many things wrong with this dress. actually first up we have the print. now the print is extremely bold and it's all over. you can totally wear a print, but you want to take it away from the area that you're trying to minimize. so here we have a version which definitely works. with a print. >> okay, here it is. and here's meredith klein in the look that you've created. she does look a lot slimmer. how did you do this?

>> the thing is here, that the blazer obviously, this is a great print. and we're drawing it away from the hips. now, obviously black is the best friend when it comes to minimizing and the black skirt flows over the hip area and it's nothing too tight. the one thing you want to avoid. >> it's also very thin, so it doesn't add any sort of volume. >> absolutely. it flows away and also the pleats draw the eye vertically, so it makes you look even taller and slimmer. and shapewear is very important. do not forget the shapewear. but remember that shapewear, there isn't just one shapewear fix. >> meredith, you're such a great sport. thank you. now moving on how to slim the stomach. that i know a lot of people think about. what's wrong with the first picture of alicia edwards. >> she is wearing a shapeless sweater dress. the actual dress itself is like

i said, shapeless, she's tried to give it shape with the belt. but the belt is obviously accentuates the widest part and also it's too small. you have to think about the accessories you're choosing. it should be in proportion with the body shape. >> let's take a look at alicia today. >> there we go. it's super-slim alicia. the thing is the main focus here is the skirt. the skirt is a heavy cotton. and it almost acts as a girdle around the waist. it's the high-waist finish and the polka dot is an optical illusion. with the dots taking away the attention. now we'll move on to minimize a large chest. not a problem that i have, but a problem that leslie has, let's take a look at her first picture. what's wrong with the picture? >> well this tells it. three things, it's white, the worst most unflattering color you can wear. the turtleneck is definitely unflattering. because it basically unifies the

bust and the chest and making it swell. >> let's take a look at leslie today. >> black v-neck is your best friend. it slim lines you, the v-neck sits perfectly on the chest and she's got these fabulous legs, so we're watching red pants which draws attention to the legs. >> you look terrific. thank you so much, leslie. now how to slim down your bottom. and we have a before picture with lindsay brown. what's wrong with this? >> lindsay chose to wear a skinny jean, which actually does not hold her in. it's made full of like ra. >> and now let's see how she looks now. >> with the darker jean and the flare jean which balances the bottom. >> i love that. and with the color around her neck really helps. >> the color brings the eye up so we avoid any unwanted attention where we don't want it. >> thank you so much. and thanks to all of our models. and we'll be back right after this.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell. >> still a few problems out there. northbound harford road is closed at dagley wrote. that is due to an accident. want to avoid as you travel northbound harford. this delay stretches towards the 895 split. but sat out of it, that continues towards the harrisburg expressway. 14 miles per hour on the outer loop west side.

southbound 97 and 32, watch for disabled vehicle. this is maxed out. you can see delays. they extend from the belt way down to 28. we will switch to an live view in harford road, pulling away from us. slow go from the harrisburg expressway. john collins joins us with a look at the forecast. >> sun right now, but the clippard generating snow out of the great lakes. during the day, half clouds moved in to the picture. barometer high at the moment, humidity down. mixture of sunshine and clouds today. high temperature during the day to day on the seven-day forecast -- well, there we are, only in the thirties today. most of friday it looks fine.

saturday morning, wintry mix. i debitors on saturday it only in the 30's. >> another update at 8:55. we know everyone's looking for ways to save. why not save on car insurance? [ coin drops ] [ high-pitched voice ] thanks. [ normal voice ] you're welcome. get a free quote at progressive.com.

we're back now, 8:30 on a thursday morning. the 19th day of january. 2012. we mentioned it before, we'll mention it again. it's a heating trend, it's 21 degrees on the plaza right now. a chilly morning in the northeast. hope it's nice where you're waking up. i'm matt lauer, along with ann curry. natalie morales and mr. al roker. coming up we'll talk about the end of an era. >> the old-fashioned lipo has

gone the way of the dinosaurs. what do you do if you're not happy with those new energy-efficient bulbs? our expert lou manfredini is here with more. >> travel agents with everybody going online to book their flights and hotels. we thought travel agents might become ex-tipgt. travel agents can help you save time and money. if you know how to pick the right travel agent. and it is the return of our bow to wow segments. and we've got great dogs and kitties. so it's meow to wow. >> that was supposed to be a surprise. >> oh! >> don't worry about it. >> we have a lizard, too. >> well, anyway, 100% placement so far of these cats and dogs. and now pets. go ahead, matt. >> let's talk about the weather.

>> jill just added a wildabeest. >> and a snake! we've got more heavy rain moving into northern california. parts of oregon as well. snow makes its way across the rockies, arctic air coming into the plains, some lake-effect snow thanks to clipper bringing light snow there. tomorrow it will be frigid from the plains, great lakes, cold here in the northeast. mild down in florida. sunshine and warm texas into the southwest. a lot of heavy rain, central california up the coast with windy conditions and mountain snows. that's what's going on around >> good morning. we will see plenty of sunshine to start the day. the clouds will thicken up this afternoon.

don't forget to check your weather any time of the day or night, go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. you look nice and warm. >> so do you. we'll be talking about why the old-fashioned light bulb is going away and what you can do about it with lou manfredini. but first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪ beth! hi! looking good. you've lost some weight. thanks. you noticed. these clothes are too big, so i'm donating them. how'd you do it? eating right -- whole grain. [ female announcer ] people who choose more whole grain

tend to weigh less than those who don't. multi-grain cheerios -- 5 whole grains, 110 calories. creamy, dreamy peanut butter taste in a tempting new cereal. mmm! [ female announcer ] new multi-grain cheerios peanut butter.

♪imy mom makes any day sunny.he sun♪ sunnyd does, too. with 40% fewer calories than most regular soda brands. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ when the lights go down in the city ♪ >> what i'm sighing right now, is al dance to this song. this morning on today's home, let there be light. a new era in light bulbs is supposed to begin with congress passing a law banning the sale of the old-fashioned kind that have been around since thomas edison. "today" contributor, lou

manfredini, host of the syndicated tv show, "house smarts" is here to explain how this is going to affect all of us. wasn't this supposed to kick in on the first of the year? >> and it did. the real misinformation on this is the law is in fact current. what changed were the misinformation, is there's no money to enforce it. so it's like the speed limit is 55, but there are going to be no police on the road. >> if i go to the store today, can i find these? >> absolutely. but they're not being manufactured. it's the 100-watt, regular incandescent lightbulb that can no longer be manufactured and sold once the current stock is out. i don't want people to hoard these things. >> we're going to tell them why that wouldn't be such a good idea, anyway. if you go to the store you're going to find the new variety. what's the biggest difference between this guy here and these? >> here's the thing. what people lose out on is the fact that yes, these are cheaper. but the real cost is the usage. >> the can get four of these for

$1.99. >> where you're spending the money is on the energy. if you replace the fix, most used light bulbs in your home with compact fluorescent light bulbs, you'll save $60 a year, no question. if you change all of them, matt, this basket is the average number of bulbs. when they're all on, they use 3,000 watts. if i change these, i'm only using 650 watts of energy. >> so while we're using them, they cost you less. and they last a long time. >> right. here's what i want people to understand. not all compact fluorescent light bulbs and we'll talk about l.e.d.s, are made alike. you need to stick with brands like phillips, sylvania, ge. when you get into the ones who say, we'll give you ten for $5. they're not going to last that long and people say, hey, i bought these things and they didn't last. if you bought the name brands, you're going to save money year after year. >> esthetically, people have always complained that the kind of light you get from them, and i know this one is different,

but that light is a white, bright light and people don't like that in rooms. this is different. >> this is a compact fluorescent light bulb with a shell over the top. this back here is a little bit dimmer is a halogen bulb. this is similar to an incandesce incandescent. it's dimmable and we have dimmable cfls, that uses 40% electricity. >> when you go to the store, you won't see anything that says watts on the package any more. it's go about lumens. >> and we can illustrate that here. with l.e.d. bulbs, buy this when your child is an infant. when they come home from college, you will leave that light on, to make sure they get home okay. it will last 20 years. >> how much does it cost? >> $27. it will last 20 years. >> before i get to wattage here, what about safety while we're still here? people say they've got mercury in them. >> i'm holding a pen, on the tip of the pen is the amount of

mercury that's in a compact fluorescent light bulb. >> so if you break one of these, it's not a health hazard. >> worry about something else, coal-fired power plants dump 50 tons of mercury into the atmosphere every year. >> how should you dispose of them? >> many big box stores allow you to recycle them. even the epa says if they can't do that, some states require it, be careful wiping it up, don't lick it. you and i -- >> which i think is good advice for a lot of things. >> you and i in science class, we played with mercury, remember? other than the third eye that you have, you're fine. >> if i'm replacing a 100-watt incandescent bulb, how many lumens would i look to have the same level of light? >> so, this is a little lumens decoration here where we're showing you. 100-watt bulb uses about 1600 lumens. when you go to the store, this is what the new packaging looks like. it's a lot like what happens on the back of a water heater that tells you the life and the energy used. it's going to give you the

information to understand the light output. no longer are wattage. we all know what 100 watt is, the light that it gives off. now you have to pay attention to the lumens. >> so 60 watts would be 800 lumens. >> that's what you're looking for. >> subtle lighting in a nice room. >> here's an illustration of the energy. i've got a cfl running off of this meter. you can see the meter spinning slowly. this is the energy that you use, if i click over to that 100 watt, that's the money that you're spending ever are i single day. you don't need the new law to tell you to do this. this just makes sense. and overall, we use less energy, better for the environment and you will save more money. >> how long does that one last, again? >> 20 years. >> thank you, point well made. lou manfredini. up next, have you had a bad experience booking your own trip online? when you should consider using a travel agent and when you shouldn't. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on today's travel, when to use a travel agent. you might think that booking your own flights and hotels online is the way to go but according to "u.s.a. today," satisfaction using that method has dropped sharply in recent years. so when is a travel agent right for you? well, matthew upchurch is the ceo of virtuoso network travel. good morning to you. a lot of people have gotten used to using online services to figure out how to travel. why shouldn't they? why shouldn't we keep doing this? >> besides saving you time, the other thing about a great travel adviser is they're going to get you the best value. and as warren buffett says, price is what you get, price is what you pay, value is what you get. but also, they will collaborate with you. they'll throw in ideas, they'll make travel planning fun. and most importantly, when things go wrong, they're there to back you up. >> a lot of people don't use travel agents, because they have

the sense they're going it charge us a lot more. you just talked about value. but can you actually save money still using a travel agent? >> a travel, a great travel adviser can save you money by making sure you got what you really wanted. you can pay a low price and get something that wasn't worth it. and they charge sometimes like as little as $35 for a simple airline ticket. and people that love their travel advisers put them on retainers, even. >> you need to figure out the right travel agent. how do you do that? is there a place you can go or do you start building your relationship over time? >> travel advisers great professional passionate travel advisers are likeny other profession. you'll find a financial adviser or architect or something like that do you it through referrals, you find out people that have been taking trips and things like that. you look at their accreditations and make sure that they're part of a network. we know that you can't know everything about everybody. you wnt to make sure they're part of a network that supports them. >> here's what i a good travel

adviser should do. a, find the best deal. how do you know if your travel agent is doing that? >> i think it's about the value. the whole emphasis on just the lowest price, they will make sure. and a great travel adviser, if you come in with an online deal, and they say, i can't match that they'll be the first to tell you. >> they should help you if things go wrong. if you're on a trip and things go wrong, they should be able to help you. >> we had one of our agencies in albuquerque that had a couple that was on costa. they had been evacuated to rome and the travel agent and adviser in albuquerque actually saw it was going to cost them thousands of dollars to get back to new mexico on short notice. booked them through barcelona, go the in overnight. got them there and back for thousands of dollars less. >> that's an interesting point. so they can actually be your troubleshooter when things go wrong. that's an interesting story. they should be able to find options that you've not considered. in other words, options of where to go or how to get there?

>>well let's say that a great one. you want to be collaborative. you want to have fun doing it. you come and say, everybody loves to talk about travel. but for example, you're going back to europe. well you haven't considered for example, river cruising. river cruising is this hot new category, these beam ships have been, you pay in u.s. dollars, you unpack once, you get off and ride your bike, do all this stuff. it's fantastic. you may not have considered that. that's what a great travel adviser will do. >> in this way, it can help you realize some dreams that you may have to travel. in other words that you don't want to get to the point where you have sort of didn't get done. don't have places you didn't get to go to. your travel agent can help you figure out where you really want to go. >> that to me is the coolest part about having a great relationship with a travel adviser. every time you come back, you have a good one, you're going to get on the phone after you got back. what did you love, what did you learn, what would you do differently? you start to like plan the future and have a plan. how is it that we actually have

financial advisers to manage money, but we actually don't have somebody in our lives to help us manage our most valuable thing, our free time and our time with our loved ones? >> that's a good question. you've made a strong argument, we can save money, have more fun. we have to be careful about finding the right travel agent. any more tips on that? >> i think one important thing, they are advisers. they're not order-takers. so sit down, understand what's valuable to you. tell them what's important to you and make sure they know how to listen. financial advisers do return on investment. we do return on life. >> matthew upchurch, thank you so much. good information. and coming up next, from bow to wow, eager dogs looking for new homes. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

get america's favorite coffee for america's favorite single-cup brewer. try all five delicious varieties, only at dunkin' donuts restaurants. america runs on dunkin'. all mixed together. with galaxy nexus by samsung, now you can organize your contacts into circles, like you do in real life. so you can choose what people see and what they don't. and with the speed of verizon 4g lte, you can chat as a group in a googleplus hangout without missing a beat. introducing the first phone built for android 4.0.

only at verizon. today's bow to wow is brought to you by purr evena, your pet, our passion. >> we're back now at 8:49 with our special series from bow to wow, where we clean up shelter dogs and find them brand-new homes. we're pleased to say we still have a 100% success rate. jill rappaport is today's animal advocate. that's a great record, what do you have for us this morning? >> we're so excited.

new year and a great time to adopt. today we have another great pack of pooches and a little surprise, well maybe not. all leading with wagging tails for loving homes. >> i mean, really, can we say awww. this little angel, or this furry angel is nala. 3-month-old pomeranian, pure. >> yes. she's surrendered, in foster care, they absolutely love her and she's the perfect puppy. >> as sweet as can be. very quiet and it would be suitable for anybody of any age. yes, you're just a little angel. aww. >> we have another puppy. 9-month-old beautiful black lab named cooper. >> cooper is a dog surrendered, he knows some of his basic commands. >> he's very well behaved.

now he's really great condition. >> great condition, great shape, he will get a little bigger, because he is a pup. >> this is charlie. >> this is a 2-year-old pekingese, yorkshire terrier. >> you can tell. very sweet and calm, huh? and so happy to just be cuddling with us. >> and little angel. active angel is called fancy. because she's a very sweet fancy girl. >> a 9-month-old chihuahua mix. >> she's got a little lab in her. she's as affectionate as can be. and we must tell the potential owners she has to have her little fancy bandana on or she's not a happy girl. >> very cute and as always, we're joined by another cute guy, richard from beanimal care and control of new york city. this is a great group of dogs.

first up is nala, nala is a pomeranian, being walked out by donny deutsch. what do we need to know? >> three months old, still a puppy. she'll need a little bit of training, but she's absolutely so adorable and she'll fit into any home environment. she's just a great lovable dog. >> and a very special breed. >> donny, nice of you to wear a tie that matches nala. >> very nice. >> next up we, this is a beautiful black labrador retriever. this is cooper. >> who is walking nally. >> and natalie is being walked by cooper. >> a big, strong dog, so you need somebody that can walk him. he likes to jump up to say hello. which is not always good behavior. but otherwise he's very smart and eager to learn. >> he's got a great disposition. i was watching him out in the hallway. he seems like he's been wagging his tail the entire time here. >> and in great shape. >> good shape. >> natalie, thank you very much.

next up we have charlie. and charlie is a yorkshire, pekingese mix. and charlie is being brought out by savannah guthrie. this is also a really cute dog. >> how old is charlie? >> charlie is three years old. he's very calm, very lovable. >> charlie likes to take long, just leisurely strolls. you can hold him. he likes to sit on your lap. >> he's a dominating, tough little guy. >> he likes to take leisurely strolls. >> is he going on a dating website or something? >> he likes margaritas? >> something about rich. >> so, thank you very much. moving on now, to this is an unusual dog, this is fancy.

she is a chihuahua labrador mix. richard, how does that happen? >> i don't know how that happens. i couldn't begin to guess. maybe the chihuahua was on a chair, i don't know. >> we don't need to know all of that. >> richard, here's the line. and here's where you just went, all right? >> star is in love with him. >> fancy loves kids, if she's around kids, and kids don't pay attention to her. she'll sit there with a sad face. she wants to go to a home that has kids. >> and a real couch potato. >> what kind of pinkie? >> pinkie is a maltese, would they get along? >> she would probably get along. she gets along with all the other dogs. >> fancy likes poetry, by the way? and long strolls. >> to be or not to be. >> thank you, star, we appreciate it. >> next, my assistant jackie

coming out with what was a surprise, until natalie blew it a few minutes ago, all right? tell me about the kittie? >> we're making a switch here, from meow to wow. this is smitten the kitten. six months old. jackie said she had a cat that looks exactly like her. she's, she loves to be held and petted. she's purring. >> and sadly, there are more kittens and cats in the shelter than dogs. >> let's bring everybody out so we can take a look at this month's edition. thank you very much. and rich, you're going to get home and you're not going to believe what you said. find out how you can adopt one of these dogs, head to the viewer resources section of today.com and we're back after your local news and weather.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. homicide detectives are investigating a deadly shooting this morning. officers were called to cedar gutted but just before 10:00 wednesday night after someone reported a body on a nearby playground. a man suffered a gunshot wound

to the head. to the head. no word on the victi the best approach to food is to keep it whole for better nutrition. that's what they do with great grains cereal. they steam and bake the actual whole grain while the other guy's flake is more processed. mmm. great grains. the whole whole grain cereal.

>> at least we have plenty of sunshine for now. there is a clip or off to the west. clouds later today, probably some snow. high temperatures only in the 30's to nearer 40.