good morning. breaking news. mitt romney releases his tax returns revealing he paid a 14% rate on nearly $22 million in income in 2010. this just hours after the gop presidential hopeful turned in his most aggressive debate performance to date. >> confession. a convicted sex offender admits to killing a young dancer he met at a new york club. he'll serve 23 years and the victim's family is outraged. oscar time. the academy award nominations are being announced this morning. we'll have them for you live, morning. we'll have them for you live, today, january 24, 2012.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "nbc nightly news" on this tuesday morning. i'm ann curry. >> i'm matt lauer. >> for weeks now mitt romney has faced increased pressure to release the tax returns. >> advanced copies were received for 2010 and an estimate for 2011 overnight. they showed he draws most of his income from investments and made a total of $42.6 million in two years. in that time he gave away $7 million to charity, more than half of it to the mormon church. does this give his opponents more ammunition or end the issue all together? we'll get into it this morning and we'll get a preview of tonight's key election year state of the union address from president obama from his senior

adviser. >> also ahead, funeral plans and public remoimemorials to honor legendary penn state football coach joe paterno. his son jay speaks out about his dad's final days and how the scandal at penn state will impact his legacy. >> on a much lighter note we'll have the all important oscar nominations out of beverly hills. also, kate middleton and her family embark on a vacation to the posh caribbean island of mystique. we're hearing prince william is going to join them. we'll have details on that coming up. >> all right. let us begin this morning with breaking political news. the overnight release of mitt romney's tax returns. nbc's peter alexander is in tampa. good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning. as you noted this morning governor romney has been facing increasing pressure to release his tax returns. he put out his 2010 tax returns and an estimate of the 2011 returns.

we'll put that information now up on your screen. they reveal that he made a combined income in two years of nearly $43 million. he paid more to charity than he did to the irs paying out $6.2 million in taxes over two years. his charitable giving was $7 million. finally that adds up to a tax rate of 14%. the debate last night was a role reversal with mitt romney on the offensive against newt gingrich referring to him often as an influence peddler. >> i think this is going to come down to a question of leadership. >> reporter: with new aggressiveness mitt romney wasted little time attacking newt gingrich. the speaker was given an opportunity to be the leader of our party in 1994. at the end of four years he had to resign in disgrace. >> i'm not going to spend time

chasing down governor romney. >> i'm not going to get attacked day in day out without returning fire. >> reporter: early monday romney rolled out his first negative ad of the campaign taking aim of gingrich's relationship with freddie mac. >> gingrich was paid over $1.6 million by the group that created the crisis. >> i was a historian. >> reporter: gingrich released his before the debate. >> mr. speaker, you were on this stage at a prior debate. you said you were paid $300,000 by freddie mac as an historian. they don't pay people $25,000 a month for six years as historians. we have congressmen who say you lobbied them in favor -- >> i didn't lobby them. >> they say you lobbied them with regard to medicare part d.

>> whoa, whoa. you just jumped a long way over here, friend. i understand your technique which you used on mccain, huckabee. you have used it consistently. it's unfortunate and it won't work well because the american people see through it. >> rick santorum stayed above the fray saying he draws the clearest contrast with president obama. >> if you have learned anything about this election that any type of prediction is going to be wrong. the idea that this was a two-person race has been an idea that has been in fashion now for eight months and it's been wrong about eight times. >> reporter: also trailing the front-runners here, ron paul said he has no plans to run as a third party candidate but gave a back-handed compliment to his surging rival. >> would you support a newt gingrich for the gop? >> he hints about attacking the fed, talks about gold. if i could change him on foreign policy we might be able to talk business.

>> reporter: a couple miglight moments on stage. tonight we'll hear the state of the union. today mitt romney is expected to speak about jobs and the economy right here in what was a factory where they produced drywall. this place has been shuttered for years. >> peter, thank you very much. chuck todd is nbc's political director and chief white house correspondent. good morning to you. after weeks of questions we finally get a look at the 2010 tax report or return from mitt romney. do you see any surprises in here, anything that will give his rivals more ammunition? >> well, i think there is certainly fodder for some of his democratic opponents. things like having a swiss bank account. that's not something a lot of ordinary americans have. but it's the timing of the release that's probably the most difficult thing for the romney campaign to handle. the theme of the state of the union is fairness, income i

inequality and here is the potential republican nominee who we noted that it's $40 million plus in income over two years but he wasn't working. he was running for president. this was all interest and dividend income. it certainly paints a picture of something that a lot of americans cannot connect to. >> let's go to the debate last night. mike murphy on "meet the press" on sunday said mitt romney was wounded after south carolina. he was now in a corner with a broken bottle and he had to decide whether he was going to fight with it. it appears he decided to fight with it. >> he did all day yesterday. it started with the ad peter mentioned in his report. his strategy seemed to be to go after gingrich and hope gingrich would respond. that was the odd thing last night. gingrich decided to be above the fray and act like the front-runner. i want to put a smile on my face a blis. you could tell romney was

trying. spent 30 minutes trying to draw him out. didn't successfully do it. then he backed off a little bit. i think he realized he didn't want to look shrill. >> chuck todd in washington this morning. thank you very much. it's eight after the hour. here's ann. >> matt, thank you. david pluff is a senior adviser to president obama. >> good morning. >> the state of the union will dwarf the audiences watching any of the debates so far. what is the core of the president's message tonight? >> well, ann, the president's going to lay out tonight at this make or break moment for the middle class in america how to build an economy that's built to last. we saw an economy built on bubbles, fraud, phoney financial instruments. we need an economy built on american manufacturing, developing the skills for american work rs and a renewal of american values. we have had a terrible

recession. only rivalled by the great depression. we have had over 3 million jobs over the last 22 months. manufacturing sector creating jobs for the first time since the 1990s. auto industry coming back. there is good news out there but the economy is weak. the hole is very deep. we have to figure out what economy and america we want. we want an economy based on everyone doing their fair share, getting a fair shake and playing by the same rules. >> i want to get to mitt romney's tax returns. he made a lot of money over the past two years. what's wrong with that? is that not the american dream? isn't making a lot of hay over how much money he's earned and paid in taxes really not fanning the flames of the idea of politics of envy? >> well, listen, there will be 47 more republican prime ris and caucuses and voters in those contests who will offer their opinion which is more important than mine in a primary. it's a good example of the tax reform we need.

warren buffett said he should not pay less tax as a rate than his secretary. the president is going to lay out specifics on the buffett rule. we want to know. we want to reward wealth, prosperity and success. but if we are to move forward as a country, reduce deficit, invest in manufacturing education, how are we going to pay for it? there is no question we have a tax code that's too complicated, too complex. when the average middle class worker pace more in taxes than people making $50 million, $60 million a year we have to change it. >> i want to ask you about newt gingrich labeling president obama as the food stamp president calling him the greatest food stamp president in history. according to factcheck.org there are half a million more people on food stamps during george w. bush's time in office of eight years compared to president obama's three years. with 14.2 million people being added to the food stamp rolls in

just three years under president obama why shouldn't president obama be called the food stamp president. >> well, it's a cheap applause line for the republican base. the reason there are more people on food stamps now, and there were more under bush we had something that almost rivalled the great depression. you have more people out of work needing temporary assistance. do you want to go back to the policies that caused those people to get on food stamps? those are the policies newt gingrich and mitt romney are offering. the president will offer a blueprint to build an america that will be lasting, that rewards work, that makes sure everybody does their fair share, holds everyone accountable. or do we want an economy that says wall street should write its own rules and give tax breaks to the hugely wealthy and it will trickle down. that doesn't work. that's why we lost the jobs, why some people had to go on food stamps. that's the question facing the country. >> thanks for joining us this morning, david plouffe. >> thanks, ann. >> the state of the union

address airs tonight at 9:00 p.m. eastern, 6:00 p.m. pacific time here on nbc. now here's matt. >> ann, thank you. now to italy where work at the site of the cruise ship disaster is entering a new phase today. nbc's michelle kosinski is on giglio island with details on that. good morning. >> reporter: hey, matt. as we speak they are preparing to pump out all the fuel even as the latest count now shows 23 people still missing inside. the questions come up. why don't we see hundreds of searchers swarming every inch of the ship? they have been through almost all of it. they say the problem is the dark cluttered spaces under water. even from high above you see something unusual in the water. there, a table, furniture pulled out by divers who have been going in through holes they have blasted. just as dangerous. they wrangle heavy items with

hooks, pull out endless lengths of water logged rope. inside find rooms jammed full of chairs this is what they feel their way through looking for a sign of the missing. other areas are completely submerged with debris everywhere. this is why it takes so long. divers say at times they can't see their hands in front of them, get bumped by objects floating by and must now bear a nearly overpowering stench of tons of food rotting in the ship's kitchen. air described as unbreathable. working late into the night. >> translator: you have to watch for objects falling on you. we have the same situation in the kitchen area where there are lots of appliances. >> reporter: but they make progress. yesterday recovered the bodies of two women near the internet cafe. one italian on her honeymoon who was wearing a life jacket but couldn't swim.

it's been a problem knowing how many are missing. only around half of those found have been identified. it now appears one was a stowaway, which is unfounded. now while the grim work goes on for those believed still inside their families always waiting, it is time to try to prevent another disaster of an oil spill. >> we are ready to go. we are ready to start working. >> reporter: another daunting task, pumping out half a million gallons from enormous tanks finally begins today. it will take a month and a half. they think on saturday they will finally be able to drill into each tank, pump out the fuel and pump in seawater so the ship which now appears to be stable will stay that way. matt? >> michelle kosinski in italy this morning. thank you very much. coming up in our next half hour we're going to look at how

little recourse cruise passengers have when something goes wrong. >> now let's get a check of the top stories from natalie morales at the news desk. good morning. >> good morning, everyone. we begin now with utter destruction in parts of alabama a where residents are picking up the pieces this morning after at least two confirmed tornadoes touched down monday. at least two people were killed. some 100 others injured. the twisters destroyed more than 200 homes and damaged 200 more. that same area was devastated by tornadoes just last april. it was an icy situation in utah. a snowstorm over the weekend caused cars to spin out of control and slam into each other. drivers barely had time to get out of the way before more vehicles began sliding down the slick hill. a wave of car bombings across the iraqi capital this morning left at least 14 people dead and more than 70 wounded. violence has surged since the u.s. military withdrawal last month with more than 170 people

killed since the beginning of the year. illinois senator mark kirk is recovering after undergoing brain surgery to alleviate swelling caused by a stroke on saturday. kirk's doctor says his chances for a full mental recovery are good but he may have a difficult time regaining full movement on his left side. meantime congresswoman gabrielle giffords will be in washington for the state of the union after meeting with victims of the shooting spree in tucson on monday. giffords was shot in the head and is resigning from congress this week to recover. now let's head to mary thompson at the new york stock exchange this morning. what's on tap today? >> finance ministers in the eurozone rejected restructuring greece's dead. they have a deadline to come to an agreement with creditors before it defaults on bonds that matured. macy's is suing martha stewart to block a licensing agreement she signed with jc penney saying

it violates an exclusive agreement stewart's company has with macy's to sell its products at its stores. >> this could have ended badly for snowmobilers in washington state sunday. an avalanche buried one alive and immediately the group of friends rushed to get him out. they were able to dig out his head and grabbed shovels to dig him out completely. luckily, everyone is doing okay. that's a frightening situation. 7:17 now. back to matt, ann and al. >> i don't think i have seen a picture -- >> it happened so quickly. natalie, thank you very much. mr. roker, what's going on? >> two areas where we have severe weather going on. first of all in texas where we have the risk of strong storms from corpus christi to sa san angelo. damaging winds, rain and possible tornadoes. from one to three inches from san antonio to dallas. could be flooding as far north

as oklahoma city. another big storm comes to the pacific northwest bringing rain along the coast. mountain snows as you move inland. rainfall from one to three inches of rain and one to two feet of snow in the pacific northwest. >> good morning. the weather conditions will gradually improve. low clouds and fog will burn off and we will wind up with sunshine. and that's your latest weather. matt? >> all right, al. thank you. a public viewing will be held this afternoon for joe paterno ahead of a private funeral on wednesday. the legendary penn state football coach died at the age of 85 on sunday, less than three

months after being diagnosed with lung cancer. we are joined now by his son jay paterno. good morning. let me start by expressing my condolences to you and your family. >> thank you, matt. good morning to you, too. >> how's everybody doing? >> well, it's been a little bit of an up and down ride since sunday -- really since friday when it looked like joe was going to pass. i think our family is very, very strong. we have leaned on each other and had support from so many people, students, alums, notes and cards from everywhere. it helped sustain us. >> i want to ask about the stress and strain your dad was under during the last couple of months. obviously he was let go as the head coach of penn state in the wake of the jerry sandusky scandal. a lot of critics felt your dad should have done much more when he learned information about mr. sandusky. what toll did it take on him and what toll has it taken on your

family? >> well, i think the big thing with my dad is through the last couple months you really got to see his true character in terms of even with all the things that were happening to him there was never a situation where he sat around and felt bad for himself. he was very positive with us about the direction he wanted the rest of his life to go and how he wanted to continue to build penn state and also to make sure justice was done for the victims involved. so that really didn't take much of a toll on him. he's a strong individual and he's passed that on to us. we try to live the same way we he did. >> i read a quote of his and i wonder if this shed light on the last couple of months. one of his great quotes is losing a game is heartbreaking, losing your sense of excellence or worth is a tragedy. do you think in the wake of what happened over the last couple of months he lost a little of his sense of excellence? >> absolutely not.

one of the things joe has always told us is there is a difference between success and excellence. success is how others perceive you. excellence is something very personal. it is a standard you uphold. throughout his life he's done what he believed was right given the facts he had in front of him at the time. he did what he thought was right. i don't think there is a question in his mind he didn't lose a sense of excellence. obviously that's something he held very dear. >> people now debate his legacy. your dad had 17 grandchildren. i think the youngest is a young girl, just about 2 1/2 years old. >> yeah. >> when she starts to learn about your dad, about joe paterno what do you want her to know about him? >> one of the great things about my dad has been his integrity, loyalty, honesty and his

fairness. i hope in his life when the youngest grandchild gets old enough to understand his career as a coach or mentor, so much more than winning games. i hope she understands that. i hope my children get to understand that he was -- this was an incomparable life, a life that he really lived up to the values he espoused. >> jay paterno, my condolences to you and your family. thanks for joining me this morning. >> thanks, matt. >> we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. it's such a tough...

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with crisp vegetables and tender chicken. [ chef ] ♪ fresh tasting restaurant style ♪ ♪ bertolli soup's in the freezer aisle ♪ >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. here is our top stories. governor martin o'malley revealed his to do list. at the top, a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage. he strongly pushed the 2012 version. the new version provides more religious exemptions. last year's measure narrowly passed in the senate but died in the house of delegates.

traffic pulse 11 tracking problems. >> we had a problem in bellaire, but thankfully that has been cleared. that intersection is back to normal. we still have some fire department activity across the city. the fog is adding to those delays. 35 miles per hour coming out of the northeast towards the split. 13 miles per hour approaching all the way down to edmonton, causing a cell -- a back up on a southbound 95. you are moving with fog on 83. let's give you a live view of traffic in the area. you can see southbound traffic going away from us on the expressway. delays all the way down to the beltway. if you want to head out on 95 font this is what it looks like. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> the temperatures are above

freezing today. that makes a big difference from yesterday. it is above 32. the forecast for today, improving conditions. we're going to start out a little murky. we'll get some sunshine by the afternoon. the average height is 41. increasing clouds on thursday with a chance of rain starting late thursday, f

and we are back with more of "today" on a tuesday morning, the 24th day of january, 2012. we have checked out some of the people hanging out on the plaza this morning. a mild week in the northeast. we're not complaining about that at all. we'll go outside and say hi to them in a while. meanwhile inside studio 1a i'm matt lauer alongside ann curry. just ahead in the wake of the disaster in italy you may be surprised to learn about the rights you don't have when you board a cruise ship. coming up, what you need to know before booking a trip on the high seas. >> also this morning, kate middleton, the duchess of cambridge, is on vacation with her family on a posh caribbean island and some tourists say their own trip has been ruined.

also, "today" professionals are here to weigh in on the most talked about headlines and studies. >> they look ready to go. >> as always. >> we begin with a guilty plea in the case of a dancer. good morning. >> good morning, matt. laura garza's family was in court as the man who killed her described how he did it. he' he's behind bars and will be for decades but the family said justice hasn't been served. laura garza came to new york city from texas. her dream was to become a dancer. a dream that ended december 3, 2008, the night she visited this trendy manhattan nightclub and met handsome michael mele. unbeknownst to her a convicted sex offender. >> can you say anything about laura? >> no comment. >> reporter: three years ago mele didn't have much to say. on monday he confessed in detail

to killing laura garza as part of a controversial plea bargain. according to court transcripts mele told the judge he brought laura home from the nightclub to his apartment. that's when he said she saw a picture of a girl and female-related items that were my girlfriend's at the time and she was upset by being there. mele said laura started to get loud so he stopped her. he said, i put my hands over her mouth and partially her nose. she stopped yelling, she stopped moving and i realized something very bad had happened. mele admitted he panicked and got rid of the body hiding it in a remote wooded area in pennsylvania. laura's remains would stay hidden for 16 months. her family's long search finally ended in grief when some atv riders came across her bones. >> for me, it's not justice. >> reporter: garza's family made it clear they were not happy with the court. the judge agreed to sentence mele to just under 25 years in

exchange for the confession. >> essentially he engaged in a risk versus reward analysis. this affords him the opportunity not to have a life sentence. he'll be out in a little under 20 years. >> reporter: that worries garza's family. they say mele will be in his 40s and still capable to prey on other women like laura. >> in three years more my daughter is the same age with my sister. in this time this guy is outside in the streets. >> the garza family will get the chance to let mele know how they feel. one of laura's family members will have the opportunity to speak on her behalf at sentencing. matt? >> tom, thank you very much. let us now get a check on the weather from al. >> today's weather is brought to you by turbotax. get step by step guidance to the maximum refund you deserve. >> good morning, everybody. we've got friends here.

hi, young lady. what's your name? >> holland. >> i like your hat. it's very nice. where are you from? >> maryland. >> is that hot chocolate? >> mm-hmm. >> tasty? mm. all right. let's see what's going on for your day today. afternoon temperatures not bad here. we're already up to 44 year in new york city. going up into the mid 50s but it's still cold back through the western great lakes. 40s in the pacific northwest. 80s through the gulf coast. we have a risk of strong storms down through texas. rain into louisiana. heavy rain continues in the pacific northwest with icy conditions inland. sunny and windy in southern california. sa >> good morning. we have some low clouds and fog in some areas. we will wind up with sunshine

th don't forget. get your weather day or night on the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. ann? >> al, thank you. now to the harsh reality facing survivors of the cruise ship disaster in italy. many are now beginning to realize the legal road ahead of them will be long and complicated. an important lesson for anyone planning a cruise. nbc's kerry sanders is in key west, florida, to explain this. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. it's the last thing anyone getting on a cruise could imagine -- that the ship would sink but we now know it did happen. for passengers on the costa

concord ia or any ship there ar complex legal documents with protections that personal injury attorneys say are designed to protect a cruise line's liability. as this michigan family made their way to the paradise cruise ship monday melinda said she had no idea her ticket was a legal contract releasing the cruise line from certain liabilities. >> it was probably in the fine print when you bought the ticket that you just say i accept and continue. >> reporter: you didn't read it? >> no. >> reporter: who reads it? >> nobody reads it. >> reporter: legal experts say american survivors returning home from the costa concordia ship wreck are slamming head on into a reality. legal claims are limited because passengers signed away rights. >> nobody's going to become a millionaire over the costa crash. the jurisdiction will be

absolutely 100% in italy. there is a form selection clause in every passenger ticket that b obligates them to go to italy to try or make a claim. that means an italian lawyer. that means a noncontingency fee lawyer. you have to pay a lawyer in italy to bring a claim. >> reporter: teams of u.s. lawyers are now in miami where tomorrow they will file arguments that this case is so unusual it should be heard in a u.s. courtroom. >> the conduct of this ship is so outrageous that they are not entitled to tell anybody where they can litigate. >> reporter: in an e-mail sent to survivors monday costa concordia offered a full refund, travel expenses, reimbursement for any on-board expenses and credit card charges, full payment for documented medical expens expenses. not addressed, compensation for long-term mental anguish. >> my sister says i'm talking in my sleep and grasping, just

anxiety in waking up. just thinking about it. >> reporter: connecticut residents maria papa. >> they owe us our sanity. >> reporter: and her daughter melissa say they are having nightmares. >> this is something i'm going to remember for the rest of my life. i didn't trip and fall and sprain my ankle. this is something that will be burned into my memory. >> what they are about to find, the passengers on the ship, is that instead of the regular damages that we have come to expect like pain and suffering, passengers have signed away their rights to recover for those things. >> reporter: the cruise line would not comment on the specific language in those tickets. what most passengers are discovering this morning is when they left the ship a legal clock began ticking and they have as of this morning 19 days to file notice that they want to make claims on their personal

property. according to the lawyers, that will have to eventually go through the italian courts, as we heard. ann? >> kerry sanders, a lot of information people didn't know. thank you for uncovering it. up next, kate middleton takes a caribbean vacation and is about to be joined by her prince. details on this coming up right after this. means i don't have any margin for error. one wrong turn and i could end up unloaded a puddle of water. woman's voice: turn right ahead. so i make sure i have the right guidance to get me exactly where i need to be. it's the same with taxes. turbo tax has a unique gps feature that guides me step-by-step, so i know it's done right. they even offer representation in case of an audit, and calculations are guaranteed accurate, which helps me reach my maximum refund--guaranteed. man: try turbo tax online now. you don't pay unless you're satisfied.

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what will you gain when you lose? so does the winter weather have you wanting to get away? kate middleton and her family are enjoying the warmth of an

island paradise. stephanie gosk has details from london on this. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, matt. britain in january is rough. it's cold, dark, kind of like living in a cave. for those that don't like it, this gives one choice -- escape. that's what the royal couple has decided to do. winter in wales. william and kate's blustery home. you can't blame them for exchanging that island for this one. privately owned mustique combines raw beauty, both the island's website with elegant accommodation. elegant and expensive. the aurora villa where princess kate and her family are staying costs more than $23,000 a week. prince william wrapping up his royal air force duties is expected to arrive any day now. mustique is a middleton family favorite. prince william joined them there before. >> it's somewhere they can get away from the limelight and have

no one spying on them. >> reporter: the allure of exclusive privacy has attracted the rich and famous for decades. princess margaret in the '70s. mick jagger in the '80s. the island is used to celebrity and fending off the paparazzi that want a peak and a picture. but even for mustique, a visit from the duke and duchess of cambridge requires special consideration. >> the fact that pictures of them together will generate huge amounts of interest globally draws with it that huge cash ticket. >> reporter: a snap of pippa middleton may get just as much attention. these were grabbed in 2004 after her big splash at the wedding the younger sister is now constantly hounded by cameras. island management has added new restrictions, even for its other guests. they won't be able to roam freely. the normally rented golf carts have to stay in the garage. if the extra security holds, the

royal couple will have their first real chance at a vacation since the honeymoon last spring at another island getaway in the seychelles. >> they will have a chance to relax. that's what the whole holiday is about. being on lounges by the pool and not having the press looking on. >> reporter: when they get back the royal duties are piling up. prince william heads to the falkland islands with the royal air force. the queen's jubilee begins in the spring and the olympics are six months away. they better rest up, matt. >> stephanie gosk in london, thank you very much. still ahead, today's professionals tackle the hottest stories of the day like only they can. but first, these messages. [ male announcer ] imagine facing the day 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 probably about late '60s.

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hello? [ male announcer ] buy unlimited messaging and get free unlimited calling to any mobile phone on any network. at&t. we all got sad news on monday. a longtime friend of "today" has died and natalie has the details. >> charla krupp was a popular editor on fashion and beauty. monday the 58-year-old lost her battle with breast cancer. >> good morning. >> over the years charla appeared on "today" more than is 00 times. >> this morning on today's style have you tried on outfit after outfit and thought you still looked fat. charla says no more. good morning. >> great to be here with you again. >> a force in fashion and an inspiration to real women everywhere she was the author of "how not to look old" and "how to never look fat again." she was an editor at glamour

magazine and people's style watch as well as a writer for time magazine, usa today and town & country. she had a knack for spotting trends that appealed to the average woman. >> you can look thinner by dinner. now we have clothes. >> doing it for us. >> that make you look thinner. >> her family said she was first diagnosed in december 2006. she underwent a lumpectomy and was treated with radiation. three years later in 2009 the cancer had me tast sized to stage four. her husband richard issued this statement. she battled the disease quietly and bravely for two more years, completing and promoting her second book. the disease barely slowed her down or dimmed her vibrant spirit. it is still impossible for me to imagine that she is gone. i'm truly heartbroken. >> and we want to just extend

our condolences to charla's family. she's survived by her husband and her mother esther krupp. >> she was always -- she had such a brave face. most of us didn't know she was ill. >> surprise. >> she was so vibrant. you can be thinner by dinner. that's so charla. she always came up with coinages to make you smile. >> her family has set up the charla krupp scholarship at the college where she majored in journalism. >> we're back after your local news. brian hayes. i'm a master roaster at starbucks coffee. sitting right here we have 40 years of roast experience. how can we use that and do more with it? new starbucks blonde roast was created to increase the offerings that we can give to our customers. [ anderson ] we decided that we would take our experience and apply it to the lighter, mellower, more subtle side of the bean.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> a good morning. it is 7:56. time the check on that commute. >> and good morning. still looking at fog around the area. approaching white marsh boulevard, we have an accident in the left lane. looking at a slow go out of that region. average speeds around 22 miles per hour. 26 on southbound 95. we have a crash. if you're heading out in the city, watch for this fire activity.

beginning approaching 75, you're looking at delays now. going down towards the beltway. here is a live view of traffic. we have some delays there. it looks like they're still in place. let's switch over to traffic in the area. we had traffic help for a disabled vehicle. still behind that, some residual delays. that is the latest on traffic. now we want to find out when the fog will burn off. >> good morning, everyone. it will take a couple hours to move completely out. it will be pretty nasty by the time to get out to the afternoon. sunshine will work its way to that cloud day. at least not have to talk about is this morning. remember yesterday, we had that freezing fog. the clouds and the fog will burn off over the next few hours. the high temperatures in the low to mid 50's.

they'll be well above the mark this afternoon. rain is good to come back at the end of the week. there'll be a good chance for rain on friday morning. rain on friday morning.

8:00 now on a tuesday morning, the 24th of january, 2012. we have a lot of nice people lining up in the plaza this morning. we're glad to have them. it's a nice warm 44 degrees out here. not too bad. we're glad everyone stopped by. i'm ann curry along with matt lauer and al roker. >> we have people over here with a go pats sign. no, no. don't show them. don't encourage them. >> we'll keep it to ourselves. coming up we have interesting topics to talk about with the today professionals. >> donny, star and dr. nancy including the couple in the uk who wouldn't reveal the gender

of their child for five years. they have revealed it's a boy. what did they accomplish? we'll talk about that and other topics with the professionals. >> also this morning we'll get a listen to the nominees as they happen for the academy awards. it's always very exciting. of course you are looking at an image from "the artist," "the descendants." george clooney won for best actor in the golden globes. we have great movies to choose from and we'll hear who's nominated. >> later on we'll head to the kitchen with lydia, one of our favorites. she has the secret for a fantastic -- smells so good up there. a fantastic braised pork shoulder. we cannot wait. >> we're talking comfort foods with with a capital c. >> before that let's go inside. natalie is standing by with a check of the headlines. >> good morning, matt, ann and al. we are getting a first look at the tax returns of republican presidential candidate mitt romney which show he paid about $3 million in federal income tax in 2010.

the tax rate of about 14%. meantime the four remaining candidates debated last night in tampa and will face off a again on thursday. president obama will focus on restoring the middle class in tonight's state of the union address. a spokesman said the president will outline a vision for the future based on manufacturing, energy, skills and values. you can watch nbc's live coverage of the president's state of the union speech tonight at 9:00 eastern, 6:00 pacific time. the supreme court has ruled police cannot put a tracking device secretly on a car. pete williams has the details. >> reporter: a california college student found one on his car. >> right over here. >> reporter: after he blogged about it, fbi agents came to take it back. in washington, d.c., police investigating a nightclub owner in a drug case, antoine jones, secretly put one on his car. it transmitted data about everywhere he drove for a month.

his case went to the supreme court and the justices ruled unanimously the police were trespassing, violating the constitution when they put the gps tracker on his car. >> this is an important decision that points toward greater privacy. exactly how much privacy and how the court wills figure this out we don't know. this is a very important decision. >> reporter: a majority of the justices sent a message that they are worried about police tracking that does not involve trespassing by using cell phones or technology built in to cars like on-star and gps. even records of trips through toll booths using ez-passes. >> there are at least five justices of the supreme court who believe you have privacy interests in where you are driving, what you are doing, even out in the public. >> reporter: the ruling demonstrated that the justices are tuned in to how new technology works and on alert for how it may affect technology in the digital age. pete williams at the supreme court. >> now for a look at what's trending today, our quick

round-up of what has you talking online the twitter sphere is showing the ugly side to the 49ers kyle williams. he's been getting death tweets since fumbling and mus ff'ing punt. coaches had to call for baltimore ravens billy condiff six times before he missed a field goal. he said a score board malfunction had him thinking it was only third down. celebrity blogs are trying to make sense of the shocking split between seal and supermodel heidi klum. she's still wearing his wedding ring and is speaking on "ellen" today. >> just because we have decided to separate doesn't necessarily mean, you know, you take off your ring and you are no longer connected to that person. we will be connected in many ways for the rest of our lives. >> seal said he doesn't know if he'll keep the ring on forever.

he said for now it feels comfortable. this video we brought you earlier of drivers losing control on an icy utah hill has gone viral on youtube racking up nearly 1 million hits in two days. as one person commented it's like a driver's ed video coming to life. 8:0 8:05. now back to ann, matt and al. never want to be in that situation. >> no. to you, mister. >> to me! we have friends from your alma mater. >> everybody from oregon is related to me. that's right. >> i see the resemblance. >> they're college students. >> very nice. let's check out your weather and show you what's going on for oregon and everywhere in between. astoria, oregon is the pick city. how good is our meteorologist? windy, 49 degrees. another big storm in the pacific northwest with heavy rain, mountain snows.

going to be a mess in northern california. we have lake effect snow around the great lakes. one to three inches. no big deal. we are looking for strong storms making their way down through texas into the gulf coast. lots of sunshine along the eastern seaboard. the heavy rain and icy weather conditions in the pacific northwest. [ growling ] >> good morning. the weather conditions will gradually improve. low clouds and fog will burn off and we will wind up with sunshine. and that's your latest weather, ann. >> thanks, al.

we have two moms here putting on blue wigs to make sure we know about their kids. they're from texas. coming up, today's professionals. first, these messages. [ male announcer ] introducing a smart phone that knows the meaning of life.

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let's get to it. after weeks of answering questions or facing questions about his tax returns, why he wouldn't release them and what was in them mitt romney did it this morning. we have now seen his 2010 tax return and an estimate from 2011. does this matter what's in a candidate's tax return as long as it's not something illegal? >> honestly, he's a successful guy. guess what. he plays within the rules. that's the tax rate for a guy at that level. if you don't like the law that's one thing. we have to stop punishing this guy because he's successful. politics aside. >> i don't think that it should impact on whether or not you like him or not. i think it's a good way to highlight wealth, taxation and i inequality in the united states. i think it's going to impact more in the general election than a republican primary. >> i thought the big stumble was not owning it early on and talking about this is a self-made man. i agree. neither he nor newt gingrich is

poor. >> none of them are. >> these are wealthy men. it give use a chance to see the legality of the tax structure. they should have done it earlier. i have no issue with it. >> we have had wealthy and not wealthy presidents in the past. does it make a difference in terms of solving problems for the average citizen? >> jfk was the most populist president of our time. his family was the fifth wealthiest in the country when he was elected. >> if there is an opportunity to say i am a person of privilege -- >> did you empathize with jimmy carter because he was the son of a peanut farmer? >> it's not about him being poor or romney being wealthy. it's the ability to understand that other people suffer. you need to go into a grocery store now and then. >> he's been a successful guy. give him a round of applause for that. >> i think the swiss bank account. that's what i want to know about. >> to each his own. remember the couple in the uk who had a baby. they refused to tell the baby's

gender for five years. they revealed this week sasha is a little boy. they were raising him gender neutral. they released a video of the little boy saying it's silly to differentiate between boys and girls. >> when i heard about the story i thought it would be a baby born with ambiguous genitalia where you can't tell if it's a boy or a girl. doctors say raise the child neutral and the child will determine his or her own sexuality. then i found out the people knew what the kid's sex was and tried to play it down the middle. you can't fiddle with nature versus nurture that much. children will determine themselves. i think it's a silly experiment. >> one of my daughters would go, ew. >> i like that. >> this is a little boy. he talks about he likes to wear tutus. god bless. i have confided to you my tutu years but not to say what the kid is to the world is deviant. >> this is about the parents and their angt project.

this is not about the kid. in the best interest of the child let the child go out and be the boy he is. if he wants to hang with the girls, that's cool. but don't try to turn him into -- >> you can't. kids play as we talked about before. the boys blow things up and shoot guns. >> let the boy do what he wants. don't not acknowledge that he's a boy. >> joe paterno died at the age of 85. his son jay was on this morning talking about his dad's legacy. in light of what happened at penn state over the last couple of months with the jerry sandusky scandal and criticisms of joe paterno for perhaps not doing enough to put an end to it when he first heard about it, how do you think this will affect his legacy? >> matt, i believe that coach paterno when he said it was almost an -- factor to him. he couldn't fathom a man having

raped another man. i believe in his spirit and his background that may have occurred. i don't think a person's legacy is decided by one action or inaction. i think you look at a man's total life. >> people are harsh when they judge, donny. what do you think will happen? >> this was a great man by many standards. you talk to the people. he obviously made a very bad judgment call. it doesn't define his life. we have to be careful to separate a bad decision by any standard -- i don't care what age he is versus you can talk to thousands of people that played for him and said he molded me as a human being. so we can separate. >> yes. >> i think we are intelligent and broad enough to separate the two. >> one of the things that hit me is how quickly he became ill and died. when they said he had lung cancer i thought, is everyone buying playing for time? then he went downhill fast.

the idea that he lost the job he loved, the fact that he had cancer. >> the mind-body connection? >> i have no doubt that the stress of this may have pushed everything faster. >> bear bryant, legendary coach for alabama football died four weeks after he gave up the job. >> broken heart syndrome and turning on cancer faster. >> there is a lesson for an extreme case. so many people stop working and everything else falls apart. >> especially when it's taken from you. >> when the stanley cup champion boston bruins were at the white house yesterday for the photo op with the president so many championship teams get. their goalie, tim thomas decided not to attend. he released on facebook why. he said today i exercised my right as a free citizen, did not visit the white house. this was not about politics or party as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. this was about a choice i had to make as an individual. he opted out. did he make a fair choice? >> well, first of all it's a free country.

having said that it's the white house, the office of the president. i think what's so silly about what he did regardless of where you stand on politics, this is the greatest country in the world and i think you're going like this at this amazing institution. >> john boehner didn't go to an official dinner and i had the same reaction. this is not about the person who's there for four or eight years. this is the office of the presidency. it's just rude not to go. >> how about if you really feel there are situations going on in this country you want to talk about you have the ear of the president. use it as an opportunity -- >> well -- >> just a quick photo op here. >> i have to tell you. you get a minute, i get to chat with you for 30 seconds i'm going to do it. >> it's a team sport not individual. >> what an honor to go to the white house. >> i wouldn't give him another invitation. >> i agree.

>> let me end on this one. i love steven tyler. there is a disclaimer right off the bat. i like him. he's a good guy. i have had a lot of fun with him over the years. he was invited to sing the national anthem before the ravens/patriots game over the weekend. here's a clip. ♪ o'er the land of the free [ cheers and applause ] ♪ and the home -- >> i loved it. i loved it. >> you're also still wearing a cocktail dress. >> you loved it? >> i did. it was tyler. >> the reaction is mixed. >> i mean, he's not pavarotti but i love it. >> only eric clapton is an old rocker that should be singing the national anthem. >> why is madonna playing the super bowl, nbc? >> stick to the subject.

>> it is the subject. >> stick to the subject. >> do we get to see tyler back? >> steven tyler does not need to be screaming the national anthem. >> it's still the national anthem. it's his artistic interpretation. nancy liked it, so i like it. why can't we talk about madonna? >> we're out of time. star jones, donny deutsch, dr. nancy snyderman, thank you. up next, the oscar nominations and a delicious meal your family will love right after this. ♪ time don't wait ♪ the road is calling you, my friend ♪ [ male announcer ] this is big. new chicken mcbites from mcdonald's. juicy, poppable, premium chicken breast with homestyle seasoning. ♪ but they're only here for a limited time. ♪ new chicken mcbites. the simple joy of really big fun. ♪

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you know you love it. today's kitchen is brought to you by kraft macaroni & cheese. you know you love it. >> back now at 8:21. this morning on today's kitchen, what's for dinner? a tasty winter meal. lydia bostionich has the recipe for roast pork shanks with barley risotto and for dessert, cheesecake. you're always so great. you're making us comfort foods and number three helping us work with a cheaper cut of meat to save money. >> absolutely. this is pork shank. veal shank and all kinds of shank. it is a great piece of meat. it's economical. the only thing i ask is when you go to the store they usually cut them in half.

so call and tell them to save you the whole shank. this is the whole shank with the bone. it's muscle meat, so just a little bit of salt and just a little bit of flower. shake off the excess flower and we'll brown it on this side just like this. you see all of the vegetables here. >> on the left here, carrots, garlic, onions over here on this side. >> right. the sage and rosemary. all of that goes in the roasting pan. it's wilted like that. we'll put the nice brown pork shank right in there. some wine. >> ooh. even more good news. does it matter? i know you use white here. >> good wine. whatever you would drink. don't use cooking wine, please. good stock and you put a little bit of foil paper over it, cover it and put it in the oven. it cooks for an hour and a half. you know, nice and roasted. >> i want to note that the water level here is a good

three-quarters of an inch from the bottom. >> you can always add on. you don't want it soupy or it would steam. you want it to roast. then you add liquid as you turn them. that's an important point. >> while that's in the oven you have a barley risotto. is that easier than regular risotto? >> see the ingredients? the barley, celery, onion, squash, cranberries and bay leaf. water and cook it well. at the end, just like a risotto, a little bit of butter and a little cheese. you just whip it up like that. >> looks beautiful. normally it takes a long time. this is not the problem. it's easy. >> put it in, let it simmer. in half an hour it's cooked. here are the roasted shanks. take out all of the vegetables. squeeze the juice right through them. >> you're mashing.

>> i actually want to collect a little bit of the vegetables themselves. this is the sauce. you put it back in just like that, coat the shanks and now you're ready for service. you put it back in the oven so it caramelizes. turn the shanks nice. this is how they look. come around here. >> oh, look at that. oh, boy. >> this is how the shank turns out. when the bone sticks out you know the meat is loosening up. it's easy. if it's hot take a towel and hold it. you just slice it like that. >> it's really beautiful. iplated it up. you layered that on top of the risotto. >> you can just put it on top of the barley risotto like that. >> beautiful. >> and a little bit of -- this

is the same juice that was on it? >> the same juice. you pull it separately. if you want it family style just put the barley underneath. slice the shank. you see how easy it is. the bone comes right out. >> it falls out. >> this is a delicious piece of meat. it's economical and fun. >> not only wine in the food, there's wine in the glass and cheesecake as well. >> absolutely. a little bit of ricotta cheesecake. very easy. eggs, sugar and ricotta, a little bit of cream. it's all set. and red wine. >> much more coming up including the oscar nominations after your local news.

>> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today. >> let's get a final check on that morning commute. >> still waiting for that fog to lift. it is trading some heavy delays around that area. right now and no incidents. it has been cleared. 33 miles per hour is what we're down to on the southbound 95. that is a link to the fort mchenry tunnel. we're 10 miles per hour towards the harrisburg expressway. from the belt what all the way down to 28. a little bit of a delay, the

pride that you can see things are still running smoothly. if you want to travel on the west said, 11 miles per hour. heavy delays approaching 75 all the way down to edmonton and southbound on 95. let's give you a live view of traffic. we will update you on 95 just south of northeast. this is the boy down to the fort mchenry. let's take a look. a live view of traffic on 83. that fog is still in place, but thankfully no heavily delays. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> good morning everyone. it will take another hour and a half or two hours to complete break up the fog, but it will happen. we will get sunshine later this morning and afternoon. temperatures are all above freezing. we've got to talk about freezing fog like yesterday. the forecast for today, fog and sunshine as to go to the

afternoon. the rains to mark, but comes back thursday night and friday. >> thank you for joining us.

she might be green but she's certainly trained. >> she's a star. >> "smash" the monday after the super bowl on nbc. we're back now with more of "today" on a tuesday morning, 24th day of january in the year 2012. love is in the air. >> wow! he didn't even know her! >> they just met. that's okay. anyway, on a mild morning here in new york city it's beautiful. you know when it comes to the winter we have not had that much to complain about. >> no, we have not. >> not much snow so far. >> nothing. >> mr. roker joining us without a coat. i'm matt lauer along with ann

curry and natalie morales. do you know what it is? it's a big morning for movie lovers. >> it is. >> in hollywood we'll hear the oscar nominations this morning. there have been so many great movies. that's from "the help." looking at the movie about marilyn. >> "my week with marilyn." >> "the descendants." >> "war horse". >> who's seen a great movie? >> no, i have kids. >> you have kids? did you see "hugo"? >> "red tails". >> not nominated but great. did you see "hugo"? how about "tin-tin"? >> what's going on? >> "star wars"? >> have you seen it? >> bits and pieces. >> the question is how many people have seen "the artist." a lot of people haven't seen it and certainly after it won the golden globes a lot of people, i think, wanting to see it. we'll see if it's nominated this morning. >> one of my favorite actors in

it, ed loufer. >> we have jill's steals & deals this morning. up to 80% off jewelry and vacation packages, plus important advice for women from a guy's perspective. jill could probably help with that. >> i don't think so. >> that's a colorful outfit. >> i like it. >> do you know what factors in to affecting your credit score? we'll tell you what's more important and how to help the ones that matter the most. >> lots to get to. start giving us a check of the mild weather. >> that's a good idea, stanley. let's show you what's going on. we have heavy rainmaking its way into the pacific northwest with icy conditions. a risk of strong storms texas into louisiana. plenty of sunshine up and down the eastern seaboard. light snowshowers around the

great lakes. tomorrow the risk area moves east bordering texas and louisiana. wet weather in the pacific northwest continues with mountain snows in the cascades, the bitter root. looking at sunny skies but chilly tomorrow with plenty of sunshine. the cold air will stretch across the great lakes. looking for a nice warm place to go? head to florida and the southeastern atlantic coast. >> good morning. we have some low clouds and fog in some areas. we will wind up with sunshine don't forget. you can get your weather any time day or night.

go to weather channel. that's w-e-a-t-h-e-r channel. >> wow. >> thank you, al. coming up, this morning's oscar nominations. that's right after this. >> t-h-i-s.

we have our cheat sheets ready. it's an early morning in hollywood as nominations for the 84th academy awards are announced. in just a moment we'll go live to beverly hills. >> let's begin with the editorial director for the hollywood reporter. she joins us now. janice, good morning. >> good morning. >> first of all, remind us why the golden globes don't sway what we're going to hear from the academy even though it's been less than ten days. >> exactly. the balloting for oscar nominations closes a week before the golden globes happen.

so decisions were already made. they don't want any other award show influencing the academy too much in advance. >> remind our viewers who gets to vote for the academy awards. >> okay. so it's this big group of random people in hollywood. people have won an oscar are in the academy. people who have had distinguished careers in film can be in the academy. anyone they feel deserves it. it's a diverse group. i will make the point most of them are older. think the average age is over 60. it's a conservative group. you will see that probably influence some of the choices today. >> so they are people who love movies. love the history of the movies. would you be surprised though the golden globes don't have sway over the academy if "the artist" doesn't get a nomination or two? >> it would be a bombshell if "the artist" got snubbed. it will come down to "the artist" versus martin scorcese's

"hugo." they are love letters to hollywood. hollywood loves movies about hollywood obviously. that's movies pay respect to the legacy. >> last couple of years there have been ten nominees for best picture. we'll have between five and ten this year. >> what's that about? >> it's very confusing. basically the academy felt like some not worthy movies snuck in just to fill the quota. >> they are not letting that happen again, not on their watch. >> there is a crazy mathematical formula where to be on the list you have to be ranked number one by at least 5% of the academy. >> let's go out to the academy samuel goldwyn theater for the 84th academy award nominations. ♪ >> hello, everybody. good morning. welcome to the academy of motion picture arts & sciences.

i'm the president of the academy. this morning we will share the news we have all been waiting for. i'm very happy to be joined by one of last year's best actress nominees jennifer lawrence. [ applause ] >> thank you, tom. good morning, everyone. >> the 2011 nominees for best performance by an actress in a supporting role are -- berniece bejo from "the artist," jessica chastain in "the help," melissa mccarthy in "bridesmaids"er, janet mcteer and octavia spencer in "the help." >> the nominees for best actor in a supporting role are kenneth brannagh, "my week with marilyn," jonah hill in

"moneyball," chris f",," christ plummer, nick nolte and maux von sydow in "extremely loud & incredibly close." >> for leading actress. glenn close, viola davis, "the help," rooney mara in kwoez "the girl with the dragon tattoo, meryl streep and michelle williams in "my week with marilyn marilyn.". >> demian bechir, george clooney, jean dujardin, gary oldman and brad pitt. >> for best achievement in directing, "the artist," alexander payne, martin scorcese for "hugo," woody allen for

"midnight in paris" and "the tree of life," terrence malick. >> best original screen play, michelle hazanavicius for "the artist," "bridesmaids," "margin call, woody allen, "midnight in paris" and a a sghar "a separation." >> "the descendants." john logan for "hugo," george clooney, grant hezlov and beau willimon for "the ides of march," "moneyball" and bridget o'connor and peter strong for "tinker, tailor, soldier, spy".

>> for best foreign language film, "bullhead," "footnote," in darkness," "monsiur lazhar" and "a separation". >> for best nominated films, "a cat in paris," "chico & rito," "kung fu panda 2," "puss in boots," and "rango." [ applause ] >> and finally, i'm pleased to announce that the film selected as best picture nominees for 2011 are "war horse," steven spielberg and kathleen kennedy, producers. "the artist," thomas langman, producer. "moneyball," michael deluca and

brad pitt, producers. "the descendants," jim burke, alexander payne and jim taylor, producers. "the tree of life," nominees to be determined. "midnight in paris," steven tennenbaum, "the help," chris columbus and michael barnathan, producers. "hugo," graham king and martin scorcese, producers. and "extremely loud & incredibly close." [ cheers ] >> scott rudin, producer. >> please join us february 26th when we celebrate the magic of the movies. thank you. thank you, jennifer. >> thank you. >> there you have it. starting off with best picture there were nine nominations. we said five to textbon. i counted nine. >> i believe i got nine as well. >> any surprises there? >> i think a e pleasant surprise for steven spielberg whose "war

horse" hasn't had as much awards action as he would have liked. "the tree of life" which is a small independent movie that did well, but a lot of people thought it was confusing, bizarre. the academy loved it. terrence malick did well. brad pitt is the big winner. he produced "the tree of life" and "moneyball." that's a testament to his power as an actor and producer. i think one of the big surprises in this is melissa mccarthy in "bridesmaids" for best supporting actress. i think we saw at the golden globes rick jy server vase said her character had diarrhea in a sink. it's not an academy film movie. >> another surprise might be gary oldman. he wasn't predicted. >> he was considered a long shot. leonardo dicaprio for j. edgar didn't get a nomination neither did michael fasbender for

"shame." that's an upset. >> we have a good looking best actor cat toir with brad pitt, george clooney, gary oldman, demian bechir. >> it won't be hard to watch the show. >> might be one of the best looking best actor categories ever. >> in history, yes. >> we talked about "the artist." big nominations. >> did they not get -- they were nominated for everything they were up for, i believe. it was a clean sweep. this is an incredible accomplishment for a silent movie. one where there are no named stars and a no-name actor. it captured the imagination of the academy in a big way. >> i think you did well with the cheat sheet. we appreciate that. nice job. again, we are now going to be joined by the cast from "the artist." they just had a big morning. with us from paris the film's oscar nominated stars ber nas

bejo and jean dujardin and the director and producer. >> i hope we didn't mess up the names too much. congratulations. what a day. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> what was the reaction in the room as you started to hear one nomination after another come through? [ cheers ] >> we were happy. very happy. >> michel, we didn't do a great job with your name. when you took the risk of making a black and white silent film did you ever expect you would be sitting on a sofa this morning and celebrating an oscar nomination? not in one category but for yourself in two. >> yeah. i did not expect something like

that. we made this film with passion and with our heart. we never thought it was possible to go so high with an oscar nomination. it's unexpected. it really was a small film. it's unbelievable. i think i'm the happiest director in the world today. it's a big surprise. >> jean and berenice, were there friends that thought you were crazy for taking on this role? >> crazy? i don't think so. but lucky. you know, most of the people said, wow, that's so unique, so special. you're so lucky to be able to do something like that, really. >> jean -- >> that's the way i feel now. very lucky. >> jean, do you want to weigh in? [speaking french]. >> oh, yes. me, too. i'm crazy also.

>> do you all think that based on the -- >> we're all happy to be here. >> do you think based on the chances that were taken in the making of the movie that it will cause some other producers and directors down the road to be a little bit more creative and take more chances in the movies they choose to do? >> well, i'm not sure. we don't have to say what should do the other ones. we took a chance because we believed in that movie. that's the movie we really want to make and to see if it can help other directors i would be very glad but it's not my mission. i just want to make movies. i don't know. i'm so happy today. >> congratulations again to all of you. you're all stars, but maybe one of the biggest stars of the movie joins us this morning. we have uggy the dog also from

"the artist." i want to know how you feel about all the attention. >> oh! >> after all, it is a silent movie. okay? >> how do you feel about the attention? what are your feelings? [ barking ] >> woof! woof! >> if i understand my dog he's also congratulating you on your many nominations. folks, the cast and producer and director of "the artist." congratulations again. >> congratulations. >> up next, we're going to talk to oscar nominee brad pitt. what a day he's having. first, this is "today" on nbc. @

back now with more of this morning's oscar nominations. brad pitt picked up a best actor nod for his performance in "moneyball" and he now joins us

by telephone from los angeles. good morning and congratulations. >> good morning. thank you very much. we're ecstatic over here. >> i imagine you are being nominated as a producer as well as an a actor for "moneyball." how much does this mean? how vested were you in this movie and maybe that could be an indicator of how much these nominations mean to you. >> it means so much considering this film was just dead on the rocks two years ago. it took a lot of people, a lot of artisans and craftsmen to get it to the screen. it's a great honor and a real tribute to billy bean and the oakland a's organization. we're happy. i'm so happy for jonah hill, i can't tell you. >> nominated as best supporting actor. we have spoken in oakland a while back, brad. you talked about this is not a conventional movie. it's about economics and saber metrics and batting averages. you believe a good story would sell. boy, have you been prove en rig.

>> at the heart of it is the story of value. what are we worth? what's our personal worth to each other? i'm so happy that's resonated. i have to tell you. i'm doubly happy "the tree of life" made it in there. we thought we were all but forgotten. just excited for terry malick. >> you must be excited for george clooney. i was wondering if he called yet to congratulate you. >> not yet. i'm sure we'll be exchanging good words later. >> this is obviously a dear friend of yours. will it be strange to sit there in the theater wondering if one of your names will be read? >> >> absolutely not. it's more fun to have a friend there. no one does it better than george. give him all the trophies. when you run out, make new ones and give him those, too. >> if you had to pick would you rather win as actor or producer? >> i could not pick.

i'm so happy both films were recognized. "the tree of life" was just as difficult to get made. it will be pancakes for everyone this morning. >> the nominations say a lot about your power as an actor and producer and a force in hollywood. congratulations on a great day, brad. >> thank you so much. nice talking to you. >> nice talking to you, too. thanks for joining us. by the way, the 84th academy awards will be handed out on sunday, february 26th. we'll be watching. back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

just ahead, does checking your credit score really lower it? we'll separate fact from fiction. >> also this morning, jill martin is here with a new batch of steals & deals, discounts on everything from jewelry to a vacation? >> did you burn yourself? >> right after your local news. >> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. here is one of our top stories this morning. a trial has been set for one of two darters for abortions. -- to doctors for performing abortions. he was indicted under a maryland

law that allows maryland charges law that allows maryland charges to be brought in the death

>> welcome back. good morning, everyone. conditions will improve this afternoon. the temperatures will make it into the low 50's later on today. above average for this time of year. a high