good morning, tension on the tarmac -- president obama and arizona governor, jan brewer, have a testy exchange at an airport. what were they talking about and why is she now calling the president thin-skinned? we'll hear from her. the demi's crisis, new details on what may have led to demi moore's sudden hospitalization is something far more serious than exhaustion as her publicist is claiming. and close call -- a youth hockey team on the ice as the rink's roof begins to collapse. seconds later it comes crashing down. thankfully, no one was hurt, but they won't be skating there today, thursday, january 26th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

and welcome to "today" on this thursday morning, i'm ann curry. >> and i'm matt lauer. let's go back to this picture of arizona governor, jan brewer, and president obama on the tarmac in arizona. not exactly the kind of picture you would expect to see when a governor greets a president. we'll have more on what happened between the two of them, coming up in just a couple of minutes. >> intriguing there, right? and meanwhile, speaking of tension, we get the latest on what seems to be an ongoing feud between newt gingrich and democratic house leader, nancy pelosi. on wednesday, pelosi backed down after claiming she knows something that would keep gingrich from becoming president. why did pelosi say that in the first place? we'll talk about it with tom brokaw. and the national institutes of health getting involved in the medical mystery at a school

in upstate new york where a dozen girls are suffering symptoms that mimic tourette's. this after another student comes forward saying she's also experiencing severe tics. and also coming up, 10% of people are left-handed in america. that includes the two of us. and we'd like to think that those numbers make us special but apparently being a southpaw also comes with increased health risks. some interesting new research that we'll all be paying attention to around here. but let us begin with a tense day on the campaign trail, nbc's peter alexander is in miami this morning. peter, good morning to you. >> matt, good morning to you. you can expect another round in the heated back and forth between mitt romney and newt gingrich again today. gingrich will be meeting with tea party activists and veterans in the state of florida. romney will meet with small business owners. and for his part, the president facing one of his critics at a pretty tense exchange of his own.

immigration policy as -- the campaign battle shifted to immigration policy as front-runners mitt romney and newt gingrich courted florida's hispanic population. gingrich mocked romney's position. >> for romney to believe that somebody's grandmother is going to be so cut off that she is going to self-deport? i mean, this verges, this is an obama-level fantasy. >> i want to see more legal immigration in this country and to protect legal immigration, i think it's important for people to recognize that illegal immigration has to stop. >> at a candidates' forum in miami, gingrich faced blunt questions about his sharp rebuke

of president obama during the monica lewinsky scandal. >> you criticized president clinton. >> i criticized president clinton for lying under oath. >> however, at the same time you were doing the exact same thing. >> no, i wasn't. >> and after days of focus on his tax returns, romney was asked point-blank about his personal wealth. >> it's about $150 million and $200 million. i think that's what the estimates are. and by the way, i didn't inherit that. >> a feud is brewing between gingrich and another former house speaker, nancy pelosi. who was cryptic this week when she insisted she's confident that gingrich won't become president. >> let me make my prediction and stand by it, it isn't going to happen. >> why are you so sure? >> there's something i know. >> on wednesday, gingrich fired back. >> i have no idea what's in nancy pelosi's head, if she knows something, i have a simple challenge, spit it out. >> pelosi declined nbc news's request for an interview, citing

scheduling conflicts. providing a statement, there's something that leader pelosi knows is that newt gingrich will not be president of the united states. the current president is also campaigning. in the battleground state of iowa wednesday, he defended his proposal for a 30% minimum tax. on those making more than $1 million. >> i hear folks running around calling this class warfare. this is not class warfare let me tell you something. asking a billionaire to pay at least as much as his secretary -- that's just common sense. >> wednesday afternoon when he touched down outside phoenix, the president had a tense exchange with governor jan brewer about her book, which characterized mr. obama has lecturing her during a 2009 meeting over immigration. later, brewer called the president, thin-skinned and said the encounter left her breathless. >> i felt a little bit threatened, if you will. and the attitude he had. because i was there to welcome

him. >> and back here on the campaign trail. newt gingrich also vowed that by his second term as president, if he is to be elected, he will build an american moon base. there is more campaigning ahead of tonight's televised debate. all four candidates, including rick santorum and ron paul in their final debate ahead of florida's vote. >> peter alexander in miami, peter, thank you very much. tom brokaw is here with his take on the state of the presidential race. tom, good to see you, some state, isn't it? >> a win in south carolina to building a moon base in the second term. >> let me talk to you about nancy pelosi and newt gingrich. she makes this comment saying newt gingrich will not be president, there's something i know. now that in itself sounds -- pretty alarming. but if you go back and add to that something she said in an interview in december, she said one of these days, to an interviewer, one of these days we'll have a conversation about newt gingrich. i know a lot about him. i served on the investigative committee that investigated him. four of us locked in a room in an undisclosed location for a

year. 1,000 pages of his stuff. clearly, she's hinting that she learned something that will make, will disqualify him as president. does she have the right to back out now and back off of that? >> i think that she should come clean with the public. if she found out something in the course of that investigation that she is holding and it appears for political purposes, that's outrageous. i think that the speaker has to be very unhappy about that. on the other hand -- >> speaker gingrich. >> right. if she doesn't know something, i think she has to say, look, i didn't learn anything in there that the public didn't learn. i'm just talking about what the evidence was and we think that is enough to disqualify him for the presidency. i think she has to go a lot farther than she has so far in terms of her ole in that investigation which me xi may have learned in the meetings in going through those files. >> we've asked speaker pelosi to join us here this morning. she said she had a scheduling conflict. we'll keep our schedule open whenever she can clear hers. let's move on to newt

gingrich in the race. after his win in florida, a lot -- i mean in south carolina. a lot of pundits were still saying this was mitt romney's race to lose. if newt gingrich wins in florida, will that change that thinking? >> it's going to be a big blow to mitt romney if he loses florida. florida is not south carolina. south carolina was safe in the republican district, almost custom-built for newt gingrich. florida is larger state, cosmopolitan. their old friend tim russert used to say florida, florida, florida. it's a play in play. it's a swing state. this is a big deal for mitt romney if newt gingrich loses in florida, my guess is he'll go on and i think he'll go on under any circumstances. >> during the state of the union address, the president said that anyone who tells you that america is in decline doesn't know what they're talking about. yet we look at polling a lot. some of our own polls. you ask people, do you think the country is on the right track. and i've seen numbers as high as 64%, tom, saying no, we're on the wrong track. does the president need to be

more realistic with that subject? >> well i think what he's talking about are the fundamentals. it is still the underlying economy is stronger than any other in the world. china is coming up fast, but we're still the number one economy. we have rule of law. we'v've got a great education system, even though it's troubled. so on the state of the union speech you're kind of engaged in some hyperbole. this election is going to be all about the economy, probably in the fall. there's some unforeseen things that will occur. but people really are responding to the fact that they don't feel secure about their economic future and that is a big piece of national security. most of all, as i said here before, matt. i for the first time in my journalistic career, parents are coming to me and saying, i don't think my kids going to have the life i've had. that's been an essential part of the american dream. >> for an example, you were out in california talking to people out there, a state that is struggling mightily. >> jerry brown was saying california is on the mend.

they have reduced the deficit by 60%, they've got good news on unemployment in california, it's down to 11% at this point. he's going to ask the state to raise taxes on themselves, especially the wealthy, come november. this is a very, very big play for him. but there is, if not a light at the end of the tunnel, there's a faint glow on the horizon on the economy. and that's giving people some hope. the federal reserve says it won't be until 2014 that we have a full recovery. that's a long slog ahead. >> tom brokaw, tom, good to see you. great to see you. here's ann. we're learning more about the navy s.e.a.l.s daring rescue of two people held in somalia. nbc news correspondent jim miklaszewski has more. >> this mission was carried out by s.e.a.l. team 6 that took out osama bin laden last may. in this case, the lives of two hostages at stake, there was zero room for error. and in the end, the operation

was flawless. the two hostages, seen in this video held at gun-point bier that kidnappers are free after three months in captivity. the navy s.e.a.l.s flew to the area by plane and took to the kidnappers by surprise, parachuted to the ground two miles from their target. in full combat gear they ran toward the encampment and encountered the heavily-armed somali. and in an exchange of gunfire, the s.e.a.l.s killed all nine of the kidnappers. the hostages were rescued and flown off in helicopters to a u.s. military base in nearby gentlemdjibout djibouti. there were signs that jessica buchanan's health had taken a turn for the worse. and that it was even life-threatening. monday night, with no time to lose, the president ordered the u.s. military to launch the rescue operation. >> good job tonight. >> only a day later as president

obama delivered his state of the union address, the hostages were already on their flight to freedom. at 32 years old, buchanan had already devoted her life to the african people. teaching school and doing relief work for somali refugees. at the valley forge christian college in pennsylvania, where she earned a degree in teaching, college president dr. don meyer said africa was in her blood. >> when she came back, she couldn't, she literally could not talk about africa without tears in her eyes. because of her burden to make a difference and help. >> edward zoomy, a name, said her father, john, had been worried about jessica for months. >> you could tell it was always on his mind. of course it was, it was his daughter. and you don't know what to say. you can't do anything, you can't help him. it was rough. >> jessica has told her family she'll be fine. but you can only imagine how traumatic this was. her father and family members aren't going to wait for her to

come home, they're flying to europe for a long-awaited and joyous reunion. >> jim miklaszewski at the pentagon, thank you. it is now 7:12. once again, here's matt. now to gabrielle giffords emotional farewell to congress. the arizona congresswoman formally resigned her seat in the house of representatives on wednesday, a little more after a year that she was shot and nearly killed. our correspondent kelly o'donnell is on capitol hill with more. >> for the first time in years, today giffords is a private citizen again. when the time game, gabby giffords inspired something we don't see a lot of -- unity between the parties and friendship bursting with emotion. the sound of admiration. a stirring sendoff. >> gabby, we love you. we have missed you. >> a genuine and moving

connection. >> gabby, america thanks you. god bless you. and god speed. [ applause ] >> that evoked the joy seen in her smile, the comfort of friends who held her hand. and the tears that could not be held back. >> and it will always be one of the great treasures of my life to have met gabby giffords and to have served with her. in this body. >> in one extraordinary year since that horrific shooting, gabrielle giffords fought to live, learn to walk again and now chose to walk away from congress. with the respect of both parties. >> gabby's courage, her strength and her downright fortitude are an inspiration to all of us and all americans. >> i'm getting better.

>> giffords still struggles to speak. so her friend, congresswoman debby wasserman schultz read the resignation letter for her. >> my district deserves to elect a u.s. representative who can give 100% to the job now. >> giffords' mother gloria and husband, mark kelly, looked on from the gallery above. giffords' words looked to the future. >> i will recover and will return. and we will work together again for arizona and for all americans. >> giffords pushed herself to follow tradition and to deliver her letter to the speaker of the house, who reached foreher when she faltered. this time, john boehner's tears needed no explanation. and it was the embrace of a capitol hill staffer, that so moved giffords and made the good-bye so real. >> i'm so proud of you.

are you going to miss me? >> i miss you. >> and as personal as this all was, gabby giffords has been liked and respected for the work she did here. so house leaders moved things around so she could cast her last vote on a bill she had been working on for a long time. having to do with arizona's border. every fellow democrat and every republican voted for it. matt? >> kelly o'donnell this morning, thank you for that report, we appreciate it. it's 16 minutes after the hour. here's ann. >> authorities have now identified the bodies of three german passengers recovered from the ill-fated cruise ship off the coast of italy. this as the children of a missing american couple release a new statement online. nbc's michelle kosinski has the latest on the story. michelle, good morning. >> good morning, ann, searchers are now saying they may not be able to recover everyone trapped inside. and they may be underneath. and all the debris in there has been slowing them down. but the investigation continues with more allegations coming out. and just think, this island with

a winter population of around 300 people, will now forever be linked to what they're calling this modern "titanic." he's been vilified by his country, essentially abandoned by his company. but the veteran captain, shettino said his higher-ups had pressured him to buzz the island. we need to be visible, do some publicity. so let's wave at the island. i said, okay. costo cruises insists that his course so close to the rocks was unauthorized. prosecutors say he could have been going too fast. his response, there isn't a speed limit. as for accusations he abandoned the ship, shettino claimed it was an accident while he was helping lower a lifeboat. it isn't as if i had boarded it he said, look, i fell on its roof. a newspaper reports prosecutors are also looking into whether wealthy russians may have tried to pay crew for first access to

lifeboats that night. reminiscent of some ungentlemenly behavior by gentlemen aboard the "titanic." >> your money can't save you. >> some rescuers said they were surprised by the first people they saw arrive were crew. this person now feeding searchers was one of the first to help survivors. i didn't see any children in the first few boats. the ones i saw were well-dressed. evening wear, high heels, ball gowns. there was a chef in uniform. >> for divers, the focus is still to navigate the mess inside the ship. family of missing americans, barbara and jerry heil, write on their website, patience. >> i speak for the united states, we're very grateful for the, all the effort that's being made to try to recover or find

our lost ones. >> difficult here to make sense of it all, nino tarravella made a painting for his church. not the waterfront view anyone could get used to. there is now a transcript of a phone conversation reportedly that shettino had after his arrest in which he allegedly said he left the ship willingly when it started tilting and today, costa cruises is talking to a consumer group about how exactly to compensate all of the people on board. ann? >> the story to be continued, michelle kosinski, thank you. let's check the morning's top stories with natalie at the news desk with those, natalie, good morning to you. >> good morning, everyone. parts of texas are drying out this morning, after heavy downpours caused flash flooding across much of the eastern half of the state. drenching rain forced drivers to abandon cars object flooded roads. the national weather service confirms tornadoes touching down near austin, san antonio and houston. damaging homes and businesses. a multi-story building

collapsed last night in rio de janeiro, brazil and another nearby building partially collapsed. several people were rescued from the rubble. and witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion just before the clam collapse. there are injuries and unconfirmed reports of fatalities. some frightening moments in australia, the prime minister had to be rushed out of an event by riot police. she was taken to her car after rowdy protesters surrounded the restaurant and began banging on windows at a ceremony marking australia's national day. the manhattan district attorney's office is investigating an allegation that greg kelly, the son of new york police commissioner raymond kelly and a local news anchor, raped a young woman in new york last october. kelly's lawyer released a statement saying mr. kelly strenuously denies any wrongdoing of any kind and is cooperating fully with the district attorney's investigation. we know the district attorney's investigation will prove mr. kelly's innocence. timothy geithner says he

doesn't expect to serve a second term as treasury secretary, if president obama gets re-elected. on wednesday, geithner said he is pretty confident the president would ask him to stay on. for a check on wall street, cnbc mary thompson of the new york stock exchange. >> the fed decision came out yesterday, it's having an impact in europe this morning. the federal reserve deciding to keep interest rates, saying it expects to keep interest rates near zero through late 2014. concerns about the slow pace of the u.s. economic recovery prompting central bankers to extend this low rate forecast another 18 months. and while this is good news for businesses and consumers looking to take out loans, it's a tough policy for investors trying to plan their retirement around interest-bearing products like bonds. back to you. >> mary thompson at the new york stock exchange, thank you. a close call caught on tape in a newly-built hockey rink in slovakia. the roof came crashing down onto

the ice under the weight of reportedly heavy snow as former nhl player, richard zednick and a youth hockey team scramble to run for cover, no one fortunately was hurt. and an important undercover mission for an army captain who just finished serving in afghanistan. he showed up at his daughter's kindergarten classroom in north carolina and you see the surprising and emotional homecoming for his little girl who hadn't seen her dad since last may. when asked what she wanted to do with her dad, she said, go to mcdonald's. he is home. it is 7:22 right now, back over to matt, ann and al. >> we always love those homecomings. >> we can't get enough of them. mr. roker is here with a check of the weather. >> we've got lot of rough stuff, natalie showed you the stuff in texas, it's moved to the east. and so we have a risk of strong storms from mississippi on into georgia. down to tallahassee. as you look on the radar, we've got a tornado watch in effect from louisiana into georgia and

parts of the panhandle of florida until noon today. anywhere from one to three inches of rain. next half hour, we'll show you the northern side of the system. that's what's going on around >> good morning. off and not rain showers will be with us through the day today. that means the temperatures are not going to move much. ann? >> al, thank you, just ahead, demi moore's daughter visits her in the hospital as new details emerge about what may have been, what may have led to moore's health crisis. the latest on that. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

coming up, a new case of mystery illness >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. the budget battle is brewing in annapolis as gop freshmen take aim and gov. martin o'malley's tax proposals. the governor wants to expand the sales tax to digital products. state house republicans say they are in the process of coming up with their own budget proposal. let's check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> complete mess on southbound

795 from to 16 to 212, tunnel road. -- powder mill road. we will show you live delays in a moment. delays on the west side. 26 mi. per hour on average approaching 795 down to edmondson. 31 on southbound 95. buildup in the volume heading down southbound from white marsh to the 895 split. tapping the brakes a bit from the north side over to providence on dulaney valley. 22 shut down in aberdeen and viers mill road due to an early- morning crash. we will update you on 95. what a mess. southbound traffic is calling from to 16 down to gore mill road. 295 or route 1 as your alternate. 95 out of white marsh, still looking good. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> a little bit of rain to start the day.

hit and miss showers. it is not going to be a big deal, at least for this part of the commute. the further we go through the night, the better the chance of rain will come to us. temperatures all above freezing. that is a good thing. 39 at the airport. 42 downtown. forecast for today, rain showers likely did best chance for rain this afternoon. high temperatures between 43 and 48. could be s

7:30 on a thursday morning, january 26th, 2012. we have a little mix of snow and rain overnight here in manhattan. al says we may expect a little more rain later in the day. but not too bad out there right now. we'll have his forecast in just a little while. meanwhile, inside studio 1a, i'm matt lauer alongside ann curry. new details on a medical mystery at a high school in upstate new york. another student has come forward saying she's experiencing severe involuntary tics. stand by for cute, we'll meet a lovable baby otter, orphaned in california, being hand-raised by humans in

chicago. take a look at that guy. we're both left-handed and we're in good company. and now a possible link between left-handedness and some serious medical conditions has been discovered. we'll be telling you more about that as well. and also, michelle williams says her role as marilyn monroe in this new movie called "my week with marilyn" was the challenge and the privilege of a loi lifetime and now it's earned her an oscar nomination on the heels of a globes nomination. we begin this half hour with new details on demi moore's health scare. her publicist is claiming she sought treatment for exhaustion. but this morning there are indications that may not be the whole story. nbc's mike taibbi is outside sherman oaks hospital in california with more. hey, mike, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. well it's certainly been a rough patch for the 49-year-old actress. and that number, her age, 49, appears to be a key element in this phase of her story. if she was celebrated by many

for her marriage to ashton kutcher, an unlikely marriage, an actor 16 years her junior, this appears to be the flip side. what can happen when it all goes wrong. in october, after the break-up, demi moore looked beyond thin. emaciated, unhealthy, some friends said. of her hospitalization, her publicist said because of the stresses in her life right now, demi has chosen to seek professional assistance to treatment her exhaustion and improve her overall health. she looks forward to getting well. but "people" magazine is saying it's more than exhaustion. >> there are reports that she had a seizure and she was shaking. one thing that is clear is that prescription drugs seem to have played a role in her being brought here. >> reporter: moore had sought treatment for substance abuse in the early '80s and in the '90s her career soared with starring roles in films like "ghost" and "a few good men." and her marriage to megastar, bruce willis and their eventual

divorce provided fodder for the tabloids. on tuesday, their daughter, rumor willis, spent time at sherman oaks hospital where her mother was rushed for treatment. the ending of moore's marriage to kutcher, supposed by a breaking point. >> her life seemed to be spiraling a bit and it wasn't something she could take control of herself. >> reporter: and she couldn't control the march of time, either. the woman who relied on her physical talents to work a dancer's pole in "striptease" to outmacho the men in "g.i. jane" a and to not them dead in her mid 40s. recently told harper's "bazaar" i have a love-hate relationship with my body. >> we've seen ashton kutcher at a concert. he's certainly not rushing back to be in los angeles.

>> reporter: not rushing back to a woman now struggling, a famous woman, soon to be 50, who said in that same recent interview, that what scares her is she might find out that i'm really not lovable. that i'm not worthy of being loved. that there's something fundamentally wrong with me. moore's publicist also says the actress is pulling out of a planned biopic of the porn star, linda lovelace, she was to have played the feminist, gloria steinham. alisha quarrels, is the global editor for and the author of "weekends at bellevue." dr. holland, walk us through what exactly getting professional assistance to treat exhaustion and improve overall health would entail? >> well the first thing is a physical exam, how much do you weigh, how much are you eating, what is your blood sugar, kidneys working, and just a psychiatric examination, to see if somebody is psychotic or

depressed or suicidal. a global examination for starters. >> how long would that take in the hospital? >> i could do it in 15 minutes. but -- it can take days. >> so the tests, for the tests to come back, it could take hours, if not days. >> would the patient necessarily stay in the hospital for days? >> psychiatric, it's going to take days to figure out what's going on. bellevue, you have 72 hours to make an assessment of what's going on. >> alisha, how defensible is the reporting that the problem here may also be prescription drugs? >> you know, those are unsubstantiated reports and we're not inside of her life, we don't know that we've seen it happen with hollywood actresses time and time again. so when people hear exhaustion, the red flags go up. when you think about it, she's going through this very public divorce. they have three children, she's a director, actress. and can you imagine going through all that and being a famous actress, i'm exhausted. >> so that's defensible, the idea of exhaustion. >> but doctor, you're saying the

idea that one out of every four women take some form of prescription drugs. when used correctly, that's probably not an issue. how can they be used incorrectly? >> one of the problems is mixing medicines with alcohol. you know, certainly sedatives like sleeping pills or anti-anxiety medicines, if you're mixing them with alcohol, you're getting them in trouble. taking them not as prescribed, taking too much, mixing pills. >> are they have these drugs in this category, drugs that can use to sort of limit your appetite, to cause you to -- or have the effect of causing you to lose a lot of weight? >> on some of the antidepressants, wellbutrin can cause you to lose your appetite. and cocaine cuts your appetite. heroin doesn't cut your appetite, but it can make you not feel hunger pains. >> is it abused in that way? do some women abuse his drugs for that purpose? >> definitely, i think you can

do stimulants that will also cut your appetite. women abuse pills to lose weight, no question. >> we don't know what the situation is in this particular case. we do know that demi has now had to back out of a movie in which she was going to play gloria steinham. how much of an impact might this have on her career, given the circumstances? >> i don't think it will have a major impact. i've been interviewing her for years, i was there in 2003 when she did the big comeback in "charlie's angels." she left hollywood to raise her children and was brought back after all of those years. i think people understand she was going through a hard time. a public break-up. she said in an interview she feels betrayed by her body. we're forgiving people, understanding people. everyone has been affected by divorce in one way or another. i think people wish her well. >> i think a lot of women empathize with some of these issues. thank you so much, alisha and doctor, thank you so much. now a check of the weather from al. ann, thanks so much. when we were in vancouver for the olympics, they had a great

hotdog stand, japadog, you're here in new york city? >> those are good hotdogs. let's show you what's happening. you can see we've got flood watches from kentucky into ohio. we've got winter weather advisories into the northeast. winter storm warnings and watches as you look on the radar, you can see all the moisture making its way up the pink. those areas, that's where we're looking for some icy conditions, eventually changing over to snow as it gets into new england. we're talking in some areas, three to six inches up in new england. rainfall from pittsburgh down to cincinnati, cleveland, all wait down to knoxville, anywhere from one to two inches of rain. wish your parents a happy anniversary. >> happy anniversary, mom >> good morning. off and on rain showers will be likely today. the best chance for a steady rain will be later this afternoon and this evening.

that's your latest weather. ann? . coming up next, a new student now dealing with mysterious symptoms at a school where 12 girls have developed tourette's-like tics, we'll hear from her after this. -three. -one. -two. -three. [ male announcer ] with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card, earn 1% cash back everywhere, every time. 2% back on groceries. and 3% back on gas. automatically. no hoops to jump through. -it's as easy as...1. -two. -three. [ male announcer ] 1, 2, 3 percent cash back for the things you buy most. the bankamericard cash rewards card. apply online or at a bank of america near you.

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that's going to have to be done by a certain date. you always have homework, okay? i don't have homework today. it's what's right here is what is most important to me. it's beautiful. ♪ ♪ back now at 7:42 with new details on the tourette's-like tics suffered by some girls at a high school in upstate new york. amy robach has been following

the story and is back with more. >> health officials insist there's nothing wrong with the school where the strange symptoms have occurred. but new questions are being raised in the wake of yet another reported case. chelsea dumars is the latest teenaged girl from leroy high school to come forward to report she suffers from severe tics. >> i was doing things, going places, a lot before this happened. now i don't feel like going to stores. because i feel like people look at me and judge me. >> she says her company is so bad, she has to be home-schooled. like many parents in the area, chelsea's father is test terre haute. >> you know, to see her sit there and be broken to tears because she just can't hand it will any more -- yeah, it rips your heart out. >> leroy student sarah sanchez once loved cheerleading and art class. now she does neither. >> well i used to cheer. every day. i would go to art class, i used

to, i used to go to two art classes every day. now i'm not in school. >> sarah's friend, katie, says her symptoms vary. >> some days i'll just start twitching and it won't stop for ten, 15, 20 minutes. and then other days, i'll be fine. >> the girls and their parents told ann they're angry. >> i'm very frustrated. no one's giving answers. >> the new york state health department has been looking into the case for three months and says the leroy high school building has been cleared as the cause. they say it's not environmental or an infection. leroy's central school district conducted their own investigation with the same conclusion. dr. laz lo mechtler has treated many of the girls and tells nbc news that more teens have recently come forward with the same symptoms. he says the students may have a rare form of conversion disorder, formerly known as miss

hysteria. a psychological problem that can happen in groups like female teenagers. >> this is a subconscious effect that occurs in patients who may be prone to anxiety or mood disorders. but this is definitely real symptoms. >> now the national institutes of health is asking questions about the case. they've contacted dr. mechtler and offer odd to see some of the girls who have the illness. for chelsea, answers can't come soon enough. she and her dad are not convinced the condition is conversion disorder. >> i don't see any of these girls getting any better with the medicine. not to the point where they were before. they're still struggling. >> and the leroy central school did not want to comment on our report. but last week they did issue a statement saying once again that the school is safe. matt? >> still, no real answers. thank you very much. up next, ate doshl orphaned baby otter, now being raised by humans, right after there.

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back now at 7:48 with a touching rescue story. an infant sea otter was found stranded in california last month. she was saved and was quickly taken to chicago's shedd aquarium. where nbc's kevin tibbles picks things up. welcome to a nursery unlike any other. where it's time for this baby to have her bottle. >> it's me, uncle kevin. >> this is a 10-week-old, 13-pound bouncy baby southern sea otter. the orphaned pup was found on a california beach last month. >> you know the first few days that she lost her mom were probably very scary times. >> the southern or california sea otter is a threatened species. with fewer than 3,000 animals left in the wild. but luckily for kaiukos, she was

rescued and brought to chicago's shedd aquarium. one of the top marine mammal facilities in the world and she seems to be adjusting just fine. >> she is a baby. they like to play. they like to explore, they like to get into mischief. >> but baby otters like baby humans, also need round-the-clock care. so the shedd has a dozen surrogate moms to feed her and begin to teach her how to be an otter. the shedd first started caring for otters in 1989 in the wake of the exxon valdez disaster. that's when kenai was rescued, she's now the matriarch. >> she's 23 now and she has a nice, retired life right now. >> but before kaiukos can hang with the grown-ups, she's got a lot to learn. >> you want some more? good. >> like eating solid food while

floating on her back. >> i heard that. >> look at you. >> watch out, those teeth are sharp. she also has to learn how to groom, and an otter's thick coat has to be maintained for their very survival. and like most kids, when she doesn't get her way, she lets you know. she is the ninth pup raised here. while she'll never be returned to the wild, she will teach scientists more about her species. and soon be delighting visitors, because like most babies, she's irresistibly cute. kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. ♪ why are we so happy seeing that? my whole brain lit up. i'm such a sucker for those stories. >> i love those aquariums. shedd aquarium is great.

a great place to take kids. what great work they're doing. >> connecticut has a great one. >> georgia. >> orlando. >> we could go on. we want to talk about coming up, we've got michelle williams in the house. she'll be talking about her oscar-nominated role as marilyn monroe. >> look, she's swimming! >> and shaking it like an otter. capital one's new cash rewards card gives you a 50% annual bonus! so you earn 50% more cash. according to research, everybody likes more cash. well, almost everybody... ♪ would you like 50% more cash? no! but it's more money. [ male announcer ] the new capital one cash rewards card. the card for people who want 50% more cash.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell at traffic pulse 11. >> very busy on southbound 95. if you are going to take 29 as your alternate, there may be an accident at senate that drive. let's update you on 95 stop them -- 95 at southbound at powder mill road. we're seeing delays on southbound 295. these may stretch below 32 as a lot of folks are trying to avoid 95. accident blocking this lane. delays on the north and west side.

j.f.x. filling up quickly. southbound all the way down to 28. 95 out of the northeast. white marsh down to 895 split. southbound 95, i definitely want to avoid this. route 129 may be a better bet with the accident reported at senate that drive. you can see these delays at place from the beltway to 28. >> so far, just some scattered light rain showers, nothing of significance, but they will pickup in intensity as we go through the afternoon. temperatures are above freezing. 34 in taneytown. 39 at the airport. forecast for today, off and on rainshowers. best chance for rain, steady rain into the afternoon and evening. high temperatures between 43 and 48.

chance for rain tomorrow morning, and clearing up in the afternoon. it could turn colder and there

8:00 now on a thursday morning, the 26th of january, 2012. it's a pretty good morning. a little gray outside. 35 degrees, and we've got a warm, wonderful crowd on the plaza to brighten our day. i'm ann curry alongside matt lauer and al roker. coming up this morning, we've got a star in our studios, we've got michelle williams, starring in this movie, "my week with marilyn." i saw it in its entirety last night. she disappears into this role. it's stunning, it was a tough role for her to take on. but she's been nominated for an oscar, so we're excited to talk to her about that. and raise your hand if you're a lefty? lefty? you have to leave, it's no

lefties day. >> i guess i got to go, too. >> we've got a couple of co-hosts who are lefties and we'll take a look at new research on lefties that might not make us feel as special. savannah guthrie, who is also a lefty will fill us in on that. and president obama is a lefty. >> yeah. >> and -- >> you're not making a statement? >> not at all. by the way, coming up on february, that's when the flu season peaks, we've been lucky so far, but we see the peak in february. we'll give you some tips you need to keep your family healthy as we get into the teeth of that season. >> teeth of the season. that sounds ominous. all right, thanks a lot, al. let's go inside, natalie is standing by with a look at all the headlines, natalie, good morning again. >> good morning, everyone. just days after rejecting a cross-country oil pipeline, president obama will talk about energy security in nevada today. an announce the sale of oil and gas drilling leases in the gulf coast. on wednesday, the president campaigned in iowa and arizona,

promoting tax credits to lure investments in manufacturing. meantime, the republican presidential candidates are getting ready for tonight's debate in jacksonville, florida. newt gingrich will be meeting today with tea party members, while mitt romney is meeting with small business owners. more than 12,000 people will pack an arena to pay tribute to legendary penn state football coach, joe paterno. thousands lined the streets of state college, pennsylvania, to view paterno's funeral procession wednesday. paterno died sunday from lung cancer at the age of 85. two new studies this morning suggest a cancer drug avistan might help women with early-stage breast cancer. researchers say the drug plus chemotherapy made tumors disappear in some women. recently, avastin lost government approval for treating advanced breast cancer. family members are flying to europe today for a reunion with jessica buchanan, the american aid worker rescued by navy s.e.a.l.s in somalia. buchanan and a danish colleague were health for three months by

armed kidnappers. navy s.e.a.l.s freed them tuesday in a dairy rescue after officials learned her health had taken a turn for the worse. ralph knell nadal will head sunday's final at the australian open. he beat his long-time rival, roger federer in a semifinal match-up this morning. and now for a look at what's trending today, our quick round-up of what has you talking online. arizona governor, jan brewer, is a top search on google, after the tension on the tarmac we told you about earlier. when brewer greeted the president wednesday, she said he critiqued her book, which she said the president lectured her on two previous meetings. afterward, brewer said she felt threatened by the president's attitude. rihanna is hot on twitter after tweeting this picture of the new skin art, the slogan "thug life" is tattooed across her knuckles. and give this guy an a for sincerity 678 one listen and you'll know why he's trending on

youtube as the worst church singer ever. ♪ ♪ ♪ never say good-bye >> he might say bless his heart for trying, at least. it is 8:04 right now. let's go back outside to matt and ann. ow. >> that's hard to listen to. >> didn't he used to sing the theme song to "green acres"? >> one of my favorite songs! >> mr. roker? >> it sound like he sucked back a tank of helium. we've got a new teenager here. what's your name? >> christopher parmaly. >> when's your birthday? >> january 26th. >> happy birthday. 13 years old. >> thank you. >> very nice. let's check it out, dad's a little nervous, but that's all right. atlantic city, new jersey, afternoon rain, bet on it, wmg

mtv, nbc 40, you can see all the wet weather making its way into the east and north. and as it moves into colder air, lifts up over the colder air, we'll see some icy conditions. morning showers in the pacific northwest, not quite as bad as it's been. we have a risk of strong storms into the lower and mid mississippi river valley. freezing and chilly in the northern plains. and a happy 50th. what's your name? >> mary dukes. >> good morning.irthd off and not rain showers will be with us through the day today. that means the temperatures are not going to move much.

that's your latest weather. now -- >> mr. roker, thank you very much. i'll do the same thing, and take a look. we've got michelle williams, live in our studios. oscar nominated for her portrayal of hollywood icon, marilyn monroe, we'll talk to michelle right after these messages. i'm giving you the silent treatment. so you're calling to tell me you're giving me the silent treatment? ummm, yeah. jen, this is like the eighth time you've called... no, it's fine, my family has free unlimited mobile-to-any-mobile minutes. i can call all i want. i don't think you understand how the silent treatment works. hello? [ male announcer ] buy unlimited messaging and get free unlimited calling to any mobile phone on any network. at&t. 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

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from neutrogena naturals. back now at 8:09, and michelle williams took home a golden globe for her portrayal of marilyn monroe, in "my week with marilyn." this week, the role landed michelle her third oscar nomination. michelle williams, good morning and congratulations. i mean the thing about it is when they listed all the names, yours was the last one they read. so they really made you sweat it out. >> alphabetical -- yeah. my whole life, i'm always the last to be called for any sports in school. always last to be called. >> when you heard your name, that very moment, even though it was your third nomination, what was your emotion? because it was for this role. >> oh, boy -- >> what did you do? did you jump up and down? >> i was with friends. and i had, it had slipped my mind. which is something so great about having a kid, you get really absorbed, in your especially mornings, you've got to get out the door, make

breakfast, get the snowsuit on, get everybody in the car. i stopped at a friend's house to have om breakfast. i was outside, examining something in nature. and she opened up the door with her baby on her hip and said, michelle, they just called your name on tv. it slipped my mind. i was in a rush, in the routine of the day. it was very sweet way to hear it. >> it's also sweet thaw describe it in that way. because when you got up there at the golden globes, you thanked your daughter, matilda. i was wondering. because you've also described this role as really the hardest for you so far, so how does your daughter get credit for your being in this position now, being so lauded for this role in how you portrayed it? >> she gives me balance. she gives me balance. and i know that any risks that i take in my work are actually in a way, they're safe. because nothing really bad can happen there. and my success as a parent is what matters the most to me. >> oh boy.

boy, do you have your perspective right. you know, you correct me if i'm wrong, but as i watched you in this movie, i saw not just one role, i saw at least two roles, you know you play marilyn, the real woman. and you played the character she sort of had to create. how did you, what did you learn about her that helped you understand that difference? this psychological dynamic that is so evident in this movie? >> that was a sort of big discovery i made. there was a sort of split personality there in a sense. there was the girl underneath all of this glamour and intrigue and fame and glitz. there was just a very normal, regular and -- wounded girl underneath it all. >> her mother. >> her mother, her mother was in and out of mental institutions her entire life. i think she only lived with her mom for about four months. and her father -- no man would claim her as their child. and so she spent a lifetime

looking for the love that she didn't get. that she deserved and didn't get as a child. >> it's almost that she would do anything to be loved and how she moved for people. seemed to be a part of that. >> everything was for people. everything was to get a reaction out of people. to get love, to get attention. to get appreciation. everything she did was designed for that purpose. and to give people pleasure so they would give her something in return. >> which may be a reason why we are all still today, so riveted by this character that she created, we're hearing you sing in this role. you are doing the singing. >> yes. >> which is something. >> and also, there are moments in the movie where you move just like her. how much research, how much study? how did you do that? >> it felt endless. in some way i feel like i'm still doing it. so much information comes out about marilyn. more information every day it seems like. the books that are revealed and personal belongings that are revealed. it never stops, i must have spent ten months, ten months

prepared for it and two months shooting it. i was sort of seeping in information. there's no end to it. you could, i could still be researching her. >> is there a part of her, given her sort of ability in the past to grab on to people, you know, that's clearly portrayed in this movie. is there a part of her that has still grabbed on to you, that you cannot let go fully? >> in some ways, the things that i love about acting is that you never really have to say good-bye. and as long as it's not destructive or harmful to your personal daily waking life, there's a way to keep people, characters, situations, events, close in your heart and i kind of feel like that with her, maybe more than anybody i've ever played. because she was real. and in some way i feel like, to let go of her is, is an abandonment that i don't want her to suffer again. >> you are nominated along with the man who plays lawrence olivier in the movie. what do you want to say about his nomination? he was terrific as well.

>> he's incredible, i knew the first scene we did together when we locked eyes, i thought -- oh, this, it's like a lion, like i'm staring into a face of great danger, power. this is, i'm in the ring. >> i want to read something to you from "time" magazine about you and your work. williams, about your work as marilyn. williams locates a central truth, the contradictory allure of this utterly impossible woman. the mercurial rain, foolish, but also intelligent in some primal way and achingly vulnerable. how do you respond to these kinds of reviews? you know -- >> it's exciting, if you win the oscar, because you haven't won one yet, right? but to have these kind of pages of reviews. people are so stunned by how lost you became in this movie. >> i really don't know what to say to it. that is, that is overwhelming to me. you know, every time somebody congratulates me or says -- well

done on this, i sort of feel like a sense of shock. i'm like, they're saying it for the first time. really? because it was, it was such a challenge and there was so many days that i just didn't know, didn't know what i was doing. and but i feel like i never really know. i feel like that's sort of, it happens with every job. this one felt like oh, the stakes are so much higher. every time i hear something like that. i'm told something like that, it's -- it really, it touches me. i don't know how to respond to it. >> maybe that's the reason why you're so good at it. because in many ways she also didn't know what she was doing, in a much more deeper way. she was so insecure. >> she was so insecure. i think some of it is essentially mysterious. that's what i sort of learned to live with. it should be like that. there should be ways that it still has a hold of you and you don't quite know what's going on. it's better to not feel like you're smarter than it. that you still have something to learn from it. >> we learned from you about one of the greatest icons of our time. we also learned you're a great talent. michelle williams,

congratulations and good luck. >> thank you so much. thank you. "my week with marilyn" is in theaters now. go see it. coming up, the science of being left-handed, coming up right after this. laces? really? slip-on's the way to go. more people do that, security would be like -- there's no charge for the bag. thanks. i know a quiet little place where we can get some work done. there's a three-prong plug. i have club passes. [ male announcer ] now there's a mileage card that offers special perks on united, like a free checked bag, united club passes, and priority boarding. thanks. ♪ okay. what's your secret? ♪ [ male announcer ] the new united mileageplus explorer card. get it and you're in.

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we're back at 8:20 with the science of being left-handed. i just happen to be a lefty. researchers have now discovered what they think is a link, though, between left-handedness and some serious medical conditions. fellow lefty. savannah guthrie is here with the story. hi, savannah. >> hi, guys, i'm being completely objective about this. the list of great left-handers is long when you consider only 10% of the population is left-handed. research he shows there may be more to left-handedness than just finding the right pair of scissors. ♪ what's left to say about levies? everyone knows some of the greatest thinkers, entertainers and athletes in history were southpaws. but scientists have been studying why approximately 10% of the population favors the lefthand over the right. and it turns out being left-handed isn't always a sign of greatness. the latest research is showing a

variety of brain conditions are more common in lefties. >> especially those related to language. dyslexia, stuttering, autism. as well as mood disorders, such as depression and schizophrenia. the research results are debated, but it seals to be more than a coincidence. >> some studies have shown left-handed people earn salaries on average 10% lower than righties. and though it's partly due to genetics, scientists now believe left-handedness may be caused by mothers who were stressed or depressed while pregnant. >> some scientists consider left-handedness to be a mild birth defect or a mild syndrome created by fetal distress. >> lefties have had it hard over history. once thought to be a sign of the devil, lefty schoolchildren sometimes were forced to use their right hands. on the other hand, all this talk about the problems with lefties just doesn't seem right.

when you write with your left. after all, five of our last seven presidents were lefties. >> i'm a lefty. get used to it. >> so were four of the five designers of the mac computer. one in four apollo astronauts used their left, that's far above the earthly average. and 100% of "today show" co-hosts are left-handed. but in a world that still seems built for righties, what if there were a place just for lefties? a place called lefty's? here, you'll find lefty scissors, lefty mugs, lefty garden tools, lefty playing cards, lefty bottle openers, even lefty tape dispensers and lefty appreciation. >> lefties are more artistic generally than right-handed people and we've been told that lefties make better lovers. >> anyway, back our story. are lefties really special?

don't bother hitting the street to find out. it's full of righties. as a righty, are you jealous of lefties? >> no. >> why do you think lefties are greater than righties? >> i don't think lefties -- >> are you asking or telling me? >> do you think lefties are special? >> yes. >> finally, someone talking some sense. >> are you proud you're a lefty? >> absolutely. every day i wake up and say, thank god i'm lefty. >> me, too. you know i'm curious that the research shows that if being lefty is wrong, i don't want to be right. and because lefties have to stick together, our friends at lefty's in san francisco bought us some gifts. sorry, righty, nothing for you here. >> it's a funny mug, right? >> if a righty uses it, it says -- lefties only. >> what's with the left-handed deck of cards, how they different? >> i don't know. >> i think the lefty -- >> wait a minute! >> don't you think there's matt?hing about being a lefty,

>> i never thought it was special. i just thought it was different. as a kid, it actually made it difficult because you know, there were certain pieces of sports equipment, i couldn't find a lefty catcher's mitt, lefty golf clubs. >> they didn't give the manager a bat. >> it's hard to find a lefty bat. >> pitchers have a hard time -- >> yeah, finding a lefty baseball, that's hard. >> soft lefties have a certain attitude? yes. a sign of the devil. but ann, there's a certain greatness about lefties, right? we have lefty presidents, artists. >> co-hosts. >> you know what, that was a very nice story. >> by the way, aren't most people slightly am by dexterous? >> i think that's why lefties are so brilliant. i can write with my left hand or right hand. >> we're back after your local news.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get off on a trek of the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> improvement on southbound 95. lanes have been reopened at 212. residual delays through the area. delays on 295. slow from 100 down to 32. west side, speak on average, at 32 miles per hour. 33 on the topside outer loop. looking at delays on the j.f.x. 43 on southbound 95. starting to ease up making her

way from white marsh to the beltway northeast. standstill southbound at last check. moving now. j.f.x., we are moving a approaching northern parkway. easing up towards the 28 street. john collins joins us with a look at the forecast. >> we have cloud cover this morning. at the airport, 39 degrees. humidity is up in little bit. storm is coming in. east winds at 6 miles an hour. for test today calls for showers, clouds, chilly temperatures. we want see sunshine during the day. -- we want to see sunshine during the day. winds at 10 miles per hour. sunset this evening at 5:19. >> we will have another update

at 8:55.

8:30 on a thursday morning, it's the 26th of january, 2012. kind of overcast here in the new york area, but mild, also, about 36 degrees. and take a look at the people out on our plaza. i'm matt lauer, along with ann curry. natalie morales and mr. al roker. you know, we are in the middle now of flu season. but although it's been a little milder so far this year in terms of the outbreaks of the flu, february, that's when the peak season really hits.

so dr. nancy snyderman is going to be here this morning, and she's going to be talking about some of the things we need to know about the flu. >> also, coming up we'll be talking about so many people are now looking for work. and they're filling out these resumés, we've got five ways to prevent your resumé from being one of the first ones to be tossed into the garbage. because you know, you really want in a prospective employer to look at that resumé. i think the steps coming up will help you. talking about stress, mom stress, dad stress. in fact a new study shows that 96% of moms say they feel more stressed out than they think their own mothers felt. coming up we'll tell you what can you do to give you advice on how you can perhaps destress and also cope better so that you're a better parent for your kids. >> really important. >> one way to destress is to watch today's professionals. >> yes. >> they stress themselves out and you feel bet anywhere comparison. they'll be weighing in on everything from demi moore's health to the new rules of

texting when it comes to dating. even weighing in on starbucks starting to serve alcohol. >> what? really? >> some locations? >> i don't think it's going to be a national -- >> no, a few spots. >> because there's one right down the street over here. >> we could get there if we hurry. let's gate check of the weather, mr. roker. >> that's right. let's show you what's happening. for today we're looking at a risk of strong storms, lower mississippi to mid-mississippi river valley with some inclement icy weather from interior ohio into new york state. some morning showers in the pacific northwest. with windy conditions. let's move on to tomorrow, you'll see more morning rain here in the northeast. a mix of ice and sleet, changing over to rain. snow in northern new england, santa ana winds picking up, southern california tomorrow, it will be sunny and cold into the pacific northwest, northern plains, some snowshowers through the central rockies. thatck

>> good morning. off and on rain showers will be likely today. the best chance for a steady rain will be later this afternoon and this evening. >> don't forget, you can get that weather any time you need it, go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. we know the weather is nice in captiva, that's where we go where uncle willie scott. >> who could ask for more. the fabulous marina at south seas islands resort in captiva. we're here with a lady chadwick, and captain tom, it's seaman scott reporting for duty. happy birthday from smucker's,

how sweet it is. i wish you were all down here. vera piccetti, 109. good heavens to betsy. and she loves to knit and play bingo. katherine bennett, somerset, ohio, is 105. famous for her lemon meringue pie. and harry thompson, marshall, michigan, 105 years old today. and is an avid reader. and he loves to play golf. look at harry. and mary tidline, from galax, virginia. 104, loves to bake. she attributes her longevity to laughing. happy birthday to you. and here's the lovely and beautiful misako shigekawa, from

orange, california, 103 years old today. and she loves to make all sorts of crafts and things like that. and eat fruit and vegetables. that probably helps her to be that old. betty yee from phoenix, arizona, they have the nicest children's hospital there. anyway, 100, loves to eat pine nuts. i like pine nuts. she also watches television and likes it. and we have finally, william beautiful bill and exciting catherine gallasch, from richmond, virginia. they've been married for 75 years. and they're happily married, and they love one another. very nice, just like i feel about the crew there. back to new york city. >> all right, willard, thank you so much. coming up next, how to keep your family one step ahead of the flu. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

and we're back now at 8:38 this morning on today's health. staying one step ahead of the flu. cases traditionally peak in february, so what can you do to keep your family healthy in the coming weeks? nbc's chief medical editor, dr. nancy snyderman and pediatrician dr. lisa thornton are here with advice. doctors, ladies, good morning to both of you. good news, bad news. good news, it has been a milder-than-normal flu season. but february is the peak? >> we had a pretty good idea that this might be a mild flu sees be by watching what was happening in latin america. south america obviously gets their winters before us. mild down there, we thought it would be mild. the big bug was the h1n1 virus which surprised everyone. that virus popped up in the

spring has been incorporated into this year's flu shot. but nevertheless it is a mild season. >> you bring up the flu shot. i've been told it takes about two weeks after you get it to be fully effective. would you recommend even at this late date, people still get it? >> absolutely. we haven't hit the peak of the flu yet. so get your flu shot, it will take about two weeks for your immunity to be good. but you still got time. and pregnant moms, absolutely pregnant moms and kids. anybody over six months should get the flu shot. because the flu can be particularly bad in very young children. >> and the elderly as well. >> i have elderly parents, so if i take influenza home to then, it's a possible death sentence if you're around elderly people, get your shot. >> if you have a baby and the baby is younger than six months old, the baby cannot get the flu shot, so what do you do there? >> we do something called cocooning. if everybody in the family is immunized, the chances of them bringing home the virus, is very

small. so immunize the people around the most vulnerable. >> people with chronic illnesses, with compromised immune systems, can or cannot get the flu shot? >> can, in some cases, hiv, aids, diabetes, some heart disease, some cancers, you have to talk individually, but these are the people who specifically need to be protected. which is why the healthy, even though you think you can't get it, you should get your shot. >> how many times have you ladies heard this -- a reason for someone who doesn't want to get a flu shot, because the last time i got it i got the flu from the shot. >> 30 seconds ago. how do you respond to that? >> impossible. >> i called my dad this morning and he told me, i got the flu shot monday and now i'm sick. i said dad, you can't get sick from the flu shot. the flu shot is a dead virus, it does not give you the flu. >> all right. >> usually people just get a cold an feel lousy. >> they were probably going to get sick before they got the flu shot. other things to keep in mind, you've got to wash your hands. >> we make fun of you, because your purell your hands 80 times

a day. but washing your hands and ha you do is the best defense other than getting a shot. people cough and spit and sneeze into their hands, they wipe their hands off and then they shake someone else's. that's how you get the flu. you are a good hand-washer. you don't get sick. >> i haven't got the flu in ten years, it may be the bubble i walk around in, i'm not sure. the difference between a cold and the flu? >> with the flu you have a fever, body aches, runny nose, cough. you may even have some diarrhea or vomiting. but the flu is more severe than a cold. >> when you get the flu, you are knocked down, you know you have it. >> and if you feel the symptoms of the flu coming on, what can you do? >> well if you've, if you're quick enough you can get one, you can get tamiflu or relenza, within the first 24 to 48 hours. it minimizes the symptoms and shortens the time. i'm a big believer in the flu shot. we all know that. you can keep your immune system

boosted with some of the things you see in front of us. >> talk about the things on the table. >> they're all good, healthy foods. some of the, i think old wives tales is that if you eat or drink any of these, it will prevent the flu, not true. these things just make your immune system healthier. and stress and sleep and all of those things go together. but the only two things that really prevent influenza? are an immunization and hand-washing. everything else just takes care of the symptoms once you have it. >> and once you get it, about a week? >> two. three. and i'm telling you -- so sick you will never not get your shot again. had it, i was stunned at how sick i was. >> stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone so you're not giving it to anybody else. >> remember, 50,000 people die every year because of this, it's the real deal. >> nancy, lisa, thank you both very much. up next, looking for a job? five ways to keep your resumé out of the rejection pile.

but first, this is "today" on nbc.

with millions of americans looking for work, the competition is fierce. and even though you may be the perfect candidate for a job, your resumé could ruin your chances of even getting the foot, your foot in the door for an interview. well katherine cohen, the ceo and founder of ivy wise is here with five reasons your resumé can end up in the trash. cat, good morning. >> good morning. >> we want to tell people how not to have them end up in the trash. it's not a shock to say that people, most people, sort of exaggerate on their resumés. but you say a prospective employers are a lot smarter than you think. >> yes. the most egregious offenders are people put companies they didn't work for or colleges they didn't graduate from. and obviously employers can find

this information out online and a lot more about you online. or someone might say they're proficient in a language or computer skill. they're going to be expected to perform those things. and what they also see is people might not be honest about their past experience. so do they singlehandedly release the revenue of the company by $1 million? if you work with a team, you want to say that that's okay, because people are looking for people who collaborate with their team. >> they're also looking for people who tell the truth. so a lie is disaster on a resumé. say you're a woman and you took time off to raise your kids, or in this economy you lost your job, not because of any lack of value in yourself. you've been unable to get a job immediately. so there's a gap on your resumé. how do you handle that? >> you want to be accurate about the dates. it's hard to hide the gaps. if you've been out of school for a while, in the workforce and let's say you switched jobs a lot of times, you took the maternity leave. make sure you explain it in your cover letter. obviously employers are going to be a a lot more forgiving to

recent grads, if they only worked in the summers. >> if you lost your job and it wasn't your fault, or whatever because of the economy, can you use that as an excuse? >> you can, frankly, absolutely. put it in the cover letter. i think employers are understanding, especially in today's economy. >> now let's talk about when to include your gpa, should you? >> if you just graduated in the last two years, it's okay to put your gpa if it's a 3.5 or higher. but you don't want to give an employer a yardstick by which to measure you if you can't measure up. >> if somebody does not include their gpa that may be an indicator. let's talk about inconsistencies in your resumé. because that is another red flag. >> yes, sometimes employees will get a resumé from someone who is clearly under or overly qualified. or let's say they're asking for a much higher salary or they're currently making a much higher salary than the position warrants. that's a red flag, you don't want to waste people's time. it's not the right position for you. >> if you want to switch careers, your resumé says one

thing, yet you want to switch careers. how do you make that known to your employer in a way that's useful. >> if you might not look serious if you just send the resumé. it's important to say in your cover letter why you're switching careers and how your old skills might translate to the new position. >> some people have put head shots, mug shots -- [ laughter ] photos of themselves in -- definitely, don't do that. you say that's only if you're an actor 0or a model. >> i've seen some recent college grads who might put a picture of themselves or might use a hot pink font or weird fonts on their resumé. don't use gimmicks, it's important to be professional. >> what about this idea of putting your objective, your job objective? i always found that to be difficult, you know. are you required, when should you absolutely? >> we actually say don't put it on. because it's going to limit you. and also, sometimes people are sending off the resumés so

quickly, they might have an old objective on that doesn't match the job that they're applying for and they're sending out their resumé to hundreds of places. >> you talked about sending out your resumé to hundreds of places. shouldn't you tailor to some degree, your resumé. not that you tell an untruth. but include the things that the company you're applying to wants to know about. should you tailor your resumé? should you know a lot about the company before you put it together? >> you should, actually and this is the most important piece of advice. as soon as you read the job ad, you want to do your research on the company. do your due diligence. go online, read about it, learn about the role. look at the company's competitors. then you can tailor your resumé. and some of the things you've done. as well as your cover letter, to that. and that can get you noticed. that's going to get you the interview. >> and the information that you have just done the research on is going to come in handy during the interview. >> exactly. >> and lastly, you say follow directions when you submit your resumé. thank you so much. very important advice and timely as well. hopefully it's helped someone this morning. coming up, we'll go spanning the world with none other than

len berman, but first, this is "today" on nbc.

we're back at 8:51 with our good friend, len berman, here to take us on a wild ride through the wonderfully whacky world of sports. lenny, good morning. >> hi, guys, how are you. january featured the nfl playoffs and alabama winning the

championship in college football. but what we're truly the top sports stories? let's go spanning the world. ♪ >> unbelievable! >> all right. on your mark, get set -- and whoa! >> did you get that on camera? oh. play ball, our shot of the month this is goalie tim howard in the american played goal for everton in england and the goalie scores the goal. amazing. but the catch of the month in new zealand. it's the best cricket catch of all time. >> wow! >> you know, we think it's the best. how would we possibly know? the best move of the month. this is braves infielder, jack wilson with the kick. and the worst moves of the month

is spain, the goalie sets up for his free kick. hey! where did that guy come from? in hong kong, the bicycle kick unbelievable? unfortunately, he kicked it into his own goal. then there's marco baghdatis in australia. that's a broken racket. and -- that's two. and -- that's three. so why not make it four? you know, that's why they call it the grand slam. oh! >> our fan of the month, brenda hewlitt in new york, this is the only time in her life that she ever touched a hockey puck. 0or a hockey stick. and -- she wins a truck! she did it! here's the -- yeah. here's the worst punch of the month, rangers catcher torrealba in venezuela, a 66-game suspension. our tebowing of the month. everyone is doing it, in hockey, jack johnson of the l.a. kings scores a goal and he tebows on the ice.

in denver, the mascot rockies several tries but he keeps missing. his patented halfcourt backwards shot. so he rips off his outer jersey, he unveils his tim tebow jersey and he tebows at half-court. does that help him? well, there he goes, and it's good! yeah! plus the shot of the month in kentucky, lindsay wilson college and the announcer kind of likes this. >> full-court shot oh, my god! oh my god! it's the most unbelievable shot i've ever seen in my life! ♪ >> you know what? he reached high c, that's a sportscasting record. good job, yeah. >> have you ever hit that high? >> no. >> nobody got hurt in that month. >> nobody got hurt.

the bowler may have gotten hurt. >> the word tebow, it's a verb now. >> actually, the tennis rackets got hurt. >> and since we have you here, would you like to make a prediction for the big game? >> i hate making predictions, but the giants are playing better. not that we're in new york or anything. but you know, the quarterback and the coach, i'm happy for them, their defensive line is playing great. they're playing better. but who knows, the ball bounces off a knee like it did in san francisco, and you never know. >> lenny b., thank you very much. meantime, coming up. is it a good idea for starbucks to add alcohol to the menu? hmm, today's professionals talk about it after your local news.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. the former volunteer firefighter is charged with arson in connection with a house fire in 2008. year-old is said to have burned down the hall

>> we have clouds, a little bit of rain shower activity. rain chance this will be increasing during the day. chavis, clouds, chilly temperatures. mid-forties to upper-40 split rain c@