good morning. no more mr. nice guy. >> that's simply inexcusable. >> mitt romney pulls no punches against newt gingrich in a contentious debate in florida last night. will it stop gingrich's momentum and help him win the sunshine state next week. shocking charge. a popular tv anchor accused of sexually assaulting a woman. will the text messages between them call her credibility into question? and back from brazil. ashton kutcher returned to the u.s. and is said to be deeply concerned about his wife demi moore's health. concerned about his wife demi moore's health. today, friday, january 27, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

and welcome to "today" on this friday morning. i'm ann curry. >> i'm carl quintanilla in for matt. mitt romney, long the republican front-runner knows if newt gingrich wins in florida it could be trouble for his white house dreams. >> he went on the offensive and he's not the only one. bob dole had some harsh words about the former speaker as well. we'll get perspective on this from david gregory and chuck todd ahead. >> then a look inside the dining room of the cruise ship partly submerged off the italian coast and the attorney for the captain will open up in an interview. >> and also he made national headlines claiming he was a rockefeller and snatching his daughter off a boston street.

now it turns out he's a german con man and he's going on trial for murder. we begin with the race for the republican nomination and an intense debate in florida last night. peter alexander has more from miami. hey, peter. good morning. >> reporter: ann, good morning. mitt romney's campaign is feeling very confident that the debate gives him momentum into tuesday's vote in the state of florida now four days away. the romney campaign from the start was aggressive. mitt romney going after newt gingrich, beginning on the topic of immigration here in a state where nearly 20% of the po population is foreign-born. embracing aggressiveness mitt romney chastised newt gingrich for calling him anti-imgrant. >> my father was born in mexico. the idea that i'm anti-immigrant is repulsive.

>> reporter: newt gingrich fired back. >> we're not going to grab a grandmother and kick them out. >> the problem isn't 11 million grandmothers. [ cheers and applause ] >> our problem is 11 million people getting job that legal immigrants would like to have. >> reporter: romney delivered a defense of his personal wealthiest mated to be as much as $250 million. >> it's important for people to make sure we don't castigate successful individuals. those investments lead to jobs in america. i'm proud of being successful. >> reporter: gingrich criticized romney for profiting from investments in the federal mortgage lender freddie mac. >> maybe in the spirit of openness governor romney should tell us how much money he's made off how many households foreclosed by his investments. let's be clear. >> first of all, my investments are not made by me. my investments for ten years have been in a blind trust managed by a trustee.

if you check your investments you also have investments in mutual funds that also invested in fannie mae and freddie mac. >> right. >> reporter: for his part rick santorum also went on the offensive, attacking romneycare. >> so in massachusetts -- in massachusetts, everybody is mandated as a condition of breathing in massachusetts to buy health insurance and if you don't you have to pay a fine. what's happened in massachusetts is people are now paying the fine because health insurance is so expensive and you have a pre-existing condition clause in yours just like barack obama. >> reporter: each candidate explained why his wife would make the best first lady. >> she's my hero. >> my wife is also a mom. in some respects she's a champion and a fighter. >> she's the mother of five of our children and also the author of a very famous cookbook "the

ron paul cookbook." >> she's not necessarily in any way better. these are wonderful people who would be wonderful first ladies. >> reporter: finally in a light moment ron paul mocked the plan of newt gingrich to build an american base on the moon. >> well, i don't think we should go to the moon. maybe we should send some politicians up there. the crowd liked that one. if you have debate fatigue at this point, not to worry. this was the 19th debate of the gop cycle so far a. we have to wait nearly another month for the next one. >> peter alexander, thank you so much this morning. chuck todd is nbc's political director and chief white house correspondent and david gregory is moderator of "meet the press." good morning. >> good morning. >> david, did newt gingrich have the debate he needed now with just four days to go before the

florida primary? >> i don't think he did. if you're the romney campaign you're feeling good. this was a critical moment for romney to do as well as he did last night. just a couple days before florida republicans vote in the primary. he was aggressive. he turned around attacks on him by speaker gingrich. you put it together and you have romney trying to neutralize his own weaknesses and chip away at the strengths gring gingrich brought into the primary, particularly the debates. gingrich's campaign, the sense of fight all predicated on how well he debates and romney showed up last night. >> you mentioned bob dole. this is an elder statesman, former gop presidential nominee.

bob dole didn't mince words. he said, i have not been critical of newt gingrich, but it is now time to take a stand before it's too late. hard linen who served with newt in congress endorsed him and that speaks for itself. gingrich has had a new idea every minute and most were off the wall. david, ouch. what is the party prepared to do to take down gingrich? >> it's the revenge of the establishment. elected officials, congressmen, senators, governors and those who worked with dwing rich saying, we know this guy, he shouldn't be president. this is an effort to florida to say don't do this. don't throw the campaign into disarray. we know gingrich and he can't be trusted. gingrich will say, i make them uncomfortable. but romney is making a powerful case to florida voters. >> let's talk about the nbc news/wall street journal poll, chuck. it was taken before the debate

but shows gingrich with a sizable national lead over romney. it also tells us where he's getting support. >> it goes right to mitt romney's weakness. when you look at the poll you almost look at it as this is where mitt romney is not able to consolidate conservatives. gingrich has become, like everybody before him that wasn't named mitt romney that surged to the top he's rallying the base of the party. very conservative voters, southerners, tea party members. he's got giant leads on mitt romney on this. now, some of this could shift. where does it go? what was fascinating last night is while mitt romney was aggressive and finally sent the message to some skeptical republicans that he's got the ability to fight at a debate, santorum probably had the best night because he seemed to be able to make a conservative argument and really did box in romney on health care for the first time we have seen at any

debate. romney ended up making a defense of the health care plan that sounded just like president obama. that's a victory in florida for romney. why? every santorum vote he gains comes right out of newt gingrich. >> the fat lady has not sung. who's on "meet the press" this weekend is this. >> we'll talk to senator john mccain and david aaxelrod from the obama campaign. >> it is 7:09. carl? >> here in new york the son of the city's police commissioner, a local tv anchorman has been accused of raping a woman. jonathan deanst has the latest on that. >> reporter: prosecutors in new york haven't filed criminal charges but the investigation is ongoing. they are taking a hard look at whether there is evidence to back up the claim that a night out drinking with a new york anchorman ended in some sort of forced sex attack.

he's a popular anchor, a one-time fox news channel war correspondent. >> we'll be here for a while. >> reporter: and the son of nypd commissioner ray kelly. now greg kelly is off the air, dealing with what could be the toughest story of his life -- a rape allegation. kelly denies the charges. we know the district attorney's investigation will prove mr. kelly's innocence, his lawyer says. >> a nightmare scenario. >> reporter: this week the woman went to the 13th precinct to file her rape claim against kelly. she claims in october she met him on the street and they went out drinking at a downtown bar. she said kelly went back to her empty law offices and it was there, she claims, the sex assault occurred. sources close to the investigation say there are text messages after that night between the woman and kelly. legal experts say that could raise questions about credibility. >> there was communication after the fact. she apparently, according to her

own words, blacked out, so she really doesn't know what happened that night. i can't imagine the d.a. wanting or being able to do anything with this case. >> reporter: the new york d.a. is heading up the investigation just months after handling the dominique strauss-kahn case where charges of criminal sex abuse fell apart amid questions about the woman's credibility. in the kelly case the woman's boyfriend confronted the nypd commissioner at a public event. a police spokesman said greg had, quote, ruined my girlfriend's life but never mentioned an alleged incident. commissioner kelly suggested the man write him a letter. it is not clear if it was sent. when the woman went to police the case was immediately moved to the d.a.'s office. new york mayor michael blumberg approved the decision. >> you don't want the appearance of a conflict of interest when you would have with the son of a

commissioner. >> reporter: as for kelly his lawyer is providing information to prosecutors. unclear if or when the news anchor will go in to clear up questions prosecutors may have. lots of questions still swirling about the case. back to you. >> jonathan dienst, thank you. here's ann. >> now to the latest on the doomed cruise ship off italy. the increasing allegations surfacing now against the captain. today his lawyer is speaking to nbc news in an exclusive interview and michelle kosinski has more on this. good morning. >> reporter: hi, ann. captain francesco schettino is on house arrest. his attorney said he feels awful but unjustly demonized. he says he didn't abandon ship but fell into a lifeboat. now officials describe a night of downplaying and delays. and he tried to get a manager to to agree to a cover story

blaming the accident on electrical failure. what exactly happened that night? [ screaming ] >> reporter: two weeks ago. it's been coming out in testimony before italian senators. the port authority alleging captain schettino, quote, wasted a precious hour giving contradictory hours. time, an admiral said, that terrified passengers. to board lifeboats. the cruise's manager says schettino called him after the crash wanting him to agree to an explanation that an electrical blackout was the cause. schettino under house arrest is, his lawyer says, deeply distraught. [ speaking italian ] >> translator: he's at a loss for the victims and cannot come to terms with what happened. >> reporter: but by no means is willing to take all the blame. a scapegoat for the mega disaster >> translator: he feels bitter.

the company abandoned him. he understands there are some reasons to justify that. >> reporter: why such a delayed response as the ship sharply listed? schettino needed to fully assess the situation and make a plan which took time. >> translator: captains are trained to avoid panic which is dangerous. >> reporter: now we see more pictures of what divers face deep within the so recently luxurious concordia. this was the dining room tilted entirely on its side in dark, filthy water. divers must feel their way, searching for signs of victims and finding everything else -- bottles, candles, a man's shoe. the captain's lawyer said he deeply feels these losses and won't avoid responsibility if he made a mistake. after 30 honorable years, he says, at sea.

today costa cruises announced it will compensate every passenger on board who was not injured around $14,000. on top of that will pay their travel and trip expenses. that alone will cost the company more than $46 million. ann? >> michelle kosinski keeping us up to date on the story that's still developing. thank you. >> now a check of the rest of the morning's top stories. natalie morales is at the news desk. good morning. >> good morning. the secret service is investigating a photograph posted online that shows a group of young men in arizona posing in the desert with guns while holding up what appears to be a bullet-riddled image of president obama. the photo was on the facebook page of a police officer from a phoenix suburb. a marine veteran from virginia pleaded guilty thursday and will serve a 25-year prison sentence for shooting at federal and military buildings around the nation's capital. on thursday, prosecutors released video of the man in his

car back in 2010 firing at the national museum of the marine corps saying, god is great. two teenagers arrested for allegedly planning a columbine-style attack on their high school outside salt lake city. 18-year-old dalin morgan and a 16-year-old student were planning to set off explosives during a school assembly and steal a plane to make the getaw getaway. investigators aren't sure when the two were planning their attack. a student at the school tipped off police after receiving threatening text messages. in iraq, another deadly day. at least 28 people were killed when a suicide car bomber detonated explosives near a funeral presentation in a shiite neighborhood in baghdad. new information this morning from a syrian opposition group that claims forces loyal to bashar al asad used mortar shells to attack houses. at least 30 people have been killed including 12 children.

now for a check on wall street, mary thompson is at the new york stock exchange for us this morning. greece is a focus this morning. >> that's right. eurozone officials predict a deal to avoid an unruly default in greece is near. containing the debt crisis is seen ascii to preventing economic breakdowns in other eurozone countries. at home the second largest health insurer plans to pay primary care physicians more in hopes of reducing overall health care costs. the higher pay should improve health care on the front line and reduce expensive emergency room visits and hospital stays. back to you. >> mary thompson, thank you. and frightening moments for a woman in washington state who had to be rescued after her car slid off the road into an icy creek. she told police she was up to her neck in water for 90 minutes. the woman was treated for hypothe hypothermia. very lucky to have been rescued.

back to ann, carl and al. >> now a pivot to talk to mr. al about the weekend weather. >> we have a lot of rain from miami all the way into the northeast and snow up into new england. it's a frontal system along the coast bringing heavier rain into central florida. as we get to the north we'll look at snow and airport delays. if you're along the eastern seaboard, thunderstorms and windy conditions in d.c. fog in new york city. rain in boston. out west, plenty of sunshine. however, we'll talk about the santa ana winds. plenty of sunshine through the southwest. >> a storm system passing west of us will give was a good chance for some rain this morning. it will turn breezy and will get some sunshine.

that's your latest weather. carl? >> back now to the race for the white house. while newt gingrich's momentum in florida may have stalled he's leading the gop race nationally according to the latest nbc news/wall street journal poll. nbc's national investigative correspondent michael isikoff says there is a man with deep pockets who helped him. >> reporter: good morning. newt gingrich may owe much of his political resurrection to a friend. a las vegas casino mogul whose big money is causing big controversy. multi billionaire sheldon adelson and his wife are the money behind newt gingrich giving $10 million to the super pac, bank rolling attack ads against mitt romney. >> how can we trust him?

>> reporter: it's the biggest cash infusion yet in the race and it revived gingrich's candidacy when he needed it most. >> the money before south carolina enabled us to answer attack ads run against speaker gingrich. >> reporter: adelson made his fortune from a gambling empire stretching from the vegas strip to asia. he's anti-union, a supporter of of israel and wants president obama out of the white house. he was infuriated when obama criticized tourists who blow cash in vegas. >> he's the president of the united states. he shouldn't be belittling any city or part of the country. >> reporter: adelson's political consultant said his boss puts his money where his mouth is. >> i don't think it's buying a presidency more than when joe kennedy helped his son. >> reporter: adelson blew up the home base for the rat pack.

1500 casino workers lost their jobs. >> he claimed he owned the sidewalks and could pick and choose who walked on them. >> reporter: it was his support for israel that helped forge his bond with gingrich. >> we have palestinian people. >> reporter: adelson's newspaper said the refusal to confront evil could cause a second holocaust. >> i'm not israeli. the uniform i wore in the military unfortunately wasn't israeli. it was an american uniform. >> reporter: friends say it's defending israel more than anything that explains his giant donations to gingrich. >> all we care about is being good sisz of israel. >> reporter: gingrich said the only thing he's promised adelson is to defend the country and its allies. >> sheldon is concerned about israel and believes the iranians represent a tall threat to

israel and the united states. >> reporter: thanks to the fresh cash, gingrich's super pac now has a $6 million ad buy for attack ads in florida. but a word of warning about all the super pac spending on both sides came from romney supporter john mccain. he told reporters there will be a major scandal resulting from the unprecedented cash pouring into the election. carl? >> there is a lot of it. michaels i cou s iisikoff, than much. demi moore out of the hospital as new information emerges about her health struggles. the latest coming up. first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪

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coming up, the convicted con man who claimed he was a rockefeller facing trial on his most serious charge yet -- murder. we'll get an update. >> and we'll introduce you to an

inspiring young woman staying positive after she cheated death in a terrible accident. more after your local news and weather. by a certain date. g to have to be done 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. ♪ ♪ so fresh and delicious? is it the perfect blend of sunshine, rain and temperature? maybe it's the fact that our juice is always 100% florida and never imported. florida's natural. ♪ vegetables picked at their peak ♪ ♪ so fresh my knees grow weak [ male announcer ] new hearty bertolli meal soup for two, with crisp vegetables and tender chicken.

[ chef ] ♪ fresh tasting restaurant style ♪ ♪ bertolli soup's in the freezer aisle ♪ >> this is a wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. two people are recovering from smoke and elation and parents after a fire in northeast baltimore. -- smoke inhalation and burns after a fire in northeast baltimore. at jobless taken to the johns hopkins set it -- child was taken to the johns hopkins center and an adult was taken to the burn center in bay view bridge here is sarah caldwell

and traffic pulse 11. >> a few problems to watch for on the roads this morning. 152, mountain road, fire activity. transformer fire to avoid. other activity reported at reisterstown. be extra careful there. york road, 26 miles per hour approaching the accident scene. west side, 22 miles per hour hit set at 295 running slow to 175. york road, going away from us, there is your outer loop delay. live view of 95 at white marsh. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> most of the fog we had a couple of hours ago is gone. heavy rain is coming through the area right now. stretching through kalikow to back into howard county and into anne arundel county as well.

this will be brought by baltimore in the next half-hour or 45 minutes. rainshowers this morning, maybe a few thunderstorms. it will clear up this afternoon. wide range in temperatures. 53 to 64. 60s south of baltimore. dry tomorrow, a little cooler. then we will drop 10 degrees intoto ♪it's the way you bring out the sun♪ my mom makes any day sunny. sunnyd does, too. with 40% fewer calories than most regular soda brands.

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7:30 now on this friday morning. it's the 27th of january 2012. it is a wet morning here in the big apple, but it is also currently at 48 degrees right now. a warm day. looks like a lot of people in the plaza making the most of it. meantime, high and dry inside studio 1a i'm ann curry with carl quintanilla. >> looks like we'll get wet. >> we're going out there, absolutely. it will be rainy today. matt has the morning off. coming up we'll talk about demi moore. she's out of the hospital we are told, but what's next for her and what happened the night she was hospitalized? we'll have an update ahead. >> hard to believe six months away the opening ceremony for the summer olympics in london. from the pool to the beach to the track your favorite stars

will be going for the gold. we'll go live to olympic park to see how some of the preparations are coming along. >> excited about that. plus we'll check out the hottest trends from shopping to entertainment to a newfangled makeover for a very old retail giant. >> jc penney. that's right. first it made nationwide headlines four years ago when a man claiming to be a rockefeller snatched his own daughter during a supervised parental visit. turns out clark rockefeller was just a con man with multiple identities. now he's headed for trial in california charged with murder. mike taibbi has more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, carl. it took a while but now prosecutors say they do have a case against christian gerhartstrider. he's the con man who began a long career fooling people. he could change identities in an instant and knew how to

disappear. >> reporter: that chameleon described himself differently four years ago when he spoke with natalie. >> are you a mystery man? >> i would like to be known as a good man, if anything. i'd like to be known as a quiet man living a quiet life. >> reporter: ever since the man calling himself clark rockefeller snatched his daughter off a boston street in 2008 his life has been anything but quiet. the 48-year-old rockefeller might try to whisk his daughter to bermuda. >> reporter: the act of a desperate father launched an international manhunt and the publicity around his arrest and conviction on kidnapping charges. >> guilty. >> reporter: led to something more unexpected. >> if it wasn't for the unquestioned love of his daughter we may not be here today. >> it projected him into this case. >> reporter: the case, murder. this week the con man was back in court in california as christian gerhartstrider, his

real name. the murder victim a shy computer programmer named john soas who, with his wife linda, befriended the man claiming to be an english baronett. he even lived on the guest house on their property. one day in 1985, john and linda disappeared. linda's best friend went to the police. >> they were like, well, she's over 21. if she wasn't dunt want to come back, she doesn't have to. >> reporter: nine years later, john and linda were still missing when a crew digging a hole for a swimming pool unearthed a skeleton -- john's. police wanted to find the mysterious tenant who called himself cihchester. did i occur to you he may be in the sfwhind. >> he could be anywhere in the world. >> reporter: then began the hunt for the con man who was so good at disappearing until the love of his daughter brought him into the open, into the hands of the

law. in court, the outlines of a detailed circumstantial case. old traces of blood in the guest house and testimony recalling the con man's suspicious behavior. a case against a mysterious man, by whatever name, for the murder of john soas at least. linda has never been found -- dead or alive. >> he insists through his lawyers he's innocent. now he is jailed on $10 million bail. his trial to be scheduled for later this year. carl? >> thank you very much. jeffrey denner and brad bailey are the attorneys representing him. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> all the names, clark rockefeller, what name do you call him? >> we call him clark rockefeller. that's the name we identify him with and the name he responds to. >> natalie morales sat down with clark four years ago and asked if he killed. the response was this -- my entire life i have been a pass

cyst, -- pass cyst, a quaker. i have never hurt anyone. how confident are you that he didn't commit the crimes? >> again, we can't get into evidence in the case. this man has a complex psyche. the comments he made years ago we absolutely stand by, but we are aware of the fact that often what he appears to be saying is -- comes from another place in him that does not necessarily comport with the reality the rest of us see. as far as we are concerned he's maintained his innocence from the beginning. he's maintaining his innocence now. we have no reason to believe he's anything other than innocent. we have not yet presented our case in this matter. i think at the end of the day there will be alternate explanations to what happened here. >> you say a complex psyche. do you think he's insane? >> again, without getting into

it too much i think there are psychiatric issues in his life. i don't think they bear on whether he did or didn't commit a crime. we have every reason to believe when he maintains his innocence that he's innocent. >> a lot of evidence proved in court during the hearing in california over five days. you think it was circumstantial? >> definitely. when you have a circumstantial case what you do on the defense side is try to show that for every inference that the state tries to establish you can have an inference that is equally consistent with innocence. that's the focus in a case like this. >> for instance, the skull found of john soas, wrapped in this bookbag from a school that clark once attended. how can that be circumstantial? >> we're not getting into the specifics of the case, but we'll pursue other aspects of the case that lead away from that and will give us something to work with. there is a lot for us to work

with in this case. >> reporter: he's appealing the conviction of kidnapping. how do you expect it to turn out? >> my crystal ball broke a couple weeks ago, so i have no great certainty. we have raised significant issues in how the case was processed. we are confident that the appeals court in massachusetts -- supreme court in massachusetts will give it a good look. we're confident that the case will be overturned. >> he'll be on bail in california to the tune of $10 million. >> he will be. that was set, of course n a way that we are able to go in at any time and it will be reduced if it's appropriate to do so. >> thank you very much. >> thank you, carl. >> see more of the story on "dateline" tonight at 10:00/9:00 central here on nbc. let's get a check of the weather now from al. >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by turbotax. get step-by-step guidance to the maximum refund you deserve.

>> do you have somebody to say hi to? >> my wife jonelle and my kids in buffalo. >> let's find out what's happening as far as weather is concerned. in l.a., santa ana winds up to 65 miles per hour in the passes and canyons. rain here now. we have not gotten snow. boston this winter, about eight inches. last year, 51. syracuse, almost 28 inches of snow. last year, 113. minneapolis, 14.4 and last year they had 55 inches of snow. we need some snow out there. rest of the country looking at wet weather here in the northeast down in the mid-atlantic states with strong storms. santa ana winds in california and sunny in the pacific northwest. >> it will be an active was the day. maybe a couple of thunderstorms.

partly sunny and breezy. happy birthday to morgan. all right. [ cheers and applause ] >> now back to carl. >> al, thanks. up next, new information about the hours that led up to demi moore's hospitalization. that's right after this. m a t of a tax geek. i love taxes. people say to me, "you're so lucky. after tax season, you get to relax." we're not here for a couple of months. we're here year-round. after april 15th, we don't close down. we're working late, learning next year's tax laws to make sure turbo tax is the easy way to get your taxes done right. and we even guarantee that all turbo tax calculations are accurate. i'm lisa skelly,

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♪ come for a smoke? yeah. no. you telling me you quit? yeah, i'm on my way. i'm trying nicoderm cq. [ male announcer ] every time you say no to a cigarette, celebrate a little win with nicoderm cq, the patch with smart control technology that gives you a burst of nicotine in the morning then continues working for up to 24 hours so you can go from one little win to another. until you reach your goal. nicoderm cq. quit one day at a time. back now at 7:42. actress demi moore is reportedly out of the hospital as new information emerges about what happened the night she was rushed there. miguel almaguer has the new information and he joins us. good morning. >> reporter: ann, good morning. the 911 call from demi moore's home is expected to be released

today though for privacy reasons portions won't be made public. this as we learn more about the hours that led to the emergency call. with reports surfacing that demi moore has checked out of the hospital it's unclear if she's returned back to her beverly hills home. it was here on monday where friends say she had a girls' night in. >> demi moore was hosting a birthday party for a friend named heather perry. among the guest was jennifer meyer, toby mcguire's wife. >> reporter: the actress who's looked gaunt and frail was said to be tending to guests serving dinner and dessert but something may have been off. >> i'm told she was acting, quote, pretty hyper, even a little bit crazy as she left the group several times but did come back a few minutes later each time and she just wasn't acting her normal self. >> reporter: it is believed by sock p.m. wh-- 10:00 p.m. when

one of the guests moore began shaking, showing signs of a seizure. she was rushed to the hospital after a 911 call. per publicist saying because of the stresses in her life right now, demi has chosen to seek professional stance to treat exhaustion. amid reports of infidelity, moore split with ashton kutcher, star of "two and a half men." thursday night he returned home to l.a. after a business trip in brazil where video showed kutcher having a good time. he tweeted pictures from the streets of sau paulo but said nothing of moore. >> ashton is concerned but i'm told he hasn't been in contact with her. >> reporter: in the '80s moore sought treatment for substance abuse but her prescription drug use was a contributing factor to the end of her marriage to kutcher. one of hollywood's popular stars, first uh turmoil in her

personal life and now a scare in her health. >> moore's publicist said the actress is working on her health. when the 911 call is released authorities asked about the substances that were ingested the night of her accident, the incident be redacted. >> thank you for your reporting on this. up next, the countdown is on with the summer olympics exactly six months away. we'll go live to london after this. ♪ you signed up weeks ago

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and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infection are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. if you've had enough, ask your dermatologist about enbrel. this morning on today's countdown to london, six months to go. the greatest athletes in the world and millions of fans will be watching six months today as the opening ceremonies of the olympic games gets under way. nbc's stephanie gosk has an update on where things stand this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, carl. the city was given seven years. they have six months left. there's a workforce of 200,000,

most of them here at olympic park, furiously putting on final touches. they have major challenges, transportation and security, but organizers say long before that final torch is lit behind me, they will be ready to go. it's the final push to the biggest sporting event in the world. the main venues are finished, on budget and on time. among the highlights of the $11 billion project, a sleek velodrome. >> this is the completion of the most wonderful velodrome in the world, isn't it? >> reporter: an aquatic center christened with a dive from one of britain's gold medal hopefuls, tom daly, and the center piece, the main stadium that will hold 80,000 cheering fans. the olympics have been held in london twice before, over 100 years ago in 1908 and then again in 1948 as the country was still

recovering from world war ii. the games have changed a lot. this summer more than 200 countries will compete with 15,000 athletes, 9 million tickets up for sale and a new sport that would have really turned heads back in the '40s -- women's boxing. there are also different challenges, including security. a massive operation is getting ready, running drills like this one on the thames. >> there is a threat from terrorism we are taking seriously. >> reporter: there will be a combination force of police, military and thousands of security guards. dogs that search for explosives are in short supply so they are being pulled from units in afghanistan to come back to help. there is also the specter of doping, but this brand new lab, the most high tech in the world was built to stop cheating in its tracks. it will be up and running 24 hours a day during the games.

all of the preparation, organizers say, to make sure this is not only a smooth olympics, but a memorable one. expectations are high after beijing. that city's opening ceremony in 2008 captivated the world. london is hoping to do even better, giving oscar award winning director danny boyle everything he needs for the performance, including lots of money. >> you know, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to showcase the united kingdom. billions of people will be watching the ceremony. i think it's an appropriate investment. >> reporter: the london games will have a secret weapon -- some very familiar and much loved royal faces acting as olympic ambassadors. william, kate, and harry -- athletes themselves -- helping to set this olympic games and this olympic city apart.

director danny boyle says the opening ceremony will begin with the ringing of a large bell engraved with a line from shakespeare's tempest "be not afeared the island is full of sound, sweet airs and gives the light and hurts not." sounds british to me. >> be not afeared. that's british. >> we're already discussing whether michael phelps will set more records. >> he has more gold medals than anybody. but will he be the person who has more gold medals in history than anybody? >> he only needs three to do it. that's not a stretch for him. he has competition though. >> and beach volleyball. every guy on the crew looks forward to that. >> much more after this. my retirement plan at work is a big deal... thanks... so i'm glad it's with fidelity. they offer me one-on-one guidance to help me choose my investments.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. 7:56. time for a check on the morning commute. >> a few accidents to add to the list. getting busy outside. it is wet out there. to 12, powder mill road, accident possibly involving an overturned vehicle. 175, getting more democrats eastbound on i-95. northbound 97 at 100, one being reported northbound route 10. outer loop at york road, this one is clear right from the shoulder. 12 miles per hour from the outer

loop north side and on the west side, cold from 12 miles per hour all the way down to edmondson. middle river at 40, watch for an accident heavy delays and york road. these are your delays. you can see droplets on the camera, so it is definitely getting slick. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> we have heavy rain out there in some neighborhoods. showers and even a few thunderstorms. from here, south and east, just east of dundalk, essex, adding to its rockfall, these showers and storms are crossing the bay. east side of the beltway especially there will be heavy rain over that time stretch. temperatures are already in the 50's. they will stay there through the afternoon. maybe in the 60's south of

baltimore. low 60's down south. rainshowers taper off this mornin

8:00 now on a friday morning, the 27th of january 2012. 48 degrees out here in the plaza. we have a nice crowd to hang out with this morning. a lot of people decided to roll out of bed early to start their day with us. we all need umbrellas because, boy, it's coming down in rockefeller plaza. we're happy these people are willing to hang out with us. carl quintanilla is in for matt this morning. coming up in a little bit we'll help you arm yourselves for the weekend with a new series called "what's new, what's up and what's in" from fancy marsh mall uh lo-- marsh mellows to what's

not in the malls and entertainment as well. >> who knew pat sajak and van that white were having more than a couple of voouls. they were doing heavy drinking as well. what he has to say about the letters l-i-q-u-o-r. >> wow, can we buy a voulwel? also i sit down with legendary director martin scorcese talking about his new family film "hugo" taking 11 oscar nominations. >> it's a great movie. we loved it. >> i'm a huge fan. >> one of the most beautiful movies you will see. >> your girls may like it. we have a lot to get to. first the top stories from the news desk with natalie morales. >> good morning, everyone. pirates in somalia are threatening to kill an american hostage captured saturday after the navy seal raid that freed an

american aide worker and her colleague this week. meanwhile, they have arrived in italy for medical care and debriefing. the stakes were high last night as newt gingrich and mitt romney clashed in the final debate before tuesday's florida primary. romney defended his personal wealth and immigration policy as gingrich refused to back down from the accusation that romney is the candidate most hostile to immigration. an a american crew member sued carnival crew members over the italian disaster that left at least 16 people dead. some 3,000 passengers are offered about $14,000 apiece by cruise operators. this new video from inside the ship shows a dining room tipped on its side, a hint at what divers face as they search for more victims. a security camera recorded dramatic video of people running for their lives after three buildings collapsed wednesday in

downtown rio de janeiro, brazil. at least four people were killed and others still missing. more than 35 pounds of cocaine seized at the united nations recently, according to police. they say the drugs were shipped from mexico city, hidden in hollowed out books and placed in fake diplomatic pouches. now taking a look at what's trending today, our quick round-up of what has you talking online. '70s sit com "welcome back kotter" is a top search following the death of robert hegyes, who played juan epstein in the group the sweathogs. he was 60 years old. i'll solve the puzzle, pat. drunk at the wheel? pat sajak revealed he's been tipsy hosting the popular show. he told espn 2 he and vanna white would down as many as six

margaritas and had trouble recognizing the alphabet. who knew? and this troubling bollywood dance has more than a half million hits on a flight to new delhi. amazing. ♪ >> they should be happy, right? the dance is designed as a gesture of respect for india day. fun. >> i'd like to do that. we have to get on the flight. what a blast. a party in the air. >> you go first. >> we'll talk about the weather. >> let's bring pat and vanna on that flight. >> no kidding! >> that's a party flight, baby. is your husband watching? >> yes. hi, yoshi, i love you. and kids. 40 years in the government and it's my birthday, too. first time in new york. we love it.

>> okay. there you go! let's check your weather. anyway, austin, texas, kxan, sunny, breezy and mild at 71. not so nice in the northeast. a cold front from miami to new england. bringing snow there. setting up in southern california. lots of sunshine in the pacific northwest. snowshowers around ohio and we're looking for sunny, windy conditions through the plains. what is this thing is this. >> it's for cincinnati's world games. >> all right. >> a storm system passing west of us will give was a good chance for some rain this morning. it will turn breezy and will get some sunshine.

that's your latest weather. carl? >> thanks, al. when we come back, what's new, what's up, what's in. the hottest new trends, right after this. 's going to be a great day today. this is harvest day, the time where all the hard work is paying off. my name is ed pines, and i've been growing oranges for tropicana for 15 years. we nurture the trees all year long to harvest the fruit at the right moment. this is perfect for tropicana. at tropicana, we pick the oranges at the peak of freshness. it's all about growing the best orange to get the best juice. i love growing oranges. ♪

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this morning we're starting a new series called what's new, what's up, what's in. the hottest trends you need to know about right now. we rounded up three experts to get you up to speed. >> let's start with what's new. if you like to hit the mall we have interesting news for you. donny deutsch is head of deutsch incorporated. good morning. talking about the reinvention of jc penney going to a more simplified pricing model. smart move? >> yes. it's the only move. basically they are part of a dying breed which is the old school department store which trained consumers to wait for the sale and we'll give it to you. they can't compete with walmart and they are not upmarket like nieman marcus so they will follow the target model of everyday aspiration. one set of prices, but still give consumers something cool. that's what's going to make it work. you see the logo, you will lose the rest of this and it will be jcp. they need a makeover.

if not they will be out of business. the model is over. >> the ceo from apple worked there for a while. how hard is it to make the brand hip? >> it's hard to take a brand up market. you can take it down. once again, if you have the right -- target had a mossimo promotion. you can drive people to the store but they are not price-based. wow, you can get this brand at jc penney? must be a different store. >> aren't we trained to wait for the sale? >> in the ads they make fun of the addiction they created. everybody waits for the sale. now they are almost holding up a mirror going, isn't it stupid what we have done to uh you? almost blaming the consumer for it. it's the right move. it is. >> hard to imagine macy's and kohl's will take this standing still. >> they will. the old department store flyer sale is over. every consumer whether you're

economically here or here wants to feel aspirational when they shop. the marketers, retailers don't get it they'll be bye-bye tootsie. >> they have to change. >> it will probably change for us. >> thank you so much. ann? >> now to what's up. alicia is the associated press's global entertainment editor here to tell us what's up in entertainment. good morning. >> good morning, ann. >> i'm an old woman. i don't know what's up in music. >> please! >> tell me, what's the hottest song? let's listen first. >> okay. ♪ but i set fire to the rain >> "set fire to the rain" by adele. number one on the billboard charts, number three on itunes. adele is hot, hot, hot. this is her third single in america. she released this second worldwide. it's a huge hit globally. everybody loves it. >> does she have a shot at the grammy with this?

>> she's up for record of the year, song of the year. i think adele will be a big winner. >> moving on. what's up with movies? >> "safehouse" with with ryan reynolds, denzel washington. typically january or february you get okay releases. this one, ryan reynolds plays a cia agent. denzel is the bad guy. ryan reynolds is supposed to protect him and craziness ensues. >> what's up for concert goers including the boss? >> bruce springsteen going on tour march 18 starting in atlanta. it's been a long time since we have seen him on the road. >> finally, theatregoers. >> "porgie & bess." this is a classic beautifully done. our theater critic loved it. >> al's going this weekend. thank you very much. now here's natalie. >> ann, thank you. finally, what's in? beauty expert jen is here with

everything hot and trendy. beauty first. the new cream, b.b. creams. >> it's an asian beauty sensation. now we are seeing it pop up in the u.s. it's a hybrid moisturizer, foundation, treatment and spf in one. dr. jar is the first that came here direct from asia. now every beauty brand is launching one. men from lab series. garnier in the skin scare aisle and our favorite brands like smashbox, clinique. >> b.b. stands for? >> beauty balm or blemish balm. this is a great alternative. gives you perfect coverage and it's a multi tasker. what's not to love? >> we love it already. now guys don't like to shop. this is the trunk club. a stylist in a trunk. tell me about it. >> men's online shopping keeps evolving. go online, fill out a profile,

your sizes and they have stylists which put together a trunk of mix and match outfits that fit your needs. trite it on, keep what you want and send back the rest. there is no fee for shipping. they charge you for what you keep and refund everything else. >> comes right to your door. >> you don't have to get out of your pajamas. >> over here, another great designer collaboration for target. coming soon in may. >> right. may 20th, kids made modern, todd oldham partnered with target to create the coolest crafty kits ever. the crayons are incredible. everything under $20. duct tape which is a big trend and they have jewelry kits, comic book kits, wood design, paints. anything and everything. i want to use these gem-like crayons in my dining room. >> you say the crayons are edible. >> kids eat them. my daughter put it in her mouth and chewed on it for 20 minutes. she's fine. this is fun for kids.

great for birthday parties, favors. under $20. may 20, don't forget. get your hands on it. >> and what's really edible, these are gourmet marshmallows. you're seeing them everywhere. >> i'm a marshmallow connoisseur. i love a good one. now everyone else does, too. state fairs, fancy restaurants. chefs are upping the ante with the classic marshmallow. to upgrade your hot chocolate or a s'more there are organic marshmallows, bakery marshmallows i can eat by the dozen. >> chocolate covered m & ms. >> all the different flavors. marshmallows have gone fancy. >> all right. jenn thank you very much. still ahead, jenna bush hager catches up with one of the busiest, raunchiest women in hollywood, chelsea handler. first, these messages.

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young woman in colorado who admittedly made a bad decision with consequences that will last a lifetime. we'll talk to her in a minute. first savannah guthrie has her story. good morning. >> good morning, ann. this is a story of survival under the most dire circumstances. back in september then 17-year-old anna benonati and three friends decided to jump on a moving freight train in colorado. we must warn you, what happened next, the 911 call and anna's rescue are disturbing. >> don't move her! >> 911. what's the address of the emergency? >> oh, my god. i'm on third avenue. somebody just tried to jump on the train and severed her legs. >> reporter: anna was a carefree college freshman who didn't comprehend the danger of jumping onto a moving train. >> there is definitely a lot of romance to the notion of train-hopping. >> reporter: she'd done it before, jumping trains with trends for a free ride to school. this time her friend before her jumped and fell from the train,

not seriously hurt. >> i had one last fleeting thought of i shouldn't be doing this. but it was like by then it was too late. i was running so fast, reaching for the train. so i just went. >> reporter: she jumped. a decision that would cost anna her legs. >> i remember looking down at my leg dragging on the ground, looking at the wheel and how fast they were going. i remember looking down there and thinking, oh, my god, what have i done? >> she's awake, very, very pale. she's alert and talking. now she's crying. don't move. don't move. >> i felt my femur snap. i remember thinking clearly that i was about to die. >> reporter: that day anna's painful misfortune was met by incredible luck. >> if kathy and i had not been there she probably would have bled out. she would not have survived. >> reporter: emergency medical technician nicole crowley and a nurse were there and got to anna

within seconds. >> i'm thankful at some point in my life i got to use my skills for something miraculous like that. >> reporter: when anna woke up in the hospital she learned how the women saved her life. >> it was a blessing that they were there. >> reporter: after 11 surgeries anna is learning to live in a wheelchair. >> i'm going to pay for it for the rest of my life. i will never be able to forget this horrible mistake that i made. >> reporter: yet anna is embracing a new life with her family. she's already back to one of her favorite activities -- skiing -- just four months after the accident. >> you realize how much you have to be thankful for when you almost die. >> all right, anna! >> considering her extreme injury, anna's recovery and hopeful spirit, truly a remarkable story, ann. >> thank you so much. anna joins us this morning along with her mother deborah. good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> so interesting to watch you two watch that tape.

most of the time you were doing what you're doing now. you were smiling, laughing, pointing out how goofy you looked in the hospital bed. you said the look on your face. what's keeping you positive. i'm sorry for fixing your hair. what happened that was so devastating to your life? >> support of my family. realizing that life doesn't end with an accident like this. i remember there was a time, it was my first weekend home from the hospital. i was having a hard time. i was angry about what happened to me. i was thinking, okay, i have to make a choice. i can either stop where i am and sit here and do nothing but wallow in self-pity and shake my fist about why don't i have my legs or i can choose to get over it and just move on. i chose the latter. >> how did you get this daughter, deborah? my lord. did you learn something about her you did not know seeing how

she's dealt with it? >> i have always a known anna's a strong individual. but to see her come away from this tragedy with this incredible attitude, truthfully, i learne more from her every da than i'm sure she's learned from me. she's just an amazing individual. amazing. >> part of what makes you amazing is not only have you chosen to have a positive attitude, you have tried to help other people by speaking to other young people. one of the things you talk about is that decisionou made not to follow your gut. >> right. >> i had a clear feeling for several minutes before i even ran for the train just thinking, you know, something tells me i'm not going to get on that train. something tells me this is going to go badly. this is not a good idea. i don't feel right about it. i figured, i'm a teenager, i'm just being stupid, i can do this. i went for it anyway.

i'm paying for it. >> you have a message for young people. >> yeah. follow your gut. if you get that feeling something's not right no matter what the situation is, you're walking home by yourself at night, you're about to text and drive, get behind the wheel of a car and you have had alcohol, if it doesn't feel right, don't do it. >> awesome to have a girl who wants to help others, not suffer as she has. >> absolutely. anna's always had the spirit of wanting to reach out to others. from the time she was 14 years old she's worked with children with special needs and her music therapy major in college kind of is an extension of that. she hasn't really missed a step. >> what a platform you now have. anna, good luck to you. >> thank you. >> now that people are listening and you can help others. thank you so much, deborah. >> thank you. >> it's a pleasure to meet you both. >> we're back with much more

after your local news and weather. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get a final check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> still really busy out there. slick roads at southbound 95. overturned vehicle there. washington boulevard at 175, another accident. eastbound 100, cash clearing. sykesville, route 26, crash, and in there. outer loop with the site, clearing a wrecked at york road. look at the delay spirit they stretch back to belair road towards the accident scene. 10 on the west side.

we have an accident in the area of eastern boulevard and severna brunn wrote. southbound harrisburg expressway, shawan to the beltway, jammed conditions. let's give you a live view of traffic. going away from mrs. outer loop traffic. starting to ease up a bit with the accident on the shoulder. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. john collins has a look at the forecast. >> wet morning, with mild temperatures. still some showers towards washington, d.c. it looks like the rain is moving out of the picture. the two degrees at b.w.i. marshall -- 63 degrees at b.w.i. marshall. gusting at 26 miles per hour. rain totally miss out a picture and we might get a little bit of sunshine in the afternoon hours.

weekend is a different story. >> we will have another update at 8:55.

8:30 now on a friday morning, january 27, 2012. yes, it is still raining out here on the plaza. we have a very dedicated group of people who put up with the rain to visit us. we want to give everybody a chance to say hi to their families and friends back home. we're all outside with them although i have to say it's turning into a very bad hair day for some of us. >> not for all of us. >> why do you look at me when you say that?

>> no, no. i'm talking about us. >> not so perfect. >> carl quintanilla in for matt. he has the morning off. coming up, we have an interesting pairing. chelsea handler being interviewed by jenna bush hager and apparently there was a moment where jenna takes chelsea to task about something that chelsea said about her in a funny moment. so we're going to throw it down. coming up in a moment. >> don't talk smack about jenna. >> don't you dare. >> later on, i'll be sitting down with martin scorcese. his movie "hugo," 11 oscar nominations. one of the most beautiful movies you are going to see in a long time. very special. based on a book we introduced our viewers to in the al's book club for kids. >> it's a love note for

movie-making. >> who likes pot pie? >> oh, the competition. >> we'll have a pot pie cook-off. three regular chefs facing off in front of celebrity chef bobby flay. >> we get to judge, too? >> oh, mommy. >> meantime as we head to indianapolis for the super bowl we want to tell you about a very special online charity auction. over the last few months we have been bringing you special stories about nfl players who have gone the extra yard to give back to their communities. some signed a football that's now up for bidding. that's not all. if you have the highest bid you will also get, here we go, a trip to new york city this spring to attend the nfl draft. >> ooh. >> all the proceeds from the auction benefit the nfl's play 60 charity which helps kids. click on our website today.com, look for the heard it on "today" tab and bid, bid, bid. the auction ends super bowl

sunday. >> that's right. we'll be live friday as well as on sunday. >> and monday. some of us will be there monday. >> i know. they will be able to see the game. all right? okay. by the way, let's move our umbrella so the nice people standing in the rain can be seen. while we do that let's talk about the weather. an >> i thought you were going to hit me. we see the violence. for saturday, we have sunshine up and down the midatlantic coast into the gulf coast. santa ana winds continue. clouds in the pacific northwest. sunday, we're expecting to see some cold weather in new england but it dries out. lake effect snowshowers around the great lakes. frigid conditions in the plains. rain in the pacific northwest. mild for texas into the southwest. >> it will be an active was the

day. maybe a couple of thunderstorms. partly sunny and breezy. don't forget. check your weather any time day or night on the weather channel on cable or weather channel.com online. thank you. carl? >> al, thank you very much. when we come back, why is chelsea handler ripping on jenna bush hager? we'll ask jenna, but first, this is "today" on nbc.

with three tv shows currently on the air, chelsea handler might be the busiest woman in hollywood. she recently found the time to visit with our "today" contributing correspondent jenna bush hager. good morning. >> good morning. that's right. talk show host chelsea handler on e! is known for biting humor. i got to see a different side of the controversial personality. >> the show gets better every week. thanks for watching and keep [ bleep ] watching it. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: she's a

sharp-tongued comedian, host of her own late night talk show on e! a new york times best selling author who stars in a new sit com based loosely on her life called "are you there, chelsea"? >> you cannot date your sister's ex-boyfriend. that's very slutty. >> reporter: love her or not she's everywhere. you're one of the only women in late night comedy. is that lonely or empowering? >> it's empowering but i want other females to be in late night. hopefully it will come. i'm up against the guys and we're all doing fine, i think. i don't look at their ratings. >> i want to get my tubes tied but not permanently. i don't know if they can do a slip knot or something. >> reporter: how important is it to you to make people laugh? >> i really like to laugh. it's important not only for me to make people laugh but for me to be laughing while that's happening. i like to surround myself with people that are ridiculous and

funny. >> reporter: some of those funny people are members of her writing team. with with her in the office and even when she goes on vacation. >> i like to call her the white oprah. i think i'm gayle. >> this is the white gayle. >> i'm steadman. we have a perfect relationship but i don't think really anything happens behind closed doors. >> you make fun of your employees but you like to nurture people. >> i do. i care about everybody here. most of them. there are a few i could do without. >> her side kick isn't one of them. >> she loves me. we started working together. >> it was love at first sight for me. >> for handler, family is most important. >> your brother lives with you. you're close with your sisters. >> my family is amazing. i never realized how so until i moved to california. i was probably trying to get away from them because i was like, you're losers. oh, no, they're actually a good family. >> she's the youngest of six. her mother was mormon and her

dad, a jewish used car salesman. >> my childhood was unconventional. my father was a used car salesman. we had a summer house in martha's vineyard. i was always asking where they were getting the money from, if i had a dowry. i wanted to make a big life for myself. >> reporter: is it crazy now that you're doing what you hoped to? >> i never really knew what kind of shape my career would take. i have three tv shows on air now. i never thought that would happen. >> reporter: her modest tone during our interview is a stark contrast to her take no prisoners persona on her show "chelsea lately". >> i'm calling out people for being morons and people i think are morons. >> speaking of calling out people for being morons i believe you called me out. >> and enjoyed the slow pace of watching wildlife at the park. >> jenna! what a fantastic report. >> we make fun of things. if you fall down we'll show it.

you fell down that day. >> i fell down. the good thing is i got back up. with your help probably. >> you know what? that's right. you did get back up. i screw up on my show all the time. i like to create families. this show, each of the shows i have is a family within itself. so it's all a bunch of misfits coming together and co-existing. >> life isn't all about sex. >> why do you smell like bourbon? >> dad's been here all afternoon. >> oh. >> making people laugh staying true to herself and taking those she loves along for the ride. >> she's looking more like me. >> that's because she's passed out and drooling. >> i always aspire not to aspire to be like someone else. i want to be chelsea. i want to be me and be an original. >> there is no doubt her family has a major influence on her comedy. handler not only plays her sister on "are you there,

chelsea" but two nights ago she tweeted something about having a sleepover with her sisters and i really like her. you know, she's made fun of me once but i have a girl crush. major. >> really? >> major. >> awesome. i loved your piece. >> she's worried about me. but i do. she's really doing great things for women and she's the type of woman that likes to empower thosmp those around her. i like those type of girls. >> so do i. i love the piece. you get a sense that she's true to herself. we love that. also coming up, we love martin scorcese. he's got a dazzling movie, of course. it's been a hit with oscar voters. it's called "hugo." first, this is "today" on nbc. -dad, why are you getting that? -that's my cereal.

is there a prize in there? oh, there's a prize, all right. is it a robot? no. is it a jet plane? nope. is it a dinosaur? [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] inside every box of heart healthy cheerios are those great tasting little o's made from carefully selected oats that can help lower cholesterol. stickers? uh-uh. a superhero? ♪ kinda. [ male announcer ] and we think that's the best prize of all.

♪ martin scorcese's "hugo" leads the academy awards with 11 nominations. among them, best picture and

marty's seventh nod for best director. good morning. good to see you. >> good to see you. >> we talked a couple years ago when you got the lifetime achievement awards for the golden globes. we are talking about 3-d. >> yes. >> you weren't sure you could do a 3-d movie because it was such a different language. i guess you figured it out. >> the material, the book had all the elements of a story that could be enhanced by 3-d. not 3-d that jumps out at you and throws spears and arrows -- >> ping-pong balls. >> that was funny in "house of wax." the whole movie stops and the ping-pong ball at the camera. i thought a 3-d to enhance the story and immerse the audience into a special world and the brian selsnick book has that. >> it's a cinematic book.

>> it is. >> you set a world in 1930s paris. how difficult was it to create the world? you are immersed and you go back in time. >> we did. being on set, all the extras were extraordinary. they stayed in character all day. the main element there was the very beautiful set that was built. that was our place, you see. that was our world. when we walked on set we were no longer in shepherdton or new york or whatever. we were in paris of, i'd say -- it says 1931. but it's the mid '20s. the period in time where we even have a quick cut of james joyce and salvador dali, little references of the extraordinary creative, explosive time between the wars. >> talk about explosive.

the performances of these young actors. 13 years old. >> he was actually 12 at the time. ace is wonderful. ace butterfield is terrific. you know, he's the heart of the picture. when we did tests in 3-d i realized seeing him and chloe, sir ben kingsley and sasha. bring them out further with the 3-d. bring them closer to the audience so you would feel more accessible to the characters and be in their world in a way. that's one of the things we did throughout the picture. >> you know, you're known for movies that are maybe not quite so soft. >> yes. >> you've got a 12-year-old daughter. did that influence you? >> well, yeah. >> there's no blood. >> no, no. they kept looking at me on the crew. what's happening? keep going, men. believe me. we'll have a train crash at one point.

we'll do something. the thing is having a child as an older parent it's a different thing. i have two daughters from when i was in my 20s and 30s. this is different in your late 50s. >> is it better? >> i don't know. it's a totally different experience. maybe more grandfatherly in a way. but i became very, very kind of immersed in her world whether it was 6 months, 2 years and how they perceive things. her, her friends. it became natural to make a transition to a picture like this, especially my wife said to me, you know, make a film that the kid could see for once. >> what did your daughter think of it? >> she likes it. she's seen it a few times. she said, do i have to see it again? i said, yes. what do you mean do you have to see it again? she's only seen it four, five times? go. sell it. you've got to be there.

>> martin scorcese. could you say take camera one so i can say i have been directed by martin scorcese? >> all right. ready? all right. ready take camera one. camera one. >> i've done it. martin scorcese thank you very much. "hugo" in theaters now. we have more of "today" after this. first, this is "today" on nbc.

time now for "today's" first ever pot pie cook-off. we asked for your mouth watering recipes for the traditional american favorite. we narrowed the field to lindsay weiss from kansas, los angeles resident sean michael byer and kyra a hall from washington, d.c. famed chef bobby flay is here to crown the winner in a few minutes. >> good to see you. >> one of my favorite dishes from all time. when you try one what are you looking for? >> the two most important things are the filling and the crust itself. it can range from all different flavors, tex churs and of course proteins inside as well. we have three interesting ones. >> let's start with lindsay. this is a steakhouse pot pie with mushrooms and cabernet.

>> yes. >> how did you get the recipe? >> i'm born and raised midwestern. i love a great steakhouse meal and one of the best things are the side dishes. the wine, a beautiful cut of steak. so i created this pot pie to get one perfect bite of all of those in a steamy, savory, wonderful pot pie. >> you don't mind the store bought puff pastry? >> i'm a mom. i call puff a mom's best friend. i don't have time to roll out crust but i have time to buy this. i cut it to the shape of the puff pie, brush the edges with a little bit of egg wash to give it something to adhere to. i throw it right on top, seal it up nicely and 25 minutes later in a 350-degree oven it bakes into something beautiful, warm and steamy. >> bobby? >> it's really good. i love the fact that you're from kansas city and you're creating a kansas city steak pot pie. it's important to know where you're from. i like this. it's sort of a cheat, but that's okay. >> it's a mom cheat.

>> exactly right. making the right choice is the important point here. it's really good. i love the red wine and steak. really good. >> you suggest chilling the cabernet. >> i know it's crazy, but i dissolve corn starch in it but you want it to be cold. >> good flavor. >> hickory smoked country chicken pot pie. >> yes, sir. >> where did you get it? >> i made it up for the competition, to be honest with you. i grew up on b a family cattle ranch in california. i wanted to make my own spin on a tradition. everybody's heard of chicken pot pie. >> sure. do you make your own crust? >> do i. it's got dried garlic and thyme. savory flavors. crust can be bland sometimes. >> himalayan pink salt. >> yes. >> why? >> matches my shirt. >> there is a reason for everybody. >> i'm glad it's not paprika. >> you do egg wash, cracked

himalayan, cracked black. gives a nice finish to the crust. >> more labor intensive. >> very. you have to roast a head of garlic first in olive oil. i puree that. but the anchor to the dish is smoked chicken. hickory smoked chicken. uh i do it in advance. pull the skin, chop it into bite sized chicken. goes in with mixed vegetables, garlic puree. >> i love this. at my restaurant bar american we make a sweet potatoes crust. we don't use the himalayan sea salt. this smells great. the question is, is it the right amount of smoke? that's key. if you smoke it too much it can be too smoky. >> chicken takes the smoke well. >> kyra, the herb roasted pork pot pie. >> the pork just came about by accident. my mom made a great pork loin. it was left over in the freezer.

so i wanted to make a pot pie. rather than cooking chicken i cubed up the pork. it's all a one pot thing. it goes right into the pot here. there's fresh thyme, dried thyme, herbs de provence. >> shortening, cream cheese and butter? >> she doesn't play around with the crust. lots of fat in the crust. >> most important. >> and a little bit of sugar as well to make it caramelize. sorry about that. you can see how beautiful it is, carl. the thing i love is kyra took leftovers to create a pot pie with it. how often do you see pork pot pie? not often. >> we should see more of it. >> wow. >> look at the size of that. >> you want to crown the winner? >> i am. just like the last time i don't have to go far. i'm giving it to kyra.

[ cheers and applause ] >> amazing. >> thank you. >> lift it up! >> not only are your recipes great but you're great on television. i've got to say. i'm impressed with all of you. >> congratulations, kyra. >> we have much more coming up. stay tuned right after this. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. city fire crews are on the scene of a house fire in northeast baltimore. the flames broke up just before 4:00 this morning at ravenwood avenue. a child and adult were

>> this morning rain has been moving through the area. that will be moving out during the morning hours. high temperatures will drop during the afternoon and evening hours, 50's back into the 40's.