good morning. sunshine state. after losing big in south carolina, mitt romney surging to a 15-point lead over newt gingrich ahead of tomorrow's pivotal florida primary. how did he turn the momentum around? we'll ask him in a live interview. troubling clue. police in mne say blood found in the home of a father of a missing toddler belonged to that little girl as her parents come face to face in public for the first time since their daughter disappeared. and jennifer lopez live. she's a busy mom, a pop star, a judge on "american idol." now she's teaming with armarc anthony just months after their public split. she's here to talk about it public split. she's here to talk about it today, monday, january 30, 2012.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a monday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> i'm ann curry. mitt romney holds a sizable lead going into tuesday's florida primary according to the newest nbc marist poll. that doesn't mean he's letting up on newt gingrich. >> that's a mistake he's probably not going to repeat after iowa caucuses and new hampshire they seemed to let up. in a candid article many of his campaign advisers are opening up about how it played into romney's strategy in florida. we'll taub about that with governor romney ahead. and they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. that has some fast food giants battling for your dollars. we'll tell you about a new, unexpected competitor in the field. and in the last big run-up

to the academy awards hollywood's a-listers were out for last night's s.a.g. awards. we'll tell you who walked away with hardware. >> let's begin with mitt romney's surge in florida one day before the state's republican primary. nbc's peter alexander is in miami. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. you spoke about romney's lead in the state. this is the biggest prize yet. already 460,000 floridians have voted by absentee or early voting. in conversations with senior advisers in the romney campaign they say they have two things well since south carolina. one, be more aggressive against newt gingrich and do a better job clarifying the message that they believe romney is the best candidate to improve the american economy. >> thank you! >> reporter: just one day to go before florida's primary and mitt romney is sensing victory. >> i believe america needs a leader who has led successfully.

i have and i will lead this nation back to greatness. >> reporter: he has reason for confidence. the latest nbc marist poll released sunday shows romney expanding his lead in florida to 15 points over newt gingrich. that may be why gingrich is sharpening his attack. dusting off a word designed to incite conservatives. >> i am, in fact, the legitimate heir of the reagan movement, not some liberal from massachusetts. we do not want a massachusetts liberal. this party is not going to nominate somebody who is a proabortion, progun control. >> reporter: romney is dismissing the attacks as desperate. >> the people of florida have watched the debates, have listened to the speaker, have listened to other candidates who say, you know what? mitt romney is the guy we are going to support. >> reporter: the miami herald endorsed mitt romney saying mr. gingrich might be the feistier

candidate but if republicans care about elect ability in november, mr. romney is the better choice. herman cain came out in support of gingrich. >> i hereby officially and enthusiastically endorse newt gingrich for president of the united states. >> reporter: while still refusing to endorse anyone, sarah palin defiantly implored floridians to fight the establishment. >> rage against the machine, vote newt. annoy a liberal, vote newt. keep the vetting process going. keep the debate going. >> reporter: gingrich says he's going all the way. >> this is going all the way to the convention. >> reporter: rick santorum's oldest daughter took her father's case while he left the field to be with his daughter bella who suffers from a rare genetic disorder and was hospitalized over the weekend. >> he'll be back as soon as he can. right now family comes first

being a dad and a husband. >> reporter: rick santorum expects to be back on the campaign trail within a few days. he said bella is having a miraculous recovery and has turned a corner after being hospitalized. matt? >> peter, thank you. governor mitt romney joins us now from jacksonville, florida. good morning, governor. >> thanks, matt. good to be with you. >> nine days ago you took a drubbing in south carolina. now according to most of the polls you have opened up a substantial lead in florida. in your opinion, what is behind the dramatic turn anin momentum? >> two things. we were being whaled on by speaker gingrich and didn't respond well in south carolina. so we decided to respond. secondly, we made it clear if people want change in washington you have to bring in someone from outside washington. both the change in tactic as well as the message have had a real impact in florida.

>> you say you were getting whaled on in south carolina. fascinating article on the front page of the new york times yesterday. some of your advisers spoke on the record about the turnaround in momentum. here's how the writer summed it up. quote, if mr. romney does win here on tuesday it will have been through a blistering and unrelenting series of attacks. his campaign has pressed everything at its disposal into service to eviscerate mr. gingrich, painting him as an erratic, unreliable washington insider in mailings and television advertisements and at two critical debates here. even sending supporters to mock him at his own events. what's your response? >> no question that politics ain't bean bags. we have made sure our message is out loud and clear. the speaker has been attacking me all over the state in ways that are extraordinary. in some respects painful to watch because it's so revealing of him. the fact is he worked with hundreds of people in

washington. only a handful of those people are willing to support him. he's a nice fellow, but his leadership capability has been called into question by virtue of people who worked with him. >> what surprised me about the article, one was that so many advisers were willing to speak on the record about tactics you may continue using and it paints the picture that your turn around in the polls is a result of their diabolical brilliance and less about your connecting with voters in florida. >> i think you can expect advisers to think the work of advisers is very, very important. if you were to look at where sentiment changed it was with the debates. we had two debates. icon fronted speaker gingrich. he said, let's not talk about the things i have been saying about you, governor romney. i said, no, no, let me respond. i pushed back on the attacks, launched my own message to the

people in florida. >> right. >> pointed out that speaker gingrich was paid by freddie mac to be a spokesman for them and the people understood that and came to my side. >> he's proved to be resilient in the past coming back on more than one occasion. is the message now that you will continue to pound away at speaker gingrich well into the spring no matter how the caucuses and primaries are going? >> i anticipate doing well. we have a number of states coming up. i think i will do well in them. i'm going to do the work that's necessary to get my message out and talk about the change that has to be brought to washington to get jobs back to this country. how it gets done and the mess sanls are connecting with people. my expectation is i will become the nominee. however long it takes i will keep on balting. >> your campaign released an ad about newt gingrich's fall from grace in the 1990s and the entire ad is basically -- a colleague of mine, tom brokaw

recounting the fact that newt gingrich was asked to step down as house speaker on ethics charges. nbc news, as you know, has asked you to pull the ad. tom brokaw released a statement saying, quote, i'm uncomfortable with the use of my image in this ad. i do not want my role as a journalist compromised for political gain by any campaign. will your campaign withdraw the ad? >> we'll sit down with the lawyers, talk to the folks at nbc and make a decision on that front. i think the reason it was so effective as an ad was this is not something which speaker gingrich could say was distorted or romney was saying things not accurate. this is the news from the night when the speaker was sanctioned, reprimanded eded by his own me. people heard the news. straight on. no heavy music that suggested a sinister background. instead, tom brokaw, a credible

and respected journalist, reporting the news. i think it was devastating and pointed out what speaker gingrich was trying to hide is in the open. >> you will consider pulling it if that's what the decision of the campaign is? >> we'll certainly consider it very carefully. obviously this was not something taken from hidden files. this was on the evening news. so it should hardly come as a revealing piece for people who watch it. >> thanks for your time this morning. i really appreciate it. >> thanks, matt. good to be with you. >> it's ten minutes after the hour. here's ann. >> nbc's political director chuck todd has been kruchbcrunc the latest poll numbers. good morning to you. >> good morning, ann. >> romney leads 42% to 27% over gingrich in florida. what's the story of these numbers? >> it's across the board. there is one thing that's clearly benefitting mitt romney is the issue of e electability. when you ask for the most

important quality going in, they say in determining the vote the number one reason they give by the big margin is the ability to beat president obama. among those folks, mitt romney's lead over gingrich is even larger. he wins on issues, experience. it's aa cross the board. one other thing to point out about florida is there's early vote. mitt romney leads 2 to 1 on the early vote which accounts for so% to 20% of the overall vote. >> you talked about giving the new tactic credit for his momentum. are you able to discern whether or how voters are influenced by really the negative tone of the race? >> no. i think we can discern it easily. there's $24 million spent in ten days in the fight for florida. $16 million of it mostly negative ads from mitt romney or

mitt romney's super pac. when you look at the poll, newt gingrich had the highest unacceptable rating -- meaning if he were the nominee would you find that acceptable or unacceptable. it would close to romney or rick santorum. at this point in the campaign you have newt gingrich polling below santorum when matched up against president obama. polling below santorum when asked of republicans who would be an unacceptable nominee. when you put together the math of the tv ads and the polling, this is the impact. it's not just one of the things. it is the thing. >> bottom line if gingrich doesn't do well in florida, how long can he say in this race? >> there is no incentive for him to get out. this is not a man who looked down the road four years ago. mitt romney at this point in time four years ago when he lost to john mccain in florida there was a question, and he could have put more of his own money in. he decided, you know, the bert

play is to wait for four years. no incentive for newt gingrich. he wants to watch to see. think february will be a tough month for him. not a lot of contests or debates. he wants to see the revenge factor that kicked in after new hampshire and helped in south carolina will kick in one more time and see what happens in march. there are more southern primaries and it's a newt gingrich home field advantage. >> chuck todd with valuable perspective. thank you. >> you've got it. >> natalie is standing by with the headlines of the morning at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with stepped up tension between the west and iran this morning as nuclear inspectors look at tehran's nuclear facilities today. a military spokesman said it would respond to any threat from the west in a, quote, crushing manner. and warn the u.s. to reduce its presence in the region. meantime, sunday tehran threatened to cut off oil

shipments to europe amid new tough sanctions from the west. a jury in canada found three members of an afghan family guilty of murders three teenaged sisters in a cold-blooded killing that rocked that nation. a father, his wife and son killed the three young girls in a so-called honor killing because they disrespected the family by dating and going online. their bodies were found in a submerged car in a canal in ontario. another woman was also killed. officials in florida are investigating whether a brush fire that led to a pile-up on interstate 7 # 5 was deliberately set. ten people were killed when more than a dozen cars and tractor-trailers smashed into one with another amid haze, smoke and fog. new deet in the sexual assault allegations against greg kelly, the son of new york's police commissioner. sources familiar with the probe say kelly and his accuser texted each other several times prior to the date and again after the alleged assault, apparently

trying to set up another date. kelly has strongly denied the accusations. now for a check of wall street, courtney reagan is at the new york stock exchange. more news on greece. >> a deal is said to be close. negotiation continue on restructuring greece's debt. the talks center around how much debt will be forgiven and what interest rate will be paid on the rest of it. investors remain on edge. meantime faib is said to be updating its status. reports say the company could file ipo papers on wednesday, setting it up to be publically traded, valuing the company at upwards of $100 billion. >> we'll be watching. thank you. less than a week before super bowl sunday and the players are starting to arrive in indianapolis. the patriots, led by tom brady, touched down at the airport on sunday. the giants arrive there today. when lebron james makes a

slam dunk it's not major news unless he jumps over a defensive player in the process and that's what he does there. at sunday's game against the chicago bulls which helped the miami heat win 97-93. he's just unbelievable. "the help" needed no help at the screen actors guild awards last night. viola davis and octavia spencer won best actress and best supporting actress. also scored the equivalent of best picture. jean dejardin was named best actor for "the artist" beating out george clooney and brad pitt. more on the winners. christopher plummer there. much more coming up in a little bit. now back over to matt, ann and al. >> that awards ceremony shook things up. >> the voting comes from other actors which is nice. >> their peers. >> natalie, thank you very much. >> meantime, what's going on? >> mr. roker?

>> a quiet day to start off the week. we have warmer than usual weather. the jet stream is to the north. the cold canadian air is staying way up to the north. omaha, 28 degrees above normal. minneapolis, 17 degrees above normal. 38 in minneapolis. doesn't sound like a lot. for this time of year, that's a lot. 52 in indianapolis where we'll be in the next few days. oklahoma city, 66. not much going on with the map. sunny along the eastern seaboard. lake effect snows in the grachblgts generally one to three inches of snow over the >> good morning. the weather will settle down today. it will be a little on the chilly side but nothing unusual for this time of year.

and that's your latest weather. matt? >> thank you very much. are you planning to grab breakfast on your way to work? you may be interested to know a new fast food giant is joining the breakfast battle. janet shamlian has more on that. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. the breakfast wars are heating up. it's really the only area of growth in the fast food industry now. there is a new entrant into the game. how will mexican far e e play in the morning? the bell is ringing early as taco bell aims to find out. let's face it. it's not the first place you think of for breakfast. >> can i get a number three with an orange juice, please? >> reporter: taco bell for years promoted a very different dining hour. >> who says nothing good happens after midnight? >> reporter: they branded the after hours snack attack with a

new name. >> late night is made for fourth meal. >> reporter: but now the bell is ringing for early rise rs. >> no matter how you end your tight, start your morning with first meal at taco bell. >> good morning. >> reporter: the breakfast club dominated by mcdonald's and crowded with others like burger king and wendy's. even lunch timers like subway are in the game. >> build a better breakfast at subway. >> reporter: experts say it's the only growth area for restaurants in a tight economy. when customers are more time crunched than ever. >> you have 13 minutes to eat breakfast, you can't go to a sit-down restaurant. even at home you have trouble making it in 13 minutes. you have to get stuff on the run. every fast food restaurant chain in america is looking at, if not doing something about, should i get into the breakfast market. >> reporter: taco bell won't have just burritos for

breakfast. >> can i have a cinnabon, please? >> reporter: and other fare starting under $1 million. >> i heard about the breakfast, stopped by yesterday. i said, i will come back in the morning and get some more. >> reporter: the scramble for the breakfast dollar. as one of the biggest names in late night noshing sets up early. you can get the breakfast mostly in the west. 800 stores are hoping to roll it out to in the next couple of years. there is a burrito with your name on it, matt. >> still ahead, jennifer lopez opens up about her life, love and career in a live interview. first, this is "today" on nbc.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. a statewide coalition of the face and community leaders are taking to annapolis tonight to speak against the governor's bill to legalize same-sex marriage. gov. martin o'malley it asked for understanding and compassion and justice during the heated debate. the senate judiciary proceedings committee will hold a hearing on it tomorrow. let's check on the morning commute with traffic pulse 11 and sarah caldwell. >> trying to recover from a west

side accident delays from reisterstown road to edmondson. delays are in place. if you want to head out on eastbound i-70, 19 miles per hour on average. this is the delay on southbound 795 approaching owings mills all the way down to 13. amstad at grave right road and church roads, we are attracting an accident. delays from harrisburg down to middletown. 543, accident in the bel camp area. delay is forming on the bw parkway bid down to 10 miles per hour southbound. rams from 795, northwest corner very heavy towards edmondson. live view of traffic on the the j.f.x.. southbound traffic, attacking delays from ruxton road down to the city. tony has a check on your forecast.

>> it little bit of light rain and snow in your neighborhoods. a bit chilly, but nothing unusual for this time of year. 29 in parkton. high temperatures this afternoon between 40 and 45. it will really warm up as we go it will really warm up as we go to the middle brad and jill in accounting? crazy! coffee and chocolate. mocha. ooh! who's mocha? for the perfect blend of coffee and chocolate, try a mocha coffee or latte today.

7:30 now on this monday morning, the 30th of january, 2012. the majority of the country is dealing with unseasonably warm weather including here in the northeast. we are not getting any complaints from all the fine folks out on rockefeller plaza this morning. meantime, inside studio 1a i'm ann curry alongside matt lauer. just ahead we'll wade into a hot button issue. that is should chimps be used for medical research? >> usually you can't get used to the facilities and laboratories with a camera, but nbc news was given unprecedented access to one facility. coming up, an inside look and we'll wade into the debate. >> also coming up, the skinny on fattening super bowl snacks. is it really possible to enjoy the big game without adding inches to your waistline? we'll show some healthier

alternatives. at least dave zidavid zinczenko will show alternatives. >> it's been a busy 12 months for jennifer lopez. she went through a public breakup with her husband. this morning jennifer lopez joins us live. we'll catch up with her. >> we begin with new developments in the disappearance of a maine toddler named ayla reynolds. police say some of her blood was found in her father's home. nbc's michelle franzen has the latest on the story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. it's quiet at the house where ayla was last seen in december and where police confirm they found blood matching ayla's in the basement where her father has his room. kbrarts are still waiting for additional test results to come back and ayla's family is

holding out hope she's alive. new clues in the case of missing toddler ayla reynolds. investigators confirm some of the blood found in justin depietro's basement matches the 21-month-old who vanished. >> there were hundreds of pieces of potential evidence taken. among them, blood we found in the basement. the crime lab continues to work on the evidence. >> reporter: the blood, investigators say was collected in the initial weeks after ayla's disappearance. they are waiting for the results of further testing. in a statement, ayla's family said the police told them they found, quote, more blood than a small cut would produce, adding they still cling to hope that she's found alive. police have not charged anyone with the crime or called anyone a suspect. they do suspect foul play. their focus in recent weeks centered on those who last saw ayla on december 16th.

his father, girlfriend and sister. >> we were told someone came into the home, grabbed ayla and vanished in the night. we have not found one piece of evidence to back that up. >> reporter: we reached out to depietro, but he's not commenting on the blood found. he denied involvement in ayla's disappearance. >> i love my daughter. i would never do anything to harm my daughter. she's the world for me. i just want my daughter home. i'm doing anything possible that i can to get my daughter home. >> reporter: this past weekend, he attended a vigil for his daughter and came face to face in public with ayla's mom trista reynolds for the first time since ayla went missing. the parents do not live together. reynolds has been critical of his actions. ayla yuz was living with her father while reynolds attended drug and alcohol rehab. she demanded answers.

>> i'm trying to concept the fact that blood was found of my daughter. that's my reaction. >> reporter: reynolds dad is speaking out about his grand daughter's disappearance. >> this family again has gone through hell. i'm tired of it. >> reporter: anger, along with the pain of not knowing, setting in. >> every day it's hard not knowing where she is. >> reporter: again, police have not named a suspect in the case or a person of interest. we also reached out to the depietro family, his sister and girlfriend and didn't hear back for a response. ann? >> savannah guthrie is "today's" legal correspondent. >> good morning, ann. >> what does it say to you that investigators are now coming forward with the information about blood being found in the home of ayla's father and the blood being ayla's? >> first you wonder if police are releasing the information now for a tactical purpose or is

this someone in the police department leaking information that gets into the newspapers and police confirm it. first all we knew was blood was found. later, trista reynolds, ayla's mom confirmed that police told her it was ayla's blood and it was a significant enough amount that it wouldn't be a small cut. >> what would be the tactical purpose? what could be if that's the reason? >> sometimes police leak information to put the squeeze on people they are looking into in this case. they haven't named suspects. as we understand it there were several adults at that time home that night. police said in the press these adults, their stories don't entirely match up. this is a situation where the break a in the case may come from conflicts storying. certain people feeling squeezed by information. sometimes police do tactically release information. this may be one of those occasions. >> meantime, is it fair to say there are indications that they are keeping their eye on ayla's

father? >> no question about it. for the simple reason that he's the person who had the care of this little girl. he's the last person to say he saw her alive when he put her to bed that night. there were several adults at the house. again, police are saying, look, we don't feel we are getting the full story here. this may be a case where they are waiting for adults thorpe there to crack to seize on inconsistencies in the story. >> the father was there, the sister and the girlfriend was there. the investigators are saying they feel they have not yet gotten the full story. >> that's right. in terms of the blood, we don't know all we need to know to understand its significance. we don't know how much was there or how long it had been there. police found it weeks ago. we just are learning about it now. >> savannah, thank you very much. really troubling development. now for a check of the weather from al. >> ann, thank you very much. we got our friends here from the special olympics.

got something going on? >> yes. we have polar plunges in new york state. >> when is it? >> one on february 12, rochester on february 12th, february 25th for fishkill. march 3rd, 1st and april 1st. >> yes! love the polar bear. love the special olympics. let's see if you like the warmer temperatures. much of the country above normal. rain in the pacific midwest. the eastern two-thirds of the country stays warm. we'll look at wet weather from the midatlantic states to the southeast and the latter part of the week staying normal out west. chillier in the southwest with rain above normal in the southeast into the plains. p >> good morning. it is a chilly start on this monday. a mixture of sun and clouds. mostly sunny skies.

and that's your latest weather, ann. >> thank you, al. still to come, jennifer lopez live in our studio. also, up next, is it really for the greater good? unprecedented access to the world of primate research right after this. -one. -two. -three. -one. two. three. one. -two. -three. -one. -two. -three. [ male announcer ] with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card,

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we're back at 7:41 with a controversial topic, using animals in medical research. lisa myers is here with an exclusive look inside the usually secretive world. good to see you. good morning. >> good morning. chimpanzees are amazing creatures. they share about 98% of our dna

and almost 1,000 of them are at research facilities around the country. one of the labs gave us unprecedented access so we could see how the chimps live and what they experience. meet ken and rosy. they're 30 years old, were born in labs and have spent almost their entire lives in invasive biomedical research to find cures for human diseases. today they are living at texas medical research institute, available to be used for future experiments. they and a dozen other chimps were shipped here in 2010 after a ten-year hiatus from invasive testing. there was a public outcry over the move reigniting the emotional debate over whether invasive research should be banned. dr. robert lanford has used chimps in research for 27 years. you have been forced into a public debate. let's be honest. otherwise you wouldn't be here

with me. >> absolutely. the american people have had the wrong opinion that these animals are in a dark room with no windows. i want them to see who we are and how we take care of the animals and why we are doing it. >> reporter: this is where you keep the chimps used for research. >> we call this the research village. >> reporter: we attached small cameras to the cages to get close-ups of the chimps. the lab says they will live in social groups with indoor and outdoor enclosures. there is enrichment and interaction with behaviorists. >> you will see me reassuring them and pant grunting. >> reporter: you do what? >> it's pant grunting. like this -- [ panting ] >> reporter: what are you telling them with that? >> that i'm their friend. >> reporter: most have been trained to present arms voluntarily for sedation. this chimp was infected with the hepatitis-c virus and bled

periodically to see how it moves through his body. lanford is working to find a vaccine for hepatitis-c which attacks the liver. unlike humans, chimps rarely develop river kapser or cirrhosis. lanford says testing on chimps saved human lives but jane goodall says testing on our closest biological relative is morally wrong. >> all invasive research is torture. it's not just the procedure but the imprisonment. it's being kept in a small space with no choice. you're there. you're powerless. >> reporter: goodall would like all lab chimps retired to the relative freedom of a sanctuary. this is what retirement can look like. it's the national champ zee sanctuary in louisiana aptly named chimp haven. for the first time in most of their lives many can walk on grass and swing in the trees.

most chimps who arrive from the labs adapt well to their new surroundings. when we met them, their personalities were on full display. the federal government recently moved to limit future experiments on chimps but did not ban research outright. rosy, ken and the other chimps will remain in the labs, at least for now. texas biomed said it will continue to fight to use chimps for what it considers life-saving research. matt? >> i think that's the first time anyone had a chance -- a lot of people have seen conditions like that. how indicative are the conditions you showed us compared to the rest of the industry? >> they say this is representative of what labs are like today. i think most of the images people have in their minds are from undercover video, some shot as recently as four years ago, but they say they have improved their practices, that they are much more humane and they

maintain that they treat these amazing creatures with reverence. >> thank you very much. >> you bet. >> see more of the report on "rock center" with brian williams tonight at 10:00/9:00 central on nbc. up next, the big winners from last night's s.a.g. awards, plus jennifer lopez talk about life, career and so much more. first, these messages. this year i have a lot more than one valentine: one for making my perfect cup of coffee, one for being the perfect neighbor,

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from hollywood's premiere jewelry designer. - the setting has to be perfect. it's where the diamond lives. - uniquely beautiful hand-crafted rings with diamonds hand-selected by kay, the newest reason kay is the number one jewelry store in america. neil lane bridal. forever begins here. imagine being told you got into the college of your dreams but a few hours later the dream was dashed. it happened to dozens of applicants at vassar college on friday. >> one of the issues about communication in a digital world. they got notice that they were accepted at 4:00 on friday. the college realized the mistake, that a lot of them were not accepted and two and a half hours later sent out e-mails. imagine how many people the kids had called. >> popped the champagne. >> 76 students. >> some kids ordered t-shirts

online from vassar. >> the school said it was just -- again, just apologized. >> that's happened to other schools. >> really? >> it was a test letter. >> whoops. >> the only possible good news is that the kids probably did not have time because it was an early decision situation to tell the other schools they are not still applying. >> silver lining. >> meanwhile it's appropriate this morning because some of the winners from last night's s.a.g. awards were notified they did not win. >> i hate when that happens. >> if you were watching you saw the stars of "the office" and "30 rock" having fun at today's expense. >> i believe it was the distinguished director cindy lamet who gave sound advice to actors, know thoois. self knowledge is important to an artist in endless ways. >> i believe it was the "today's" fourth hour co-host kathie lee gifford who said if

drag queens love you, you will have the longest career in the world. they know phoney and they know real. >> it's very true. >> true. >> i have it on a t-shirt. >> our wise kathie lee gifford, el done. >> making her ainto the s.a.g. aards. meanwhile all the conventional iz -- wisdom after the golden globes. while the lead actor did win from "the artist." kwo "the help" did really well. >> they won for ensemble coast. >> octavia spencer for best supporting actress and viola davis for best actress. and christopher plummer won best supporting actor as well. a shoe-in for the oscar. >> there you have it. a shoe-in for the oscar. we've got a superstar coming. >> we'll catch up with jennifer lopez joining us live in studio

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. time for a check of the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> southbound 95 approaching the beltway on the northeast side, we have an accident coming in there. 18 miles per hour on the north side outer loop beginning at belair road towards the harrisburg expressway. inner loop delays opposite at delay. 14 miles per hour on the west side outer loop. delays from the beltway all the way down to 28. 18 miles per hour on average eastbound i-70. backed up from franklin boulevard all the way down to the beltway.

take a live view of traffic and update you on the white marsh area. delays and a place because of the accident prior to the beltway. live view of traffic prior to the j.f.x. south of old pimlico road. heavy towards northern part way. that is the entire length of the j.f.x. on the beltway to 28th street. >> we have a little bit of light snow in some neighborhoods. that is all gone now. plenty of sunshine to start the day. a little bit chilly, nothing unusual. 32 degrees at b.w.i. mostly sunny skies. a few high, thin clouds in the afternoon, but generally sunny. it will warm up big time over the next few days. upper 50's 2 around 60 tomorrow. clouds will thicken up wednesday and others day. -- and thursday.

tapering off late thursday. tapering off late thursday.

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8:00 now on a monday morning, the 30th day of january 2012. kind of a nice morning here. it's about 33 degrees or so. bright, sunny sky and nice people, some even wearing new york giants hats standing in the crowd as the super bowl is just seven days away. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry and al roker. getting excited. meanwhile before we talk about that, let's talk about one of the stars in our studio now. jennifer lopez is here to talk about the new season of "american idol." also she's working on another show she's going to describe for us and we'll catch up with what else is going on in her life -- no, we won't. that's what i said. we'll talk only career. and about the beautiful outfit she's wearing as well and how

nice she looks. >> jennifer and the code of silence. >> the house how's the burtibut? >> you mentioned the super bowl. i think of it as the day you eat everything you want. david zinczenko has healthier alternatives even for beer. he's messing with beer. >> why would you do that on super bowl sunday? >> because we don't want to grow three sizes in a day. >> speaking of the super bowl, you and i are headed out there. >> no. >> yes skblnch. >> really? >> starting friday we'll be there live in indianapolis. we have a great concert. a downtown indianapolis concert with gym class heroes, maroon 5 and "the voice" adam levine. >> adam experts a ginormous crowd outside on friday. >> it's today at the super bowl

friday, saturday and sunday. i'll be there monday, but that doesn't count, i guess. everybody else leaves. >> really? >> yeah. >> i'll be on the sidelines trying for interviews. they'll probably snub me, but what the heck. >> no, no. >> natalie has the headlines. >> good morning, everyone. noo newt gingrich is playing catch-up before tuesday's crucial republican florida primary. a new nbc marist poll has mitt romney with a 15-point lead. newt gingrich labeled romney a massachusetts liberal. rick santorum had to cancel campaign stops to stay with his daughter in a philadelphia hospital. she has a genetic disorder and was suffering pneumonia. santorum said she's made a miraculous turnaround since being hospitalized. campaigning on his behalf, his 20-year-old daughter elizabeth. one of the worst pile-ups in history is being blamed on smoke

from a brush fire that may have been intentionally set. at least ten people were killed, 18 injured in the chain reaction crash sunday on interstate 75. police in alabama are questioning potential witnesses after finding five people shot to death inside a birmingham home on sunday. officers made the discovery while investigating reports of a robbery in progress. officials in italy say it could take up to ten months to remove the cruise ship that ran aground more than two weeks ago. rough seas delayed efforts to remove a half million gallons of fuel. here's brian williams with a look at what's coming up on "nightly news" tonight. >> coming up, a great story from chelsea clinton who will introduce us to an 89-year-old decorated world war ii veteran who these days is on a very different mission bringing comfort to a lot of people. that and more on "nightly news" tonight. for now, back to you. >> thank uh you, brian. now for a look at what's

trending. our quick round-up of what has you talking online. saturday's funeral for etta james has spawned a youtube hit with christina aguilera performing "at last." ♪ >> well, that moving rendition has already been viewed on youtube more than 2 million times. legoman in space is an internet sensation since two canadian teens used a weather balloon to send the toy figure and four cameras into the stratosphere last week -- pretty genius. legospaceman has a facebook page with images snapped from 80,000 feet above the earth. and espn x-games are trending on yahoo thanks to shaun white's fifth straight

gold medal performance in the half pipe. he earned the first pfect is 100 score and colton moore was separated from his snowmobile 130 feet in the air. despite the you can wicked landing, he did come back to capture the gold. that's remarkable and scary. 8:0 # 5. now back outside to al roker. how about that? coming back strong for the gold. >> i could do that. >> yeah. fall off the snowmobile? >> i did that. we were in salt lake city. we have nice friends here. where are you from? oklahoma. oh. what's your name? >> madeline. >> i like your feather. that's nice. let's see what's happening. our pick city of the day just happens to be the beautiful -- i can't see. oh, baltimore, maryland.

wbal tv-11. lake effect snow coming across. two clippers zipping away. it will be light. anywhere from one to three inches, maybe some locally may see maybe six inches of snow. that's the worst of it. breezy conditions mid-section of the country into the gulf coast. showers in the pacific northwest. the lake effect snow hanging around. chilly in the northeast with sunshine. nice and warm in the south. 62 atlanta. 68 degrees in new orleans. >> good morning. the weather will settle down today. it will be a little on the chilly side but nothing unusual for this time of year.

and that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thanks. coming up, the beautiful and talented jennifer lopez p, right after this. hey you. so you think chocolate's gonna make up for everything, huh? oh, actually it's hot chocolate... with caramel. caramel, huh? [ male announcer ] nothing says "i really love you" like rich chocolate, mixed with decadent caramel. new caramel hot chocolate from mccafé. available for a limited time only. ok. happy belated anniversary baby! it was my birthday.

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good morning. >> good morning! >> you have had eye issues. we have all kinds of drama this morning. you say i stiffed you last time. >> you were supposed to interview me. something happened. some big news story. you left. >> i'm sorry. i apologize. >> you answered questions. i'm sure we took care of you. i don't care how big you get. when people calls you the most beautiful woman on the planet -- >> yeah. >> that's a good ego boost. >> you know what? it's weird. it's weird, great and nice. i don't know. it's surreal in a way. >> please take this the right way. it's not like you're some 18-year-old supermodel. >> no. >> they're saying that beauty is -- can be a more mature look which you have grown into. >> right. that's what i loved about it. i loved that they didn't pick somebody who was 21 years old. there are so many beautiful people in the world and it's all

relative. at the end of the day they chose to pick somebody in their 40s who was a mom who's been in the business a long time. >> i think a lot of people cheered for that. >> by the way, it was a big deal for me, too. real big deal. >> you have had quite a year. >> yeah. >> when you think about "american idol," the album and other things we'll get to, but "american idol" in particular. when i watch the show i think, she's having a good time on the program. >> yeah. >> i was surprised it took you so long to commit to coming back. why was that? >> last year was a tough year for me. towards the end i got really tired. live tv, honestly, i don't know how you do it for so many hours every day. it was a whole new thing for me. by the end of it i was exhausted. i wasn't just doing that. if i was just doing that it would have been easier. that coupled with everything else on my plate. >> was it the money? >> no. >> about leverage, input, anything like that?

>> no, no. >> could you have walked away? >> i could have. but i love the show and i do have a good time doing it. >> out of your role on "american idol" -- by the way, before the new show, do you think we have reached critical mass in this genre yet? we have "american idol," "the x factor," "america's got talent," "the voice," "the sing-off." when do we reach critical mass? >> i don't know. i don't think people get tired of singing or dancing. it always entertains. you have "so you think you can dance," so many shows like this. people just love music. as long as they love music there will be room for a show that's good in the genre. >> i imagine the new show you're working on will fall into the good theater. it's called "que viva," the chosen. >> it's really different. we are putting together a latin show. simon fuller er approache eed md

i. it's about us going through latin america finding different acts. this is an act from brazil. tango. different latin music to show diversity and the unity. it's a beautiful journey marc and i and jamie king, the director, go on to cast the amazing show. >> i like how casual you keep saying "marc and i." >> yeah. >> because your marriage ended in the last year it would have been easy to -- >> to walk away. >> and say this is awkward. why do this? why didn't you? >> marc and i were friends before we got married for years. we always loved each other. we always worked together. it wasn't an unnatural thing for us to continue working together. obviously we have children together. so it's not like he's not going to be in my life. he always will be.

i don't know. it's a passion project for us. it has difficult moments but it's still a great thing we are doing and that we feel we are doing. >> it's an adult approach. people say, we were best friends before we got married. out of the period of kwors most people need to go through a time of not liking each other before they can get back to that. >> we have those moments. we're human. i'm not going to sit here and lie about that. but at the end of the day there is real love there. there is family there. that comes first. and at the end of the day we also love this project. like i said, as it has difficult moments once in a while when we're together, just because of the same things as when we were married. >> here's what you said to vanity fair. sometimes we don't realize we are compromising ourselves to understand that a person is not good for you or that the person is not treating you in the right way or -- >> matt, i want to kill you right now. >> i didn't steal your diary. this is from an interview you gave. >> i know!

why do you have to bring it up? >> or treating himself in the right way if i stay i'm not doing the right thing for me. i love myself enough to walk away. >> right. >> can you explain it more? >> no, i can't. do you know why? everything i wanted to say about the divorce i said in that article. marc and i agreed we weren't going to talk about it publically again. it really is our personal life. we have children. it's something we have to respect and keep sacred. at the end of the day we're working together. we have a lot of love for each other. we're human and it's not the easiest thing in the world but we handled it with grace and caring. and a lot of love. >> let me move on. that hurt when you did that to me knee. >> and i will punch you again! >> the last album was love, question mark. >> i'm going to kill you. go. >> the title of your album. do you think you'll marry again? >> i don't know! i don't know. >> no? >> i don't know. we'll see.

i don't know. >> is it hard -- >> it's not time to think about that yet. do you know what i mean? it's still fresh. >> how are the kids doing? >> so good. >> yeah? >> yeah. i was talking to my daughter on the balcony yesterday. i miss her so much and i was shedding a tear. they're great. they're wonderful. they're so loving and too smart for 3 years old. they're going to be 4 next month. >> they're growing up in a world with a lifestyle that you did not grow up with. >> yeah. >> that's a challenge for a lot of people. >> yeah. >> you have a reputation as being a person who came from almost nowhere and they are privileged. >> they are. >> does it worry you? >> i think about it. because i loved my upbringing. i tried to give them the same thing, just in a bigger house is how i try to think about it. the same family. they grow up around their cousins and aunts like i did. they eat the same foods as i did

when i was growing up. you know, i try to keep what was so great about growing up puerto rican in the bronx, lower middle class family, the same values, the same things that were important to my mom and dad and i tried to do with them. >> they may have better tieoys t you want the same values. >> somebody asked me, matt, when your kids get older what do you want them to say about their childhood? what do you want them to say? >> so serious these interviews. >> i can go back to the other subject is if you want. >> no, no. let's stay here. that they were happy. they felt loved, that they got the confidence they needed to fulfill their dreams in life. that's what i feel i got from my childhood. >> always nice to have you here. >> thank you, matt. >> come back more often. if you're throwing a super bowl party, healthier alternatives to

your game time drinks and snacks. we'll get to that right after this. hey, you made your own lunch. yep! (mom) i'm so proud of you. the bus is here, gotta go mom. okay hunny, have a great day. look in your bag, made you something. (announcer) it's more than just that great peanut taste, choosing jif is a simple way to show someone how much you care. choosey moms, choose jif. have 46 grams of whole grains... mmmm. ...and a touch of sweetness. you'll be delighted to discover how good they taste. get your free sample of quaker oatmeal squares

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"eat this, not that!." the big game is sunday and that means you will do plenty of eating and drinking. how do you make sure your diet doesn't get sidelined? we have david zinczenko, the author of "eat this, not that!" supermarket survival guide. good morning to you. >> great to see you, ann. >> great to see you. you're a bit of a buzz kill. i'm thinking super bowl is one of the few days out of the year where you can eat anything you want. why can't we? >> you're going to eat a ton of food and still save the equivalent of a pound of body weight that day. what you need is no fumble snacking strategies. that's what you need. >> to membership us you have five of the popular super bowl snacks and you're going to break it down with healthier options starting with chips. >> right. everybody loves chips and dip. these chips from lay's say natural, sea salt. these are head fakes. these are marketing buzzwords. sea salt is not any better than regular salt.

combine it with this french onion dip, when you see french onion dip coming run the other way. abandon ship. it's an oily wreck. >> this isn't much. >> it's a lot of fat. going to the dips over here you will save more fat. this combination is the equivalent in fat of eating nine twinkies. >> oh, yeah. which do we choose? >> if you want to look like this, eat that. you don't want to look like a football. go with the baked tostitos scoops and spicy salsa which is metabolism-stoking and save 33 grams of fat. >> okay, sold. those are nice sizes, you get a lot of salsa. what about chowder or as the patriots say it, chow-dah. >> new england versus the giants right here. the problem is the new england chowder is going to turn you into a giant.

okay? >> that would be bad for new england patriot fans. 420 calories. okay? it ends up being the calorie equivalent of two entire cups of cool whip. >> might as well eat that. >> if you want to cut out 65% of the fat go with manhattan clam chowder. it's tomato-based broth. >> you have been working on this. you're going to mess with the beer? come on, dave. >> still going to drink a lot of beer. you know sam adams will make it to the super bowl party. but the imperial stout, that's how they will describe you. each of the 12-ouncers is over 300 calories. it's over 300 calories. you are sipping throughout the game and you do over 900 calories. it's the equivalent of drinking a six-pack of coke. >> not a good idea. >> stick with sam adams and go light. >> in any beer brand if you go

with a light you will do better. obviously. >> in this case it's flavorful, complex and you're saving an astonishing 565 calories. >> nicely done. have you had some? i can smell some on your breath. >> we always order double of everything. let's talk wings now. this is a big place where we are eating calories. >> these are boneless wings. that doesn't mean they are weightless. this serving from applebee's is over 1,200 calories. the problem is it's two entire days of sodium. to spput it in perspective it's like eating 13 orders of taco bell nachos. >> oh, man. >> if you get the applebee's wings get the ones with the bones in them. it's a nutritional tom brady. it still pack as protein punch but you get half the calories and one-third the sodium. >> what's the difference? >> that's really sugary, they're

boneless. >> you still have a creamy sauce here. >> it's great. fills you up. >> and pizza! >> you're still eating. >> this is enjoyable. >> then you go to the hand-tossed pizza from domino's. hand toss it to a skinny teenager or toss it out the window. the problem is two slices are 700 calories with a day's worth of saturated fat, the fat equivalent of seven scoops of breyer's. go with the thin crust. it's still spicy. uh you get the fiber-rich veggies, chicken and save hundreds of calories and a ton of fat. >> thin crust. >> not hand tossed. >> david zinczenko, thanks. enjoy the game. of course it will air here on nbc on sunday.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's check on that morning to meet with sarah caldwell. >> accident on southbound 95 approaching the beltway. that has now cleared, but still down to 22 miles per hour approaching white marsh. j.f.x. southbound at ruxton road, watch for a disabled vehicle. delays stretch from the old way all the way down into town. 12 miles per hour on the west side to edmondson. 28 on eastbound i-70 coming towards 29. if you travel but down 95 at

175, watch for an accident there. three lines still closed at davidsonville road to to fire activity. just south of white marsh, you are tapping the brakes towards the 895 split. all lanes are open. j.f.x., that is the pace of things from the beltway down town. tony has a check on your forecast. >> so far so good. a little chilly, but plenty of sunshine. we don't expect weather trouble during the day. 29 in emmitsburg. a 39 degrees in a rising sun. mixture of sunshine and a few clouds. average high temperature is 42. seven-day forecast, warm-up tomorrow. upper 50s to around 60. rain is back in the forecast on late wednesday and thursday. >> we will have another update

at 8:55. "and what's your name?" "oh, it's flo." "and what do you do?" "oh, i sell insurance like no one else." "oh, that's nice." "thank you." now, that's progressive. call or click today.

8:30 now on a monday morning. it's the 30th of january, 2012. we have a really nice crowd soaking up the winter sun from over the tall buildings above us. down below here on rockefeller plaza. we are happy to have everyone here joining us. i'm ann curry with matt lauer, al roker and natalie morales. we'll be talking about things

men use. there you go. we have jenna bush hager giving us the low-down on men's fashion and pamperring coming up this half hour. >> also ahead, al and i like to discuss you don't have to spend a fortune to look your best. we'll show you some of the top hair and makeup products that you can find at your local drugstore. >> all right. >> then what are employers looking for in this tough job market? coming up, we'll tell you the things you should be aware of and what role social media may play as well. things like facebook, what you should have out there on facebook when it comes to the process of hiring. >> shouldn't have out there. >> exactly. >> and does my personality make me look fat? because actually there are five personality traits that could help or hurt you as you try to lose weight. they can actually fight you. >> really? >> you know, as i watch "the

biggest loser," sometimes i get caught up in it. a lot of it is psychological. >> emotional behaviors. >> a lot of stuff up here. >> and those applebee's chicken wings. >> yes, sir. >> mr. roker? >> let's show you the forecast for today. sunshine in the east. showers in the pacific northwest. lake effect snowshowers, one to three inches generally. warm through the southwest. thunderstorms in southern texas. tomorrow the rain moves into the lower mississippi river valley. more rain in the pacific northwest. frigid in new england. down into the southeast. gulf coast looking at a few showers. nice and mild through the southwest. >> good morning. it is a chilly start on this monday. a mixture of sun and clouds. mostly sunny skies.

don't forget. get the weather channel any time day or night. go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. >> thank you so much. coming up, jenna bush hager has the guide for the most fashionable man. first, this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:35. men's grooming has become a roughly $5 billion industry in the united states. it's developed a language of its own. "today" contributing correspondent jenna bush hager is here to explain the language. nice to see you. >> you may laugh but we knew it

was serious business when the wall street journal told men to grab their murses. i know you have one. now we are telling you to grab your pen and paper because this is no ordinary fashion segment. it's a cross between style and slang. what do you get when you cross a briefcase with a purse? >> it's a briefcase. turn it around. >> reporter: you're a man. this is an accessory. >> it's a briefcase. >> reporter: it's your murse, your man purse. >> it's not a murse. >> reporter: how about jewelry for a man? now we are getting to the mewelry. this is a bracelet for men. >> women. i'm not wearing that. are you insane? >> reporter: look at it. >> he's wearing his wife's jewelry. >> reporter: this is mewelry. >> this is for a woman. >> reporter: even the most powerful men in the world are wearing masculine mandals. eric mckean says the rise in

men's fashion has led to a new way of life and a unique lexicon describing men's fashion. >> there are manpris, capris pants for men, meggings, leggings for men. i will advised. >> reporter: you like the marka. >> you can, but you shouldn't. >> reporter: does this language portray the modern man or is it helping to perpetuate a one-sided spoof of metrosexuals. >> meet the bro. >> reporter: five years ago even oxford english dictionary added manbag to the edition. >> we use m to signify man because people want to assert the masculinity around these items that are traditionally feminine. >> reporter: eric jennings from sacs fifth avenue claims it is

going back to old glamour. >> it's vintage heritage interpreted in a modern way. >> reporter: which reminds us of the dapper dude. would you say you're a metro or a manly man. >> i'm more metro in that i care about what i wear. i'm not a lumberjack type. i'm not going to put a t-shirt and flannel shirt on, not shave for three weeks. >> reporter: fashion isn't the end of it. men have entered the world of the typically female-controlled pamperring. men-only spas have popped up all over the united states. to figure out the new dynamic we decided to take a reluctant fashion plate on a metro makeover. oh, look who's getting manpered. i know you use a lot of hair products. >> yeah, i do. >> reporter: wrinkle cream? >> no, i'm not matt lauer. i don't have well manicured nails. >> reporter: have you ever

gotten a facial? >> hello. >> how are you? >> this is the eucalyptus and sulfur mask. >> this would be faster with a power painter. >> reporter: and then to somewhere no hard hitting journalist has gone before. >> beach bum tanning. >> are you saying i'm pale? >> reporter: let's get our spray tan on. >> really? this keeps getting better. how do i look? what do you think? >> reporter: you're so tan. >> i'm into it. manning. >> reporter: manning. would you ever go full body? >> let me just take this -- >> reporter: no, no, this is morning television. is this all one big man joke? >> i have a man headache now. >> reporter: not according to the wall street journal who reported that sales of men's apparel rose in 2011 and the mocabulary may be here to stay.

we think when you turn on the tv and see men looking this good it's hard to complain. >> yeah, yeah. >> with fashion week coming up we're not sure if designers will use this man language, but i will. in fact, we have some products right here that we want to see if you guys or your men would wear. >> colored denim? >> yes. >> you would wear it? >> absolutely. >> we've seen you wear orange pants before. >> you would wear these? teal? >> i would. >> i'd wear maybe the green ones. >> you're changing your whole -- the green ones. >> you're changing your perspective. >> you've worn mewelry. >> thou dost protest too much. >> let's get to the murses. >> it's not a murse. it's a briefcase. >> oops, your glasses. if you have to hold it like a purse it's a murse. >> if it has a shoulder strap on

it -- >> you walk like that. >> would you carry this? >> i don't love that one, but this is more of a messenger bag which is popular. >> the male purse is a messenger bag? >> guys can have messenger bags also. >> or backpacks. >> you need to carry stuff, too. >> fine. let's get to it. this is on a woman's happened. but would you wear man jewelry? >> a lot of rock stars wear bracelets. it's very hip and happening. i think the young people -- >> oh, the young people! >> high schoolers and boys that age. >> 30-year-olds. >> you wouldn't wear this? >> not the beaded one. maybe a thin leather strap like what you get at a beach location. >> look. >> i don't know. >> how did jeff rosen's tan turn out? >> he looked like the lorax.

>> he said he was sad it wore off. he might be a return customer. >> he could be a return spray tanner. >> how did you enjoy your manpering? >> i'm going back. >> that was fun. >> you look handsome. >> mansome. >> up next, the best and most affordable beauty products you can pick up at the drugstore, al. first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning, drugstore glam. two-thirds of us think the pressure to look good is more intense than ever. we spend billions on cosmetics and beauty products every year. so how can you invest in your looks without breaking your bank? we have mary alice stevenson, a celebrity beauty consultant

joining us this morning. good morning. >> good morning, ann. you're looking glamorous this morning. >> as are you. you actually use a lot of the products that come out of the drugstore. >> products don't have to be expensive to make you look beautiful. these are products that i use and use with the celebrities i work with that you can find at your local drugstore. >> for example? >> for example, eyes. >> mascara. >> let your eyes have a wow moment. you can do it two ways. this is rimmel scandalize. this lengthens the lashes, makes them full and beautiful. $6.99. >> when i look at the price i think, oh, my gosh, it's probably going to cause me to have an eye infection or a problem. >> absolutely not! >> you say we can do it. >> we can do that. it really works. >> amazing. staying in the eye category. >> i have individual lashes on right now. most actresses -- >> i love that you owned up to it. >> of course. they make your eyes go like this. most actresses wear individual eyelashes on magazine covers and

on the red carpet. this starter kit is $11 $11.95 has everything you need, tweezers and glue, to put your individual lashes on. >> these individuals? >> these are accents that go at the corner of the eyes. >> pop them open. now an eye liner. >> a lot of actresses get glamorous with the cat eye. it's usually a liquid liner but it can be messy and smudged. i love maybelline's pen. you draw on the line. it's fantastic. >> it's like a magic marker on your eye. easier to use. that's not expensive. >> not expensive. that's $7.99. >> now, this is 99 cents. >> angelina jolie had this fantastic red mouth. insider tip, red on the lips makes your teeth look whiter for pictures. >> nice. >> fantastic red called retro

red. nyc new york, 99 cents. >> you have to be careful. one red doesn't -- one size does not fit all. >> it can age people in pictures. another example of how to have a perfect pout is to use stained gloss. this is maybelline super stay. put it on once, lasts for ten hours. >> ten hours? >> ten hours, baby. >> it's glossy for ten hours? >> glossy for ten hours. it looks fresher and fantastic and stays for ten hours. and it is $7.99. >> that saves us money. i use this because i like that. it goes on without being greasy. >> you, like almost every actress and dpla mower girl i know uses the product. you used to have to go to specialty stores and now it's at drugstores. it's $29.95 but worth every penny. it's ultra light. >> you're really not saving money on this one. >> not much money but it's worth

it. it's a great product at drugstores. it was more expensive at specialty stores and it fits in your handbag. >> and it's great for your skin. >> cleansing. olay has an advanced clepansing system. battery operated. you can use it in the shower and it exfoliates. >> very gentle. >> you used to be able to get them at a spa. now you can get it at the drugstore. >> oh, ticklish. oh, turn that off. oil of olay has a great reputation. >> $26.95. i love this toothbrush. $4. you can whiten your teeth while you're brushing. >> it's a whitener. >> you brush and whiten at the same time. >> how does it do that? >> the bristles. this is reach total care whitening toothbrush. the bristles whiten your teeth.

>> they get the decay off your teeth. they just hit the market. no more messy strips. >> there is a shampoo that has salma hay yek's name on it. >> kudos to her for creating a skin care and beauty line at drugstores. $8.39. she created the product as an ode to her mexican grandmother. it makes your hair shiny and glamorous and gorgeous. this is quinoa smooth and shine. >> what i'm eating? >> exactly. shampoo and eat at the same time. i love that she created a line for drugstores. she's glamorous and knows that beautiful things don't have to cost a lot. >> thanks for saving us money to help us look pretty. coming up next, the single most important thing when

interviewing for a new job. first, this is "today" on nbc.

we're back with help for millions of americans looking for work. what can you do to land a job in today's tough market? here with what every job candidate needs to know are jim citron and julie down, author of

"you need a leader, now what"? i have done segments on finding an ideal job. in this market it's about finding any job. how do you suggest people target their search? >> the first thing is to think about managing a career. it's about understanding what you're passionate about, what you're good at and finding the right fit. that's the key. even though it's about getting the first job, getting in there, adding value and then finding the way to succeed. >> what's the most important thing when it comes to a candidate looking for a job in terms of marketing themselves? what do you highlight on your resumé? >> i think it depends on what you're looking for. you need to show that you have something that's relevant to what you're doing. so even if it's not your last job. even if it's something that you do in your spare time, something that's relevant to what they are looking for. so they don't think you have just sent out -- >> a mass mailing. >> they think you have targeted them. >> just about everybody has one or two weaknesses on their

resumé. how do you suggest people handle the weaknesses? do you hide them and hope your employer won't see them or tackle them head on? >> we wrote the book from the perspective of people hiring the right person. but the same principle is true when you're looking for a job. it's about finding the right fit. i wouldn't hide the weaknesses. i would say, this is what i'm really good at. this is the environment in which i can succeed. and matching that and doing the diagnosis to match that to the employer's environment. >> companies have a choice. they can hire a candidate from within, promote that person or go from outside the company. since you wrote the book from the employer's perspective, how do they make the decision? what's the deciding factor? >> it's easier to go with the person you know, the internal person. it is harder to take the step and take a risk and look for somebody outside. so i think you need to be able to make your case to them. whether you are the internal candidate or the external candidate, you have to make it

easy for the person interviewing you to see you in that job. >> and we have been working with companies for years. 50 years. sometimes companies think, oh, we need an outsider to come in and shake it up. but sometimes they think, oh, only an insider can succeed. the point is the a same people can be successful in one situation that can be failures in another. it's about matching it to the situation. >> if i'm looking for a job at 54 years of age and competing with someone who's 36, 37 years of age i think i'm at a disadvantage unless experience is the ultimate factor. how does age play into this? >> let me take that. we have actually done studies and, in fact, in most cases there is no correlation between a person's age and performance on the job. people need to be armed with that information. sometimes you need to be flexible, not every position is going to be a step exactly in their linear sense forward. >> what about gender?

how much does that play in hiring decisions based on what you have seen? >> well, the numbers would suggest it plays into it because as you look you see women are not making the progress we all would have hoped. they have been in the pipeline a long time. obviously people don't talk about it because it's illegal to talk about it. so it must play into it. i think as a woman you need to be stronger in managing your own career and making your case, again, of why you at this time. and i think for women it's more important when you have a job to really manage your career and make sure you're being promoted and going into places in the direction you want to. >> in the 30 seconds i have left, if i go to apply for a job should i assume the employer has looked at my facebook page and has googled me? >> definitely. if you're a parent and you have kids, we have all said it. do not have the red cups out

there. be very conscious. by the way, if a negative story is about you on google, it is a reality, but you need to be prepared to address that. >> good information for the 14 million people out there looking for a job. thanks very much. the book is "you need a leader, i am mindy basara. here's a look at one of our top stories. city firefighters are recovering from minor injuries after battling a fire at west town road. a row home caught fire went occupants left the heater on unintended. firefighters were able to bring the flames under control in less than 30 minutes. crews were able

>> it is going to be a chilly day, but quiet. mostly sunny skies expected. high temperatures between 40 and 45. temperatures into the upper 50s to around 60. >> another update at 9:25.