good morning. what killed whitney houston? police now trace the prescription drugs found in the singer's hotel room back to the doctors who prescribed them. this morning why the white house is calling houston's death a teachable moment. rising to the top. rick santorum leading or very close to mitt roey in four new national polls as he launches an aggressive strategy in michigan, a state that romney grew up in. that contest could now decide the winner of the gop race. and the legend grows. jeremy lin, the nba's newest superstar hits a last second shot to lift the new york knicks. >> lin puts it up -- bang!

jeremy lin from downtown. >> how a harvard grad cut by two other teams became the talk of basketball, the country and even china today, wednesday, february basketball, the country and even china today, wednesday, february 15, to 12. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning. welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> i'm savannah guthrie. ann is on assignment today. as the investigation into whitney houston's death moves forward we are learning about the plans for a weekend burial. >> the family has opted for a private invitation-only funeral saturday at the newark church where houston sang as a child.

governor chris christie ordered the flags in the state to fly at half staff that day. we'll have the latest on the preparations ahead. and an interesting start to the murder trial of an alabama man accused of killing his bride during a scuba diving trip on their australian honeymoon. he showed up to court with his new wife. details on that case. >> bad news for drivers and the economy. gas prices are up 13 cents in the last month alone. there is new worry that we could hit all-time highs by the summer driving months. we'll tell you what's behind this most recent price hike. >> we'll meet america's new top dog. the pekingese won best in show last night. he's with us live this morning. we'll meet him later. oop o >> we begin with jeff rossen in los angeles for the latest on whitney houston's death. >> reporter: new reports about whitney houston's erratic final

days including an emotional outburst in the hotel gift shop and the investigation may be taking a new turn as well. the l.a. times says police are focusing on the pill bottles found in her room and the doctors who prescribed them. they are the final images of whitney houston, just 48 hours before her death. looking dishevelled, witnesses say, and out of it. that day people magazine reports whitney was in the gift shop of the beverly hilton and saw herself on the cover of a tabloid. she reportedly cursed and yelled, what is wrong with these people? when did i collapse? by saturday she was dead in the bathtub. whitney's daughter bobb bobbi kristina was screaming, what's wrong with her? investigators are trying to figure that out tracing whitney's prescription pill bolts back to the doctors and pharmacies though they say there

was not an unusual amount in the room. >> if someone were to take a variety of drugs and alcohol, it can stop them from breathing and it can stop their heart and lead to a heart attack. ♪ >> reporter: while the toxicology report and official cause of death are still weeks away, whitney's public battle with addiction now front and center. in hollywood -- >> a terrible loss. i hate this disease. >> what disease do you speak of? >> alcoholism and drug addiction. >> okay. >> i can't speak knowledgeably that she passed from that. >> okay. >> i know she's had problems with her demons as i have myself. she lost. >> reporter: on cable news -- >> the hard truth is some people will always want to destroy themselves and there is nothing society can do about it. >> reporter: though the white house drug czar weighed in calling whitney's death a teachable moment. >> there is a moment the country

can reflect upon recognizing that prescription drugs can be powerful, addictive and quite dangerous. >> reporter: as whitney houston's casket arrived in new jersey, so did her family. mother cissy and cousin dionne warwick. the funeral scheduled for saturday in newark at the new hope baptist church. the same church where she began her career singing in the choir as a teenager. ♪ >> reporter: it will be private. invitation only. no public memorial. >> they had shared her for 30-some years with the city, with the state, with the world. this is their time now for their farewell to their daughter, mother. >> reporter: the family was said to be considering a public tribute at a large arena in new jersey but decided against it. fans will be able to watch saturday's funeral on tv.

one camera will be allowed into the church, matt. >> thanks, jeff. janine piero is the host of justice with judge janine on fox news and the former judge in new york. and chairman from the science department at the john j. college of criminal justice. good morning. >> good morning. >> the police say they do not consider this a homicide. they have no plans at the moment to launch a criminal investigation. are you surprised they concluded those things so early? >> i'm shocked. within 48 hours of a woman found underwater in her hotel room with prescription bottles around her where even the coroner said, look, i have no idea what the cause of death is. we have to wait until the evidence is in, i think it's shocking for them to say it's one thing or another. >> except the police officers are the ones who have been inside the hotel room. they examined the scene of her

death. why shouldn't they be allowed to conclude what they have? >> they are detectives. it's the very people they are. their job is to investigate and say -- who went in and out of this room? what do the cameras show? the drugs that are here, are there drugs that could have killed her? who prescribed the drugs? are these things they have answers to within 48 hours? >> there are published reports that they will consider subpoenaing the doctors who prescribed the drugs, looking to find out what? >> looking to find out whether or not there was malpractice that rose to the level of criminal prosecution. we saw it in michael jackson. conrad murray. when you've got someone addicted to drugs and you continue to give them drugs that could add to their addiction or a concierge doctor. you know it. celebrities want what they want and they get it. >> according to the reports i have seen there was not a lot in terms of prescription drugs

inside that room. if people are picturing 50 bottles of drugs on a counter, that's not the case. >> there have been a number of high profile celebrities that died as a result of drugs, drug interactions, drugs combined with alcohol. it's understandable why people would jump to the conclusion that that's the case here. we really don't know and we won't until the autopsy is completed. the autopsy includes the toxicology report. that will tell us what's in her body and how many of those drugs are in her body, the quantities. only then will they know what caused her death. >> what's a red flag that comes to mind in the toxicology report? >> first is benzodiazapime in connection with alcohol. carol quinlan in the '70s suck comed to the drugs and people should have learned then combining drugs and alcohol, anti-anxiety drugs like xanax is

deadly. >> after a tough course she could have just had a heart attack. >> yes. if it's stress, a heart attack and she was an amoxicillin. so many people think because drugs have been prescribed for them and are legal there is no problem. it's the interaction, based on your history and who you are. >> let's not speculate until we get the toxicology reports. larry, thank you very much. janine, good to see you. here's savannah. >> in the republican presidential race rick santorum is riding his momentum to the top of the latest national poll. where does that leave mitt romney? peter alexander is in grand rapids, michigan, with the latest this morning. good morning to you. >> good morning to you. mitt romney arrives today. rick santorum tomorrow for what's proving to be a pivotal primary. romney has roots in the state. he should have home field advantage but his rival rick santorum is hoping to pull off another upset.

rick santorum's surge is spreading. >> we love you. we like you. we will vote for you. >> your question? you're going to make me blush. >> i don't have a question. i just wanted to tell you. >> oh, okay. well, thank you. >> reporter: with four new national polls showing him leading or neck and neck with mitt romney, the next major showdown in michigan in less than two weeks with santorum hopes to deal a devastating loss on what romney considers home turf. he was raised here. his father was a popular governor and auto executive. romney won michigan four years ago and the campaign is touting tonight's event as a welcome home rally, a point emphasized by this romney ad. >> i grew up in michigan. it was exciting to be here. i remember going to the detroit auto show with my dad and that was a big deal. i want to make michigan stronger and better. michigan has been my home and this is personal. >> reporter: in his own ad

santorum is targeting one of rom my's weaknesses. his inability to win over conservatives. >> rick santorum is rock solid on values issues. >> reporter: romney's allies insist santorum's voting record isn't rock solid, unleashing this new attack. >> in a single session santorum cosponsored 51 bills to increase spending and zero to cut spending. rick santorum, big spender, washington insider. >> reporter: still, some suggest romney's opposition to the auto bailout may jeopardize his chances in michigan. but romney isn't backing down. on tuesday he reasserted criticism writing in an op-ed, the president says without his intervention things in detroit would be worse. i believe without his intervention things there would be better. for his part, newt gingrich was in california doing a little "pand

"pandering" at the san diego zoo. >> this has been like riding space mountain. by super tuesday we'll be back in the middle of the hunt. >> reporter: super tuesday is next month. the race does begin to heat up at the end of the month. beginning february 28th there are 18 contests in 15 days. one more thing, the santorum campaign is debuting an ad in michigan called rombo. you can see there is a cardboard cut out of rick santorum. that's a double of mitt romney who is shooting at the cutout with a machine gun and mud, but he keeps missing the elusive rick santorum. >> it's only beginning in michigan. peter, thank you. >> let's get a check of the top stories. natalie is at the news desk with those. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with police in major u.s. cities exercising vigilance around jewish and israeli facilities as tensions are mounting between israel and iran. this morning, thai authorities

say home made sticky bombs discovered in a house in bangkok were similar to devices used to target the israeli embassies in india and georgia on monday. iran denies a role in tuesday's bombings in bangkok where a man with iranian passport lost a leg when the bomb he was carrying detonated. iran is unveiling newer and more powerful uranium enrichment centrifuges while tehran says it is cutting oil exports to six countries in the european union. the obama administration is mulling a possible 80% cut to the u.s. nuclear weapons force. the reduction in the number of deployed weapons would be a major move in the direction of disarmament. on capitol hill today, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are closing in on a deal to extend a payroll tax cut through 2012. a massive black smoke cloud is darkening the sky over the flash point syrian can city of homs after an explosion struck a

major oil pipeline there. this as u.s. state department officials say the u.s. is closely monitoring syria's chemical weapons amid fears militant groups could take possession of the arsenals as the uprising escalates. now to mary thompson as the new york stock exchange. what's going on today? >> in case you missed it there's been a stealth rally on wall street. all three of the major u.s. indices up since october. this as europe struggles with weak growth. the eurozone economy contracted in the fourth quarter. five of 17 countries that share the euro currency in recession including greece where officials continue to work on securing the second bailout for the country. back to you. >> mary thompson, thank you. a warning from the president for the gentlemen out there. the commander in chief told a press gathering in washington, d.c. not to forget that tuesday was valentine's day. the first lady's husband lived up to the announcement taking

the first lady out on a dinner date and wishing her a happy valentine's day on twitter. as you saw already, there is a lot of dog in a small package. a lot of hair as well. a pekingese named malachai won best in show last night, wowing judges with his flowing locks and smushed-in face. he's here and will join us live in studio this morning so we can see just why he's top dog this morning. >> hey, off the couch. >> he has a little blue cushion under him. back to you, matt and savannah. >> we're not even showing the hair dresser. >> natalie, thank you. mr. roker with a first check of the weather. >> what a winner he is! winning the thing you will. we have wet weather making it into the west with snowshowers. rainshowers working their way through central california. in the upper elevations we're talking about four to eight

inches of snow. then we have a risk of strong storms as we make it to the east from galveston to new orleans and parts of mississippi. we have the risk of strong storms, isolated tornadoes, rainfall from half an inch to an inch of rain up to cincinnati. >> good morning. the skies will turn mostly sunny as we go into the afternoon and temperatures will be slightly above average. above average. and that's your latest weather. matt? >> thank you very much. here's some troubling news. gas prices are back on the rise and some analysts say it could get even worse just in time for the summer driving season.

nbc's john yang is in chicago with the details on this. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. we're all used to gas prices going up in springtime when the driving season is about to approach, but this year the increase is happening sooner and it is going up more than before. experts say a combination of things -- tensions in the middle east, big refineries on the east coast shutting down, big demand for gas in asia sent gas prices up 13 cents in the last month alone. national average for a gallon of unleaded, $3.51. on the north side of chicago it's $3.99 a gallon. in big cities like chicago it's higher than the national average. at city scents floral and homes in chicago, sending a sign of your love just got more expensive thanks to the cost of filling up the delivery truck at the gas station. >> it cuts into our bottom line. $95 a couple times a week hits you in the pocket. >> reporter: owner theresa

montana tried to hold the line but last month had to raise the delivery fee by a dollar. >> we have tried not to pass it on to customers. it's a hard time for everyone. >> reporter: just another way americans' big pain at the pump is touching lives. in chicago where aaa averages $3.57 a gallon. >> everything is going up except the paychecks. >> reporter: in charlotte, north carolina, $3.64. >> it trickles down. you have less money for everything else. >> reporter: in los angeles, $3.88. >> it hurts. tough economy right now. every dollar counts. >> might be time to invest in a bicycle. >> reporter: analysts say prices are only headed higher. gas buddy.com predicts the national average of $3.95 by memorial day. higher in big cities. in atlanta, $4.60. $4.70 in los angeles. in chicago, $4.95, the highest in the continental united

states. are we headed for record territory this summer, do you think? >> we could get there. we're already about 35 cents ahead of where we were last year when prices peaked at $3.98. >> reporter: so the sticker shock at the pump may get worse. >> other ways i would rather spend my money but it's a necessity. >> reporter: theresa is trying to keep costs down so her customers can have one of life's little pleasures. >> it's sad. everyone likes receiving flowers. >> reporter: fasten your seat belts. forecasters say $5 a gallon by summer is not out of the question. matt? >> john yang in chicago. thank you very much. it's 19 after the hour. here's savannah. >> thanks, matt. you may be enjoying the mild winter but for millions of people it's not all good news. the warmer weather is triggering the early arrival of allergy season. nbc's chief environmental correspondent anne thompson is in atlanta with more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning,

savannah. i'm at the atlanta botanical garden and there is a price to pay for this unexpectedly warm winter. today in atlanta it will top 60 degrees but you will pay the price if you have allergies. across the country, spring has come early. daffodils and tulips are up. trees are flowering and they are putting pollen in the air creating to, what some people, feels like a year round allergy season. >> we have had no reprieve this year from symptoms. >> reporter: in january the average temperature was almost six degrees higher than normal leading to triple digit pollen counts this month. >> right after groundhog day we started seeing patients with symptoms of springtime allergies which is unusual. usually we don't see patients with symptoms until the later part of february. >> reporter: the cause of the symptoms, the early bloomers like the evergreen azaleas in

georgia's calloway gardens. the director of the garden says they are a month ahead of schedule. will early blooming hurt them? >> no, it just means this particular one won't be in full bloom a month from now. >> reporter: believe it or not, plants need cold weather. colin says it helps their root system. >> cold weather gives you dormancy and kicks back the insects we have. if we don't have enough cold weather we'll have more insects. >> reporter: well, at least we'll have the flowers. the bottom line, doctors say the spring allergy season is starting earlier and will probably last longer. savannah? >> anne thompson, thanks so much. here's matt. >> now to the sports world's newest sensation. in a couple of weeks jeremy lin has gone from an unknown to a starring role with the new york knicks. last night his legend grew. [ cheers and applause ]

>> lin puts it up -- bang! jeremy lin from downtown! >> with his new york knicks in a tie game tuesday night he hit a three-point shot with half a second left to beat the toronto raors. >> can you believe this is happening to you? >> no. >> ten days ago lin was a virtual unknown. an undrafted harvard grad who was cut by two nba teams. lin is now a breakout star with the knicks drawing a legion of loyal fans. tuesday night's game winner adds to the legend of lin. >> i wanted to make sure i got a good shot at the end of the clock. >> you just watch in awe. he only held it to .5 left. he was confident it was going in. no rebounds or anything. that was getting barried.

>> so-called linsanity is taking new york by storm. after leading the knicks to their sixth straight win tuesday lin says it's not about him. >> it's not because of me. it's because we are coming together as a team. i love playing on a team that wants to be a team and this team wants to be a team. we're all having fun. >> jerseys are selling out in the united states and in china. >> how many jerseys have they made of jeremy lin? >> both of the jerseys sold out. >> back benchers, rejoice. there's hope. >> just ahead, the adorable dog dubbed best in show at westminster. first, this is "today" on nbc.

coming up, the trial of a

man accused of murdering his bride on a honeymoon scuba diving trip in australia gets under way. and the outpouring of love for the duchess of cambridge during a special >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. hundreds of residents in southwest baltimore are waking up without gas service this morning. bge was forced to turn of service to hundreds of homes and businesses in the area after crews trying to fix a water main struck and broke it on tuesday. it needs to be pumped back out

before them and can be fixed. there repair process could take several days. traffic problems in the area, as you can imagine. >> it has been a real mess this morning. if you are traveling there, definitely avoid it. these continue towards edmondson. looking at delays on eastbound i-70. 30 miles per hour as you travel there. 29 miles per hour towards the northeast. j.f.x. just below the beltway, this continues towards northern parkway. southbound traffic, backed up. here is what it looks like on the north side york road. outer loop delays in place. >> weather is pretty quiet.

no precipitation. 42 at the airport. 39 in taneytown. becoming mostly sunny. there will be cloud cover to start. mostly sunny this afternoon. high temperatures to sneak into low 50s and most areas. hit and miss rainshowers. sunday, possibility of a coastal storm. storm.

7:30 now on a wednesday morning, the 15th day of february 2012. there is a view from the top of the rock, as savannah guthrie would say looking in which direction? >> come on. why do you do this to me? south, of course. >> it's actually a 25% chance. cloudy to start the day. we have a plaza packed with people. >> i knew it wasn't east or west. >> i'm matt lauer alongside the explorer savannah guthrie. >> i have my gps here. >> just ahead we're going to the

dogs, and not just any dog. the top dog in the land. malachy, the pekingese walked off with top honors at westminster last night. that's a very big deal. this morning he celebrates his win with us. coming up, we'll meet him and his owner. >> his hair and makeup all done and ready. plus, the sweet way kate middleton spent her valentine's day. details in a live report from buckingham palace. >> also we'll catch up with khloe kardashian odum here to talk about her reality show, her marriage and some of the headlines about her family. >> we begin with an alabama man accused of killing his wife during a scuba diving trip on their honeymoon. mark potter is in birmingham for us. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. in an unusual trial in alabama witnesses are being flown in from australia as jurors are asked to consider whether a

honeymoon death was the result of murder or a tragic accident. gabe watson came to court in birmingham, alabama, with his current wife kim to face charges he married his previous wife tina thomas watson in australia where they went diving on their honeymoon in 2003. in opening statements, andrew airington said watson drowned his wife of 11 days by shutting off her regulator in order to cash in on her insurance policies. >> the defendant expected to gain up to $165,000 from her death benefits. proceeds from the old republic insurance company. airing ton showed a photograph he said shows tina dead with her mask off on the bottom of the ocean. watson's claims about his wife panicking and sinking before he

could help her kept changing. the defense claim the death was not murder and that both watson and his wife were inexperienced divers and she drowned accidentally in dangerous waters on the great barrier reef. >> this is a tragic case. what's even more tragic is the blame of gabe that he's had to live with for the last number of years. >> reporter: the defense flatly rejected the prosecution theory that the motive for murder was insurance money. >> her dad was a beneficiary of the policy. her dad collected on that policy. >> reporter: watson was originallycharged with murder in australia but pleaded guilty to negligent manslaughter for failing to protect his wife during the dive. he served 18 months but his late wife's family fought to have him tried in the u.s. >> one thing we have held onto is we owe tina to see that justice is done. gabe watson needs to face the evidence before a jury for that to happen. >> reporter: watson was

extradited after authorities said they would waive the death penalty. prosecutors claim it was here where watson plotted to kill his wife on their honeymoon dive trip to australia. of course the defense denies that, too. the trial is expected to last two or three weeks. if watson is convicted he could face the possibility of life in prison without parole. savannah? >> mark potter in birmingham, alabama, thank you. now a check of the weather from al. >> all right. thank you so much, savannah. we have friends here from the bahamas. >> yeah. >> usually it's a little bit better than this. >> a little bit better. >> we'll take kathie lee and hoda down there. for today we have wet weather. we've also got cooler than normal temperatures. 30s and 40s in the northeast. 20s in the northern plains and the inner mountain region, nice and warm. southern texas, 80 degrees. down in tallahassee, we're looking at temperatures in the 80s. a risk of strong storms through the gulf.

rain into the mid mississippi river valley. snow in the inner mountain regions. >> good morning.cific northwest. we're awfully quiet start on this wednesday. the skies will turn mostly sunny as we move into the afternoon. what's your name? where are you from? >> chris and robin hughes from monroe, louisiana. >> louisiana. good to see you. let's head back inside to matt. >> it was an eventful valentine's day for kate middleton, the duchess of cambridge devoted her time to others with a trip to liverpool. michelle kosinski is at

buckingham palace with details on that. good morning. >> reporter: hi, matt. for this princess there was no romantic dinner, no first valentine's day with her new husband. but the way she chose to spend it, also in service of her country, was beyond sweet. she had no shortage of flowers. and more flowers. gifts and outpourings of love. at a children's hospital in liverpool, young patients waited, many in blankets and wheelchairs. excitement keeping them warm. >> the princess. >> is she very beautiful? >> yeah! >> this young english rose brought a beautiful bouquet. >> she said they're very pretty flowers, aren't they? >> 8-year-old jackson had flowers, charm and cup cake saying he's sorry william can't be there. >> dear kate, happy valentine's

day. >> oh, thank you so much. >> reporter: kate spent her day with kids, some of whom have spent their entire lives in the hospital. who showered her with home made cards bearing her photo. >> oh, thank you. it's beautiful. >> reporter: when paige drew a picture of her and william, kate shared a laugh with the mother of a sick infant, played with toddler, talked at length to older ones like emily. it all made elliot's day. >> she told me about her dog. >> reporter: did she tell you the name? >> yes. >> reporter: is it a secret? >> yes. >> they chatted like they had known each other for ages. it was lovely. that smile said it all. >> reporter: kate stopped at action on addiction, another of her charities. they serenaded her with a surprise from their alcohol-free bar. a smoothie called the duchess, their most popular drink.

what a way to spend a holiday to celebrate what the heart can do. even among complete strangers. so willing to share. >> the visit cheered me up. i feel a lot better. >> is she beautiful? >> even more beautiful than i thought. >> reporter: kate shared another secret with a young admirer that prince william, though he's busy on duty as a search and rescue pilot and has already rescued someone, made sure there was a card and flowers waiting for kate on valentine's morning. matt? >> michelle kosinski at buckingham palace this morning. thank you very much. coming up, star jones is here to talk about her very public weight loss battle and the surprising emotional toll it took on her. the story in a live interview. up next, as the investigation unfolds, why whitney houston's death should be a wake-up call for the dangers of mixing prescription drugs. dr. nancy snyderman weighs in. ♪ sunlight says get up and go

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my name is paul fabry, and i grow oranges in florida for tropicana. my grandpa taught me that there's no orange like a florida orange. they're grown in just the right soil... with the perfect amount of sunshine. see, that's how you get that beautiful colour and ripeness. tropicana pure premium is made with 100% florida oranges. because the best oranges make the best juice. ♪ back now at 7:42 with a reality check on the dangers of prescription drug abuse. it's an issue being talked about as officials look into whether the drugs played a role in whitney houston's death. according to the cdc, the abuse

of prescription medications has become the fastest growing drug problem in the united states. dr. nancy snyderman is nbc's chief medical editor. good morning. good to see you. >> hi, savannah. >> we should repeat at the outset we don't know the cause of death for whitney houston. the l.a. times reports prescription drugs were found in her room and investigators are looking at the pharmacies where the drugs were prescribed from. setting that aside, i guess the issue is first of all, why does it take so long for the toxicology results to come back? >> i'm not sure it's taking so long. i think they have a good idea now. at the time of the initial autopsy it was immediately looked for a source of immediate drowning. they ruled out sources of immediate death -- they ruled out drowning quickly. it came pretty fast through spinal fluid, blood that they can find out what drugs are there. they will look for drug resid s residues. they want to get this one right. i have a feeling they know well but they want a complete report.

>> this has raised the issue of the use of prescription drugs. some are now household names like xanax, the benzodiazepines. celebrities are known to use them but regular people have them in their medicine cabinets and may use them casually. may even have a glass of wine sometimes with it. to that you say what? >> i think we have to be careful. i think we have to throw race into this. this is not a black woman on cocaine. this is a woman of affluence able to get her hands on these medications. it's heath ledger all over again. whether it's a doctor or a concierge who gave her the medications it came through the legal pipeline. you have to be a stupid doctor to give a drug addict addicting drugs. i hate the words wake up call or teachable moments, but this is a screaming loud moment for everybody who takes things to

calm their nerves or go to sleep and they think nothing of taking a little extra. it usually starts because someone will take something to go to sleep and after a couple months you take two because you need more. then you have anxiety. you go to dinner and you have had a cocktail and you may have another. unless you're a pharmacologist and you understand how the drugs interact, one can potentiate the other. it's very easy to put yourself into a coma or cause a heart attack or sudden death. you can do it whether you're a person of affluence or whether you live on the street. the idea that you have a prescription lulls people into a false sense of safety. >> some commentators have said there are people in the world who are bent on destroying themselves and there is nothing you can do. do you take that view or do you think the prescription drug can be an illness, the same way alcoholism is considered an illness? >> i saw that comment. there is some truth that some people are self-destructive, but

give me a break. there are people around someone in need who can step in. it requires an intervention. family and friends who are willing to sever the ties and put their friendship and sometimes their paychecks at risk by saying, you're in trouble. i can see it. i'm not going to be codependent with you. for every physician who doesn't do a complete history and gives medication to somebody, shame on them, too. just one final thing before we draw judgment. we don't know whose name is on the prescription bottles. we don't know the physicians. that's going to be the next point of investigation. but there were a lot of warning signs and a lot of codependent people around whitney houston who could have taken a chance and saved her life and chose not to. >> a lot of unanswered questions. dr. nancy snyderman, thank you for your perspective this morning. up next, best in show. we'll meet the winner of the westminster dog show right after this. [ kareem ] i was fascinated by balsa wood airplanes

since i was a kid. [ mike ] i always wondered how did an airplane get in the air. at ge aviation, we build jet engines. we lift people up off the ground to 35 thousand feet. these engines are built by hand with very precise assembly techniques. [ mike ] it's gonna fly people around the world. safely and better than it's ever done before. it would be a real treat to hear this monster fire up. [ jaronda ] i think a lot of people, when they look at a jet engine, they see a big hunk of metal. but when i look at it, i see seth, mark, tom, and people like that who work on engines every day. [ tom ] i would love to see this thing fly. [ kareem ] it's a dream, honestly. there it is. oh, wow. that's so cool! yeah, that was awesome! [ cheering ] [ tom ] i wanna see that again. ♪

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♪ patrolling and tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty ♪ ♪ tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty ♪ ♪ tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty ♪ ♪ tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty ♪ [ mom ] hi, there. why do we always have to take your mom's car? [ male announcer ] the security of a tiguan, one of nine volkswagen models named a 2012 iihs top safety pick. ♪ tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty ♪ we're back now at 7:50 with the nation's new top dog. a pekingese named malachy was named best in show last night at the 136th westminster kennel club dog show. he is with us this morning along with his owner david fitzpatrick and westminster analyst david frye. guys, good morning. malachy, good morning. >> good morning. >> how did you celebrate the big win? >> with a lot of champagne. >> for you or for malachy? >> for me and my friends and the

other owners. we had a big party after the dog show. you know, until about 3:30 in the morning. >> let me mention this is not a jeremy lin, david and goliath story. this dog has won a lot of titles. this is a famous dog. >> he certainly is. he's won 115 best in shows. that's a huge amount. he's the only dog that's won over 100 shows last year. >> you had him since he was a puppy. >> five months old. >> did you always see the star quality in him? >> i did. he came from the united kingdom. i picked him up at newark airport atticus toms, took him out of the crate, walked him and i thought, i have a great dog here. >> this david, what do the judges look for in this breed? >> well, they are always looking for the breed traits that make it a great pekingese. they are supposed to be top-heavy, heavier in the front, pear-shaped and they have to have the right kind of head,

right coat. we watch them move but i'm not sure what it shows us with pekingese, of course. they are a great show dog, of course. you have great specimens in there. but they have to own the ground they stand over though you may not be able to see it. >> the breed has an interesting storied history. they come from royalty. >> all of the dogs are royalty, i think. >> just a fact i learned here. first of all, you have been coming the dog's hair since you got here. this is not a low maintenance dog. >> no. i want him to look good for you. >> and you said this morning the dog is a loyal "today" show viewer. >> every day. >> in his dog room. >> we always have "today" on. >> what's next for malachy? will he continue to compete or will he spend some time with the ladies? >> he'll spend time with the ladies. he's retired after the win last night. what more can he do? >> we'd pet him but we don't

want to mess up his hair. >> thank you. >> we'll be right back after your local news. okay, team! after age 40, we can start losing muscle -- 8% every 10 years. wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara torbit here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> tracking several big problems coming in to us. millington avenue and frederick wrote we still have closure is related to the gas main break in the city. 27 miles per hour on the west side outer loop. accident at st. paul street and presidents street. delays on the j.f.x. southbound from the belt way out to 28. looking at a slow go for 95 out of the northeast. but these side towards the paris to express my. southbound route 2, ritchie highway, watch for an accident

there. this is causing some delays and we have saw by delays on 97 as well making your way down from crain highway. live look at traffic, here is what it looks like it baltimore national pike. let's switch over to a life of traffic in the area of the j.f.x. coming towards us. you can see a it is pretty heavy from the beltway to its 28th street. >> we are off to a nice, quiet start. a few clouds left over from the storm system that came over yesterday. 43 at the airport, 38 in columbia, 39 degrees at westminster. average high temperature is 45. we are pretty close to that right now. we're going to be above average this afternoon. the clouds will break up and will turn mostly sunny as well.

another strong will come in quickly. a chance for rainshowers on thursday. dry on friday and saturday. computer models developing a coastal storm. high-temperature around 38

8:00 now on a wednesday morning. it's the 15th day of february, 2012. got a drizzle in the air in new york city. the temperature is pretty mild. so it's not bad. 44 degrees. we get a chance to say hi to some of the nice people who stopped by rockefeller plaza on this wednesday morning. savannah is here while ann is on assignment. mr. roker as well. coming up in this half hour, star jones is in studio. she's going to talk about her often public battle with weight.

she was 307 pounds at her heaviest. now she's down in weight. but it's come with struggle and criticism. >> also ahead khloe kardashian is here to talk about the new season of her reality show. >> and water, we all need to drink it, but there could be pesticides. even hormones in the filter. you can combat them, but which work best? we'll have the results of a new evaluation by the nice folks at good housekeeping. >> before we get to that let's go inside. natalie is at the news desk with a check of the headlines. >> good morning, matt. good morning, everyone. we begin with details of the private funeral planned for singer whitney houston. gospel star marvin, a family

friend will deliver the yulg thursday and flags will be lowered to half staff. meantime the los angeles times reports investigators are trying to trace the prescription pills found in houston's room and who prescribed them. the medical examiner has yet to cause on the cause of death. the maker of avastin and the fda are trying to track down counterfeit vials of the drug distributed in the usa. genetech warns the fake drug apparently imported doesn't contain the active ingredient in the real avastin and said the phony version doesn't have the name printed on the packaging. a medical examiner provided graphic testimony tuesday about what killed former college lacrosse player yeardley love. her ex-boyfriend is on trial for murder. here's more from charlesville, virginia. lilia, good morning. >> good morning.

today the defense begins presenting its case in the murder trial in george huguely. prosecutors introduced testimony about the struggle between huguely and yeardley love. the defense denies he killed her. on trial for murder, a violent and jealous huguely killed yeardley love. one expert testified that huguely's dna was under love's finger nails. it was a clear sign of struggle. huguely admitted kicking open the bedroom door and wrestling her. he told police he took her and may have grabbed her around the neck. medical examiner dr. big gormley testified love died from blunt force injuries to the head. injuries so severe her heart stopped beating. >> if the cause of death is blunt force trauma and he was the last one with her, he's in

trouble. >> jurors saw yeardley's face battered and cut. signs of violence on her face, back, chest and arms. >> the prosecution want it is jury to see the injuries. it will appeal to their emotions. they will see this woman was traumatized and that can't help but help the prosecution. >> reporter: the defense claims love could have died from a deadly mix of adderall and alcohol. but the medical examiner said her levels were too low to kill her and though her blood alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit the medical examiner testified that had nothing to do with her death. the defense was scheduled to start calling in witnesses on monday, but with prosecutors taking longer than anticipated huguely's defense is expected to begin laying out the case later today. the trial will likely continue into the weekend. natalie? >> charlesville, virginia, thank you, lilia. now for a look at what's got you talking online.

unlikely nba phenomenon jeremy lin is the toast of twitter after outdoing himself last night. the harvard grad led a new york knicks comeback against the raptors sinking the game-winning shot with a half second left on the clock. kate upton is heating up online after her "today" appearance. but don't look for her on the cat walk. the director of the cat walk show says she's too blond and has a face anyone with money can buy. and the tiniest chameleon is a giant hit on facebook. it's small enough to fit on a match head. the species still needs to hide under leaves during the day and climb in trees at night to outsmart predators. it's kind of cute-looking. 8:05. now outside to al with a check of the weather. >> he'll be in the sequel to

rango though. where are you from? >> florida. >> little bit nippy for you. >> a little. >> hence the harry potter scarf. let's check it out. for "today," our pick city just happens to be the lovely town of burlington, vermont. they have scattered snowshowers. temperature of 37 degrees. and as we check out what else is happening for you, we have showers making their name. look for snow in the mountains of californ >> good morning. the skies will turn mostly sunny as we go into the afternoon and temperatures will be slightly above average. above average.

and that's your latest weather. now ms. guthrie. >> thank you, mr. roker. up next, star jones talks about her public battle with weight. we'll talk to her after this. [ female announcer ] what makes smoothness last? what makes a touch linger? smooth sensation from nivea. the light lotion with moisture enhancing 24-hour-plus hydra iq. it works with your skin's hydration system to keep your skin smooth, all day... all night. smooth sensation and the essentials collection with hydra iq only from nivea. touch and be touched. now bring the world a touch closer. join our million moments of touch movement and be entered in nivea's daily date night sweepstakes.

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we're back at 8:10 with our friend star jones who says she's the happiest and healthiest she's ever been. for yearswaged a public battle with her weight. at her heaviest she was over 300 pounds and was classified as morbidly obese. we'll talk to star about it. first, her transformation. >> i was definitely a food addict. my entire adult life i had been over weight. star jones, assistant city attorney. >> i wasn't fluffy. i wasn't full figured. i wasn't plus-sized. i was morbidly lyly obese. >> this is my type of fashion show. >> when i joined "the view" i was 225 pounds. those were my most successful in the public years, but i also

gained right in front of your face 75 pounds in one year. what i didn't know at the time was i was severely depressed. i didn't have what i really wanted. i wanted to have someone in my life that made me feel special. i would go to burger king and order the most decadent sandwich, a double whopper with cheese, extra ketchup, extra mayonnaise, extra cheese. i couldn't walk stairs without having to stop and catch my breath. it was my greatest fear that i would die in my apartment by myself after having a stroke or a heart attack. too big to get to a phone. i made up my mind, whatever it took i was going to lose that weight. i don't know if people realize

that in 2003 gastric bypass still was a pretty dangerous procedure. i do remember having to be weighed that day. the scale was one of those industrial scales that they weighed me on. i swore an oath to god i would never need a scale like that again. emotionally, i made decisions not to discuss it publically. i was depressed and confused and just really not ready. i don't apologize for it. i know people want me to say, you know, i really wish that i had told everybody. i did it the way i needed to do it. i credit losing the weight with saving my life. it's a lot of work afterwards. i attribute about 80 to 100 pounds of my weight loss directly to the surgery. but the rest of it was all me.

i lost just about 160 pounds. i lost a human being. i really wish there were an easier way to maintain it. but there isn't. for me, it's green leafy vegetables, high protein diet and get my butt up and get to that gym. this is the happiest and healthiest i have ever been. i'll be 50 years old next month. i don't know if i would be here today if i hadn't taken control of my weight. >> tough to watch that? >> it's hard to see how out of control i had allowed myself to be. >> the photos? >> i take full responsibility for it. >> i want to get to the decision of not disclosing gastric bypass

surgery. it angered people. >> it ticked them off. it was so public. >> they think you should have said, i did it. whether it's right for you. >> i was public with other aspects of my life. i can completely understand that. it really worked for me. it allowed me to get emotionally safe and secure. >> it even put a strain on relationships with co-workers. >> my co-workers? how about my then husband? my friends? they all said, star, this is gripping you. you're going to need to talk about it. i couldn't. interestingly enough, my decision to get emotionally safe and happy and lose 300 pounds in my head is what ultimately saved my life. >> do you think it was a weakness that by revealing the surgery you were saying you had given up? i don't understand. >> i'm not sure i thought i could be successful at it, to be honest with you.

i thought i'd gain the weight back. i had never been successful at losing weight before. i needed to forgive myself for being such a smart girl and so stupid when it came to my health. >> i was reading something you said recently. we take you now to after the surgery and you start shedding the pounds. that you weren't prepared emotionally for losing the weight. >> not in the least bit. i didn't know that i would be not celebrated, not applauded. i felt that other women looked at me differently. men looked at me different. i wasn't prepared for any of that. that's part of my problem. i didn't do the therapy that came with losing the weight. that's when i got healthy. >> shifting gears, 2010, seven years after the gastric bypass surgery, your lifestyle is better, but you notice symptoms that turned out to be heart disease. >> shortness of breath, heart palpitations, light headedness.

i thought it was residual effects of the gastric bypass. dumb me. those are the early signs of heart disease for women. >> how long did it take to get diagnosed? >> i got diagnosed in january 2010. i had the surgery march 17, 2010. >> kind of a kick in the pants. you go through this stuff with the weight loss and here comes heart disease. >> i was so angry and upset, i didn't want to have the surgery. i have to tell you heart disease is the number one killer of women. it beats all the next four causes of death combined. that's why i volunteer with the american heart association. i'm alive today because i decided to lose weight and take control of my health. >> to show your support you are wearing red 28 straight days? not the same dress though. sf >> no, no. for the month of february i'm going red. the message is eat less and move more. it saved my life.

i exercise right now 30 minutes a day. no questions. i go to soul cycle and get on the bike. i'm happy. >> we're happy for you. >> thank you for making me feel at home and safe. >> my pleasure. 17 after the hour. up next, khloe kardashian odum gives a sneak peek at the new season of her reality show after this. this is $100,000. we asked total strangers to watch it for us. thank you so much, i appreciate it, i'll be right back. they didn't take a dime. how much in fees does your bank take to watch your money ? if your bank takes more money than a stranger, you need an ally.

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♪ back now at 8:22. when it comes to the kardashians there is never a shortage of drama. khloe and her husband are about to deliver more in the second season of "khloe and lamar." some of it centers on khloe's brother rob. take a look. >> wow. rob really did move out. >> are you sad that rob is out? >> i love rob. don't you like rob on "dancing with the stars" though? >> rob just started "dancing with the stars." the sad thing is you say you want to be on "dancing with the stars." >> khloe kardashian odum, good morning. >> good morning. >> lamar has moves on the court. >> lamar has moves everywhere.

lamar felt some way about rob moving out and not saying anything. rob just sent movers to our house which i thought was so not like my brother to do. but i think he didn't know how to handle wanting to move out. >> that's just the beginning of the drama this season. >> oh, yeah. >> including a move to dallas. you moved to texas. how do you like it? >> i love texas. dallas, it's such a warm, overwhelmingly genuine, just -- we have been welcomed with open arms which is amazing. i was nervous. i didn't want lamar to be traded and the team to be like, oh, god, his wife is coming with all of her baggage and the cameras. i didn't want that to happen. but marc cuban is a phenomenal owner and embraces us with open arms. it's great. before that the drama of going through the nba lockout and possibly being traded to new orleans. >> you get a behind the scenes of the lockout. >> you do.

how emotional it is for lamar. they called us at midnight. we're like, the plane's at 7:00 a.m., get ready. happens if you don't have a wife to pack your bags and stay behind? he said, you figure it out. >> you decided to take the cameras with you. moving is hard enough. did that add extra pressure or was it comforting? >> definitely i feel it added extra pressure just because we were in the middle of filming. it's not like i could say -- we have a contract. not like i could say, okay, we're done just because we're moving. for them, they loved it. they were like, drama, stress, great. >> built the story line. >> they loved it. >> another big story line we are getting hints about is this issue of whether you and lamar will start a family. i know you are asked all the time. >> yes. >> there is a moment in the previews where you ask lamar if he's jealous because your big sister is expecting a baby. he says, yes, they get to have another baby. >> i know! >> is that still on the plan? >> always on the plan for lamar and i to start a family.

when i heard that it broke my heart to hear it. i didn't think he felt that way. definitely we want kids. but, you know, we really are just like when it happens it happens. people have so many rumors out there that, you know, i'm doing fertility treatments. yesterday i actually got sent bouquets of flowers which was so sweet to my condo in dallas. i read the card and it's from three different fertility treatments saying, i hope you try us out. i was like, that's presumptuous. i'm getting valentine's day flowers from three fertility treatments. >> you're trying the old fashioned way. >> yes. >> which we see a little bit of in the show. i know people being in your business is the family business. is it creepy? cameras in the bedroom. >> that's not my bedroom. it was rob's bedroom ico spn converted. there are security cameras

that's the footage. i don't have cameramen in there. lamar is made very uncomfortable by the cameras. >> we're out of time. anything more about tweeting your biological father? >> i don't know who my dad is, i >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is traffic pulse 11 and sarah caldwell. >> problems of there, with liberty road and ward chapel road. delays towards owings mills. delays are in place. 26 miles per hour on average approaching 795 all right down to the west side. millington avenue and frederick road on the southwest side of the city. st. paul street and preston st., watch for an accident.

25 miles per hour on southbound 95 for my marsh to the 895 split. eastbound 195, a new accident coming in. and jam packed ride on southbound 95 coming down from the beltway. that is due to an earlier accident has been cleared. southbound route 2 at belle grove, watch for crash. you can see what it looks like on baltimore national pike. live view of 83 and york road, not bad headed southbound towards mt. carmel. tony, over to you. >> hi, tim cloud cover to start the day. no precipitation. it should be a pretty nice day. average high is 45. 39 in taneytown. 39 degrees in a rising sun. forecast for today, partly to mostly sunny.

in little cloud cover, but sunshine as well. we will sneak into the low 50s. rainshowers back in the forecast tomorrow. right on saturday, rain and snow on sunday. >> we will have another update at 8:55.

we're back now. 8:30 on a wednesday morning. february 15, 2012. rain continues in new york city. more of a mist. >> a spritz. >> matt lauer along with savannah guthrie. savannah is here while ann is on assignment. natalie morales joins us, as does mr. roker. do you know who else is here? >> who?

>> giada de laurentiis. she has a spin on a classic. >> absolutely. we'll have her meatloaf three different ways. always a little bit of an italian twist. >> i cannot wait for that. >> love that. also ahead, how clean is your drinking water? a lot of people use the filters on the faucets. actually, it turns out some may not work as well as you think. coming up, good housekeeping did testing. they will have results and tell you which ones are a good buy. >> later on, do you remember the washington white house party crashers the salahis? they are going through a nasty divorce. makaela is steaming things up with a video with her new boyfriend journey guitarist neil schone. where's that hand? >> let's get a check of the weather, mr. roker.

>> sunshine up and down the coast. snowshowers around the great lakes. look for sunshine in the pacific northwest. snowshowers in the inner mountain region. as we move into tomorrow, santa ana winds. look for snow in northern new england. up state new york. rain along the southeastern coast later in the day and lake effect snowshowers around the central great lakes. >> good morning. we're awfully quiet start on this wednesday. the skies will turn mostly sunny as we move into the afternoon.

don't forget. check your weather any time you want on the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. the weather's nice down in captiva where we find uncle willy. >> i love this. i feel like a warner brothers cartoon. oh, my goodness. our producer just fell in the water. [ splash ] >> oh, nanette, we love you. we'll miss you. anyway, happy birthday. she's okay. a little schtick, as we say. we love people who have been married for so long. here's floyd and flora hicks of calico rock in the great state of arkansas. prettiest state. you ought to visit. 75 years they have been happily married to each other. here's george whiticar, stuart,

florida. he built boats. first boat he built at 16 years old. he built boats all his life. a skill i would like to acquire. i used to do model airplanes, world war ii. i can never get them right. we have helene okino. she's from aiea, hawaii. the only town in the united states where all the letters are vowels. aiea. 100 years old. the script people told us that. loves ballroom dancing, "dancing with the stars." come on down. she likes to travel. i like "dancing with the stars." always liked that show. and floyd and vera koontz. there's a creamery in maryland with that name. i like it. anyway, from gladwin, michigan. 75 years they have been married. they ought to get together with the other group.

floyd calls vera his darling. george benson of jackson, mississippi. 104 years old. owned and operated his own automobile shop for years. fix anything. the man is a genius. finally we have kathleen snavely of syracuse, new york. 110. loves gardening and her secret to longevity is hard work. something we here at nbc know absolutely nothing about. now back to the worker bees in new york. >> all right, willard, thanks. up next, improving a comfort food classic. giada has meatloaf two ways. >> two ways. >> two ways.

cooking with giada is brought to you by target.

her line of kitchen products and delicious food only available at target and target.com. >> back now at 8:37. this morning on cooking with giada, meatloaf two ways. one of our ultimate comfort foods. here with the recipe is "today" contributor and chef giada de laurentiis. >> good morning. >> what are your earliest meatloaf memories? was this big in your house? >> no. >> i grew up on it. >> i know, but i'm not american. >> do you have an italian version of this? >> 20 years ago i started making it for my husband. that's where meatloaf started. >> when you go to the grocery store, different cuts of meat what do you go for? >> chuck. >> why? >> it has the most fat in it. it has 15% to 20% fat in comparison to ground sirloin which has about 8% to 10%. a little bit more fat makes it moister, lighter. >> we'll put in the ingredients. one thing not here is ketchup. a lot of people put it in. why not?

>> i'm italian. i use marinara instead of ketchup. >> store bought? >> yes, or make your own. we have eggs, garlic which is extremely important for my meat loaf. onion. and panko. do you know what it is? >> japanese bread crumbs. >> very good. you did your homework. excellent. a lot lighter, made from crustless bread. it creates a less dense meatloaf. so the marinara and basil. this is a meatloaf parm. it has all the flavors of eggplant or chicken parm. >> a lot of people start with the meat and add the ingredients. you start with the ingredients and add the meat. >> that's my secret to a light, less dense meatloaf. if you have the meat first then add the ingredients. >> you handle it constantly. >> correct. >> then you mix it all together.

>> once you mix it, i will move this forward a little bit. >> goes on the baking sheet. >> you just put it on a baking sheet. >> grease the sheet. flatten it out like this. a big triangle here. baked at 375 for 25 minutes. >> i was going to say, that's a rectangle. >> i know, i know. it's early. i'm tired. >> what's on top? >> marinara sauce in the oven. pull it out before dinner, cut it into little squares like this. add a little bit more marinara on top and cheese. put it back in the oven. >> you serve id with great potatoes. >> pancetta and potatoes. >> the turkey meatloaf, what's the difference? in terms of cooking it? >> it takes a little bit longer because we'll cook it in the regular loaf pan like everybody

does. for this one i use bread crumbs. the ingredients are similar. parsley instead of basil. i'm using dark meat turkey. >> fattier. >> yes. you need it. the white meat works, but do half and half or it doesn't have a lot of flavor. >> is it easy at the store to get ground dark meat turkey? >> you can find it. or ask the butcher and they will grind it for you. this is a secret. makes it look pretty. feta cheese for a tang, a salty bite and for chewy sweetness, sun dried tomatoes. the feta kind of stays in little pockets. >> little chunks. >> it keeps the turkey meatloaf full of flavor and moist. >> this doesn't dry out. you promise. turkey has a habit of doing that. >> i know. but with these ingredients it doesn't. this is a lighter version of that. i serve it with baked mashed potatoes with peas in the center. we have it every thanksgiving.

it's just awesome. especially with this. nice and fluffy. >> i'm trying to get over the fact you didn't have meatloaf as a child but you grew up to be a healthy, well-rounded individual. kind of. >> meatloaf has nothing to do with that, matt. little do you know. >> this is my version of comfort food. meatloaf two ways and i like the potatoes as well. >> yes. >> up next, new concerns over the safety of your tap water. we'll talk about that. first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning, how safe is your tap water? it's possible pesticides or contaminants could be flowing from your faucet. good housekeeping has information on how to protect your family. rosemary, good to see you.

>> good morning. good to be here. >> public water systems, tap water, it is tested. it's regulated by the government. >> yes. by law, municipalities have to test the water and report to consumers once a year. they can test once a year, four times a year, sometimes less. they test for 90 contaminants like copper, arsenic, lead. there is a report that tells you what's in the water and if it's dangerous. but they average the results. so if you live in an agricultural area, pesticides in the water spike in the spring because those results don't show up in your water report. >> there are many contaminants. >> and many the government doesn't test on. we think they should test for more than they are. >> good housekeeping tested some of the filtration devices out there that people are using. how did you do the study? >> water tests. we paired up with the lab for

emerging contaminants at the university of arizona. with the good housekeeping research institute we tested refrigerator filters and tabletop filters to see how they filter out the most prevalent of untested contaminants. >> starting with the refrigerator. the first is the ge refrigerator filter. ge is a part owner of this company, nbc. how did it measure up? >> the refrigerator filters did a fantastic job. this one took out 92% of contaminants we tested for, the dirty 15 except for bpa. it took out 90% of that in all but the first two readings. >> and they are easy to install? >> this one is all the way in the back here. the big problem is remembering to change them. >> yeah. we all get the filters and forget to change them. not good. next is whirlpool. >> it did well. 92% of all contaminants. this is in a lot of whirlpool refrigerators as well as amana

and maytag. >> are they higher in cost? >> they are $40 and table top pitchers are similar. >> i know you looked at quite a few. first is zero water. >> this one did well for a table top. it took out 95% of estrin, ibuprofen and bpa and 80% of a number of pesticides. it did well. >> i understand it's changed some of the devices. >> they have changed the flow rate so it could affect the filtering. it did a great job. >> you tested the pur. >> it took out 100% of estrin and 81% of a lot of other chemicals and drugs. did a really good job for a tabletop filter. >> how often should you change the filter? >> generally they give you a gallon or a time amount between two and four months.

much easier with the time. nobody is measuring how many gallons of water they are pouring. >> you measured a drop-off in the effectiveness of the filter. >> we took measurements at four times to see how it performed throughout the test. >> how did brita do? >> it took out 60% of all the drugs. we found halfway into its life it began to perform less well. so on the back end it didn't do as well. >> brita said this isn't an easy study to understand because of the complexity of water filtration. without further details from the lab tests we are unable to address the effectiveness of the test procedures in this particular instance. a fair point. are you confident in the procedures used to test it? >> we are. we spent more than a year on the tests. we tested all the filters the way a consumer would. we didn't force water through faster or slower. we didn't alter the devices. we're confident. but the bottom line is filtering is better than not filtering. >> and bottled water.

this is their solution. >> bottled water is amazingly not covered under the safe drinking water act. the fda oversees it. it doesn't require that companies disclose testing. three years ago the virlt ta environmental working group found a number of contaminants. bottled water, no guarantee of anything. >> interesting information. good to have you here. >> good to be here. >> up next, an exclusive interview with the first lady of the fbi. first, this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:50 with a woman who has risen to the top of her field. the first woman to head the fbi's largest field office in new york. "today" national correspondent jamie gangel sat down with her for an exclusive interview. good morning, jamie. >> reporter: good morning, matt. her name is janice fedarcheck and she brushes off talk about being the first woman anything, but she's winning rave reviews for leadership. >> good afternoon, everyone. >> reporter: low key, no nonsense, 53-year-old janice fedarcheck has made history as the first woman ever appointed to head the fbi's new york field office. when you got the call to run the new york office what was your first reaction? >> i was excited. >> reporter: because?

>> it's new york. >> reporter: a big deal, especially in the male dominated fbi where even today only 16% of agents are women. nevertheless the fbi's first lady, as dubbed by vanity fair, has earned respect and praise for improving morale and leading the office through a string of high profile cases. from organized crime to white collar crime, from internet fraud to cyber threats and of course her top concern, terrorism. >> what keeps you up at night? >> there are so many aspects of new york that pose tantalizing targets to our adversaries. that's always going to be a backdrop of have we done enough? >> reporter: if, growing up, someone had said to you that you would be doing this today you would have said -- >> no way. >> reporter: a self-described navy brat, she grew up moving so often she attended three

different high schools. when she graduated from college she admits she was drawn to law enforcement because, well, because of television. >> "the streets of san francisco" was very big. "policewoman" was out there and "police story." >> reporter: for six years she served on the reno police force and then the fbiame calling. she was always one of the few women. you had to prove yourself. >> right. >> reporter: did you have to work twice as hard? >> you knew you were being watched to be sure you could handle yourself. we certainly did that. >> reporter: along the way she met her husband, now a retired fbi special agent and then came 9/11. when you watched the towers come down, when you look at the hole in the side of the pentagon, to see that kind of scar is something that i don't think anybody who has experienced that, even from afar, even watching on television cannot in some way be impacted by it. >> reporter: now just blocks

from ground zero she's one of those responsible for the security of new york. i know that in your world safety is a relative thing. in 2011 we got bin laden. we got anwar al-awlaki. do you think we are safer? >> we are, but we can't get complacent. >> reporter: to be sure she's not complacent she has this -- an index card with a handwritten quote from john f. kennedy. >> in the long history of the world, only a fujeew generation have been granted the role of protecting it. i do not shrink from this respect. i welcome it. >> reporter: why do you carry it? >> it reminds me why we do what we do and how important that responsibility is for us as the fbi. it's just something that i feel strongly about. >> reporter: she is the real deal, matt.

very impressive, very modest and, of course, thanks to the vanity fair photo she's bringing back the trench coat. she's so straight-laced but underneath it she has a great sense of humor. >> jamie, you said to her, what keeps you up at night. you have to wonder if we knew what they know would we be able to sleep at night. what did she say about that? >> reporter: she says it's what she doesn't know about that's going on. you know, is there a threat that they haven't tracked out. they are concerned in terrorism about the lone wolf. the person out there who isn't interacting with other groups. >> jamie gangel, fascinating profile. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> it's a big city. it's a big turf to be in charge of. there is a lot at stake. >> when you think of the public servants in those roles they have a lot on their shoulders. >> broad shoulders. >> just ahead, it's presidents' day weekend approaching. >> what are you going to get

snus. >> -- us? >> it's not a gift giving occasion. i believe we'll talk about getaways. >> we'll take it, matt. >> we're going on a field trip. we'll talk about those right after your local news and weather. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. the governor's same-sex marriage bill is one step closer to becoming law. the measure advanced in the statehouse tuesday by a 25-18

with one abstention.

>> it is going to turn out to be a nice day. mixture of sunshine and a few clouds as we go into the afternoon. temperatures will sneak into the low 50s. rainshowers tomorrow. >> thank you for joining us. >> thank you for joining us.