good morning. breaking news. gun fire breaks out inside a federal building in california. an immigration agent shoots and injures his boss before being killed by another agent. now investigators are trying to figure out what sparked the dispute. "today" exclusive. aretha franklin opens up about whitney houston's death and how she'll feel performing at her funeral. this as we learn more about who will speak at that memorial, including houston's bodyguard costar kevin costner. and appropriate or

outrageo outrageous? 26 million people have gone online to watch a father rant against his daughter after she posted a rude letter about him on facebook. >> you want a new phone, camera, ipod but you won't get off your lazy [ bleep ] to even look for a job. >> we ask, is this justifiable tough love or parenting gone wrong? 120,000 of you answered the question on our website. we'll have the results today, question on our website. we'll have the results today, friday, february 17th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a friday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> good morning. i'm savannah guthrie. boy, do we have a story a lot of people are talking about.

120,000 people took part in our "today" show poll about whether or not the laptop dad should have shot the laptop. 73% of the viewers went in one direction. >> coming up, we'll have the results and we think the results will spark even more conversation. >> first to politics. rick santorum is distancing himself today from an off-color joke about contraception made by one of his top donors in a television interview. we'll have details on that. >> and i think you know we are headed into a holiday weekend. a special presidents day day look at the movies you can see and where you can find the best shopping bargains. we begin with breaking news in california. a work place shooting at the federal building in long beach. thanh truong has the latest on this. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, matt. the shootout at the federal

building was between fellow agents with u.s. immigration and customs enforcement or i.c.e. one of the agents died at the scene. it was all sparked by a workplace argument. >> police officers on scene. >> reporter: a swarm of police thursday night after shots were firednside the glen anderson federal building in long beach. the building was placed on lockdown as officers tried to get a handle on the emergency. the fbi eventually saying a work place confrontation between two immigration agents led to bloodshed. >> the situation began with an incident of workplace violence involving two federal agents in their office space. when the incident escalated one agent fired several rounds at the other agent, wounding him. >> reporter: moments later a third agent pulled out his weapon and shot the gunman. >> at that time when the incident occurred, another agent working nearby intervened and fired his weapon to prevent additional rounds being fired at

the victim. this resulted in the death of the shooter. >> reporter: with the shooter dead a police escorted ambulance rushed the wounded agent to the hospital. >> we have multiple teams working on him. he's in stable condition now. >> reporter: the federal building houses offices for i.c.e. and also the irs. no civilians were hurt during the shootout. now investigators will try to figure out exactly what drove a federal agent to shoot one of his own. >> we dedicate our lives to protecting the public and our communities from harm. when this happens within our office it's incomprehensible. >> reporter: and the wounded agent is still in the hospital this morning in stable condition. investigators haven't identified any of those involved in the shooting, but we can expect more answers as they dig deeper into why the shooter pulled the trigger. matt? >> thanh truong in long beach this morning. thank you very much. >> now a check of the other top stories of the morning. amy robach is at the news desk.

good morning. >> good morning to you. new york times correspondent anthony shadid has died in syria on assignment. he died of an asthma attack. he was one of the few reporters to gain access to syria and he had been in the face of danger for years. in 2002 he was shot in the west bank. last year he was kidnapped along with three other journalists in libya. in officials say al qaeda in iraq has been carrying out bombings in damascus. there is a bill allowing same sex marriage but what's a victory for civil rights could be dead on arrival. governor chris christie has promised to veto the legislation when it reaches his desk. he could take action on the bill as early as today. a nigerian man known as the underwear bomber has been sentenced to life in prison without parole. 24-year-old abdul farouk abdul

muttalab. michael jackson sold her memoirs in a $4 million deal. she was cleared of murder last fall by an italian court. she was convicted in the death of her british roommate while studying abroad in italy. she will use her jailhouse journal to recall experiences in prison and reveal new details of the case. now to wall street where the dow is close to breaking through a key barrier. mary thompson is at the new york stock exchange. good morning. >> good morning. the dow jones industrial average is 96 points below 13,000, a level it hasn't seen since 2008. the slow but steady rally on wall street over the last four months also pushing the nasdaq to its best level since december

of 2000. this as investors continue to await a debt deal to prevent a messy default in greece. back to you. >> mary thompson, thank you so much. the colbert report has suspended production. shows have been stopped for at least two days t. pause was due to unforeseen circumstances, but did not elaborate. sources say it could return next week and that the tapings were cancelled due to an emergency in stephen colbert's family. it's 7:07. now back to matt, savannah and al. we wish him the best for his family. >> absolutely. mr. roker, how are you? >> i'm pretty good. heavy rain in the pacific northwest. another storm system will bring anywhere from one to two inches of rain in the next 48 hours and some heavy mountain snows through the cascades. as we move further to the east we've got a risk of strong storms from brownsville to

corpus christi. we have flood watches for the first time since 2010. rainfall amounts in parts of texas. anywhere from two to three inches. could cause flooding. also heavy rain in northern florida as well. >> good morning. it will turn out to be a nice day and will turn mostly sunny this afternoon and a little breezy. and that's your latest weather. savannah? >> al, thanks. now to politics and the fire storm over the white house contraception mandate. a major donor to rick santorum's campaign stoked the flames on thursday. mitt romney is trying to rally

support in michigan, a state where he was born but now trails in the polls. david gregory is moderator of nbc's "meet the press." good morning to you. >> good morning, savannah. >> let's start with the contraception issue. the white house had to backtrack on the mandate requiring catholic institutions to provide birth control to employees. that compromise satisfied some catholics but not all. yesterday, house republicans held a hearing on the matter and democrats got a lot of mileage over the fact that the first panel of witnesses was all men. here's what nancy pelosi had to say. imagine a panel on women's health and they don't have any women on the panel. duh. what strikes me about this, neither republicans nor democrats seem anxious to move on from the issue in an election year that's supposed to be about the economy. >> that's the important point. i think on both sides they are itching for this fight. republicans see this as not just a women's health issue. as a matter of fact they would rather de-emphasize that.

they see it as religious freedom, government making decisions about health care for americans. that energizes conservatives who think the government has intruded into our lives too much. nancy pelosi under scores that contraception today is much more about women's health and is prescribed much more widely than just birth control. you look at a scene like yesterday and it underscores the fact that not only government but our religious institutions are dominated by men. it was an unfortunate image to put out there. >> maybe republicans stepped into it a little bit on that. foster frees one of the major donors to rick santorum said something to raise eyebrows in an interview. >> this contraceptive thing, my gosh, it's such inexpensive. in my days they used bayer aspirin. gals put it between their knees and it wasn't costly.

>> does this illustrate how quickly the issue can get off course? >> rick santorum had to distance himself from the remarks. they were not helpful. even to the way he was talking about contraception, he doesn't believe in it. but as a matter of government and as president he wouldn't stand in the way of it being available. that's separate from his opposition based on religious freedom grounds, he would argue. think this is a larger point causing a lot of anxiety within the party. a lot of strategists think this is a straitjacket for the party. come general election time, whoever the nominee is even if the elements of the base are energized by the issue. >> and santorum said that was a bad off-color joke. let's talk about mitt romney. his campaigning in michigan which is his native state. he's been emphasizing the ties yet at the latest poll out of michigan, it shows rick santorum in the lead. if mitt romney were to lose in michigan, is this a political earthquake?

>> it is. i know that any of us who have been following this have to offer a cautionary note that we have been unable to pin down the race as it moved through many twifss and turns. new hampshire, florida and now michigan. he's won the other two. the fire wall has held in the other states. it's important here. if he were to lose here, the air of inevitability which is slipping away, further slips away. there will be real calls for somebody else to goat get in the race and there could be more coalescing around rick santorum. many are saying he's running a conservative campaign and 16 years in congress. this is a plausible commander in chief. >> what's on "meet the press" this weekend? >> we'll talk about the campaign, the budget and the economy. paul ryan will join me as well as the democrat chris van holland. >> thank you very much. >> whitney houston's family is gathering one day before a funeral that will draw big

names. this as new information emerges in the investigation into death. nbc's jeff rossen is outside the new jersey church where houston's funeral will be held. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. let's start with new information on the investigation. law enforcement tells nbc news police have already questioned whitney houston's doctors and they have already received her medical records. they are poring through them on the west coast. for this weekend the focus is on the east coast in newark, new jersey. the family will hold a private viewing of the body at the funeral home and here, about a block away at the church is where the funeral will happen tomorrow. there is major star power. late thursday night, bobby brown and new edition were back on stage in maryland. >> i'd like to say thank you for your prayers. >> reporter: he paid tribute to whitney houston. >> i'm going to throw two up for

whitney. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: after buzz that he wouldn't be invited sources close to the planning now confirm whitney houston's ex-husband is expected at saturday's funeral. >> he will be there, both because he wants to support his wife's family. most particularly he wants to support his daughter and be there for her. ♪ i wanna dance with somebody >> reporter: the pop diva will be honored by the industry's biggest names. aretha franklin will perform. so will stevie wonder. kevin costner, whitney's costar in "the bodyguard" will speak at the funeral. whitney's producer clive davis will speak. tyler perry, alicia keys. of course whitney's cousin dionne warwick will be there. the service saturday at noon in

whitney's childhood church where she sang in the choir as a teenager. >> this is a church and we're going to have some church in this celebration. >> reporter: it is a private funeral, invitation only. fans are showing up by the hundreds. >> we just want to pay our respects and say good-bye. >> reporter: whitney will be buried nearby at this new jersey cemetery, the same cemetery where her father is buried. this morning we have new details in the death investigation after finding prescription pills in whitney's hotel suite law enforcement tells nbc news they have questioned her doctors and obtained her medical records. police say they don't suspect foul play, but they are still waiting for toxicology results. >> god bless you. >> reporter: in the days before her death whitney visited doctors' offices at least twice, leaving this medical building in beverly hills february 2. on february 7th she was back

again, unclear why. >> is that real fur, whitney? >> no! >> reporter: whitney would die in her hotel bathtub just days later on february 11. as investigators try to unravel the mystery of her final moment, this weekend it's about honoring whitney houston and that voice that spoke to millions. ♪ >> reporter: the family wants to keep this private. so police are asking fans to stay away from the area saturday. to make sure they are closing down the streets within a six-mile radius of the church behind me. by the way, matt, this will be televised on live television and streamed online with one camera allowed inside for the service. >> thank you, jeff. aretha franklin will be performing at the funeral. al had a chance to sit down for an exclusive interview with her. >> of course she's known as the

queen of soul. to whitney houston aretha franklin was simply aunt ree and aretha called whitney by the family nickname, nippy. she said she was shocked and saddened when she heard about the death. she found out the same way the rest of us did. >> i was sitting on the side of the bed. i had just finished watching george clooney in "the descendants." and i flip back to the regular tv. maybe two minutes after i did that it came across the screen. >> we have some sad breaking news. singer whitney houston is dead. >> i just jumped up off the side of the bed. what? this could not be. what is this? i just said, oh, my god. that's not good. >> somebody said she was doing well. she was on the verge of a comeback. >> i thought so. she looked beautiful. she really looked good. i saw some of the previews from

"sparkle." she looked fresh, healthy and gorgeous. i thought, yes, she has co conquered her challenges and she's on the way. >> instead her family and friend wills attend whitney houston's funeral this weekend, bringing her back to the place the superstar first found her voice as a young girl. ♪ >> we have heard you will be singing at the funeral. >> mm-hmm. >> how difficult is that going to be for you? >> it's not going to be easy. i can tell you that. but cissy asked me to. i'm just going to try to do my best. >> do you know what you're going to sing? >> i'm not sure. right now. i'm not sure. >> so many people expressed concern about bobbi kristina, this 18-year-old girl who's now without her mom. what do you think about her when

you think of the girl who's had to deal with this tremendous loss? >> i think it's her dad's responsibility to step up to the plate and be responsible. but, you know, there are a lot of factors. it's really not for me to say. it's not for me to say. >> we have all read about whitney's struggles. through the years did she ever talk to you about that. look for guidance or counseling? >> no. but early on i let her know if she needed any advice or if she needed to talk to anything, she could always call me. she knew that. but she had experienced people around her. her mother, cissy, was experienced, dionne warwick. i thought she was okay, particularly under the tutelage of clive davis. >> whitney had difficult dates in europe. >> mm-hmm. [ singing off key ] >> when you watched it, what did you think? >> i didn't like what i saw

happening. the audience, they were rude. but she stood there with a heart of a champion. she went through it. >> if you're a fragile singer trying to make a comeback, what pressure does it put on you? >> i'm sure she was devastated by the time it was over. she had to be totally devastated. when you're a singer and you can't sing what you want to sing and she sad some problems in her highest range, it is very disheartening to you when you can't do what you want to do. >> do you think about what her legacy is going to be? this collection of just unbelievable songs? >> yeah. ♪ i get so emotional, baby ♪ every time i think of you >> with this ending, do you think that tarnishes it or takes away from it? >> no, i don't. one of the last things she sung was "yes, jesus loves me."

and when god loves you what can be better than that? i don't think we should focus on the challenges she had. >> ms. whitney houston! [ cheers and applause ] >> how are you going to remember her? >> she had a little twinkle in her eyes. >> yeah? >> she didn't just smile with the lips. she had a twinkle in her eye. since it happened i wrote something with that in mind. that is twinkle, twinkle, superstar, we don't wonder where you are, up above the world so bright, like a diamond in the nig night, twinkle twinkle, she stood alone, i can't believe that she's gone. >> aretha franklin was truly shaken by the loss.

we'll have more of the interview this morning including ms. franklin's reaction the first time she heard whitney houston sing. >> clearly this is like family for her. >> yeah. >> i think a lot of people feel the same way she does. >> they absolutely do. >> very touching. al, thank you. >> you bet. >> coming up, the angry father who shot up his daughter's laptop computer because he didn't like what she posted on facebook. is it a good lesson or did he go overboard? we'll ask dr. phil and share your reactions. first, this is "today" on nbc.

still ahead, michelle obama and first dog bo give people a big surprise during a white house tour. we'll have more on that. >> and would you eat 37 chicken nuggets for breakfast? the fast food options that could wreck your diet. after your local news. [clucking].

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members get more. sears. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. another roadblock to a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in maryland. the house attached an amendment that would delay implementation until october of next year

rather than january, allowing opponents more time for an referendum. that, in combination for lobbying and emergency surgery up a supporter, has stalled the bill's progress. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> northbound 95, towards 543, delays begin at route 24. everyone has to get on at 543. you are going to continue on to pulaski highway. you can also take route 1 as your alternate. southbound 83 at padonia road, watch for a stable vehicle. hanover, accident in the city. we have a pedestrian-in of accident. that's give you a live view of 95 and 543. shut down, with all traffic being diverted. what a mess in that area.

that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. tony has a check on the forecast. >> starting to burn off now, improving visibility. 38 in parkton. at least of the thing is above freezing. you don't have to worry about slipping and sliding. becoming mostly sunny with a mixture of clouds and sunshine. low 50s this afternoon, pretty good for this time of year. we still think sunday is the day if we get significant snowfall out of this. the mixture of rain

that right there is your laptop. you see it's out here on the ground. this right here is my .45. [ gunshot ] >> that was the first round. >> that's going to leave a mark. back now at 7:30 on friday morning, february 17, 2012, with a viral video that's been seen by more than 26 million people. a father, angry about his daughter criticizing him on facebook pumping her laptop full of bullets. i'm matt lauer alongside savannah guthrie filling in while ann is on assignment.

the video is generating huge response on the website. some people find the reaction disturbing. others are praising him. coming up, we share your responses and dr. phil will weigh in as well. also ahead, a reason to think twice if you are planning to grab a fast food breakfast this morning. some of your favorites are loaded with fat and calories including one that's equal to 16 eggo blueberry pancakes. david zinczenko is here to help us make wiser choice. and a special presidents' day weekend edition of the friday whip. where to go, what to see and where to shop. >> first to the father who posted a video of himself shooting his daughter's laptop. mark potter has more on the story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, matt. this is a story that begins with a teenage girl who made the mistake of trying to hide something on the internet from her parents, including her father who's good with

computers. when he found what she wrote, he responded most dramatically. >> and today, i run across a post on your facebook page you didn't think i would be able to see. so since you want to hide it from everyone i'm going to share it with everybody. >> reporter: in an eight-minute video seen worldwide online, tommy jordan from north carolina confronts his 15-year-old daughter for an angry rant she posted on facebook complaining about life at home. >> pay you for the chores -- seriously? pay you for chores you're supposed to do around the house. >> reporter: it was what he did at the end of the video to her computer. >> this is my .45. >> reporter: shooting it repeatedly with a handgun that got everyone's attention. >> oh, yeah. after that comment you made about your mom, your mom told me to put one in for her. that one's from her. if i eve got one left -- i have two left. now i'm out. >> reporter: jordan's video sparked a widespread argument

over whether his response was irresponsible or good parenting. he began by reading his daughter's obscenity laced note which she posted for her friends. >> to my parents, i'm not your damn slave. it's not my responsibility to clean up your [ bleep ]. we have a cleaning lady for a reason. her name is linda, not hannah. if you want coffee, get off your [ bleep ] and make it yourself. >> reporter: the video drew tens of millions of hits with ten times more likes than dislikes. jordan said he was disappointed with his daughter's disrespect. >> you want a new camera, phone, ipod. well, you won't get off your lazy [ bleep ] to even look for a job. >> reporter: already, parodies have popped up on the internet. >> yeeha! >> reporter: after doing the real thing jordan said his daughter was grounded and barred from the internet but said they are now working things out. >> hope you enjoyed your fiasco

on facebook. hope it was worth it. have a good day, y'all. >> reporter: the local sheriff's office said while some people thought the video was the greatest thing and others thought the father crossed the line, no laws were broken and there is no investigation. matt, there sure is a lot of talk. >> there is. mark potter, thank you very much. dr. phil mcgraw is a psychologist and host of "the dr. phil show." good to see you. >> good morning, matt. >> i think the headline gets attention. the father shoot it s the laptot the video is eight minutes long and shows a lot. when you saw the video, phil, what was your reaction? >> i think, like a lot of people it was amusing. i think a lot of parents looked at it and vicariously got a chuckle out of it. how many times have weed or tear a door off the hinges. i get that a lot of people's initial reaction was that we

have wanted to do that sort of thing. when you step back and look at the entire thing and what kind of parenting it is, the first thing that jumps out to me is this is a real mouthy kid. i wonder where she got it? this is somebody that acted without thinking. i wonder where she got that? dad sure didn't pump the brakes before he posted this up. >> i don't think anybody would argue that the 15-year-old crossed a line. it was rude. it was obscene but she's 15. that's not an excuse. it's reality. doesn't one person in the group have to remain the adult? >> that's the problem here. she has a 15-year-old brain. you really can't expect her to predict all the consequences of her actions and weigh this stuff out. but he got down to her level. she was disrespectful publically. she called him names. she cussed at him publically. he turned around and did exactly the same thing. how is it wrong for him to do it

but right for her to do it? you never, ever humiliate your child publically. that's not something you do. you don't ever do that. you are supposed to be the adult, the calm in the storm where you say, okay, you choose the behavior, you choose the consequences. this consequence was radical. >> when asked why he did it publically, tommy jordan wrote, because that's how i was raised. if i did something embarrassing to my parents in public such as the grocery store i got my tail tore up in front of god and everyone. this is the internet. it's a lot bigger than a grocery store. >> plus, matt, look, even if that's the case, just because their parents humiliated him publically doesn't make it right. what we want to do is carry forward the legacies that are good, not the legacies where our parents made mistakes. the fact that they did it is not okay. i always hear parents say, i turned out well. did you, really? he ratcheted up the rhetoric.

here's the question, matt. what do you do now? clearly she has resentment toward him which is probably passing from a day to the next. i'm not saying overall they are bad parents. i don't know. all we know is what we see here. this didn't do anything to lower resentment on her part. it's just intimidation. >> you're worried about what happens the next time she does something bad. how do you punish that behavior? >> sure. it's like you tell your child, okay, you're grounded for life. okay. what do you do the next time? they're already grounded for life. you pulled out a .45 and blew up her laptop. what happens when she breaks curfew or drives and get as ticket. now do you blow up the car? you have advanced the rhetoric so far that you have nowhere else to go. >> i want to mention the father posted comments online where he says his daughter has gotten past this. while she had her crying fit and was upset about it initially she now has managed to laugh about

it and according to him, is not scarred by it. now i want to give you the results of the poll we conducted online, phil, okay? 120,000 people or so weighed in. 73% said this is appropriate punishment. what's your reaction to that? >> like i said, a lot of parents are voting vicariously like, yep, i have thought about doing that and i wish i had. one of the things i want to say here is we've got to look at this in terms of matters of degree. for example, 100,000 children born this year will be molested by their father before they are 18 years old. we have such a serious problem with neglect, abandonment and abusing children physically here. that didn't happen here. we have to keep it in perspective. did he use good judgment here? no. i don't think so. as i say, where do you go from here. he got revenge on what she did to him publically, but it's not

his job to get revenge. we need to keep it in perspective. this is not the most horrible parenting thing i have dealt with on the show this week. so at least it didn't involve him violating her physically or otherwise. it's just maybe not the best parenting idea in the world. what are you going to follow it up with? >> good to get your perspective on this. phil, thanks for joining me. >> thanks, matt. >> do you think this dad did the right thing? join the conversation on today.com and our twitter and facebook pages. with we'll share some of your responses later this half hour. now a check of the weather from al. >> thank you very much, matt. we have nice friends here. santa cruz? >> yes. >> you're singing at carnegie hall. >> yes. >> do you know how you get there? >> practice, practice. >> they heard the joke! we like it. let's check your weather. here's the storm coming out of texas friday night. makes its way along the gulf spreading flooding rains through

the southeast. then to the north as it pulls in colder air early sunday you're going to see snow along the midatlantic states. we look for heavy rain from san antonio to birmingham and myrtle beach. heavier snow into the midatlantic states. heavy wet snow interior parts of the virginias and pennsylvania >> good morning.ia. we're starting out with some areas of drizzle and low clouds. into the afternoon, it will be mostly sunny and pleasant. >> weather's important this long

presidents' day weekend. go to weather channel on cable or weather.com online. matt? >> thank you so much, al. up next, fast food breakfasts that pack on the pounds including one that's equal to eating more than 17 sausage links. we have healthier alternatives after this. this is mary. who thinks it might be time to listen to her heart. so she talked to her walgreens pharmacist who gave her a free blood pressure test and showed her how easy it is to do it herself at home. get a free blood pressure test any day in february at any walgreens pharmacy or take care clinic location. and we'll donate $1 to the american heart association as part of the walgreens way to well commitment. walgreens. there's a way to stay well. 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 on facebook.

[ 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. ♪ back now at 7:44 with "eat this, not that!". fast food breakfasts are a big part of a lot of chains' bottom line and if you're not careful you could end up super sized as well. david zinczenko is author of

"eat this, not that!." >> in the last five years restaurant traffic growth has grown 50% with breakfast. all the new players like taco bell are even getting into the game. you have to be careful. >> let's start with wendy's morning melt panini with sausage. >> this is a tough one. it's over 600 calories. it's got 46 grams after fat. a full day's worth of saturated fat which is the equivalent to 27 wendy's nuggets. >> oh, my gosh. >> but the good news is you're going to go ahead and order the sausage and egg burrito, save half the calories and get a third of the saturated fat. >> this is the whole thing? looks small. >> this is good. just stay away from the flat bread flat liner. >> next we have mcdonald's. i remember this from my childhood. you have the hot cakes, biscuit, syrup and sausage. >> it's 1400 calories for the

big breakfast. if you don't finish it, just run home -- 12 miles. it is the equivalent of these 16 eggo blueberry pancakes right here. the problem is it's got 64 grams of fat, 21 grams of saturated fat. that's an entire day and a day's worth of sodium. >> we can have an egg mcmuffin? >> mcdonald's has good breakfast options. this is an egg mcmuffin and a hash brown with a third of the calories and a few grams of saturated fat. >> from burger king you call this breakfast a triple threat. >> not to be outdone by the clown the king isn't showing much care for his commoners. it is 1300 calories. 72 grams of fat. it's 26 grams of saturated fat which is way over a day. 2500 milligrams of sodium. the calorie equivalent of 17 1/2

sausage links. you're still in the land of beige which is not good. but go with the double bacon cheese croissanwich. >> now to dunkin donuts for the coffee cake muffin. i hear cake and muffin, it can't be good. >> it's cake-cake. it's just a way to get you to eat cake for breakfast. the problem is it's over 600 calories, 650. 27 grams of fat. nine grams of saturated fat. it's the calorie equivalent of five bowls of cinnamon toast crunch. if you're at dunkin donuts i never thought i would say it in ten years. get the donut or the cheese danish. >> you're recommending the danish. >> it's only 330 calories. half the calories and 17 grams of fat and 17 grams of sugar. this is 56. >> wow. >> so you save 40 grams of sugar

there. >> do not have the jamba juice par fate. most people would say that's the healthy option. >> the chunky strawberry topper. you will be chunky. 570 calories, 17 grams of fat. 59 grams of sugar. that's like 12 spoonfuls. it's the equivalent of -- >> fudge stripes. >> 18 of these. if you're at jamba juice get the blueberry and blackberry oatmeal. it's a superior splurge. >> still ahead, more of our exclusive interview with aretha franklin including whether she thinks whitney houston's ex-husband bobby brown is partly to blame for her death.

a little earlier in the half hour we talked to dr. phil about the north carolina father who shot his 15-year-old daughter's laptop because she complained about him and her mother on facebook and about doing chores. >> we asked you to weigh in and we got a huge response. more than 120,000 votes in our online poll. more than 3,000 comments on our facebook page. they are going all in one direction. 73% of viewers thought it was an okay punishment. >> just a sample of some of the comments melanie kukuk. i'm 15 and support what he did. i get sick and tired of

teenagers especially girls having hissy fits because their lives -- and she used a word. half of them don't have a clue what a bad life would be like. >> and this one says i was horrified by this reaction. technology is a new part of our parenting world. i have two teenage children. i constantly remind them that with privileges comes responsibility. we wouldn't send our children out in a car without teaching them. this father berated his daughter for putting inappropriate material on facebook. isn't that exactly what he did? >> and jason koren says, we need more parents like this rather than push over parents who raise zero respecting teens. it is about the technology. this is something a girl would have written in her diary. >> isn't it enough to take away the laptop? >> you could just take it away. throw it in the garbage. the bullet thing doesn't bother

me as much as humiliating the daughter in public. >> the youtube. >> two wrongs don't make a right. >> what was striking was his tone was scary, menacing. >> he was so controlled it was concerning. >> and it's immature of the dad, too. it's not two wrongs make a right. >> if you watch the video you will see after he shoots the laptop he tells the daughter she has to pay him back for the bullets which are $1 apiece. >> wow. >> just ahead from presidents' day weekend sales to getaways. everything to make the best of the holiday. bacon?! gotta get that bacon! bacon?! bacon? bacon! who wants a beggin' strip? meee! i'd get it myself but i don't have thumbs! yum, yum, yum, yum, yum... it's bacon!!!

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i love just what you are. truvia. honestly sweet. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> it has been a mess all morning on northbound 95 in harford county. all reopened at 543. traffic is starting to filter through. you will find delays for a while. hamburg street and hanover st., watch for accident. delays on southbound 95 out of white marsh and also the west

side outer loop. osborn ave and edmondson avenue in catonsville, a crash. let's give you a live view of where we had closures. now be opened again. 95 and 543, traffic filtering through that area. old court, coming off of the ramps from southbound 795, once yolooking good. when suonce you get to liberty, things slow up. >> thought is burning off. as we head into the morning afternoon, sunshine. 38 in taneytown. 40 in a rising sun. mixture of clouds and sunshine, becoming mostly sunny. early fog and drizzle is now gone. temperatures will make it into the low 50s this afternoon. seven-day forecast, thickening clouds tomorrow. going to stay dry on saturday. the storm everybody is talking

about will come in on sunday and right now the best we can say is a mixture of rain and snow. and there will be some snow accumulation, but it is too early to say and who is going to get what. it will clear up for the holidays at the next chance for holidays at the next chance for

8:00 now on a friday morning. it's the 17th day of february, 2012. hard to believe it's the middle of february because it's about 43 degrees here right now, going up into the 50s. we have had an extremely mild winter here in the northeast. th hopefully the weather is nice where you are as well. i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie and al roker as well. just ahead we'll have a whip for a long holiday weekend. >> where are you going with this? whether you want to take advantage of presidents' day

sales or plan a last-minute getaway we have all the information you need to enjoy the long weekend. >> i'll have a little bit more of our exclusive interview with the queen of soul aretha franklin. she'll be talking about whitney houston's struggles with substance abuse, whether people should blame her ex bobbi brown for her troubles and whitney's influence on the next generation of singers. also ahead, gluten-free diets. people seem interested in trying tome this feel healthier and lose weight, but should you try one? we'll have dos and don'ts of gluten-free diets in a couple minutes. >> gluten-free isn't calorie-free. >> we'll ask joy about that. first inside to amy roback at the news desk. good morning. >> good morning. the government said it is concerned that iran will consider a terror attack on u.s. soil as it engages in a war of words over tehran's nuclear program. at this time the government has no specific or credible threat

about such a plan and a senior intelligence official reassured congress that an attack appears unlikely. a shooting at the u.s. immigration and customs enforcement office in long beach left one agent dead this morning. i.c.e. said one agent shot and wounded a supervisor before he was killed by a third agent. an unspecified dispute may be to blame for work place violence. congress votes on the payroll tax cut extension. if the package is approved unemployment benefits will be cut from 99 weeks to 73 for a dozen states with the highest jobless rates. it will be scaled down to 63 weeks for everyone else. now for a quick round-up of what has you talking online. comedy central suspended production of "the colbert report" for at least two days. sources say it's due to an emergency in stephen colbert's family. that has not stopped widespread

speculation on twitter and facebook. twitter feels warm and fuzzy as people retweet this video of first lady michelle obama and first dog bo surprising tourists with hugs. and this video is hot on youtube. a word of warning for tall males visiting the memphis zoo. this monkey has an eye on you. the second this visitor walked in the monkey was agitated by his height. the customer was told to turn his back to the window getting the monkey all riled up. good thing they were separated by a thick pane of glass. now back to matt and savannah. >> all right. thank you very much. >> let's check the weather with al. >> we have friends here we met in beijing during the olympics. are you coming over for the london olympics? >> probably, yeah. >> we'll be watching for you. >> oh, great. >> let's check your weather. find out what's happening. the pick city today, nbc 5, one of the greatest nbc stations in

the nation. increasing clouds and mild. 47 degrees. look at the temperatures. 30s and 40s in new england. 80s through southern florida. 70s out to southern california. we're looking at flurries in the western great lakes. showers and flurries in new england. heavy rain in southern texas with a slight risk of strong storms. more rain and wind in the pacific northwest. santa ana winds in southern california dying down. >> good morning. it will turn out to be a nice day and will turn mostly sunny this afternoon and a little breezy.

and that's your latest weather. >> from movies to shopping to where you should go, a whip to get you ready for presidents' day weekend right after this. -two. . -three. -one. two. three. one. -two. -three. -one. -two. -three. [ male announcer ] with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card, earn 1% cash back everywhere, every time. 2% back on groceries. and 3% back on gas. automatically. no hoops to jump through. -it's as easy as...1. -two. -three. [ male announcer ] 1, 2, 3 percent cash back for the things you buy most. the bankamericard cash rewards card. apply online or at a bank of america near you. [ male announcer ] why do we grow quaker oats?

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back now at 8:08. this morning, everything you need to see, do and buy this presidents' day weekend. we have four experts to walk you through it. >> first travel & leisure magazine's features editor. nice to see you. >> you, too. you like las vegas. you say supply and demand, the ratio works for you at this time of year. >> a lot of rooms, a lot of flights. you get affordable deals. two different hotels, both rated as the world's best from readers are offering $199 a night. the bellagio with the famous fountain, and 14 restaurants and the palazzo with over the top luxury. sunken living rooms and an additional $100 in amenities. >> another place that seems like a natural location for presidents' day weekend, washington, d.c. >> washington, d.c. the sofitel there.

during the weekend in the city you will get better rates. they have $180 where normally the rates are $360 during the week. you are within walking distance of the smithsonian, the washington monument and the white house. >> and wear comfortable shoes. you like florida, but is it prime season there? >> it is high season. look to me for the good deal. it's 78 degrees now in the florida keys. i suggest going down to the postcard inn. this is lovely, brand new. they welcome you with lollipops and lemonade which segues into a rum cooler. $229 a night. they have a sister property on the gulf coast that's also amazing. $189 a night. >> to wrap it up for the active you like new mexico. a wide range of activities. >> it's great to golf, horseback ride and go skiing in the same day. the hyatt regency resort and

gulf spa has a great deal. they are offering 33% off regular rates and they have s'mores and stars. you can do some star gazing and eating at the same time. >> thank you very much. now here's savannah. >> all right, matt. maybe you're planning a trip to the movies. what should you see? rolling stone contributor joe levy has the scoop. >> good morning. >> first on the list, "in means war" is out. it's cia agents and a bizarre love triangle. >> these are two super spies who are so good at spying they don't realize they have fallen for the same girl. they use the cia to get in each other's way. it's an action comedy for guys. it has chris pine, tom hardy and reese witherspoon. it's fun, a romantic comedy. if you don't mind guys spying on a girl they are supposed to love this might be for you. >> "the vow" is already a hit.

>> it's for fans of "the notebook." a little bit like "50 first dates." they're in love, she forgets who he is. he has to win her back. it's a kleenex movie and it's a little bit better than guys think it will be. rachel mcadams is so great. if your girlfriend or wife wants to take you, go, make her happy. >> and for an action movie you say "chronicle". >> this is a fun movie, a found footage movie. three kids find a hole in the ground and turn into superheroes. they're teenagers and they act like teenagers. that makes it fun. this is one of the better movies out there now. it's a good, different kind of superhero movie. >> if you want to do oscar catch-up? >> catch up with "hugo" or "the artist." you're afraid they're arty, but they are fun and cool. go see them. >> joe, thank you. now here's al.

>> thank you. how do you save money when you shop this weekend? the host of financially fit on yahoo is here. good morning. >> good morning. before you shop download shop savvy or red laser, comparison shopping applications. while you're shopping in the store you can scan bar codes and see if you are getting the best deal in town. i suggest showing the competitive price to the store manager and asking them to match or beat it. >> and you can fill in a coupon code? >> a lot of times retailers will have them on sites but they can be hard to track down. couponcabin and retailmenot are in the business of aggravating coupon codes for you and saving you on shipping or an additional discount. >> and if this turns out to be like black friday is retailers

will be aggressive with facebook and twitter, advertising earlier than any place else. if you want to be an early bird that's where to look for them. >> don't be shy. now is the time to haggle. >> especially in the market for february. february is when the new furniture comes to show rooms. the old furniture has to leave. retailers will be especially aggressive wanting to get them out the door. ask for free delivery to your home or free pillows if you're getting a couch. say, what can you do for me? it usually works. >> can't hurt. thank you so much. >> sure. >> finally, what to buy from colorful footwear to cool gadgets. amy goodman has you covered. good morning. >> good morning. >> i love the statistic that this is better. preside presidents day weekend is better for clothing. >> save up to 47.6% on average on clothing items. this is the best time to

purchase a suit. from shop it to me.com, a website that alerts you of sales on things you want we have gorgeous suits up to 65% off. >> they are a staple for the wardrobe. >> great for pregraduation gifts, too. >> designer handbags from nordstrom. 75% off. let me under score the whole store is 75% off. >> is that normal? >> it's a special things for presidents day. >> and for handbags, the same can be said about shoes. >> these are from aerosoles. these boots are originally $150. $39 now. >> and comfortable. >> comfort technology. >> and you see white sales this week. >> traditionally this time of year and they are in effect. from macy's, 50% off all comforters with an additional 15% off. pillows are buy one, get one free. >> fantastic. it doesn't have to be white.

all colors are on sale. >> kohl's, a sale on towels. >> and electronics are on style this weekend. >> e-readers, the prices are holding steady, but the bonuses. this is from staples. for the kindle fire that's $199 you get a $25 staples gift card. the sale starts sunday. >> fantastic. ta% off flat screens. >> look for a discount 20% to 30% off. the best time to buy tvs is now. 20% off this one from best buy. >> coming up next, more of the exclusive interview with aretha franklin. her thoughts on whitney houston's legacy after this. [ laughs ] what's wrong with him?

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it's absolutely delicious. kellogg's crunchy nut. ou combine the home depot with this weekend? the cure for cabin fever. because with get-it-done savings on everything we need... we can turn this weekend into a fresh floor... or an updated bathroom... or a brand-new look. so let's hit those orange aisles, and make today the day, we make a big difference, no matter how big our budget. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot maximize your budget with great buys, like mosaic tile, just $4.98 per square foot. back with more of al's exclusive interview with aretha franklin. she was whitney houston's close friend and mentor, watching her rise to stardom and also unfortunately later watching her struggles with addiction. al? >> tomorrow she's going to be singing at houston's funeral in new jersey. in the second part of our interview aretha franklin remembers the little girl who showed up one day at her recording studio. >> she was about 9 or 10 years

old. she had little pigtails with a part in the middle of the head. very cute little girl. and after we'd met she went and sat down. she was very quiet for the rest of the afternoon. i think cissy had instructed her to be quiet. so she was complying. at that time, i did not know she wanted to be a singer. >> she didn't tell you? >> no. cissy had not mentioned it to me. >> when was the first time you heard her sing? >> around 1979, '78, something like that, i think. "saving all my love for you." when she hit the soprano i thought, this little girl can sing. ♪ yes, i'm saving all my love for you ♪ >> okay. cissy's baby can sing! >> did you have any idea this little girl would become this -- >> who knew? no one could forecast the

monumental success she had. not even mr. davis. no one knew how big she would blow up. ♪ didn't we almost have it all >> when something like that happens, what happens to that person? it would seem almost like a shock wave. >> i think parents have to really talk to their children before they leave home. they have to leave home prepared, really. she left home with all the right things. she just kind of lost her way along the way somewhere. >> a number of people say she looked dishevelled, seemed disoriented, she wasn't that great the night before she died. when you hear that, does that anger you? >> i think sometimes people speak and don't think all the time. she was having her problems. she was having her challenges. but a lot of people have challenges of all kinds.

you have to be more understanding. you cannot define a person on just one thing. you know, you can't just forget all of these wonderful and good things that a person has done just because one thing didn't come off the way you thought it should come off. >> i was looking at some music videos. there's a shot of you in "how will i know." you were a mentor and an idol to her. what are your thoughts about this? >> it's just so sad. it's just hard to believe. it's really just hard to believe. >> i've been shocked, surprised at the feeling that people blame bobby brown for this. what's your impression of that? that people would actually blame him for her issues. >> i really don't have an opinion on that. >> mm-hmm. >> i just don't.

you would have to have lived with them and been with them on a regular basis. it's just best to be quiet and stay out of it. >> sure. everybody is, in a sense, a product of their generation. at that moment, at that time. what was it about whitney houston that just seemed to capture everybody's imagination? worldwide. >> she was a very exciting young artist. she had a lot of class. she had a different approach to the song. but she was one of the better singers, if not the best. one of the better singers. so i thought the younger singers looked up to her h. this is who they wanted to be. >> do you think that in a sense one of her lasting parts of her legacy would be she affected another generation of people? >> oh, definitely. with that body of work, that's going from generation to generation. ♪ the greatest love of all

>> how are you going to remember her? >> as an adorable young lady, as cissy's baby. and a great artist. and a very kind and giving person, very sensitive young lady. ♪ it is the greatest love of all ♪ >> you can see more of our exclusive interview with aretha franklin tonight on "dateline" at 10:00/9:00 central on nbc. >> she obviously adored whitney houston. a lot of people have been referring to aretha franklin as whitney's godmother. >> you know, at first when i sat down with her and started with the question she corrected me. she said, she was not her godmother. she was an honorary aunt in a sense. she's not sure how that got out there, but she's not. >> all right. >> obviously one of her biggest supporters. >> absolutely. and will send her off tomorrow with a gorgeous song at the funeral. >> just ahead, we'll clear up the confusion over going

gluten-free in your diet. first your local news and weather. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get a check of the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> northbound 95 reopened at 543. we had problems there all morning. traffic is flowing much better now. i-seven, we get an accident that may add to delays. greenspring and bridled rich land, we have an accident we are tracking. northbound delays we are

tracking. if you are going to head out at patapsco avenue and potee street, watch for a crash. 95 looks good. 543, all lanes are reopened. we will switch to a live view of traffic, southbound 83 at pimlico road, looking pretty good. no major delays towards northern parkway. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. john collins has the look of the forecast. >> around here, we have plenty of sunshine. in the south, developing storm. that we have to watch, because by sunday, it could be a rainmaker stomach. 38 degrees at b.w.i. marshall. clouds and fog are breaking up and we have north wins at 3 miles per hour. mild temperatures. 49 to 54 for the hybrid of northwest winds at 10 to 15 mi.

per hour. we start picking up some clouds and by sunday, a chance for a rain-snow mix with high temperatures only in the 30's. presidents' day looks good. sunshine and 43. >> another update at 8:55.

8:30 now on a friday morning, 17th of february 2012. you know what? the crowds are moving out. the sun is coming out. turning out to be a beautiful day in new york city. temperature up to 44. going to about 50 today. >> that's right. plenty of sunshine. >> nice people out on the plaza.

i'm matt lauer along with salve grut here while ann is on assignment. we are here with al roker and amy robach. on a serious note a new twist in the story of the former producer for "survivor" charged with killing his wife in mexico. >> and a judge has ordered he will stand trial there. natalie morales is there. she talked to defense attorneys and the victim's family. we'll have a live report from natalie in a few minutes. >> all right. have you tried a gluten-free diet? if you haven't, you probably know someone who has. coming up, we're going to talk about why you may have a medical reason to do so. joy bauer is here with answers for everyone. >> my son is gluten-free. we'll meet our new batch of bow to wow pups. we'll have jill coming in with that. >> we also have a special announcement to make. it's the fact that we are teaming up with the u.s. chamber

of commerce to launch a new initiative called hiring our heroes today. e we're going to highlight the skills and talents of our nation's veterans and hosting job fairs around the country. come on over here, kevin. he's with the u.s. chamber of commerce and joins us on the plaza. >>s thanks for having me. >> what have you accomplished so far? what's the goal? >> we have been in over 90 cities across the country. we have 8,000 jobs for military spouses and veterans. next year we are going to 400 communities. >> that's more than a million unemployed veterans in this country. is it a matter of an employer not understanding how the battlefield experience and military training translates in the private sector context? >> i think there are employers that get it. they have the competitive advantage. i will give you an example. capital one bank hires veterans

every day and they are growing. they attract that talent as part of their culture. and they are now looking for returning veterans drawing down in the force to bolster the work force. >> and what are the veterans and spouses going to see on march 28 when they show up to a job fair? >> they will see employers with job opportunities for veterans. that's the difference. some of the hiring fairs don't have jobs. we bring employers that list the job opportunities available and we connect talented veterans and military spouses with those employers. >> what's your goal and what have you accomplished? >> our goal is to connect hundreds of thousands of veterans and military spouses and get tens of thousands of jobs for them. >> we are proud to be a part of this. thank you for being here. if people want to learn more they can find the information on today.com. now, mr. roker, how about a

check of the weather? >> as we look at the long weekend starting with tomorrow, a risk of strong storms. rain from california to the pacific northwest. cold kigtss in the plains. sunday, rain changing to snow on the midatlantic coast. strong storms along the southeastern coast. rain in the pacific northwest. presidents' day, sunny, cold, windy in the northeast. snowshowers in the central plains. rain in central texas. sunny along the west coast. >> good morning.ds in the m we're starting out with some areas of drizzle and low clouds. into the afternoon, it will be mostly sunny and pleasant.

>> this long holiday weekend, check your weather any time day or night on the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. savannah? >> all right, al. thanks. up next, the reality tv producer has now been ordered to stand trial in the death of his wife in mexico. natalie is live with the latest. first, this is "today" on nbc.

nearly two years ago monica beresford redman was found dead at a resort in mexico. her husband, a top reality tv producer was charged with her killing. now he is battling for freedom in a mexican court. natalie morales takes a look at the case tonight on "dateline." she has a preview from miami. >> good morning, matt. bruce beresford had it all.

professional success and a beautiful family until his wife turned up dead. it's a legal saga that's lasted nearly two years and has just taken a big turn. last week bruce beresford redman was extradited from los angeles to mexico where he's accused of killing his wife monica. at a hearing this week his attorney said their client is innocent and asked that the charges be thrown out. bruce watched from behind bars. >> it wasn't really a strong case. there wasn't really no evidence that tiede edirectly to our client -- to the murder of his wife. >> reporter: on wednesday the mexican judge ruled the case will go to trial. >> i was there when he was notified by the court. i can assure you that he is completely devastated. >> reporter: he had been a hot shot tv producer for "survivor" and other hit reality shows. >> he was very compassionate and

hard-working. he was just really good at what he did. >> reporter: his wife monica, a karz mat tick owner of a los angeles restaurant. >> my sister was always finding jobs for people and helping people to find places to stay. she was always helping someone. >> reporter: monica vanished during a family vacation at this luxury cancun resort. bruce told police she had gone shopping one morning and never returned. two days later, her body was found, not far from their hotel room. witnesses said they heard screams coming from the couple's room the night before monica disappeared. >> what were you hearing from the employees who worked -- >> they had a fight the day before, my sister was crying. there were a lot of things going on that people said. >> reporter: police learned bruce had recently had an affair. he became their prime suspect. [ speaking in a foreign language ] >> translator: what we are finding is everything in the

investigation is revolving around bruce. >> reporter: richard hirsch and vicky pabareski are bruce's attorneys giving their first interview to "dateline." they say it is absurd that bruce could have killed his wife in a hotel suite on a family vacation. >> these children loved this man. i see the interaction between the children and bruce. if he had killed their mother in front of them they would never be as warm and loving of him as they are. >> unless they were sleeping and missed it all. >> but there would have been screams. the theory is the screaming was her being assaulted. it woke up the people down stairs. one would think if it was that loud the children would have been awoken also. >> reporter: in court last week his defense produced two new witnesses who say they saw monica shopping the day she disappeared. the next court hearing is expected in two weeks. if convicted beresford redman

faces up to 30 years in prison. >> with we have been told the jail in cancun is the most dangerous and violent in mexico. an american citizen coming down there is going to be at great risk for his safety. >> reporter: do you feel without a doubt, 100% that he had nothing to do with monica's murder? >> yes. >> absolutely. >> reporter: and the trial is expected to be lengthy. it could be more than a year or so before it is all done. matt? >> natalie, thank you very much. see more of natalie's reporting on the story tonight on "dateline" at 10:00/9:00 central on nbc. up next, important health news. what you need to consider before going gluten free. first, this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:43. this morning on today's health gluten confusion. a lot of people are avoiding wheat, barley and rye to go

gluten free. is that a good idea if you don't have to do it? joy bauer is "today's" nutritionist. >> good morning. >> it seems it's all the rage. everything in the store says gluten-free. what is gluten? >> it's a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. all derivatives of wheat, barley and rye. if it's bread, pasta, crackers, bars or cookies, sometimes even soy sauce and marinades will have gluten. >> why are we hearing about it recently, the gluten-free diets? >> so many people are rightfully being diagnosed with gluten issues. it is estimated at least one in 100 americans respond negatively to gluten. at the same time going gluten-free has been glamatized. it enhances energy, helps you lose weight, keeps you feeling fabulous. >> does a gluten-free diet mean you will lose weight? that's a reason people do it. >> it depends.

if you pull out all the gluten from the diet you will wind up reducing your calories and, yes, you will lose weight. on the other hand, if you replace those gluten-containing foods with gluten-free counterparts. like if you pull out bread but eat gluten-free bread it's a wash. you won't lose weight. >> we'll talk about labels you should be reading and looking out for. i guess the question is who should go gluten free? there are two categories, right? >> yes. the first people are diagnosed with celiac disease, a serious auto immune disorder. it's like type i diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis. your body views gluten as the enemy. it goes into attack mode and assaults the delicate cells in your small intestine. that's where a lot of digestion takes place. it interferes with the

absorption of important vitamins and minerals. >> celiac disease is a serious condition. how do you know if you have it? what are the symptoms? >> the symptoms are all over the place. you can have chronic stomach aches, pains, diarrhea, weakness. also osteoporosis. you are not absorbing calcium and vitamin d. anemia because you are not absorbing iron. some people have infertility issues and kids can present with failure to thrive. >> how do you diagnose celiac disease? some of the symptoms are nebulous. >> right. if you think you may have celiac, the most important thing is keep eating gluten. i know that sounds crazy. it's because when you go to the doctor for the test, the blood tests and perhaps the biopsy they want to see that you have been inflamed from eating gluten. if you stop eating gluten before you go to the doctor you will be healed. >> it will clear up and you

won't know. >> keep eating gluten and meet with the doctor. don't self-diagnose. >> the second category of people who can choose to avoid gluten are those who are gluten-sensitive. >> this is a real diagnosis, but it's not as serious or life concerning in terms of health conditions long lasting as celiac is. but the symptoms are bothersome. they are like benign symptoms of celiac. stomach issues, weakness. headaches, rashes. in terms of how you're going to diagnose whether you have a sensitivity, first, keep eating gluten. go to the doctor and rule out celiac. if you don't have celiac, do some self-investigative work. take yourself off gluten for two, three weeks. if your symptoms resolve, do a challenge. put the gluten back in for two, three daydays. if the symptoms come back, guess what. >> you should be able to see if the gluten is making you feel

bad. >> and a lot of people are sensitive so i don't want to down play it. >> tell us what to look for in labels. >> there are great products out there. make sure the first ingredient is a whole grain, but gluten-free. brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, whole corn. make sure it has a reasonable amount of sugar. for breakfast cereals, no more than eight grams of sugar per serving. there are so many terrific healthy gluten-free products, i will throw these on my twitter, facebook. this is good stuff. >> your bottom line is if you don't need to be on a gluten-free diet you shouldn't. >> there is no reason to go gluten-free. >> thank you so much. >> up next, our bow to wow dogs looking for a new home. first, this is "today" on nbc.

we are back now with our special series from bow to wow where we clean up shelter dogs and find them loving homes. with we have a 100% success rate. our animal advocate jill rappaport is back with a new group. good morning. >> we're proud to say -- they're barking on call here. this is the blue ribbon batch on the heels of the westminster show we have our own best in

show and they are all champions in our eyes. first up in the nonsporting group we've got cody who is just a black and white special and a coat to die for. >> cody is a lahsa apso. he's so playful. just bounces around. look at the paws. >> he'll benefit from the makeover. he says he doesn't want one, he's beautiful the way i am. now in the terrier group, bently. >> this is a 5-year-old terrier given up because the owner was moving. they couldn't take him. >> he has a lot of energy. right now he's being very mellow, very sweet saying, you know what, i'm going to land a fabulous home. [ barking ] ♪ i ain't nothing but a hound dog ♪ ♪ crying all the time >> this is the hound group. we have a matched set. this is joey and zoey. >> joey is 3.

>> we think they are related but we're not sure how. and joey is more verbal. [ barking ] >> this is a sweetheart. >> ooh! >> now representing the toy group we have an adorable chihuahua with a big name. this is atlas. >> very good hearing. >> with these ears he has to be. >> a 4-year-old chihuahua mix. >> lots of exercise and love. finally in the herding group one of the most beautiful and rare dogs i have seen. a belgian melanoit. he's a baby. such a beauty. these dogs are known to be very intelligent. you yourself have never seen one in the years you have worked one. >> i have never seen one in the shelter before. >> he's gorgeous. >> as always, joining us is richard from animal care and control of new york city.

nice to see you. thank you for not singing in that piece. let's get right to it and look at cody in the shelter. and now jumping the gun is amy robach with cody in studio. >> i was confused! i'm sorry! >> very playful. still a puppy. still needs training. but very intertaken to watch him move around. when he's happy he rolls around. he puts his head against your leg to snuggle with you. >> great for a family with a small home or apartment. >> loves kids. >> he's so cute. >> thank you very much. let's go to the terrier group. we have bentley, the wheaten terrier walked by savannah guthrie. >> he's walking me. >> what's the characteristic of the breed? >> they are energetic. >> and strong. >> playful. you have to spend time with this dog. he needs to exercise. he's great on the leash. >> he shakes on command.

>> take our word for it, he shakes on command. savannah, thank you very much. next from the hound group we have joey and zoey the dachshunds and barbara corcoran is here. >> this is joey and that's zoey. >> you think they are related? >> we don't know. joey is older. they could be father and sister. they really get along well together. they are social and they love to meet people and other dogs. >> they're cute. but you want them to go as a pair. >> we'd like them in a home with older kids as well. >> thank you very much. we appreciate it. now to the toy group as our dog show version continues. we have atlas the chihuahua brought out by joy bauer.

>> atlas would be good in a home that's quiet and calm. he loves to be cuddled and held. >> he's a lap dog. >> his foster said he's a love bug. >> very timid. needs love to start coming around. >> a sweetheart. >> he has stage fright. >> house broken? >> so far. >> he's been in a foster home and has been doing great. >> real quickly, willy geist has oliver. a lot of people haven't heard of a belgian malanoit. >> very strong dog. he'll benefit from obedience training. somebody who runs a lot. >> great with kids. >> as all of the dogs come back, congratulations on being nominated for another genesis award. we are back after this.

>> good morning. i am mindy basara. maryland state police are investigating a hit-and-run collision that left four people injured overnight. it happened in the southbound

lanes of i-95 in perryville when a passing car struck a vehicle carrying two children and an adult and kept on going. police were able to track down

>> sun is burning off the fog we had this morning. temperatures climbing out of the 30's and into the 40's. sun probably got a man entered 45 to 54 for the high today.