good morning. breaking news. anti-american protests turn violent in afghanistan as anger spreads over the burning of muslim holy books by american troops. at least six people are dead and the u.s. embassy in kabul is on lockdown. rally time. the dow breaks 13,0 for the first time in nearly four years, a major post recession milestone, but is it time to celebrate? and the voice. president obama shows off his vocal talents once again. ♪ come on ♪ baby, don't you wanna go [ cheers ] >> we'll tell you what had him singing the blues today,

>> we'll tell you what had him singing the blues today, wednesday, february 22, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this wednesday morning. i'm ann curry. >> i'm carl quintanilla in for matt. the u.s. was quick to apologize for the burning of korans and other materials saying they were improperly disposed of after being pulled from the shelves of a detention center library. >> that's right. it hasn't stopped the demonstrations from growing this morning in size and intensity. thousands have taken to the street forcing the closure of a highway. we'll have the latest on the story ahead. >> also "today" investigates how are dirty surgical instruments ending up in operating rooms? >> that's right. >> we talk with a man who became

infected with a potentially deadly bacteria during surgery and look at what's being done to keep you safe under the knife. >> and today's professionals will weigh in on a few topics getting a lot of buzz including the controversy over chris brown and rihanna's music collaboration, and also a school that charges parents when their kids get into detention. >> $5 a pop. >> let's begin with this morning's breaking news. deadly anti-american protests in afghanistan. nbc's jim miklaszewski is at the pentagon for us this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. sources are telling nbc news in kabul that the casualty toll has now risen to as many as six dead and nearly three dozen injured in violent protests that swept across three provinces there in afghanistan. in kabul it's reported that afghan security forces opened fire on protesters, killing at least one of the protesters, injuring a dozen others. now, this all began yesterday at

the bagram air base north of kabul when it was discovered the u.s. military had inadvertently ordered the burning of korans, the most sacred relin linridgel for their religion. the korans were confiscated because it was learned that some militants there were passing extremist messages through that koran. they were ordered disposed of. but immediately the commander of all u.s. military forces there in afghanistan, general john -- the general there ordered that all and immediate investigation be launched to determine exactly what happened. hamid karzai, the president of afghanistan and other afghan leaders were invited to join in the investigation and ordered a refresher course for all u.s.

military, in fact, to the cultural refresher course to respect islam and their tenets. the remarkable thing is after ten years it would seem that the u.s. military would be aware of the sensitivities and some u.s. officials are calling this a stupid mistake. >> all right. those are very strong words. jim miklaszewski, thank you so much on this breaking story. it's now 7:04. here's carl. >> here at home investors hoping for positive news from wall street. this a day after the dow crossed the 13,000 mark for the first time since may of 2008. what does it mean for the economic recovery and for you? here to talk about it is jim cramer from "mad money". >> good morning. >> i have heard it's an important milestone. others say just another number. what does 13,000 mean to you? >> stocks are no longer the enemy of investment. this kind of rally usually means the future is brighter than the

past. i like what i see. >> let's talk about what companies are doing. some american companies are beginning to fire on all cylinders. what kind of companies and why? >> industrial companies, companies in oil and gas, consumer companies. in other words, companies that depend on consumer spending. this is broad, carl. hiring is coming. >> the dow has doubled in value since the low in march of 2009. we know job growth hasn't kept pace. do you see that catching up with what the market has done? >> i like to look at the dow as a six-month precursor to what can happen. yes, i see things getting better. i'm not going to equivocate, carl. they are getting better. >> let's talk to viewers who have been too nervous to get into stocks, held their money in savings though they are making next to nothing. is this the time to get in? are they already late? is there a danger of buying at the top? >> oil and gasoline are too

high. i know europe is not resolved. i see bargains, carl. lots of companies that have done nothing in four years with good dividends. they are great places to be. much better than c.d.s. >> we talked about gas prices yesterday. we'll get numbers on housing this week. i think people are wondering how much of a drag is housing on the economy still? >> it's been the worst drag. i think housing starts will be up 10%, maybe 15% this year. that's a good sign but off a low bottom. when people build houses, a lot of jobs. if we get even some lift in housing, that's another good sign. >> finally, news out of greece, the second bailout. how important is that and are you seeing signs that europe is a little bit less of a risk to our economy now? >> i think it is important. if you're in europe the greece deal will ultimately not work for greece but it takes the big catastrophe off the table. that allows us to grow. we can look over our shoulders

at greece but it's no longer front and center. >> can you say the market will end the year higher than it is now? >> yes. i will do that! >> okay. good note to end on. jim, thank you. you can catch "mad money" weeknights at 6:00 and 11:00 eastern time on cnbc. once again here's ann. >> now to the presidential race and the neck and neck battle between mitt romney and rick santorum in michigan. it's romney's birthplace and a state he needs to win next tuesday. nbc's peter alexander is in detroit with more on the story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. it's not mitt romney but rick santorum who will take center stage at tonight's debate. all campaign season the debates have been rewarding the winners. newt gingrich in south carolina, mitt romney in florida and rick santorum is hoping for the same. but his campaign is already downplaying expectations. one adviser telling me while the debate is important it is not the end all be all for their campaign.

as the candidates prepare for tonight's debate in arizona, the latest nbc news marist poll shows it's the race in michigan that's heating up with mitt romney and rick santorum in a virtual tie. >> there is a lot at stake, folks. this is an important election. >> reporter: an election increasingly laced with references to religion. santorum is likely to be peppered about his comments on the president's phony theology. >> i will defend everything i say because it comes from here. >> reporter: on msnbc's "morning joe" tuesday, franklin graham, reverend billy graham's son praised santorum for espousing what he calls christian values. >> by your definition he's not a christian? >> you have to ask him. i cannot answer that question for anybody. >> you don't believe he's a muslim? >> no. >> categorically not a muslim? >> i can't say categorically.

islam has gotten a free pass under obama. >> reporter: with his front-runner status in jeopardy romney has tried to focus on the economy. at a town hall on tuesday he was asked how he would protect religious freedom and answered by attacking the president. >> unfortunately, perhaps because of the people the president hangs around with and their secular agenda they have fought against religion. >> reporter: the obama campaign quickly fired back, calling romney's comments disgraceful. earlier, reverend graham also questioned romney's faith. >> most christians would not recognize mormonism as part of the christian faith. >> so he's not a christian? >> most christians would not recognize it. >> reporter: tuesday night sarah palin weighed in, blaming the media for what she considers a double standard that attacks conservatives for invoking the bible but ignores president obama when he does the same like earlier this month at the national prayer breakfast.

>> for unto whom much is given, much shall be required. >> the theology he would adopt by reading the book of luke results in him say saying we need to increase taxes on hardworking americans? that's okay? but rick santorum talking about good and evil isn't okay? >> reporter: a clarification on the story reported yesterday. during the 2008 campaign reverend wright was not forced to resign for controversial comments. he had already announced retirement from his church when the comments drew national attention. ann? >> thank you. chuck todd is nbc's political director and chief white house correspondent. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. >> rom is leading rick santorum in arizona. the numbers are 43% to 27%. let's move to michigan. that's where the story gets good. romney is ahead by just two points there. there is a deeper story here in michigan. isn't there, chuck? >> reporter: there are a couple of things. there is an interesting split

here between organization and momentum. for instance in arizona, half the state has already voted. mitt romney leads by 30 points among folks who have already voted. in michigan, he leads by 20 points among folks who already voted. among those who haven't, that's where you see santorum's momentum kicking in. it's a one-point race in arizona among the half of the electorate who hasn't voted yet and santorum leads there. this gets into the issue of the early money romney spent weeks before the primaries got heated up has helped him at least potentially. if he avoids the upset, helps them avoid the upset, ann. >> let's remind people that romney is from michigan. >> yeah. >> he won it in 2008. his father was once governor of michigan. does he have a real chance then of losing michigan and what kind of setback would it be for his campaign? >> he does. when you look it would be because of ideology. you see the same split with tea

party supporters. santorum has a big lead. almost 20 points. among those who don't consider themselves tea party supporters, that's where he does best. the ideological breakdowns. the same thing among conservative voters, rick santorum leads by some 30 points. when you look at the way michigan has done where romney is doing well it's all around the detroit area which is where he grew up in the suburbs there. in the rest of michigan it's a lot more like iowa. well, that's a state rick santorum technically won, remember? >> to make it more interesting in michigan, michigan's primary is an open primary so democrats and independents can vote. does the romney campaign have to worry a little bit about democrats, possibly independents voting for rick santorum just to push him off the dime? >> they should. in 2000, the michigan democratic party was able to organize an anti-bush vote. it helped propel mccain to an

upset there. we see evidence in our polling right now. romney and santorum are even among independents. that should be surprising. why? in any other state where independents have been allowed to vote romney has dominated. more times than not the independents in other states have been moderates and they have been looking for the electable republican. this appears to be evidence of at least an anti-auto bailout. folks mad about the auto bailout. some sort of protest because santorum is doing a lot better among independents than in any other state we have tested. >> chuck todd with perspective. the numbers are always valuable. thanks, chuck. >> you got it. >> to the other top stories of the morning with natalie morales at the news desk. good morning. >> good morning. we begin with two western journalists including one american killed this morning in syria while reporting from the flash point city of homs. richard engel is in turkey on

the syrian border with more. >> reporter: good morning. an opposition activist inside the city of homs identified the two journalists as american veteran war correspondent marie colvin. she's worked for years for the british sunday times. the other, a french pho photojournalist, remy oshlik. they were in the city of homs in a media area. the city has been surrounded by syrian forces shelling the city from the outside. the opposition does control pockets inside of homs and the media center was in one of those pockets. it was one of the only places that had some degree of internet access. the two journalists were in the media center this morning when it was attacked and hit by a rocket apparently fired by government forces and destroyed. there have been videos posted online showing the destroyed

media center, also including graphic images showing the bodies of the two identified journalists. >> just awful. richard, at this point, is there talk of the u.s. possibly arming the opposition? would that be a viable option? >> reporter: i have spoken to u.s. officials. they are concerned about fuelling a civil war. they don't know who controls the opposition. there is a free syrian army controlling parts of homs, the media center where the journalists were killed. they don't want to fuel a civil war. on one more note, in addition to the two western journalists, three other journalists were also injured, including one in urgent need of medical attention. it is very difficult to reach them. the city of homs has been cut off. that's why there is a push from the united states and other countries to at least allow, if not direct weapons to reach the rebels, but some humanitarian

assistance. >> richard engel in turkey. thank you very much for reporting on a tough story this morning. in health news at home more americans are now dying from hepatitis c than hiv. many of them are unaware they are infected. according to the cdc, 3.2 million people in the u.s. are infected with the chronic hepatitis c virus that's a leading cause of liver disease and death. the virus is most prevalent in baby boomers. experts say many could have been infected decades ago and not know it. a freelance producer for the "amazing race" has been killed in uganda. jeff rice and a second local facilitator were refused to be poisoned after refusing to give up their possessions in an attempted robbery. he worked on the show's 20th season but wasn't working on it at the time of his death. the father of two worked on animal planet's "whale wars" and

"the biggest loser south africa." the president is singing the blues but if mick jagger stuck a microphone in your face you couldn't say "no" either, so he belted out an impromptu duet with b.b. king. take a listen. ♪ ♪ come on ♪ baby, don't you wanna go ♪ come on ♪ baby, don't you wanna go [ cheers ] ♪ sweet home chicago >> as you heard, that was "sweet home chicago." the president sent out a little hometown pride for the second city from the white house. i think they have an act. they should go on the road. now back to ann, carl and al. >> it takes a lot of chutzpah to sing in front of -- >> b.b. king. >> buddy guy. >> i like the look on michelle's

voice like, oh, brother. >> there he goes again. >> looks like a remake of "the blues brothers" to me. jake and elwood. >> let's talk about the weather. amazing day in the northeast today. >> but our friends in the pacific northwest are singing the blues. we have another big storm making its way in. heavy rain in the mountains. we have avalanche warnings in the mountains there, in the cascades. high wind warnings and watches and wind advisories for the mountain south into central montana and wyoming. wind gusts over 80 miles per hour. you can see snowfall amounts anywhere from two to four feet of snow and along the coast, rainfall of one to two inches. >> good morning. the mild weather bank will continue. temperatures will be about 10 degrees above average. we have a chance f

that's your latest weather. carl? >> al, thanks. now to a breathtaking show in the sky in the northern hemisphere the largest solar flares since 2005 have created the most spectacular northern lights in years. michelle kosinski is in tromso, norway, inside the arctic circle. michelle, good morning. >> reporter: hey, carl. norway has had a mild winter, but a jaw-dropping aurora borealis. this is one of the best spots on the planet to see it. nasa predicted that this winter would be some of the most intense northern lights in half a century. it all depends on the activity of the sun which is on a 12-year cycle. right about now is the peak of it.

our trusty sun might look the same, but the headlines it's been generating, geomagnetic storm to hit earth -- not so comforting. unlike our brand of storm, when a sun storm slams the atmosphere at 5 million miles an hour, just last month, we get this. the majestic aurora announcing itself through twinkling curtains over the upper and lower latitudes. some of the most awesome in the true and most popular sense displayed in decades. bright green, pinks, sweeps and stripes. glowing rings. some of the coolest images have come from space. the violence of a sun burst settling into a glowing crown atop our planet. to see it in person -- >> it's like a painting maybe that moves. >> sometimes it makes me feel small. i mean, it's so great.

it comes from the sun. >> reporter: the sun has been throwing off more charged particles than usual which collide with earth's particles and shoot out photons or light. those are swept along earth's magnetic field and voila. >> the sun is coming out of a period where it's been quiet. but it is entering a more active period. we can expect solar storms multiple times per day. >> reporter: that makes for a lot of electricity up there. scientists just launched a research rocket into the gloers aw -- glorious aurora over alaska to see how it may interfere with our gps. >> turn left, then keep left. >> reporter: if a messed up gps doesn't make you late, staring at the aurora will. a peek we may not get to ooh and aah over for another dozen years. if you want to see it in real

life you may have to go somewhere inconvenience to americans. best places are iceland, greenland, norway, finland. you get the picture. but a lot of tourism is now geared toward seeing the lights. carl? >> amazing pictures and we liked the music, too. michelle kosinski, thanks. still ahead, a dangerous problem. why some surgeons are unknowingly using dirty instruments in operating rooms. first, this is "today" on nbc.

just ahead, was it a well planned murder or insanity? the latest from a man accused of shooting a co-worker's husband outside a day care center. >> first, your local news. while it built up in my system. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation,

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wait. ♪ it's morning in the himalayas... [ male announcer ] it's sweet. it's nutty. it's absolutely delicious. kellogg's crunchy nut. it's morning somewhere. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. here's a look at one of our top stories. police are on the hunt for two suspects in a robbery and shooting in northeast baltimore. the incident took place at the 5200 block of harford road just after 9:30 last night. officers said it and found a 46- year-old man suffering from at

least one gunshot wound to the body. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> a few new problems out there. northbound 97 at 32, accident coming in. just past eastern ave on the east side, there may be some delays for me. delays on 95 out of the white marsh area. further south on 295, 23 miles per hour on average delays on 95 and south. one more problem of note, aberdeen at 122. 20 minutes on the outer loop west side. this is going to take you about two minutes from the 895 split. live view of traffic. update you on the j.f.x. at ruxton road. not too bad here. was to get closer to northern parkway, things start to back

up. 140 reisterstown road, delays beyond this point. >> nothing going on weather-wise to start your day. temperatures are in the 30's to around 40. 38 degrees in rising sun. most of you will have a dry day. and 35 to 60. and 35 to 60.

7:30 now on this wednesday morning. it's the 22nd of february 2012 as we check out things from the top of the rock. al says in the city we could approach 60 degrees today which is welcoming for all of our friends gathered outside of the plaza. meantime inside studio 1a i'm ann curry alongside carl quintanilla in for matt. nice to have you here again. >> thanks for having me. >> just ahead "today"

investigates a growing problem. >> we are talking about dirty surgical instruments used in operating rooms across the country. why is it happens and what's being done? we'll have details. >> also, should parents be forced to pay fine ifs their children misbehave at school? also, would you eat a hamburger made from lab grown test tube meat? those are compelling questions that today's professionals, star, donny and dr. nancy, will weigh in on this morning. >> we begin this half hour with the trial of a man accused of murdering a father of two as he dropped off his son at a day care center in georgia. testimony started tuesday with testimony from the victim's widow. thanh truong is at the courthouse with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: hey, carl. good morning to you. 48-year-old newman is accused of gunning down rusty snyderman in november of 2010. the prosecution says he was deliberate in planning the killing but he's pled not guilty

by reason of insanity. they claim he had an affair with the victim's wife, andrea. the case against newman boils down to sun simple sentence say it is prosecution. >> the man wanted her in his life and he killed her husband. he got caught. >> reporter: the father of two young children was gunned down but the defense claims newman was delusional. he imagined he was visited by a demon who sounded like barry white and an angel who looked like olivia newton john. >> the angel told him rusty was going to harm the children. that he needed to protect the children. that he needed to kill rusty. >> reporter: newman's attorney described a man in financial

crisis who suffered an abusive upbringing. with the first witness the debate over newman's mental health turned into a salacious soap opera. andrea snyderman said newman, her boss at ge was obsessed with her and made repeated unwanted passes but she never reported it. >> do you have any idea why the defendant would have these feelings toward you? >> i think i'm a nice person. i'm a very caring person. i did nothing but try to help hemmy newman, suggested him to seek counseling in his marriage. >> reporter: prosecutors produced records of business trips they had taken together including one to south carolina. >> what happened there, ma'am? >> we were holding each other's hands. that's it. it may sound worse than it is. >> reporter: snyderman denied having a sexual affair with newman. >> there was no affair.

who kills someone else's husband? >> reporter: despite constant advances and a barrage of romantic e-mails she said she never felt threatened but her husband spotted someone snooping outside their home in a mask. police later discovered it was newman. >> rusty didn't recognize him. how would rusty recognize him? he was wearing a disguise. >> reporter: nine days later newman shot rusty. snyderman said a day care worker called saying something had happened to her husband. the prosecutor pressed her to explain why she never called her husband. instead calling her family and then newman six times. >> why didn't you call rusty. >> they told me something happened to rusty. what are the chances he'll answer his cell phone. >> i'm curious. why didn't you call rusty. >> reporter: andrea will take the stand in a couple of hours for cross-examination by the defense. if convicted newman faces life in prison. if found not guilty he'll be

sent to a mental hospital. carl? >> thanh truong, thanks. should make for an interesting day in court. newman's estranged wife is listed as a potential witness for the prosecution. we are joined by her attorney esther panich. >> good morning, carl. >> the defense says newman was stricken with mental issues. did you're client witness those issues during the course of their marriage? >> reporter: no. in fact, the only thing my client witnessed was that her husband had been cheating on her and was caught. so it has nothing to do with mental illness. in fact, this defense is really an insult to those who actually suffer from bipolar disorder. he had no family history -- go ahead. >> then there is a demon i wanted to ask about. the one that sounds like barry white. an angel that looks like olivia

newton-john. what did you think when you heard that testimony? >> frankly, the first thing i thought of was olivia newton-john. was it "grease" or "xanadu." if this case wasn't so serious resulting in the death of a good man, multiple families and a community then this would be laughable. unfortunately this is a tragedy which hasn't even seen the end yet. so for mr. newman to come out nine months after he pled not guilty to now decide he's seeing demons and angels is insulting. >> andrea snyderman adamantly denies having an affair with hemmy. does your client believe andrea is lying on the stand? >> yes. in fact, in the courtroom there were a lot of people who believed andrea was lying. she was completely evasive, argumentative with the

prosecutor and the defense lawyer. she has not yet told the truth. she seems to have had selective amnesia when confronted with e-mails indicating that mr. newman loved her. she said she didn't remember all the e-mails she got in two years. i don't know about you, but if a boss of mine sent me an e-mail telling me he loved me multiple times it's not something i would be likely to forget. >> you have alluded in the media in the past to the idea that there might have been someone else involved in rusty snyderman's murder. can you elaborate on that? >> not at this point. i think we are all going to have to wait to see what witnesses the prosecution brings out? you will have to have me on again. >> do you and your client believe it was a plot to kill rusty snyderman? >> we'll have to see the investigation. the district attorney is in control of their case and they are doing an incredible job. as is the defense attorney.

>> does your client believe the father of her children would be capable of a crime like this? >> i don't think anybody believe that is the person they love and marry is capable of such a crime. she never knew him to be violent. she knew he had cheated on her and when she found out that he was involved it was devastating to her. it is still devastating to her. she was no different than any other woman who went to work one day, came home only to find out that the police were at her door saying her husband had killed another man. it's unfathomable to believe that your husband, your family member is capable of such violence. yet he has admitted to killing rusty snyderman. >> thank you very much for your time. time now for a check of the weather and al. >> carl, thanks so much. a nice morning out here. you guys are having twins? >> twins!

>> you're just letting the folks back home know. >> we knew we were pregnant but we found out it's twins. >> your first? well, first and second. >> right. >> let's check out your weather today. severe storms in the southeast. atlanta, birmingham, knoxville, nashville, greenville, all the villess getting in on it. possibility of tornadoes. rainfall amounts a half inch to an inch of rain. the big story is the wind and thunderstorms. more heavy rain in the pacific northwest with mountain snows. sunshine and 79 in los angeles. sunny through texas. a few showers along the southern gulf coa >> good morning. this afternoon, we have a chance for a rain shower. kind of like yesterday. it will be a mild. it will be a mild.

don't forget. get your weather any time you need it. go to weather channel on cable, weather.com online. carl? >> al, thanks. up next, how clean are the surgical instruments in operating rooms? "today" investigates after this. ♪ [ female announcer ] kleenex® brand tissues are america's softest. no wonder people want to share them on and on. ♪ start your own chain of sharing. ♪ now when you send a free kleenex® brand share package, you'll get a sample of new kleenex cool touch™ tissues. just go to kleenex.com. kleenex®. softness worth sharing.

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even after you take it off. neutrogena® healthy skin liquid makeup. 98% saw improved skin. does your makeup do that? neutrogena® cosmetics. back now at 7:43. this morning on "today" investigates, an inside look at what goes on behind the scenes in the operating room. nbc news partnered with the center for public integrity to tackle what experts think is a growing problem -- dirty surgical instruments making their way into surgeons' hands. dr. nancy snyderman is "today's" chief medical editor. good morning. >> good morning. in my role as a surgeon when i

have asked for an instrument my assumption is everything is a clean surgical tool. what i have learned is that sometimes that's not the case. >> i had to have surgery to repair my shoulder. i was not worried one bit. i knew they were going to take care of me. >> reporter: like most patients headed for surgery john harrison put his faith and trust in the surgeons standing over him in the operating room. but unknown to most people, including john, surgery doesn't start in the o.r. it starts here in the basement of the hospital where instruments are cleaned, sterilized and reassembled. but new research shows too often surgical tools leave the basement still contaminated with hidden blood, tissue and other debris. then used on patients like john. >> we were told the recovery time for rotator cuff surgery would be about six weeks. just through physical therapy his shoulder would be restored. >> reporter: that didn't happen. >> something was wrong with my

shoulder. something was bad wrong. >> reporter: two weeks after the surgery john's wife laura rushed him to the hospital where he was told he was infected with a potentially deadly bacteria during his surgery. >> it was a nightmare. it was really frightening. >> reporter: an investigation found dirty surgical instruments had infected not just john but seven patients at the hospital during a two-week period. it's happening across the country with multiple outbreaks reported over the past two years. because only 25 states are required to report surgical site infections, experts worry this is just the tip of the iceberg. >> if we do not do our jobs correctly we can impact a patient's life. that's the reality. >> reporter: sharon green golden is the head of the sterile processing department in virginia, not the hospital where john was treated. she thinks of her team as the unseen patient advocates. >> it is a job that cannot be

given to robots because a robot doesn't have the critical thinking to say, this is still dirty. i need to clean it some more. sterile processing is one of the most important jobs in the hospital. >> reporter: green golden has made her department state of the art. a model for what should be happening across the country. she says in most hospitals people who are paid to do this work are hourly, minimum wage laborers and in every state except new jersey are not required to have any kind of training or certification. >> your hair dresser has to have a license. the barber has a license. the dog groomer has a license. the tattoo artist has a license. i'm dealing with instruments going in your body. i'm not required to be certified. >> a risk management clinical engineer at the university of michigan health system has done eye opening research that shows even when technicians follow cleaning instructions often times the instruments still contain debris.

it's not even an old instrument. >> no. >> reporter: oh, my gosh. you've shocked me. now you've shocked me. i would think that's perfectly fine. you open it up and that's horrifying. we ran a tiny video camera through suction instruments deemed ready for the o.r. it looks pigmented. it could be blood. >> or rust. >> reporter: it shouldn't be there. all contained some kind of debris. do you know how many times in my life i have used a suction like this? thousands. aware of the problem the fda recently had a meet ing where h presented his data. they must provide specific cleaning instructions for each instrument but the testing is done in a laboratory setting, not in the real world. if a dirty medical device finds its way to an o.r., the fda

doesn't require hospitals to report it. the fda declined to do an on-camera interview for "today," but gave us this statement. hospitals are reminded to carefully clean and sterilize reuseable medical devices. a patient's risk of acquiring an infection from a reprocessed medical device is very low. for john, what was supposed to be a six-week recovery has turned into a three-year nightmare. >> changed my life. it changed every aspect of it. waking up with pain. >> reporter: a surgery that was supposed to improve his life led to seven other surgeries, constant pain without the full use of his arm. >> this is what i have to live with. >> we asked the advanced medical technology associates for a statement. they said the medical technology industry is committed to providing patients with safe effective medical devices and diagnostics, ensuring the proper reprocessing of reuseable medical devices is a shared responsibility between the fda,

device manufacturers, health care facilities and physicians. now it is important to point out that this is a relatively rare phenomena, the idea you could get an infection going in for surgery. with the more complex surgical instruments the issue is the cleaning has become a much more difficult process. i want to thank the center for public integrity. they were a real help with the investigation. >> very important reporting. you would think they should be certified, people cleaning the instruments. >> we went to the university of michigan where they have the money in the bowels of the hospital to have a big reprocessing plant, but as you look at community hospitals this becomes an expensive process. and then a third party to do it. frankly, this is a shared responsibility where the ball is being dropped. who pays? the patient pays. >> again, out comes down to money. >> first, do no harm. at the end of the day, no matter who you are in the medical system, first, do no harm. >> important reporting this

morning. thank you. still ahead, the royal secret kate middleton just revealed for the first time. first, these messages. ugh, my sinus congestion, and it's your fault.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. time for a check of the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> let's get you up-to-date if you're heading out the door any time soon. eastern boulevard, we have an accident there. southbound 95 is pretty heavy. in a lot of that due to an earlier disabled vehicle. ritchie highway, of mardell corporation road, watch for an

accident there. 20 minutes on the outer loop north side, 23 on the west side outer loop. let's give you a live view of traffic. here is what 895 looks like. stop again in the southbound direction. disabled vehicle in the tunnel. looking at a big backup there. take for mckendree as your alternate. we will switch to a live view and the the area of old court. looking at a delay on the west side. toady as a check of the forecast -- tony as a check of the forecast. >> we don't expect precipitation. 38 degrees in jarrettsville. temperatures jump about 20 degrees this afternoon. we will make it to the upper 50s. slight chance for rain shower in

the forecast. kind of like yesterday. remember how the sprinkles came in. by the time we had the weekend, low 40's at on satu

8:00 now on a wednesday morning. it's the 22nd of february 2012. we're stepping out to greet everyone gathered in rockefeller plaza. we have a nice crowd, young people included. we're glad to see them. meantime i'm ann curry alongside carl quintanilla in for matt this morning and, of course, al roker. you know it's warm enough for you two not to wear a coat but i'm a wuss. >> oh, no. >> we have today's professionals in the house with hot topics. >> lots of interesting topics. rihanna, is she sending the wrong message to fans by appearing on a new remix with chris brown?

what about fancy coffee drinks for toddlers. >> no! >> we'll hear star, nancy and donny's take on this. >> and in this election year how many of us have had to start conversations about politics and wish we hadn't started the conversation? how do you do it? you want to talk about what's happening in politics. we're going to get advice from dp from experts about how not to ruffle feathers yet make our point. >> and toward the end of february tax time is on the horizon. do you want to add to your refund or avoid paying too much? we'll walk you through the most overlooked deductions that could save you cash. >> millions of americans forget to take these credits. meantime let's hear from natalie morales with the top stories of the morning. good morning. >> good morning, everyone. the u.s. embassy in afghanistan is on lockdown today. afghan officials say at least six people have been killed

after police opened fire to disburse thousands of protesters rioting. the u.s. apologized saying the holy books were inadvertently burned. two western journalists, one american and the other frempbl, have been killed in syria this morning while reporting from the flash point city of homs. the americans were identified asthma rhas as marie colvin and rem remy olschlik. bodies were found after officers responded to a call of shots fired at a suburban spa. a preliminary investigation shows the gunman is among the dead. police say he was a frequent visitor to the spa. italian authorities believe four more bodies have been spotted in the wreckage of the costa concordia. they were seen in a submerged

part of the ship which capsized last month off tuscany. if confirmed it would raise the death toll to 21. 11 others are missing. today the obama administration rolls out the plan to cut the corporate tax rate from 35 to 28%. in exchange corporations would give up dozens of loopholes and subsidies they now enjoy. many analysts aren't giving the plan much chance of being passed in an election year. for a look at what's trending now our quick round up of what has you talking online. thanks to a new photo holding what appears to be a sonogram leaving a doctor's office drew barrymore has baby bump watchers buzzing online. she recently got engaged. and kate middleton revealed the name of her new black cocker spaniel to be lupo, italian for wolf. she let it slip at a primary school in oscar and somebody

already created a twitter account where he said he can't control his excitement over all the attention. so watch out for accidents. can this guy beat jeremy lin? back when lin played for the golden state warriors these comedians challenged him to a shoot off. lin tried big shots and no-look freethrows. he missed a couple. the comedian made the trick shot to beat lin at his own game. maybe the knicks should sign him up. it's 8:04. now back out to ann and carl. >> sounds like a lucky shot. lin is amazing. >> yeah. >> al roker can do anything. >> not anything. certainly not those shots. i'll tell you. you guys came from boston. are you on winter break? >> yeah. february break. >> what's your name? are you with them?

>> yeah! >> you're the silent partner. all right, dude. way to go. >> let's see what we've got for you today. wis nbc 10. partly sunny, breezy and mild. 65 degrees. man it will be gorgeous. temperatures in the mid section of the country. oklahoma city, going to be 22 degrees above normal. 18 degrees above normal in amarillo. 60 in st. louis. northern states on the chilly side through the great lakes and new england, 20s and 30s. 80s in southern california. southern texas as well. that's good news. southern florida looking at temperatures in the 80s also. >> good morning. the mild weather bank will continue. temperatures will be about 10 degrees above average. we have a chance

shannon is this many fingers. are you shannon? >> yes. >> happy birthday. you're double digits. get a woo-woo! woo-woo! >> woo-woo! >> all right. ann! >> we like a little woo-woo. thanks, al. coming up, today's professionals weigh in on hot topics including a school that basically charges parents when their kids are put in detention. we're back after this. ce park has been here since the early 50s. my dad and grandfather spent their whole careers here. [ charlie ] we're the heartbeat of this place, the people on the line. we take pride in what we do. when that refrigerator ships out the door, it's us that work out here. [ michael ] we're on the forefront of revitalizing manufacturing. we're proving that it can be done here, and it can be done well.

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back now with today's professionals. here to break down the hottest headlines and surveys is our team of star jones, donny deutsch and dr. nancy snyderman. >> today's professionals, welcome. >> thank you. we begin with the reunion between rihanna and chris brown. three years after they break up because he abused her, two songs hit the internet on which they have collaborated. star, is this something she should be doing? >> i have held the hands of a number of women as a prosecutor who went back to their abuser. i was in pain during that time. what i learned quickly is i couldn't tell them that they needed to get help. i had to let them come to that on their own. they had to do the work behind it. i'm not sure what rihanna and chris brown have done in the background. have they done the emotional work to get to this point? if they have, i'm glad they are able to work together.

if they haven't then this goes down a bad path. >> it sends a message. does it send the right message? >> i'm not a role model and she is. i'm not telling anybody how to live their life but there is nothing more heinous than a man hitting a woman or whatever that abuse was. i think you have an obligation as a woman that young women look up to not to send a signal that it's okay and we are back to business. i wish she took a stand and said, i am not working with this guy anymore. she has a responsibility. >> i think it sends the wrong message. no matter how much a man says "i love you" if he hits you, he doesn't even like you. she hasn't driven it home enough. when people are in the public eye and they say, well, i'm not a role model, i'm sorry, you are a role model by default. i worry that for everyone battered woman it sends a wrong message and for every adolescent girl entering into a

relationship. >> i think it could be fixed by the two of them addressing it -- >> not with the words they are singing. >> not in the song. not in a tweet. but because rihanna took on the responsibility of doing an interview publically, she took a stance against domestic violence. in order to come back, you have to say -- >> there is no coming back from that. a man hits a woman -- >> you and i know that. >> it's a deal breaker. if you heard the lyrics to the song, it's basically "hit me again." >> no excuse for a man hitting a woman, period. >> let's move to the chicago charter school in which students who get a detention must also pay a $5 fee. last year a school rakes in almost $200,000 in fees. >> i love it. i know there is controversy. i love it. when i ran a business 20% of the trouble makers take up 90% of the time. this is costing the schools

money. let kids know there are consequences. the $5 is not going to put food out of anybody's mouth. >> that's not true. >> it's wonderful because a kid has the ability to not misbehave. >> $5 could put food out of somebody's mouth. however, my mother would then require something of me. if i was taking money out of our family's pocket, if i made my mother have to come to school more than one time because i was misbehaving or running my mouth, trust me. that would not happen but one time. >> what's the definition of misbehaving? a lot of time the schools fail the kids. if a kid can't sit in circle time -- >> don't give me that. i promise it's not for that reason. >> you don't know that. talk about cheap fund-raising. >> a teacher will tell you what misbehaving is. >> how about a kid kicked out because he couldn't do circle time. >> that's a new york city -- >> it was a california thing. >> this is cheap fund-raising. >> this school in chicago deals

with some of the worst behavior problems. some kids that will never go to school. they graduate kids that go to college. they're doing something right. >> i wouldn't go to newt gingrich and make him do january toe -- janitor work. >> i think that's fine. >> how about this. a team of dutch scientists working on the first hamburger meat made from stem cells and lab grown meat. >> peta loves this. because no longer are we slaughtering cows. where does peta think the stem cells came from? bone marrow biopsies in the field? no. slaughterhouses. if a stem cell is from an animal, it's still an animal. >> is it possible they are slaughtering less cows? to me if it ends up with the same product and you're killing less animals, why not? >> this is the circle of life. we eat the meat, the meat eats

the grass, we are buried under the grass. didn't you see "the lion king"? >> by the way, i think even if we save some cows the circle of life will continue. why not? >> how would you market it if it tasted okay? if people wanted it? >> well, i will market it to the people who are conscious -- animal lovers. be up front and direct about it. >> it could be a hakun hakunhakuna matata burger. >> last night at the brit awards adele giving her speech. they cut her off. she flips the birds not to the fans but to the producers. >> what is it with girls behaving poorly in public? no flipping the bird. accept your award. it was bad that they cut her off. that's not a lady like thing to do. no flipping of the bird.

>> act like an adult. when is the last time you flipped the bird? >> i'm not sure what it means. >> that mentality is silly. >> this is someone everyone's embraced as a classy, fabulous bombshell with a voice from heaven and just left the grammys with an armful of awards. this degrades her a little bit. this is a moment she'll regret. >> i wonder if she gets a pass because she's white, not black. >> i don't give anyone a pass for being a bad girl. >> just weeks after m.i.a. did it at the super bowl. >> i wonder if this will be more gently received because she's a portly white woman. >> "a woportly white woman"? how about a zaftig bomb shell.

>> i like rubenesque. >> you do not. >> i do. >> cutting people off is unacceptable, yes? >> no. it's a business. if somebody is going on and on. >> you're about to get cut off. >> they should allow more time for the big award winners. >> finally in brooklyn, cafes are making what they call babycinnos. not caffeine free. >> a little bit of caffeine. a little bit of a splurge now and then it won't hurt the child. but there is no reason to introduce caffeine to a younger population. >> everything you can do to keep kids kids as long as possible. >> i agree. >> they have plenty of time to be an adult. >> a little chocolate milk. >> that doesn't even make sense.

>> just flip them the bird. >> right. >> star's going to her home grounds. she's on "the view." >> we'll talk more. >> another hot button issue. talking politics without ruffling feathers like this and losing friends right after this. capital one's new cash rewards card gives you a 50 percent annual bonus. so you earn 50 percent more cash. if you're not satisfied with 50% more cash, send it back! i'll be right here, waiting for it. who wouldn't want more cash? [ insects chirping ] i'll take it. i'll make it rain up in here. [ male announcer ] the new capital one cash rewards card. the card for people who want 50% more cash. what's in your wallet? sorry i'll clean this up. shouldn't have made it rain. dave, i've downloaded a virus. yeah. ♪

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what should you do if someone you know is so passionate about his or her views he or she becomes politically incorrect? we talked to a family that's learned to navigate the political red tape. >> i would say i'm particularly blunt and honest and i tend to irritate people. >> it makes for awkward situations during dinner parties. we have often not made it through dessert. >> he likes to be the one politically incorrect person at the party. >> i never back off. i'm blunt. i stick to my position. i've got my friends, my family. i'm lucky. i stick to what i believe in and i go for it. so much so that people do walk out. >> with new people they're like, mark, watch what you're going to say. >> i make friends during the week just to lose them on a saturday night. >> here to break it down for us is the author of "social q's, how to survive the quirks of

today" and anna post, co-author of "emily post etiquette." good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> you don't want to have people you love and want to be friends with not want to talk to you again after a political conversation. how do you survive the times? >> one thing i find is that the more it looks like i am listening and hearing what you say, no matter how much i disagree with you and look for little bits of commonality between us and try to build on those. well, that's maybe as much as we can ask when we are talking to people we disagree with. >> we want to talk about politics. this is a time to do it. we really need to hash it out. >> what could be more important now or ever than the political future of our country? >> so, anna, how do you maintain friendships with people you disagree with completely? >> i talk about the phrase, "i have to think about that." you can acknowledge a point and give it consideration without giving up your own deep beliefs

and have an exit strategy. be willing to save the last word so you can save the relationship. that particular mom may need to use some humor and have weekday lunches. >> the knock down drag outs over politics and my dad would say, well, ann, i may disagree with you, but i'd still vote for you for president. it's that connection to create respect. >> absolutely. >> let's talk about things you have gotten, e-mails. you received one from janice new york. she wrote my boss is holding a weeknight fundraiser for a candidate he's in love with but i do not support. my boss delivered the invitation to me personally and said, i'd like you to come. do i have to go? >> the old style rule, no politics in the office just doesn't apply anymore. every 15 minutes there is a new news item on my computer about

rick santorum or the president. it's what we are talking about now. especially at different levels in the company it's really the pressure an under ling may feel to go, the boss was in the wrong. i hope the woman works in an office where she can say, sorry, i can want make it that night. >> there should be a line there. we have one more e-mail. we don't have a lot of time. from dan in california. our next door neighbors have planted three lawn signs for a political candidate who is hateful to me. it makes me furious every time i drive by. can uh i ask them to take a couple of them down? >> no, you can't. fight fire with fire. get some of your own. >> there you go! it's a conversation we all have to continue to have. maybe if we don't argue and put down the other person. >> bingo. >> thank you so much. we're back after your local

news. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell. >> delays heading out towards the harbor tunnel. this has since been reopened. on average, about 28 oce per hour. another accident off to the site at eastern boulevard. you can see how heavy is as a result of the southbound 895 delays. speeds around two to four miles

an hour. in the red as you make your way approach to white marsh to the ahead 5 split. it will be awhile for us to filter out. 11-minute travel time on 895 to the harbor tunnel tolls. 23 minutes on the outer loop west side. you a live view of traffic. we have is completely at a standstill. these will filter out shortly. these are inner loop delays. you can still use this as an alternate. toady as a check on your forecast. >> and that of cloud cover start your day. no great. temperatures in the low 40's. 30 died in westminster. 36 degrees doubt doubt. -- 39 in westminster, 36

degrees downtown. nice and mild this afternoon. we will be adhered 60 tomorrow. cools off into the upper 30's and low 40's over the weekend. >> we will have another update at 8:55. the difference between hiding my skin and showing it off? jergens ultra healing moisturizer. even my driest skin looks healthier, instantly. jergens is the difference between i'm here, and here i am. jergens®. the beautiful difference.

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8:30 now on a wednesday morning, the 22nd of february 2012. and a really pretty morning in midtown manhattan. i understand it will be something like 60 degrees later on today. that doesn't mean we don't need our coats and gloves this morning. meantime outside here on the plaza i'm ann curry alongside

carl quintanilla and natalie morales and al roker. matt's got the morning off. hope he's having a nice time away. meantime some creative ways to stay in touch with loved ones. >> with everyone's schedules sometimes it's hard to find time to call your mother. that doesn't mean you can't make time if you have tech savvy solutions. we'll talk about different ways to stay connected. >> okay. >> also, if you need reminding, tax day is less than two months away. if you are starting the process of putting all your returns and information together you're in luck. coming up we'll run through some of the most overlooked deductions and credits that could add to the refund you're hoping for. >> all right. a little bit later on, martha stewart is going to be here. she's always known for her comfort food, but this time it's comfort food with a lighter twist. she has great recipes that are 500 calories or less. >> so we can have a lot of them. >> a lot of them. hey! they're 100 calorie packs, let

me have ten. it doesn't work like that. >> as i was saying, let us know what the temperatures are across the country today. >> first i want to say hi to these folks. what's going on? >> we are raising money to fight cancer. >> very nice. now let's check your weather. we'll take a look for today a risk of strong storms in the mid south atlantic coastal areas. a lot of rain in the pacific northwest with inner mountain snows anywhere from two to three feet of snow. as we move into tomorrow, a risk of strong storms, lower mississippi river valley into the mid mississippi river valley, light snow in the pacific northwest to the central rockies. we are expecting warm weather from southern california to texas. warm down in florida. nice and mild along the midatlantic coast.

>> good morning. this afternoon, we have a chance for a rain shower. kind of like yesterday. it will be a mild. it will be a mild. i'm not sure, but i think it's your birthday. i don't think you have enough signs. what's your name? >> carly. >> how old are you? >> 12, think. >> you think? okay. there you go. this young man's birthday. we know he's 4. ann? >> thank you, al. coming up, if you're too busy to call your mom we have high tech

ways to stay in touch with her. first, this is "today" on nbc. the droid razr by motorola,

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and back for a limited time, get twice the data for the same low price. verizon. ♪ call me back at 8:36. this morning on today's tech, staying in touch with mom. if it's been a while sints you dropped by or have given her a ring she's probably told you about it. instead of feeling guilty we have ideas to keep her happy. mario armstrong is a digital lifestyle expert. >> good morning. good to see you. >> that's a good intro song. ♪ call me >> no one calls anymore. >> your way of calling is video conference. >> what we'll see in 12 to 24 months is you will be looking at the phone, not answering it and putting it to your ear. video conferencing is the way to see people long distance. >> you need a camera and a

computer. >> you can do it on the laptop or tablet. you need a web cam. i'm holding one. what you are looking for is dual stereo mics for great sound. look for hd for the greatest quality and a high speed internet connection to ensure a great connection. >> does it matter if it's in the computer or not? >> no. you want to look at the specs. you may want to bump up and buy a web cam and put it on the laptop. it may be better than the web cam that came with the laptop. bottom line is when you are buying laptops, you will see web cams in them. >> how much are we spending on it? >> $39 to $99. >> we're going to put it to work, right? >> this is face time, apple's world of chatting. you have the ipad, iphone, itouch. if you have apple devices you can use face time to connect with family and friends. over here we are going to skype

with al. >> i don't talk to al nearly enough. >> there he is. he's in the window. skyping is easy. free to use. log onto skype.com, type in your name and profile. find any family members on skype, hit the video call button and chat with al. what's going on, al? >> it's amazing this technology. >> where are those $20 you owe me? >> i lost you carl. i'm sorry. [ disconnects ] [ laughter ] >> i don't believe that guy. >> that's how easy it is. you hit the video call and dial him back and say, no, it wasn't a bad connection. we know you tried to cop out on us, al. >> he's turning us down. there's a camera you cannot escape from. >> that's how easy it is. family and friends can connect. >> for those frustrated by the picture freezing is that a reason to give up or keep trying back? >> normally that means your

internet connection is slow or you may be doing too much wiggling. sit still. have great lighting. have an hd camera. the bottom line is you want to connect with family and friends over long distances. don't wait for the holidays to connect. skype helps with that. >> you say texting is a way to go. >> yes. texting is big. everyone is carrying a mobile phone. kids don't call their parents anymore. they want to text them and say, hey, mom, here's where i am. one of the things i like is group me. groups can text together. a whole family can be in one text conversation. you can have several different contacts and add more contacts. then you can see the messages as they are going back and forth. in this case they are talking about planning dinner tonight. texting is something that parents need to get comfortable with and need to move on. >> we know about facebook but social media has ways to connect you may not have thought about before.

>> you have google plus which has google hangouts. you can do multiple people. in this case we have six different people within this one window which is awesome. you could be planning a family wedding, a family celebration or something. you want to have everyone together. what's cool about google plus is whoever is talking at the time, that's where the camera focuses on at that particular moment. >> if you are shooting video, sending video, is there an easy way? >> yes. social cam. my favorite app for that. it's free. it's on the android and apple devices. my little page here. basically you shoot with your iphone or android. take a quick video. doesn't matter the length of time. you can send it to family and friends. you can make it private so only they can see it or make it public for everyone. really cool. >> what about with my mother-in-law. i already talk to her enough. you're out of luck? >> out of luck. get ready to put on some clothes because now you're on video, not just on phone.

>> mario, thank you. up next, money saving tax tips. the overlooked deductions you should take advantage of. first, this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:43 with today's money. tax season is here. if you are wondering if there are money saving tips you missed you're in luck. cnbc's personal finance correspondent sharon epperson is here with the most overlooked tax credits and deductions. sharon, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> millions of americans overpay their taxes. how much is this ultimately costing americans? >> we're talking about 45 million americans who itemize deductions on 1040 forms. they can claim deductions up to $1 trillion. we are talking about a lot of money you can save my bi putting in the right itemizations for

credit. >> you say you want to talk about tax deductions and credits. what are the differences? >> a deduction comes off the top of gross income. when it's subtracted you have your adjusted gross income. a credit is actually dollar for dollar reducing your taxes. so that's a bigger bang for your buck, or it can be. that's what to look for as well as deductions. >> starting with deductions, because it does add up to real money, state sales tax. that's something we can deduct. >> you have a choice between deducting state and local sales tax or income tax. for people who live in states that have no income tax this is a great thing you will want to look into particularly in florida or texas, washington state. what you want to consider, the irs has tables online that you can look at. you can also add to whatever they say the state sales tax deduction would be. add to that a home if you purchased that. add to that a vehicle, a boat, anything like this could be

added to that and that may make it even more cost effective to take the sales tax deduction versus the income tax deduction. >> because you're buying a huge item. >> your home building expenses can be added as well. >> medical expenses can also be deducted. when do you want to think about that? >> if you had a lot of medical expenses. it has to add up to 7.5% of adjusted gross income to deduct it. if you're self-employed look into health insurance premiums. long-term care insurance you could deduct. >> when it comes to your home there are a couple of deductions. refinancing points is one of them. >> that's a prepaid interest on the loan. you can deduct it over the course of the loian. you can take 1/30 of the points over the life of the loan. for every $1,000 you take $33. it may not seem like a lot but it can add up. >> as we saw, moving expenses can be deducted.

at what point? >> you want to look at the irs guidelines to make sure you are in the right time frame. so many people are having to move to get a job. that's something to consider. >> speaking of having lost another job, people looking for work. the cost of looking for work can help you. >> food, transportation, lodging. if you have used an employment agency the cost to print your resumé, business cards. those job hunting expenses, you want to keep track of because they are deductible. >> i'm going to list the other things. running your own business, the expenses for that can be deducted and getting more education. >> tuition and fees deduction can be significant if you qualify by income. that's up to $4,000. you can get the american education credit. that's $2,500. >> the tax credit is important. and we also can get credit for using energy saving, home improvements. >> some people may not be

eligible because they have done it already. but if uh you did it between 2006 and 2011 an extra $5 00 helps. >> it can cost you not to file. >> file on time. april 17th is an important deadline to meet. >> thank you so much this morning. >> sure. >> coming up next, martha stewart helps lighten up our favorite comfort foods. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on martha on "today" lightening up your favorite comfort foods. if you want to cut fat but not flavor martha stewart is here with recipes from her new cookbook "everyday food light." >> this is an exciting book. really it does cut out a lot of calories and fat. it's just right for our springtime eating. >> the flavor stays in. >> all the good ingredients are there. like meatloaf. three-quarters of a pound of ground sirloin, but instead of just meat, pork and veal we are using sirloin and chopped fresh vegetables. carrot, celery and onion chopped in the food processor. to this instead of adding the whole egg everyone is used to adding, just one egg white. and a quarter of a cup of panko. these are japanese bread crumbs which are made from a good white

bread, no fat added, nothing. just bread crumbs. this gets mixed up with salt and pepper. and bake it for 30 minutes at 425. brush it with your favorite barbecue sauce. >> i can't wait to try it. >> what makes the potatoes extra light is nonfat buttermilk. >> good ideas! >> no cream. you don't even have to put butter in the potatoes. they really tas good with buttermilk. >> you say we can make chicken parmesan tasty and light. >> no frying. bake it on parchment and the chicken is easy. want to do it? >> mm-hmm. >> one side of the chicken spo the egg white, then into the flour. >> that's just plain flour. >> right. into the egg white again. >> on the other side? >> no. only one side. then into the whole wheat bread crumbs. in there is grated parmesan.

>> there you go. >> bake it at 425. for ten minutes. take it out, put skim mozzarella cheese on top and serve it with your favorite spelt pasta or a really nice whole wheat pasta and tomato sauce. >> it doesn't look low fat at all. looks terrific. >> that's a nice southern staple, shrimp and grits. >> instead of a lot of cheese in the grit which is adds fat. >> sure. >> it's just about two cups of grits and only two tablespoons of butter. >> for flavor. >> and salt and pepper. let that cook. i love the shrimp part. here we have onions. a little bit of garlic. there is bacon fat. we cooked two slices of bacon. >> right. >> that give use a tablespoon of bacon fat. >> just for flavor.

>> right. no butter or oil. you add your tomatoes. these are roasted in the oven. one pound of shrimp and saute that. it takes about three minutes. really. >> it's light and quick. >> and serve it like that over the grits. sprinkle a little bit. this serves four people. >> light and economical. >> a little bit of the bacon for flavor. what a delicious dinner that is. >> and dessert. you can have your dessert and make it light. >> you can. >> mini mocha cheesecakes. >> but the cheese instead of being heavy cream and cream cheese it's low fat or nonfat cottage cheese mixed with cocoa and espresso. >> you get protein as well. >> yes. >> in these muffin tins you put in the cheesecake mixture. top it with a chocolate wafer. >> this is what they look like

when they come out. if you must, add a little bit of whipped cream. >> all right. let's try. you also made brownie cookies. >> one day i had left over brownie mix. i was trying a new recipe. i put just a tablespoon on parchment. it made brownie cookies. >> 100 calories. >> and so good. all the recipes in the book is an approach to lighter food. we all eat too much. >> yes, we do. >> why did you look at me when you said that? >> no! >> she knows you're a foodie. as we all are. >> i'll just hang out by the grits. >> martha, thank you so much. great ideas. >> now let's say hello to willard scott in florida. >> from beautiful sanibel, florida, at one of the nicest hotel resorts in the country. come see us. we'd love to have you here.

nice people. right on the beach. happy birthday from smuckers. do they have smucker's in there? if they don't, we'll close them down. earlene stacker from indianapolis, indiana. 106 years old. keeps her mind sharp by watching the news and reading the newspaper every day. that's good. that will fix you up. elmer carter of marlton, new jersey. 101 years old. proud wwii veteran. six battle stars including the bronze star. we salute you, sir. a patriot. how about that? anthony silva of hampton beach, new hampshire. 100 years old today. drove an rv across the country after he retired.

then had an extended stay in las vegas and a week later bought the rv back. i just threw that in there. louise borst of west palm beach, florida. 104 years old. enjoys riding her bicycle. how about that? and watching soap operas. we were saying there are not many left to watch. that's an era gone by. i used to listen to them on the radio. george jarrell of blacksburg, virginia. 101. good for him. that's pretty country down there. i know it well. he loves watching baseball. favorite team the atlanta braves. can't beat that. that's a good team. take a look. tucson, arizona's lee nin is 104 and believes you should exercise your mind and body. if i had one of each i would.

that's all. now back to the great city. >> willard, thank you so much. just ahead, the west ways to ease uncomfortable back pain. >> first, your local news. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. gender identity add sexual orientation are part of baltimore county's. relations laws.

that the opponents to the bill are satisfied with the outcome because council members amended the me

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