good morning. breaking news. a second student has died after a 17-year-old allegedly opened fire inside a high school in ohio. as new details emerge about the shooter and a chilling post he left online. this morning, two students who were there describe the terror they felt. judgment day. voters head to the polls in arizona and michigan today, a critical test of mitt romney's standing with voters, especially in the state where he was born. did newt gingrich make the right call by skipping both races. we're going to ask him this morning. and road to recovery. the denver, colorado, news

anchor injured when she was bitten by a dog live on the air. she explains why she's calling it a positive experience today, she explains why she's calling it a positive experience today, february 28, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning. i'm ann curry. >> i'm matt lauer. we hate to start with bad news but moments ago the medical examiner in ohio released the name of the second victim, 17-year-old russell king, jr. he died of his gunshot wounds last night. >> the suspect identified as 17-year-old t.j. lane was not a student at chardon high school. he attended a nearby school.

lane walked into the cafeteria and appeared to target a specific group of students. we'll talk to two young men who were there and who knew the victims as well as one of the alleged shooter's classmates. we begin with savannah guthrie who has the latest on the story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. the pain and shock is written all over the faces of the people you meet here. this is a town whose heart is broken. there are a lot of conflicting reports about the alleged gunman here. was he bullied, upset over a romantic break-up? some say he was a nice kid from a nice family. others say he was obviously troubled, but nothing explains what happened yesterday. ♪ i once was lost >> reporter: at a candlelight vigil for the victims, hugs, tears and shock. what did you think when you heard someone had a gun? >> at our school?

that's unreal. it's unreal. >> reporter: senior mike wargo had just walked away after greeting his friends in the school cafeteria when he heard a loud noise. >> i started freaking out. i got a text message from my friend saying my best friend got shot. and i heard more gunshots. >> reporter: the shots rang out just as the school day was starting at chardon high school. >> attention chardon rescue, we have an active shooter at the high school. >> i heard a bunch of shots fired. >> reporter: witnesses say thomas, t.j., lane from a nearby vocational school began firing at students. >> he had no emotion on his face. he was just shooting. >> reporter: nate said his ear was grazed by a bullet. >> it sounded like a firecracker almost. i looked back, saw him shoot which hit one of my other

friends that was at the table with us. as i was turning around, he hit me. >> reporter: five students were shot before police say lane was chased out of the building by a football coach, frank hall. minutes later lane surrendered. terrified parents rushed to the nearby middle school where students were evacuated to tearful reunions. >> it's really hard because you can't do anything. you're in a helpless situation. >> reporter: the wounded were air lifted to two local hospitals. daniel parmertor, russell king. parmertor died from his injuries. in a statement his family said we are shocked by this senseless tragedy. danny was a bright young boy who had a bright future ahead of him. the shooter lived with his grandparents after his parents divorced. he took a bus every day to the

vocational school from chardon high. >> by all accounts t.j. is a fairly quiet and good kid. pretty much sticks to himself but has some friends and has never been in trouble. >> reporter: for this small community outside cleveland it's almost too much to bear. how are you coping? >> i'm not. it's a nightmare waiting to wake up from. not going to happen. i hope nobody ever has to experience this. i feel this way. i can't imagine what the parents feel like now. >> reporter: i would imagine it went through your mind how close you came. >> i wish i was there. i would rather take the bullet. they had the biggest hearts. they would do anything for anybody. everybody misses everybody.

>> reporter: t.j. lane is expected to be arraigned in juvenile court this afternoon. he reportedly is in solitary confinement this morning. in late december he wrote a posting on facebook. it's a long rambling letter that's hard to understand. he speaks in the third person and appears to refer to himself saying, quote, his only company to confide in was the vermin in the street. he longed for only one thing, the world to bow at his feet. he ended that posting with, die, all of you. there will be grief counselors on site. ann? >> ian sandborn and travis carver were in the cafeteria when the gunman started shooting and hailey was a classmate of t.j. lane's and knew him. good morning. >> good morning. >> ian, let me start with you and travis first of all. i'm sorry to hear about russell king's passing overnight. what can you tell us about him

and knowing him from school? >> russell was always -- i have been friends with the kid since kindergarten. we've had our rough times but he was never out to harm anybody. he was always really nice. he would always ask everybody if they needed help with anything. he would always take the shirt off his back to help anyone out. it's just tragic that something like this had to happen to him. >> travis, i understand you were close enough to see t.j.'s face as the shooting was occurring. how would you describe the expression on his face? >> it was something else. it was just straight determination. he had that look on his face that's hard to describe. it just sticks with you. >> you decided to stay, even though a lot of people were

running because you were trying to care for the wounded. so describe those moments. were they quiet or were they chaotic in the cafeteria? >> after the first shot, i don't know, it was a couple seconds, but it seemed quiet. i'm sure it was just what was going on in my head. but it gave me a second to think. it was whether to fight or flight, i guess, the fight or flight response. i took a second. i saw one girl running towards me and i decided i should run with her. decided to take cover a couple seconds after four or five shots he took off. >> ian, how do you remember it? >> well, i was actually sitting at the table -- >> go ahead, ian. >> i was at the table that the shooting occurred at. t.j. was just a table behind us.

i saw him pull out the gun and i yelled "duck." i was the only one who ducked under my table. all my friends just stood around there. i remember him firing off all of his shots and then standing up, seeing my friends laying on the ground. i didn't know what to do. i was in panic mode. so i just ran outside and i talked to an operator at 911, tried to get as much help as i could. scary situation. >> very scary. hailey, you know t.j. from school and i wonder if there was anything happening in his life that might explain a motive for shooting dmitrius, russell and three other students. >> you know, he would never really talk about his family. he was just honestly really quiet. you could tell he had a sad look in his eyes all the time.

he usually just kept to himself. >> he lived with his grandmother, i understand. how was he as a student and how do you respond to reports that he might have been bullied? >> i never saw him get bullied, but it's easy to believe. he was very quiet. he never really stood up for himself very much. i don't really know. >> did you see his facebook posting? how do you react to the story that we are understanding that he posted that's in december and he ended it with "die, all of you." . >> i don't -- i'm not really sure, i guess. i'm just really shocked that it was t.j. >> you're shocked that it was t.j. why are you shocked? >> he was just a really nice, quiet, honest-looking kid. every time i talked to him it

was always a great conversation. he never had anything mean to say about anybody. >> did anything happen in his life in recent weeks that might have triggered any kind of angry response? >> nothing that i knew of. but then again he didn't really talk very often. >> ian and travis, what can you say about the community coming together and what is needed for you and your fellow students to heal after enduring this? >> well, i'd say personally, myself, i just need time to think alone sometimes. i don't know. i think everyone in the community needs to not talk about it and kind of just let it die down. have candle lightings and stuff for memorials for it. but as far as just letting it fall apart you need to let it go and everyone needs to accept the

fact that, you know, life threw this at us and we have to deal with it and make the best of it. >> well, you have a lot to deal with. ian sandborn, travis carver from your heroicism. people will be thanking you for that. hailey, you have a lot to process. we appreciate your joining us this morning. our best to you. >> mm-hmm. >> it is now 7:12. here's matt. >> voters in michigan and arizona are weighing in on the gop presidential race today. while mitt romney is considered a favorite in arizona he's locked in a fierce battle in his home state with rick santorum. as for newt gingrich he chose to bypass the contests to focus on next week's super tuesday contest. the former house speaker is with us now from chattanooga, tennessee. good to see you, speaker gingrich. >> good to be with you. >> last time you were on the show was january 26th. you had just won the south

carolina primary. in the time since then, just about a month, mitt romney has won five contests, rick santorum has won four. you have not won any additional contests. in some ways you have dropped out of the headlines. why? >> i think romney made the decision he had to spend $20 million against me in florida, ran a negative campaign. i carried a third of the counties in north florida. he carried south florida. in my counties the vote went up. we went to 9/nevada and i came second. got twice the vote john mccain got four years ago. at that point rick santorum did something intelligent. he skipped south carolina, florida and nevada, put his resourceses into three states nobody competed in and the news media anointed him the alternative. you have to live through a couple of weeks. we have done it before. i lived through tim pawlenty, michele bachmann, donald trump. >> herman cain.

>> rick perry. so i have been down this road before. we keep collecting delegates. >> your strategy is to look forward to ten states that will be casting votes on tuesday. what are you seeing in the polling there that makes you optimistic? >> i think for sure we'll carry georgia, tennessee and oklahoma. i was here in tennessee with fred thompson yesterday. he's coming back. herman cain and my daughter jackie are campaigning in the state. we have j.c. watts with us in oklahoma. i think we have a good shot of picking up delegates in idaho. we'll compete heavily in ohio. north dakota has real possibilities. i think we'll come out of super tuesday with a number of delegates. then to alabama and mississippi where we'll win both of those. governor perry thinks it will be

155-0 in texas delegates for me. we'll continue to amass delegates. >> that's an optimistic view. a lot of people feel the train has left the station and there are two guys on it, and you're not one of them. >> you know -- >> go ahead. >> look, matt, this is the fourth time the same guys have said the same thing. they said in june i was gone. by december i was leading the national polls by as much as 21 points according to rasmussen. then we had $5 million of negative ads in iowa. people said i was gone. we won south carolina, set a record. then romney dumped $21 million in negative ads. we are still number two in florida and nevada. i'm used to this nonadvice from people for mitt romney which is what you are about to tell the folks. we have a campaign now focused on $2.50 gasoline. people can go to newt.org to see

why it's possible. as you watch gas prices go up you will find the gingrich plan to get back to $2.50 gasoline has appeal to people in every state of the country. >> i want to talk about a comment rick santorum made this weekend in michigan referring to a speech that president obama made to congress in 2009 where he said, i ask every american to commit to one year or more of higher education or career training. this can be community college or a four-year school, vocational training or apprenticeship. in referring to that this weekend rick santorum once said he wants everyone in america to go to college, what a snob. as a former college professor, how did you feel about that exchange? >> you know, you have to ask santorum why he said that. i think every american ought to get trained. doesn't matter what your degrees are. it matters if you're employable.

in north dakota because of the oil boom they have 3.5% unemployment but 16,000 unfilled oil jobs because the 3.5% who are unemployed don't have the skills. i propose a requirement to unemployment compensation that you have to sign up for a business training program to learn some skill if we are going to give you money. but we don't give people money for doing nothing for 99 weeks. the quote you read strikes me as reasonable. everybody in america has to get re-educated all the time because jobs are going to change, technology is going to change. if we are going to compete in the world market we have to have the best equipment and the best training. >> former speaker gingrich. thank you for spending your time with us. >> thank you, matt. >> 17 minutes after the hour. >> now a check of the top stories from natalie morales at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with an italian cruise ship floating powerless with

more than 1,000 passengers and crew on board in the pirate infested waters of the indian ocean. michelle kosinski has the latest from london. good morning. >> reporter: hi, natalie. this is another costa cruise ship, a sister ship to the co concordia that crashed and rolled killing nearly 25 people. this ship is dark and drifting, now being towed for nearly 25 hours. there are more than 600 passengers, including eight americans on the costa allegra now in the indian oceans near the seychelles. where they have been drifting with no a.c., no power, no propulsion for almost a day because a fire broke out in the engine room and took hours to douse. the ship sent out a distress signal while having passengers and crew gather at assembly

points. this in waters notoriously infested with pirates. the coast guard said passengers are fine. there are italian marines on board and a saeychelles plane flew over. the problems started with a deadly disaster off italy last month. two cruise ships were hit with no ro virus outbreaks and then this on a ship described as shimmers and modern promising new and exciting pleasures every day, but waiting on deck for help to arrive wasn't part of the package. the problem has been getting to the ship to get help. a helicopter was able to bring food and communications equipment. it is now being towed. but it won't be until thursday they can get to the closest island big enough to handle the passengers. the company said it was sincerely sorry for the

inconvenience. natalie? >> michelle kosinski out of the london bureau this morning. thank you. newark liberty airport has re-opened after an emergency landing forced it to close monday night. the pilot on the flight from atlanta radioed in an issue with a front wheel after a light showed a problem with the landing gear. the plane was forced to land after fire crews hosed off the runway with foam. the nose gear collapsed upon landing. no one was injured and the passengers and crew were evacuated by emergency chute. he's seen fire and rain but matt kenseth saw victory last night. racing an lichss call it the strangest 500 in the history of the sport. postponed for the first time ever due to rain and forced to stop for two hours after a freak accident sparked a massive fuel fire that had to be cleaned up with laundry detergent apparently.

this waiter could use a bailout. a 21-year-old served angela merkel a beer, lost his balance and poured five glasses of germany's finishest brew down her neck. he said she grinned at him taking it in stride. it's a flash of thigh seen around the world. angeli angelina's leg is making appearances all over the place. landing on the moon with neil armstrong, standing up to the tanks at tiananmen square, crossing the delaware with george washington and even the statue of liberty getting in on the trend. like most things, two are much better than one. >> inappropriate. >> angie's leg has 28,000 followers on twitter. that's more than matt has.

>> imitation -- >> wow. i got thrown under the bus there. came out of the blue there. okay. >> imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. >> the waiter claims he was bumped. there is no one near him. >> conspiracy theorists. >> can you blame him? >> she's cool as a cucumber. >> freezing as a cucumber. >> took oktoberfest too far there. we have blizzard conditions developing through the plains into an upper midwest as the storm system gets itself together. three to six inches in vail. two to four in casper, wyoming and in duluth, 10 to 16 inches. marquette michigan, up to a foot of snow with strong winds. going to be blizzard-like >> good morning.

if you high, thin clouds to start today. we don't expect any rain with a that's your latest weather. ann. >> just ahead, the anchor who was bitten by a dog joins us two surgeries and 90 stitches later. she's speaking out in a live interview. first, this is "today" on nbc.

the trial of a man accused of murdering a father of two outside a day care center. why the victim's wife has been banned from the courthouse. >> and if you take sleeping pills on a regular basis, you're going to want to hear the

results of a new study. we'll get to those after your local news. to reduce the look of wrinkles after just one use? think again. [ female announcer ] with olay regenerist wrinkle revolution, it's possible to reduce the look of wrinkles in just 10 minutes. now you've seen it. experience it for yourself. [ female announcer ] olay regenerist. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. here's a look of one of our top stories. baltimore mayor stephanie rawlings-blake wants to increase the buyers tax. she is suggesting raising the tax from 2 cents to 5 cents and making it permanent. the goal is to collect money for

improvements to city schools. there is no time line for when city council will vote on the bill, but the mayor appears to have enough votes to pass it. let's check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> a few delays, nothing out of the ordinary. one thing to watch for is saw i- 95 at the fort mchenry told plaza. enough of them are opened, and half of those lanes, that you should be ok. we have delays prior to that. prior to white marsh, they continues southbound on 95 towards the beltway. average speed of about 21 miles per hour. eastbound i-70, backed up from 32 towards 29. also showing delays on southbound 795 out of owings mills. here's a live view of traffic. first, going away from us, southbound traffic. 83 and now carmel, looks pretty

good. southbound traffic at a little heavier once again towards padonia. tony come over to you. >> beautiful sunrise. temperatures are generally in the upper 30's. 42 downtown. colder up north. forecast for today, mostly sunny skies. a little bit cooler than yesterday. still lies. things are going to head downhill tomorrow. temperatures will drop down even further. high of only 45. then we will get back into

it's 7:30 now on a tuesday morning, february 28th, 2012. beautiful sunny day here in the heart of midtown manhattan. we're taking a look at the harbor here in new york city from our camera perched on top of the rock. down at street level, a great crowd of people taking in the nice weather. we'll go outside and say hi to them in a little while. meantime inside studio 1a i'm matt lauer with ann curry back a from los angeles. good to have you here. >> thank you. >> just ahead the recovery of a television anchor bitten an air

by a dog. >> kyle dyer was doing a segment on a mastiff rescued from an icy pond when he bit her in the face. >> she endured two surgeries and had to have her mouth sewn shut but she says it's been a positive experience. >> also a warning for americans who use prescription sleeping pills. are they increasing your risk of health problems, even death? we'll talk about it with dr. nancy snyderman. >> and we've got today's professionals in the house with their takes on everything from a group of graduates suing their schools because they can't find a job to a possible birth control pill for men. >> we'll get to that. we begin this half hour with new developments in the trial of a man accused of killing a father of two outside a day care center. the victim's wife has been barred from the courthouse. thanh truong is in georgia with the latest on this. good morning to you.

>> reporter: hi, matt, good morning. both the prosecution and defense in this case have gone after the victim's widow. both sides claim an affair between her and the defendant, which she denies, led to murder. there's been a circus-like atmosphere surrounding the woman and because of her own actions in the courtroom she's now banned from entering the courthouse. unable to witness the trial as it unfolds. >> members of the jury, recording as been -- >> reporter: on monday, jurors heard from the defendant himself for the first time when prosecutors played video of his interrogation that took place roughly seven weeks after rusty snyderman, a father of two, was gunned down outside his son's day care in 2010. newman appears nervous. >> it's as if i'm a suspect. >> are you a suspect? >> i don't think i need to be a suspect. i shouldn't be a suspect. >> reporter: absent from the courtroom was andrea, the

victim's murder. the judge booted her from the courtroom on friday. >> we are moving to have her removed from the courtroom. no, actually we are moving to have her removed from the courthouse. >> reporter: the banish meant came after an unusual hug to her former close friend who had just testified she doubted the denials of an affair with newman who was her boss at g.e. >> did andrea admit or deny an affair with her boss after the murder? >> denied it. >> when she told you "no" did you believe her? >> no, but my heart really wanted to. >> reporter: prosecutors say snyderman's behavior after the testimony was way out of line. >> she embraced this witness. she kissed the witness. she got outside and then told the witness that since he didn't believe her, she wasn't her friend anymore. that was for show. >> reporter: newman pleaded guilty by reason of insanity

saying the alleged affair a drove him crazy. that he was possessed by an angel sounding like olivia newton john and a devil sounding like barry white. >> there was no affair. >> reporter: also under scrutiny snyderman's account of what she knew after rusty's murder. two other witnesses contradicted her testimony about when she knew her husband was shot. >> i didn't know what happened to rusty until i got to the emergency room. >> reporter: that's not what rusty snyderman's father remembers. >> did she tell you she had been to the hospital or she was on the way to the school. >> she was going to the school to find out what happened. >> reporter: she told you rusty was shot? >> yes, sir. >> reporter: from the tapes played in court it's clear. investigators were interested in whether andrea had any role in her husband's death. >> the only question i have right now in this whole thing is whether andrea had more involvement in this or if she's

an innocent bystander. >> reporter: to be clear, andrea snyderman isn't on trial or charged with a crime but she figures prominently in the case. the trialesumes in a couple of hours when they will play more of the interrogation video. >> thanh truong, thank you very much. now a check of the weather from mr. roker. >> thanks, matt. let's start off in san diego. the mountains were hit with snow. we're talking anywhere from four to six inches throughout parts of the area and folks getting into a little snowball fight. nice. for today we have a risk of strong storms nebraska into iowa. in the mid mississippi river valley, could see tornadoes especially overnight tonight. we're keeping an eye on that. afternoon highs in the 20s and 30s in new england. 20s through the plains. warm weather held down to

southern texas on into southern florida. you made it to new york city. had a little trouble spelling nyc there. >> i did it at like midnight. had to wake up at 5:00 a.m. >> all right. nicely done. >> good morning. it will be a nice day today. still above average for this time of year. where are you from? happy graduation coming up. now back to ann.

>> now to the latest of a recovery of a popular news anchor from kusa. she was bitten by a dog live on the air. we'll talk to kyle dyer in a moment. first a look back at the morning she describes as life-changing. it was the kind of feel-good story kyle dyer looked forward to sharing with viewers. >> a critical moment but we got him home safely. >> reporter: kusa cameras caught the dog being saved by a local firefighter. >> we put a blanket on him and he was good to go. >> reporter: with everyone r reunited on the set. >> he's excited. >> the interview was going great. everybody was thrilled. the dog was happy, wagging his tail. >> reporter: as kyle was wrapping up. >> have a great weekend. >> reporter: the segment took a turn when she leaned in to say good-bye to max, the 85 pound argentine mastiff. >> it was a bite and a little

bark. i moved back. i knew i had been bit. >> reporter: nbc news is not showing the bite. >> i felt the blood and i felt my mouth opening up. it was severe. my doctors say it was major surgery. >> reporter: before kyle was out of the o.r., the video went viral. kyle was frantic to reach the girls in school. >> he wanted to let them know mom would be okay before they saw it. >> reporter: seconds before she was attacked, the anchor known for her segments about zoo animals was within inches of the dog's face. >> whether it's conscious or unconscious provocation, still, she created that incident by coming too close to the dog's face and created a dangerous situation. >> reporter: kyle needed two surgeries that required 90 stitches. her mouth was even sewn shut for a time. she kept a positive outlook. >> it could have been worse. it could have been my cheek, my nose, eye, throat.

>> reporter: max was quarantined for ten days and released to his owner, no charges filed. meanwhile kyle is getting stronger, spending time at home with family. >> the letters are amazing. >> reporter: grateful for the support. >> i love the cards from the kids. >> reporter: for a moment in her career that changed her life forever. >> this has been such a really positive experience for me. just the way people have made me feel loved. i know everything will be okay. i'll be back. >> kyle joins us now for her first television interview since she was bitten. >> good morning, ann. >> you look remarkable. i saw when you were initially bit that he got you on the nose a little bit. you can't tell. >> you can't even see on my nose now. he got on the outside and inside of my nose as well. >> on the lip, what are doctors telling you? it looks swollen. it's been less than three weeks. >> three weeks tomorrow. everyone says some day there may not be anything there at all.

it's fascinating what they did. this whole area was gone. my doctor took part of my lower lift, flipped it up and sewed my mouth together. then the cells regenerated. it worked. >> what are they saying in terms of how long before you go back, what it may look like when it's healed? >> they don't know. the way the body heals, the doctor doesn't know what it will look like. so far, every day it looks better. >> and you mentioned earlier before we started the interview you're missing the cupid's bow, but you said it could be back. >> that could be the next surgery down the road. it could be six months at least. in the meantime i'll lip liner well. i didn't put it on today so you could see. but i'll get good at that. >> you have a sense of humor.

>> it was a bad morning but in the hands of my family and friends i have never been freaked out, worried or scared. i knew it would work out. i see the dog on tv and the dog served his time as ordered and he's back with his family. we are all moving on. >> you say being somebody on television you didn't wonder, oh, my gosh, have i been permanently disfigured in a way i can't be on television again? >> it sounds weird, but no. i didn't think about that. i just knew i was in god's hands and i was going to be okay. >> you had to think about the moment when you got close. did you make a mistake? >> what do you think? yeah. i got too close. i think everybody has learned what to do around dogs. i have received so many letters from people who were bit by their own dogs. i never knew that many people got bit by dogs. i thought i was a dog person.

i have lived with dogs all my life. i thought that dog seemed to love my nails and my rubbing. you don't know. they're animals. it was a freak accident. it was just a perfect storm. me too close. maybe he was unsettled. we think we know what dogs are saying, but we don't know. >> in sam ways this has been a positive experience? it's hard to believe that. >> it has. >> in what way? >> i have received so many letters, e-mails from people saying, we love you, you're beautiful inside and out. we can't wait to see you back. my family is wonderful. i have had down time with my family. it's been very reflective and i feel a lot of love. >> good. >> thanks for having me. >> thank you so much. keep healing. >> i will. >> up next, a warning on the dangers of using prescription sleeping pills coming up after this. ♪ i am you

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what are you lookin' at? i wasn't... not looking at anything... we're not good enough for you. must be supermodels? what do you model gloves? brad, eat a snickers. why? 'cause you get a little angry when you're hungry. better? [ male announcer ] you're not you when you're hungry™. better. [ male announcer ] snickers satisfies. we baer -- -- we're back with important news for american who is use sleeping pills and i'm in that group. dr. nancy snyderman is here to talk about the findings of what i would call an alarming new study. good morning. >> good morning. this is a time the headline is frightening and the devil is in the details. it is not a perfect study but there are things to talk about. >> 10% of americans and, by the way, i think the number is low probably. >> i do, too. >> use a prescription sleep aid at night because they want to increase their health benefits. they want a good night's sleep. what are the results of the study saying? >> people who use any of the

hypnotic agents whether it's -- >> ambien. >> that's the most commonly prescribed. has a four fold increase of death. >> what's the cause and effect. >> it's an association not cause and effect. that seems like it's mincing words but just because i give you ambien doesn't mean you will die but people who take the pills have an increased risk of death. what are the associated conditions? depression, sleeping problems, sleep apnea, accidentally taking one instead of a breath mint and having a motor vehicle accident. those are associations. people who might have riskier jobs, travel more, may work weird hours. all these are confounding things. >> research seems to be more behavioral. >> it is. >> as opposed to i'm taking the pill three times a week and it's doing x to my lungs, heart and something else.

>> but we are altering behavior. you take the medication to alter the behavior to get more sleep. it is a behavioral study. now there have been 24 of these studies. 18 of them showed increased risk of mortality. we tried to talk to the researcher and back him off the statement. he wouldn't budge. he said, look, i don't think they are safe. the pharmaceutical industry counters saying there are lots of safe studies. >> the pharmaceutical industry says prescription medicines undergo thorough clinical trials regulated by the fda and are approved based on their safety and effectiveness. pharmaceutical research companies work with the fda throughout the life of approved medicines, continuing to monitor the medicines for safety issues. >> they are right. this researcher found if you take as few as 18 pill as year

the data stays. you are at risk. >> your advice to people like me then this morning who takes one of these drugs a few times a week is what? >> you need to take it because you have whacky hours. i get it. a lot of people take them because they think they have to clock in seven or eight hours and they take them unnecessarily. they are strong medicines. use them when you need them and sparingly. we have become a pill-popping society. these things and alcohol don't mix. these things and other anti-anxiety drugs don't mix. >> thank you, dr. nancy snyderman. >> you're fine. you have me on speed dial. >> still ahead, "19 kids and counting" cousin amy duggar opens up about being the target of an extortion plot by a woman claiming to have racy photos of her with an older man. first, these messages. woman: when i left my job, i knew it'd be tough on our retirement savings, especially in this economy. but with three kids, being home more really helped.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. time for a check on your morning commute. here is sarah caldwell. >> a few problems to watch for as you head out this morning in addition to the usual delays. let's get you up-to-date on an accident in ellicott city. route 99 and weather bird road, crash and of. be careful. area to avoid. another one at randallstown. extra caution is needed. 14 miles per hour on the west

side. it continues of way down to edmondson. it begins at belair road towards the harrisburg expressway. 24 on southbound 95 approaching white marsh down to the 895 split. we will give you a live view in a couple of spots just to update you. was cited security boulevard, going away from us this outer loop traffic. that is the pace of things all way down the west side. this is the northeast corner. you can see sun glare is playing a role in the inner loop delays. outer loop, this is where it begins with 83. tony, over to. >> nice start this tuesday. clouds may thicken up a little bit as we head into the afternoon. generally a sunny day on tap. 39 at the airport, 31 in taneytown. forecast for today, mostly sunny skies. it will be a little bit cooler than 18 but still lies.

high temperatures between 50 and 55. tomorrow, not so nice. high-temperature only 45 degrees. we will stay in the 50's through we will stay in the 50's through the end of the week.

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8:00 now on a tuesday morning, the 28th day of february, 2012. we have a delightful crowd outside here on the plaza. 42 degrees. everyone happy, thrilled to say hello to family and friends pack home. we are so glad they are joining us this morning. and, uh-oh, what does that sign say? >> i wanted the sign that says you are the hottest woman on tv. >> whoa! that deserves a kiss, don't you think?

hello. that's so nice. >> yeah. >> how nice it is to be called "hot" at my age. >> works like a charm. >> ann curry alongside matt lauer and al roker. coming up in this half hour we'll talk about today's professionals and see what they think about this. >> a couple of topics. for example, former law school students suing their schools claiming the schools misled them about job prospects after graduation. we might even get to these folks and ask them about that pose right there by angelina jolie. was it out of character. was it in keeping with the oscars? >> she was just copying ann. >> i was copying her. i wish i could look as good. what else is coming up? >> a really disturbing question. how did a target store know what a teenage girl was pregnant before her own father knew? it's a remarkable thing. businesses can predict your behavior based on shopping habits. >> okay.

also coming up, a lot of people watched the duggar family on television. you may have noticed a girl named amy, a cousin to the family. she was recently the victim of an alleged extortion plot involving photographs that were with an older man who, we are told, is a family friend. anyway, we'll get to the bottom of this in an exclusive live interview coming up. >> let's get back inside to natalie at the news desk with the headlines. hi, nat. >> good morning, everyone. a second student has died overnight as a result of monday's school shooting in a cleveland, ohio suburb. 17-year-old russell king, jr., was one of five students shot as classes were about to begin at chardon high school. 16-year-old daniel permator died earlier. witnesses identified the suspect as 17-year-old t.j. lane, a student at a nearby vocational school. company officials say it will take two days to tow a

cruise ship to safety in the seychelles. the costa allegra had an engine room fire monday. it is the sister ship of the costa concordia which ran aground last month killing 25 and leaving seven others missing and presumed dead. today's republican primary in michigan turned into a critical test for mitt romney. polls show romney, a michigan native and son of a former governor quoting conservatives. romney is favored to win the arizona primary. newt gingrich meanwhile is look ahead to georgia and other southern states in super tuesday voting next week. now to wall street. cnbc's courtney reagan is at the new york stock exchange for us. good morning. >> good morning. standard & poor's is cutting the rating on greece to selective

default. they have suspended greece from using bonds as collateral. in the u.s. the s&p 500 closed at the highest level since mid 2008 on monday. the dow only just flirted with closing at the 13,000 mark. perhaps today is the day we'll do it. >> we'll be watching you guys. now for a look at what's trending today, our quick round-up of what has you talking online. actress sean young is a top search on goolg and yahoo after her oscar night arrest. the 52-year-old scuffled with a security guard when she couldn't get into an academy awards after party. young was released monday after posting $20,000 bail. fans of siku, the world's most popular 3-month-old can now watch him on a live video feed from his home in denmark. the siku cam is meant to raise awareness of polar bears and their shrinking arctic environment. and political junkies are

hitting hulu to hear brian williams slow jam the news about super pacs on jimmy fallon. >> you ain't lying, bri-bri will-will. so many singles getting tucked into the canada data's g-strings the super pacs are getting super freaky. >> it's a super pac, they're super packing, yow ♪ . >> sometimes even news anchors need to indulge their inner super freak. we love it when bri-bri why-why does the news. we have a new nickname for him. >> let's get a check of the weather. >> i don't think i will ever be the same. all right.

bri-bri why-why. having a good time? >> chicago. >> getting snow later today. >> i know. >> we are looking at dallas, our pick city today. cloudy and windy at nbc 5. 73 degrees. we have a risk of strong storms through the lower mississippi river valley today. also back through the central plains. icy through lower minnesota. afternoon showers in the pacific northwest. snowfall amounts. casper, wyoming, two to four. aberdeen, south dakota. duluth, 10 to 16 inches. marke marquette, michigan, up to a foot of snow. >> good morning. if you high, thin clouds to start today. we don't expect any rain with a we don't expect any rain with a

that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thank you so much. coming up, today's professionals are going to weigh in on angelina's pose at the oscars. they have something to say right after this. s lawnsmiths. grass gurus. doers. here's to more saturdays in the sun. and budgets better spent. here's to turning rookies - into experts, and shoppers into savers. here's to picking up. trading up. mixing it up. to well-earned muddy boots. and a lot more - spring per dollar. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. show the yard who's boss, with this cordless black and decker trimmer, just $84.97.

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we're back at 8:10 with today's professionals. as always, star jones, donny deutsch and nancy snyderman are here to break down the headlines of the day. nice to see you. you run for president and you get followed around by cameras every day of your life for a year or two you will say some things and be caught on camera you will wish hadn't been caught on camera. i will talk about mitt romney and some of his gaffes. here's an example. >> i'll tell you what. [ laughter ] >> $10,000? $10,000 bet? >> i drive a mustang and a chevy pickup truck. ann drives -- a couple of cadillacs actually. >> not as closely as some of the most ardent fans but i have some great friends that are nascar team owners. >> there is a recurring theme here. >> do you think? >> mitt romney cannot relate to average people.

you're an image guy. how do you handle this? >> it has nothing to do with wealth. jfk was wealthy. mike bloomberg is worth $20 million. he's just an awkward human being. his wife said he's funny, he likes comedy. he says, yes, i like laurel & hardy. he's a robot. we never elect a guy that's not likable. >> are these not slips of the tongue? is this who the guy is? >> yes. when people tell you who they are, believe them. he's got wealth and success which isn't a problem. when it's mixed with arrogance without problem. >> he's the guy who shows up and says, i have never seen you before. >> he wants to relate to average citizens. but do we want someone to pretend to relate? he's being who he is. >> no. >> it's not the issue that he's

wealthy. it's that he's not likable and not real. we vote for humans, not issues. he won't win. i guarantee it. >> he's working so hard to be something he's not. that's his stumbling block. >> it's okay to be the rich guy. you have to figure out whether or not your group of constituents want that guy. that's the problem. he's not embracing who he is. >> star, you're the attorney here. according to a story, law school students have joined together for lawsuits. the targets, their former law schools. they claim the schools aren't being up front when it comes to the current employment opportunities out there once they graduate. i will get more specific in a second. do they have a case? >> not at all. you have to do some research and reading on your own. you're a law student, hopefully a lawyer. google. look at the world around you. understand that you need a little bit of a niche before you walk into a situation. no one's going to hand you a

job. i hate whiners. >> they are saying when they go to the schools, the schools say a higher percentage of their former students, graduates are employed even though some of the schools realize they are just temporary jobs they are employed in. >> it's one thing for the school to tell you you will get a job. it's another for you to move towards getting the job. >> this isn't a legal issue. this is the whiny generation. >> i agree. imagine this. you go to graduate school. you can't get a job and you're complaining? >> they told you a lie. >> talk about brokaw's greatest generation. this is the opposite. >> is there something similar in medicine? >> no. u.s. news and world report which every school man appreciatipula numbers. if you look at it as dogma you shouldn't be looking at that. >> you say it's foolish. >> gimme, gimme.

>> i agree. >> these people clearly don't understand their degree. >> what do you call 1,000 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean? >> a good start. >> let's start with nancy. donny could kill his social life based on this. 50 years after the advent of the birth control pill for women a reproductive biologist in canada says he may have the first birth control pill for men. what do you know about it? >> the whole thing is to make sperm not fertile. to have guys shooting blanks, as we say. >> i wasn't going to say that. >> that's the point of a vasectomy. stop. you're both professionals. >> no! >> this is what we want. a way for men to be able to have sex and not impregnate a woman. if it's safe, would men take it.

would a woman trust a guy to do it? >> let me ask the obvious question. >> would you take it? >> no problem. my issue as a father of daughters is i would not want them to relinquish being in control of their own body. some guy says he took it and he didn't. would i take it if it were safe? of course. >> if the one that's going to get pregnant is always going to have responsibility for the birth control, just live in the truth. you can't get a guy to remember to put down the dog's potty pads. >> that's not true. >> it is. these are young people getting pregnant. you want to depend on a 19-year-old who's been out drinking the night before to take a birth control pill? live in the truth. >> my social life is just fine. >> how about this? is it okay to be a mama's boy? for generations, women have gotten the message if you develop too close a bond with your sons they will grow up and be a little bit weak, maybe effeminate, the so-called mama's

bo boy. is it a misconception? >> for years it was mothers cause autism, homosexuality. you show me a man who treats a woman well, i'll show you a man with a great relationship with his father. >> being a mama's boy to the extent of having a good relationship with her we like. living with her at 35, i have an issue. >> we studied 400 boys in middle school who had a close relationship with their fath mothers. they were less likely to define masculinity as physical toughness. they were more likely to storm strong friendships. >> everybody who has a good relationship with their parents is better off. but you know where i give relationship advice with kathie lee and hoda? so many women say, my husband still listens to his mother over me. that's an issue. if you love your kids you have to make them strong enough to

not depend on you. >> it's a double standard. not a derogatory term. >> daddy's girl speaks to empowerment. mama's boy speaks to witness. >> the thigh seen round the world. what was your take on angelina's pose? >> i thought it was cheeky. i couldn't figure out if it was a gag or she was really doing it because the dress allowed it. >> i think she was having fun with us. we obsess in the media about angie and, she's the most beautiful woman. i think she was having a good time. she's fierce. >> the academy awards are so irrelevant that's the big news, that somebody stuck a leg out. think about it. that's a big deal that she went like this. like that. >> i thought her leg was fabulous. her arms needed some meat on them. >> nancy snyderman and donny

deutsch, star jones, thank you very much. up next, the duggar family cousin targeted in an alleged extortion plot speaks out after this. hid ] there was a little bit of trepidation, not quite knowing what the next phase was going to be, you know, because you been, you know, this is what you had been doing. you know, working, working, working, working, working, working. and now you're talking about, well you know, i won't be, and i get the chance to spend more time with my wife and my kids. it's my world. that's my world. ♪ that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm. for half the calories plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8. have 46 grams of whole grains... mmmm. ...and a touch of sweetness.

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or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. if you've had enough, ask your dermatologist about enbrel. are choosing advil®. here's one story. pain doesn't have much of a place in my life. i checked the schedule and it's not on it. [ laughs ] you never know when advil® is needed. well most people only know one side of my life. they see me on stage and they think that that is who i am. singer, songwriter, philanthropist, father, life's a juggling act. when i have to get through the pain, i know where to go. [ male announcer ] take action. take advil®. and if pain keeps you up, sleep better with advil pm. back now at 8:22 with a victim of an alleged extortion plot targeting tlc's show "19 kids and counting." amy duggar is a cousin to the duggar family and earlier this month a woman claimed to have racy photographs of her with an

older man and threatened to release them if she wasn't paid $10,000 by tlc's parent company discovery communications. with the fbi's assistance the woman was arrested and charged and now amy joins us exclusively to talk about this. >> good morning. >> this was in february. how did you hear about it? >> the publicist of the show contacted me to say, you know, we received some disheartening news. i don't know. it was just one of those things that came out of thin air. >> the woman accused of this is identified as tracy hunt. do you know her personally? >> i have never met her. i don't really know anything about her at all. >> teresa, i'm sorry. she does know the man you're in the photographs with. >> she does. apparently she was taking photographs of -- branson, missouri. >> are these the photographs? >> yes, ma'am, they are.

those are from my facebook account. >> you're saying you posted the photographs. >> i posted those. my grandma is the one that took the photos. >> the man in the photograph is james garrett. >> yes. >> how would you describe his relationship to you? >> he's a great guy, a family friend. he's known the duggars for a long time and has always been supportive of my music career. there's never been any kind of intimate relationship. he's a friend of the family. it's just completely laughable. >> when this emerged and became something that was reported about. >> yes. >> what was your reaction and are you glad now to put this to rest? >> yeah. well, i mean, we were all just shocked and like, are you kidding me? like someone would do this? take pictures and send it to the network and demand money? i think it has to do with being part of a reality show.

people think if you're in the public eye people know you. it's just one of those things that's negative. i'm here to set the record straight that there is no pictures like that. there is no nothing like that. nothing was ever coming out about that. >> i know you want to be able to establish a music career. >> yes. >> has this made you second think the idea of being famous? >> goodness. being in the public eye, you don't realize everybody is watching. so you have to be a really good role model. you do. i think if god allows it to happen then i will continue to do that. >> amy duggar, thank you very much for doing this. by the way, "19 kids and counting" airs tonight on tlc. back with more after your local news.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get a final check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> a few new problems to add to the list. windsor mill at ellis and north avenue, with a fire activity to avoid. heavy delays on the west side. at 14 miles per hour approaching 795 down to edmondson. back on 795 approaching the beltway. 19 miles per hour on the north

side. if you travel on southbound 95, 20 miles per hour on average. broadway and federal, just getting reports of an overturned vehicle there. some delays still around the area. we will start on the west side at security boulevard. outer loop traffic in place to its edmondson. we will switch to a live view of traffic in 83 at pimlico road. j.f.x. approaching northern. it is is starting to ease up already. >> nice, quiet start for us weather-wise on this tuesday. temperatures maybe not as warm as yesterday but still going to be nice. the-to-upper-thirties. 35 in parkton. mostly sunny skies. high temperatures range between 50 and 55. seven-day forecast, not as nice

tomorrow. off and on rainshowers likely. high-temperature around 45 degrees. 50's at the end of the week. at low 60's to start the week on saturday. then back into the 40's on sunday. >> we will have another update at 8:55.

we're back now. it is 8:30 on a tuesday morning. 28th day of february, 2012. very pretty day in new york city. hopefully it's nice where you're waking up. al will have his forecast coming up in a couple of minutes. on the plaza here in new york i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, al roker and natalie

morales. coming up, we're going to talk about businesses and how good they have become at predicting what's going on in your life based on your shopping habits. places like starbucks, target, for example, based on when women buy things like lotions, supplements and cotton balls they can tell if they are pregnant and even determine the approximate due date. are they crossing the line? we'll talk about it with the author of a new book. >> sound ace left as alarming. coming up, we'll take the grilled cheese sandwich up a notch. we're going to have fun in the kitchen enjoying comfort foods. one of the favorites of all americans. >> we have all been looking forward to terrence brennan's segment. also, are young athletes training too much and going too hard? there is a dramatic rise in teen knee injuries. girls are more susceptible to injuring the knee than boys. we'll tell you why and talk

about what, if anything, can be done to prevent injury. >> later on we have great money saving tips for you. how to save on everything from cutting your cable bill to reducing your dry cleaning bill, even getting your interest rates on your credit cards cut. we'll give you tips in a little bit. >> excellent. meantime do you want to give us a check of the weather. >> i'll show you how to cut the forecasting bill down. tune in to weather channel or stay tuned right here. we'll show you now for today a risk of strong storms in the mid section of the mississippi river valley. snow throughout the rockies. rain later this afternoon. icy conditions in the upper mississippi river valley. tomorrow, risk of strong storms. along the southeastern atlantic coast, wet weather coastal california into the pacific northwest. snow around the northern plains into the new england area. boston could be looking at a few inches of snow late tomorrow into tomorrow night.

>> good morning. it will be a nice day today. still above average for this time of year. don't forget. weather any time day or night. go to weather channel on cable. they're very excited about something. >> they're on a senior high school trip. >> wow. >> from north carolina. have a good time and be careful. coming up this half hour, we have a lot going on including how to tell -- did target know a teenage girl was pregnant before her own father? we're going to find out what companies are doing to track

your spending habits. first, this is "today" on nbc.

we're back at 8:35. shopping for groceries, brushing your teeth, driving to work. they are part of everyday life. you do these things without even thinking twice, but for compani companies, your habits can be used to sell products and find success. charles duhig is an investigative reporterr from the new york times an author of "the power of habit." good to see you. >> thanks for having me. >> let me start with a quote from the book. william james once said 99/100 of our activity is purely automatic. our life is nothing but a mass of habits. why is that important? >> because our habits guide what we do on a daily basis. our daily choices have a huge impact. in the last 15 years we have learned about how habits work for the first time. we have learned the neurology of

habits and it influenced everything. >> when we use the word "habit" for this segment how do we define that. >> habit is a choice you made, stopped making but continue acting on it every day. >> as consumers we have habits and companies are astute at learning them and acting on them. the headline that's coming out of the book that you will hear over and over is this one -- how target, the scortore, found out teenage girl was pregnant before her father did. take me behind the headline. >> every habit as three parts. a cue or a trigger. behavior, routine. and a reward. target uses this to identify shopping habits and they can predict which shoppers are pregnant. they figured out a girl was pregnant before her dad did. >> the girls sign up for a registry at the store and target watches when they buy things like lotions, cotton balls,

supplements. based on the amount they are buying they can predict the due date. >> exactly right. it's not just companies that use this. if you teach your 5-year-old to make their bed, it pays off when they are in the 6th grade doing homework. >> getting back to target and other businesses, that's a personal piece of information. do you feel these companies are crossing a line? >> i don't know if they are crossing a line. people have become accustomed to handing over data at this point. shopping habits. the more we learn about how habits work, the more we learn how it works within families and companies. the more comfortable people are with everyone knowing. >> there are people who go to starbucks two, three times a day. people say they like the coffee. you think it is other reasons. >> we know starbucks sells alongside with the latte customer service. you go because the barista

smiles at you. starbucks teaches them willpower habits so even at the end of a shift they have the ability to give you the pep you expect for a $4 coffee. >> that's why they have repeat customers. >> exactly right. >> so companies are using our habits to be more successful. how do we use our habits and the knowledge of them to become better people and more successful? >> if we identify the cues and rewards around habits we can change our behavior. i had a bad habit of eating cookies every afternoon. >> a man after my own heart. >> i talked to experts. they said, look at the cue. i was eating it at about 3:30. what's the reward? it wasn't the cookie. i got to chat with colleagues. so i changed the habit. we explain how to do it in the book. now i go and gossip for ten minutes instead of eating a cookie and i lost 12 pounds as a result. >> applying it to other portions of life, how difficult is it? you changed your habit, stopped

eating the cookie. it's not that easy. you make it sound easy. >> it's not easy. but once you understand how a habit is structured you can do it. and for instance, eating dinner with your family. that's a keystone habit. it sets up other patterns in people's lives so kids end up doing homework earlier, getting to bed on time, doing better in school. if you change one habit, the right habit you can unlock patterns. >> the fact is there may be people watching that watch this show out of habit. we want to be careful about teaching people how to change things too much. >> there are good habits and bad habits. good habits make your life petter. >> thank you for being here. up next, what's behind the dramatic rise in knee surgery with tweens and teenagers. first, this is "today" on nbc.

we're back with a dramatic rise in knee surgery among young athletes. more than 40 million kids participate in organized sports every year in this country. doctors say more and more they are treating young patients who suffer grown-up injuries. at 15 years old kyra klein has experienced two sports injuries severe enough to sideline an athlete twice her age. >> it is a little frustrating to sit on the sidelines and watch everyone play. but really when you're injured that makes you more motivated and want to get back to sports more. >> her first injury came during a fast break on the basketball court when she was 11. >> next thing you know she turned, buckled, jumps, does it all at the same time and doesn't get up. >> she tore her acl leading to months of physical therapy and knee surgery. once she turned 12. after healing, the same injury struck a year later at basketball tryouts, but this time in kyra's other knee.

>> the first thing that went through my mind was how frustrated i was because i wouldn't be able to play for a few months and that would put me behind the other girls. >> the acl is a ligament connecting the thigh bone to the shin, helping to stabilize the knee. it's most commonly injured during sports with sudden stops and changes of direction. >> she looks young, too. >> over a ten-year period surgeons at children's hospital of philadelphia have seen a 400% increase in youth acl injuries. >> the adult terms, acl, cartilage, dislocation were terms reserved for adults. now we're seeing them in kids. >> doctors suspect the injuries are showing up in athletes as they undergo intense training to specialize in individual sports. women are up to eight times as likely to injure their acls than men. >> they land differently. there can be different strength issues and hip rotation, how

they land a little bit more knock-kneed relative to the male counterparts. kyra's injuries meant lots of physical therapy but she says being able to compete has been worth the trouble. >> it's always in my head that i could reinjure myself. i really think all of the confidence i have developed by returning to sports really overpowers that. i'm confident that the amount i play now is appropriate. i'm doing what i should be doing. >> dr. jordan metzel is with the hospital for special surgery in new york city or home away from home, as i call it. nice to see you. >> and you. >> a 400% increase in these injuries in this age group over ten years. that's dramatic. >> shocking to hear. basically we are seeing more girls playing sports. with title ix we see more girls playing and they are much more likely to tear the acl than

boys. >> i mentioned as young people specialize more in individual sports, my immediate reaction is sports are more competitive. kids, schools, parents are driving the athletes harder. you're not necessarily sure about that. >> i'm not sure that's the case. i don't think it's the sports. i think it's girls being exposed to sports like soccer and basketball where they are likely to land in an awkward position. >> if a young athlete suffers an injury like this at 11, 12, 13, what's their long-term prognosis? >> it's a tough issue. whether or not they have surgery, their risk of developing arthritis 15 years down the road just from tearing the acl is 35% to 40%. we are seeing people at 35, 40 years old with arthritic knees because they tore their acl as a teen. >> has surgery come so far they can be 100% in their later teens and young 20s? >> sure. surgery gets you back on the field. it's a great surgery to get

people back to activity but the risk is arthritis later in life. >> you say the trick is preventing injuries. how do you do that? >> first, identify who is at risk for suffering the injury. girls are about six times more likely than boys. it's interesting. after puberty, her hips widen and the angle between the hips, knees and feet changes. i brought a picture to show you what it looks like. when a girl lands and we have two here. the girl in the yellow shirt is landing in an at-risk position. her knee is coming to the middle. the girl in the pink is not. the risk is landing in that position. we screen kids likely to land like that. >> there are exercises you have identified that can help strengthen that area and prevent it. the first is a plyometric jump squat. >> we want to build muscles around the back, butt and legs. what she's doing is getting the knees and hips low, the glute

down low. she's buildg strength to prevent landing in that position. >> you don't have to get high off the ground. you don't want to land awkwardly. >> four sets of 15 every other day. >> the next is a single leg squat. >> all you need is a chair. just like this person in the picture and she's sitting down, standing right back up. three sets of 10, so 15 sets of jump squats. as she strengthens the muscles, the risk goes down. >> as athletes get younger we have to pay attention to details and do more in terms of prevention. >> we are doing a great job encouraging them to play sports. we want to prevent the injuries that happen. >> doctor, good to see you. thank you very much. >> pleasure. >> up next, a grown-up twist on a comfort food favorite. we're talking grilled cheese. first, this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:50. this morning on today's cooking school, we are sprucing up the all american grilled cheese sandwich. our teacher is the cheese man himself, terrence brennan, the chef proprietor of the renowned pichelin restaurant in new york city. welcome. >> hey, terrence. >> we're going to start with a classic done four ways. this is a classic grilled cheese and you say it doesn't mean american cheese. >> american cheese isn't

actually american cheese. it's a cheese product. so we're using the real cheese here. >> people use cheddar. >> this is a cheddar from england. it will be grated at room temperature which helps melt it quickly and evenly. >> you're adding bacon which isn't classic in my opinion, and apple slices. >> we're going to add a twist to it. can't just be straight up. >> short segment if you just make a grilled cheese. >> exactly. >> what kind of bread? >> this is a sourdough artisanal bread. grilled cheese is simple but it's all about the bread and ingredients. >> that's a massive grilled cheese. that's a dagwood. >> so a little pressure. you can put a top on it to help it melt, too. we'll flip it and it will be crusty. listen to this.

>> crunchy! hard on the outside, soft on the inside. >> gooey and cheesy. >> we have the grilled cheese meal. >> la grande fromage. why three different kinds of cheese? >> for complexity. because we have a lot of cheese at restaurant. multi grain bread. we have different breads to show you don't have to just use one type. this is a panini machine. you can do it with different machinery. >> whoa, look at that. >> just happened to be there. again, this one has gotten flat. that's pretty heavy. >> wow. not so big anymore. what did you do, al? >> could you slip that under my door? i'll eat it later. >> now the frenchy.

>> i have brie cheese and a baguette because it's french and a mushroom duxelle. the brie has mushroom undertones. >> nice marriage. >> we'll put it together. did we butter the outside as well? >> yes. >> cheese on the inside. >> duxelle. >> we have shallots, mushrooms. >> white wine. just the white mushrooms you see in the store. butter it up. >> if you don't have a panini machine what can you use at home? >> use a nonstick pan, a lid or just a spatula to press it down. you don't have to have the machine at all. that one's very heavy. >> put this in? >> put it in there and press it down with the spatula. >> all right. thanks. i can do that. >> spatula!

>> all right. >> press it down. >> how long does that take? >> about two minutes on each side. we put it in the oven to melt the cheese because it's a thick piece of bread. >> wow, look at that. >> deliciousness. >> crunch! >> look at that. and now to the spaniard. >> very good. >> i love this one. excellent. we're starting with olive bread which is different. >> olive bread. manchego because we are going to the mediterranean. chorizo which is a spanish sausage and piquillo peppers. >> delicious. roasted red peppers are fine. >> do you butter it? >> we'll use aioli. >> garlic mayonnaise. olive oil, garlic and egg yolk. >> butter this side. >> butter that side.

>> okay. you put paprika, too? >> good job. >> missing ingredient. >> the piece de resistance. >> there we go. >> spatula. >> nice! >> all right. nice and crispy. great bread. it's all about the ingredients. >> mm. so good. all done. voila. >> everyone have their sandwich? >> we just want to mention today's kitchen brought to you by lipitor today. for more recipes head to today.com and click on food. >> clear! >> coming up, how to save money on everything after your local news.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. a harford county man could face up to 100 years in prison after being arrested on child pornography charges.

the 31-year-old was indicted on 20 counts of possessing child pornography. police say they found more than 1000 images on several computers after searching his home. he has

>> it is it going to turn out to be another nice day today. mostly sunny skies. heiss range between 50 and 55. heiss range between 50 and 55. rein back in the forecast on i'm drinkin' dunkin'. definitely dunkin'. you know, i need to get that jolt in the morning, but i want something good to do that. i love the aroma, i love the taste. you can't mistake the flavor. i run on dunkin'! america runs on dunkin' coffee.