we're back with more of "today" on a tuesday morning. it's the 6th day of march 2012. there is nothing wrong with today other than a little bit of a chilly temperature here in rockefeller plaza. it's 30 degrees right now. going up a little. but look at the sunshine. just a little bit of a tease of what awaits us later in the week. >> that's right. it will be so nice. it's going to be 60 degrees tomorrow. >> warming into the mid 60s. >> and 85 by friday. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, al roker and savannah guthrie. on a serious note, an incredible story of survival coming out of

the string of deadly tornados in the midwest. >> it's a story of a mother's love. we'll tell you about a woman who essentially put her own life on the line to save her two young children as the twister was bearing down on their home. she lost parts of both legs while shielding her kids in a blanket underneath her. the kids survived. we'll hear more about their story coming up this morning. >> and as we look at the diet s.o.s., joy bauer has some great information. everything from meats, vegetables and seafoods packed with iron if you're anemic and what to eat if you have high blood sugar and high cholesterol. also, great blue tgluten-free meal ideas. >> when i thieat carrots now i think of joy bauer. >> in today's relationships a serious story. if your first marriage fails a

lot of people take the second or third leap of faith. statistics show second and third marriages have a high rate of failure. we'll have good advice. >> that's not encouraging. maybe some advice will help us all. >> i knew i should have taken that left turn at albuquerque. >> you should have stopped at carro carrots. natalie is at the news desk. >> good morning. it's the busiest day of the republican race for the white house as voters head for the polls on super tuesday. more than 35% of the delegates are up for grabs giving the candidates a make or break shot at the gop nomination. mitt romney is pushing to solidify the front-runner status with a win in ohio. rick santorum could give him a run for his money there. meantime newt gingrich is hoping for a win in his home state of georgia. an amazing survival story of a mother's sacrifice. she lost parts of both legs protecting her children from a massive tornado. nbc's tom costello is at the

university of louisville hospital in kentucky where she's recovering. good morning. >> reporter: stephanie decker is in fair condition. she has seven broken ribs. she lost a leg at the knee, another at the ankle. she was at home with 8-year-old domenic and 5-year-old reese when the storm with 175 miles per hour winds started tearing the home to shreds. alone in their new home with a tornado fast approaching, stephanie decker knew the only chance she and the kids had of surviving was to wrap them in a blanket and lay on top of them. >> everything started hitting my back. beams, pillars, furniture. everything was just slamming into my back. i had my children in the blanket and i was on top of them. i was reaching around, holding them and they were screaming. mommy, i can't live without you. i don't want to die. don't let me die. i said, we're going to make it.

>> reporter: when the storm cleared the home was gone, wiped from the foundation with stephanie and the kids buried in the rubble. >> i looked at my leg. i realized either it was cut off or it was barely attached. i took my phone, made a video to my husband. telling him i love him. >> reporter: that's when 8-year-old domenic climbed out of the rubble and ran for help. a neighbor, sheriff's deputy brian lovins came running to find stephanie bleeding heavily. >> she's like, i'm dying, i'm dying. i said, i ain't gonna let you die. >> reporter: realizing her leg was severed brian used a belt as a tourniquet. it saved her life. >> her kids were able to get out and call for help. so her kids saved her life. >> i prayed to have the strength to survive. i wanted these kids to have a mom. i didn't want them to grow up without me. >> reporter: they're not going to grow up without her.

she's alive and in fair condition. both kids survived without injury amazingly. they will now know for the rest of their lives how much their mother loves them and the sacrifice she was willing to make. natalie, back to you. >> so true. thank goodness for the quick-thinking neighbor as well. tom costello with a great story in louisville, kentucky. thank you very much. give her our best wishes. the u.s. and israel are presenting a united front for now against a nuclear iran. in key meetings at the white house, ben i canjamin netanyahu president obama met to deal with iran. patricia heaton is apologizing for slamming sandra fluke on twitter. fluke was blasted by rush limbaugh as a, quote, prostitute, for testifying on capitol hill that birth control should be subsidized. heaton tweeted, hey, let us pay for your starbucks, movie tickets and your favorite hot wings, anything else? and encouraged twitter followers

to send fluke condoms so she would never reproduce. heaton has apologized saying, don't like you being dissed. so sorry. and sing us a song, you're the p piano dog. you'd wag your tail, too, if you could pelt one out like this scandinavian sensation. take a listen. ♪ [ howling ] >> so he's a little off key. we won't hold it against him. petu lives in finland where he may have a bone to pick with the piano tuner. very cute. six minutes past the hour. now back to al upstairs with a check of the weather. >> he does a check of the rendition, how much is that doggy in the window. >> yes! >> for today, we have a little bit of a weak system coming in from california. that's going to bring rain and pacific northwest snow.

very light. a lot of windy conditions out west. we have windy conditions from chicago down to dallas today. plenty of sunshine is along the eastern seaboard. a little on the chilly side but the warm air in the mid section with temperatures in the 70s. the warm air makes its way to the east. tomorrow in new york and places in the northeast in the upper 50s to low to mid >> good morning. a quiet but chilly start on this tuesday morning. we will enjoy plenty of sunshine as we move into the afternoon. ♪ sending out on s.o.s. >> time for joy's diet s.o.s., answers to your daily diet

dilemmas. "today" nutritionist joy bauer is here to discuss everything from iron rich foods to gluten-free meals that are chapp and quick. >> good morning, al. >> mikayla is joining us via skype. good morning. what's your question? >> i'm a serious ballet dancer at the institute of american ballet theater. i have a demanding dance schedule and mild anemia. often during class i get light headed. can you recommend iron rich foods besides the spinach and kale i already eat? >> the best sources are clams, oysters, lean beef like sirloin, top and bottom round, flank steak and skinless poultry. interestingly enough, the dark sources have more iron than the white types of poultry like breast. so go for drumsticks or thighs

when you can. the second best category of iron-rich foods are the vegetarian sources. the dark greens you're eating are loaded. keep eating leafy greens. also edamame, lentils, starchy beans and tofu have iron as well. and when you eat the vegetarian sources they are not as absorbable as the animal proteins. couple them with a food rich in vitamin c because c helps to boost the absorption within your body. when you eat your spinach and kale, drizzle some fresh lemon juice on top. the lemon juice brings vitamin c to the table to bump up the iron in your body. >> thanks for your question. >> good luck. >> now to sharon in texas on the line joining us live. good morning. what's your question? hello, sharon? i think we may have lost sharon. let's go to our viewer e-mail.

this one coming from emily in north carolina. emily writing, i'm a graduate student with a busy schedule and a tight budget. i found out this summer i have celiac disease. what are delicious gluten-free meals that are cheap and quick? i'm sick of rice and beans. >> good question. you can pretty much eat anything that you would normally eat if you were eaten gluten. sandwiches, cereals. hit a large grocery store or health food shop and buy a few gluten-free healthy staples like whole grain crackers, cereal, pasta and condiments. then learn a few go-to recipes for each of the meals. she should definitely hop on the computer to check out so. gluten-free recipe blogs. gluten-free girl, gluten-free goddess. there are a slew out there. >> and there is so much more available today than five years ago. our son is gluten-free.

>> no more rice and b.c. lioean emily. >> this e-mail from shannon in south dakota. she writes, what's your take on having a cheat maeal or the chet day on the weekend when you're dieting? >> give yourself the option for one cheat meal each weekend while dieting can be a good idea. it keeps you from feeling deprived, gives you staying power. and also acts like incentive or reward for putting in so much work during the week. for people that don't know what a cheat meal is, it's an indulgent meal or caloriffic meal that ordinarily wouldn't fit on the diet. >> splurge. >> that's what it is. it's a splurge meal. on the other hand, i really don't think having a cheat or splurge full-on day is a good

idea. you take in thousands and thousands of extra calories and it can take you two, three, four days to recover. really. >> that's not a splurge. that's a binge. >> exactly. people turn it into that. i give two thumbs-up to a cheat meal, but two thumbs-down to the cheat day each week. >> joy bauer, thanks so much. >> thanks, al. >> ahead in today's relationship why second and third marriages often don't last and advice on avoiding past mistakes. later the drama moves from wisteria lane to a los angeles courtroom in the case of nicollette sheridan versus her "desperate housewives" producer. right after these messages. special k protein shakes and meal bars. with 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber each... they satisfy your hunger longer so you can stay on track. [ telephone rings ] ♪

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crispy garlic chicken spring rolls. they're this season's must-have accessory. lean cuisine. be culinary chic. this morning on today's relationships, why second and third marriages often fail. gail saltz has advice to help you avoid the same mistakes if you're planning a trip down the aisle. good morning. >> good morning. >> i was surprised by the statistics.

second and third marriages failing more than the first but by a lot. like 67%. >> second ones. and 73% of third ones. >> why is this happening? >> i think it's multi determined as is usually the case. one reason is people rebound off the first marriage. they don't want to be alone. they feel scared by what's happened to them. it's disturbing. instead of resolving the issues that caused the first break-up they move into the second one and bring all of that with them. people tend to have their children. you know, before the age of 35 or late 30s that's often their first marriage. when they come to the second marriage they are often already have kids which adds complications. but also kids are often the dplu that binds. >> it's true. >> you might be fighting but think, i don't want to split up because of the kids. that doesn't happen in later marriages. >> let's get people thinking before they jump into it once again.

additional challenges that they are facing the second and third marriages. what are they? >> well, the mixed families and different styles of parenting and bringing in money. you're coming in with your own money and not wanting to share it necessarily because you have worked for it all. being desensitized to the idea of divorce. you know, you run into trouble and go, well, i have been down this road before and i survived. >> it's not easy on the kids. >> that's the thing. even if they are your step-children and your children it's difficult on both kids each time you get divorced. they develop an attachment to the person who is their step-parent. all that tu multi is not good for the kids. >> how much time is needed to recover after a divorce in your opinion? >> i can't give you an amount. but you need a period where you

grieve the first marriage, understood why you picked that person and was it a good reason or not and might you want to rethink it and what were the things that failed in the first marriage so you can think about how you're not going to repeat it another time. usually that takes more than a year. >> right. you don't want the rebound relationship as you mentioned. >> exactly. >> how do you know when you're emotionally ready to move on? >> when you have digested the story of why you pick a person, what that's motivated by and what caused the demise of the marriage. when you feel you're okay on your own two feet. when you feel like you're okay by yourself, you don't need the marriage to not be alone, to not be complete. that should tell you you're ready to move on. you have to think about certain things. fix your broken picker. people pick people who resonate with their past. i picked a bad boy because i think i can make him a good boy or i picked somebody who's

jealous because it makes me feel loved. lo and behold in the marriage i'm tortured by constant jealousy. why are you doing it? you work on that. build tools and coping skills for the marriage. if you were a big nagger and that was the end of the marriage, how are other things you can ask for things in marriage. if you didn't want to have sex and that was the end of the marriage, address your sexual issues so it doesn't come into the second or third marriage. you want to adjust things and realize if you want to make the commitment to marriage you better mean it. >> you've got to make it work. >> hey, date. have a long-term relationship. invest in someone that you maybe even want to live with them. you don't need to get married unless marriage is for you. it's a commitment. you have to work through it. >> thank you, gail. >> thank you. still to come, from the tv to the kitchen, how to make your home safe for kids. first, these messages. i'm al ways looking out for i'm al small ways to be more healthy.

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we're back and want to say hello to the latest contestant to have the scales tip against him on "the biggest loser." chisholm, welcome. >> thank you. >> you lost 79 pounds on the ranch. where are you now? >> i have lost 100 pounds. so i weigh 261. >> great. >> i recently hit that. it feels good. >> wonderful. >> seemed like last week was an upset. nobody expected you to be voted off. what was your reaction? >> it was crazy. i didn't expect what happened. we all had a goal to hit 5% and you were immune. i was one pound away from it.

>> oh, man. >> wow, that's rough. >> it was rough. >> you looked stunned. >> i was. now you get to see me crying. >> you can see your dad is so upset. he offered to switch places with you. why didn't you? >> you know, i think that when it comes down to it, the point of being on the show is taking responsibility for the actions that brought you to that point in your life. it was time to just say, i didn't get what i was going to do. i'm the one who didn't lose the weight. it's time for me to take responsibility for that and do this at home. >> good for you. meanwhile it's been somewhat hard to go back home and work out and do all that you need to do, right? >> yeah. >> with the band and your girlfriend you're busy. how do you manage? >> it's crazy. last time i was at home i didn't care about eating right, working out so i could do whatever i

want. >> you've made it a priority now. that's terrific. "the biggest loser" airs tonight at 8:00/7:00 central here on nbc. >> coming up, making your home safe for your kids after your local news and weather. (bell rings) hi. good morning. big news. we're spreading the word about new honey bunches of oats fruit blends and their unique taste combinations. like peach/raspberry... and banana/blueberry. we're telling everyone. with one flavor in the granola bunch and one on the flake. try some. mmm! two flavors. in harmony. yummy. four nutritious grains and two big fruit flavors to make your day bunches better. those five food groups sound a whole lot better when you put them in a taco shell instead of a pyramid. old el paso. when you gotta have mexican.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is a wbal-tv 11 news update. >> chilly start this tuesday morning. it will turn out to be a nice afternoon. generally sunny, with high temperatures in the upper 40's and 50's. 60 on wednesday, 65 on

that right there is your laptop. you see it's out here on the ground. this right here is my .45. [ gunshot ] >> that was the first round. >> who can forget that straight-shooting north carolina dad showing how much he disliked his daughter's facebook post? well, we will have an exclusive interview with the now infamous father and his daughter tomorrow on "today." matt will have more tomorrow night on "rock center with brian williams." if you have questions for them head to today.com. can you believe it? that video got 31 million views on youtube.

30 million on "today" show. >> very good. >> it sparks a lot of feeling. >> on both sides. that's what's interesting. >> of course members of the geek squad are going, no! no! >> not the computer! >> meanwhile coming up, a new episode in the "desperate housewives" courtroom drama. the executive producer mark cherry takes the stand in nicollette sheridan's wrongful termination suit. why did he give the actress the ax? we'll hear what he had to say in just a little bit. >> also, home is supposed to be the place where children are safe, but it's the scene of many, many serious accidents that could be avoided from your television sets to your furniture to what's in your cabinet we'll show you how to make sure you and your kids are safe. including those garbage bags. first a check of the weather for us, al. >> absolutely. first of all for today we have light rain in the pacific northwest, snow through the rockies. sunny and mild and even windy

from texas into minnesota. sunshine and chilly air along the eastern seaboard. tomorrow warmth makes it to the ohio river valley in the lower gulf. cool conditions and cloudy in northern new england. sunshine up and down the west coast. snowshowers central rockies. rain from the upper great lakes all the way into the central plains. >> good morning. it is cold this morning. we will see plenty of sunshine this afternoon. >> and that's your latest weather. natalie? >> up next, was it a desperate

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weight watchers points plus 2012. because it works. the courtroom drama is unfolding in the "desperate housewives" wrongful termination suit. >> neck let sheridan is trying to prove she was dropped from the show after complaining about being hit by the executive producer marc cherry. >> mike taibbi has more from the los angeles courthouse. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. as hollywood lawsuits go this isn't for huge money. just a bit more than nicollette sheridan made in the last of her five years on the show. but for sheridan the jury ruling could have a big impact.

she looks almost demure walking into court in contrast to her character. >> do you know someone my age with a body like this. >> reporter: in court monday she heard executive producer marc cherry say the decision to kill off the character was made four months before the alleged hitting incident. in a brief hallway conversation with his disney bosses. >> i didn't send any e-mails, cherry testified. i just walked over and had a talk with them. sheridan's attorney was incredulous. >> there are no documents to support that. their position is, yeah, we terminate a $4 million actress with back end participation in a five-minute conversation. >> reporter: back to the hitting incident, cherry described it as a light tap to demonstrate an upcoming scene but the actress on the show with a lot of hitting and with a number of characters who bite the dust say it was a hard hit and said it was only after she complained that her character was written out of the show.

legal analyst lori levinson says timing is key. >> if the jury believes four months before she's fired the green light had been given for it to happen she doesn't have a claim. it wasn't in retaliation. >> reporter: whatever the reason, sheridan's career since "housewives" has been under the wire. the show drew more than 20 million u.s. viewers a week and more than 100 million worldwide as america's top comedy export. when sheridan did a scandalous promotional spot before a monday night football game, the ratings for the next episode of "housewives" soared higher. the other stars including felicity huffman, eva longoria and teri hatcher could be called as witnesses in the trial. eva longoria told a radio station in an interview she supported marc cherry. >> he's funny, sweet, couldn't hard a fly. >> reporter: they said they dropped the character because

the ratings were softening and he wanted to cut costs. in fact, the show has confirmed that this season will be its last. while some of the stars have gone on to movies and other successful television projects, sheridan's pilot found no takers. >> ouch. mike taibbi. coming up next, he's an equestrian and olympic hopeful who is the daughter of new york city's mayor. we'll talk to her. and then dangers in the home. how to keep your kids safe after these messages. bird chirping ] [ snoring ] [ clears throat ] hop to, gang. it's showtime. uh, do you know this guy? i'm not gonna cry, am i? only if you don't believe in the power of friendship. really? you guys are good. [ male announcer ] your favorite movies right when you want them. watch unlimited tv episodes and movies instantly

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[ laughing and cheering ] pop-tarts. joylicious. 29-year-old georgina bloomberg grew up in the spotlight as new york city's first daughter. her dad is mike bloomberg, but she's made a name for herself in the equestrian world and she can now add seasoned author to that resumé. her second book is called "my favorite mistake." this is your second book. i know it is a trilogy, so there will be a third. was it easier to write the second than the first? >> it was. once we had the characters cemented and we knew what we

wanted from the characters and who they were we were able to follow it. it's a circuit that i have been through. i grew up in the horse show world so i know what happens and where each character should follow. it was fun. we got to go in depth as opposed to doing introductions. >> for those who aren't familiar it's a young adult book. what's the premise? >> the a circuit is the top level. when you're a junior rider which is 18 and under you compete on the a circuit. you're doing junior classes. hunters, jumpers and you're trying to make a name for yourself whether it's getting into a good college on a scholarship or get a great job you're competing on the a circuit, having to work with other kids from different backgrounds and give up your life to the support. >> you have three main characters. in the second novel we see more drama. >> there is more drama. we were able to get more in depth so it's more fun. the kids are teenagers and when you're working hard, working

with people every day there will be drama. >> you're a huge supporter of equestrian. do you have dogs? >> i have two dogs and a miniature horse i adopted as well. >> wow. >> i'm very, very much in love with all of them. adoption is a huge cause that's important to me. it's been rewarding. >> actually, the proceeds from this book go toward -- part go to the aspca. >> to the equine fund. i have done a lot of work with them. i worked with amazing people there. it's a great organization. they do great works. they are able to fund different organizations across the u.s. that can work on animal welfare, especially horses. saving horses from auctions where they are going to slaughter, making sure horses aren't starved or kept in inhumane situations. hundreds of organizations received funds from the aspca

equine fund. hopefully i can help more with the books. >> some people see a resemblance to you. she's the daughter of a billionaire. is it auto biographical? >> i have gotten the question so many times. for me, there is a little bit of myself in each character. i understand how people see tomi as me. i thought, you know, she's loyal, hardworking, down to earth, smart. if people think i'm tomi, that's a compliment. >> does your dad read the books? he's really not your demograp c demographic. he read the first book and said he enjoyed it. he has to say that. he's supportive of everything i do and vice versa. i'm proud of him, too. >> thank you so much. georgina bloomberg, great to talk with you. the book is called "my favorite mistake." up next, keeping your home accident proof with tips from lou manfredini. first, this is "today" on nbc. oh, my gosh. what's going on there? first, this is "today" on nbc.

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this morning on today's h e home, making a safe environment for your kids. accidents in the home are one of the leading causes of fatalities but many are avoidable. lou manfredini is host of "house smart." he has things you can do now to prevent problems later. good morning. >> good morning. >> we think of it as home sweet home but it's one of the places that can cause a lot of death and injury. >> what we have here is an illustration of the four dangers we take for granted. maybe we don't even think about it. we'll get to others in a second. the first is your television set. as you are watching this program how is your television set mounted? the advent of flat screen televisions or the older tvs, the big crts with flat panels, this is a huge issue. i loive in chicago.

since october four children have died due to television sets falling on them. the computer products safety commission said since 2000, 2010, 169 deaths of kids under the age of 8. 22,000 injured. >> right. >> this is a serious thing. this is a flat screen l.e.d. television set. probably weighs in the neighborhood of 40 to 60 pounds. >> right. >> this can tip over. >> easily. >> this is a strap in the back. this strap by sanus out of minnesota. it's a $20 item. it fits into the screws that you would normally mount the tv to the wall. we'll talk about it in a second. >> it's easy. just a bracket on the wall. >> screws to the back of the furniture and then screws to the wall. >> you can tilt and turn and do what you want to do with it. >> you have to do this. the safest way is to mount it on a wall.

this is a wall mount system. there are tilts. they have articulating ones. we have flat screens with similar set-ups to this. >> very sturdy. >> we're not talking a huge investment. the strap is $20. these things start in the neighborhood of $40. i understand with decor and you want to do things. if you have a television set whether it is a large crt unit, look at the cabinet it's on. make sure the cabinet is large enough that when children are running around, you have grandchildren, this is where problems occur. this is a huge hazard. it's not required by any kind of law to buy the straps. i don't know that we need a law. we need common sense to use these things. >> not just tv. any furniture. >> that 22,000 injuries is not just televisions. it's cabinets and appliances. >> okay. now poisoning is another area unfortunately where we see a lot of injuries, deaths and a lot of these are under the kitchen

sink. under mine now. >> the big risk is children under 6. this is not an indictment on the cleaners or chemicals. they all do their job. they're great cleaners. they are hazardous. they are under your cabinet right now and they're not locked. if you have a small children, you need to lock the cabinet. any one of these if a child were to drink it -- look at the color of this. >> looks like grape juice. >> it's a great cleaner. you have to protect the kids. this is a garden variety bottle of ammonia. >> flips right off. >> no safety cap. look at what you have in the home. >> lock it up. >> make sure you protect your kids. >> now suffocation is another way that a lot of children lose their lives. it can be as simple as a garbage bag, balloons. >> most suffocation comes from food. this is another area. the plastic bags we have, knot them up. make sure they are not anywhere around. balloons. smaller balloons when children

start to blow them up, if they can't blow it all the way it can be sucked into their esophagus. it's almost impossible to get it out. be mindful of this. the cord on the blinds. this is a perfect example. i don't want to see any blinds with a tether on the bottom here. a child can put their head in here and get hung up. you need to have blinds with cords that are cut and loose. and you need to pay attention. tied up high. they can also get tangled inadvertently and knot up even loose ones. be mindful of this. this is an area where somebody could get strangled. >> are these still around? >> they just bought this. this shouldn't be around. there are still products like this on the shelf. be mindful of this. >> make sure you know what you're doing. over here, fire safety equipment in our house. we know you have to have a fire alarm on every level in your home. >> it's one -- >> also important to change the

batteries. >> now there are new laws. these detectors and fire extinguishers don't last forever. on average they last five to seven years. there is a new law in new york that will probably go across the country. the detectors themselves after five years are going to give you a beep to tell you it's time to replace. it will drive you crazy because you'll think the battery is out. you'll replace the battery but it's still beeping which means you have to replace it. >> same with carbon monoxide? they wear out. >> they wear out every five to seven years. now it will have an audible alarm. fire extinguishers on the three-year anniversary, even if it's green, discharge it and buy a new one. have a safety plan, too. >> and practice the safety plan. lou manfredini, appreciate it. still to come, he's sticking around to talk about hardwood flooring. >> and more music from teen sensation demi lovato after your

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