good morning. breaking news. a plane rolls off a taxiway and into an embankment in atlanta this morning. no passengers were on board, but it could impact travel at one of the nation's busiest airports. we're going to have the latest. showdown in the south. gop presidential primaries in alabama and mississippi today. the race is tight. will it help shake out the field? and desperate bombshell? an anonymous voicemail causes a stir at nicollette sheridan's wrongful termination trial and her attorneys hope it can help them prove a cover-up today, her attorneys hope it can help them prove a cover-up today, tuesday, march 13, 2012.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning. i'm ann curry. >> i'm matt lauer. we'll get the latest on that situation in atlanta. that's never a good sight to see, a plane resting on its side like that. two maintenance workers were testing engines on the plane. the brakes apparently failed. that is the result. we'll have more on that in a second. meantime, two-thirds of the country enjoying unseasonably warm weather today. on a typical march morning we would be greeting you with temperatures around 32 degrees. we are already at 58 degrees and it's going higher. >> al says we're headed into the 70s today. it's a similar story across the nation. what's behind the late winter warm spell and how long will it

last? al will be along with the answers ahead. also ahead, more fallout after a u.s. soldier allegedly killed 16 civilians in a shooting spree in afghanistan. militants attacked a government delegation ib perspectiving one of the sites of the massacre. here at home the alleged gunman's family has been taken into protective custody. we are live with the details. and the reclusive heiress, hughess clark left behind a safe deposit box last opened in the 1940s. we'll get a look at what was found inside. millions of dollars worth of rare, remarkable jewels. that pink diamond, you can bid on that for me. >> that's a beauty. i love the next story. have you read it? we'll hear from the 85-year-old woman who wrote a restaurant review that's become a big talker online. not because of what she wrote

but because of the restaurant she reviewed. we'll explain that coming up. >> we begin with the unseasonably warm weather across much of the country. al is upstairs with more. good morning. >> good morning, ann. look at the temperatures from yesterday. tying a record in new york city, 71 degrees. in albany, montpelier, buffalo, providence, evens islip in the 60s. temperatures that would be normally in the middle of the country way up into canada. temperatures 27 degrees above normal in omaha. chicago, 22 degrees above normal. minneapolis, almost 30 degrees above normal. high temperatures for today. minneapolis will see a high of 64 degrees. chicago, 63. tomorrow, chicago will be in the 70s for the next three days. we really don't look for a break in the northeast until sometime on friday when a back door cold front comes in. 71 in albany. 73 in new york city.

the big change is out west where it's colder and they are talking snow. details on that coming up. now to the showdown in the south. alabama and mississippi are holding primaries and polls show mitt romney, rick santorum and newt gingrich are locked in close races in each of those states. nbc's peter alexander is traveling with the romney campaign. he's in kirkwood, missouri. good morning to you. >> good morning to you. local polls have shown all three candidates leading in recent weeks in those states, alabama and mississippi. mitt romney's advisers admit they are in for a tough fight. they claim second place is success as long as they pick up delegates. so newt gingrich and rick santorum are looking for wins hoping to rearrange this race. ♪ >> reporter: with the candidates looking to lock up every last vote, the knmusic has a souther

flavor. and the rhetoric resembles an old fashioned southern food fight. >> i can see these are the best country-style ribs i have ever had. >> this morning i had grits and i thought it was a normal thing to do. >> i had catfish for the second time. delicious. >> reporter: for the deep south this is a rare responsibility. usually alabama and mississippi's primaries are too late to matter. but if you listen to rick santorum, 2012 is different. >> this is the most election of your lifetime, i don't care how old our. >> reporter: a strong showing could help mitt romney pull away from the pack. >> i need your help. get out and get your friends to vote. >> reporter: celebrating his 65th birthday romney called on jeff foxworthy. >> i avoided politics for 56 years. somebody said why get into it now? it's too important. >> reporter: is romney trying to connect with fox worthy's

redneck audience but mentioned his well off friends. >> i don't want to see him go to miami or the jets. but i have many good friends, the owner of the miami dolphins and the new york jets, both owners are friends of mine. >> reporter: for newt gingrich, the primaries could be make or break. he's taken the lead in bashing the president on rising gas prices. >> if we developed our energy capacity to the degree we could, that would bring down the price of gasoline on the theory that supply and demand works. this is not something obama is used to. >> reporter: there is evidence gas prices are driving down president obama's approval ratings. according to the new new york times/cbs news poll, 41% now approve of the job the president is doing, down from 50% a month ago and 47% disapprove compared to 43% in february. and the president may face other resistance this fall as well. this morning political blogs are

buzzing with the results of a new survey indicating more than half of likely republican voters in mississippi and almost half in alabama still believe president obama is a muslim. some experts question the way that survey was conducted. to give you a sense, newt gingrich is vowing to stay in the race no matter what happens in mississippi and alabama today. rick santorum already has a campaign event scheduled tonight in louisiana where they don't vote for another 11 days. matt? >> peter, thank you very much. chuck todd is nbc's political director and chief white house correspondent. good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. >> we're in the deep south in the two primaries today. when you look at mitt romney is this about racking up delegates or proving yourself in a geographical area? >> both. he spent more time in alabama because you can get more delegate bang for your buck there. he's been emphasizing that state

over mississippi. one win in the south and you will see, i think, a bunch of fence sitters that have been not ready to rally around him whether it's jeb bush, lindsey graham, haley barbour. just one win in the south, even by the skin of his teeth will open up the floodgates and really damage santorum and gingrich. i'm looking at the numbers and i don't buy it. south carolina, georgia, tennessee, deep south states that have already voted. romney's percentages are 28, 28, 26, 28. he can't break 30 in the deep south. hard to imagine how he does it in mississippi or alabama. if he breaks 30 that would be a huge victory for him. >> now to newt gingrich. what type of percentages do we have to see coming from him? he said he'll stay in the race. what results does he need to have some viable reason to stick around? >> it's called wins.

he needs victories. he could use a victory in a state that doesn't touch the state of georgia now. that hasn't happened yet. he's had georgia and south carolina. he needs to win both. it's hard to imagine how he'll do it. santorum, more momentum with conservatives when you see overall polling. if gingrich -- he placed third in tennessee. i think he was third in oklahoma. >> right. >> he needs victories here. but he stays in, he's becoming mitt romney's best friend in this race the longer newt gingrich stays in. >> the story a lot of people are talking about, the public policy polling, the surveys done in alabama and mississippi that seem to indicate in alabama 45% of people think barack obama is muslim, 52% in mississippi. you don't like the survey. >> it's an automatic, robo survey so you get an auto phone call, press buttons to answer yes, if he's a christian, two if

he's a muslim. it was designed to get a higher number. there are some republicans who may not believe the president -- may not believe he's a muslim but like saying it because it's a way to attack him. it's a way to needle him. i think the question was designed to get a higher percentage in the answer than maybe what's actually true. it's created a buzz among liberals who are trying to create a stereo type among base conservative voters. >> chuck todd, thank you very much, as always. >> you got it. >> ten after the hour. here's ann. >> matt, thank you. we are learning more about the u.s. army staff sergeant accused of killing 16 civilians during a weekend shooting spree in afghanistan. leon panetta said the death penalty could be sought as the home base in the united states faces increased scrutiny. miguel almaguer is at joint base

lewis-mcchord in washington state. >> reporter: his wife and soldier are at this base for their own security. a military installation where some argue not enough is being done for returning troops. joint base lewis-mcchord is the largest military installation on the west coast. some call it the most troubled. today, nearly 5 a,000 service members from this base alone are deployed in afghanistan. >> when he came back from the first deployment he was different. >> reporter: at 25, staff sergeant jared hagman returned to his wife and two boys. ashley said he was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder or ptsd of ace fourth deployment. he couldn't sleep, carried a loaded gun and struggled with depression. ashley said jared sought mental health but claims doctors said

he was mentally fit and declared him battle ready. he committed suicide, one of 12 soldiers, an all time high at lewis mcchord, to take his life last year. >> it hurts to know that it didn't have to happen. if people would have listened, he's still be here. there's always signs. >> reporter: critics say joint base lewis mcchord has a troubling pass. the thrill kill murders of afghan civilians were also stationed here. and a 29-year-old iraq vet rab from here is believed to have murdered a park ranger not far from home base. >> i don't want another mother to go through what i'm going through. >> mary kirkland said her son derek was never treated for ptsd at lewis mcchord. the army specialist and young father committed suicide two

years ago. >> the army did kill my son. he was safer in iraq than he was at his own army base. >> reporter: the army did not comment on specific cases, but just last month launched an investigation into the base's madigan health care system. the director removed after 300 soldiers had diagnoses for ptsd reversed as they neared retirement. the comment, soldiers expect and deserve the best possible care and our priority is to make sure they are getting a fair assessment and diagnosis. the shooting suspect in afghanistan was not one of the soldiers who was here at joint base lewis-mcchord and had their ptsd diagnosis reversed. they say the shooting suspect was treated here for a head injury he suffered while in iraq in 2010, but sources say he showed no behavioral problems

while here at the base. ann? >> all right. to be continued, this story. miguel almaguer, thank you. it's 7:13. here's matt. now back to the skyrocketing price of gasoline. the national average has jumped to $3.81 a gallon, up 30 cents in the past month. a new sur ray reveals the high prices are beginning to change the spending habits of americans. tom costello is in rockville, maryland, with more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. maryland is pretty much in line with the national average. we're paying $3.99 at this pump. statewide in california the average is $4.36. nationwide, this is taking a bite out of business. in new york city, ricky eisen feels the squeeze in her catering business every day. >> we buy eggs, flour, sugar. each one of the vendors adds a little bit to their invoice so

it adds up to quite a bit at the end of the day. >> reporter: with 2,000 caterers in the city she's struggling to keep prices competitive. >> at a certain price i have to say, uncle, it hurts too much. i have to either increase prices or institute a fuel surcharge. i'm close to that. >> reporter: a new aaa survey shows 60% of americans are combining trips and errands. # 34% say they have delayed major purchases. 16% say they are driving more fuel efficient vehicles. it adds up to rough news for the economy and president obama who is under preis sure to do something. >> i think the american people understand that we don't have a silver bullet when it comes to gas prices, but they're hurting now. it's like a tax on your paycheck every time you fill up. >> gas prices are getting crazy. it is frustrating. $100 to fill up this puppy. >> i'm spending less on beers

and more on gas which is probably better for my gut. >> reporter: nationwide gas prices are up 30 cents from a month ago, a quarter from a year ago. the reasons? the threat of military action against iran looms large. also, u.s. refining capacity is down. in the past three years, five refineries have shut down. two in the philadelphia area in just the last year. going into the warmer months, refineries must produce a more expensive blend. while u.s. consumption is down demand is growing in developing countries like china and india adding up to higher prices. >> i expect gasoline prices to peak in may, yes, two months away yet. i expect the national average to price between $3.75 to as much as $4.15. >> reporter: you may be wondering why do prices vary in different parts of the country. local and state taxes are a big

reason. transportation costs are another reason. also, regional costs. california is always more expensive because of the clean air regs. that combines to make gas more expensive depending where you go. and you may have a little gouging, competition. back to you, matt. >> it adds up. tom, thanks very much. >> now a check of the top stories from natalie morales at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. a delta jet rolled off a taxiway into an embankment at the atlanta international airport this morning. no passengers were on board the aircraft at the time. delta says maintenance workers were testing engines when the brakes failed and the plane began to roll. there was no immediate effect on airport operations. british police arrested six people this morning in connection with a phone hacking investigation at rupert murdock's news international publication. former ceo rebekah brooks and her husband were arrested in

london for perverting the course of justice. a cease-fire between israel and gaza militants is in effect brokered by egypt after four days of deadly cross-border clashes there. israel stopped air strikes after midnight. rocket fire is slowing down as the truce takes effect. 24 palestinians have died in the violence since friday. some 1 million israelis living in rocket range of gaza have been on high alert. eating too much red meat could be shortening your life according to a new study out this week from the archives of internal medicine. researchers say people who ate a serving of red meat including beef, pork or lamb every day had a 13% higher risk of death than those who ate very little meat. people who ate processed meats were 20% more likely to die from cancer and heart disease. carnivores don't have to give up the steak knife entirely.

meat up to three times a week should be fine. first lady michelle obama will lead the official u.s. delegation to the opening ceremonies of the 2012 summer olympics in london. the white house announced this morning there are less than 150 days until the games begin and the iconic rings are getting in place already, floating down the river thames to their final perch. we are excited, counting down. 7:19. back to ann, matt and al. 150 days to get packing. >> starting now. it will be a fun two and a half, three weeks. natalie, thank you very much. >> meantime, al has the rest of the forecast. >> our friends in the pacific northwest continue to get hammered on the coast. rain and snow in the mountains. up to four feet along the coastline from northern california into the pacific northwest. one to four inches of rain. the snow will be a big problem >> good morning.portland.

we could see some redevelopment of some scattered showers or thunderstorms late this afternoon. a mixture of sun and clouds. and that's your latest weather, ann. >> a restaurant review by a north dakota newspaper columnist has become the latest internet sensation because the target of the 85-year-old's critique was not a posh five-star eatery but her own town's new olive garden. kevin tibbles is in grand forks where he sat down with a woman behind the article. hey, kevin. good morning. >> reporter: hey, ann. when the olive garden restaurant opened in grand forks, local

food critic marilyn haggerty said it was a big deal. she's been a mild-mannered reporter at the grand forks herald for more than three decades. at 85 years of age, she still writes five columns a week. it's her latest, a restaurant review called the eatbeat that's got the blogosphere boiling over. >> i never thought anything like this would happen. >> reporter: she had the audacity to opine on the new ott eatery in town -- the olive garden. the place is impressive, she wrote. it's fashioned in tuscan farmhouse style with a welcoming entryway. of the food she added the chicken alfredo was warm and comforting on a cold day. and instead of the raspberry lemonade suggested by the waitress, i drank water. some on the internet questioned

her taste. >> north dakota where olive garden is king, snapped one. fark.com headlined old broad goes viral adding the city is on the culinary map with its unique brand of tuscan refinery. maryland newspapers had more than 3,000 hits and foodies are leaping to her defense including culinary bad boy anthony bourdain who tweeted watching marilyn hagerty triumph over the snarkologists. myself included. >> reporter: may i interest you in a bread stick? >> indeed. >> reporter: we decided to break bread sticks to discuss her notoriety. first her reaction to hearing eatbeat had gone viral. >> i didn't know what a that meant. then the phone calls started, but i had to go to bridge club at 1:00. can't miss that.

>> no. >> reporter: she has no time for the bloggers of the world. >> sounds like dirty words. we all have different ideas of what we want to do with our time. i would rather play bridge or watch a basketball game than do that. >> reporter: blogging. >> yeah, blogging. >> reporter: marilyn can dish it right back. from one reporter to another she demonstrated her technique of surreptitiously taking notes while dining and sometimes, shock, horror, she sneaks out with a menu. >> you do what you need to do. >> reporter: thanks to marilyn, i have had the chicken alfredo and now we know why they call it grand forks. take that, you nasty bloggers. by the way, marilyn hagerty is winging her way to new york today. she'll file her column from some of the finest eateries in the big apple. back to you. >> terrific. our arm as are open to welcome her. that was cute, kevin.

thank you very much. coming up, a mystery witness at the wrongful termination suit of "desperate housewives" star nicollette sheridan. does he have evidence of a cover-up? does he have evidence of a cover-up? first, this is "today" on nbc. "

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. here is a look at one of our top stories. as we learn more about the alleged that the attacks orf a rogue soldier in afghanistan, maryland congressman dutch ruppersberger fears retaliation. he feels that they will attack

in afghanistan rather than in the united states. let's check on the morning commute. >> the biggest problem is hours on the outer loop up the harrisburg expressway. we are looking at a big delay behind it. nine miles per hour on average towards the harrisburg expressway. inner loop of the j.f.x., at an accident. we had delays prior to the j.f.x. and another one with a pedestrian involved at parksville. another one in the pikesville region. some delays on the west side, and on southbound 95, coming out of the white marsh area. here is that? live looked at traffic. this is what it looks like at the accident scene. this is all off to decide.

inner loop lot better at greenspring. tony has a check on your forecast. >> most of this rain is working off the coast. we have a little bit of cloud cover. sunshine will break through the next few hours. 55 in edgewood. i'll start for us this morning. 74, 75. we could see it scattered showers and thunderstorms

7:30 now on a tuesday morning, the 13th day of march, 2012. drizzling still in the northeast, but i see no umbrellas so maybe it's come to an end. clouds should roll out later in the day. nice warm temperatures for the second or third day in a row. we're loving this here. you can see the people gathered outside. inside i'm matt lauer alongside ann curry. up next, the unusual request in court to get a mother of four accused of running a prostitution ring out of jail. >> and huguette clark died last year leaving behind a safe deposit box that was just opened for the first time in 70 years.

we'll show you the multi-million dollar jewelry collection found inside. >> also, today's professionals join us this morning. savannah guthrie filling in for dr. nancy, by the way. they will tackle everything from the wildly successful kony to20 c campaign to an eye catching campaign about binge drinking before spring break. >> we begin with the new drama at the "desperate housewives" trial. a voicemail hints at a cover-up tied to her firing from the show. craig melvin has the story. good morning. >> reporter: ann, good morning to you. the plot thickens with the latest development. one can only imam -- imagine the defense scrambling to count there are mysterious voicemail that emerged, how they'll challenge the guy that allegedly left it. that is, if he shows up in court later today.

anonymous messages are nothing new to the women of "desperate housewives." >> how ironic. to have something i tried so desperately to keep secret treated so casually. >> reporter: now the real life court drama may be imitating one of the plot twists on wisteria lane. it comes from a voicemail that nicollette sheridan's attorney says he got from someone at the show. >> marc, i'm an employee of "desperate housewives." i received an e-mail soon after nicolette filed suit that regarded having i.t. come in and wipe clean the hard drives of the producers in response to the correspondence that they have had, e-mailwise, about firing nicolette. there was definitely a conspiracy to cover up the correspondence e-mailwise, in regards to in this case let. see ya. >> reporter: sheridan's legal team wants to hear more from the "desperate housewives" employee and they have subpoenaed him to appear in court today.

>> the transcription is very clear. there was a companywide sweep of the producers' e-mails on anything related to in this case let's termination, it's important. >> reporter: the testimony would support sheridan's claims she was fired from the show after she complained executive producer marc cherry struck her in the head. cherry himself testified what she called a hard hit was just a light tap while rehearsing a scene. legal expert lori levinson. >> this is a huge piece of evidence. if it's true and if the judge lets it in. it would be bigger than any witness testimony. it would be hard evidence that abc did something wrong. >> reporter: marc cherry's attorney says this is just a last-minute desperate attempt by sheridan looking for a $6 million payday. >> it appears orchestrated to us. it seems like a last ditch effort by the plaintiff to save her case. >> reporter: in this courtroom

soap opera where stars teri hatcher, eva longoria and felicity huffman were on the list to testify but did not, it's an unknown character's testimony that could be the smoking gun in this "desperate housewives" legal saga. now abc, which broadcasts "desperate housewives" says it conducted a full investigation and found the actress was not mistreated. ann? >> craig melvin, thank you very much. it's now 7:34. here's matt. >> now the latest on a case making headlines in the new york area. suburban mom accused of running a high end escort service. now she's fighting to be released from jail. "today" national correspondent amy robach is following the story for us. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the alleged east side madam anna gristina has been in jail unable to make her $2 million bail. one of her attorneys now has a

proposal to get his client out of jail. peter gleason, attorney for anna gristina lashed out against the legal system on monday. >> i honestly, truly in my heart feel she's being railroaded by the system is. >> reporter: friends say she's more suburban soccer mom than millionaire madam has been at rikers island, unable to make bail of $2 million. now in an effort to help his client make bail, gleason offered up his posh, $2.5 million manhattan loft as a place for gristina to serve under house arrest. >> i have interviewed her, met with her family. i feel so comfortable giving them access to my place. i want them to move in with me. >> reporter: that would include the four children and current

husband, kelvin gore who posed for racy photos with his wife. he was seen outside the courthouse on monday. >> no comment. >> reporter: the judge set a bail hearing for thursday. prosecutors called gleason's proposal unethical. some legal experts say that's not the point. >> forget about the ethical question. just decide the bail question. is she a flight risk? why should we let him put up his apartment and say she will go to it? she could skip out on him as easy as she could skip out on the court. >> reporter: monday's court appearance showed a stark contrast to the millionaire madam. gleason argued she's not a millionaire. in fact, he told the judge, she doesn't have two nickels to rub together. all this as investigators continue to search for janie may baker who is named in the indictment and could turn herself in as early as today.

anna gristina pleaded not guilty to promoting prostitution. if con vicked she faces up to seven year bes hind bars. as we mentioned, the judge is expected to announce his decision on gleason's request for house arrest tomorrow. matt? >> amy robach on the upper east side in manhattan. thank you very much. let's get a check of the weather now from al. >> thank you so much, matt. who do you want to say hi to? >> ryan, claire and elena. >> and you're friends with ray farmer. we love the farmers. let's see what's going on as we check out the afternoon temperatures. 60s in the northeast. 70s and 80s throughout the country. 40s in the pacific northwest. we're looking at snow. you can see on the map that heavy rain in the pacific northwest with heavy mountain snows. record highs from the plains to

the gulf coast. sunshine along the north coast but showers along the pacific northwest coas >> good morning. it will be a warm day today with a mixture of sunshine and clouds. maybe and that's your latest weather. matt? >> al, thank you very much. up next an exclusive look at the rare jewels worth millions found in a safe deposit box of the reclusive heiress huguette clark. we'll look at those after these messages. my eyes itch.

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deposit box and will be auctioned off next month. raul kadakia is here with us. welcome. >> good morning. >> it must have been remarkable for the person who opened the vault for the first time in, what, 70 years and looked at the jewels. you saw this just a few months after. >> i know how i felt. it was like chasing a rainbow with a pot of gold at the end of it. it was fantastic. they opened it. they didn't know what was in there. was this a pink diamond or a pink glass. that's worth between $6 million to $8 million. it just continued with a 20 carat diamond next. here we are. >> they are in pristine condition because they have been well kept, obviously. >> exactly. they were all in original boxes in the bank vault since the 1940s. >> let's talk about them one by one. you mentioned the pink diamond. >> it dates back to 1910. it's made by a french firm called dryser and company.

last time we had a five carat pink stone at kristy's like that it was $2 million per carat. this is 9 carats and could make $ $10 million to $15 million. >> this ring is huge. >> colored diamonds are rarer, but that's the best decolor, internally flawless made by cartier. that should make $2 million to $4 million. >> these two are particularly lovely. they are bracelets seen in the photograph. >> the last known photograph of huguette she's wearing them. they are both cartier bracelets. she's wearing them with a strand of pearls she had on in most of the images. >> the fact that they were owned by her, does it increase their value? >> absolutely. such a storied american family. huguette clark was a great philanthropist, a great artist. her father, senator clark, was a great businessman of his time.

to have this collection of jewels from the guilded age will be fabulous at auction. >> art deco is in right now. >> one of the best periods of jewelry manufacturing. >> let's look at this. an american flag. you expect it to be more than it was originally estimated at. >> the estimate is $30,000. but it is an american flag broach that belonged to the clark value. where is the real value? we'll find out. >> tiffany bracelet. >> possibly made for clark. this speaks of the time when they were collecting from the best houses of the jewelry world. >> there is a frame with huguette's sister andree who died of meningitis. >> this is a cartier frame. huguette was quite upset and had a bird sanctuary built after her sister in santa barbara.

>> you have beautiful things including this set of earrings. >> these are natural pearls. this is the art deco clock. >> thank you so much for showing us these treasures for the first time in 70 years. amazing. coming up next, a new warning from a popular actress who says cosmetic jewelry ruined her appearance -- cosmetic surgery ruined her appearance. that's coming up right after this. sweet, nutty crunchy nut... can't wait 'til morning. wait. ♪ it's morning in the himalayas... [ male announcer ] it's sweet. it's nutty. it's absolutely delicious. kellogg's crunchy nut. it's morning somewhere.

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have you ever heard of trout pout? it refers to a facial expression that could be the result of overdone plastic surgery. now a well known actress is speaking out warning others to think twice before attempting to enhance their looks. nbc's michelle kosinski is in paris with details. michelle, good morning. >> reporter: hey, matt. paris, the city of lights is known for the women who somehow manage to age magnificently. n now one of france's best known actresses is speaking out about a beauty secret she now wishes she hadn't done. not the wine, not the cheese but plastic surgery. ♪ >> reporter: french women are envied for forever maintaining

the confident feminine generqua. now you have to see when they give in to plastic surgery. this star, long considered one of the most impossibly beautiful women in the world. but soon after -- i had my mouth done at 27. 20 years later she confesses, it's botched. today i would say i'm against plastic surgery. it's a grave act that touches our soul. it was frightening. so you're a movie star with the best of everything. how does this happen? >> i have seen so many celebrities on television with bad cosmetic work. out's a shame. i think they just have done to the wrong doctor. you don't have to look fake with these treatments. >> reporter: cosmetic dermatologist to the stars leslie bauman said she refuses

them. >> some people call me dr. no. i talk them out of more things. it's so important to know when to stop. >> reporter: we have seen some of our freshest faces transformed, even some of the youngest spark speculation when they suddenly look different. all of these celebrities have voiced regrets. denise richards and tori spelling over breast implants. kenny rogers didn't like the eye lift. jennifer gray, "dirty dancing" sweetheart felt a new nose put her in a corner professionally. and the lips. the gorgeous sharon stone admitted to turning troutlike. lisa rinna had hers reduced. jane fonda said, i caved. i vowed i wouldn't and i'm not proud of it. sometimes it goes wrong. the latest young poster woman for overdoing it said surgery

ruined my career and my personal life. i wish i could jump into a time machine and take it all back. now the french are talking about how to keep aging gracefully in a world full of tweaks. just this past year in france there was a health scare involving one of the makers of breast implants found to be using industrial grade silicon. tens of thousands of women were told to have them removed. matt? >> michelle kosinski, thank you very much. just ahead, using homeless people as living wifi hot spots. today's professionals weigh in. >> after your local news. the 2012 m-class [ mal] continually monitors blind spots, scans the road to reveal potential threats, even helps awaken its driver if he begins to doze. so in the blinkf an eye it will have performed more active safety measures than most cars will in a lifetime.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am at mindy basara. time for a check on that morning commute. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> heavy delays on the north side of the beltway, beginning at 95 in the northeast corner. this is due to an earlier accident rate down to 25 miles per hour. that accident is now clear. in parksville, east joppa road, watch for crash. if you want to let out in north avenue and the j.f.x., watch for crash.

16 mi. per hour beginning at 795. the usual happening there. washington boulevard and gatewood drive in jessup, watch for crash. we will update you at harford first. outer the traffic going away from us, that is the pace of the things. that's switch over to 8 live view of traffic of 95 and mountain road. no sign of delays in here. prior to the white marsh exit, you are going to back down. also want to let you know that one lane is getting by only. in frederick, westbound 70 at south street, there is an accident with entrapment there. >> we had some rain last night. that is pushing off the coast now. the weather should be quiet for the rest of the morning. we will get sunshine as we had to the day. 56 in randallstown. 55 in parkton. once we get into the afternoon, we could see a couple of thunderstorms develop. probably after 2:00.

30% chance on. high temperatures around 74 degrees. we will be in the 70's for the next couple of days. great weather on wednesday and thursday.

8:00 now on a tuesday morning. it's the 13th of march, 2012. somebody has to make a phone call. so much for six more weeks of winter. we are headed into the 70s here in new york city today. outside on the plaza along with a lot of great people here, a huge crowd. i'm ann curry alongside matt lauer and al roker. we have a lot to talk about. >> normally we talk about star jones, donny deutsch and dr. nancy snyderman. savannah guthrie is filling in for nancy today. they will tackle harsh words for

reality stars because of the fame and fortune those people get. another topic, it just sounds wrong, but using homeless people as personal or individual wifi hot spots. it's part of a music convention taking place down south. >> we have practical information on how to make pulled pork. we're going to get a one-pot effort here from a great source, the pioneer woman who's written cookbooks. she's going to take the pulled pork and make it so you can use it for different recipes throughout the week. it's one spot, saves time and money. we'll hear from her coming up. >> we all love will farrell. >> yes. >> funny guy. >> his new movie suggests it is in spanish with english subtitles. he did the role in spanish and he's here to talk about it, i assume in english. >> in spanish.

>> very cool. it will be good. meantime let's go inside and get a check of the top stories. we have notallyal lally -- nata standing by. good morning. visiting the villages where a u.s. soldier went on a deadly rampage sunday morning killing 16 civilians. attackers opened fire on a delegation from several sides as new information emerges about the alleged attacker in sunday's rampage. the suspect was trained as a sniper and suffered a brain injury during a recent vehicle accident but had since been deemed recovered. leon panetta said the death penalty seasoned off the table when the suspect is on trial. the race for the republican presidential nomination moves to the south today. polls suggest the alabama and mississippi primaries are too close to call. mitt romney hopes for a double victory in the south. rick santorum and newt gingrich are counting on strong support from conservatives and evangelical voters. high gas prices are having an

impact on the presidential race according to a new york times cbs news poll president obama's approval rating has dropped from 50 to 41% in recent weeks and the pain at the pump continues to rise. the price of regular is up 30 cents a gallon since last month. more people are now using commuter trains and buses because of the high cost of driving. the defense rested its case monday in the trial of a former rutgers university student charged with using a web cam to spy on his roommate's intimate encounter with another man. the roommate, tyler clemente committed suicide days later. the jury could get the case today. now for a look at what's trending today, our quick round-up of what has you talking online. the feud between jon hamm and kim kardashian is a top google search. hamm said kardashian and paris hilton are idiots and that stupidity is celebrated and

rewarded in our culture. kim has tweeted back that calling someone who runs their own businesses and is part of a successful tv show stupid is, in my opinion, careless. a big backlash after a marketing agency turned homeless people into portable wifi hot spots. volunteers from an austin homeless shelter were fitted with mobile devices and paid $20 a day plus donations to walk around at the south by southwest festival where heavy smartphone usage can overwhelm cellular networks. they called it an employment opportunity. critics say it exploits the poor. we'll have more coming up in today's professionals. and russia's entry in a song contest is a group of grannies who have gone viral with their anthem "party for everybody." ♪ ♪ party for everybody >> the average age is 75.

they are competing to win money for a new church in their village. i say give it to them. they win the prize. 8:05. let's go back out to matt and ann. very cute. >> i thought that was the promopr pro-missoupro mmo for nbc's "fashion star." i kid because i love. >> apparently. meantime a check of the morning's weather. do you need a moment to collect yourself? >> just going to walk away. you guys want to say hi to your dad in afghanistan. why don't you? >> hi. >> hi, dad! >> our dad's at home in pennsylvania. >> but your dad is in afghanistan. we wish him the best. >> let's check your weather. pick city today, eau claire, wisconsin, nbc 13. sunny and mild and 61 degrees. wet weather in the pacific

northwest. strong storms and windy conditions. rain and mountain snows. record highs from the plains down into texas. 63 in chicago today. going up into the 70s tomorrow. look for wet weather along the southeastern atlantic coast. hit or miss sprinkles in the northeast becoming sunny. gorgeous in miami today. partly sunny and a high of 81. >> good morning. we could see some redevelopment of some scattered showers or thunderstorms late this afternoon. a mixture of sun and clouds. and that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thank you so much.

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lay down a new look - with earthgro mulch, now 3 bags for just 10 bucks. to stay healthy. but did you know fiber choice can help support your overall well-being? every tasty tablet has prebiotic fiber from fruits and veggies... that lets your good bacteria thrive and helps support your immune system. fiber choice. an easy way to defend your health everyday. learn more about prebiotics and get a free sample at fiberchoice.com. we are back with the latest installment of today's professionals. here to break down the hottest headlines of the day, star jones, donny deutsch and playing the role of dr. nancy snyderman today, savannah guthrie. good morning. good to see you. >> good morning, matt. >> let's start with kony 2012.

a couple weeks ago nobody knew what it was. now 74 million youtube hits later, let's take a look at a sample. >> so i will not talk much. it will start something. because if i saw my brother once again -- [ crying ] >> it's a video designed to show the plight of child warriors in uganda and atrocities committed by a guerilla leader there named joseph kony. 74 million people, mostly teens and younger, have now gotten into this. the question is why. >> you said it. teens and young people. they are the ones who control the viral part of the internet. this is a story about oppressed children recruited for war. plus they did one smart thing. they reached out to influencers. they sent it from george clooney to zuckerberg to mitt romney. it was a combination of that.

anything with this kind of incredible steam is going to be driven and about youth. >> what bothers me in terms of the background is i'm not sure people understand where the money is going. i know during one of the interviews the film maker was trying to justify just the movement aspect of it, but when you're soliciting donations and a third of the money goes for marketing and a third of the money is going only to the programming, that's where i have concerns. >> it disturbs me, too. this is a triumph of marketing. if they were misleading in the facts, at what cost? you have inspired young people. when they find out the facts will they be disappointed and become cynical? it's the illusion. >> are the young people getting on board with this because it is a new way to be cool? is it a new era of social participation? or are we talking in two weeks about the fact that nobody's talking about kony 2012 anymore? >> it has that feel.

it's almost a self-parody that at the end they have an action kit with matching bracelets. >> does tend justify the means? if we have shined light on this horrible situation, this is not a bad thing. >> i'm not upset with them shining the light. i want to make sure the money people are sending in goes to -- >> if we can make activism cool, okay. >> rick santorum, one of the gop presidential candidates said he would like to -- i'm pa are a phrasing, it to be illegal for anyone running for president to use a teleprompter saying people should hear your words, not words run through a focus group or written by someone else. >> doesn't he have anything else to talk about? >> how do we feel about it? >> oh, please. >> it's silly. doesn't if man have anything else to talk about? you're running for the presidency of the united states

and you're going to whine because he's a better speaker than you are? >> president obama uses teleprompter as do other politicians. >> both sides do it. the democrats love to make hay of romney tying his car dog to the car back in the day. barack obama uses it because he's not intelligent and can't articulate without it, they say. i don't think there is evidence of that. >> it's simple. he's trying to play to his strength. the thing that's made him appealing and sometimes gets in his way is he shoots from the hip. he's real, genuine and says, hey, the other guys aren't smart enough to do it without it. throughout history sometimes you speak great extemporaneously and sometimes from a script. there would be no "today" show if you're not reading from a script. >> that's not unnecessarily true. as part of a music convention in austin, texas, a marketing company came up with an idea. you have to hear this to believe

it. basically they have decided to give techies better wifi access by attaching wifi routers to homeless people making them in effect individual wifi hot spots. initial reaction to this? >> ew. it's giving me an ick factor. >> ad man. >> before we stand up for the oppressed poor if you found out a sandwich shop hired a homeless person to be a bill board, paid him $20 to walk the streets you would say, wow, this homeless person is trying to do something. if you ask the homeless person -- >> they made $20 a gday. >> we sit up here and make judgments about what oppressed people should and shouldn't do. >> i'm happy they are paying. but the reason i had that reaction is that calling a person an internet wifi hot spot objectifies them and makes them

something less than human. >> you're saying this is another example of how anonymous you are. you can walk past me and i can use you and i can use you in this way. >> we're pontificatinpontificat. they get $20 and feel useful. >> a war of words between actors and reality stars. jon hamm said whether it's paris hilton or kim kardashian, stupidity is celebrated. being a blanking idiot is a valuable commodity because you're rewarded significantly. is he being elitist? >> i find it fascinating when they talk from the perch. they are reading words other people write for them and they are paid for it. before you deign down to look at the world, relax. >> with reality stars there is a difference between those who pimped their celebrity in order

to move their business work forward and the ones that are just bad girls. >> kim kardashian, say what you will, she's made the most of her fame and turned into a businesswoman. there is an audience for it. >> ladies and gentlemen, the comedy stylings of savannah guthrie. >> dr. nancy snyderman will be back next week. nice job. well done. up next, a tasty pulled pork recipe with a twist from the pioneer woman after this. in america... nertime ...where more pet parents trust petsmart for natural and expert- recommended foods than any place else. and now, we've added more than 100 new varieties to our already wide selection of favorite brands. like nature's recipe®, helping your pet get more out of life by carefully selecting every ingredient including high quality protein. do what's best for your pet. at petsmart. happiness in store.™

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back now at 8:20. this morning on today's kitchen. what's on the menu? a recipe for pulled pork spicy enough to clear your sinuses and there are only five ingredients including a can of soda. ree drummond joins us, author of "the pioneer woman cooks, food from my frontier." >> good morning, ann. >> why put soda on pulled pork? >> it's my husband's favorite so i added it and it's a wonderful addition. now this is a pork butt. it has salt and pepper and i have a can of chipotle peppers. my pantry is full of them. >> this will make it spicy. >> very. pour them over the top. >> boom.

>> this is the fun part. you get to open a couple cans of pop. you can use any cola, root beer. >> ginger ale would bnt as good. >> it wouldn't have the same punch. >> orange flavors. >> yellows wouldn't work. >> brown sugar. >> the sweet and spicy work well together. >> i get it. >> i pour it on the sides like this and that's it. i like to leave peppers on top. the secret is you put it in the oven for six hours. >> wow. here's something to wipe your hands on. >> thank you. >> it comes out like this, all pulled. >> yes. >> this is the pulled pork. >> you pull off the cap of fat. shred it. turn on a movie or show you like and shred it up. >> and this one pot thing that cooked for six hours will be spread out over several meals to save you time. >> exactly. in my family, i have four kids, so it will last probably one and a half meals. but if there are two or three of

you, this pork will fill the cutting board. >> which is why they will love it. what do you have here? >> i have buttered egg noodles. i strained the fat from the cooking liquid and it's a beautiful, glorious peppery concoction. i have the shredded made over the noodles and i spoon the sauce. it's a sweet, spicy, wonderful creation. >> parsley on top and your do'r done. >> comfort food. >> with the left over pork in the fridge, i made pulled pork tacos. tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, onion. >> you can have the kids make it at the dinner table. >> warm corn tortillas and go to town. these are mine. i'll make you some. >> okay, fine. i want to talk about pizza. >> a quick store bought flat pizza crust. pulled pork, cheese, peppers. any topgs you want to put. the pork has a wonderful sweet

savory, spicy combination. >> that's the thing about this. i think this would be great for famil families. are the chipotles too much? >> most of the spice is in the liquid. if you want the spice, put it on top. the meat alone is just flavorful and wonderful. it will rock your world. >> i can see you can do a lot with this. >> i will build one because i heard al's around here. he might want his own pizza. >> you've got his number. looks like you rolled this out yourself. did you buy it or make it yourself? >> this is store bought flat bread. it's a flat bread pizza. you can use naan or store bought pizza crust. we grilled it to give it flavor. then put the meat on top. lots of cheese. >> lots of cheese. what kind would you put on the pizza? >> mozzarella. >> hi, al. >> hello. >> she's making you a pizza. >> you can put all this stuff out and the kids can make their

own. >> i made that point also. >> you can have a build your own pizza bar. >> you're just in time. ree drummond, thank you so much. >> thank you, guys. >> will farrell is coming up 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 check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> still winning improvements on the north side. we had delays all morning from 95 on the outer loop towards the harrisburg expressway. starting to thin out from an earlier accident. we're getting word from reisterstown road and owings mills boulevard. 19 miles per hour from the outer loop to edmondson, and eastbound delays on i-70 from marriottsville towards 29.

things start to open up on the outer loop, but you will have to sit through those delays from 95 to 83. per hourn to 25 miles from southbound 95 out of the white marsh area. north avenue and j.f.x., watch for an accident. here is a live view of traffic here is what it looks like on the outer loop at our ford. that is the pace of things towards the 83's. southbound 95 is backing down heavily still approaching white marsh towards the 895 split. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> so far so good. we had rain last night. just a little cloud cover left behind. we will get sunshine through the next few hours. 60 at the airport. 57 in westminster. mixture of clouds and sunshine.

30% chance for a thunderstorm. beautiful weather on wednesday and thursday. >> that you for joining us. another update at 8:55.

we're back now. 8:30 on a tuesday morning. it's the 13th day of march, 2012. i think it's official now. the rolling spring break is under way. we have a huge crowd on the plaza. look who they are getting to say hi to. will farrell is here talking about his brand new movie in a couple of minutes. this one is a little different for will because it's all in

spanish. >> en espanol. and the name is -- >> "casa de mi padre." my father's house. >> out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer along with al roker, ann curry and natalie morales. >> what else is coming up is a class called design 101 with nate berkus, the design guru. he'll tell us some of the biggest trends. don't throw it, nate. someone has to clean up your messes. >> i won't. >> we'll look at some of the ideas that may make our house or apartment look nicer. >> and our good friend jane pauley has the story of a guy who got rid of his 9:00 to 5:00 job and found his true love, pizza. >> also, what will be the next big brand in fashion? nbc's new reality competition "fashion star" premieres tonight. >> we are joined by the host and executive producer, nicole richie, elle mcpherson.

elle, we have home makers, fashion students who haven't quite made it yet. take me through how the show works? >> we have three great retailers, macy's, sax 5th avenue and h & m. the contestants are home makers, making clothes but not in department stores. they want to get in front of macy's, for example. so they present their garments on a fashion show. t-shirts, jeans, leather jackets with the help of the mentors and they are bought or not by macy's saks and h & m. >> they must be like sponges. really open based on the fact that you have been successful in your career. >> you do have to be -- there is a difference from being an

artist to being a brand. we want to transition them to be a brand. you don't just want to design a $10,000 gown and never hear from them again. this is about clothes america wants to wear. >> and you can buy tonight. >> it's about helping them understand it's not about being a one trick pony. they are learning to build a brand, an image and create an aura around who you are. >> people at home say how can you buy the fashions tonight? the episodes were taped a while ago to give the stores a chance. we want to remind you to catch "fashion star" tonight at 8: 9:30/8:30 central time on nbc. mr. roker? >> let's show you what's happening in your weather today. showers and thunderstorms making their way through the gulf coast. we have wet weather making its

way into the pacific northwest with snow, sunshine, record highs in the plains. tomorrow, record highs continue into the great lakes. chicago will be in the 70s. record warmth down to the gulf coast. sunshine and mild in the midatlantic states. rainy in central california into the pacific northwest. >> good morning. it will be a warm day today with a mixture of sunshine and clouds. maybe and that's your latest weather. we want to say hello to jeremy rosado, the first contestant eliminated from "american

idol's" top 13. i'm sorry to hear that. you were sent home because of a new rule that you're not sent home by america but by the judges? what's up with that? >> i guess they tested it out for the first time last week. >> on you. >> i was the guinea pig. bottom girl, bottom guy and they decided who to send home. >> what do you think led to the eliminati elimination? >> i'm not sure. i thought the last performance was good, but i'm grateful no matter what. >> jennifer lopez fell in love with you, calling you jer-bear. >> i love her, too. >> are you trying to stay in touch? >> i would love to. that would be awesome. >> jeremy, all the best. >> thank you so much. >> it's a great one for you. ann? >> by the way, we have will farrell in the house. that's coming up right after this. #

girl: i want to tell you # about my friend. his name is ben. ben learned about a homeless boy who had an infected tooth, and the boy died. that made ben really sad. he wrote a law so every kid can see a dentist. we have special dental van that goes from school to school. he even helps make sure we learn how to brush our teeth. he's my friend, ben. i hope he's your friend, too. i'm ben cardin, and i approved this message.

will farrell is trying something new in his latest movie, "casa de mi padre." he plays armando alvarez who hasn't been lucky with the ladies. maybe because he's looking for the ideal woman. >> will farrell, good morning. >> powerful stuff. right? >> i've got to know how this happened. by the way, this movie is 100%

in spanish. [ speaking spanish ] >> how long did it take you to memorize that? >> you know, i started working with a translator a month prior to filming. then it was just literally every day and every night and started dreaming in spanish. it was just this intense immersion. >> take me back. where did you come up with the idea as a nonspanish speaking actor that you should star in a spanish language movie? >> i just had this crazy idea for the longest time. i think from watching telenovellas which we all love. >> were you ever on one? >> i was. watching the show, seeing how arched they were, i thought, that would be something you have never seen before. >> what's interesting, while there are spoof elements in this, you play it straight basically the whole time. >> yeah. it's plays seriously.

every scene is an award-winning performance, quote/unquote. >> are you now fluent in spanish? if you were to say, mr. lauer, that's a lovely head of hair you have. i wish i could have hair like that. how would you say it? [ speaking spanish ] >> is that close? >> your head is handsome. >> i thought it was your head looks like a melon or something. is this the string in many spanish language movies you will star in? >> hopefully. i want to get a piece of the eurovision song contest. >> you sing in the movie. >> i sing in spanish, of course. what it is, it's kind of telenovella meet as bad mexican spaghetti western. >> meets "starface". >> quentin tarantino and we have

fun with continuity mistakes. >> there is a sex scene. >> there is. >> you're involved in it. on a scale of sexiness, 10 being drop dead sexy and 1 being you will never do another sex scene, where does this rate? >> this is 0. this is the most unsexy sex scene ever committed to film. but yet the silliest, i think. , i have ever seen. >> you were known as someone who likes to improv in movies. >> mm-hmm. >> is it possible when you have had to memorize the script? >> it is next to impossible. you know, i had to find my cues just through kind of nonverbal, physical bits and that sort of thing. it was all i could do just to get the lines down, get the pronunciation correctly. i didn't want this to be the joke of me speaking spanish poorly. so i took it very seriously. >> there are spoof elements. there is one scene, parts where you are riding horses and it's

clearly a mechanical horse. >> with people pushing trees in the background. >> so it's hard to know how seriously to take it. >> yeah. you know, it's one of the comedies that breaks all the rules. also, you know, for diego luna and gae garcia bernal, it's their first time in a comedy. it's a groundbreaking film. >> gives us an idea of what goes on. >> i'm a genius, matt. >> "casa de mi padre" opens wide on friday. up next, inspiration if you want to do some sprucing up around the house. nate berkus shares the hot test

back now at 8:44. this morning on "at home with nate berkus," design 101.

what are the hottest decorating trends for spring you may want to think about adding to your home? nate berkus is host of "the nate berkus show" good morning. >> good morning, ann. >> these are four trends you want us to know about why? >> the important thing to realize is your home should tell the story of who you are. these are four newish ways to make your home feel updated and current without spending a ton of money. >> maybe make us happier. number one, the big trend is metallics. you can overdo it, i would think. >> yes, you can. just like you can dress in too many metallics, the same thing goes for the home. first, add metallic pillows especially in a dark corner, a chair you use a lot, something you want to update, make the area sing a little bit. these are from west elm. we have a metallic lamp done in brushed brass. so it's not overdone. subtle. a stool from west elm which can

be grouped in multiples or just on its own. wallpaper, did you know they sell wallpaper at anthropologie? >> i didn't. >> this is exciting to me. i do how to use wallpaper in the back of book shelves or diy the doors of a cabinet. you can buy a roll for about $80 and it looks great. back of the bookshelf or in the dining room behind the display of dishes. it's a nice update. >> this is adding bling to your home. >> the bling. >> it shines like bling. >> blingy. >> you have a mens wear trend as well happening now. >> yes. i don't think there is anything more classic than menswear in general. >> really? >> i really don't. are we fighting this morning? >> no. what about women's wear? >> women's wear is designed to be special. me menswear is supposed to feel the same, unlike my belt. >> you pointed it out.

>> i like it. this is from graham & brown. anything you see in a men's suiting department is a nice update. don't go over board with these ideas. they are just to get you inspired to do things in your home. we have herringbone dishes from ralph lauren. mix them in with what you have already. it's nice to use this as just a dinner plate and switch it up. don't buy the whole set, is my advice. then felt. felt looks like classic gray flannel or a tie. my friend tom brown does the suits and looks fantastic. >> are you name dropping? >> it's so classic i think of him. >> tom, i hope you feel good about having your name mentioned. >> by the way, i would put this bling and this couch together. >> ann! you're stealing my job. >> i like it. >> this is terrifying. >> i thought you would say that's a mistake. >> no. i like it. >> graphics are another trend.

a lot of our clothes are graphic as well as decor. >> exactly. the reason why people reach for graphics is because it's a lot of bang for not a lot of buck. when you switch out a rug like this, do something bold. a striped pillow, beautiful drapes. even plates from crate & barrel or trays. it adds an instant update. huge impact and you haven't overinvested. >> lastly, taking a cue from fashion is the trend towards color. blue is a good choice because it's safe. >> absolutely. >> there are a lot of different ways to go. >> my favorite is this console which is a diy project. we picked a paint color, painted it blue which we are seeing all over the runways and everywhere. you can do anything. the table lamp from crate & barrel. we have a pillow done almost like a 1930s pattern and this puff from cb2 which is cool. it's almost menswear because it's knit. but it's blue so i put it in this category. >> nate berkus, thank you.

>> my pleasure. nice to see you. >> coming up next, we've got jane pauley in the house talking about a man who found his own way to take a slice out of the american dream later in life. first, this is "today" on nbc.

back now. 8:50 with your life calling today. today contributor jane pauley has been working with aarp which

produced a series of special reports for us. welcome back. good to see you. >> thank you, matt. like a lot of people just starting out paul giononi figured you pick a career, work, save, retire and then do something you like. at 56, he found something he loved. here come your customers. they're early. >> here they come. >> reporter: brooklyn's hottest new pizzaolo is pauley g. >> people said to open a restaurant. i just kept telling them, you don't know what you're talking about. >> reporter: paul was in information technology. as he said, masquerading as a computer geek. >> it wasn't what i have a passion for. i love to entertain and i love to cook. >> reporter: when he was offered a buyout at 48 he happily traded his salary for a small pension and working for himself.

it was a struggle to find work. >> i had a freight train coming at me. i didn't have a nest egg to fall back on. i knew in my mind there must be something. i wanted to do something if with my life i would really enjoy. >> reporter: at a pizzeria on cone island he found it. it changed your life. >> it did. i was told the difference is it's made with coal and the pizza gets hotter. it was a pizza epiphany. >> reporter: he and his sons embarked on pizza tours. >> we'd go to four, five places in a day. >> i started seeing that it's not that complicated. it would be nice to have an oven. once i bought the bricks that was it. we were doing it. >> reporter: he built a wood-fired pizza oven in his yard. >> i decided to open up a pizzeria. i started telling other people. commitment is a powerful thing.

>> reporter: then he made his first pizza. how was it? >> it was ridiculous looking. looked like an amoeba. but it tasted good. >> reporter: he made hundreds of pizzas. >> i'm changing the dough recipe every time, trying different toppings and getting an idea what works. >> reporter: it was entirely do it yourself. >> i didn't go to pizza school and pay thousands of dollars to get pizza lessons. i didn't fly to italy. i didn't hire a publicist. i used social media to get the word out. >> reporter: he invited the top bloggers to pizza parties at his house. >> i would feed them for free. they weren't going to write bad things about me, that was for sure. >> reporter: the purpose was publicity or to test whether the pizza is good enough? >> yes. >> reporter: two years ago pauley g. opened the doors. why is it a good idea to open a restaurant during a recession? >> particularly pizza.

for $15 or so you can go get maybe the best meal in new york. >> reporter: the reviews are in. and so are the crowds. >> i knew people -- >> good! >> the crust, the dough. crisp and tasty. >> reporter: i can't figure out how an extrovert got into accounting and technology. >> i'll do my best to check back once you have pizza. i wish someone had told me to find your passion and do it because you're going to be good at it. >> that looks good. >> reporter: you work six days a week. >> seven? no. i work no days a week. okay? i haven't worked in over two years. when i come in here, i'm not working. >> okay, paul really does work seven days a week. he found investors, but he also mortgaged his house.

i hope you can join me this morning at 10:00 eastern time for my live internet radio call-in show at aarp.org/jane. >> yes, he does work, but that mindset is the power. being able to say, no, this isn't work. i love to do it. i enjoy it, so i don't work. there he is in the crowd right there. i hope he brought some pizza. all right. just ahead, jill martin's steals and deals. exclusive discounts on beauty products to luggage after your local news.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. anne arundel county police are investigating a fatal accident involving a pedestrian. it woman was struck and killed the 5500 block of monti creek road just before 9:00 monday

night. police also received a report of a fire in the woods nearby. girl: i want to tell you about my friend. his name is ben. ben learned about a homeless boy who had an infected tooth, and the boy died. that made ben really sad.

he wrote a law so every kid can see a dentist. we have special dental van that goes from school to school. he even helps make sure we learn how to brush our teeth. he's my friend, ben. i hope he's your friend, too. i'm ben cardin, and i approved this message. >> another unseasonably warm day. temperatures will soar into the 70's. 30% chance of a thunderstorm this afternoon. beautiful weather on wednesday and thursday. >> we will