good morning. first, images. new video surfaces of george zimmerman in police custody four hours after he killed trayvon martin. does it contradict claims that he was left beaten and bloody after a violent altercation with the florida teen? this morning mr. zimmerman's attorney speaks out inn exclusive live interview. late for work? new details on what that jetblue pilot who snapped midflight did before and during his meltdown. missing a preflight meeting, yelling at air traffic controllers and talking about needing to focus. we'll have a live report. and anger management. charlie sheen getting set to star in a new sitcom. as he puts his anger and erratic

behavior behind him. he'll talk about it as he joins us live today, thursday, march 29th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a thursday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> good morning, i'm savannah guthrie. ann is on assignment. this morning folks are looking very closely at that video of george zimmerman and what it may tell us about his claim of self-defense. >> that's right. zimmerman told investigators he was repeatedly punched, his head slammed into the sidewalk, and the official police report does say that he was given first aid. but does new surveillance video from the sanford police department back up or contradict his claims? we're going to hear from both sides coming up straight ahead. also ahead, some chilling new details in the murder of a

vermont mother and teacher. a married couple is now behind bars, charged in connection with that killing. coming up, what they allegedly did to lure the victim out of her home. plus, michelle dugger, the mother of 19 kids, she's back in the news. we're going to tell you what she said in a new interview. it is causing quite a stir. savannah, have you bought your mega millions ticket yet? >> i haven't. can i be back in 20 minutes? >> can i tell you something? the jackpot is now worth $500 million. >> a million dollars. >> $500 million. people are already scooping up tickets at a deli here in new york city. we'll have more on the frenzy coming up. we begin with new video of george zimmerman in the trayvon martin case. nbc's ron allen is in sanford, florida, with the details. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning to you, matt. the video shows zimmerman in the hours after he shot and killed trayvon martin.

martin's family says this is a crucial new piece of evidence because zimmerman's side claims he was in a life-and-death struggle. martin's family says they see no evidence of that on the vid videota videotape. the video obtained by abc news shows officers bringing zimmerman in for questioning shortly after the neighborhood watch volunteer admitted he shot and killed trayvon martin. zimmerman's attorney has said zimmerman's nose was broken, his head smashed against the sidewalk by the unarmed teenager. the martin family attorney says the video does not show any evidence of blood or injuries to zimmerman. >> all the other evidence clearly contradicts everything george zimmerman has said. america has now listened to those 911 tapes with their ears, and now they see this video tonight with their eyes. and it is clear that what was in that police report was a fabrication. >> reporter: the official police report says at the scene, zimmerman's back appeared to be wet and was covered in grass, as

if he had been lying on his back on the ground. it says zimmerman was also bleeding from the nose and the back of his head. and he was given first aid in the back seat of a police car. in an interview on local fox television wednesday night, zimmerman's father said the teen verbally threatened his son, blasted in self-defense. >> trayvon martin said something to the effect of, you're going to die now, or you're going to die tonight. >> reporter: the police video was released amid published reports that early on police did request a warrant to arrest zimmerman from the state attorney. the report described the incident at homicide-negligent manslaughter unnecessary killing to prevent unlawful act. police have said the prosecutor wanted more evidence before zimmerman could be arrested because of florida's stand your ground law. in a radio interview, the new prosecutor, angela corey, recently appointed by the governor, said she has a lot of experience with that law. >> we fight these stand your

ground motions really often. we have won some really tough trials where those defenses were asserted. >> reporter: corey has also said she may make the decision herself about whether to press charges against zimmerman rather than giving the evidence to a grand jury. martin's family which has released new pictures of the teen at a birthday party for his mother nine days before he died has expressed concern about a decision being made behind closed doors. >> proper procedures have never, ever bode well for people from trayvon's community. >> reporter: meanwhile, the case continues to reverberate. >> just because someone wears a hoodie -- >> reporter: on capitol hill, illinois democrat bobby rush was reprimanded wednesday for wearing a hoodie on the house floor in support of trayvon martin. police here have not commented on that new tape, but as recently as yesterday, they released another statement maintaining that zimmerman acted in self-defense and that there are witnesses and evidence to back up that claim. matt? >> all right, ron allen in

sanford, florida, this morning. ron, thanks very much. george zimmerman's attorney, craig sonner, is with us exclusively. it's nice to see you. thanks for joining us. >> good morning. >> let's talk about this video that we're now seeing for the first time. it was taken four hours after the killing of trayvon martin, so that would be four hours after what your client claims was a violent altercation with trayvon martin where he says he was punched in his head, repeatedly slammed into the ground. when you look at this videotape, do you think is backs up your client's claims, or might it contradict them? >> i don't think it does either one. it's a very grainy video. i do, however, if you watch, you'll see one of the officers as he's walking in looking at something on the back of his head. the video is very grainy, and i'm not sure that it has, as far as being able to see the injuries that were recently sustained and then later cleaned up from, you know, clearly if the report shows he was cleaned up, he was taken in the squad car. >> it has been reported he received first aid.

so are you saying -- do you know if these were the clothes he was wearing at the time of the altercation and the shooting of trayvon martin? >> i don't know. >> i mean, because a lot of people are asking the question, would there be blood on the clothes that would be visible? you have said that your client's nose was broken and that he had a gash on the back of his head. do you have any photo evidence? did anyone take a picture of mr. zimmerman after the altercation and shooting that would back up that report? >> again, until there are charges filed on this case, and i have a right to receive discovery, all evidence that the police have, they don't have to give to me yet, and they're not giving to me. so until such a time as charges are filed, i won't have that information, and i can't force law enforcement to give it to me. so these things are being leaked to you are being leaked to me at the same time. actually, they may be getting to the news media before they get to me. >> let me ask you, mr. zimmerman has, i believe, said and i think

you have said that he was treated at a hospital for a broken nose. wouldn't he have an x-ray or something that he could gain access to that would show, in fact, his nose was broken, and might detail some of the injuries he sustained or allegedly sustained that evening? >> yeah, again, i'm not -- even with all the evidence that's coming out, i'm not going to litigate this case in the media. but there will be more evidence that comes out. there are being bits and pieces are being disclosed each day, it seems. >> let me ask you about this report that the lead homicide detective in this case, mr. serino, did not buy your client's version of the events. according to a report in "the miami herald," he pushed for a manslaughter charge, and the mother of a 13-year-old boy who called 911 said that detective serino interviewed her son and then told her that he didn't believe your client had acted in self-defense. he said that mr. zimmerman was, quote, stereotyping trayvon martin. would you respond to that?

>> i haven't heard that report, and i have not spoken to that investigator, so i have no comment on that at this time. >> mr. zimmerman's father spoke out for the first time on wednesday night. he said in an interview that trayvon martin, on the night of the altercation, told his son, you're going to die tonight. and this might be paraphrasing. you're going to die tonight. you're going to die now. that comes a month after the shooting. do you have any idea why mr. zimmerman, the father, would not have spoken out if he had that information earlier? >> it's been my -- i've tried to keep this case from being litigated in the media. i've asked people, you know, to hold until such a time as this case goes to grand jury or goes to trial, one of the two things. i was not consulted on whether or not this information or his statement was going to be given, and it's come out as it did. i suppose he stayed quiet as long as he could and going to have to tell his side of the story. >> all right, george zimmerman's

attorney, craig sonner. mr. sonner, i thank you for your time this morning. i appreciate it. >> thank you. it's nine minutes after the hour. here's savannah. >> matt, thanks. we're learning more about what happened on that jetblue flight where the captain appeared to suffer a serious breakdown midflight. he's being held in a medical facility in amarillo in fbi custody. nbc's tom costello has the latest for us this morning. tom, good morning to you. >> reporter: hi, savannah, good morning. clayton osbon is universally described as hardworking, professional, clean-cut which makes this whole thing so baffling to people who know him. he showed up for work an hour late. he missed the light briefing, and then he apparently started acting very strangely in flight. >> oh, my god! oh, my god! we've got israel, we've got iraq! >> reporter: if he weren't the captain of a passenger plane carrying 135 people, clayton osbon's apparent breakdown midflight on tuesday would be a

very private matter, but at 35,000 feet, the stakes are very high. a federal criminal complaint now alleges captain osbon started behaving strangely as jetblue flight 191 climbed out of new york bound for las vegas. the complaint states osbon said something to the first officer about being evaluated by someone. then talked about his church and needing to focus. he asked the first officer to take the controls as he made incoherent comments about religion. then said, "things just don't matter." on the radio, he yelled at air traffic controllers to be quiet and admonished the first officer for talking on the radio. then according to the complaint, captain osbon said, "we need to take a leap of faith," talked about sins in las vegas and said, "we're not going to vegas." he abruptly got up, left the cockpit, and banged on the restroom door to be let in. with osbon in the restroom, flight attendants asked an off-duty captain to enter the cockpit and lock the cockpit

door. >> now! >> reporter: when captain osbon realized he was locked out, he charged the door. >> he was screaming things out like, "let me in! let me in! we've got to get this plane down! you'd better start saying the lord's prayer! we've got to get out we've got on get out!" >> reporter: finally with half dozen men holding him down, the plane landed safely in amarillo. captain osbon taken into custody. while he lived with his wife in georgia, he had a pilot's crash pad in new york where his landlady was stunned. >> what could have happened? i don't know. i don't know. >> reporter: the faa closely monitors a pilot's health requiring a fuel medical exam every six months for pilots over the age of 40. a variety of mental health conditions will usually disqualify a pilot for flying. among them, certain anxieties, bipolar or personality disorder and psychosis. the faa announced it will allow pilots to fly while on certain non-sedating mental health medications.

>> these are very serious conditions. and as a result, they will impair a pilot's judgment. they would impair anyone's judgment, for that matter. >> reporter: but right now there may be no way of knowing what happened to captain osbon. >> a captain on an airliner is one of many jobs that you do not want to have somebody incapacitated. >> reporter: captain osbon has been flying for 25 years, 12 of them, the most recent 12, of course, at jetblue. on his linkedin and facebook pages, he says he attended and graduated from carnegie mellon university. carnegie mellon says he attended but did not graduate. savannah? >> tom costello in washington for us, thank you. now let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories from natalie morales at the news desk. good morning. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with the fate of president obama's health care overhaul now in hands of a divided supreme court. nbc's justice correspondent pete williams has more. good morning, pete. >> reporter: good morning. the future of that health care law is in doubt this morning.

judging by their comments, a bare majority of the justices seem to think that most of it should be struck down including its central requirement that all americans get health insurance. >> protect our kids! >> reporter: outside demonstrators maintained a show of support for the law while inside the justices debated what to do if the court strikes down the law's core, the insurance mandate. >> my approach would say, if you take the heart out of this statute, the statute's gone. >> the more conservative approach would be salvage rather than throwing out everything. >> reporter: if the court does strike down the insurance requirement, the justices seemed unanimous that two closely related provisions should also be tossed out. one bans insurance companies from refusing to cover people with preexisting conditions. the other limits when companies can charge higher rates. but what next? a lawyer for 26 states challenging the law says they realize congress will have the last word regardless of how much the court throws out.

>> i don't think anybody thinks that if all or some part of this statute is struck down, that congress is just going to call it a day. >> reporter: but a white house spokesman insists the administration has no plan drawn up for rescuing the law. >> i can tell you that there's no contingency plan that's in place. we're focused on implementing the law. >> reporter: so the future of the law appears to be in doubt, but the court's ruling won't be written for weeks yet. and the alignment of justices could shift before it finally comes out in late june. natalie? >> pete williams outside the veem court for us this morning, thank you, pete. an ambush on a nato supply convoy in western afghanistan has killed at least five security guards and more than a dozen insurgents this morning. meantime, there's a new revelation in the case of that u.s. soldier charged with a premeditated murders of 17 afghan civilians. the lawyer for army staff sergeant robert bales is that his client suffered from tremendous depression and ang does it during his second tour in iraq.

the colorado state forest service is apologizing for setting the burn that triggered that fatal wildfire near denver blamed for two deaths. the state's governor says the practice will be suspended. dramatic cell phone video shows a family fleeing the wildfire after they were ordered to evacuate their home. they say within 15 minutes of the order, the roads were then engulfed in flames. the family fortunately made it out unharmed. now let's head to wall street. cnbc's mary thompson's at the new york stock exchange. good morning, mary. >> good morning to you. concerns about europe front and center again this morning. this because of a decline in the economic confidence. the decline coming despite good news from the area's largest economy, germany, where unemployment fell for the fifth straight month. here at home, former executives at the failed brokerage mf global testifying before congress yesterday and frustrating lawmakers. that's because they provided few clues as to the whereabouts of $1.6 billion in missing client

funds. natalie, back to you. >> mary thompson at the new york stock exchange, thanks. when pictures surfaced online of a man getting pulled over in a full batman costume driving a black lamborghini styled as the batmobile, it naturally went viral and sparked curiosity about the mysterious masked man. turns out he's no bruce wayne but is a real-life hero. "the washington post" caught up with lenny robinson who is a wealthy self-made businessman. apparently he zips around from hospital to hospital in maryland visiting sick children with batman-themed gifts. very sweet. his son, savannah, even gets in on the act as the sidekick, robin, every now and again. >> that's so cute. i wonder what the charge is. driving while being a superhero? >> he had a batman seal on his license plate. >> okay. thank you, natalie. >> they'll give him a break. who's wondering where in the world matt lauer is? he's actually left the building. matt, where are you right now? >> i'm at scott's gourmet just across from the studio.

i'm about to get a little lottery fever. it's incredible. $500 million jackpot tomorrow. i'm here with kumar and manny. kumar, there's my 5 spot. i want five tickets, okay? and as i buy these, kevin tibbles is out in deerfield, illinois. he's about to buy a ticket as well. kevin, are we striking a deal here? >> reporter: i'm at the deerfield citgo in beautiful downtown deerfield, illinois. steven, hit me. and you know, matt, i've got to tell you, i would be more than happy to split these winnings with you, but you're going to have to find me first. >> 24. 19, 44 -- >> reporter: talk about a snowball. that mega millions jackpot just keeps growing. friday's draw, now the biggest ever. $500 million. and that's got a lot of folks screaming. >> buy some race cars, maybe. >> travel. >> maybe a lifetime supply of oreos. >> reporter: that's a lot of

cookie dough. get it? >> your mega number is 20. >> reporter: and if you find yourself a half billion richer, here's what the lotto folks suggest you do. >> if you know that you have won, then i would get together with a trusted attorney, a trusted financial adviser. >> reporter: dr. david zeke helped me prepare for my big win friday night. >> when you find out you win, quite frequently the blood pressure drops. >> reporter: and i faint. >> and you faint. right. >> reporter: and while spending it is fun, many will also enjoy giving some away. >> donate some to charity, you know. i don't need all that money. >> reporter: but with odds of 176 million to 1, dr. zeke also has this diagnosis for all of us future losers out there. >> how do you describe the ailment i will have if i find out i have to go back to work on monday? >> that's much more serious. >> reporter: thank you, steven.

now, where in the world is matt lauer? how about where in the world is tibbs if these numbers come up. and savannah, i don't know why you're not getting in on the act here. i mean, if lauer wants half my money, i'll give you a little bit of it. >> i promise i'll share a couple bucks with you. lunch on me. bye. all right. >> reporter: bye-bye. and now let's get our first check of the weather. maria larosa is here for al. can you give us the forecast for bahamas where i'll be when i win? >> including the west where if you want the sign of a big spring storm, look at the watch and warning map. flood warnings, winter storm warnings, also high wind warnings from the cascades into northern california, the coastal range as well. lots of rain moving in. to eureka, could be five to eight inches of rainfall. maybe one to two feet in the cascades. in the central part of the >> good morning.

we will see a mixture of sunshine and a few clouds. the wind will be the big story. savannah, back over to you. >> thank you. still to come, charlie sheen live in our studio. we're going to talk to him about how his life has changed in the past year and his new sitcom. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

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coming up, michelle dugger causing quite a stir. >> and a hollywood mom sharing a little tmi when it comes to their parenting methods after your local news.

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you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. ask your rheumatologist how you can defend against... ...and help stop further joint damage with humira. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. jury selection in the retrial of two brothers accused of setting nearly a year after it was originally slated to begin. because of the publicity from the first trial, and unusually large pool of jurors was called in.

let's get a check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> tracking problems of there for your morning commute. top side of the beltway at perring parkway, we have an accident with today's behind it. watch for closures on biddle street due to fire activity. reece road, be extra careful in there. fire activity on the eastbound side at 32. quick live bank look at traffic. coming towards us is outer loop traffic, heavy from where it begins all the way down to edmondson. 95 also running slow out of white marsh. >> so far so good. a little rain around yesterday afternoon. the fund is south of us and we will wind up with a dry day.

winds are gusting up to 25, 26 miles per hour. much colder in the northern suburbs. temperatures are in the upper 40's. 48 in taneytown, 60 in annapolis. forecast for today, mostly sunny skies. high temperatures range between 60 and 65. it will state dry during the day. could be some rain coming in friday night and saturday morning. @ @

all right. are you loving life, dude? >> i mean, what's not to love? it's my life. winning! >> that was charlie sheen about a year ago, displaying the winning ways that actually ended up costing him the highest paid acting job on tv. now charlie is getting back to work on a brand-new sitcom. coming up, we're going to catch up with him when he joins us for an exclusive live interview in our studio. meanwhile, inside studio 1a, 7:30 now on a thursday morning. it's the 29th day of march, 2012. i'm matt lauer alongside savannah guthrie who's in while ann is on assignment today. and we have a lot to talk to charlie about, so we're looking forward to that. >> we do. i'd better get my lottery tickets before we go any further. >> you don't get them until i

get a buck. >> i told you i would write you a check. >> i take debit cards. also, we'll show you the video of alicia silverstone's unusual way of feeding her young son. she's not the only celebrity mom making interesting parenting choices. the question is would you try them? we'll get into that coming up. of course, millions of americans struggle with obsessions, but how would you handle it if your own mother was consumed with losing weight? plastic surgery or shopping? we're going to talk to some of the moms and their teenage daughters who are featured in a new show called "my mom is obsessed." let's begin this half hour with chilling new details in the murder of a vermont mother and a beloved teacher. a couple has now been charged in that case. nbc's ron allen has the latest. ron, good morning to you. >> reporter: hey, matt, good morning to you. this couple's being held here without bail for what police describe as the severe beating and strangulation of this beloved teacher in front of her own 2-year-old son. on the last day of her life, melissa jenkins did what friends

say was in her nature. she tried to help someone. >> she always had a smile. always had a positive thing to say. she always helped everyone out, everyone. >> reporter: but this time she paid the ultimate price. police charged 30-year-old allen prue and 33-year-old patricia prue with second-degree murder in the strangulation of the popular teacher and single mother. both have pleaded not guilty. >> allen and patricia prue are married. they knew miss jenkins and had snowplowed her driveway a couple of years ago. >> reporter: cops surrounded the prues' mobile home wednesday. according to the affidavit, patricia called jenkins sunday night, saying the couple's car had broken down near her house, asking for help. the 33-year-old jenkins cautiously agreed, court documents show, first calling an ex-boyfriend to let him know what she was doing, telling him she felt a bit uncomfortable around allen p. when she got out, police say

prue attacked her, choking her and beating her before putting her in the car and driving off. patricia prue continued to choke her. jenkins' 2-year-old son, ty, was discovered safe and all alone in his mother's still idling suv, describing the assault for police by pulling on the back of his neck and saying, "mommy cried." >> no. >> reporter: when interviewed by investigators, allen said he got the idea to "get a girl" while driving around. after killing jenkins, police say he poured bleach on her body, then put her in the water. she was found naked and face down, her feet bound, condoms and wrappers nearby. >> we know that both suspects are alleged to have participated in the strangulation murder of the victim. what we don't know at this point is the wife's role, did she do this because she gained something from it emotionally, or was she simply doing it because her husband told her to do it? >> reporter: according to the

affidavit, prue once asked melissa to go out with him and that he shod up drunk at her house last fall looking for work. his family finds the charges hard to accept. >> i know he didn't do this. i have no way of proving that he didn't do it, but he's a very good boy. he's never been in trouble before. >> reporter: police say additional charges could be filed in this case. meantime, we understand the 2-year-old boy, ty, is being cared for by his mother's family this morning. tomorrow afternoon there's a public memorial service scheduled for melissa jenkins. they're asking everyone who attends to wear pink. matt? >> ron mott in vermont. it's 34 after the hour. here's savannah. her daughter's independence is being set back by her own school. officials say the girl may no longer use her walk he and must instead rely on a wheelchair. our janet shamlian has this story for us. good morning to you. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. this is a story that's touched many people, especially those

who know firsthand the challenges that disabled children can face. a mother sees her young daughter striving for independence and says the school is trying to thwart it. now a testy exchange between the school administrator and that mother is posted on the internet. it's getting a lot of attention but so far no resolution. >> do you see that? we have to make a step. >> reporter: for kristi roberts, this is a miracle. she's off. five years ago, when the houston-area mom adopted her daughter born wither er icereb palsy and epilepsy, doctors made this diagnosis -- >> she may never walk, she may never talk or show emotion. >> reporter: significant progress. her language is developing. and for two years she's been using a walker instead of a wheelchair. >> you're getting heavy. >> reporter: but three weeks ago as kristi was delivering her daughter to class, she says school officials told her she could no longer use the walker at school because the little

girl had recently fallen in the parking lot. the news was devastating to kristi who believes that if she can't use her walker here at school and is limited to just her wheelchair, it's like a step back in her daughter's quest for independence. >> if she can walk now, please let her walk. don't strap her in a wheelchair. yea! >> reporter: kristi says she then met with school officials, and with their knowledge, tape-recorded the conversation. >> why isn't it safe? >> i just told you. we don't feel like it's safe any longer. we're not going to do what the mother wants us to do. be sure to get this on tape. >> go ahead. >> you are not concerned about lakay. >> reporter: posted on youtube, thousands have listened and responded sympathetically. >> i am a parent, and you are an employee that's supposed to be an advocate for this child. and from day one, you have not. >> leave it up for a court to decide, then. >> oh, you really want to go there? >> yes, ma'am. >> reporter: for its part, the school district says it has

lakay's best interests at heart. but they have not yet received her doctor's okay on whether the little girl can use the walker without the leg braces she used to wear. >> you tired? >> the decision that was arrived at was that there would be more information forthcoming from her private physician to make sure that she was being served safely and appropriately before the use of the walker would continue. >> reporter: kristi says she wants what every other parent wants, a chance for her child to thrive. >> she deserves the best life she can live. and nobody can define that but her. love you. >> reporter: school officials say they are addressing the manner in which that administrator spoke to the mom. they hope to have a resolution soon but they add they feel they have been hampered by the mother in getting information from the girl's doctor. back to you. >> thank you. now let's get a check of the weather. maria larosa is in for al this

morning. good morning. >> maybe settle some bets. if you get on tv, who gets to pay you? >> my uncle joe. >> what do you think you're going to do? >> give it to my mom to buy a ticket. >> lottery, mega millions. all right, love it. thank you, emma. let's look at the weather across the country. right now we're focused on severe potential in through the central plains and mid-mississippi valley. large hail possible, heavy rain, gusty winds and a tornado threat as well. right now some showers going on but eventually by later on today, that will pick up in intensity again. and across the northeast, a lovely day with sunshine and breezy conditions again. on >> good morning. we will see plenty of sunshine. the wind will be close to 30 miles per hour by the afternoon.

savannah, back to you. >> all right, maria, thank you. coming up next, is it trend setting or just plain strange? the celebrity moms going public with their unusual parenting methods. plus,en exclusive live interview with charlie sheen. but first these messages. mommy's got a surprise for you. [ rattling ] wanna see what's in it? yeah! whoagasp! whoagasp! whoagasp! you wanna make these? you put it in here? yeah, put it in there. ok, just press. i'm gonna give you some m&m's® to put in there. ok! ready? and then you wanna take this... ...put it together. shake it. [ giggles ] are you making them for the easter bunny? no, you. ahhhhh. [ female announcer ] this easter... bring a tradition... out of its shell.

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we are no stranger to celebrities doing things that aren't exactly mainstream, but with this, you might say we hit the mother lode of offbeat hollywood trends. first, unique baby names, moroccan and monroe. but what we don't know what gwyneth's daughter, apple, is eating, we may now know a little too much about bear blue's breakfast. alicia silverstone posted this video of her son, bear blue, sucking prechewed food out of his mother's mouth. >> gross. >> reporter: the actress best remembered for the movie "clueless" is also a well-known vegan and cookbook author. silverstone blogged that she and the then 10-month-old were sharing a soup of veggies. quote, from my mouth to his. he literally crawls across the room to attack my mouth if i'm eating. advocates say the birdlike behavior helps build immunity. and everyday moms say they do sometimes chew for their kids. >> we don't walk around with knives and forks and cuisinart

to chew up and process the food so that they can eat it and not choke on it. >> reporter: but doctors insist infants need to develop motor skills that come with self-feeding, and many warn germs could spread faster than the viral video. >> the adult mouth contains bacteria that can be harmful to a child. >> reporter: "mad men" star january jones recently told "people" magazine she's eating the placenta from the birth of baby zander, now tried and turned into capsules. >> hollywood's pretty good at coming up with crazy trends of all kinds, including parenting trends. >> reporter: jones told people it helps with energy and, quote, we're the only mammals who don't ingest our own placentas. good idea or mad mom? >> hey. >> i have never recommended to any of the moms in my practice that they eat the placenta of their child. >> reporter: in a recent survey, 22% say they'd do it. while more than three-quarters said no way. and how about breast-feeding your child at age 3 or raising

them without diapers? former "blossom" star and "big bang" actress says she'd do both. the actress who also has a ph.d. in euro science recently wrote a book on attachment parenting, co-sleeping, constantly carrying your baby and extended breast-feeding. >> the amount of time that a mom breast-feeds is a personal decision. for me, when my children were old enough to talk and to ask for it, that was the time to stop. but every mom needs to make that decision. >> reporter: now, these are obviously all moms who love their children very much, and they're very involved in their parenting. celebrities, though, are trendsetters, matt. so the question now, will american moms across the country be following suit, and how many people just stopped eating their breakfast? >> kristin dahlgren, kristen, thank you very much. speaking of moms, what michelle dugger said about being the mother of 19 kids that is causing a stir. but up next, the search for the grinch who stole the lorax right after this.

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back now at 7:48 with the search for the missing lorax. a statue of the beloved dr. seuss character was stolen from the author's california estate over the weekend. nbc's mike taibbi is in la jolla with the details. >> reporter: good morning. a scrap metal dealer told me yesterday that at about 300 pounds, the sculpture bronze that the statue is made of would fetch about 800 bucks. of course, any art dealer would take the risk of buying and selling the piece as is, the numbers are vastly bigger. but to everyone who cares about the story except the thief who thieves, it's not about the money. >> ow! >> reporter: "the lorax" was never the best known of dr. seuss's heroes, but the environmental hero of his children's fable is now a blockbuster animated movie voiced by stars including zac efron, taylor swift and danny devito as the lorax. >> you have been warned.

>> reporter: in the first two weeks after its opening, the film took in $122 million in ticket sales. the zenith of the film's popularity, someone stole in the garden behind the home of dr. seuss's 90-year-old widow shown here ten years ago and removed the lorax statue from its base. audrey's daughter, lark, had created two of the statues, one for the seuss memorial in springfield, massachusetts, and the other for this private perch overlooking the pacific. >> it seemed like the perfect spot to put the lorax when i made it for my mother to have it out there in the middle of the garden on the point underneath a beautiful tree. >> reporter: a perfect spot, too, because in the story, the lorax speaks for the trees, tries to save them. and as he fails, he disappears. >> and deep in the grass, some people say, if you look deep enough, you can still see today where the lorax once stood just as long as it could before somebody lifted the lorax away. >> reporter: police say footprints were found in the

ground around the statue that had been softened by weekend rains. and while gallery owners questioned how a thief could ever sell so iconic a piece, they know limited edition replicas are selling for big money. >> there's a monument-size piece that's five feet tall and it's $45,000. >> did you chop down this tree? >> reporter: and what other question will the lorax expound when he asked that his statue be hunted by hounds? what if they did sell it for scrap. what would be next? the cat in the hat? it's such a big mess. i'm meant to be here forever. unless -- unless -- >> i'm sure this fellow came with a friend and under cover of darkness and a good stormy night, they snuck in the back way and dragged him off. and the little guy didn't make any kind of sound at all. >> reporter: and no one's made any sound at all, that's been useful to the police. they still say they have no leads, no sign yet of the character dr. seuss described as oldish and brownish and shortish

and mossy and bossy. and today still missing. savannah? >> all right. mike taibbi, broke into rhyme for a moment. >> exactly. it's just bad karma. you don't steal the lorax. that's ridiculous. if someone turns that person in, does that make that person a snitch or a sneech? >> i don't know. is there a sneeching charge? we'll find out. just ahead, he's working on a brand-new sitcom. is he a changed man? charlie sheen speaks out in an exclusive live interview. >> we'll talk to him and hear about his new sitcom. he actually plays a therapist. there's a certain irony to that. we'll talk to him coming up after your local news and weather. ♪ [ sighs ]

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>> here is a live view from our towercam. good morning. and i am mindy basara. time for a check on our morning commute. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> looks good northbound and southbound. outer loop and perring parkway, pack up from belair road towards the harrisburg expressway. accident is off to the shoulder, but just kind of adding to those delays. in rosedale, watch for an accident. biddle street remains closed at brentwood ave due to fire activity. reece road, watch for an

accident. eastbound the b-2 and 170, fire activity taking up the right lane. prior to the harbor tunnel, a fender bender of to the right shoulder. live view of traffic at harford road. outer loop traffic is backed up happily due to the accident at perring parkway. over to you, tony. >> we at rain yesterday afte afternoon anything. that is south of us now. northwest winds gusting to 23. that will be the big story today. winds will continue to cost close to 30 miles per hour. 48 in taneytown. 49 in parkton. 51 degrees in a rising sun. all in all, not bad. cooler than yesterday. high temperatures will be able

to sneak into the lower end of the 60's. should be dry during the day. chance for rain friday and into saturday morning. it should clear up

back on a tuesday morning, it's the 29th day of march, 2012. spring temperatures moving back into the area. 51 degrees in new york city and a very large crowd out on the plaza. i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie. savannah's here while ann is on assignment. and guess who we have in the studio? >> could it be? >> charlie sheen is in our studio right now. he's the man behind the shades. it's been just about a year now since his pretty public parting of the ways with the sitcom "two and a half men." and some of the antics that surrounded that. he's got a brand-new sitcom coming out.

this one's called "anger management." we'll catch up with charlie in a live interview in just a couple minutes. >> we look forward to that. also, we'll talk about the difficult and sometimes strange relationship some teenage daughters have with moms who have excessive behaviors. we'll talk to one mom who has a shopping habit. another who couldn't stop getting cosmetic procedures. and we are going to find out what happened had their daughters decided to step in. >> probably put some strain on the relationship. >> i think they actually say in the end it was good. we've got a lot to get to. let's go inside. natalie's standing by at the news desk with a check of the headlines. >> good morning, every. newly released police video has intensified the debate over the trayvon martin shooting. the tape shows a handcuffed jon george zimmerman four hours after the shooting he claim says was in self-defense. but the martin family is questioning why there are no apparent signs of injury. zimmerman claim

zimmerm zimmerman's police report says he did receive first aid. zimmerman has not been charged. a pilot forced a jetblue flight to be diverted is undergoing medical evaluation. this as new details emerge about osbon's behavior prior to the incident. osbon was marked an hour late for work on tuesday, and court papers say he turned erratic just as his flight with 135 people on board climbed out of new york bound for las vegas. house republicans are set to pass a $3.5 trillion budget today that reflects their deficit-cutting priorities including a plan to revamp medicare. the proposal is expected to be dead on arrival in the senate, setting up an election-year battle. efforts to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer are paying off. a new report in the journal "cancer" says the rate of new cancer rates in the u.s. has inched downward half a percentage point since 1999. the overall rate has also

dropped by more than 1.5% each year. now here's brian williams with a look at what's coming up tonight on "nbc nightly news." >> natalie, good morning. coming up tonight, we'll do a story about "bully," the powerful new movie a lot of people say is too raw for young viewers, but the same viewers that might benefit from the message. more on that tonight on "nightly news." for now back to you. now a look at what's trending. a quick roundup of what has you talking online. "19 kids and counting" mother michelle duggar has people viewing a web interview she gave to the christian broadcasting network. in it she denies overpopulation is a real problem saying the entire world population could fit into jacksonville, florida. and she said her large family buys secondhand to limit its impact on the environment. this video of google's experimental self-driving car is gaining traction on youtube. steve mahan at the wheels for this test drive is 90% blind.

the car uses lasers, cameras and radar to get you from here to there. steve used his newfound independence to pick up his dry cleaning and to get some drive-thru tacos, essentials. and anchorman is a trending topic on twitter. the comedian appeared on "conan" wednesday as ron burgundy with breaking news about his 2004 come zi hit. >> i want to announce this to everyone here in the americas. to our friends in spain, turkey and the uk including england. there will be -- there will be a sequel to "anchorman." there will be a sequel. gentlemen? ♪ >> ron burgundy, watch out. months of online speculation, as you heard. 8:04 right now. let's go back outside to matt and savannah. we love ron burgundy.

san diego. >> we had him. >> who? >> you did the research? let's get a check of the weather. al's off today. maria larosa is over there with a latest check. >> how old are you? >> 18. >> what's your name? >> mary grace. >> let's check on the gulf coast, houston, our pick city. showers and thunderstorms, 80. grab that umbrella on your way out the door. the u.s. as a whole, you see the northwest still being battered by a large storm. we've got flood concerns, also mountain snow topping one to two feet in some of the higher elevations. elsewhere, the possibility of some severe storms in through the midsection. kansas city off towards st. louis, the possibility of hail, maybe even tornadoes with this one. we'll keep a close eye on this >> good morning.it continues to

we will see a mixture of sunshine and a few clouds. the wind will be the big story. savannah, back to you. >> all right, maria, thank you. coming up next, daughters who claim their moms are obsessed. we'll talk to them. coming up next, charlie sheen in a live exclusive interview, opening up about his life, his new sitcom and more coming up right after this. come for a smoke? yeah.

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you just... took a bite of my cookie. what? me? yeah. come on, now. [ male announcer ] yes, quaker's finally making cookies. they're delicious, and made with the whole-grain goodness of quaker oats. back now at 8:09, and what a difference a year makes. last year charlie sheen had what many would call a very public meltdown. got into a nasty war of words with the creator of the sitcom "two and a half men," and it cost him the role that made him television's highest paid actor. now a year later, sheen says he is a changed man, and he's shooting a new sitcom for fx called "anger management." charlie, welcome back. it's good to see you. >> nice to see you. thank you. >> i'm going to start off with something that's going to sound awful at first, but bear with me, okay? there were people who probably last year at this time were the place to bet that you might not even be around. and i mean literally. >> i would support that, sure. >> literally. >> yeah, i would have taken that action. >> really?

>> no. >> i was going to say, if i had inside information -- >> hello. yeah, matt, go for it. yeah. >> you know there are people who thought you were on such a steep spiral -- >> yeah. >> -- that it was going to end really badly. >> yeah, it didn't because i was going to do a documentary with all the footage that i shot during the tour and the whole buildup during the meltdown, which is actually, you know, could be a nice case study one day. and in -- in looking at a lot of the stuff, i kind of went, ew. oh. i can't put that back out. >> it bugs you to look at it? >> it was cringeable. yeah. because i didn't recognize parts of who that guy was. i mean, the verbiage, you know, him looking like a real insane wordsmith was fine, but it was -- it was a trip down -- >> is it weird to have looked back and experience what seems like an out-of-body experience? >> yeah. yeah, it is. i just wish it was somebody else's body. but no, you said it's been a year. it's either been a day or 100

years. i mean, it's either like that or -- yeah. >> did you get through -- did you pull yourself through the weeds, or did you have someone close to you, a family member, a friend who grabbed you by the collar and said, you've got to get out of this place? >> it was -- yeah, it was a team effort that was ultimately led by myself because it has to be to, you know, to make a decision to fix or, you know, change any situation. but yeah, no, there was a lot of close friends. there was a lot of support. not a lot of people close by saying, dude, you might just want to take a step back. let's watch this. are you sure about this? >> you didn't have that kind of safety net at the time you need it had. >> yeah. but i would say, what do you mean? it's brilliant. >> things are going well now. you've got a sitcom that you've already begun to shoot. you're in a couple of high-profile commercials. you're going to be featured in a movie. >> yeah. >> is this where you thought you could get in a year? >> no, i thought it would take at least 13 months. that's a joke. sorry. thank you.

i didn't -- i didn't really have a plan. i was just -- i guess the plan was to just reintroduce myself to america and to the media and just say, sorry about that. but here's what's happening now. >> kind of a relaunching. >> yeah. it's a trip. it's not that much time to put this much back together. >> there have been some headlines. there was some video that tmz got not long ago. you were, i think, coming out of a guns n' roses concert. to the untrained eye, it appears you were slightly looped. >> no defense attorney will go to trial with evidence against him. not that crimes were committed. i didn't write "mr. brownstone." i didn't write the damn song. but if you don't drink a lot and you go out and there's guns n' roses, it's on. >> however, you were someone who -- however, you're someone

who's been to rehab in the past. >> right. >> you've admitted issues with drugs. i don't know one addiction specialist who would tell a guy in your position, it's okay to drink. >> well, if you do, i should probably go to that guy. sorry. no, you're right. you're right. but i have different theorys about the whole thing. one of them is park near the vip exit. >> so you don't get caught. >> yeah. >> are you comfortable having a drink, you know, from time to time and not being afraid that you're going to slip back into a much darker place? >> yeah, because i don't believe that whole -- that whole piece of fiction that they insist that you have an allegiance to it, you know. but that's just me. that's just me. >> you're not preaching. >> no, no. >> you start this new sitcom. you're one of the owners, basically. you work for yourself. >> right. >> but you've got partners. >> because i'm late. >> that's what i'm getting at. if you have an issue, personal, did they make you sign, or did anyone make you sign some sort of behavior clause?

do you have to go through random drug testing? >> there's no testing unless, you know, something obvious happens, i show up covered in blood, somebody else's. no, but -- and there's clauses in any contract. you probably had to sign one 18 years ago. >> we have drug testing here. >> that dog that comes through. yeah, no. they're getting pretty serious about it. well, there's so much money at stake these days. i don't blame them. >> but also other people's livelihoods. when the whole "two and a half men" thing melted down, there were people put on a shelf who needed to make a living. >> and that was the argument against the studio and against chuck, but we're past all that. >> do you think when the crew and the other cast members are working on this sitcom with you, they look at you a little like a volcano and they wonder when you might erupt? >> i covered that in an opening speech to them on day one. >> did you really? >> yeah. we have it on video somewhere. i don't remember what i said, but got a big laugh. everybody felt good about it. but no. because i couldn't -- i think i

mentioned to you i couldn't have the "two and a half" thing be my television legacy. i couldn't have that -- you know, end on that note. so if there's going to be the swan song, it's got to be a beautiful experience. and so far, eight days was more fun than eight years. >> you play a therapist which is kind of funny in itself, i think. >> start there. >> what's he like, this guy? >> he's flawed. i mean, he's -- he's -- he's an ex-ballplayer who had anger issues whose career ended because of an incident -- i don't want to give too much away -- trying to break a bat, you know, didn't go well. he's a guy that just wants to give something back, you know? if there was one person for the job, you weren't available. hello? >> you, i guess, called into tmz at some point, and you had some harsh things to say about "two and a half men" and ashton kutcher. >> i was having a moment. >> i guess you apologized to kutcher saying the show stunk

and he stunk. are there some lingering bitter feelings? >> a little bit, but i've got to just work through that, you know. i could probably just do it in group on my show. just not out loud. no, it's -- i just wish they had taken better care of the child left behind, you know, coddled it a little more. >> they're bringing your character back, i understand, as a ghost. do you know who's playing this? >> kathy bates. i was honored. that's not supposed to be an insult. they missed. i was honored. >> i'm not sure what to make of it. when we sit down a year from now, what's going to be the story? >> i'll be on my yacht. it will be the same only better, and we'll actually look younger, you and i. >> charlie, it's good to see you. >> always a pleasure. >> appreciate it. "anger management" premieres on the fx network on june 28th. up next, two teenagers who say their moms are obsessed with shopping and plastic surgery. how does that affect them? we'll talk about it right after this. so, you guys grew up together. yes, since third grade...

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back now at 8:20 with the complicated relationship between teenagers and their moms who struggle with obsessive behavior. it's the focus of a new show on discovery fit and health called "my mom is obsessed." in a moment we'll talk to two families who took part in the show. but first take a look at monica krause, a shopaholic and her 16-year-old daughter, caylee. >> i have spent and got myself in so much debt with things that i don't really need. >> you already have a jean jacket. >> i don't have a levi jacket. >> so? why do you need a levi jacket? you have like three denim jackets. >> but they're not levi's. >> it's a scary thing to watch her. it just doesn't stop and her, like, tumble downhill and potentially lose the house. and end up in a really bad situation. >> another mom, susan pike, is obsessed with cosmetic surgery and her 13-year-old daughter, an annalise, convinced her to participate on the show.

>> one of my greatest fears is that my mom is going to get so much plastic surgery that since it's changing her on the outside, it's going to change her on the inside. i just don't want you to get more procedures. >> why? >> because then you're going to change. you're going to look different. you look different, you act different. before these procedures, you weren't always worried about the way you looked. >> i'd like it if you could be more supportive. >> i'm trying, mom. >> susan and annalise pike, monica and kaylee krause, good morning to all of you. thank you for being with us. susan and annalise, this is really emotional. did you know starting out on this that your daughter was so worried about the procedures that you had had? >> no, and i want to make something clear. i am not obsessed with plastic surgery. i've had one plastic surgery. i've had three procedures on my face. some people might think that's a lot. some people might think that's not a lot. but i definitely take responsibility for being

hypercritical of my appearance. and i was really predicating my self-worth on external factors rather than on my internal factors. >> do you feel like i had a problem with some of these, not surgeries, but cosmetic procedures, i was getting too much of them? >> absolutely. like i had such a negative opinion of the way i looked. and i placed so much importance on my appearance that, you know, that was not the message that i wanted to send to my daughter. i wanted to send a message to love yourself for what you are and not to criticize yourself for what you're not. >> annalise, how do you feel about that? did you think your mom had a problem with this? >> i thought my mom had a problem with, like, wanting to look good. not necessarily, like, her procedures, just like her just wanting to be perfect. >> how does that make you feel? because as i understand it, you kind of felt like if she's judging herself so harshly, is she judging me that harshly, too? >> yeah. i felt like a lot of pressure. i felt like i needed to be perfect for her.

because i want her to be proud of me and like always be proud of me. >> let me turn to monica and kaylee. monica, the show looks at your issues with shopping. so let's just start right there. do you feel like you had a problem with shopping? how would you describe it? >> i absolutely had a problem with shopping, savannah. i've had it for decades, unfortunately. but it wasn't -- it wasn't until i was realizing that the impact that i was having on kaylee. you know, as a parent, you want to be the best role model that you can. and when i was seeing what i was doing was affecting her, that's when it really hit home, and i realized i had to do something about it. >> kaylee, what was that life like for you? we saw on that bit of tape, you were saying, mom, you don't need to buy that. is that how it would go in your house? >> i think i've always taken on that role and kind of been looking out for her in that sense. i think i have kind of always been kind of oh, do we really need that? because it's always just enough. i've always kind of had that role. >> you found yourself worrying about your finances and whether

you guys would be okay? >> yeah. at first i didn't notice it until later on because this is all i've really known. but when it came to the point where i was opening mail, it became obvious to me that we needed to do something. >> these are adult concerns that both kaylee and annalise had. monica, you said something that really struck me. you said when this first came up and you thought about doing the show, you felt ashamed. and i know there are people at home thinking, you know, if i had this issue, the last thing i'd want to do is go on national television and let everybody see me air it out with my daughter. what's your response? why don't you go first, susan. >> right, absolutely. i think it took us all a lot of courage to expose our insecurities. and we did it to hopefully, you know, show the message that we are learning. we are growing. we are tearing down the walls of fear and opening up our hearts to love. and i think when people watch the episode, that they will see that the message is really about love.

>> annalise and kaylee, this is going to premiere tonight. i'm sure some of your friends know you participated, but are you worried about this all being so public now? kaylee, i'll start with you. >> i don't think i'm really concerned about it. i think i told a good group of friends that are supporting us, they love both of us, and i don't think i really have anything to worry about. >> what about you? >> i also feel the same way. i've told my close friends, and i know they're going to support me no matter what. >> monica, do you feel like the show helped you? did it make you feel better about these issues? >> absolutely. and just being here, you know, is testament to that. i mean, i've gone from -- you know, like i said, being ashamed. >> thank you so much. we're really glad to tell your story. and we'll be back right after your local news.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get a final check of the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> still trying to recover from a few accidents. backing up traffic from patapsco river bridge to approaching the beltway. causing a major back up. eastbound 140 and reece road, accident we are clearing. we had one at perring parkway. it is gone, but you can see the results. 11 miles per hour on average.

kenwood ave and golden ring road, watch for an accident. same situation is down 32 at 170. right lane closed there. eastbound traffic, only the left lane is squeezing by. you looking at north side delays on the outer loop are for. john collins has a look at the forecast. >> we at the sun shine in the picture this morning. we had the sunshine yesterday, too, but we also what thundershowers. our next weather maker is in the west. temperatures are a little cooler. northwest winds are ready at 16, with gusts of up to 23 m.p.h. bit windy in some cases. small craft advisories on the

day. winds northwest are at 10 at 25 miles per hour. temperatures in the 50's and 60's around the area. rain chances talate friday into

we are back now at 8:30 on a thursday morning. it's march 29th, 2012. the wind is picking up a little here in new york. lots of spring breakers in town from all across the country, including pine grove, california. we thank those people for joining us. i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie. savannah's here while ann is on

assignment. natalie morales joins us as well. coming up, we all know it's hard sometimes to get a nice home-cook eed meal on the table. have no fear. giada delaurentis is here. she's got easy recipes she's going to share with us in a couple of minutes. also, today's policies are here. they have kind of a new look this morning. that's suze orman filling in for dr. nancy today. they'll discuss a beauty pageant contestant disqualified for being transgender. we'll also talk about that mega millions lottery jackpot. we'll get our tickets now. >> they're in safekeeping. >> okay. we're not going to see that money ever if he wins. also coming up, our heroes initiative we want to tell you about, our fantastic progress that we had yesterday. turns out it's off to a fantastic start. wednesday some 500 veterans

attended on the "uss intrepid." another 16,000 registered for our online hiring fair. a great, great start. you guys were staying the roadie job with kiss had over 300 applicants? >> exactly right, so that's good. we're happy to hear that. also, we want to thank all the companies that participated and remind you there will be 400 more events taking place across the country over the next year. so keep your eye out for that. >> fantastic. let us get a check of the weather now. al is off today. maria la rosa is just across the plaza. >> feeling the chill in places like chicago. you're from chicago. we'll continue to see mild temperatures in through the midsection. take a look at the temperature map for this afternoon. 40s 050s in the great lakes. even a few 90s on the map there in western texas. here's what we expect for weather. we've got a slight risk of severe weather as we get into the central plains including a

tornado risk and damaging winds and large hail. the pacific northwest continuing with the heavy rain and mountain snow, easily a foot or two in through the cascades. that >> good morning. we will see plenty of sunshine. the wind will be close to 30 miles per hour by the afternoon. you can get a check on your local weather 24/7 on weather.com. let's check in with willard in fort myers. >> come to florida where it's always sunny. all the orange juice you can drink. grapefruit and no state tax. what could be better?

happy birthday. zena greer, 107. lived in missouri all of her life and raised turkeys. i have the same feeling. i feel like a turkey once in a while. elizabeth farmer, greensboro, north carolina, 100 years old today. adores spending time with her family and is a huge college fan. a lot of good colleges in that state. a lot of good sports. edith kuwana, honolulu, ohio. 100 years old. she enjoys doing water aerobics and working in her exotic fruit garden. they have some of the best fruit in the world in hawaii. esther rosenfeld of great neck, new york, is 100 today. she keeps up with all the current fashions, and she loves dancing.

i like an occasional dance, a little mambo. whatever happened to the mambo? eugene shea, st. petersburg, florida, is 100 years old today. still goes to work every day because he loves his job, and he's a real estate agent. how about that? i'll tell you, to love your job is truly a blessing. to have a job is a blessing. and maria trevino of falfurrias, texas, is 102. loves going to church and is an excellent church. i'll go down there and eat frijoles and chimichangas. back to you. >> thanks, willard. first, this is "today" on nbc.

"cooking with giada" is brought to you by target. giada's exclusive line of kitchen products and delicious food is only available at target and target.com.

>> we're back now at 8:37, and we're "cooking withiada today." she's asked for chicken and pasta recipes more than any other kind of recipe. today she's going to teach us twists on some popular meals. welcome back. >> thank you. >> this is your sixth cookbook. looking through this, these are simpler than what i know you to do. >> yes. >> did you like stepping back in that direction? >> i had no choice. just kidding. yes, i did, but actually, it's because jade is now 4. >> your daughter. >> my daughter, jade, is now 4. i don't have as much time. she has not become so much a picker eater as she gets bored with weeknight dinners. hi to revamp and make things faster, easier and more delicious. >> let's talk about some of the recipes. this is a pasta dish. >> correct. >> which means? >> it's an area in the region in the southwest of naples.

and the idea here is the best thing about this is, you do not have to cook the pasta ahead of time. >> so you're baking it. >> yes, i'm going to bake it all together. you could even make this the night before. >> you could even make this -- you mean you meaning me? i could make this the night before? anybody? >> not you in particular. other people, though, yes. >> okay. what do we start with? >> so one 20-ounce can of crushed tomatoes in the food processor. then we add one garlic clove that's already been minced and a little chicken broth. the whole thick to this is, you have to add enough liquid because you're not precooking the pasta. >> so it's going to soak up a lot of the liquid. >> it's got to, otherwise it won't cook. the other idea is, you pulse this all together. then you pour it into this pan. >> how long do you simmer this in here? >> you're going to simmer it with or regular gegano and past. two or three minutes to toss everything together. there's two tricks. you have to add enough liquid and also pick a pasta that's pretty small. these are not the regular side

penne but the half size. usually you can find kids-size pasta works well because it cooks faster. >> why the whole layers of tomatoes when you already have all the tomato sauce? >> because this gives extra moisture and creates like a little package so it looks really pretty. now, this area of italy is known for their tomatoes, hence this dish. and you pour everything into there after it simmers. and then you kind of just spread it out. and then this is really fun for the kids to do, too. if you slice all the tomatoes, you can just put them right on top. >> how long? >> 450 for about 35 minutes. there's no cheese or anything added to this. so you just kind of top it all together. and it bakes off and looks just like that. >> perfect. let's go on to the next dish. pasta requests and a lot of chicken requests. this one's also pretty simple. >> yeah. people are always looking for chicken, always looking for pasta. also because you can mix and match these all together. all three of these dishes are great the next day and the day after. so here we go. >> chicken with tarragon and

white wine? >> yes. >> you do boneless. >> because it cooks faster. if you want to cook it even faster, you can have your butcher cut up your chicken for you. then it cooks even faster. what you do, you brown it with a little salt and pepper. >> that just takes a couple minutes. >> just two minutes. then you add the onion, a couple cloves of garlic, depending on how much you like. then you deglaze or clean the bottom of the pan, as i say, with a half cup of white wine. and the white wine for the most part will dissolve, but there will always be little remnants of wine in there. and then you add the chicken back in and the broth. just like that. >> is this -- is this because this is the way you're going to cook the chicken, or is this for the sauce at the snend. >> this is for the sauce but you're going to finish cooking the chicken in here and then add the tarragon. what do you smell? >> lemony. >> lemony and minty. and tarragon is one of those underused herbs but it's really delicious. you look this cook down. with the chicken, let it cook about 20 minutes.

and it starts to look like this. take the chicken out. >> put it aside. >> take it out just so you can thicken the sauce. >> you want to thicken that up, obviously. >> we're going to use a little flour and chicken broth. you want to just kind of whisk this together only because if you don't -- if you skip this step, you could get lumps in your sauce. >> okay. >> so there you go. dissolves really easy. add a little mustard for a little bit of tang. and if you like, you can finish it with a little bit of butter and more tarragon, and that's it. cook this down for five minutes. pour it over the chicken. >> and you like to serve this with pasta. >> that dish only uses half a box of pasta. so the other half a box, you can toss it with the sauce here so you've got a meal. >> perfect. okay. there's another dish. what's that one? >> my daughter loves chicken fingers. this is my version with cornmeal. i make a rosemary lemon sauce you can use on any meat at any time. i like to sprinkle it with rosemary, lemon salt and marinara for the kids to eat. you can eat it with this if you have it a couple days later.

>> three simple dishes, again -- >> mix and match. >> pasta and chicken. you mentioned your daughter a couple of times during the segment. jade. >> jade! >> it's a birthday, right? >> it's jade's birthday today. she turns 4 today. >> happy birthday, jade. >> come here, sweetie. >> can you say thank you? >> thank you. >> you want to blow out the candle and make a big, big, big wish? >> there's your cupcake! there's your chocolate cupcake. are you going to blow it out? blow it out. >> very good, jade. nicely done. >> i think jade's wish, honestly, is to stick her fichkfichk finger in the cupcake. >> go ahead. stick four fingers in there. >> she also wanted a copy of "weeknights with giada." >> i'm sure. i'm sure she does. >> happy birthday, jade. >> by the way, we went to your book party the other night. i got a copy. i went to a party after. i brought it as the gift. i said, "look what i got you." they were so, so impressed. they loved it.

giada, thank you. jade, happy birthday. again, the book is called "weeknights with giada." next, different places for baby boomers to retire. first, this is "today" on nbc.

babb now back now at 8:46. about 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 every year. it's creating a new trend when it comes to where they spend their golden years. mark is the international editor of "travel & leisure" magazine and sharon epperson is cnbc's personal finance correspondent. good morning. >> good morning. >> most people think of florida. the real issue is not how but where. the first trend is co-housing. explain. >> well, specifically for seniors. senior co-how'sing is a trend that started in denmark about 30

or 40 years ago. here's what it is. it blends the best of communal living but with a private residence so you own your own home but in a little community. it might only be 20 or 30 houses. valverde is one of the newest ones in taos. there's only 28 homes. there's a common area. you'll have social group dinners. >> you share the house with other people? >> no. >> okay. >> that's the best thing about it. you own your own house, but you live in a community where everybody knows you. a lot of retirees like that aspect. >> another trend that certainly caught my eye, the tiny house. tell us about the tiny house. >> sharon and i were talking about this earlier. it's crazy. sometimes it's little. it's 400 square feet, a little kitchenette, very intimate sitting room. a loft bedroom. the interesting thing about this, what a lot of people are looking at is putting these on their grown children's property so they have their own independence, but they have the proximity of their kids. >> also called the granny pod in the backyard. >> in-law pod.

before we go further, let's check in on some of the realities of doing this financially. >> well, the realities of doing it financially, when you talk about senior co-housing, a lot of folks if they're living in their home, they've been there for years, a lot of their friends and neighbors have moved away, this is more of a social investment than a financial investment. you want to have friends and neighbors that might be able to take care of you. even if you have long-term care insurance, you have a caregiver to come in, you don't have your friends and family there. that's one of the considerations for co-housing. in terms of the tiny cottage, you really have to look at the local officials, the zoning board, see if it makes sense for your community. if they'll even allow you to do it, and see if it makes more financial sense to do that than just making an addition or fixing up another bedroom. >> tiny fine print for the tiny house. >> $40,000 or less for one of those houses. >> another trend, some retirees going abroad. some countries in particular are very friendly to retirees. >> belize has got beautiful caribbean coastline. this is for active retirees, if you like scuba, snorkel, jungle

trekking and it's only about a four-hour flight from the united states. long weekends or vacation. it's very affordable. >> i see pictures like that, i'm sold. what should we be cautious about? >> make sure you understand what the health care requirements will be and make sure that you have a health care provider. you may not be able to get immediate care there. you want to make sure you can pay for your health care. the tax situation, probably going to be different than here. make sure you know what your payments will be and always contact social security to make sure you can get the payments. usually most countries you can get them, but some countries, if they don't have an agreement with the u.s., you may not be able to get your social security payments. >> another thing is people cruising through their retirements. explain that. >> there are people who will live on a cruise ship all year round. this is a little more expensive. not maybe as expensive as you would think. but if you've ever been on a cruise, you think that this is your lifestyle, i'm going to tell you an all eastern tif, just do an around-the-world cruise. it's 100 days roughly. it's a way to test it out and see if this is something you really want to do. everything's included, your meals, accommodation, maid

service, it's all in the price. >> very quickly, working and living in an rv. >> it's called work camping. i was just talking with my retiree mom who knows a lot of people who do this. you travel in your rv, go to a camp. you can actually work at the camp, earn some spending money, pay for your campsite and travel on to the next place. >> ten seconds. what would you warn? >> just make sure when you're doing these things, this is for the first ten years of your retirement. make sure you have enough saved for the final ten years. make sure you've planned for long-term care insurance, even longevity insurance, something that will pay out an annuity when you're 80, 85. most people are living to 83 or 86. enjoy your full retirement, not just the first ten years. >> after the cruise retiring. mark and sharon, good information. thanks so much. coming up, the hottest handbags for spring. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

we're happy to say it's our time to welcome back our friend, len berman, who's here to take us on a wild ride through the wacky world of sports. len, good morning again. >> good morning, guys. march featured peyton manning, tim tebow and lots of college basketball. but what were truly the top sports stories of the month? let's go spanning the world. ♪ >> unbelievable! >> on your mark, get set -- the

opening face-off of the rangers and devils. you know, that's just a perfect, perfect start to a hockey game, isn't it? play ball. keep your eye on the ball. lacrosse in syracuse. he takes it in front backwards between the legs and scores. yeah, keep your eye on the ball. yeah. that's the way you do it. our oops of the month. here comes devin setagucci from minnesota. the shootout. nick young with the layup. very nice. and this move always works very well. the shorts pull-down. thank you very much. our no-nos of the month. you don't tug on superman's cape, and you don't kick it high into the wind in israel because, you know, it could come back to bite you. the best move of the month. the alley-oop to the referee. what? what? i don't get that. you know, i've been hit so i think i'll go down. this is the best delayed reaction. yeah, maybe i'll fall down.

three stooges. a thai fighter. kick and a miss and he knocked himself out. you're out. the fight's over. our world record of the month. can he do it? can former cal quarterback set the paper airplane distance record. do they actually keep track of that? all righty! absolutely. go nuts. paper airplane. it's time for kiss cam at the all-star festivities. you know, they refused to play along. turns out their jeremy lin's parents. that's linsanity right there. our broadcast moment of the moment. you think sportscasting is an easy job? how about being a golf cameraman up in the tower? uh-oh. look out! and -- nobody got hurt. very good, class. and our play by play of the

month. the lowkey kid at the chicago high school basketball game. >> yeah! an unbelievable shot by williams! unbelievable! whoo! lets it go from center court! bucks win! >> watch out for that guy. >> you know what? there may be dogs barking all over america. >> like the whistle. >> cleaning their ears out. >> len berman, that was good. thanks. >> fun stuff all around. >> next month? >> be happy to be here. >> by the way, we've got some golf cameramen. >> we do. >> on our staff. they work for us in the morning. >> anybody ever been hurt? >> anybody get hurt? >> nobody got hurt. nobody got hurt. the push to prevent teachers from becoming friends with their students on facebook.

we've got "today's professionals." they're going to be here. suze orman is filling in for dr. nancy. first, though, a check of your local news and weather. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. jury selection in the retrial of two but is accused of setting a pit bull on fire is set this morning.

an unusually large pool of potential jurors was called in.

>> the cold front that generated the thunder shower activity has moved south. cooler today. 60 to 654 the high. if you pressed a bit stronger.