good morning. promising sign. a new jobs report out this morning. expectations are high. what will the numbers mean for the recovery, and the presidential race? bounty bombshell. new audio tapes emerge of the former new orleans saints football coach accused in a scandal to pay players for potentially inring their opponents. >> early, affect the head. continue, touch and hit the head. >> he's already been suspended. will these new tapes end his coaching career? and so much to talk about, so little time. kim kardashian on dealing with the backlash of her 72-day marriage. if she'll press charges against the woman who flour bombered her. and these new pictures getting a

lot of buzz online. are things heating up between her and kanye west? we'll ask her about it all when she joins us live "today," we'll ask her about it all when she joins us live "today," friday, april 6th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning, welcome to "today" on a friday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm ann curry. the latest on this morning's new jobs figure. what we're going to talk about, the scope and the pace of the economic recovery and how will they impact the already hostile race for the white house. meantime it's a big morning ahead for us here. we've got three of the most talked about women on the planet. >> that's right. here we go, first samantha brick is with us exclusively. she's that woman who wrote an article on beauty. we told you about on thursday, that's generated a lot of response.

she says other women hate her because she is beautiful. does she regret what she wrote? is she surprised by all the reaction? this morning she's giving us her first american television interview. >> that's right. and also ahead this morning, we kim kardashian here. enough said. and then we also have the hottest pop star around right now that's nicki minaj. she's going to be here for a special live performance in our studio. something to celebrate. >> a little later on, imagine sitting in jail for seven months for crimes you did not commit. a woman was the victim of a horrible setup by her ex-boyfriend. after she accused him of rape, he framed her for three armed robberies, as we said, she spent time in jail before investigators uncovered the truth. we're going to be talking to her, as well. >> but we begin with our news this morning, the new jobs report, and dillon rat igen is the host of msnbc's the dylan ratigen show. it's been already three months

of job growth, will we see four? >> very likely. the trend has been moderately encouraging across the board. >> and we're able to determine where the jobs are growing? >> yes. >> or where they're lagging? >> yeah, here's the problem with our recovery right now is a challenge, i should say, with our recovery, is that you have growth for, for instance white americans. much better. black, hispanic, teens, veterans, two, three times the unemployment that white americans are experiencing. you are looking at growth in health care. you're looking at growth in financial services. you're still seeing a lot of problems with manufacturing. and the other thing, because of the mild weather this winter, it creates a distortive strength in the employment market in the northeast, as there's simply more work to be done when the weather is better. so there's a little -- that's why people are kind of cautious on this momentum right now. because the warm weather, it creates that much more of the

look of strength when sometimes it's not really -- >> meantime, these numbers, the future of the economy, the recovery which is obviously very slow is what's happening with gas prices. so far americans seem fairly resilient. but is there a tipping point? >> there definitely is a tipping point. i'm actually really more encouraged on this one than i've been in a long time. simply because you look at the amount of gasoline or fuel that we are berning, it's continuing to go down. so, the last time in '07, '08 it was $4. the amount of fuel that we burn in our cars now has simply gone down a lot. mrs. more prius and fewer hummers than four or five years ago. still an issue but i'm encour e encouraged by the change in our own behavior as individuals. >> prediction about the jobs numbers, and the presidential race? >> the jobs numbers will become relevant to the presidential race in september. gas prices will become relevant to the presidential race on memorial day. >> dylan ratigen.

i also want to know, you are concerned that these numbers do not tell the full story. that there's still 30 million americans who are unemployed and a lot of them have given up working -- given up looking for work. and so, how optimistic should we really be, even if there is a solid jobs growth numbers? >> i think we should always be remarkably optimistic, no matter what, because it is all we have to engage ourselves in solving these problems. we don't want to let our optimism, however, cloud our ability to see reality, which in this case is we have a significant challenge as a nation to create 30 million jobs, and we right now do not have the tax or bank policy to encourage that. however being optimistic about finding these solutions is the way that you're going to create 30 million jobs. so you got to be positive like yourself, but at the same time a realist like yourself. >> well, we're both of those hopefully in one person in all of us but we vbously have to look at these numbers as they come out this morning. thanks so much for giving us a

heads up. you can catch the dylan ratigen show weekdays on msnbc. >> catch savannah guthrie over at the news desk right now. she's got all the headlines of the morning. natalie is off. savannah, good morning to you. >> we're going to begin with the stunning audio tape released of former saints coordinator gregg williams. in that tape recorded by a documentary filmmaker, williams can be heard urging his players before a game to use rough tactics on specific opponents to knock them to the sidelines. >> we've got a lot of guys up at the top. kill the head and the body will die. kill the head and the body will die. we've got to do everything in the world to make sure we kill frank gore's head. we want him running sideways. we want his head sideways. >> williams has been suspended indefinitely by the nfl. saints coach sean payton was also suspended for the entire season for his role in the bounty program that paid players

who injured opponents. we're learning more about george zimmerman, the man who shot trayvon martin but is claiming self-defense. police tell nbc news zimmerman called police on a non-emergency line seven times on prior separate occasions to report suspicious-looking men in the sanford neighborhood he was patrolling. however, they say he never mentioned race until asked. a ship that was set adrift one year ago after the tsunami in japan is now at the bottom of the sea off the alaskan coast. on thursday the coast guard unleashed a barrage of cannon fire to sink the ship before it could pose a danger to the coastline, and that busy shipping channel. one week after being fired from his hosting job at current tv, keith olbermann is taking his former employer to court. he is suing the network for more than $50 million in a breach of contract lawsuit, and blasting the company for what he calls shoddy production values. well, current fired back, saying that olbermann was let go for

missing work, quote, sabotaging the network, and disparaging his bosses. kids in california will be happy about this next story. a judge in san francisco has dismissed a proposed class action suit to stop mcdonald's from putting toys in its happy meals. the suit claims mcdonald's was using toys to lure kids into eating nutritionally unbalanced meals. this evening, president obama and the first lady will host a seder dinner at the white house to mark the start of passover. it is also good friday and thousands of pilgrims marked the day today in jerusalem visiting the church of the holy sepulchre, believed to be the site of christ's cries fiction, burial and resurrection. and finally an illustrious designer of the luxury car world and household name has died. ferdinand alexander porsha died on thursday in austria. he was 76 years old. he was the grandson of the designer of the original volkswagen beetle and went on to develop the first 9/11 porsche

sports car which became an icon of the porsche brand. middle aged men everywhere experiencing a mid-life crisis deserve a moment of silence. it is now 7:08. back to ann now because i know matt and al are observing that moment of silence. >> oh! my gosh. okay, savannah, thank you so much. maybe that's a nice segue. the truth is we have a story, there is a huge set of great news this morning that i'm excited, and that is that you're going to be sticking with us. we're stuck with you for a long time. >> truth be told i was developing an idea for a new show where viewers could tune in every morning and see someone they know lose a little more of his hair every single day right in front of their eyes. so i thought i don't have to do that i can just stay here and do that. this is my family. i love this job. i love working with guys and all the people behind the scenes. i'm excited let's keep going. >> okay, guys. >> let use get a check of the weather. mr. roker. >> either you or keith olbermann.

>> you made out all right, didn't you? >> thank goodness! you're the worst person in the world! anyway, let's show you what's going on right now. and we've got some spring storm to talk about, blizzard warnings, blizzard watches and winter storm warnings for parts of the northern rockies, much of montana. 6 to 10 inches of snow. 50-mile-per-hour winds. it's going to be a real mess from salt lake, you can see the snow up to great falls. we're looking at anywhere from 4 to 6 inches of snow. some areas up to a foot before it's all over. >> will -- the pressure will dominate the weekend. lots of sunshine today. temperat

>> and that's your latest weather. matt? >> all right, al, thank you very much. the state of connecticut is one step closer this morning to abolishing the death penalty. a move that is not sitting well with the sole survivor of a deadly home invasion that made national headlines. nbc's craig melvin is in hartford with the latest on that. craig, good morning. >> matt, good morning to you. the debate comes just months after that deadly home invasion that you mentioned in nearby cheshire. the two men who are on death row for killing the wife and two daughters of dr. william pettit pettitte, if this becomes law, warns that those two men will file endless appeals to avoid paying the ultimate price. he's the sole survivor of a crime that sent shockwaves through connecticut and beyond. dr. william p eechlt tit's wife and daughters were murdered in a brutal home invasion. two men were convicted of breaking into the home, tying up

his two daughters, sexually assaulting his wife, then burning down the house. dr. petit escaped after being bound and beaten. this week he went to the state house to support the death penalty which he believes is justice for his familiar lip >> the people who died and can't speak for themselves. the people who were tortured. the people who were raped, delay do not seem to have a voice. and they seem to have less and less of a voice. >> reporter: on thursday the bill to ban the deathenalty after nearly eleven hours of debate. >> does a moral society execute people? i've come to the conclusion that both the realities of the death penalty, as it is applied, and the moral issues that it raises, dictate that it be abolished. >> reporter: if the bill passes the house the death penalty would be abolished for all future cases, replaced by tougher prison time for heinous crimes. the eleven men on death row right now including the petit killers, would still face

execution. some family members of murder victims want to do away with the death penalty. >> the death penalty as so many flaws and as a victim family member i came to realize it hurts us more than it helps us, in so many ways with the endless appeals. >> reporter: the state has executed only one in the past 50 years. convicted killer michael walsh in 2005, after he gave up his appeals. if the bill becomes law, connecticut would become the 17th state in the nation to repeal the death penalty. >> this is that going to be an avalanche of everyone getting rid of the death penalty. but i do think state by state we will see more. there may be a critical mass of states saying, this is no longer our standard of decency as a country. >> reporter: no matter what happens in the state house, dr. william petit says he firmly believes execution is the right punishment for the man who killed his family. now, again, the bill has passed

the senate, the next step, the house. they are expected to take it up sometime next week. the governor says if it gets to his desk he will sign it. matt? >> all right, craig melvin in hartford, connecticut on this story for us this morning. thank you very much. it's 14 minutes after the hour. once again here is ann. >> matt, thank you. now to an emotional letter of apology from the 9-year-old washington state boy who nearly killed a classmate when a gun accidentally went off in his back pack. but it doesn't appear to be bringing closure to this case as nbc mike taibbi joining us from bremerton, washington, with more on this story. hey, mike, good morning. >> good morning, ann. this is the continuing story of two elementary school kids whose lives were changed forever. one, a completely innocent victim who nearly perished along with her dreams, and the other a boy grappling with a never easy life that's now harder than ever, but who is now apologizing, not just to say i'm sorry, but to say what he's sorry for. amina bowlen left for home to the applause of the hospital staff who saved her life.

a great day for the 9-year-old, when she traded in her feeding tubes for a little soup and would later walk a few steps. >> this is a photo taken in the operating room. >> reporter: after five separate surgeries totalling 16 hours on the operating table and a bullet casing still lodged in her spine. and when she got home, this was waiting for her. a child's handwriting on lined school paper. the first line, dear amina, i'm sorry i hurt you because i brought a gun to school. the 9-year-old boy's own words, says his uncle and legal guardian patrick cochran. >> absolutely, he wrote every word. >> and did he mean what he wrote? >> absolutely. >> was he writing it for effect? >> no, not at all. >> the rest of what he wrote. he did not mean for anyone to get hurt. i wish you were out of the hospital playing basketball and going back to school. i wish everyone was okay. i made a bad choice. for amina's parents, her father an iraq war vet, it had been a terrible vigil as she fought through the devastation of of a bullet that shattered her elbow

and tore through her bodry requiring the replacement of her entire blood supply. the boy pled guilty in juvenile court, admitting that he dropped his back bag where he'd hidden the gun and it went off. he said he'd taken it in a visit to his mother's house. she's an excon and has now been charged with assault and firearm charges because of the school shooting. they both pled not guilty. along with counseling and a year's probation, writing a letter of apology was part of the boy's sentence. amina's family lawyer says it counts for little. >> it's not going to help her walk. she's barely walking. it's not going to help her go back to school. it's not going to help her get the physical rehabilitation for her shattered arm. or the infections and problems she'll have in her abdomen from the bullet wound. >> but the boy's reaction, seeing amina on tv, leaving the hospital -- >> he was happy. he also cried because of what happened to her.

>> and guilt, too, his uncle says, because he'll have to testify against his own mother if she doesn't take a plea and go to trial. and because the lives of two children are now on pause because, as he put it in his letter, i made a bad choice. ann? >> a tragedy on so many levels. mike taibbi, thank you so much. once again here's matt. >> all right, ann, thank you. now the remarkable story of a grandmother who found courage amid the most difficult circumstances. her husband died at the controls of their small plane, which forced her to land that plane safely. nbc kevin tibbles has the dramatic cockpit voice recordings. kevin, good morning to you. >> matt, what an incredible story of perseverance, teamwork and courage. today we listen as 80-year-old helen carlin, her husband slumped over the controls beside her, lands the family plane just before it runs out of fuel. it was a hard landing, but it was a landing. and the town of sturgeon falls, wisconsin, breathed a sigh of

relief. helen and john collins were returning to wisconsin from florida in their cessna when 81-year-old john slumped over the controls and died. leaving helen, who is 80, and not a pilot, alone in the air. >> it's a hell of a place to be. >> reporter: now, a first listen to cockpit voice recordings made as family friend scrambled to fly alongside helen's aircraft and help guide her in to safety. >> somebody better get here in a hurry. >> this is going to be a little bit of a flight lesson but you'll enjoy it. >> reporter: in spite of the grave situation, helen collins rarely raised her voice or gave even a hint of panic. in fact, when helen hears roads are being closed, as a safety precaution, she asks -- >> don't you have any faith in me? >> reporter: her main concern, she's out of fuel. >> i got to land pretty quick, my gas gauge shows nothing. >> you're just perfect. looking good. it looks good from the outside here. you're doing fantastic. >> reporter: a first attempt has to be aborted.

>> okay, you're too high. go around. power up, power up, power up. power up. get your just a little -- no no don't pull back. power up. keep your wings level. that's it. full power. full power. full power. go up, up, up, pull, pull, pull. >> i felt very comfortable that i had a confident person flying that airplane. >> reporter: then she came in, bounced about 30 feet and skidded to a halt. >> power back. power back. power back. off, off, leave the power off. power off, power off. power off. power off. nose up. okay. you're down. >> great job, helen. great job. >> sadly, john was a good buddy. yeah, we're holding it together, and i'm really happy for helen that she survived. because a difficult time but we all have to move on, i suppose. >> helen collins is being treated for spinal injuries and a cracked rib. although her family says her

condition is improving. her husband john's funeral is scheduled for tuesday. a happy, and yet sad time, in sturgeon bay. matt? >> kevin tibbles with the story. that's unbelievable. the audio tapes of that man trying to help her out, and how calm she stayed under the worst circumstances. >> it's amazing what she was able to do. but now she's going to have to deal with the sadness of what has happened to her husband. it's really dramatic story. >> kevin as i mentioned, thank you very much. just ahead, we have an exclusive interview with kim kardashian. she's here to talk about lots of things, right, kim, including those photos that show her out on the town with one kanye west. we'll have lots with kim. but first, this is "today" on nbc. [ female announcer ] today is the day

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>> good morning. i am lisa robinson. beautiful picture of camden yards. the fire station on ford avenue is one of the changes in store for a fire companies. final house closures will stabilize coverage and boost response times by putting a crimp in where a it is needed most. but the head of the firefighters' union says the move is dangerous, and he plans to meet with the mayor.

now here's a check of the morning commute with kim dacey and traffic pulse 11. >> just a few things we want to mention. southbound 795 are approaching the beltway, a crash to watch for. another one at north point and east burke. northbound to 95 and 195, a crash coming in to us. we have a crash confirmed eastbound 32 at 198. that is blocking the left lane. harford county, westbound pulaski past 543, another crashed to watch for there. a few things to watch for. lighter volume than usual. switching over to a live view of 83, harrisburg expressway at padonia road, northbound and southbound moving fine. john, over to you. >> blue skies, lots of sunshine. 40 degrees at b.w.i. marshall.

humidity down, barometer up. we had a bit of a breeze all night long, and that has helped temperatures up. some of the readings in the northwest have dropped into the mid-to-upper-thirties. in little on the cool side of what we would consider normal. normal would be 61. we expect to be in the mid-50s to around 64 the high. a couple of degrees cooler than what it was yesterday. still a nice day. still a nice day. 59 degrees we will say

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♪ 7:30 now on this good friday morning. the 6th day of april, 2012. check out the line that's already forming across the street for "snl," because guess what? the boy band one direction, the same boy band that caused all kind of mayhem on our plaza, is going to be headlining the show on "snl." people are lined up for looks like more than a block. inside state of the union, i'm ann curry alongside matt lauer. >> i hear these people are lined up, since tuesday, sleeping out, a lot of young girls and they're parents, and they're on line for standby tickets. the audience is already filled and they're just waiting for the few standby tickets that might become available. >> i will say though that i discovered because i did like to go to "snl" myself, a lot of

times those standby tickets do come up but only at the last minute so you don't even know after waiting all this time. anyway, that's how much love there is out there. also coming up in this half hour on our broadcast, on thursday we told you about this online firestorm that was created by a woman's article on how other women hate her for being beautiful. well, coming up, she's going to be joining us to answer her critics h her first exclusive live interview for an american broadcast. >> also ahead kim kardashian is here. what is it about kim that keeps her in the headlines? and has people reacting to her every move? we'll be talking to her exclusively in a couple of minutes. >> all right. and also coming up, we've got nicki minaj, one of the most popular pop stars in the world right now with a brand-new album that's already number one on itunes. she's going to be here with us to talk about her success, what makes her stand out, and she's also going to be performing for us live, and i bet she's going to wear a pretty fun outfit. >> look forward to that. let's begin with what appeared to be a dream relationship that ended in an unexpected nightmare

for one woman. we'll talk to her in a moment. but first, nbc's lester holt has her story. >> reporter: simona was living a successful life in new york city. she worked on wall street and owned a restaurant. she also lived with her boyfriend jerry rammertan. but on march 9th, 2009, that relationship took a dark and violent turn. >> he just grabbed me with one arm and just pulled like right down the stairs. >> he dragged you down to the basement? >> all the way down. he didn't utter a word. just took all his clothes off. >> he raped you? >> yes. >> jerry rammertan was arrested and charged with rape. he emphatically denied it. she said she had been bound, dragged downstairs, raped. >> i never touched simone. >> you did have sex that night? consensual sex? >> sure. it was never rape. >> reporter: then on the night of may 21st, 2010, simona

suddenly found herself on the wrong side of the law. she was arrested and charged with committing three armed robberies. when you heard robbery and simona what was your first thought? >> i thought, wow, i can't believe it. i didn't think she was like that. >> reporter: simona languished in jail for seven long months. then an informant came forward, with proof that all the evidence had been faked to frame her. >> there was no doubt that at that time that this has to do with jerry. >> reporter: simona's hunch was right. the man accused of being behind the plot was her ex-boyfriend. >> i can't believe that someone would sit there and create a story like this. i guarantee the truth will come out. >> reporter: prosecutors said jerry had coerced three people to join him in a devious and elaborate plot against simona. >> he was all to do whatever he could to discredit her. and in jerry's world, that was bringing false charges against her. and he did it in a very, very clever, and really masterful way.

to pin his crimes on her. >> reporter: injury i was tried and convicted of rape, and conspiracy. he was sentenced to 33 years in prison. >> the evidence showed him to be a violent rapist, an evil and vindictive schemer. a sinister manipulator. a diabolical conniver. >> i was shocked. >> you're the only one telling the truth here? >> well, it doesn't matter what i say, because i'm the fall guy right now. >> i still think that he believes in half of the lies that he told. and he looks at me as the person that did this to him. and not that he did this to himself. >> and simona is with us now exclusively. welcome back. it's good to see you. >> good to see you. >> we sat in this studio back, i think, it was june of last year, this was before jerry rammertan's trial and you said you did not have any faith in the justice system. you have more faith now? >> yes.

i can't tell you how pleased i am with the outcome. and the fact that, you know, the sentencing. he did get the maximum, and, yes, i couldn't be happier. >> during the trial, a mountain of evidence came out showing that jerry conspired to have you framed for armed robbery. the judge as we just heard said that the evidence clearly showed jerry to be a violent rapist, and a vindictive schemer. i would imagine you had to have been sitting there saying why didn't anyone realize this before i spent seven months in jail. >> well, i actually say to this day, i don't. i don't understand it. i really don't understand it up to this day. >> was it just the frame job was so good, or that officials and law enforcement officials didn't do their job? >> to be blunt, they didn't do their job. there was sufficient evidence from day one of my incarceration

to prove that i can't have done it. one of them being that i wasn't even in the state of new york on one of the robberies at the exact same time. surveillance records picked me up, cell tower records, cell phone records, all picked me on the may 19th robbery to be in mohegan sun. at the same time that the robbery was being done in new york. >> nassau county prosecutors had to admit that they were wrong about you. but did you ever get a formal apology? an apology that you find sufficient? >> no. there was never an explanation. i asked for one, and i was told that at the time, when i was released, that they weren't able to give an explanation of exactly what happened. i was told that the reason they released me was due to an informant coming forward with sufficient information to back up what i was saying.

>> i think you also were released from jail after a woman who dated jerry came forward and said, look, she recognized some of the same behaviors when she was dating him that you were claiming happened. have you ever met that woman? >> i know she testified against him in the trial. i know of her. but i've never met her. >> what would you like to say to her if you could meet her? >> i would -- i'm thankful to her that she finally did come forward. but to my understanding, she knew of the whole plot from day one. she was even physically there at one of the meetings to plot against me. i just wanted to know, what took her so long. >> why she didn't speak up sooner? >> yes. >> you're not going to get an apology from the man at the center of this as we heard in lester's piece. in a taped interview he said he is an innocent man. he calls you a liar and says the truth will come out. and he insists that you're making all of this up. how do you respond to that?

>> i think that the mountain of evidence that came out in the trial, and i think the truth speaks for itself. i couldn't possibly make up that he framed me. >> that he was able to do this pretty convincingly, are you afraid at all that even in jail he'll be able to in some way impact your life in the future? >> i'm trying not to think of that at all. i mean, anything is possible. i know there's -- i should be concerned with things like that, but i try not to think about it. >> seemonna, thanks. welcome back, nice to see you. >> and you can see more of this story tonight on "dateline" at 10:00, 9:00 central time right here on nbc. let's get a check of the weather now from al. >> hey, matt, thanks so much. we are here just below the nbc marquee, and these folks, what's your name? >> marcy.

>> and you -- when did you guys get here for this one direction appearance at "snl"? >> tuesday at 4:00 in the morning. >> from boston. >> from boston. yeah, you see one direction before? >> yeah. >> when? >> "today" show. >> oh, you came in to the "today" show concert. wow, so obviously you're hoping for tickets. >> yes. >> well good luck. my gosh you guys are real one direction fans. look at this line, folks. i mean, this is amazing. this is -- these folks have been here most of them since tuesday. the line is just getting bigger and bigger. and by and large you're only talking about maybe, maybe, if you're lucky, five or six standby tickets, and they just keep coming, and what do you do? what do you do for bathroom breaks? >> sneak into nbc. >> sneak into nbc. that's what i always recommend. all right. let's check your weather. and it's cold here, too. that's the big deal, these folks have been saying we have frost and freeze advisories, and warnings from friday into saturday morning, look at these temperatures we've got right now. pittsburgh, 35, 32 in albany.

38 in new york city. and as far as the temperatures are concerned it's going to stay told. we've got an omega block. trough in the west, trough in the east. mild in the midsection of the country. below normal in the east. below normal out west. temperatures up into the 70s and 80s. even 90s down in southern texas. 50s in the out to the pacific northwest. 40s and 50s in around the great lakes and the northeast. >> rain should stay south of us. high pressure gives as a good day. we will be in the 50's. plenty of sun. >> and that's your latest weather. how many of you have to go to the bathroom?

okay. we're all going to go to matt's dressing room. come on, let's go. we're going to matt's dressing room! >> al, thank you very much. appreciate it. still ahead, kim kardashian is in our studio. kim, anything new in your life? >> a couple things. >> all right. we're going to talk to her about the backlash over her divorce, a recent outing with kanye west, and much more. but up next, a "today" exclusive, the writer who says other women hate her for being beautiful defends her article in her first american television interview. do you have anything for a headache...like excedrin...

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and no added hormones. ♪ better with a dollop here ♪ fresher with a dollop there ♪ ♪ wholesome in every way ♪ daisy, do a dollop ♪ daisy, do-do a dollop back now at 7:44 with new fallout off a woman's article on how other women hate her for being beautiful. she's faced a lot of criticism online. in a moment we will hear from that writer in her first american television interview. but first, nbc's stephanie gosk has the latest on this story. hey, stephanie, good morning. >> good morning, ann. well brick said she knew she was going to hit a raw nerve but had no idea it would be like this. in a follow-up hour she wrote, quote, the past 24 hours have been, to be blunt, among the most horrendous of my life. ♪ i'm sexy and i know it

>> reporter: ah to suffer the slings and arrows of being too beautiful. the less than attractive masses have no idea how truly lucky they are. or at least that is what samantha brick would have you believe. >> it's really difficult when -- when you're -- when you're perceived as being attractive. other women do not like you. >> reporter: so difficult the 41-year-old freelance columnist decided to write about it in britain's "daily mail." >> until the age of about 14 or 15 i was really the ugly duckling or sure and it was really only when i grew in height and lost weight and started to, of course, i noticed an instantaneous change in attitudes towards me. it was phenomenal. almost overnight. >> reporter: free bottles of champagne, men paying for her taxis, bartenders buying her drinks which only leads to jealous female bosses, friends who wouldn't let her near their husbands and neighbors who won't wave at her. the article and the photos that accompanied it triggered an immediate, emotional response.

thousands of comments on twitter and facebook. >> 50% of the comments this morning, what are you on. a little bit, women saying you have just written the story of my life, thank you. >> reporter: much of the conversation has focused somewhat cruelly on whether or not brick has the right to make the claim that she's beautiful in the first place. barbara walters on "the view." >> at the risk of being really not so nice, i thought -- put the picture of that woman up again, please. >> what woman? >> the one -- she's got a problem. she's not that beautiful. >> again, opinion. >> yes, she is beautiful. >> she is attractive. >> i think she's beautiful. >> reporter: others have criticized brick for her arrogance. like this british tv editor. >> it's one thing to think you're attractive but to actually come out and say it and put it in print and say, i am a beautiful woman, does have a sense of arrogance about it. >> reporter: that kind of response that only proves her point, says brick. >> women do not like attractive women, and that has been proved

to me by the thousands of vile messages i have on twitter. >> reporter: brick has not shied away from publicly defending her original article. both the argument it makes, and the decision she made to write it in the first place. ann? >> all right, stephanie gosk. thank you so much. samantha brick is now joining us exclusively. good morning, samantha. >> hello, good morning. thank you. >> yes, it's great to have you here. when i first read your article, i've got to be honest, i thought you wrote it tongue in cheek. starting with this line that you wrote, other women hate me for no other reason than my lovely looks. now in writing this, are you serious? >> obviously part of the work is tongue in cheek and parts that have been massivelyly misconstrued. i didn't write the headline. when i first pitched the idea to the "daily mail" the pitch headline was, why does the sisterhood hate attractive women. i'm not saying i am attractive, that i'm talking about the

perception of someone who is considered to be attractive by other men and women, and what that does to our society. and i've drawn on my experience of 41 years, and had -- that's been put together in a 1200 word document, and i know that people have just think that that's my life every day, and that's how i live my life and that's just not true. now i live in a little bit of nowhere in france, i'm a part-time writer. i certainly haven't expected to, you know, the kind of negative onslaught i've received worldwide over the last -- it's been pretty phenomenal. >> you certainly have gotten more of a backlash than you bargained for. exactly what has made the 24 hours after your piece was published, as you put it, among life? >> well, i think, i, again, because i live in france, and in the countryside, i don't really engage with social media, with twter, you know, i'm more

doing chores at the home. i've got four dogs, i'm walking my dogs. i'm not the one who's online the whole time. and so, when people started e-mailing me and contacting me and saying, this is getting really big and this is getting really -- the mail got in touch with me and said there's unprecedented story for them, i realized then that things were kind of getting out of control, really. >> right, right. well the question is whether you accomplished your goal in trying to sort of send the message that -- that there is a disparity in how women look at -- at -- at lovely women. one writer put it this way. said the issue, ms. brick, is not that there isn't an issue with the way beautiful women are treated by other women and men, but that your articles came across as vain and arrogant. now i counted, samantha, that you used the word "i" at least 60 times in your article. and -- and -- and so i think the question has to be posed, are

you aware of how narcissistic your piece sounded? and upon review, do you think that perhaps you should have writ it -- written it maybe a little differently if you really wanted to make your point? >> well, the piece is the first person piece. it's about my experience and my life. so, drawing on other people's experiences i wouldn't be qualified to do that. if i was writing a much more generic piece, then of course i could have done that. really, it was just to trigger a debate. it wouldn't to have a kind of global vitriolic attack on me as an individual, which is what's happened. you know, i have got fantastic circle of friends -- girlfriends. you know, i'm a girl's girl. i'm not this overconfident, bubbly woman who -- who is a man magnet 24/7. you know, i'm a sensitive individual and i've been absolutely mortified by these -- these attacks, obviously. >> well, i can -- i can see that that's very honestly said that you are -- have been hurt by this. well samantha brick, i don't know where this is going to take

you in terms of the discussion ahead but certainly you touched a nerve, and thank you so much for speaking to us about it this morning. >> i thank you. >> all right. and still ahead, one of the hottest and most controversial pop stars on the planet. we're going to catch up with nicki minaj and she will perform for us in our studio live. but first, these messages. ♪ [ female announcer ] irresistibly touchable skin hour after hour. it all starts with new 48-hour nivea extended moisture

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>> what a beautiful shot of camden yards. i am sarah caldwell, it is 7: 56. here is kim dacey and traffic pulse 11. >> we have a bad accident on southbound 295. left lane is blocked. cleanup. 198, crash there. southbound 795 approaching the beltway, crash reported there. otherwise, looking okay on the major roadways. eight minutes on the inner loop on the northeast corner. 18 minutes on 895 southbound.

old court road, cameras are showing that things are moving fine. switching over to a live view of 95, looks like things are moving just fine. john has a check of the forecast. >> beautiful blue sky this morning, at least north of annapolis. south of there, there are scattered clouds. 49% humidity. barometer has risen. a few guests stronger than that. downtown, temperature is 45. 42% humidity. mostly sunny skies. a few clouds this afternoon. today will be a little bit cooler than yesterday. 56 to 60 for the high. small craft advisory on the day. seven-day forecast, dry day on saturday.

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we're back now, 8:00 on a friday morning. the 6th of april, 2012. this is one of our biggest crowds we've had in a long time. a lot of these people probably excited to see that young lady right there. that's kim kardashian. always someone worth talking about. and she's posing with her fans. in just a couple of minutes we'll be talking about some of the things, the many things going on in her life. >> the pouty lip thing. >> not to be confused with that other pout story we did not long ago. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry and al roker and coming up, another young lady who is

talked about an awful lot, as well. >> nicki minaj is here, ladies and gentlemen. she's such a great performing boom. behind the scenes you can hear matt giving his rendition. we'll be talking about her success and also her name, her alter egos and also her quest to dominate the music industry. she's doing pretty well. anyway she's also going to be performing for us live. >> and then a little bit later on we're going to meet some of those scary stars of a great show, "river monsters," talk to the man who's made it his mission to catch these underwater predators. >> you almost wonder if they're real. but they are. that's crazy. looks like -- >> i think it's a red tail catfish right there. >> you know your fish. >> i know my red tail catfish. also ahead monday we're going to spend a little quality time at breakfast with the dugger family. all 19 children, savannah guthrie is going to fly out to arkansas. she's going to actually be there

and see what it's like as they try and get those kids ready for the day and get them fed and i think that would be controlled chaos. >> wow. >> at best. >> i mean, she may not even get to eat any breakfast. >> monday morning right here on the "today" show. let's go inside, savannah is at the news desk right now. good morning, again. >> good morning. in the news today, wall street is closed for good friday, so no market reaction as the march unemployment numbers are released this morning. on thursday president obama signed legislation at the white house intended to help small businesses and make it easier for start-ups to raise money. that measure had bipartisan support with both republicans and democrats, saying it would create jobs. meantime, as americans take to the roads for the holiday weekend gas prices are still taking their toll on this economic recovery. a gallon of regular is up about 18 cents from just last month to a national average of $3.94. we are learning more information about george zimmerman, the florida neighborhood watchman who claims he shot and killed trayvon

martin in self-defense. police tell nbc news that zimmerman called them on a nonemergency line seven times in prior separate occasions. each time zimmerman reported suspicious looking men in the sanford neighborhood he patrolled. however they say until he was asked, zimmerman never mentioned anything about their race. there is a new development in the case of the missing utah mother susan cox powell. a witness now says powell's father-in-law went camping with his son and two grandsons the night susan powell disappeared in 2009. josh powell has been the only person of interest in his wife's disappearance, but susan powell's father says he has always believed that steve powell, the father-in-law, was involved in his daughter's disappearance. now for a look at what is trending today. our quick roundup of what has you talking online. google and yahoo! are hot with speculation of a possible budding romance between kim kardashian and kanye west. they've been friends for years but have recently been spotted spending time together in public

and kanye mentions kim in lyrics to a new song. so, kim is here, she's going to address all these rumors and a lot more coming up in a few minutes. new jets quarterback tim tebow is already getting his hands and feet in shape for the new season. tmz has been good enough to release an exclusive picture that's raising some eyebrows. that's tebow getting a mani-pedi at a nail salon. and this video is going viral. simple in concept. that dog stares as it's trying to unlock the secrets of the soul, with south park's cash for gold music playing underneath. the moral of the story, do not get in a staring contest with that dog. he rarely blinks. it is now 8:04. back to al. >> ooh. freaking me out. >> yeah. thank you very much. the young guy over there said to me is nicki minaj coming out? i said she's performing inside. he went, oh. anyway. >> he headed back to the hotel?

>> where are you folks from? >> pittsburgh, pennsylvania. >> all right. good for you guys. all right. let's find out what's going on for your weekend. starting off today, our pick city of the day, kansas city, mo, action news, sunny, mild temperatures in the mid 60s. and we show we've got some rain moving off the coast, hopefully not going to cause any problems. look for some snow, we're talking blizzard-like conditions in parts of central and western montana. showers in the pacific northwest. morning showers along the southeastern atlantic coast. sunny but cool in the northeastern great lakes. mild and sunny, gulf coast on into texas. >> will -- the pressure will

dominate the weekend. lots of sunshine today. temperatur >> and that's the latest weather. now let's head back over to mr. lauer and ms. kardashian. >> all right. thank you very much, al. kim is here on the plaza. it's nice of you to say hi to your fans. we're going to be talking to kim about all the things going on in her life in just a moment. right after these messages. [ fabric flapping in wind ] ♪ ♪ ♪

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if things change again. call or come in today to take control of your personal economy. get free one-on-one help from america's retirement leader. sears one day sale is this saturday, with friday preview. find the huge savings you've been hunting for throughout the store. plus, shop your way rewards members always get more. at sears. back now at 8:10 with kim kardashian. her family's reality show, of course, is "keeping up with the kardashians" but it's kim that many people are trying to keep up with, from her business ventures to her personal life, the last few months have been especially busy and we're really happy that she's agreed to join us this morning. kim, good morning and welcome. >> thank you. >> you look like you got up on the right side of the bed. you could not look more beautiful. >> it's spring, write? we're wearing the bright colors.

>> but looking at you, no one would guess that it's not been easy bundle of months for you. >> it hasn't. you know, it really hasn't. but i feel really, in a positive place. i kind of take whatever happens in life, i always try and be positive and learn a lesson from it. and i'm so ready just for this chapter to be over and to move on, you know, spring, new beginnings. >> mm-hmm. it's, i think you said something to matt earl remember about how you know after all the things that have can go wrong at one time you know how britney spears might have felt? >> you know how other -- how other people that have gone through hard times you look at them and now after going something through, you know, my civil, i can really feel like i can relate and understand other people that have gone through things that have been tough. and i just -- i thank god for my family. for getting me through it. and just, you really don't have a choice but to hold your head up and be positive and move on.

>> all right. well let's talk about something, because there's been a lot of buzz about you overnight the twitterverse exploded. but you were one of -- you were three trending topics on twitter last night. so, did you -- >> i haven't looked on the internet in awhile. >> well let me ask you this, then -- >> a new rule of mine. >> oh, really? >> i tweet and i instaygram but i don't really look online anymore. i don't read the magazines. >> let me put the question this way, did you enjoy going to "the hunger games" with kanye west? >> the movie was really interesting. and i'm glad matt's not doing the interview for this part. you know, with the kanye questions. >> oh, okay. all right. well let me ask you one more kanye question because the lyrics of his new song says i admit i fell in love with kim around the same time she fell in love with him. well that's cool baby girl, do your thing. i mean, on twitter they're even calling you kimye. you want to clarify this in any

way? >> i completely respect and understand. you have to ask these questions. but i said before, i mean kanye and i have been friends for years. and, you know, you never know what the future holds or where my life will take me. so, i like the song. >> it's probably fun to be the sut of a song, as well. a lot of what's been tough for you is -- is this divorce that you're going through. your husband has asked for an annulment. why not just give it to him, let it be over? >> i'm sure i would love one myself. but, you know, the -- there's certain guidelines on how you can get one, and -- and i'm not sure that we fall under that. so, you know, also, regarding the whole divorce thing, we are still going through a divorce. so there's not really much that i'm allowed to talk about. but i really, i just, you know, out of respect for him, i try not to really talk about stuff, you know, involving him, and regarding that situation. but, you know, it's all just

about i'm just really ready to close -- i have closed that chapter. so i'm just really ready to move on. >> i can tell just sitting with you that this subject -- i do want to give you a chance to respond to those who still think that your marriage was a sham. still think that. what -- what do you want to say to them? >> that's something that's really ridiculous to me. because why would i marry someone, what for ratings? i didn't need that. and so, you know, does amazing with or without the wedding. why, you know, to me it's just hurtful when people say that because anyone that knows me knows that i love really hard. i fall hard. and i followed my heart. >> you walked down the aisle expecting to spend the rest of your life with him? >> absolutely. and so when things don't work out that's sometimes just how life is. you don't go in to it expecting that. but when you realize it, for me,

when i realized it fast, what's the point in dragging something out for waiting when you know that it's just not it for you. so, but, to me, i learned a lesson from everything that i go through, and i really believe this whole experience has changed me for the better. and i have no regrets. >> all right. okay. let's move on and talk about this woman from peta who threw this flour at you, people started dubbing it a flour bomb. what do you think her punishment should be? >> you know what? i don't think -- it's just a little odd to me that their whole message is nonviolence towards animals, yet they are being violent towards humans. i don't think that assaulting someone is appropriate at all. >> has it changed your mind about whether you want to wear fur? >> you know, we -- we cautiously do not carry fur in our stores anymore. i don't carry real fur in our clothing lines or my qvc line

and my sears line. my personal opinion and my personal choice, i believe everyone has the choice of what they want. and that's my personal opinion. it's not illegal to buy fur. i have vintage furs that were my great grandmother's that mean the world to me with her initials inscribed in them and i, you know, i don't get rid of that memory of my great grand parents so i think it's a personal choice but i don't think it's okay to assault anybody. >> with all this drama, and i know that you've got your keeping up with the kardashians is coming back for a new season coming up but with all this drama and all of this intensity do you ever wish you were not so famous? >> you know what? it's -- i think it's like self-ish to say or act like, you know, life is so tough. i mean we have a really good time filming and being a part of this tv show and it's brought my family so much closer. >> but do you wish you were not so famous ever? >> there definitely are times

when we just wish you can, you know, chill out a little bit and not be -- when you just don't really get what's going on. but we made this decision as a family that we're going to be an open book and for me to try and change my life, i mean, people get married. they get divorced, they, you know, go through arguments with their families. they make up. this is what happens in other people's lives, as well. but the fact that we show it and we're so open, i'm proud of my family for that. so there are times but, also i think that the good outweighs the bad and i feel blessed to have my show, and the family that i have. >> well, that's a good thing always to come back to your family. stick around, will you? because we'd like to invite you to join us -- >> i don't know. i always get stuck with these animal segments. >> there's an animal segment we're going to have you, in fact, that we also want to mention that you can catch the season premiere of "keeping up with the kardashians" sunday, may 20th on our sister network e! we're back with much more and

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[ grunts ] not from my perspective! ♪ we're back now at 8:21 with the stars of animal planet's hit show "river monsters." first nbc's janet shamlian is in bointon beach, florida. good morning to you. >> matt, good morning. if you've never heard of jeremy wade or his hit "river monsters" ask your kids. this show is part mystery.

it's got some biography thrown in. but the rest is pure adventure. >> that's a fish! >> reporter: his name is jeremy wade. >> what i'm looking at her is the ultimate piranha. >> reporter: the swashbuckling biologist who crisscrosses the globe. >> just a murderer. >> oh, those teeth! >> reporter: in an endless search for elusive underwater predators. >> i might have to actually go for a swim. >> reporter: in just three seasons his show "river monsters" has become irresistible. >> too easy. >> reporter: the biggest lure on the cable channel animal planet. >> here comes another one. oh, this thing is a river monster. >> reporter: but how is the elite angler with a new, even greater risk? out of his element, the salty florida keys with an eager but inexperienced trainee. >> i've got a feeling this could

be my biggest challenge yet, taking janet finish. >> come on. >> it's biology. you've got to imagine, you've got to put your mind into the -- >> i am the bait. >> you are the bait and you are also simultaneously the predator. that's the way it works. >> okay. >> you sort of send your mind in two different places. >> the waters of islamorada are filled with fish. most of what you would not call a monster. >> there's something there. you want to see what it is. the curiosity. >> the usual play grounds are the world's jungles. from the congo to south america and beyond. >> look at that. look at that, look at that! if i say let go, just let go, all right? >> an adventure in every exso theic locale. don't call it a fishing show. >> it's almost in a genre all of its own. there's a little bit of mystery. little bit of detective. i think there's almost a little bit of fairy tale, as well. >> reporter: always mindful of

conservation, the predator does quickly catch and release. on this day out in the keys it's slow going. until suddenly, it isn't. >> the real is now alive. there's something down there. i haven't seen it yet. >> we've hooked something big. >> see that tension in the rod. you can see the fish is gradually tiring. >> not a predator but the six foot nurse shark does put up a fight. we get a quick look. then send the bottom dweller back home. yeah, that's great. we got a river monster. not sure a nurse shark down in the keys counts as a river monster. but, matt, if nothing else we've convinced jeremy that he's going to be much better off as a solo act. >> he's actually with us now, janet. thank you very much. jeremy wade the host of animal planet's "river monsters" is in

the studio along with some friends we're going to see in our next half hour. did you ever think when you got your first fishing rod at 7 years old you could turn it into this kind of career? >> i thought nothing at all. >> don't -- >> the first one i caught was about like that. and then from then on i just wanted bigger and different. and that's led to where i am now. >> you've brought some friends and kim is going to join us here. this one here is, we're not going to -- this is an electric eel. >> oh. >> don't put your hand in there. certainly don't because i'd have to give you cpr. on second thought -- anyway. the new season, the fourth season, kicks off. what can we expect? >> it started off here in the u.s. but, we're getting into more quirky stories. it's not just the obvious fish. we went to mongolia, the far east of russia. different places. quirkier stories. >> he'll introduce us to some of his friends in our next half hour. first your local news.

>> good morning. what a beautiful shot of camden yards for opening day. i am sarah caldwell. we will check on the morning commute. for that, we go to kim dacey and traffic pulse 11. >> we have a couple of things to talk about on the roads. crash just past fort mchenry told plaza is blocking the right lane. one thing to watch out for. approaching white marsh boulevard in the northeast corner, we have a crash, but that is moved off to the right shoulder. otherwise, looking good on the major roadways. 11 minutes on the outer loop in

the northeast corner towards the 83's. very light volume, you can see that from our camera at old court road. switching over to a live view of 95 and 395, same story. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> all the sunshine out there, blue skies. 49% the humidity. north winds at what 7 miles per hour. small craft advisories out on the day today. 45 at the inner harbor. forecast today, a lot of sunshine. higher chance south of us.

northwest winds of about 10 to 15 miles an hour. sunday, a few scattered clouds by afternoon. >> thank you for

♪ 8:30 now on this friday morning. it's a good friday for a lot of reasons. it's the 6th day of april, 2012. we have a rather large crowd this morning starting off their holiday weekend with us here in rockefeller plaza. and coming up in this half hour we're going to be hearing from the one and only nicki minaj. >> she relesioned her sophomore

album this week, it quickly shot to number one on itunes. she's got an incredible look. alter egos. people love her music. we're going to talk to nicki inside in just a couple of minutes and she'll perform a little later. >> we just talked a little about those river monsters a few minutes ago. now kim ardishian is going to be getting up and close, she's already doing it, getting close up with those, and personal with these animals, you know she's a braver girl than i think i am. >> no way. >> good on you, kim. >> oh! >> wow. >> and by the way, we've got lidia bastianich up in our kitchen. she's going to help us make a great easter dinner with, of course, a little italian flair. >> already, are you paying too much for your cable and internet service? we will tell you what you can do

to lower your bill. apparently just ask nicely. i'm sure our parent company comcast appreciates me telling everybody that. >> how about a check of the weather? >> let's show you what we've got for your weekend. tomorrow the day before easter sunday we've got nice, mild conditions through the southeast. we've also got strong storms. clouds along the pacific west coast. easter sunday sunday we are looking for lots of sunshine especially along the mid-atlantic coast back on into the southeast. rain through texas again. more rain moves in to the northern california coast into the pacific northwest. so plenty of sunshine. right over here we've got the easter family. your name is easter. >> we're the easters. >> we've got the passover family over there. just kidding. >> rain should stay south of us. high pressure gives as a good day. we will be in the 50's. plenty of sun.

>> and that's the latest weather. >> all right, al you're missing all the fun. we're back with jeremy wade the host of animal planet's "river monsters." this is the moment i've been waiting for. kim is going to put the glove on and put her hand in the tank with the lick eel. how dangerous is this? >> are you sure peta is not going to come after me for this? >> we're not harming the animals. animals may harm you. >> feel better? >> you know, i think possibly it's better not to. >> really? >> these things are seriously dangerous. about 500 volts. you could end up on your back on the floor. i'm just looking at this, these are little holes here. >> let's move on, okay. >> i think we should move on. >> there you go, matt lauer

risked the life of kim kardashian this morning. >> tell me about this little one here? >> this is a red tailed catfish from the amazon. they grow to about my size. there are stories of these ones swallowing babies. >> your size? >> yes. >> so this is a small one. but do you want to -- >> can i touch this one? >> you can touch this one. >> you can just tickle his head if you like. >> ooh! >> you have to feel this. >> it's not slimy at all. >> it's more sandpaper. >> it's more like leather. and the tentacles. they live normally in muddy wat water. they don't see very much so they're living by feeling their way around. >> they're not in danger or anything? >> this one is not. >> he's not going to be mad at me if i say, are they good eating? >> these aren't particularly good eating. the amazon people tend to eat anything just about. but i have eaten these. >> yeah? >> they're all right. >> these are --

>> talk about this tarpon. >> these are baby ones. these grow bigger than me. when i was down in florida with janet the skipper we were with, the boat captain, he was driving one day and a big one of these jumped out of the water, hit the guy he was fishing with in the chest. had to be hospitalized. theyhood to take him to the emergency room. these are tarpon and they are a lovely silvery color. they're probably a little bit half moving. >> oh, well. this one is amazing. >> this is a stingray from the amazon. these also grow very big. this particular species grows maybe a couple of foot across. but you get some, i'm caught stingrays in rivers that weighed twice as much as i do. and they have on here, if you look closely you can see on the tail, you can see the spine, he gets his name from. it can be up to ten inches long on some fish. and normally, they can cause you a nasty injury.

normally if you stand on them that's understandable. >> i like the leopard. >> are you thinking shoes? >> come on! >> just remember, you practice catch and release on this show. >> yes. everything goes back. everything goes back. >> jeremy, congratulations on the fourth season. great to have you here. >> yeah, thanks for teaching us something this morning. >> and you can catch "river monsters" sunday night 10:00 p.m. eastern, 10:00 pacific on animal planet. >> that's right. coming up we've got music and fashion sensation nicki minaj. but first, this is "today" on nbc. when it comes to gardening, we're, well, inexperienced. is this right? right here, like this? ♪ turn that off! plants can smell our fear then miracle-gro expand'n gro made things a lot easier for us. it expands when you water it. and improves your soil. for big beautiful plants that grow up to three times the flowers and vegetables. guaranteed. we were so bad at this before. particularly you. [ laughs ]

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we're back now at 8:38. "the new york times" calls nicki minaj the techly color barbie with the big voice and an elastic smile. in three short years she's carved out her spot in the world of music and pop culture. her new album "pick friday roman reloaded" is already number one on itunes. congratulations about that.

nicki, nice to have you here. >> it's a pleasure to be here. >> who do i have with me today? is there an alter ego present? >> it's just nicki. >> how did you decide? looking at your outfit and i'm sorry it's hard not to look at your outfit, how do you decide how to costume yourself on a daily basis? >> i just -- it's all very impromptu. i hate planning stuff. i don't know. yesterday actually, i told my stylist, i was like you know what, i've been doing some color -- just get me black. black, black, black everything. and she's like, really? i said, yeah, i mean i don't know why sometimes that, you know, it changes but today is a black day. >> see i look at you and i think this is someone who must have an enormous team of people making all these decisions. are you involved in every decision? >> every decision. every decision. i'm -- i've always been like that sin i was a little girl. i need to be involved. i need to have everything written out for me. i can't just have people make decisions for me. >> you have credited people like

madonna, laid today gaga, with being inspirations for you. and obviously these are people, as we've gotten to know them over the years, who like to reinvent themselves. is that the part of them that you admire most? well, i don't really know gaga, but madonna, i had the pleasure of working with her, obviously, and i feel like she's really changed and reinvented not only herself but pop culture. so what inspired me about madonna is that she's able to balance all of this with her family and her personal life. and i told her life. i was like, how do you do this, you know, with your children are there and she's a great mom. you know, she's just everything. >> was that wild, super bowl? i mean, as you were performing did you stop to think, how many people were watching that? >> that's what made me so nervous before i went on because i kept hearing the number 100 million in my head over and over and over. and i just, at one point i was literally about to just freeze up when i was waiting to come up on the lift. i was like oh, my goodness, get

me out of here. >> knees shaking? >> knees shaking, hands freezing cold, everything. >> i was reading an article you did with ryan seacrest and you talked about something that surprised me. you said there was something about marilyn monroe. >> yeah. >> that when you saw pictures of her, you saw something in your eyes. >> yeah. >> that affected you. >> it was just like a longing for something. like a longing for approval. and i feel like a lot of women in power, or successful women, as successful as they are, they have that desire to still be loved. to still be always, you know, great, to still be approved. and it's like no matter how many times you tell them they're great they don't believe it. >> so are you the type of person who worries with each venture? you've got a sophomore album. >> yes. >> in other words it's your second album. >> yeah. >> with so much success from the first one do you get the jitters, do you think, will people still love this as much? >> i don't get the jitters because this one is such a -- honestly it's a better album. it's so much more well-rounded. it's way more songs.

it's -- it's everything is just way more exciting on this album. so i don't have the jitters. i'm really just excited to go on tour. i'm about to start my world tour this year and my fans have been going crazy. and like i'm just excited more than anything, more than the album, i mean, eventually people are going to buy the album, you know. but more than anything for me, it's like the fact that this album is now done, out of the way and you can go -- >> take a deep breath? >> no, i can go and see my fans because i haven't been able to really touch them and feel them one-on-one in a long time because i was doing the tour with wayne and britney and then you know it kind of took me outside of that intimate thing with my fans. >> you're going to do some performing for us in the studio in just a couple of minutes. it's nice to see you nicki. it's a pleasure to have you here. >> it's great to be here. >> thank you. appreciate it. 8:42. up next, the tips to the ultimate easter brunch. and then nicki minaj performs right after that.

"today" celebrates easter is brought to you by m&ms. bring m&ms home this easter. ♪ i'm putting all my eggs in one basket ♪ >> back now at 8:45. and this morning on "today" celebrates easter, holiday brunch with italian flair. restaurateur lidia bastianich is here with some great dishes for your easter buffet. always a pleasure to have you here. and you're going to make something easy for us. >> a simple something you can make. it's something great for brunch. but before the easter, the big meal, that's what we used to eat. >> now you're starting with tomatoes and onions. >> here the onions, i get the onions sweated and all that and put a little bit of tomatoes and get those caramelized. once they're caramelized i'll take them out and i will continue to make this. >> what do we have there? >> a little basil. >> dry basil and now we have --

>> a little bit of cheese. >> pecorino cheese? >> grano padanno is whole cow's milk. you can pour that all in. >> on top of the sweated onions. >> okay. good. we'll get that. and you let this slightly set. and once you let it set, it comes to just like that. and this is the tomatoes that we sort of pulled out. >> i wondered where they went. >> oh, you see. and you put them just on top. you kind of spread them around, and gives a beautiful look. and it gives a great flavor. and a little bit ricotta. as italians we like our ricotta. and just kind of, you know, usually the ricotta is mixed in. no, i like it just like that in lumps. it cooks beautifully and then when you eat it and you taste it, it will shape into a nice, nice cake. now this goes into the oven. >> like this? >> just like that you put it in the oven and give it about five

minutes or so, it's finished. >> so while that's cooking a nice salad. cooked and raw salad. some roasted onions, boiled potatoes, string beans. let's put a little bit of olives. you like that? capers. so you can see the flavors like they're building here. now the raw elements, some more tomatoes, some nice big lettuce. >> yeah, just make it rough like that. i agree with you. >> right. okay, you mix. >> yes, ma'am. >> a dressing. a good, good, good, just oil and vinegar. >> that's it? >> you see this is a great salad. it has a lot of flavor. and a lot of nourishment. and you can make that in to a full meal. you can put some tuna, you know, you can put some grilled chicken. >> that looks lovely. that is beautiful. that was -- we're taking it out of the oven. >> this is how television works. you move on. >> boom. i'm starting to get the picture

of how television works. >> here is the frittata. i'll give you a nice look at how beautiful this is. so when you bring it to the table -- i give you a whole tomato. because i didn't want to ruin. now we're talking about tomatoes for easter. i want you to take this. >> the thing is i always wonder tomatoes when they cook they kind of get all mushy. what do you stuff them with? >> this is rice. you cook the rice, whatever you want to flavor in the rice. this tomato if you try it a little bit underripe tomatoes. everything is cook how you want it to colorize itself. and of course the easter bread. >> really good. >> isn't it good? >> the easter bread that's a traditional thing. >> absolutely. used to make that when i was a little girl with grandma. >> this one here is the egg? >> and i used to nibble at it. >> we've got lots of wonderful desserts. but i want to get to this story. because this is a great one.

this is from your mother? >> my grandmother. we used to go to church every, you know, christmas and easter and so on but easter morning early with us she would take a towel like that and she would put scallions and salt and eggs, whole legs and some bread, and she would tie it just like that, like a beggar's purse and we would go to church. >> carrying it like that? >> yes. >> and then when we came home -- and then at the end of the mass, the ladies would go up to the altar, put it on the steps, open it up and have the priest bless it and then we would take it back home. and this would be our first snack, this with a little prosciutto, the italians zip it in egg, a piece of the bread, i piece of prosciutto that would be our snack. before the easter meal. so you know, it's kind of -- >> what a story. >> it's being grateful for the earth that gives us the scallion and the bread, basic salt, the

eggs, which mean for fertilization and new life. it's the meaning of life right here. >> lidia bastianich bringing an italian easter to our homes. happy easter. thank you so much, lidia. coming up next, a live performance from nicki minaj, uh-huh. that's coming up. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

the toyota concert series on "today," brought to you by toyota. we're back now 8:51. more with nicki minaj, she's got a bland h brand-new album, "pink friday roman reloaded." her new video is premiering today on her website. we're thrilled she's performing for us. you ready? >> yes. >> ladies and gentlemen, nicki minaj. ♪ ♪ ♪ let's go i'm on the floor i love to dance ♪ ♪ more more on the floor floor if you want more more

then here i am ♪ ♪ ♪ because we're so hot one more time ♪ ♪ and touch the sky ♪ let's do this one last time ♪ ♪ i own that i owe that ♪ ♪ that's what you like

there's no end in sight ♪ ♪ ♪ get on the floor like you go like this ♪ ♪ if you want more then i am ♪ ♪ and touch the sky can't stop because we're too high ♪ ♪ one more time can't stop hands up and touch the sky ♪ ♪ let's do this one more time ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ hands up and touch the sky ♪ ♪ let's do this one more time ♪ ♪ hands up and touch the sky ♪ let's do this one more time ♪ ♪ >> nicki minaj. she'll be back with more music.

but first your local news and weather. >> good morning. i am sarah caldwell. we take a live picture of camden day. for o's opening hope springs eternal. a sellout crowd will be on hand for opening day. they will take on the minnesota twins.

rick sutcliffe will throw out the first ♪ okay, so who ordered the cereal that can help lower cholesterol and who ordered the yummy cereal? yummy. that's yours. lower cholesterol. lower cholesterol. i'm yummy. lower cholesterol. i got that wrong didn't i? [ male announcer ] want great taste? honey nut cheerios. want whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios. it's a win win. good? [ crunching, sipping ] be happy. be healthy. can i try yours?

sunshine and no reason to expect anything but that all day long. only 56 to 60. just fine for opening day.