good morning. breaking news. a powerful earthquake strikes in the indian ocean, causing tsunami warnings and watches across the region. residents in some areas ordered to head to higher ground. we're live in thailand with the latest. decision day. the special prosecutor now says she will announce new information in the trayvon martin case by friday. as attorneys for george zimmerman suddenly drop him. they say they've lost all contact and have no idea where he is. this morning they'll speak out in a live interview. and death threats. after admitting to receiving government assistance here on "today," the octomom, nadya suleman, now says someone smashed her car's window and left a note that read, "leave california or you will die." and she's got a lot more to say

about that when she joins us exclusively again today, about that when she joins us exclusively again today, wednesday, april 11th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome today on this wednesday morning, i'm ann curry. >> and i'm carl quintanilla in for matt this morning. we begin with that breaking news. residents along coastlines along the indian ocean are fleeing to higher ground this morning, hoping that massive 8.6 earthquake off the coast of indonesia will not produce a devastating tsunami. >> we all remember, this is the same area where 230,000 people were killed by a tsunami back in 2004. officials in the affected areas are keeping a very close eye on these things but they remind us that a warning means a tsunami is possible. i think not necessarily mean that a tsunami is imminent.

we're going to have more on that in a live report coming up straight ahead. >> also a major update to a story we brought you first last month on violent cell phone robberies. officials said there was an easy way to stop those attacks but claimed the cell phone industry was resistant. our investigation has prompted a big change. and we'll have more on that. >> should be very interesting. and also, you know, ashley judd's appearance was a hot topic for our "today's professionals" on tuesday. and some people were criticizing her describing her face as puffy, accusing her of having plastic surgery. well, in an exclusive interview with nbc news judd says it is not true, and she is furious with her critics. so we're going to hear from her coming up. but we begin with this breaking news. a tsunami warning triggered by a powerful earthquake off the coast of indonesia. innocence's ian williams is in bangkok, thailand. good morning. >> good morning, ann. well countries all around the indian ocean are on high alert. that massive 8.7 quake triggered tsunami early warning systems from thailand, malaysia, india, singapore, and of course indonesia, which was closest to

the epicenter. here in thailand, six provinces have issued warnings. beaches have been evacuated. the airport in phuket, that big holiday island, has been closed. people have been advised to move to higher ground. sirens have been heard all along that coast. now the 8.7 quake was felt right across the region. tall buildings shaking here in bangkok, singapore, malaysia, 3:38 p.m. it was local time. the epicenter was 300 miles from banda aceh. that's the capital of aceh so devastated by that 2004 quake and was at a depth of 20 miles. now the good news is that experts are telling us it was a lateral quake. not a vertical quake. which means that the shaking went sideways, and means there's probably less danger of a tsunami. but, no one is taking any chances. memories here, of course, affected by that 2004 quake, a

9.1, which killed a quarter of a million people across the region. there are no immediate reports of casualties. there was panic in the streets of banda aceh when the quake happened. it was a huge quake. the indonesian president said he has no reports of casualties or damage yet. but these are early days. and he is sending an emergency team there. but, if that tsunami is to strike, and it is an if. there's no evidence yet that it's on its way, we'll know within this next hour. and certainly this is a big test of those early warning systems set up after 2004, ann. >> all right. ian williams, thank you so much for reporting on this breaking story. our fingers crossed that actually you're right that perhaps nothing might happen. it is now 7:04. now here's carl. >> ann, thanks. we could be just hours from learning if george zimmerman will be charged in the shooting death of trayvon martin. this after several new twists in the case, including a decision by zimmerman's attorneys to drop their client. nbc's kerry sanders is in

sanford, florida, once again. kerry, good morning. >> well, good morning. the special prosecutor may have reached a decision on whether gunman george zimmerman will face criminal charges or not. but there is now an equally pressing question, where in the world is george zimmerman? in an extraordinary public address tuesday, george zimmerman's attorneys announced they are no longer his lawyers. and then dropped this bombshell. >> we want to announce today, as of now, we are withdrawing as counsel for mr. zimmerman. we've lost contact with him. up to this point we've had contact every day. >> reporter: the lawyers, who never met zimmerman face to face, talked to him via text, e-mail and phone, saying their former client is in hiding. and they believe he is far away. >> for those who are engaged in the late easter egg hunt looking for him. you can stop looking in florida. look much further away than that. >> reporter: trayvon martin's parents and lawyers hope the special prosecutor will announce charges by friday, say they're

stunned. >> it means that he's a potential flight risk and we really don't know where he is. and that concerns us a great deal. >> reporter: do you think that anybody will ever be able to find him? >> the federal government. they claim they know where he is. >> reporter: you've heard that directly? >> well -- >> the sanford police department told us they knew where he was at when they were on the case. we were hopeful the sanford police department would know where he is. that the federal government would know where he's at. but, until we see him in handcuffs, we don't assume anything. that's what the whole world has been watching, kerry. is he going to be arrested? is he ever going to be held accountable for killing trayvon martin? that's the question. >> and then our mission -- >> reporter: when the special prosecutor angela corey tried to talk to zimmerman his legal team at the time said he was exercising his right to remain silent. but now, it appears, against his

then-lawyers' advice, he reached out to corey directly. himself. >> he called the special prosecutor's office, but the prosecutor wouldn't speak to him because he had representation. >> reporter: prosecutors generally prefer to include someone's lawyers during an interview. not only out of matter of professional ethics, but also to prevent losing the information that they've gained once they're in court. now, the florida department of law enforcement, the fdle, says that they cannot confirm that they know where george zimmerman is this morning. he was under no orders to remain in the state. of course, george zimmerman has maintained throughout all of this that he was simply defending himself when he shot and killed 17-year-old trayvon martin. ann? >> kerry sanders, thank you so much. craig sonner and hal uhrig are now both joining us. good morning, gentlemen. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> craig, first let's start with you. based on what you know, is george zimmerman a potential

flight risk? and can you even confirm that he's still in florida? >> i don't believe he's a flight risk. he is not in the area. he is -- i can't disclose where he is. but, again, like we said before, if you're, you know, people staking out his house, my office, his parents' house and so on, he's not here. so, that being said, you know, don't keep -- you don't need to keep looking there. he's where he won't be found. he is in contact with fdle, when it becomes necessary for him to turn himself in, i believe he'll do it. i don't believe he's going to flee the country. >> hal, you suggested that mr. zimmerman may be suffering from some type of post-traumatic stress syndrome. what causes you to make that statement? >> well, let me say this, we've been in contact, and when i say we, primarily i'm talking about mr. sonner, has been in contact with both him and the family, able to draw some conclusions about maybe his mental state, or emotional state, perhaps is a better way to say it. and frankly, his actions here

recently don't speak of someone who's completely doing very well. you've used the term that we're dropping him. i'm not sure that's the fair way to characterize it. let's say that we're simply announcing that the relationship no longer exists based on learning from the special prosecutor directly that he had contacted them, when they said we won't talk to you without your lawyers, he said, well they don't really represent me now, they were just my legal advisers, so i can come in and talk to you. >> it's interesting you talk about this announcement, because you, of course, know that some people in your profession are criticizing the two of you for making this announcement so public. you're on television this morning. you were last night. and that you're making this announcement while also casting aspersions, essentially, on your former client's mental acuity. i mean -- or ability -- or i -- i suppose his wellness. you believe that you are crossing a line of what lawyers should be doing here? craig? >> let me be clear on two things. first of all, we're not casting any aspersions on george zimmerman whatsoever.

we're expressing a concern for his emotional state, given the way that actions have taken place recently. you do that any time you go to a bond hearing. you do it in sentencing hearings. and sometimes you do it in the court of public opinion. >> but do you do it publicly -- >> it cast him in a more favorable light to let the public know he's not a bad guy. he may just be an emotionally beat down guy by this process. >> and so to what end -- >> as far as crossing the line. let me finish. as far as us crossing the line and the criticism of some of the other people that are out there, we've listened to some of them and quite frankly i've got a list of people whose opinions i value and for the most part those that are trashing us aren't on the list. >> okay. all right. well, and then, sorry by the way for interrupting you earlier trying to get some answers. let me ask you then, craig, about why stepping down just two days after losing contact with zimmerman was not a rash decision. >> oh, it's not a rash decision. i can't keep coming on tv and saying i represent him when he's made statements apparently to the prosecutor that he

doesn't -- he wants to handle the case himself, and he doesn't want me to take part in it. and i've tried to contact him many times. family have tried to contact him. he's not returning calls to me. he is calling other people. he's saying i'm going to call you back at 9:00. he doesn't call back at 9:00. he's not returning e-mails, he's not returning text messages. the only conclusion i can draw is that he doesn't want me to represent -- to want us to represent him anymore. i can't keep going forward with the evidence shows he doesn't want us to represent him. he's not going to be in contact with me. then it's my ethical duty to step down. it's not -- it doesn't work the other way around. >> right -- you can't -- >> it's a one way street. >> you can't reach him. if he is watching right now what is your message to george zimmerman, hal? >> same message we sent to him by phone, fax, text, and e-mail through his website. give us a call. if you've got something you'd like to talk to us about, we're here. we've been ready for you. waiting for you. but if you're -- even if you don't want us to represent you, just call us and tell us that so

that we're clear on it. >> hal uhrig and also craig sonner. thank you so much. again sorry for interrupting you earlier. newt gingrich and ron paul are vowing to they in the gop presidential race on the heels of rick santorum's decision to suspend his campaign. a move that affectively gives the republican nomination to mitt romney. nbc's peter alexander is here with the latest in what is essentially a new chapter of the race. >> yeah, you might say this is now day two of the general election campaign for all intents and purposes. the battle is now under way between mitt romney and barack obama. but rick santorum was really never expected to be so competitive in this race. but he obviously was tireless and passionate as a campaigner and even romney acknowledged that santorum will play a large role in the republican party going forward. >> this has been a good day for me. >> reporter: just hours after rick santorum abruptly suspended his presidential bid, mitt romney praised his chief republican rival as an able and worthy competitor.

>> he has made an important contribution to the political process. >> reporter: then romney quickly pivoted. when directing his attention toward president obama. >> the president is so out of touch -- >> reporter: courting women voters during a stop at a female-owned steel parts plant, romney attacked the president for claiming republicans are waging a war on women. >> the real war on women has been the job losses as a result of the obama economy. and if we're going to get women back to work, we're going to have to elect a president who understands how the economy works, and i do. >> reporter: senator, what's next for you? >> i'd like to get some sleep, would be a good thing. >> reporter: late tuesday, in a faith and family forum, santorum reflected on what he called a campaign of miracles. acknowledging it took a toll on his family. >> it was a little tougher for karen and the kids. they did an amazing job, as they always have. in standing behind me in every sense of the word. >> reporter: santorum's

unexpected announcement tuesday -- >> and we will suspend our campaign effective today -- >> reporter: -- came barely 24 hours after his ailing 3-year-old daughter bella returned home from an easter weekend in the hospital. santorum's improbable success was largely due to his ability to connect with blue collar voters and social conservatives. he was often outspoken, and his off-the-cuff campaign comments made headlines. on president obama -- >> what a snob. >> reporter: and on separation of church and state. >> you bet that makes you throw up. >> reporter: as well as on romney, himself. >> he is the worst republican in the country. to put up against barack obama. >> reporter: but romney isn't talking about any of that now. he's already joking about a potential running mate. >> have you chosen a vp? >> i'm here to announce today that i do not even have a list. are you available for this job? no. all right. you bet. yeah, there you go.

>> reporter: she raised her hand. she said she was available. after santorum's announcement, by the way, both newt gingrich and ron paul insisted they are staying in this race. gingrich's troubles continued. this week we learned his campaign bounced a $500 check to get his name on the utah ballot. by the way, santorum's communications director tells me that romney has reached out to santorum, trying to set up a face-to-face meeting with the former senator to discuss the potential endorsement, but again that campaign spokesperson tells us nothing has been finalized. >> interesting. peter alexander, thanks. >> let's get a check of the other top stories from natalie morales at the news desk. >> good morning, ann and carl. busy morning here today. we begin with secretary of state hillary clinton is threatening what she called quote appropriate action if north korea goes ahead with the launch of its long-range rocket. nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel is again in pyongyang with more. richard, good day. >> good morning, natalie. north korea says its controversial rocket is now being fueled, the satellite loaded, and ready to go. earlier today we were taken to

pyongyang's main mission control room. it's the very basic facility. we counted just 16 engineers, only 6 telephones, and western experts tell us, they have serious doubt that the satellite will actually make it into orbit, and say there is a risk the rocket could come crashing down sometime after launch. that, of course, would be a major embarrassment for north korea, and pose a risk to people on the ground. north korea, however, is expressing confidence in both the satellite and the rocket, and says once the satellite is in orbit, it will begin broadcasting patriotic songs, praising north korea's leader. natalie? >> richard engel in pyongyang, north korea. thank you. a bomb threat forced a korean air jetliner to be diverted just 25 minutes after takeoff from vancouver en route to seoul. two u.s. f-15 fighter jets were scrambled to escort the plane to a canadian air base. korean air officials say they received a call saying that the bowing 777 was carrying an explosive. all passengers are safe, and the airline is conducting a safety

inspection of that jet. a new warning for women using birth control pills. the fda will now require those birth control pills to carry a new label, informing consumers that they may increase their risk for potentially life threat ing blood clots. brands such as yazminimum, yaz and several others contain that hoar main. the fda urges women to speak to their doctors before deciding on a birth control method. now let's head to wall street which has been stuck in a rut lately. tuesday saw the year's worst drop for the dow so far. cnbc's mary thompson is at the new york stock exchange. what is roiling the markets there? >> well, natalie, yesterday, 213 point decline in the dow jones industrial average fueled by renewed concerns about the european debt crisis. but investors were focused on the economic outlook for spain. giving the market some hope this morning a surprise profit reported by aluminum giant alcoa yesterday after the bell.

alcoa traditionally kicks off the earnings season. back to you. >> hoping for a good day. mary thompson at the new york stock exchange. thanks. it was the biggest loser at the white house last night. where contestants got a chance to work out with the big guns on pennsylvania avenue. first lady michelle obama, who is a fan of the show. she joined them for squats and jumping jacks and talked about the importance of working out as a family. that had to be a great moment for those contestants. 7:18 right now. you're up to date. turn it back over to ann, carl and al. looks like she's keeping pace with them. >> oh, i'm sure she was. >> i know, i know. natalie, thank you so much. guess who's here? mr. roker with the first check of the mornings's weather. hey, you. >> hey, we've got a lot going on today. especially as we start out, show you what's happening here in the east. temperatures awfully chilly. look at these below freezing in minneapolis. 33 in chicago. 4 in atlanta, and 37 in syracuse. we've got freeze watches and warnings stretching from minneapolis all the way down to atlanta, georgia. then out west we're looking at a

lot of wet weather. we'll check that out in the next half hour. >> good morning. the weather should be quiet for the morning commute. we have a chance for a rain shower in the forecast. the best chance would be >> that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thank you. the trial of a man accused of killing actress and singer jennifer hud sun's mother, brother and young nephew is moving forward. jury selection wrapped up on tuesday and nbc's john yang is outside the cook county courthouse in chicago with more on this story. hey, john, good morning. >> good morning, ann. there is now a full jury plus six alternates in place for this

trial. it's early stages, but it's already clear that jennifer hudson's celebrity is going to be a big factor in this trial. as jennifer hudson rose from "american idol" contestant -- >> ♪ you've grown to love me >> reporter: to oscar winner in "dream girls." ♪ >> reporter: to chart-topping recording artist, there was one constant in her life. >> this is my mother. >> reporter: the love and support of her family. then in october 2008, a tragic blow. >> the first victim was a female found in the living room floor. >> reporter: her mother and brother found shot to death in the family's south side chicago home. the body of her 7-year-old nephew found in an suv three days later. earlier this year, hudson told lester holt on "dateline nbc" that a last-minute fall from her fiance may have spared her life. >> i was literally picking up my

bag to walk out the door to go to my mother's house and he called me like, can you come out here, instead of going, and i was like, okay, sure. and that one decision. that one thing, i wouldn't have been here. >> reporter: william balfour, the estranged husband of her sister, is about to go on trial for the murders. potential jurors filled out a 17-page questionnaire. have you ever watched "american idol," seen the movie "dream girls." do you belong to any organization for which jennifer hudson is a spokesperson? an apparent reference to weight watchers. >> the challenge for the judge and the lawyers is to keep the jurors focused on the witnesses. instead of jennifer hudson. >> reporter: hudson hasn't attended jury selection but is expected to be in the courtroom every day of the trial. she may lean on the words of her slain brother for strength as

she says she has for the murders. >> if i was crying about something or upset, discouraged, mad, he'd say knock it off. that's what i hear in my head. don't mope around. or do what i know that would make them proud. and that's what i did. >> reporter: hudson's also listed as a potential witness in this case. the trial is expected to begin in about a week and a half. if he's convicted, balfour faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. ann? >> all right. john yang this morning. thanks, john. and just ahead, new details on the relationship between alec baldwin and the woman who's been accused of stalking him. but first, this is "today" on nbc. ahad, the okay toe mon

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and you help secure meals for local families. go to facebook and learn more about how you can join the fight. because hunger is a big problem, and it needs a big answer. >> this is wbal-tv 11 is today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. closing arguments are set for today in the retrial of twin brothers tremayne and travers johnson, the pair accused of setting a pit bull on fire in 2009. prosecutors rested their case on tuesday after jurors saw photographs and videos previously disallowed by the judge. this trial was supposed to start last may.

here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> kind of busy, but the west side problems have cleared. 152 and joppa, we have an accident clearing. you can see the red on 95 out of the northeast. once you get on the north side of the beltway, average speed of 20 miles per hour. 32 miles per hour on the spot i- 70. tracking some delays on the inner loop on the ramp to hawkins point. let's give you a live view of traffic and an updated harford road, very heavy traffic there. live view of quarantine road, we have the ramp blocked at hawkins point. on the inner loop, watch for delays leading up to that. tony has to check on your

forecast. >> quiet but chilly start this morning. clouds have been thickening up the last couple of hours. 38 in jarrettsville. 38 at the airport. cloud cover out of the west. allied west winds at 7. 30% chance of rain showers this afternoon. it will warm up going into the weekg

i was absolutely terrified. and thousands upon thousands of death threats. >> that was, of course, the so-called octomom, nadya suleman talking to matt last week about getting hate mail for receiving government assistance to feed her 14 children. now she claims that someone has gone even further, smashing her car window and leaving a threatening note. we're going to talk to her when she joins us for an exclusive live interview coming up this morning. meantime, it is now 7:30 on a wednesday morning. the 11th of april, 2012. and i'm happy to be sitting alongside carl quintanilla who is in for matt this morning. >> good to be here. also ahead, with some newly obtained court documents are revealing about the relationship between alec baldwin and the woman now charged with assaulting the "30 rock" star. >> that's right. and also ashley judd has been in

the news all this week because critics have been slamming her for appearance, accusing her of having plastic surgery. guess what? now she is responding. denying those claims, categorically and exclusive interview for nbc's "nightly news." you're going to find out what she's got to say about that. but also we want to tell you to hang onto your hats. because the man who says he says whatever he thinks and doesn't, you know, doesn't hold back, that's ricky gervais, of course. he's going to be her live in our studio. so batten down the hatches. >> we begin this half hour with the latest on the woman accuseded of stalking alec baldwin. nbc's mara schiavocampo is outside the actor's apartment here in new york city. ma mara, good morning. >> carl, good morning. this is where the arrest went down. alec baldwin says sunday night, 40-year-old actress genevieve sabourin showed up here at his new york city apartment building demanding to see the actor. the "30 rock" star says that's the third time in two weeks that she showed up somewhere uninvited and that she was also cyber stalking him. genevieve sabourin was calm and

collected leaving manhattan criminal court monday evening, after being arraigned for allegedly stalking actor alec baldwin. nbc news has obtained court documents detailing the alleged harassment. that baldwin says got so bad he had to change his phone number. the "30 rock" star claims sabourin e-mailed him 12 times in five days, even after he told her to leave him alone. writing, quote, need you now, please alec, come and pick me up now. i am less than 10 minutes away from you tonight. say i do to me. and in another message, i need to start my new life with my new name, my new career, in my new country, help my newly husband. in her e-mails, sabourin expressed excitement about, quote creating genevieve baldwin. but it was not to be. the 54-year-old alec baldwin who went through a notoriously ugly divorce from oscar winning actress kim basinger in the '90s did just get engaged. but it was to 28-year-old yoga

instructor hilaria thomas. the very weekend of his engagement he told police sabourin showed up at his long island weekend home. >> from the prosecutor's perspective, not only does the prosecutor need to show that anyone would have been in fear of this woman's conduct but that alec baldwin himself was in fear of this woman's behavior. >> reporter: baldwin also says sabourin showed up uninvited and unannounced at an event he was hosting in new york city. but the defense paints a different picture. saying baldwin and sabourin had, quote, a mutual relationship. they were communicating back and forth with one another, e-mails, phone calls, text messages, going in both directions. >> i'm proud to live in this great country. >> reporter: baldwin and sabourin met on the set of the box office flop in 2002. he made a cameo and she worked as his publicist. baldwin acknowledges they had dinner once in 2010, but a source close to him said he did it to give the struggling actress some career advice.

a new york police source says the two actually had dinner twice. >> when the story first hit, many people thought this was a random woman that had never met alec baldwin before. as it turns out, the two of them had shared a meal or two, yet they weren't close enough friends that it would be acceptable for genevieve to knock on alec baldwin's door unannounced. >> reporter: sabourin has been charged with aggravated harassment and stalking. she pled not guilty at her arraignment and her next court date is may 14th. the judge also issued a temporary order of protection for baldwin. >> mara schiavocampo in new york. thanks. all right, carl, thank you. now to a double murder and a suicide that's rocked a small michigan town. we're now hearing the emotional nine one uncall from the 17-year-old girl who survived. we should warn you some of the details you're about to hear are disturbing. nbc's kevin tibbles has more. hey, kevin, good morning. >> ann, as this town grables with tremendous loss it is also coming to the in support of the young woman who survived this

tragedy, while everyone is asking, how could this have happened on a leafy, suburban seat called sunny dale? a makeshift memorial sits outside the home where unspeakable horror took place. leaving the small community of livonia, michigan, shaken to its core. >> it comes as a total shock to everyone because it goes well beyond what anybody can imagine. >> 911, what's the address of your emergency? >> reporter: last wednesday, 17-year-old desiree made an extremely urgent call to 911. >> my ex-boyfriend broke into my house and killed my current boyfriend and then killed himself. >> reporter: just now? >> yeah. >> reporter: okay, stay on the line with me. >> and he kind of beat me up, so -- and my parents aren't home and it's just me and i'm 17. >> reporter: but what the teen didn't realize at the time of the call was that her mother angela was also a victim. >> the crime scene that we came upon that day was horrific. >> reporter: police say 19-year-old high school graduate

brian white, desiree's ex-boyfriend, entered the family home, grabbed an ax, and bludgeoned angela as she slept. he then moved into desiree's room where she and her new boyfriend were asleep. desiree woke up while white was murdering burns. >> she began to struggle with the suspect. she was knocked down at some point, hurt her knee. the suspect then went and retrieved a firearm, a pistol from the other bedroom again and came back. >> reporter: police say brian white, armed with a gun, threatened to kill himself while desiree, injured and held hostage, tried to calm him. several hours later, white killed himself in front of desiree, who then called 911. >> there has been a murder suicide. there is no is your pfeiffers, please send -- >> okay, what's going on? >> this girl was very brave. >> reporter: police say white, who did not have a criminal record, became upset over his recent breakup with desiree, an aspiring model.

in the days leading up to the murder/suicide, white was reportedly posting grim notes online. from the horror movie "american psycho." a film where the main character uses an ax to murder his victims. >> he was clearly unhappy about the breakup. but we saw no indications of violence or threats or anything of that nature at all. >> reporter: white's friends were shocked by the crime. one posting on facebook, the brian i knew would not have been capable of this. >> 19 years, already a stressful time. add to that a breakup. and you may see abnormal behavior that could really be devastating. >> reporter: funerals for the victims were held on tuesday. despite their tremendous loss, the family has released a statement saying that desiree's survival is a miracle that they will now hold onto. ann? >> all right. kevin tibbles this morning. thank you so much for that reporting. and let's switch gears now. okay. shall we? and get a check of the weather with al. >> all right. we've got a change in our

temperatures coming up. if it's chilly where you've been, good news things may start to warm up. we've had what we call this omega block trough on both sides of the country, high pressure, a big ridge in the middle. so it's warmer than normal there. cooler than normal in the coasts. as we move into the weekend, warmer than normal out east, although cooler than normal through the plains back into the southwest. then it kind of stalls and that means we're going to get severe weather latter part of the week on into the weekend in the midwest. >> good morning. it will be a chilly day today. we have a chance for a rain shower this afternoon. increasing clouds.

>> and don't forget you can get your weather any time of the day or night, go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. >> all right, al, thank you. coming up next the jeff rossen investigation on violent cell phone robberies that is now helping to bring about a industrywide change. and also, a little bit later, ricky gervais is going to be bringing his irreverent brand of humor to our studio. we're going to be catching up with him live. [ glass clinks ] i just wanted to say a few words. first of all, thank you for the lovely meal jane. mom. and let's hear it for sara's paper mache eiffel tower. it's the washington monument. and dad, i'll never forget what you said to me this morning. you said "brian, it's 11:15. get up." so maybe this is just the cake talking but let's celebrate! [ male announcer ] celebrate the little things. buy any kfc 10 pc meal or larger and get a free double chocolate chip cake.

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here with the update. jeff, good morning. >> hey, carl, good morning. this is a major update and it's good news for all of us. these violent robberies are incredibly dangerous. innocent people beaten, held up at gunpoint, even brutally attacked by thieves who want their cell phones. police told us there's actually an easy way to stop these crimes, but the wireless industry was standing in the way. our story aired just weeks ago. now the cell phone companies are changing their tune and taking action. fort lauderdale. a thief sucker punches this man, beating him to a pulp. the victim tries to get up, but the robber kicks him back down, and makes off with his iphone. and in los angeles, a man follows this teenage girl into her apartment lobby just to snatch her phone, punching her over and over again, but this girl fights back. the crook pushes her against the wall, and pummels her.

washington, d.c. police chief cathy lanier says it every day. this is a big business. >> it's a huge business. huge business. the after market resale of these phones is just driving it. >> reporter: and she says the wireless industry was putting its own profits over your safety. allowing stolen phones to be reactivated later, with a different phone number. yes, that's right. in most cases, black market buyers, or the thieves themselves, were able to buy service on that stolen phone. lining the pockets of the wireless companies. what is your message for the wireless industry? >> shame on you. i mean, this is something despicable. >> reporter: police told us there's an easy fix. that would stop criminals in their tracks. here's how it works. every cell phone has its own unique i.d. or fingerprint. once the phone is reported stolen, it would be blacklisted in the u.s. wireless companies from verizon to at&t, t-mobile to sprint would all share information, banning service on that stolen phone on all carriers forever.

>> it becomes useless. so there's no profit anymore. when you take that profit away there's no motivation to stick a gun in somebody's face and take their phone. >> reporter: just three weeks ago the wireless industry told us they didn't want to do it yet. the police chief here in d.c. said this was about money. >> well, it -- it -- it's a money loser in a lot of respects. >> reporter: they said it's better to wait until other countries try it first. >> let's make sure we get, for example mexican service providers, central american, south american, african, chinese. >> reporter: but why not start with the u.s.? why not take that first step and fix it here? >> well, because i think the larger problem, the bigger problem is overseas. >> reporter: but after our story aired, a sudden 180. the wireless companies are now agreeing to it. they will blacklist any phone reported stolen in the u.s. making it useless to thieves. lawmakers and the ftc call it a victory for consumers. >> we're sending a message to consumers, we got your back.

and a message to criminals that we're cracking down, don't waste your time. >> reporter: the ftc is now giving cell phone companies 18 months to get the system up and running. the companies say this agreement shows their dedication to public safety and will enhance the security and protection of all their customers. and so we love bringing you updates like this. >> always nice when they get a little push, too. >> yeah. >> thanks very much, jeff rossen. still ahead, nadya suleman opens up in an exclusive live interview with the death threats she says she received over the weekend. but first these messages. hi, i just switched jobs, and i want to roll over my old 401(k) into a fidelity ira. man: okay, no problem. it's easy to get started; i can help you with the paperwork. um...this green line just appeared on my floor. yeah, that's fidelity helping you reach your financial goals. could you hold on a second? it's your money. roll over your old 401(k) into a fidelity ira and take control of ur personal economy. this is going to be helpful. call or come in today.

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in fact it's highclere castle and thousands of americans are flocking here to get a little taste of life at downton. >> welcome to downton. >> guests don't arrive in the manner they once did. >> welcome. >> reporter: but the real life countess of highclere is just as welcoming. for many it's a long journey. >> raleigh, north carolina. >> california. >> come on in. you must be worn out. >> reporter: the great hall is exactly as it is in the series, where so much drama unfolds. many fans. >> what should we call each other? >> we could always start with lady. >> reporter: maggie smith putting people in their place. clever, funny, and at times heart wrenching the period drama, some call it a soap

opera, about british nobles and their servants, has found a surprisingly large fan base among americans. stunning downton star michelle dougherty even graces the cover of the new "vanity fair." one family traveled from las vegas to step back into the past. >> we love their dresses. we love their hats. >> reporter: romance, and tragedy run in both directions. upstairs and downstairs. >> how is she? >> reporter: in season two, a deadly virus sweeps through the abbey. >> i'm afraid we have illness in the house. >> reporter: and the downton drama often mirrors highclere's history. in the 1920s the fifth earl mysteriously died after discovering the tomb of egypt's boy king, tutankhamen. then others linked to the old egyptian adventure also met strange deaths. because of that, some say the castle remains under king tut's curse. but the present lady of the house shrugs that off.

and shows us around the castle's egyptian exhibits. >> i'm respectful of curses, obviously. my husband's kind of less bothered about it. >> reporter: downton abbey's second season ended in a swirl of romance and intrigue. >> will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? >> reporter: all setting for season three, with a new star joining the cast. oscar winning american actress shirley maclaine, seen her during recent filming. but what does the future hold for downton abbey? have you found out what happens? >> no, but i'm really excited. >> reporter: filming begins again here in a couple of weeks. >> i just want to tell people when season three comes on that i've been there. >> and when we see season three we want to be able to visualize it. >> reporter: but at highclere they're giving nothing away. and get this, ann, they say they are already getting almost 2,000 visitors here every day.

>> keir simmons, thank you so much. speaking of popular british imports, look who's here. and he dressed up for us as well. wearing his fancy shoes. >> casual wednesday. . 3 o'clock. my daily meeting with a salty snack. and then at 3:15 with my guilt. [ female announcer ] special k cracker chips. 27 crispy chips. 110 delicious calories. mmm. good meeting. same time tomorrow? [ female announcer ] find them in the cracker aisle. i see a bag and think... i could have a chip. yeah right. that's why they're called chipsss. [ female announcer ] special k cracker chips. 27 crispy chips. 110 delicious calories. [ female announcer ] find them in the cracker aisle. ♪ [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] you may be an allergy muddler. try zyrtec® for powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because it starts working faster on the first day you take it. zyrtec®. love the air. [ sneezes ]

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. time for a check of the morning commute. >> let's get you up-to-date. several accident we have been tracking. one that has been cleared is belair at 543. delays are in effect at the intersection. pretty heavy from belair road towards the harrisburg expressway. little bit of a delay on southbound 83 from padonia down to the beltway. 27 on the west side outer loop. eastbound 40, we have accident coming in. inner loop beltway ramp to

hawkins point, that ramp is still closed with an accident and a fuel spill. northbound 295 at powder mill road, we have an accident. heavy delays in both directions to and from the accident scene. update in the white marsh area. delays in place at the harford county line all the way to the beltway. live view of quarantine road, you can see the distance at the ramp to hawkins point is closed. they are making progress on the inner loop ramp to hawkins point. tony, over to you. >> a little cloud cover out there op-ed no precipitation. 34 in taneytown. the 36 degrees in parkton. you will need to the winter jacket to start the day. a little bit of a breeze out of the west, but not much. 30% chance for rain shower this afternoon. a lot of you are rooting for some rain, but it will not be a widespread rain event.

high temperature of only 55 degrees. still in the 50's tomorrow, but back into the 60s on friday and saturday. 75 on sunday to close the s

oh, no. 8:00 now on a wednesday morning. apparently we've lost our minds because we have put ricky gervais in charge of our control room. of course, he is the very popular comedian and anyway, ricky, how's it going in there? >> drunk again. it's wednesday! >> a special day. >> i'm out of here. >> now back away. that's a good idea, ricky. we'll be catching up with him coming up actually -- >> we're going to black soon, i

know it. he's just wandering aimlessly. >> meantime outside here on the plaza i'm ann curry along with carl quintanilla in for matt lauer and al. coming up we're going to be talking about nadya suleman the so-called octomom. she says she's received some debt threats, talk about her car window being smashed. we're going to catch up with her. >> also ahead, ashley judd addressing her critics, and denying that she's had plastic surgery in an exclusive interview we'll have from miss judd. >> there's been a lot of buzz about this and she's pretty angry about it. frankly i don't blame her. >> absolutely. going from anger to laughter, the aforementioned ricky gervais is here. his new hbo series "the ricky gervais show" which i think is a scream, they take some of their radio shows, the soundtracks and insert them in animated cartoons. the new season is coming on hbo. a sneak peek. >> do you know that "the office" is now in nine countries? the show that he and his collaborators have come up with.

>> they should do that here in america. >> i think they have. anyway let's go inside and get a check of the top stories from natalie. >> good morning, ann, carl and al. good morning, everyone. at least one powerful aftershock has been felt in coastal communities in the indian ocean after a major earthquake there this morning. panicked residents in thailand and indonesia fled to higher ground after a magnitude 8.6 quake struck off aceh. tsunami warnings were issued and buildings began to shake in banda aceh but there are no reports of serious damage. george zimmerman, the man who claims he shot trayvon martin in self-defense, will need a new attorney. earlier on today, craig sonner and hal uhrig defended their decision to stop representing zimmerman saying they hadn't been in touch with him since sunday and felt it wasn't right to continue speaking on his behalf. mitt romney is one step closer to the republican nomination, after his chief rival, rick santorum, droned out of the race for the white house on use. santorum's decision came just days after his 3-year-old daughter bella, who suffers from

a serious genetic condition, was hospitalized. the ceo of best buy brian dunn abruptly resigned tuesday amid an investigation into his personal conduct. the company says the probe is unrelated to the struggling company's financial operations. now for a look at what's trending today. our quick roundup of what has you talking online, you've been talking about ashley judd who's once again burning up google search engines after she squashed rumors in her op-ed piece in the daily beast that a fuller face was due to plastic surgery. in an exclusive interview airing tonight on "nbc nightly news" with brian williams judd fired back at critics. >> i think it's hatred of women. i think it's the objectification of girls and women and this hypersexualization of our society that invites the criticism. it doesn't have anything to do with me, really, and how i look. do i look bad? i've had work. i look too good, i've had work. >> and judd said her puffier appearance was due to her taking

steroids for a sinus infection and getting to see the full interview on "nightly news" tonight. fans of the simpsons are taking the twitter creator matt groening finally revealed that the city of springfield is a real place. he says homer, bart and the gang live in springfield, oregon and that he was inspired by the tv show "father knows best" which is also set in springfield. and the texts from hillary is going viral and blowing up across facebook. it began with a picture of hillary clinton focused on her blackberry with spoof text messages to movers and shakers. but even the secretary of state herself is a fan and invited the creators to the state department to even submitted an autographed photo where she wrote thanks to the many lol. and signed it hil. let's go back outside to al with a check of your weather. >> i can't get over that springfield is in oregon. >> it's a real place! >> i'm stunned. thought it was going to be ohio. oh, well. it's your 12th birthday.

what's your name? >> christopher. >> and what are you doing for your birthday? >> for my birthday going to the guggenheim, and then phantom of the opera. >> all right. very nice. cool. all right. let's check it out. watch out for that chandelier. laredo, texas. hello. sunny, hot, 91 degrees. and heat continues through texas, but it's going to be chilly here in the northeast. you can see some heavier showers and thunderstorms firing up through the plains states today. look for risk of strong storms. west texas on up into oklahoma. we're also looking at showers along the east or the west coast. heavier rain down in southern california. some snows through western new york, and western p.a. that's what's going on around >> good morning. the weather should be quiet for the morning commute. we have a chance for a rain shower in the forecast. the best chance would

>> that's your latest weather. what's your name? >> jeremy. >> zoe. >> jillian. >> katherine. >> jill. >> all right. there you go. ann? >> and i'm ann. okay, thanks a lot al. coming up we'll be talking to the so-called octomom nadya suleman about what she says have been death threats against her. lollipops ♪ , ♪ and rainbows, that's how this refrain goes ♪ ♪ so come on, join in...everybody! ♪ ♪ sunshine, lollipops and rainbows ♪ ♪ everything that's wonderful is sure to come your way! ♪ ♪ 'cause you're in love ♪ you're in love ♪ and love is here to stay!

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investigating reports that someone smashed her van's window and left behind an alarming note. we'll talk to nadya suleman exclusively in a moment. but first the latest on her story. just days after nadya suleman appeared on "today," telling matt that in the past she's been the target of death threats -- >> i was absolutely terrified and received thousands upon thousands of death threats. >> reporter: -- she says it's happened again. on saturday police in california were called to the suleman home by her father to investigate damage to her car, parked in the driveway. >> she's very scared. she's scared for the kids. she's scared for herself. >> reporter: after getting questions from the media about a death threat tuesday, police say detectives met with suleman. she said she found a threatening note inside the car that read, leave california or you will die. but she said she hadn't told her father about the note. when detectives tried to collect the note as evidence, suleman told them she no longer had it. >> the police don't know, and

none of us know, who made this alleged death threat, and what their motivation was. we do know that for a very long time that a lot of neighbors around nadya's house have not wanted her there, and they would rather she just left. >> i love you. >> reporter: suleman became widely known as octomom in 2009. when she gave birth to octuplets through in vitro fertilization, adding eight to the six children she already had. >> apple. >> reporter: sometimes vilified in the media, suleman defended her decision to give birth to the octuplets and vowed at the time to care for them on her own, without government assistance. >> i've chosen never to go on welfare. i feel as though it is my responsibility to do what i can for my children. >> reporter: but last week on "today," suleman admitted receiving about $2,000 a month in aid from the state of california. >> it's only food stamps. and it's -- if you do it temporarily, it's a resource. >> reporter: a resource, according to her manager, that comes at a price.

>> this is all because she needed a little bit of assistance right now. and it was already hard enough for her to go and do it and now she's having to deal with this. she's afraid to leave the house. >> and nadya suleman is with us exclusively this morning. nadya, good morning. >> good morning. how are you? >> i'm good. >> thank you for having me. >> a few days ago you were on this couch with matt. you talked about your financial troubles. days later this event happened. do you think the two were related? >> i think it's highly possible. and i -- the note that suddenly disappeared. my daughter found it, and then when we read it, i was so terrified i threw it out. and then we had to retrieve it from the trash. >> so who has the note now -- >> i wanted to -- i believe that another interviewer took it. i had it with me in the morning, and i retrieved it from the trash. but i really want to protect my kids from it. i didn't want them to see it. >> are you going to eventually hand that note over to the

police? >> i believe they have a copy of it. but i'm going to have to find out if the -- i can't say the name of who interviewed me in the mornings. >> this is not the first time you've had trespassers on your property, or is it? >> right, right. no, this is not the first time, no. about three years ago, the same car, poor car, it was vandalized, someone smashed the back of it, the entire back window, and i had someone try to break in the side of the house. >> and you've been getting death threats? you've said you've gotten death threats literally for years. >> thousands. >> for years. >> thousands for the first two years and then they suddenly stopped. and then they just started again. >> what steps are you taking to try to keep your family safe? >> it kind of exacerbated my anxiety and my fear of being out in the public so i don't really go out often. if i do, i'll wear a wig or i'll disguise myself. >> except when you're on national television?

>> right now, yes, exactly. i'm in my house. >> you described your situation as destitute. what are your plans to start making some real income? how are you going to get off of assistance? and is this going to have to involve you eventually doing some kind of reality show, or what? >> i'm open to that. i'm very open-minded to doing any type of reality show. but i am planning on getting off the relief and food stamps any -- you know, all of it, within a month. >> are you worried at all that you talked so much about your financial situation being so precarious that authorities are going to move in and try to take some of your children? is that element of worry in your head? >> no, not at all. that's not a -- there's no worry whatsoever. that that will ever happen. they don't do that. they help you get assistance. they were actually shocked it took me over three years to even call to make -- to ask for some help with food. >> you know, there are -- there

are a lot of moms out there, nadya, who look at your situation and feel that your kids deserve better. what's your message to them? >> my message is that they could never have a better home. a better home physically? yes. we're going to be moving. but they could never have a better mother. and they are so, so fortunate. actually, these people who are saying that are probably envious that they will never have the connections that these children have within their own group. the bond that they share and the connection they share with each other is extraordinary. and i think they just -- they're kind of oblivious to how special that bond is. >> nadya? >> they don't have it. >> thank you very much. nadya suleman joining us live. coming up next, ricky gervais, live in studio 1a. right after this. pull on those gardening gloves. grab the nearest spade. and let's see how colorful an afternoon can be. with certified advise to help us expand our palette... ...and prices that give us more spring per dollar...

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chili's lunch break combos. it is now 8:1. with the classic comedian ricky gervais, the co-creator of the hit show "the office" is a popular podcaster and it's the basis of hbo's animated series called "the ricky gervais show" he ricky and his friends offer their interesting take on things like slugs. >> they don't make stamps. >> these are stamps. >> that's why they're so slow. i think they're sweating glue. have you ever picked up a slug? well, they give off this glue. it's like all the glue they've eaten off stamps, they panic and when they sweat, they sweat glue. >> hat do you mean they sweat glue? >> hat do they do for the world? >> they're food. it's not good enough. not good enough.

>> ricky gervais, good morning. >> hello. >> these are the most downrate -- downloaded podcasts in the history of human kind. >> yeah, about 320 million so far. >> can you explain this? >> can't. i mean i suppose i did it because i liked the fact it was global. the internet is global. it's just a radio show. you go into a room. it's all ad-lib. it's not even planned. it's just a microphone and we just chat. and i wanted to share some with the world. because it's different to other people. as you saw there. and yeah, it just went ballistic. >> carl is the animation with the round head. that's right. and carl -- that's the drawing. it's a round, it's i circle. >> it is. it's not as round as his real head. >> yeah? >> he's got a completely spherical little head. it's like an orange. >> really? and what's going on inside that

head? >> nothing. very little. i treat him like i found the missing link. look, it looks like a man. but listen to the weertd things it says. i call him every day. it's like a podcast every day and it just cracks me up. it's just so funny. and he sees the world differently. >> yeah, yeah. yeah, he definitely does. okay. well, look forward you actually hired him originally as your assistant. is that right? >> no, he was actually the producer on my radio show. and then i asked him a question on air and what came out was absolute drive. it was funny drivel. he's just funny. he's odd. and i wanted to share -- i feel like i'm anthony hopkins in the elephant man parading dune this weird thing. >> well obviously people love it because of all the downloads. i notice that, you know, your character has a pretty kind of vaguely familiar look. in fact, if it might say why is it that your character, take a look at the screen, looks like

fred flintstone. really, look at that. the nose, the ears. >> because i look a built like fred flintstone in real life. >> you do not. >> i wanted to be very retro. the things they say are so odd. and i didn't want to be trendy because it's quite out there some of the things we talk about. and so i thought that it would be a nice juxtaposition. it looks friendly. >> lots of out there subjects that you're talking about. one of them, what it would be like for a man to have his brain implanted in tom cruise's body. this is carl's idea? >> it's his idea for a film. right? in this film, tom cruise, they're making mission impossible 7 but tom cruise dies, so there's this other actor who's always hated tom cruise that gives him his brain. so it's the body of tom cruise and the brain of this guy called brian, who's played by ted danson. we've animated that.

and you see the film and it's just hilarious because that's the great thing about the animation. you can suddenly see carl's flight to fancy. so, yeah -- >> so fun. >> it's so much fun. it's a great idea being in the room with carl. >> this is now part of a series you're doing for hbo, gone from podcasts to hbo, and now there's something in the press about you saying you're not going to do the golden globes for a third time. is that true? why not? >> i've done it three times. >> for a fourth time. are you done? >> well maybe. never say never. but i think three in a row was enough. i really enjoyed the last one. i think that by the third one the audience actually got it. the first two times i was like, why are they saying such awful things. by the third time they were like, oh, i get it, they're joked. so it was good. >> so far i'm guessing you have not been invited to do the oscars yet? would you consider doing the oscars? and what is this i may be hearing about you would livestream your commentary.

>> i would love to do that. >> what is that? >> you watch the oscars on your tv with the sound down and you have me and a few of my idiot friends doing the real conversation. saying what you want say on television. >> that would be an amazing series. >> that's better than singing and dancing, isn't it? >> you know, we've got to go in a few moments but i wanted to ask you, because it sounds like your mom had a terrific wit. i've been reading about you. and my impression is that she really taught you -- >> all my family are funny. all my family are funny in different ways. my dad was very dry. he said one word a day and it was killer. my mum was funny. but my brothers and sisters were funny, as well. i just -- it was the most important thing growing up. the point was to have a laugh. so that's where i get it from. and i'm so lucky that that has become a career. >> yes. and we're so lucky as well. by the way this is one of your biggest fans over there standing offscreen. >> there he is. >> taking pictures of you.

>> if i want to know what the weather's like i look out the window. >> that's why we have the window. >> yet you still get paid. >> isn't this a great country? >> well done. >> yeah. >> well it's a great country. i mean my gosh, nine, nine countries now have "the office." congratulations. >> 90? >> nine. >> 90. 90 countries have the original version, and nine have a remake. >> unbelievable. >> get it right. >> get it right. >> i know i've been blowing it left and right. ricky gervais. 90. >> of course the ricky gervais show kicks off a new season on april 20th on hbo. and just ahead, how to shop your own closet.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get off on a check of the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> still dealing with an handful of accidents this morning. in the belser region -- that their region, accident in that location. we have another crash further southbound in the city at center street. j.f.x., you can see delays from the beltway to 28. another one is still clearing 1 eastbound 40 on the ramp to

southbound 29. northbound and west side delays. let's look at some of the delays through our live cameras. 95 looks pretty good. down at the beltway, some delays towards the 895 split. live view of traffic at york road. this stretches back to bel air road all the way towards the towson region. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> in a little bit of cloud cover on the traffic cameras. clouds at the thickening up the last few hours, but no precipitation. 40 of the airport, authorities in the northern suburbs. 37 degrees in westminster. led west wins. today will not be as breezy as the last couple of days. variable clouds, only a 30% chance for a rain shower.

high temperatures between 52 and 57. still in the 50's it tomorrow. 75 percent. -- by sunday. -- by sunday. >> another update at 8:56. when it comes to gardening, we're, well, inexperienced. is this right? right here, like this?

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8:30 now on a wednesday morning. the 11th of april, 2012. we want to give our great crowd a little moment to say hi to their family and friends at home on a beautiful spring morning. i hope it stays nice. >> we'll continue to get those over the next few hours. >> meantime alongside carl

quintanilla, nally morales and al roker, we'll be talking about how to look great on a budget. >> you don't have to buy a whole new brand new wardrobe for spring. all you need are the clothes that are actually in your closet. we'll show you how to pair things up, great the right look. somebody who is always on trend. ann curry. these shoes, we saw her shoes? look at these. everybody on the plaza is lusting after those. >> you know -- >> i like it. >> i want to wear them to make them happy. >> if they make you happy then that works. >> what else is coming up? >> we're going to space things up in the kitchen this morning. three home made sauces that will go great with a steak. and you'll be able to smell the steak. >> it's killing us. >> and then, you've got a spouse who's got some annoying habits like leaving wet towels on the floor or snoring or doing all kinds of things that kind of

creep you out. we're going to give you some ideas. >> there's laundry everywhere. >> outing joe. >> let's get a check of the weather. hopefully we didn't already do it. >> no, we didn't. did we do weather yet? no, let's do it. for today, some showers here in the northeast. with some snow showers over western new york and p.a. risk of some strong storms west texas on into oklahoma. showers along the west coast. heavier as you get down to southern california. tomorrow the risk makes its way into central texas on into central oklahoma and nebraska. more rain along the west coast with mountain snows. a few showers in coastal new england. sunny and mild from the great lakes all the way down to the gulf coast. >> good morning. it will be a chilly day today. we have a chance for a rain shower this afternoon. increasing clouds.

>> that's your latest weather. now let's head down to florida, and say hello to uncle willard. >> we want to thank the south seas island resort for their hospitality. the great state of florida and good old smucker's. happy birthday take a look if you will. want to see one handsome man here is shelby harris from rock island, illinois. enjoys all sorts of things like celebrating his 111th birthday. and he loves to go to church. here is henrietta tucker. from rochester, minnesota. go to the hospital while you're there. good people. 105. and she takes a walk every day. that's her big exercise. they say you can't beat it. pern hunter. sebring, florida, that's right across the state. and he is a very experienced

fibberman and he loves the ladies. you rascal you. and alberta hornsby of cleveland, ohio. is 107. they got a good hospital there, too. and very hard worker all of her life and she says that's part of their secret to making it. everybody will tell you that. and this is william rambo. rambo. in northport, new york. 100 years old today. enjoys talking with his friends on the phone. and probably goes crazy for the iphone now. sweet tressa bartholomew from carlisle, iowa. 107 years old. and she loves to read and bake. best baker in the great state of iowa. well that's it from florida. i'd like you to meet my friendly assistants. it's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it. >> and now back to you in new york. >> nice work, willard.

when we come back, some affordable ways to pull off the spring season's hottest looks. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

>> that melody with "today's style." this morning we're stepping up your spring wardrobe with accessories. now the easy way to jump up on the trends of the season. we have style expert lloyd bachmann with some affordable accents. lloyd, good morning to you. >> good to be home. >> boy i want to learn color blocking from you. you know how to do it like a diva. >> color blocking is so simple. you don't have to spend a lot of money to do it because most women have solid colors in their closet. if you do want to get a few pieces these are some of my picks from the season. let me show you some great ways. this is from jcp. this is an $18 kind of a butterfly top. you can add this to a jean or basic chino or black pant and

have the look of the season. now also these color block shoes are jcp as well. that's a great moment at an affordable price. take a look at these great tanks, these are from piperlime.com. so if you want to show your arms this is a great way to do it with an hombre, kind of like a faded look. i lunch this striped version and a long sleeve version from seewonder.com. you can also do it with accessories, take a look at those great bracelets from banana republic. $19.60 and up. >> the question is sometimes you can, you know, mix them by finding something that has it already mixed. what colors actually go together. >> the simple way like you're doing today, one bright with one neutral and you're done. step it up a little bit, two brights and one neutral and you're finished. no more than three brights, though. that's the trick. the great color recipe would be blue, orange and yellow. that's a great trifecta as they call it in racing. >> now let's talk about bags. spring bags can really perk up

your spring wardrobe. >> you ever have a heavy, suede bag in the middle of a hot, spring day and you feel all weighed down. i had that once. i hated it. >> striped back, $19 from jo fresh. you can get this nautical look just about anywhere. feel that, ann. really soft. it won't scratch your legs on bare leg days. i want you to open this up. it looks like a clutch from see wonder. >> going to pop out of here. >> come on, ann, get in there. >> it's a whole tote from the the spacy, ethnic feel. that's a great trend. i'm loving this from lands' end, washed out, kind of beachy. real soft. put your bathing suit and essentials in there. or from am dan.com, i love a pop of color. >> some of them are under $20. >> everything in the whole presentation is pretty much under $50. let's get to the candy colored

brights. >> uh-huh. >> big like you're doing today. you want to go hard, or go home. so think about these, pulling them out, accenting your outfit. i love this kind of fun candy bar here from piperlime.com. these are from zappos, like an espadrille but more feminine. >> i'm thinking this color is great with this color. >> you got it. >> obviously you can't wear the two shoes. >> i guess you could if you're helena bonham carter. >> i bet she got written up about that. >> moving on. a great spring chapeau. this is a great diana ross, think about those kind of retro looks. >> going in. >> and if you're going in, you want to go in at target. i love the brim. great color for your face so if you haven't gotten your tan yet it will give you a little glow. >> if you're having a bad hair day or makeup day. >> i hate bad makeup days. $14.99 at target. and a great scarf will bring

that warmth to your face. >> and they're light to wear them in the summer. >> like little blankets on your neck. >> everybody in the studio is loving this. feel that, ann. that is a gorgeous -- it's a big necklace so it's not like a big statement jewelry. this is from target under $30. i'm even sporting these today. >> look at those. >> a hot new label, take a look at the colorful ones. she will take you from the beach straight to a dinner on the board walk. and they're made of great quartz. you don't have to worry about them being too precious. >> that idea of clooust using climbing cord is a trend. these are pretty beautiful. >> from macy's. candy coded. i love that they snap right on. >> okay now our final trend of the morning. maxi. >> comfortable, long. all good there. >> if you don't want to show your legs you've got great ways to go from macy's. i love this with old navy in the middle, under $30. >> kind of a jersey, too, like a t-shirt. >> high waistline so it hides

the tummy if you haven't tightened it up for the season. or you can do it in separates. i love a long maxi skirt and a halter top. >> this is really great. lloyd bachmann with great suggestions for spring ward robb. thanks so much for being here. much more coming up, including is your kid's high priced college education really worth it? how to decide when it's time to transfer.

back at 8:44. this morning on "education nation today" drastically reducing the cost of college. student debt is at a record $1 trillion. even higher than the nation's credit card debt. nbc's chief education correspondent rehema ellis found one student who traded in her pricey private university for an education she could afford. >> reporter: 21-year-old rachel

is in college fine tuning her voice. studying music and the classics for an opera career. when accepted to new york university her dream school, she was thrilled, until she added up the cost. >> my annual bill was $53,000, including room and board. >> reporter: how did that make you feel? >> nauseous. i couldn't face the thought that i was paying so much money, or to burden my whole family. my parents took out the loans with me. >> reporter: at two years in nyu, rachel accumulated $73,000 in student loans. after consulting with voice teachers, and despite her parents' objections, who wanted her at a big-name university, rachel transferred. now at pritchard college, a state university in new york. the cost $13,000 a year, saving her a whopping $40,000 annually. >> i could have gone all four

years for the price of one year at nyu. >> reporter: experts say many students need to take a long-term view when planning for college, and accumulating debt, for peace of mind some advise don't wore row more than you can expect to earn your first after graduation. >> being educated but poor i think often indicates bad planning and not making the right tradeoffs and not making the right decisions. >> i'm very happy. they're excellent professors. i'm doing lots of productions. lots of face time. >> reporter: rachel is also working part-time. paying for college as she goes. and her parents now accept her decision. >> when i get to hear how my voice is really blossoming and they see that i'm so happy, and yeah, they're happy. >> reporter: rachel, making an investment in her future as an

opera singer, now at a college she can afford. for "today," rehema ellis, nbc news, new york. >> and josh steinberg is the senior editor of the new york times blog the choice. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> fascinating story. we're in decision month now so a lot of conversations are going on around kitchen tables about debt going into debt for college. what would you be telling families who are at that table? >> well you absolutely have to be thinking like rachel is. can you afford this education if you're choosing between two institutions, one public, and one private? can you swing it? >> so what are some of the questions that you would have them ask themselves as they go into this process? >> well, certainly, how much debt are you going to accumulate? and how do you plan to pay it off once you graduate? the rules is that your debt should be substantially less than your first year's salary. and i dealey it should be less than $10,000 a year for each year of college. >> how much debt would you say

is too much on the high end? >> i mean, i think, ideally you want to keep it under $40,000 and hopefully substantially under that. i mean where she was carrying $73,000 just for her first two years at nyu, that's probably too high. >> yeah. you mentioned her case, which is fascinating, and glad that she found a sliegs. is that a solution that works for everybody? >> certainly transferring is a possibility for some. it's not necessarily the easiest to transfer but it's important to know that it's an option. but ideally you had these conversations and talks before you've enrolled right at this time of year. >> we should also talk about the tax credit which a lot of families probably don't take full advantage of. >> the hope scholarship tax credit is a tax credit on the first $4,000 of higher education expenses each year. >> what about students who have to work, right, they have to work while they're in school in order to help fund their education. is there a limit as to how much you should be putting into that versus your study? >> there are studies that have shown that the high dropout rate

during college, students fail to complete college. one of the big factors is they work too many hours. i think in general the rule again is to try to keep it under about 12 hours a week. >> and then there's the whole mind-set of okay, i'm in college, i've got to keep my costs low. where does most of the spending go? does it go to pizza and food or is it something else going on? >> it's again, just like adults, kids in college need to think about those expenses. a pizza every week, $10 a week, that would be something on the order of $2,000 for four years of college. >> one of the big problems is a lot of these people who are in school probably think they're going to make a certain salary but the job market is so fluid right now that once they're in a job they're not making the money that i expected to while they were still in school. >> again, factoring that into keeping that debt as low as possible knowing that you're going to be responsible for paying it, the bills start on the debt as soon as you graduate and you may not have a job right away. >> do you think we're ever going

to see a day where tuitions don't continue to stairstep higher? >> certainly a number of colleges are trying their best to keep their costs down. but when you have these colossal number of kids applying, upward of 30,000 kids applying to harvard, where is the incentive for that institution to cut cost? >> and then when they can finance it with a loan over time. >> great stuff. josh feinberg of "the new york times." up next, three home made sauces you can try with your next steak. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

"today's kitchen" is brought to you by chilies. >> this morning on "today's kitchen" we're spicing it up with new and different steak sauces. chris kimball is the editor of "cook's illustrated" magazine and his new cookbook is simple weeknight favorites. >> good morning. >> just in time for grilling time you've come up with great sauces for steaks. you're going to start us off with a pretty darn good one called citrus soy. >> once you cook a stake in the skill the you have the frond at the bottom. the different between restaurant steaks and home steaks is the restaurants make a sauce. the steak comes out and we let it sit for ten minutes or so and meanwhile with ten minutes or less you can make a sauce. we'll start with that.

there's a nice fond in the pond. >> f-o-n-d? >> yes. that's the nice stuff in the bottom of the pan. that's why you don't want to use a nonstick skillet. we have saw sauce, orange juice, orange just and jinter. >> lots of ginger. >> and rice wine vinegar. we're going to use this two ways. take a little bit of it and put it in with the sesame oil. >> that tastes wonderful. >> and we're going to mix this up and this will be the dressing for edamame, which is soybeans and a broccoli slaw. we'll toss that. that will be the side. >> are you using a sauce pan? >> now what we're going to do is deglaze it, which means put it in a hot pan, and when you cook that down for just about a minute. in a couple of minutes you can make a great sauce and finish the sauce with a little bit of

butter at the end. >> is this called a reduction? >> it's reduced about 50%. there's a little trick by the way. a lot of people say they don't know whether it's 50%. you can just tip the pan up and get a good idea of volume or pour it off into a measuring cup. >> sauce number two. so now we've taken, this is a rib eye steak. that was a strip steak. this is a little more fat to it. now we're going to take mushrooms. >> again dealing with the fond. >> we're going to take mushrooms and cook those down and we're also going to add a little bit of sherry to these. and cook that down for a couple of minutes and then we also add some chicken stock. most sauces, classic french sauces, chicken stock is some kind of alcohol. >> that's why cooking makes us happy. >> so we're going to cook that down. this is about six minutes of cooking and you get this when you're finished. and then we can just add a little bit of cream.

again, cream and butter are optional. if you like a nice, thicker sauce and a little bit of butter. >> that's a lot of butter, chris. >> well, it's the french you know. nench don't get heart attacks. >> and you put that over the steak. >> and finally. >> the third sauce. >> a strip stek, we're going to take peppers now, and we're also going to take some onions and then we're going to cook that down. this will cook about eight minutes or so. until you get it nice and cooked. finish off with a little bit of garlic. that's a little bit of balsamic vinegar. >> and there's no butter. >> so this is locale. >> we had to have one healthy. >> and so then on the side there. >> put that on the side. within ten minutes once you finish the steak you can do three different sauces very quick, and now you have. >> chris kimball bringing some taste into our home kitchen. >> pleasure.

>> just ahead, how to deal with your spouse's annoying habits. first your local news. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. closing arguments scheduled today in the retrial of twin brothers tremayne and travers johnson, accused of setting a pit bull on fire in 2009. prosecutors rested their case on

tuesday. this trial was

>> chilly day, but for the most part, dry. only a 30% chance of rain showers through your neighborhood. high temperature of 55 degrees. back in the 70's by sunday. >> another update at 9:25.