good morning. anniversary alert. officials are vigilant as we mark one year since the death of osama bin laden. this morning we'll talk to a man who was in the situation room as the mission to kill the terror leader unfolded. what was it like, and are we any safer today? science or stunt? a boeing 747 deliberately crashed in the desert for a tv show on airline safety. well, this morning, why some critics are blasting that experiment. and "today" exclusive, a health issue kept him from joining us on monday, but this morning ryan o'neal is back to talk about everything in his explosive new memoir. this turbulent relationship with farrah fawcett, the mistakes he made raising his own children, and his battle with cancer made raising his own children, and his battle with cancer "today," tuesday, may 1st, 2012.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning, i'm ann curry. >> and i'm matt lauer. a year after the killing of osama bin laden, an obama administration official says the al qaeda terror network is a shadow of its former self, but still capable of pulling off dangerous attacks. >> that's right. and newly revealed documents taken from his compound are offering an interesting look at bin laden's life in hiding, and why he was actually considering changing the name of al qaeda. we'll have a live report from pakistan straight ahead. >> also, another dramatic day of testimony in the trial of john edwards. the wife of the government's star witness testifies again today, after she was brought to tears on the witness stand on monday. coming up, how she reacted to

being told that edwards wanted her husband to claim to be the father of rielle hunter's child. >> right. and remember that dramatic case in florida where a millionaire was convicted in a deadly drunk driving crash, well now, a juror has come forward saying he was pressured by t other jurors into a guilty verdict. is this grounds for a mistrial? we'll talk about all of this with our legal team of star jones and savannah guthrie coming up. >> let us begin on this morning, this tuesday morning, with the dethd of osama bin laden one year later. nbc's pakistan bureau chief is in abbottabad this morning. good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. pakistan today is still working to get past this embarrassing episode, and to answer the tough questions about how the terror chief stayed hidden here for so long. today this is all that's left of osama bin laden. scrap, thousands of bricks, even his bathtub. a collection culled from his compound before it was demolished.

>> translator: it's mostly broken. but i will donate some to the poor and sell the rest at an auction. >> reporter: pakistani authorities leveled the place in february, reducing it to a field of rubble and concrete slabs. today, it still attracts a lot of attention as the preferred cricket ground for local children. and those women, children and grandchildren left behind in the compound, some of whom are seen here, they were kept secluded by pakistani authorities under heavy guard for almost a year, then quickly shuttled out last week in the dead of night, deported to saudi arabia after a pakistani court convicted them for staying there illegally. all these months later the key question remains, how did bin laden end up moving and living here undetected? a confidential interrogation report of bin laden's youngest wife offers some insight into their life on the run in pakistan. according to the report, after 9/11, she bounced around homes in karachi, then to peshawar to meet her husband. they moved to swat, then 4679 aripur before finally moving to

the abbottabad campaign, their home for six years. where most people they spoke with say they don't believe bin laden was ever here at all. >> translator: i live here. this is my town. i didn't know he lived here, and they did? >> translator: i don't believe any of it. they threw his body into the ocean? i don't believe it. >> reporter: a pakistani government commission formed to investigate the u.s. raid, and bin laden's presence here, has spent the last year interviewing over 100 witnesses, but has yet to release their findings. some say the credibility of pakistan's institutions rests in their ability to come up with some answers. do you think it's in pakistan's interests to get to the bottom of this? >> oh, absolutely. >> why? >> absolutely. pakistan likes to move forward, not backwards. these are opportunities for any country to address the problems they have, and correct. >> former and current officials here tell us bin laden could

have been helped by rogue or retired security elements or maybe relied exclusively on his al qaeda network. either way, one year later, there are still no definitive answers. matt? >> all right, amna, thank you very much. nbc national security analyst michael rider is the former director of the u.s. nation 58 counterterrorism center where he served under both presidents obama and george w. bush. he was inside the white house situation room a year ago today. michael, good to see you. good morning. >> good to be here, matt. >> the most vivid memory from those hours inside that room? >> well, i think being holed around the screen when the helicopters first came in, and the silence, the tension, i think all of us knowing what a historic moment this really was, and still at that point, not knowing the outcome. >> you say when the helicopters came in. that was one of the moments where something did not go as planned. one of those helicopters went in nose first. the president did an interview with brian williams for "rock center" tomorrow night and talked about that instant. take a listen.

>> it turns out to have been superbly piloted >> right. >> by a pilot who nosed it into the dirt to kill the torque of the landing. >> right. >> and cushion everyone on board. >> right. >> just -- >> and i will tell you, when i saw that pilot, i gave him pretty good hug. >> what was the reaction in the room when that chopper went in nose first? >> it was actually remarkably quiet. i think there was an enormous amount of confidence in the troops who were doing this mission. everyone gasped. then about a minute later as we saw everyone get off and commander bill mccraven, said everybody is off, everybody is okay, then all right, we're still on this. >> then the word came that, in fact, osama bin laden had been killed. and you described in a story recently one of the lighter moments in that room. now comes the question, what world leaders do we call? in what order? and with so many of them to call, who makes those calls?

>> it went from silence and tension to i wouldn't say chaos, but very busy. who was going to be called. at one point they were trying to reach president clinton, obviously, and they couldn't quite find his number. and i cut off for a minute and ran back into the situation room, and found secretary clinton, and she luckily -- >> looking for a cell phone number of the former president? troves of intelligence gotten from that compound in hard drives and documents, a diary, computers. what's the single most important piece of intelligence you think that was gained that day? >> i think most importantly, it really illuminated to us how weak al qaeda was. that bin laden still had a real vision for attacking the west, and his commanders in the field, over and over, were saying, we can't quite do this. we don't have the people. we don't have the ability to train. and i think we all knew that al qaeda had been beaten very hard over the past several years but this is a real window into that. >> fact you gave an interview for a special on discovery channel tonight and you talked

about something surprising that was learned based on the raid. take a listen to this. >> within the intelligence we saw that bin laden had a plan to assassinate president obama, and also potentially to assassinate general petraeus, who was the commander in afghanistan at the time. >> when you say had a plan. had a significant plan? were there details in place? or was it more of a wish list? >> it really was more of a wish list. and what bin laden was still focused on was the big, spectacular attack. and meanwhile the organization was really stuck with the smaller things and just couldn't pull off what he wanted. >> in a speech on monday john brennan, the president's counterterrorism official or adviser said al qaeda is a shadow of its former self but warned that it's still dangerous. so in your opinion, based on the hunt for osama bin laden, the years spent, ten years, the money, the time, the effort, are we safer today? >> we are undoubtedly safer. bin laden was an exclamation point in really hurting al qaeda and pakistan. the threat continues in other places, home grown terrorism out of yemen, but there is no doubt

that today, because of the death of bin laden, because of what president bush did, what president obama did over the past ten years, the u.s. people are far safer from the threat of terrorist attacks. >> michael leiter, good to have you here. thank you very much. want to remind people they can see "secrets of bin laden's lair" tonight at 10:00, 9:00 central time on the discovery channel. and for brian williams' exclusive interview with the president on the raid watch "rock center with brian williams" inside the situation room tomorrow night at 9:00, 8:00 central time right here on nbc. let's head over to natalie at the news desk. good morning to you. >> good morning to you, matt. and good morning, everyone. media mogul rupert murdoch has been declared not fit to run a major international corporation. in a report out this morning, british lawmakers say the news corp. founder displayed quote willful blindness toward malpractice in his company while his corporation misled parliament about the phone hacking scandal at one of its tabloids. murdoch has denied knowing about the use of phone hacking at his company. u.s. relations with china

are being put to the test over the fate of a blind dissident. nbc's ian williams is in beijing now with the latest. ian, good morning. >> good morning, natalie. u.s. officials had hoped to resolve this crisis quickly and quietly before hillary clinton arrives wednesday. but there's no sign of that this morning, and her top level meetings are now likely to be overshadowed by the fate of chen guangcheng. it's a challenge delivered quite literally to the u.s. doorstep here, with the blind human rights lawyer believed to be under diplomatic protection, either in the embassy, or another safe diplomatic house, following his dramatic escape from house arrest. negotiations over his freedom are under way, according to chen's friends. but they're so delicate that officials here, chinese and american, are still refusing to comment. while in washington monday, president obama, while nudging beijing to improve human rights, also dodged any direct comments. >> obviously i'm aware of the press reports on the situation

in china but i'm not going to make a statement on the issue. >> reporter: as did secretary of state clinton, as she prepared to leave for a previously scheduled visit to beijing. >> i have a full agenda of many issues of great concern to us, including human rights, and the freedom, and free movement of people inside china. >> reporter: one big sticking point, chen has said he wants to stay in china, to fight for justice. he's told friends he's looking for guarantees of legal protection, and not simply a one-way ticket to exile. that complicates the diplomacy. as the concerns over the fate of his wife and young daughter, now under virtual house arrest themselves, and of supporters who reportedly have been detained. natalie? >> ian williams in beijing. thank you, ian. the occupy wall street movement is vowing a day of action today, as labor protests

on this may day go global. here in new york, several banks received suspicious packages containing white powder on monday, saying, quote, welcome to may 1st. all those mailings were later found to be harmless. protests on both coasts today are intended to disrupt commerce and traffic. the legal defense team behind george zimmerman is taking to the internet, setting up a twitter account, a facebook page and a new website to raise money for their client, and establish an official online presence for the case. zimmerman is out on bail awaiting his trial on second degree murder charges in the shooting death of unarmed teen trayvon martin. zimmerman has said he acted in self-defense. now let's head to wall street. cnbc's mandy drury is at the new york stock exchange for us. >> good day to you, natalie. markets have wrapped up april with a real whimper but we've got a tally for 401(k)s for the first quarter and fidelity says on average balances grew by 8%. but, what's happened to the american dream? we also got another survey showing that home ownership in

the quarter fell to a 15-year low, as more people are tipping over to renting. here's a really interesting story. who thought that airlines and refineries could be a good match? but, we've seen that delta airlines has bought a refinery close to philadelphia. it's being spun off from conoco phillips, to try and cut down its jet fuel bill. back over to you. >> all right. interesting. mandy drury at the new york stock exchange. if you're going to be a party animal, best to do it on the ground. at a music festival in sydney this fan climbed a huge scaffold, only to tumble 60 feet straight down. witnesses say he gave them a thumbs up as he then tried to skulk away. concert organizers tossed him and sent him to a local hospital, where he then discharged himself, and then immediately tried to get right back in to the festival. talk about a die-hard fan. 7:13 right now. let's go back to matt, ann and al. some kind of crazy going on there. >> it's amazing that he's able to walk away. >> they tossed him, and then

sent him to a hospital? >> i think they -- you're not hurt enough. let's flow you out. >> exactly. >> natalie, thank you so much. >> dude! >> i was going to say how pretty natalie, especially pretty natalie looks today -- >> well, thank you, ann. >> i was going to say, i don't know, al -- >> thank you. >> what about al? look at al this morning. >> no one said anything about my sports jacket, by the way. >> absolutely. all right, hey, chuck woolery doesn't know i was in his wardrobe last week. anyway, let's show you what we've got as far as today is concerned. look at these temperatures, southern discomfort. colorado springs, 91 in garden city. rest of the country not quite so bad. we are looking at some warm weather making its way through the south. 90s in parts of mississippi, alabama, on into georgia. 50s and 60s in the pacific northwest. 40s and 50s in the northeast. risk of strong storms in the upper mississippi to mid-mississippi river valley. plenty of sunshine through the southwest, and we've got more

rain down in southern florida today. >> good morning. the rain showers will taper off as we go through the morning. there could be another batch of thunderstorms developing >> and that's your latest weather. matt? >> all right, al, thank you. the wife of the government's star witness returns to the stand today in the trial of former presidential candidate john edwards. nbc's lisa myers is covering the trial in greensboro, north carolina. lisa, good morning to you. >> hey, matt, good morning. cheri young, mother of three, became so upset on monday that jurors were asked to leave the courtroom. she talked about how far her

family had gone to cover up john edwards' affair, and charged that edwards was deeply involved every step of the way. in arranging the money, and orchestrating the lies. it was cheri young's turn in the spotlight. in a dramatic, sometimes cheerful testimony, she described her anger about how she, as the wife of campaign aide andrew young, got pulled in to the effort to cover up john edwards' affair with rielle hunter. she said she was intimidated when she first met hunter, because i had a presidential candidate's pregnant mistress come into my house last minute. and she says she wasn't happy when asked to handle hundreds of thousands of dollars in checks to take care of hunter. i cannot tell you how disgusted i was. why me? she said she insisted on talking to edwards directly. i heard mr. john edwards tell me on the phone he had checked with the campaign lawyers, and this was not a campaign donation, and

this was legal. get the money in. get the money in. those were his words, she testified. >> cheri young has been a strong witness for the government because she's come across as genuine. she's put edwards back in the middle of the cover-up plot. >> reporter: cheri young broke into tears recounting how her husband came to her and said edwards wanted him, andrew young, to falsely claim paternity of hunter's child. i said, absolutely not. i screamed at him, cursed at him. she testified that edwards argued that if andrew claim pass ternty, it would be a one-day story. she said she eventually went along with the lie. i didn't want the campaign to explode and for it to be my fault, she said. the government alleges that money used to cover up the affair amounted to illegal campaign contributions to edwards. a charge he denies. >> it did become clear that cheri young hates two people. she wore that on her sleeve on

the stand. she hates john edwards and she hates rielle hunter. >> reporter: cheri young portrayed hunter as a flamboyant, demanding woman who upon arriving at the home did a big twirl and announced, i am here. young testified hunter also insisted on money to pay her spiritual 5d adviser in addition to her $5,000 to $11,000 money allowance. at some point today, young is expected to face tougher questions. though she may have been reluctant to handle the money for hunter, the youngs did not seem to have any trouble spending it. in fact, 80% of the money raised for the alleged cover-up was pocketed by the youngs. matt? >> all right, lisa myers in north carolina covering this trial. thank you very much. it's 18 after the hour. once again here's ann. >> matt, thanks. now to health news that could impact millions of women. new research published in the annals of internal medicine aims to clear up some of the confusion over when women should start getting routine mammograms. dr. nancy snyderman is nbc's

chief medical editor. great to have you back. >> hey, ann, thank you. >> women have been very confused because there is a lot of mixed messages on this point. so what does this new research tell us? >> i'm not sure this is going to clarify things for a lot of people. in 2009 the federal government came out with a preventive task force and said between 40 and 50, screening mammography does not yield very good results, and probably isn't worth it. and start getting annual mammograms at 50. that created a firestorm. this new report says that for women who are at higher risk, let's say that you have increased risk of family members, you've been exposed to things you think may increase your risk or you have dense breasts then perhaps you should start getting screened every other year in your 40s. so, i think for a lot of women, this is a time to sit back and say, okay, if we talk about personalized medicine, and individualized risk, this is exactly what this is going to be

about, because women think mammograms are perfect and a panacea and they're going to find all cancers. >> when will researchers say that the benefits of starting to have mammograms in their 40s outweighs the risk? what are they saying? >> well the risks themselves are radiation, because every time you get a mammogram it is a radiation risk. the fact that they'll find a false positive. something that's there that really isn't to be worried about but it's going to lead to a biopsy, increased money spent, harm to the patient, pain, et cetera, et cetera. but if you pick up a cancer earlier, and you can find someone in their 40s, perhaps that's worth it. so what they're basically saying is very clear. if you are at high risk and you are worried that your cancer risk is -- is -- pertains to you as a 40-year-old, talk to your doctor about getting your mammogram screening. but for those of us who don't have breast cancer in our

families, frankly the risk is probably not worth it. and the digital mammography seems to lead to more false positives than regular old mammograms. >> which is really interesting. >> so this is not going to be as clarifying as people would like. individualization, think about your family history, and your own risk factors, before you start signing up for that screening mammogram at 40. >> all right, dr. nancy snyderman. always helping us try to stay healthy. thank you this morning. and coming up, allegations of jury misconduct during the trial of a florida millionaire convicted in a deadly drunk driving crash. will he now get a new trial? but first, this is "today" on nbc.

still ahead ryan o'neal will be here for an exclusive, live interview. >> and a passenger jet intentionally crashed into a desert for a tv show. ♪ on the first warm day... ♪ on the first warm day...

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the soil and sunshine are just perfect here. tropicana pure premium is made with 100% florida oranges. because the best oranges make the best juice. >> and look at the inner harbor area this morning. kind of drizzly, wet for a while, but the sun will come up later on today. i am stan stovall. opening statements are scheduled to begin in the trial of julius henson, the former aide to former gov. bob ehrlich, charged in connection with the robocall scandal. jurors were selected on monday for the child di and sent in its writing -- henson admits writing

message but his lawyers say it the case's more about politics. >> we are getting reports that a pedestrian may have been struck. 517 is the train that is involved. for about 32 at i-70, accident at west friendship. heavy delays on the west side, towards the beltway. inner loop of the ball way towards the harrisburg expressway, reports of an accident. down to 25 miles per hour. eastbound 100 and coca-cola drive, watch for an accident. the ago fire approaching 32. beltway near 3083, and we will update you once we have more on that accident. >> we are dealing with a little bit of rain up. the heaviest rain is south of

baltimore. north and west, the showers are tapering off. thunderstorms are coming across the lower eastern shore counties. rain will continue to taper off over the next couple of hours. 59 at the airport, 57 in parkton. rain is ending early, then we would get a break in the afternoon. high-temperature around 80. mid-70's tomorrow. low 80s on thursday and friday. y

you're looking at video as a boeing 727 is crashed into the desert. it happened last week. the pilot ee jetted. no one else was on board. it was all done deliberately for a television show. we're going to tell you more about that and why it has become somewhat controversial coming up. 7:30 now on a tuesday morning. it's may 1st, 2012. a rainy morning here in new york. i'm matt lauer alongside ann curry. >> i know, may 1st. it's always a new beginning. i like that. and coming up, you know, we've heard about flash mobs. >> seen them. >> i know. they're very cool. well, also very cool is something called a cash mob. gaining a lot of popularity. what exactly are they? and why are store owners loving

them? we'll explain that coming up. >> and ryan o'neal will join us for an exclusive live interview. we're going to talk to him about his memoir, which is a raw and revealing look at his turbulent relationship with farrah fawcett. also with his own children. and his battle with prostate cancer. we'll talk to ryan shortly. but, by the way, tomorrow on "today," bobby brown speaks out for the first time since the death of his ex-wife whitney houston. and he talked quite candidly about their relationship, their drug use, and their daughter bobbi kristina. we'll hear from bobby brown tomorrow exclusively here on "today." >> but we begin this half hour with allegations of jury misconduct in the high profile dui manslaughter trial that led to the conviction of a florida millionaire. nbc's mark potter is in west palm beach with details this morning. hey, mark, good morning. >> good morning, ann. in a post-trial hearing in the john goodman case everything was proceeding without incident. but then one of the jurors spoke out in response to the judge,

and things changed dramatically. multimillionaire, former club owner john goodman came to court in west palm beach wearing a jailhouse uniform and handcuffs for a hearing about whether jurors in his trial may have deliberated unfairly, as suggested by the defense. goodman was convicted in march of dui manslaughter. found guilty of driving his bentley through a stop sign while intoxicated. then smashing into a car driven by 23-year-old scott wilson, flipping his car into a canal, where wilson drowned. the case drew national attention after goodman adopted his 42-year-old girlfriend to protect his fortune. >> sorry about dragging you back down here. >> reporter: one by one jurors were brought before the judge, out of camera range, and were asked if they discussed their verdict before the trial ended. and if they were influenced by knowing that goodman is rich. >> was that your decision at that time? >> reporter: seven jurors and alternates denied any misconduct. but when the judge questioned juror michael st. john,

everything changed. >> did anybody ever say to you or in your presence or suggest that they'd heard enough evidence, they've made their mind up and they were going to vote one way or the other? >> yes. quite a few. comments like, we know he's guilty. let's just sign the paperwork and go on. >> now, was that during the deliberations, or was that -- >> that was prior to those. >> reporter: st. john then said he felt pressured by other jurors to render a guilty verdict. >> the verdict that you rendered, was that accurate reflection of your view of the case? >> no. >> so you think he was not guilty? >> yes. >> reporter: legal experts suggest this could be grounds for a mistrial. >> it's not easy for a judge to accept the voice of a single juror when all the others dispute it. but if it's a close case, in the interest of justice, the judge could consider granting a new trial. >> reporter: outside the

courtroom, goodman's lawyer, roy black, said he'll fight for a fair verdict. >> if i am not assured of that we are going to continue to seek to have a new trial. >> reporter: but the prosecutor said the trial and verdict were fair, as did the attorney for the victim's father. >> a verdict was rendered. they all agreed to it. a juror cannot have a change of heart after the verdict is rendered. >> reporter: now the lawyers have until thursday to file arguments on whether there should be a new trial. the judge says he'll rule on that either friday or monday. ann? >> all right, mark potter this morning. mark, thank you. savannah guthrie is "today's" legal correspondent and star jones is a former prosecutor and veteran legal commentator. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> good morning, ann. >> wow, just how often does a judge call back a jury and one by one question them after a verdict has been rendered? >> very, very uncommon. >> extremely rare. >> and it shows that the judge takes these allegations quite seriously. i mean, what it means when you call back the jury, and question them one by one, that means the judge thought, if these allegations were, in fact true,

they would warrant a new trial. now, whether or not the judge feels what he heard yesterday warrants a new trial is another matter altogether. but it's very significant, as you point out -- >> the appellate courts all across our country, the only time they really make a reversal of what a district court judge will do is when they don't do the additional inquiry. when you bring back the jurors and ask those very important questions to make sure that there was not a miscarriage of justice, in the interest of justice, that's all you have to do. and usually, an appeals court will allow the discretion of the trial judge. >> so the juror named michael st. john says that some of the jurors decided on guilt before the trial ended and that he personally felt pressured to render a guilty verdict even though he thought that the defendant was not guilty. how do -- does the judge determine that this is not basically a juror's remorse case. >> that's really the issue. in fact, florida is really clear. what they don't want to do and they don't allow the courts to do is reopen the jury deliberations and try to relitigate them. the system has an interest in

certainty. for a jury verdict standing. so the fact that he regrets his verdict, or says now that he didn't really mean his verdict, probably is not grounds for a new trial. >> and i -- during the -- excuse me, when the verdict is rendered, the court always asks if the attorneys want to poll the jury. they did in this case. and this would be the time for a juror to say, hmm maybe not. i was bullied in the jury room. that would have been the time to say this is not really my verdict. >> so what are you saying in terms of the possibilities now that one juror, making this kind of statement, as opposed to all the other members of the jury saying, in fact, they were not -- there was none of this going on, that one juror could actually cause this, this trial to be overturned? >> but i don't think, if that's all there is and there's no outside influence, for example, i don't think this juror's regret is going to be sufficient to get a new trial granted. >> not at all. the law requires clear and convincing evidence. and if this is all they have,

they've got a long way to go. >> but it also says something, or does it, maybe i should ask you specifically, star, because you know the defense attorney roy black, what does it say about what money can buy in a -- in an attorney? >> you get the best. you know, a lot of prosecutors would say that roy black was using the throw everything against the wall and hope something sticks approach. i say it's roy black being extremely zealous when it comes to representing his client. and when you have enough money to have investigators open a tip line, monitor what jurors are saying online, on their facebook pages, money does to a certain extent buy you a loyal more. >> and pay legal bills for expensive motions and lawyer's hours. >> let's just say that there not be an ineffective assistance of council claim at the end of this. >> star and savannah, thank you both this morning. now let's get a check of the weather from al. >> "today's weather" is brought to you by jared, the galleria of jewelry. with five times the selection of ordinary jewelry stores. >> and the rain's coming down a

little harder now. we've got a broadcast meteorology student from penn state. what's your name? >> brett. >> what's the forecast? >> well it's raining here in new york. >> okay. i think your parents could feel pretty good about what they're spending now. >> we need the rain. >> yes, we do. >> a little bit warmer towards the southwest. severe storm possible in the midwest. >> uh-huh. >> and very warm across the southeast today. >> all right, my job is done. >> yes. >> all right. thank you very much. you've got a future, my friend. >> thank you. >> gain about 100 pounds and lose your hair. then you got a shot at this. all right, let's check your weather. and he's good-looking too. look at may, below normal in the pacific northwest. above normal temperatures from the southwest into the gulf coast. normal around the plains into the northeast. then as far as precipitation for the month of may, we're looki pretty much normal conditions although drier than normal as we get out west and into the central rockies. >> good morning. the showers will taper off as we

go through the morning. there could be another batch of thunderstorms developing late in >> and we want to take a moment to thank -- to congratulate our colleagues at nbc sports. that's because sunday night football night in america getting the fourth year in a row, the best emmy for outstanding live sports series in america. that's right. that's for the second year in a row. nbc sports, winning more emmys than any other sports division. is there any other sports division? i think not. ann? >> al, thank you so much.

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we are back now at 7:43 with a social movement that's sweeping the country. so-called cash mobs. people meeting up to help small business owners. nbc's janet shamlian is at a store in los angeles that was recently hit by one. if that's the right terminology. janet, good morning to you. >> matt, good morning. yeah, in this case a visit from the mob is actually a good thing. what started as one guy's idea

to save a small, struggling business has since turned into a city by city, nationwide effort, and it's all fueled by social media. ♪ >> reporter: you've heard of flash mobs where a crowd suddenly assembles and breaks into song. now a new sensation, with a focus not on dancing, but on dollars. this is the start of a cash mob. >> this is where we're shopping. >> reporter: on a street corner in los angeles, 40 people have answered a call sent out on social media. >> welcome to the cash mob! >> reporter: it's a mob any business would welcome. within an hour, they'll spend more than $1,000 at the soda pop shop. a family owned store that can use the business. there's no real requirement to be part of one of these cash mobs. organizers ask only that participants spend $20 in the store that's chosen. with cash registers ringing it's friendly chaos. what's it like to have all these people in here right now? >> it's fun. >> reporter: in just six months

more than 200 mobs have descended on small businesses. from maine to tennessee to oregon. the first was at this cleveland book store, planned by a man who has since seen his idea go global. why do you think this has picked up steam so quickly, in such a broadway? >> i think it speaks a lot to people's desire to connect with their community, to benefit their community, to reinvigorate businesses in their communities. >> hi. good to see you. >> reporter: independent stores, often struggling, are embracing the help. >> initially they're always a little skeptical, because there's no catch involved. we're saying, no, we're going to just come shop. >> reporter: cash mobbers spread the word on social networks sites like facebook and twitter and recipients are finding it's not just one and done. >> out of the 40 people that came in that night, i'd say 20 or 30 of them have been back, and i think they will be consistent customers. >> reporter: cash mobs make a big statement on small business.

it's no secret there's been a squeeze on mom and pop stores like this one. the cash mobs are really just part of a bigger effort to make people more aware of these main street type businesses. matt, back to you. >> all right, janet shamlian in los angeles this morning. janet, thank you very much. up next, a passenger jet deliberately crashed as cameras roll. why some critics are crying foul, right 56 this. [ female announcer ] introducing coffee-mate natural bliss. made with only milk...

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intentional. >> my sense is this is a reality show disguised as an educational effort trying to get ratings, pushing the envelope. >> reporter: in the video posted on youtube you can see a helicopter with a film crew follow the plane's descent. minutes after its pilot parachuted to safety. it's all part of a discovery channel documentary, exploring how aircraft withstand impact. the 170-passenger plane had crash test dummies and dozens of cameras inside. discovery says it hopes to provide new information about how to improve the chances of survival. but some aviation experts are skeptical. they point out the filmmakers didn't invite the faa, the national transportation safety board, or the airplane manufacturer to the crash site. >> this would have been a perfect, golden opportunity, to allow the industry to collect valuable data. and i don't think discovery or any of the folks that may have participated in this really were equipped to collect. >> reporter: discovery insists it was not a stunt.

that the team included leading scientists and veteran crash investigators, and that the project underwent a full safety review by pilots and mexican authorities. still, this is the first such experiment since 1984, when nasa and the faa crashed a jet into the mojave desert in california. the resulting inferno helped establish new rules on fire prevention. but when fox planned to do the same thing for a tv special in 1999, the network scrapped the idea. >> the faa doesn't want people just out there crashing airplanes for sensationallist reasons. >> reporter: as for this latest crash, discovery says it won't release the official footage until the documentary airs later this year. viewers may then decide whether the plunge was indeed for science, or for show. for "today," gabe gutierrez, nbc news, los angeles. >> i guess the proof will be in the pudding when we actually see the piece. >> i think it's a valid criticism that they perhaps should have invited some

officials or experts to witness it. but if they do learn things in the end, i'm all for it. >> just ahead, ryan o'neal talking about his tumultuous love affair with farrah fawcett and also his relationship with his children. that's coming up. the shops concept encompases a lot of newness. doing project with different stores is a really cool idea. we want to bring a little piece of the boutique experience to target. a real taste of luxury. it's pretty special for us to imagine this little nook of polka dog will be in target stores all around the country. the shops we fell in love with, collected and curated for you. exclusively at target. nighttime is the worst.

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>> the time is now 7:56. time for a check of the morning commute. . >> we want to update you on the mass transit note. the penn line, at trade 517, stopped just south of the martin st. airport. a pedestrian-and what accident -- pedestrian-in all accident happened. 151 is the train where everyone is being transferred. northbound 95 and owings mills, we have an accident. southbound delays have the coming towards the area.

heavy delays on the north and west side. a lot of this is due to the rain. 17 miles per hour part of the northeast. were 22, 136, we have a vehicle fire just in to us. 795 is barely moving. here is what looks like on the j.f.x. not much better on the construction zone. tony has a check under forecast. >> steady rain we had earlier is tapering off. most of that is in the eastern shore counties. scattered light sprinkles left behind for the time being. it could see more develop later on this morning after a man. 57 in taneytown. forecast for today, a mixture of clouds and a little bit of sunshine. still a chance for a shower or thunderstorm. oppressiveness to low 80s.

-- upper seventies to low 80s. a little cooler tomorrow. it will feel like summer on thursday and friday. back into the 80s and then dropping i

8:00 now on this tuesday morning. the 1st day of may, 2012. the april showers have stuck around for an extra day. and so we're so grateful to our crowd, willing to stand by us on this rainy morning. i'm ann curry alongside matt lauer and al roker. and coming up, we'll be hearing from ryan o'neal. >> he's in the studio. if you remember, he was scheduled to be here yesterday, had a little bit of a health issue, wasn't feeling all that well. he has come back today, just an explanation, wearing a little band-aid there. i think he had a small melanoma removed recently. he also has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and if there's not enough going on in his life, he's written a new mem roir and

it's raw and it's revealing about his time with farrah fawcett, and his relationship with his own children. we've got a lot to talk to ryan o'neal about. we'll do that in just a couple of minutes. >> he's really brave to be here. >> you know all know about bethenny frankel the tv star. she's written her first novel. we'll talk to her about it. >> i like they're all trying to stay dry. >> but by the way i want to mention a big summer for the city of london coming up. with the queen's diamond jubilee, also the summer olympic games now just 87 days away. so this thursday i'm going to be there in london to preview those events. we'll be on the grounds of kensington palace, the london home of the duke and duchess of cambridge and prince harry. so that's london this thursday morning on "today." >> i'm going with you. >> seriously? >> no, i just thought -- >> i thought maybe. that would be cool.

>> la-di-da, kensington palace. let's get a check of the top stories from natalie. >> good morning, everyone. the anniversary of osama bin laden's death has law enforcement taking a vigilant but reassuring stance today. the department of homeland security says it has no indication of any specific credible threats tied to the date. meantime, president obama says the anniversary should be a time for reflection, not celebration. and a top u.s. official says documents seized from bin laden's final hideout show al qaeda was so badly damaged from u.s. drone strikes and its own missteps that bin laden considered changing the group's name. a scathing report this morning from british lawmakers says media mogul rupert murdoch is not fit to run a major international corporation. it also says murdoch's corporation misled parliament about phone hacking at his news of the world tabloid. the dramatic 911 calls have been released in the trial of the man charged with killing three members of singer and actress jennifer hudson's family. nbc's kevin tibbles is in

chicago now with the latest. kevin, good morning. >> natalie, it was jennifer hudson's sister who made the gruesome discovery in october of 2008, on a day when she returned home from work. she immediately dialed 911. far from the glamour of hollywood, jennifer hudson has spent the past week in a chicago courtroom. where her former brother-in-law, william balfour, is on trial for the murder of hudson's mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew. >> my momma, my momma. >> reporter: now tapes of the dramatic 911 call made by hudson's sister julia, on the day of the killings have been released. >> somebody's killed my momma. somebody's killed my momma. please! >> reporter: prosecutors allege balfour shot hudson's 57-year-old mother and brother in a jealous rage. julia made the gruesome discovery when she came home from work. >> what happened? >> i don't know. she's on the floor and i see blood coming from her head. >> reporter: when the tapes were played in court, jennifer hudson bowed her head and wiped away tears.

balfour pled not guilty. the defense maintains the evidence is circumstantial, and there are no eyewitnesses. law professor richard cling says the tapes could play a crucial role. >> i think it's emotional. >> reporter: the 911 tapes also show that julia hudson realized her 7-year-old son julian was missing. >> i don't know where julian is or nothing. and i'm here by myself. >> reporter: he was found three days later, shot to death in the back of an abandoned suv. and the court so far has heard from several police officers, one of them just a recruit at the police academy at the time, says that he was poking around in some tall weeds with his police baton when he stumbled upon a handgun. that gun was found not too far from where the suv and the body of that young boy was found. natalie? >> kevin tibbles in chicago. thank you, kevin. now for a look at what's trending today. our quick roundup of what has you talking online. octomom nadya suleman is a hot search item after filing for

bankruptcy on monday. suleman says she's about $1 million in debt and wants a fresh start for her 14 children. the national zoo is live tweeting its efforts to artificially inseminate giant panda, including realtime updates on the procedure itself. the zoo's panda team tweeted here's our slightly groggy black and white rock star in recovery. they'll know if she's pregnant by this summer. and lee lee the budding youtube star may just be the best side kick ever. not only does he guard his owner's bike while he shops. but he also hops aboard and gives a loud bark when he's good to go. one concerned fan has started a website to help lee lee get a better bicycle seat. 8:05 right now. let's go back outside to al with a check of your weather. that is loyalty. >> and great balance, as well. >> yeah. >> what's your name? and you watch our show on your ipad app? >> yes. >> that's fantastic.

terrific. it's a great app. try it out. let's show you what you're getting as far as your weather is concerned. minneapolis, kare-11 news morning sun, afternoon thunderstorms. 76 degrees. and as you take a look at the rest of the day, we're expecting strong storms firing up through missouri, on into alabama, parts of mississippi, louisiana, as well. wet weather moving through the northeast. risk of strong storms in the upper and mid-mississippi river valleys. some mountain snows, interior sections of the pacific northwest. sunny and hot in texas on into >> good morning. the rain showers will taper off as we go through the morning. there could be another batch of thunderstorms developin

>> that's your latest weather. ann? >> hey, al, if you hold your umbrella like mary poppins you can watch the people behind you, so nice to join us, you don't want to do that, right? no, that's right. there you go. anyway, coming up next we're going to be hearing from ryan o'neal about his battle with cancer, and also his relationship with farrah fawcett and his children. that's coming up right after this. ke you breakfast. what? with magic. you are? see the egg? uh huh. so, look at the orange. now close your eyes. ♪ alakazaam! [ sighs ] you're good. and now i'm gonna make this flower bloom. presto. "love you lots." do you want to see it again? yes, i want to see it again! [ female announcer ] hallmark blooming expressions delivers your love again and again.

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actor ryan o'neal. he recently announced that he is battling prostate cancer and he's out with a new memoir. it details his turbulent 30-year love affair with farrah fawcett. we're going to talk to ryan exclusively in just a moment. but first a look back at part of his story. >> say you're sorry. >> reporter: for actor ryan o'neal it was a love story for the ages. but it wasn't his academy award nominated role in "love story," it was his longtime love affair with farrah fawcett. they met in 1979, when fawcett was riding high off the success of "charlie's angels." they were hollywood's golden couple and would continue off and on until her death from cancer in 2009. all of which is discussed in o'neal's new memoir, "both of us, my life with farrah," as well as the troubled relationships with two of his children from a previous marriage, daughter tatum and son griffin. along the way, o'neal and fawcett would have one son together, redmond, who struggled with addiction and troubles with the law, and perhaps most

heartbreaking, aaride to his mother's bedside in prison shackles as depicted in "farrah's story." ryan o'neal, good morning. >> good morning. >> it's been an interesting 24 hours. you were going to be here yesterday, you arrived at our studio not feeling well at all. >> yeah. >> and took off. what was wrong and how are you feeling today? >> i don't know what was wrong. terror, perhaps. terror. i don't know. i just broke out into a terrible sweat. you wouldn't have wanted me. so i went home and went to bed, and i feel better now. >> have you ever had panic attacks or anything like that? >> they said that's what it was. but i had never had one before. even with those kids, i never had a panic attack. >> has the terror subsided at the moment? >> yeah. >> you're okay to move forward? >> yeah, i'm okay now. >> no surprise, this is not "this is your life." i mentioned you had a little surgery here on the nose. >> yeah. >> you also had a diagnosis not long ago of prostate cancer. that follows a diagnosis a few years ago of leukemia.

>> yeah. >> how are you feeling overall? >> inundated with the disease. actually. i'm working to cure it. >> have you begun treatment for prostate cancer yet? >> no. i chose to go to you first, and then i'll do something about it when i go back to california. >> well, we wish you well on that. cancer is a disease that also claimed the life of farrah fawcett back in 2009. and now you have written this memoir and a lot of it focuses on this relationship, an often turbulent relationship between the two of you. why did you write the book? >> well, i wrote it because i missed her. and it was a way to keep -- keep the lines between us going. i still felt she was nearby. when i wrote this. she was close. >> you went back and you looked through journals. >> yeah. >> and you remember the years with her in a very honest, and

very raw, and revealing way. and a lot of it is not particularly flattering about your own weaknesses, and her weaknesses, and i wonder if some people might not think it's a bit unfair, because she can't dispute any of what you've written in this book. >> well, i never thought of it that way. i mean, i don't think she would -- she wasn't a disputer. if you know what i mean. she would be glad i was working on something. even if it was our relationship, which was imperfect, of course. but aren't they all? but i sure miss her. and it was a way to stay close. >> of her, you write that -- despite all that was written and said about her beauty, she was one of the most beautiful women in the world, that as she got older, she was very uncertain about her looks, and she would spend long periods of time just staring in the mirror. >> well, it was possible she was just trying to keep away from me.

and stayed in the bathroom. i don't know. i don't know. >> but was she very insecure about the way she was aging? >> a little. not terribly. not offensively. but i think everybody was. we were all in the bathroom for too long. >> you talk about some vast highs and lows in her life. she would switch almost on a dime between the two. and you say at one point, we were watching her become unhinged, it seemed, before your very eyes. did she seek some kind of treatment for those vast mood swings? >> no. >> did you talk about them? did they make life very difficult in the home when you were living together? >> a little bit. a little bit. i felt that she was uncomfortable with me. and that maybe i was -- i had grown boring to her. it was tough. it was tough. >> why do you say boring to her? what gave you that -- >> well, i don't know.

it's possible. it's possible. >> did she ever come right out and say, you know, this relationship is boring me? >> no. no. never. and she loved me. she said so. she loved me. i couldn't write a book if she hadn't. >> you write about an addiction she had to antibiotics, of all things, and you write in the book, quote, we were both trying to harness our bodies because our lives felt so pointless. you know, at this state -- at that stage in your lives what made them feel pointless to you? >> did i say pointless? >> mm-hmm. >> we -- you were talking about antibiotics. we said that was her -- the drug of her choice, because whenever she had the flu, whenever she had anything wrong, she would take antibiotics for it. and it may have done something to her immune system. so whether she actually needed that system to kick in, there wasn't much left. >> the relationship, i mentioned

turbulent. that's the best word i can use, i think, to describe it. huge highs and huge lows. there was violence at times. do you feel that you were at times as bad for each other as you were good for each other at other times? >> there was a bond. i don't think we were bad for each other. because we had a rhythm. we had a rhythm. that -- that worked generally. smoothly. but i'm hard to live with. she got tired of that, i'm sure. >> you keep coming back to irself. one of the things you write in the book -- >> i have to defend her, you know. >> well one of the things you write about in the book is your relationship with your children. you have four children. a successful sports caster, tatum, griffin and redmond and they struggled. all have been in and out of rehab, griffin is currently in prison and redmond is currently at a treatment facility. >> yeah. >> were you a bad parent? >> looks like it, doesn't it?

sure looks like it. i suppose i was. >> why did you fail as a parent? >> well, i wasn't trained. >> nobody's trained. >> nobody's trained. so i found out. but these are not children anymore, you know. griffin is 45. tatum is 49. who's the other one? oh, yeah, redmond is 27. at some point they have to take hold of their own existence. >> yeah, but it seems like they had troubles from a very early age. you write a story in this book that stopped me in my tracks. you and farrah were fighting. and a common occurrence and redmond walks into the room at 6 years old. >> yeah. >> wearing winnie the pooh pajamas and having a kitchen knife in his hand. >> and pointed it at himself. >> said if you don't stop it i'm going to stab myself. not i'm going to hurt one of you, i'm going to stab myself. this is 6 years old. >> yeah, yeah, yeah. yeah. >> what gets a 6-year-old to that point? >> he didn't want to see this. he couldn't stand it.

it stopped us, i must say. put a stop to that. and we moved the knives up higher. harder to reach. >> at the very end, when farrah was so ill, at the end of 30 years together on and off, you decided you would ask her to marry you. really -- >> oh, i asked her to marry me all the time. all the time. for 1 years i asked her to marry me. >> but at the end a plooriest w called to her bedside to perform a wedding and instead ended up delivering last rites. >> the last rites, yes. >> what were those moments like for you? >> i am not over it yet. i got some relief writing the book, making a clearer picture to everyone, and to me, but that was rough. that was rough.

because the last several years, when she was ill, she was wonderful. there was no more fighting. there were no more knives. we were extremely close, and i just was so proud of her, and so -- i respected her so, how she was handling it. she was so strong, and so brave, and never afraid. never afraid for a minute. she always believed she'd be here on the show with us today. now it's just me. >> ryan o'neal. the book is called "both of us, my life with farrah." it's good to see you. and i wish you the best with your health. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> it's 8:19. we're back right after this. [ male announcer ] imagine facing the day with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain.

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♪ back now at 8:22 with bethenny frankel, the wife, mother and entrepreneur is a reality tv star. she's also a best-selling author. and now she's out with her very first novel, it's called "skinny dipping." bethenny frankel, good morning to you. >> thank you. >> my goodness, after all of your success, now a novel. i mean, are you trying to make us feel like slackers? >> i'm not. i just thought that there should be some sort of palate cleanser after -- i've been on reality television for about eight years. it's been a lot of my reality. my first three books were

prescriptive on how to lose weight, how do get what you want out of live, and "skinny dipping" is just a fun, refreshing -- it's take a dip into skinny dipping. it's just like a palate cleanser. >> you are calling it kind of a beach read. but the idea of starting to write a novel, a first novel, i mean, how -- how did you make that leap? why did you make that leap? >> it was actually my publisher's idea. which is unusual. because usually they want you to do what works, keep doing what works and this is something very different. once i started to really understand what writing a fiction book was like, i loved it. i loved it more than any project i've ever worked on. i just took to it. the minute i started writing it was writing itself. and i would be, jason my husband would say, you are really loving this? oh, my god, wait 2348 you hear what happens next. the main character's name is faith. she has to have a lot of faith to get through what she gets to and get to where she gets to and i really just love it. >> she's a reality tv star. >> she becomes a reality tv star. >> she's motivated, young, talented. she is.

this sounds autobiographical a bit. >> we have a lot in common. there are some differences but we definitely have a lot in common. my life definitely affects everything i do creatively. it would be a lot of guessing who's who, if something means something, if it doesn't. but it really is a very creative, imaginative book, and people are going to love it. i have never been more excited about anything i've done. >> you know, it's interesting because you really created kind of a, i don't know, call it a fifedom. you're kind of a mogul now. there are these women outside carrying your book. they were so excited you were going to be here. there's a kind of inspiration that they take from you. >> i have incredible fans. i have a great relationship with them, whether it's on twitter or e-mails or letters, i know exactly who they are. we are in a relationship. it's why i wanted to do a talk show. a talk show on fox this summer, and it's for them. so we can be in a conversation rather than just watch me living my life on television. >> i -- i -- i was going to even mention that. i mean a talk show in addition to everything else.

>> oh, right. >> what is the -- what is the message, because i know that i think it was in "self" magazine there's an article about you and you talk about, that there really is no such thing as being perfect. that we should strive for something else. what is your message to all of these young women f >> you know, i think that it's my -- i didn't know. i found this out on the journey. it is my message to say, yeah, we're not perfect. we're flawed. i'm flawed. but i'm having fun and today is a good day. right now is a good day, and we have some, you know, not so good moments. but all in all you can really get to where you want to get to and we'll do it together. i like to make people realize that they're not alone in what they're going through. whether it's their childhood, whether it's their marriage, whether it's the sex in their marriage, whether it's having a baby and feeling overwhelmed. that's how i feel. and so i just communicate it. i'm just being honest. and i have found that a lot of my fans feel the exact same way. >> so you're feeling connected, and that's what you're doing? the talk show is a great opportunity for you to do that even more. >> i'm excited. it will be this summer.

it's only in 30 cities, minneapolis, dallas, phoenix, l.a., new york and philadelphia. so it's in a third of cities. no one take offense. we'll be everywhere next year. but testing it out. >> bethenny frankel. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get a final check on the morning commute with traffic pulse 11 and sarah caldwell. a rough morning. >> let's start with this penn line mass-transit out. apparel it struck pedestrian bridge trai -- apparently it struck pedestrian. 517.n no. heavy delays on southbound 795. accident on the ramp from franklin boulevard to southbound 795. shut down in the southbound lanes from owings mills boulevard due to an accident. traffic at a standstill.

we will look at in a moment. owings mills, accident there. edmondson, west side, adding to those delays, a crash coming in. route 22 and one to 36 in churchville, vehicle fire is being cleared. heavy from harford county to the 895 split. 795, avoid it this morning. take 140 as your alternate. two separate accidents. let's switch to a live view of the j.f.x. engine along towards the construction zone, another spot to avoid. tony has the look of the forecast. >> the heavy rain yet we had earlier this morning has moved off to the east. there is a chance we could see showers and thunderstorms pop up. the heaviest rain is off the beaches. mostly cloudy in most areas. 57 in westminster.

mixture of clouds and a little bit of sunshine. there still is a chance for a shower or thunderstorm. dropping into the mid-70's tomorrow. low 80s at the end of the week. >> another update at 8:55.

8:30 now on a tuesday morning. the 1st day of may, 2012. and may is coming in with a good amount of rain here in the northeast. hopefully it's a little nicer where you're waking up. we want to thank our intrepid crowd, and tell them they're on their own out there because we've decided to stick it out inside here at 8:30. >> sorry. >> coming down pretty good. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, al roker and natalie morales. just ahead an insider's view of the rough and tumble restaurant

business. our good friend joe bastianich makes some pretty bold claims in his new book when it comes to his industry. why he says we're being taught bad eating habits, and the price of wine. he also takes some shots at some other people in the industry. we'll talk to him in just a little while. and i mean shots. >> yeah. >> shots. >> bare knuckles. >> really. >> okay. we'll take a look at that. and also some money saving advice for you if you're trying to book a flight. conventional wisdom has always told us that you should book early to find the best deals. but is that still the case? just how early do we really need to start looking? we're going to get some answers about what's happening now. >> and then jenna bush hager is here again with us this morning. she has a great story of a special choir giving young kids a new way to look at their troubled cities. >> but first we want to say hello to alicia stone the most recent attention to we won't say given the boot, but shown the door on american idol. >> good morning. >> you survived you were in the bottom three for a number of

weeks but you showed a lot of poise and calm, and malt yourty. it was -- what do you think finally did you in? >> i'm not really sure at this point. there are six people left and everybody's really fantastic singers. i mean out of 115,000 people, you know, i was one of six. so somebody's got to go home every week and that's just the name of the game. you know, some people saying maybe it's because i was older than everybody else, and more, you know, teenagers vote for the younger ones. but who knows, really. >> you talk about being the older one of the older ones you're also one of the more most experienced members of the group. and you really have embraced your rocker style. how do you weigh what the judges say versus your sort of own artistic impulses? >> well i always take what they say, you know, but no matter what they said, there was always something i could pull out of it. i've learned that if i feel really offended or offensive about something maybe that's something i should think about that i'm missing. i think if you react that way to

something then you know, you might actually be missing that. >> you covered a jimi hendrix song and from what i remember, steven and randy claimed no one knew the song. jennifer lopez thought it was -- it didn't matter because you sang it well. in retrospect would you have chosen a different song? >> i thought everybody knew that song. jimi hendrix, on his album and i just really, i wouldn't have chosen a different song because at this point in the game i knew that i would be successful no matter what. i felt successful. so i just chose a song that i knew i loved, and i could just deliver with conviction and with passion. and i always wanted to bring, you know, life to jimi hendrix lyrics because he was more of a guitar player even though he was an amazing singer. so i just i have no regrets about that. and it was just released. >> what do you think it's going to take for someone like you, who has an edgier, more rock star style, what's it going to take for someone like you to make it as the finalist, or the

winner on "american idol"? >> oh, man. you know what? i wish i knew. because i probably would still be there. but i think everything happens for a reason. i feel very happy with my choices, and really confident that, you know, what number i get isn't really going to define me as an artist or a person. i'm just excited to move forward. >> confidence is a word that comes up a lot with you. elise testone, nice to see you. pleasure. and the "american idol" winner and runner-up will be here for a live concert on our plaza thursday, may 31st. >> did you know that six degrees of separation our director joe michaels is inscription in his yearbook was bold is love. >> really? >> huh. there you go. >> nice to know. >> if you know joe -- >> just threw that out there. >> it's okay. >> a moment. >> he's bold. >> let's check your weather and show you right now, a bold as weather. we've got strong storms up in northern tier of states, especially upper mississippi river valley.

mountain snows in the pacific northwest. sunshine through the southeast. mid-atlantic states, into the southwest. where it's going to be much warmer than usual. tomorrow we're looking at more rain here in the northeast, mid-atlantic, a risk of strong storms again in the upper mississippi, moving into the mid ohio river valley. rain along the pacific northwest coast. the heat will continue to the southwest on into texas. >> good morning. the showers will taper off as we go through the morning. there could be another batch of thunderstorms developing late in >> don't forget you can get your weather any time of the day or night, go to the weather channel on cable and weather.com online.

>> all right, al, thank you so much. coming up next the aforementioned joe bastianich on the inside secrets of the restaurant business and the high price of wine. >> fires some shots!

we are back now at 8:38. joe bastianich is best known here at "today" as our resident wine expert. he's also the owner of an empire of restaurants. in his new book restaurant man he opens up about his rise from a lowly bus boy in queens to the top of his industry. joe, it's always good to see you. >> nice to see you, matt. starting off with a little sip of some juice. >> you cannot ply me with wine. restaurant man is a term your dad used. >> he did. >> he was an old world restaurateur and you started working in the family business and hated it. >> i hated it. >> why did you go back? >> i grew up the son of italian

i78 grants in queens in what was a workaday business. i was embarrassed to tell my friends that my parents owned a restaurant. it was a blue collar job and a hard-working job and my dad said if you want to be a restaurant man you have to do this. >> after going off into wall street for a little while you got back, and you took to it a lot better the second time? >> i kind of went back to italy to my ethnicity and refound my soul in italy and the journey in italy. we discovered food and wine. it was something that was really cathartic for me. >> you have not just written the book about the industry in a generic sense. i know you about the suave and debonair guy about hospital and restaurants. and joe you fire some shots in this book. >> the stories of wine lords who trade wine on intimidation or food critics who trade free meals for reviews, or landlords in new york, these are the stories of my life. >> but are you settling scores in this book? >> absolutely not. >> because it seems as if you are. >> i am telling the stories of my life in a true way. >> you call one chef a withering

d-bag a short, and then you use part of the male anatomy napoleonic curse word. you call a wine buyer a pro-tension tool. >> i'm from queens that's the way we talk. it's how i was brought up. yes, i may seem a little bit more eloquent now but back in the day we called it like it was. we called a spade a spade. these are the stories of my life. this is what i grew up with. the book is truthful and honest. >> you say that a well-known italian restaurant chain is quote, teaching america bad habits by serving the blank, four-letter word olive oid and balsamic vinegar for dipping sauce for your bread. >> this is true. i think the accountability of all restaurants at every level to serve truthful quality products, even at a low-level meal, wherever it is in this country, you go to an italian restaurant they should be serving real olive oil, not fake olive oil and real butter. >> but it's about dollars and cents at that point and you even describe yourself as a cheap guy. you and your partner mario batali own 25 traunts and you say we are cheap guys.

>> the truth of the matter is at the end of the day if you want to open a restaurant you need to read this book. because the restaurant business is a nickel and dime business. we save money to reinvest in you the customer to make a better experience for you. that is the point. >> which brings up a criticism. one of the reasons i was so surprised that you took so many shots at others in this book is because you were right for criticism, as well. you recently settled a lawsuit. >> we did. >> class action suit where employees of yours were saying you were sketching their tip money. >> which was not true. it's a scourge in our business and we settled a class action suit, it's a business decision so we could move on and it's throughout our industry and an unfortunate thing. we made a business decision and are moving ahead. >> you write about different roles that employees in a restaurant play and on the maitre d' you say this, quote, his skills, which i guess could be a her, also -- you're drinking here -- are the same skills as a hooker has. >> yes. >> to please the client. >> right. >> to make them feel take they're the own one, extract as

much money as you can. he's selling real estate and i know he's on the take. it's part of the job description. >> matt, you go to a restaurant, you other people, you walk in, you do a little air kiss you get brought to the best table in the house as everyone else watches. matt lauer, it's a beautiful thing. for everybody else there's a price, 50 bucks. gets you noticed. it's a relationship between you and the restaurant. >> why do you want customers to know that? >> because ultimately -- >> maitre d' is on the take? >> ultimately if you're going to be a better restaurant customer you want to enjoy your restaurant experience more, read the book. it explains how restaurants tip, who does what, what goes on in a restaurant. it will make you a better restaurant customer, will make you enjoy restaurants more. >> you make wine now as part of your empire and i've had it. it's good wine. you tell people they should know, no bottle of wine costs more than $5 to produce. >> right. >> what do you charge for this bottle? >> this retails for $30. and $5 to produce at the winery. essentially wines are fermented grape juice. so i'm trying to make the point that the wine world is about scores, and marketing and kind of creating a scarce resource

where they don't really exist. and that's just truth be told. because, you can enjoy a $15 bottle of wine as much as you can enjoy a $100 bottle of wine. and that's why we're in the business. to save bad wine from happening to good people like you, matt. >> the book is called "restaurant man" and if people are looking for a sanitized version of the restaurant industry, it's not this book. >> it's the one you need to read if you want to enjoy restaurants more. or open your own restaurant, matt. >> joe bastianich, good to see you. >> thank you. >> it's a pleasure. up next we're going to tell you how far in advance you need to book your next flight to get the best zeal. but first, this is "today" on nbc. guys, i'm home!

sara lee one hundred percent whole wheat bread. with thirteen grams of whole grain in every slice, and delicious taste in every last bite. sara lee. so good, it's gone. "today's travel" is brought to you by expedia. save on your next trip by booking your flight and hotel together. expedia. >> back now at 8:45. and this morning on "today's travel," how to find the best

airfares. we've all been told to book early if you want to get the cheapest flights. but is it really the right way to go? from travel and leisure the feature editor there. >> good morning, ann. >> airline flight prices just keep going up and up and up in part because of gas prices. what is now the rule of thumb in terms of booking early? >> the key is to know when to book but also when to fly. so it's a combination, and what we're finding is the best idea is to look at historical data. so we went to a company called a.r.c. and asked them for a lot of information about previous years so we could give you the basic sweet spots. >> so what does this data tell us about whether you should be booking months in advance or weeks in advance to get cheaper flights? >> it really depends on the destination. if you're flying domestically you should be looking at about six weeks time in advance. that's a rule of thumb. of course i would say it's best to know what the flight costs could be so you know when you're getting a great deal. >> i thought it was two weeks in advance. now i feel really stupid. >> you shouldn't feel stupid. because the thing is that's for the optimal lowest price.

now if you're flying for memorial day, today is actually the last day in that sweet spot of four weeks in advance before memorial day. if you're thinking about going for memorial day this is the time to book. thanksgiving, when do you think you should be booking for thanksgiving? >> october? >> summer. august. >> okay. >> so late august, while you're at the beach, that's when you should be thinking about thanksgiving. this is not to scare people, more to just let them know, they're getting the best deals possible. international travel, this is going to really blow your mind. 21 to 22 weeks in advance for europe in the summertime. >> are you saying that essentially we have to now book earlier, earlier than we ever used to? >> earlier than we used to because there aren't that many -- those rising prices and limited capacity. there aren't all the planes flying with not that many seats they're trying to sell last-minute. for the caribbean you want to go at the prime time it would be 11 to 12 weeks in advance. >> let's talk about some other things you want to say in terms of if the prices are so high we really want to get these better deals. you say we should consider

traveling during the shoulder season. >> shoulder season, depending on the destination, varies. but the basic gist of the shoulder season is you're traveling during the season right after the high season. so if you're going to europe and you want to go to europe in the summer and you can't afford it in the prime season, why not go in august or september, a beautiful time of the year there or in the caribbean, early december, or after april 15th. i plan a trip every year april 19th. which is my birthday and i go to the caribbeacaribbean. >> that works out. >> airline sales are generally for certain days of the week. you say don't limit yourself to those days. >> don't limit yourself. they do publish sales on tuesdays and wednesdays, a great time to go and look online. there are also deals that they're putting up all the time. and last-minute, small bag. sign up for a fare alert on an website like airline watch dog. those fares come to you in your in box. >> also a lot of us fly on fridays and saturdays and sundays. how much money can you save if we think about changing those days that we fly? >> for example i flew back from

austin yesterday. don't do that. don't fly on fridays, and sundays and mondays because that's when everyone else is doing. it's all about supply and demand. consider flying on saturday, actually is a great time to fly. or on tuesday. that's also a value option. >> okay. what if you actually book a ticket, and actually it's cheaper later on? can you actually get a better deal? >> something that a lot of people don't realize, the new rules make it if within 24 hours of booking your flight you get a better deal you can get a full refund. that's something people should definitely take advantage of. >> that's terrific. we've gotten through a lot of information here. >> thank you so much. >> i think you may have saved some people some money this morning. thank you so much. and coming up next, jenna bush hager on a new program that's giving kids in one city something to sing about. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

we are back now at 8:51 with a special choir in detroit that's giving young students a new way to take pride in their city. "today" contributing correspondent jenna bush hager is here with details. >> good morning, matt. yes, this is a story of one teacher giving her students an assignment that's impacted so many. her goal, to give her kids a new appreciation for the city they live in. and something new to think about. young faces of detroit. the birthplace of motown. the motor city.

but to some, it's become a forgotten place. >> people say that detroit is the murder city. >> they actually say murder city? >> you've heard that too? >> yes. >> and nothing is coming from detroit. >> reporter: the odds do seem stacked against these kids. one-fourth of detroit's houses are abandoned. the murder rate, among the highest in the country. and half of detroit's students don't graduate high school in four years. >> our kids are faced with so many issues, before they get to school they're faced with folks trying to pull them into drugs, pull them into gangs. >> reporter: at the detroit academy of arts and sciences, superintendent maurice morgan is raising expectations for his students. >> it's so imperative that our kids are educated, that they're leaders, and that they know there's another way to do all the things they ever dreamed of. >> reporter: at this school in this city, music reigns supreme.

♪ the dodd school choir is inspired by the music greats who came before them. the kids' modern-day inspiration, their choir teacher. >> not just about the microphone, it's about composure. it's about poise. it's about eye contact. it's about firm hand shakes. it's about big smiles. >> reporter: smiles which have become even brighter with the choir assignment empow ired them to change the way their city is viewed. >> i hear them talking amongst themselves during after-school rehearsal about parents out of work, and money is tight. i hear them speaking about crime. but i wanted them to be proud to be a detroit citizen. ♪ >> reporter: inspired by the hit song, entire state of mind. she asked the students to rewrite the lyrics, this time celebrating detroit. showing these students they have much to be proud of.

♪ we love our city >> reporter: songwriters, 13-year-olds. lyrics on paper with the help of a grant soon became a session in a recording studio and a professionally produced video that has more than 50,000 views on youtube. >> it's so insane. >> reporter: the choir has become more. a family. and a place of refuge. >> i love being around them, cracking jokes and all that stuff. just singing and having fun. it's beautiful. ♪ whatever happens >> what i like about choir is like it was really fun, and people are really close to me, really close to being my friends, and i'm good. so amazed how i get to perform. >> reporter: and now the choir is singing about their dreams of peace and love. harmony of hope and a brighter

future for the city they share. ♪ >> the new optimism that i see is that the children seem to put their chest up, and they walk prouder, and they speak about their city and where they live with a certain sense of pride that i did not see before. >> and for these kids the neckineck i ive news about their city really did have a negative impact on them. but as you can see this assignment helped turn that all around, and the choir is gaining popularity. they not only performed at a halftime show for detroit lions game but they're getting calls from everyone. they're really great. >> what a wonderful story. >> thank you. >> this says a lot about if you raise the expectation that there's so much power. >> and that teacher related with it. she gave them a jay-z song to rewrite and look what they did. >> that's going to be a big hit.

50,000 on youtube now on the way up. >> thank you very much. just ahead, we're going to talk about the best foods to buy in bulk. >> coming up. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news i baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara command will file internal affairs complaints against five baltimore city police officers after they were caught on video allegedly assaulting him. thomas threatt and others were charged with inciting to riot

and disorderly conduct. two senior of

>> we still expect a chance for a shower or thunderstorm as we head through the day. 30% or 40% chance. mixture of clouds and a little bit of sunshine with a high near 80.