good morning. breaking news. secretary of state hillary clinton expected to comment on the fate of blind dissent chen guangcheng for the first time. what does the u.s. do? will he and his family be allowed to come here? has the case damaged our already delicate relationship with china? we're live in beijing. a new poll shows mitt romney and president obama in a virtual tie in the key battleground states of florida and ohio. as the presumptive gop nominee gets set to meet one-on-one with rival -- one-time rival, rather, rick sant numb today. this morning comedian, critic and the man with his own super pac, stephen colbert gives his unique interview.

and a mom accused of taking her daughter to a tanning booth lashes out at critics. she may be an excessive tanner herself. we'll hear from her "today," herself. we'll hear from her "today," friday, may 4th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome today on this friday morning i'm ann curry. >> i'm david gregory. what a treat for me to be in for matt today. because i've actually never met a man on television with his own super pac and his own tanning bed. but stephen colbert has both. and we're going to get to talk to him about his new children's book and politics coming up. but we actually have serious politics going on this morning. a big test for secretary of state clinton. she's expected to face questions this morning about this speech with the state of the dissident

chen guangcheng hanging in the balance. >> since he escaped from house arrest last week, chen has pleaded for help from secretary clinton and has also asked that he and his family be allowed to come to the united states. we're going to get a live report from beijing on this story that's still developing straight ahead. >> also ahead this morning, one woman's real-life nightmare. she was asleep in her bed with her husband when he was murdered. nothing was taken from the home that night. no one else was harmed, so police suspected she was the prime suspect. and it would take years for investigators to unravel what really happened. well, she's going to share her story live with us in an interview this morning. >> also, if you suspect that there is dangerous mold in your home, and you want it to have it removed you're going to call a mold contractor. but could they be charging you for work you don't really need? well coming up, what happened when we put some companies to the test using hidden cameras. but we begin this morning with some breaking news, hillary clinton set to speak out in china this morning. nbc's ian williams is in beijing. ian, good morning. >> good morning, ann.

we are waiting for these first comments from hillary clinton about what's been a nightmare of a diplomatic week for her. the foreign ministry of china today hinted at a possible solution saying that chen guangcheng could apply to study abroad like any other normal chinese citizen. now there was no hint about what that meant for his family, but it does suggest that china does see a way out, and we are hoping we are expecting that secretary clinton will comment on that. now, this comes at the end of a day where once again chen, by telephone, said he was in a dangerous situation and he said that u.s. diplomats were being prevented from getting in to see him. now we saw that ourselves today, when a u.s. diplomatic car was turned away, trying to get in to the hospital. so this really does show how limited the u.s. options are now. but, hints, as i say, of a possible way out of this, ann. >> i know that chen has no

passport according to "the washington post" reporting this morning and that he would likely have to wait for months, even years, if he were to apply through the normal procedures that the -- that the chinese government is now offering him. so, but is there any way for the united states now to actually guarantee any kind of safety? have they lost all control? of protecting him? >> i -- i expect that where there's a will there's a way, if they are wanting to come to a deal, they can reach one quite speedily. but the reality is that chen is now on chinese soil. he's in a chinese hospital, under chinese jurisdiction. therefore, the sway, the real practical sway the u.s. has, is very limited. we saw that today with the way that u.s. officials were blocked from getting in to the hospital to go and see him, to go and check on his welfare. the hope, though, is moral pressure and pragmatism is win out. moral pressure because this

story has flashed around the world, even in china, chen guangcheng is very well-known. he is a man of outstanding moral stature and principle. people are watching this. there's a lot of censorship but they find their information through the web. there's a lot of pressure on that sense. also pragmatism. these meetings went ahead this week, suggesting that china doesn't want to let this damage the relationship with the u.s., and that for all the rhetoric, and there's a lot of that in the newspapers here today, that china does want to find a way out, and these hints today from the foreign ministry that he may be allowed to study abroad is perhaps a way forward, ann. >> it will be interesting to hear what the secretary of state hillary clinton will have to say in her remarks that are expecting to come at any time. ian williams thank you so much this morning. david, i know that you're going to have more on this this coming sunday on "meet the press." you're interviewing joe biden. >> right. the vice president. this is a huge test for the administration, for any administration, these questions about freedom and standing up for freedom. also, biden coming on the program, the president will

launch his re-election campaign officially in ohio over the weekend, so we'll get to talk to him about that. there is so much news to get to. we'll go to natalie at the news desk now for more on what she's got. >> good morning, david and ann. good morning, everyone. violence overseas this morning as two coalition soldiers are killed in southern afghanistan today. meantime, in neighboring pakistan, a bomb at a local market there has killed at least 20 people. these attacks come just a day after documents seized in last year's raid on osama bin laden's hideout reveal he was still set on killing americans, putting president obama and jaernd david petraeus at the top of his list. defense secretary leon panetta speaks to the troops today to caution them that bad behavior can hamper the war effort. the move is in response to the recent leaks of tasteless photos and videos including those depicting troops posing with corpses in afghanistan. meantime a much-anticipated moment for the families of the 9/11 victims, as khalid shaikh mohammed will be arraigned saturday in guantanamo bay, cuba. the alleged mastermind of the

terror attacks will face a military tribunal along with four co-defendants. now for a check of the markets, cnbc's mandy drury has the latest. big jobs report out today. >> oh, absolutely, natalie. it is all about jobs today. you know the payroll number for april is front and center. where march only created 120,000 jobs, and when you consider that we've lost about 8.8 million jobs in the u.s. city during 18-month recession that ended nearly three years ago, we have a lot of catching up to do. there is another thing that markets will be cautious about today, natalie, and that is the french and greek elections that are happening in europe this weekend. why do we care about that? if politics in europe are in disarray it's going to be harder for them to sort out their finances and that, in turn, in our globalized world does hurt our markets down the line. so lots of things to consider today. back to you. >> mandy drury at the new york stock exchange, thank you. amazing images today as a massive sinkhole threatens to

swallow a florida home. the hole is 100 feet wide and 50 feet deep and forced the family to evacuate their home. sometimes you just got to make your own kind of music, and the elephant is playing her own special song now that keepers at washington, d.c.'s national zoo have attached a harmonica to her cage. check it out. ♪ now, in case you're not convinced that shawntee knows she's washington's newest pop star, zoo keepers insist all of her songs have a beginning, middle and an end with a big finish,s ayou heard. david and ann, she loves the crescendo. >> very cute. >> my kids have gerbils and i put a trumpet in there and i got nothing so far. >> we've got to get that elephant on america's got talent. >> let's put her in. >> natalie, thank you so much. al is here, check, first check of the weather. maybe some rain. >> you know the el gantt fant in

the room is really -- anyway. >> oh. >> let's show you what we've got. we've got three areas of severe weather, dry line coming through texas that's causing line and we're looking at a risk of strong storms from del rio up to wichita falls. in the midwest a frontal system draping down into warmer air bringing heavy thunderstorms from kansas city into chicago. the risk from north platte to paducah to indianapolis, and here in the mid-atlantic states and the east, on that same front, moving down into this warm, moist air, bringing heavier showers and thunderstorms along the eastern seaboard. from richmond up to new york city, and as far west as central pennsylvania we have the risk of strong storms, maybe even an isolated tornado. >> good morning. we will start out with dry conditions and maybe some and drizzle. we have the possibility of some strong thunderstorms this afternoon. warm and humid.

>> and that's your latest weather. ann? >> all right, al, thank you. mitt romney holds a private meeting with rick santorum today. their first since santorum dropped out of the republican presidential race. this as a new poll shows romney in a virtual tie with president obama in some crucial swing states. nbc's peter alexander is in washington with us this morning. hey, peter, good morning. >> ann, good morning to you. among the topics sure to be discussed at that private meeting between mitt romney and rick santorum, a possible endorsement. but just as they prepare to meet the democrats are out with a new video today showing some of santorum's toughest attacks on romney, nonetheless, one by one, romney is trying to turn his past opponents into advocates and this morning he's touting the support of another former challenger, michele bachmann. >> good morning. this is what victory looks like! . >> reporter: it took four

months, but tea party favorite michele bachmann, who just last december insisted voters wouldn't support mitt romney, a man she called an inconsistent conservative -- >> you want to know what's the truth, they're not interested -- >> reporter: -- is now changing her tune. >> this is a very simple proposition this november. president barack obama, president mitt romney. you decide. >> reporter: perhaps tougher to decide, who romney will pick to join him on the ticket. governor bob mcdonnell could help him win virginia. >> this may well be the state who decides who the next president is. >> reporter: in fact, romney's recent campaign stops seemingly turned into a round-robin audition of would-be vice presidents. congressman paul ryan of wisconsin. >> help is on the way. >> reporter: new hampshire senator kelly ayott. >> the next president of the university. >> reporter: and florida's marco rubio. six months out, the general election fight is already heating up. one new poll showing romney now essentially tied with the

president in the critical swing states of florida, and ohio. while mr. obama still holds a strong lead in pennsylvania. since 1960, no one has won the white house without winning at least two of those three states. beginning this week, the pro-romney super pac is spending more than $4 million on ads in battleground states. >> the man who helped save my daughter was mitt romney. >> reporter: but republicans have yet to spend a dime on ads targeting the hispanic community. a pivotal demographic that at the moment overwhelmingly favors the president, who hosted a cinco de mayo celebration thursday night. >> even though it's only tres de mayo. we just like to get the fiesta started early around here. >> reporter: still romney is mocking the president for his campaign's latest video. >> i believe that this country succeeds when everyone gets a fair shot. >> reporter: simply titled, forward. >> if the last three and a half years are his definition of forward i'd hate to see what backward looks like. >> reporter: the obama campaign

is looking forward. officially revving up its re-election effort tomorrow with back-to-back rallies on college campuses in ohio, and virginia. david, of course, those are two of the critical battlegrounds mr. obama will likely need to win to hold onto his job this november. >> peter alexander, thanks so much. this morning, stephen colbert is a man who has had a loud and influential voice in this political season. he is the host, of course, of "the colbert report" on comedy central. you're also the author of "i am a poll and so can you." which we'll get to in just a moment. great to have you here. >> so happy to be here. you have a super pac and you have a character on television. >> yes. >> and you have a real impact on this race. >> i deny one of those three statements. >> which one, exactly? >> we'll figure it out in a second. >> you have an impact. >> how do i have an impact on the race? >> i'm sorry. can i ask the questions here? the question -- >> leaving it >> i'm flummoxed already.

what are you exposing about the race and the political system in 2012 that you think the rest of us miss? >> i don't know what i'm exposing. but i just knew as soon as i found out there were such things as super pacs i knew that i would be a chump if i didn't have one. there's a way to get unlimited money into the system, and if you do it the right way, unlimited money where no one knows where it came from. >> right. you made a joke about that recently at a time 100 dinner where you were honored as one of the most influential -- >> 100 most influential on the planet. >> you said one of the big republican financiers david coke gave you 5 million to your pac, you said because of our campaign finance laws you'll never know who got the joke. >> you don't. he could have given me that money or maybe not. because i would run it through my 501c4, colbert shh which stands for shhh. >> which has more than ron paul's super pac. >> oh, yeah we're outraising ron paul. i got more donations than mitt romney did. >> you have particular resonance

among younger people. >> young -- >> which is part of it -- >> i'm hip. i'm hep, actually. >> without trying to be. >> -- authenticity. >> this vote is up for grabs. do you think that young people approach this election differently with a different attitude, less inspiration than they did four years ago? >> oh, i don't -- i don't know. they're pretty excited about barack obama four years ago. he was a fresh-faced kid who could relate to the youth. but now, he's all grandpa gray hair who didn't close gitmo so i don't know -- i don't know if they're as excited as they once were. mitt romney when it comes to kids mitt romney's got the electricity. you know. it's a static electricity. but it's still like an electricity technically. >> mitt romney has this nomination wrapped up and he's got michele bachmann's endorsement now. >> that was a lock. >> so, does he have the party effectively behind him? peter referenced the fact that in the swing states this is now a tighter race? >> were, i can't imagine he

wouldn't have the republican party behind him. it's not like republicans are going to say mitt romney -- i will go to barack obama, i think it's a fait accompli the republicans will join behind him. but, i don't know what i'll do for swing states. here's crazy things that i talk about politics a lot. i don't actually understand politics. i make jokes about politics. but i don't really understand it. that's why i started super pac so i could find out what it's really like. because all i know is what i watch you guys do. and so you probably know better than i do. >> well i don't know about that. you seem to be able to get to the core of these issues of what looks ridiculous about the race, or ultimately -- >> by trying to look through it. for instance in campaign finance i heard that there were laws to prevent you from doing things with campaign finance money, until i went to go do it. and then i found out there kind of aren't. >> before i get to the book, one last question, what decides this election? not on all the issues but as you look at these two candidates, their personalities, their

qualities, what does this come down to? >> it comes down who has been crueler to a dog. apparently it comes down to whether or not it's crueler for an adult man to strap a dog to his car and then drive for 12 hours, or over a 10-year-old boy to eat dog given to him by his stepfather. as far as i can tell that'sed biggest differentiation. >> this is the animal planet election? >> absolutely. >> this is the book "i'm a pole and so can you." what inspired this? >> a lot of celebrities have children's books and i didn't. and i didn't think that was right. and -- you understand there's a fair amount of cash to be made there. i interviewed maurice sendak, where the wild things are, and when i interviewed him i pitched him my idea for a book and the idea of the book was about a pole that doesn't know what kind of pole it's meant to be. doesn't know what it's place is

in the world. maybe it's a barber pole for awhile. thinks it's a ski pole but there's only one of him. >> i was going to read this to my children tonight, i'm excited then i got to the page where he said he thought he was a stripper pole. >> no. he interned as a stripper pole. the line goes, there's always firemen and fishing but those jobs are hard to find so he interned as a striple pole but he couldn't stand the grind. hey! strippers have children, too. >> how do i explain this to my children when they say what does uncle stephen mean by that? >> well, first of all, why do they call me uncle stephen? but second of all, just say she's a pretty dancer. >> right. >> don't be so jmtal. she's a pretty dancer. entertainment comes in all forms. >> exactly. >> or take a razor and cut that page out. >> you won't be offended if i do that? >> not at all. not at all. as long as you bought the book. that's all i care about. anyway maurice said the sad thing is i like it and that's

why i thought i have to actually do this book. if maurice sendak liked the book i have to make it. >> if there is a payoff it's about finding your identity if you don't have a super pac. >> right. find your role in the world. it's a perfect gift for anyone to give a college or a high school graduate or faer's day or any other day. because there are other days in the year. >> right. >> yeah. >> mother's day. is your boss a stripper? give her this. i'm telling you, it's a beautiful book and you made it seem ugly. >> stephen colbert -- >> there are other pages that don't have strippers on them but that's the one you -- >> but i was reading it. i took it out of context? >> exactly. >> i think it's time for me to get in the tanning bed. stephen colbert, the book is "i'm a pole and so can you." it is now 7:19. once again, mercifully here's ann. >> thank you so much. we're going to turn now to a more serious story. a longtime lawyer and a decorator of the heiress who gave john edwards money allegedly used to cover up his affair are expected to take the stand at the former presidential

candidate's trial today. nbc's lisa myers is covering this case in greensboro, north carolina. she joins us now. lisa, good morning. >> hey, ann, good morning. in nine days of testimony, the prosecution and the defense have agreed that john edwards lied a lot to hide his affair. the legal wrangling is over whether in the course of the cover-up he crossed the line and did something criminal. to a parade of former campaign staffers, prosecutors showed just how far john edwards went to cover up his affair. his former body man john davis testified thursday that he became suspicious when he encountered rielle hunter in a hotel elevator, a few weeks after she was terminated as campaign videographer. >> it's a great speech. >> can you read it? >> yes, i can read it. >> you can? >> yeah. >> reporter: later that day, davis said hunter knocks on his door. she told me that she and senator edwards were very much in love. then the next day, davis said,

edwards denied he was having an affair with hunter. he told me she was crazy, and that she should make sure she didn't talk to him. davis testified. but edwards' press aide caught the government by surprise. revealing that for all of edwards' lies, he had refused to lie under oath. he testified that a tabloid had suggested it would drop a story if edwards signed a sworn affidavit denying the affair and paternity of hunter's child. edwards refused. >> as a lawyer he knew that signing this affidavit would be a crime. he was unwilling to do that. >> reporter: but, there was potentially damaging testimony, too. davis recalled a conversation with edwards and donor fred barron in late 2007, when the media was looking for hunter. davis testified that barron said, the press wasn't going to find ms. hunter because of the way he was moving her around. davis said, i asked him to stop talking. i didn't want to be aware of

this. edwards, he testified, said nothing. >> it's damaging to john edwards because it shows that he knew what was going on. >> reporter: back on the stand today, the decorator for heiress bunny mellon. brian huffman, who also served as middleman for $725,000 of the cover-up money provided by mellon. huffman regaled the court with stories of mellon's estate, and private jets, and how she falsely labeled the checks as payment for outrageously expensive furniture. >> he said that bunny mellon called it the furniture business. in his testimony seemed to indicate that they were having some fun with it. >> reporter: huffman said he knew the money was to help edwards with a personal problem, but had no idea it was being used to conceal an affair. the government alleges the funds amounted to illegal campaign contributions which edwards denies. ann? >> all right. lisa myers this morning. lisa, thank you for your reporting on that.

and coming up, a woman wakes up to find her husband lying next to her in bed murdered. and becomes the prime suspect in the case until this man confessed to the crime. she'll open up about her ordeal in a live interview coming up. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

coming up here, the mom accused of bringing her young daughter to a tanning salon. she's got choice words for her critics.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. here's a look at one of our top stories. a surprising announcement from baltimore's top cop. fred bealefeld house announced he will retire. after 31 years with the department, the last five as police commissioner, he says it is time to move on to his retirement will be effective august 1. he says the decision will be -- the decision was tough to make

but he is looking forward to spending more time with his family. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> a serious accident we want to update you on on jarrettsville pike. shutdown at dulaney valley road and phoenix. two people died in this accident. it involved a truck and a car, and the investigation is ongoing. warren road and beaver dam road, another accident coming in. middletown road and york road, watch for a crash. charles street shut down in the city, along with portions of mount vernon and madison. anne arundel county, brock bridge road, a crash. some delays on 295 in the area of 32. delays start to build from security down to edmondson. live view of traffic, still off on the right in many spots. 95 and white marsh, not showing much with delays. tony, over to you.

>> it will take a while for the fog to burn off. at the airport, humidity is 100%. you will find the patchy fog just about everywhere this morning on her way to work. 62 in taneytown, 61 in parkton. we will probably get some sunshine to break through the cloud deck, but that will create more thunderstorms this afternoon and tonight. some of those could be strong.

there's somebody out there in my whole life that doesn't like me because they're jealous, they're fat and they're ugly. >> some strong words from the new jersey mom charged with child endangerment for allegedly taking her daughter into a tanning booth. her case, and her overly tanned appearance, are getting a lot of attention. we'll get the latest on this story coming up this morning. meantime it is 7:30 now on a friday. the 4th of may, 2012. i'm ann curry alongside david gregory. who's in for matt this morning. been a joy to have you here. >> thank you. having fun already. also coming up this morning, you hire them to keep your family safe from mold but could some mold contractors be charging you for repairs that you actually don't need? we're going to have the results of our hidden camera investigation on that. coming up a little bit later you

may pick up a flyer at the grocery store, glance through the coupons on sundays but do you know how to be an extreme couponer. we're going to meet two women mo have taken their love of a deal to a whole new level. it is actually saving them some big-time money. they will explain coming up. >> but we begin this half hour with one woman's real-life nightmare. she woke up to find her husband murdered in bed. and she quickly became the focus of the police investigation. we're going to talk to her in just a moment. but first, nbc's keith morrison has her story. >> reporter: it was, to say the least, an unusual wedding. three people in this one. when melissa married father of one enoxley. >> will you promise to share in the love of this family. if so, will you please say i will? >> reporter: a happy little family. so what happened on a cold night a year and a half later was especially shocking. ben oxley, asleep in his own bed, was shot in the head, murdered, while melissa, lying right beside him was untouched, unharmed.

>> red flags start popping up. you start thinking okay this doesn't seem right. >> reporter: says the detective. as the mystery deepened melissa was a suspect, prance the suspect. as little alyssa was drawn back to her birth mother and away from step mom melissa, ben's sister told her. >> my mom killed my dad that night. >> reporter: and then a break. ben's ex-wife dawn told police her young boyfriend killed ben, supposedly to please her. >> he wake me up and he said, it's done. >> reporter: in exchange for her story, dawn got limited immunity. james was charged with murder. and then -- the bombshell. dawn was with him the whole time, said james, in fact, orchestrated the murder. >> i take full responsibility for what i did. dawn needs to take full responsibility for what she did. >> reporter: has she? no. and james' attorney claims --

>> the prosecutor made a deal with the devil. >> reporter: in court the shooter confessed all, and begged forgiveness. after which young alyssa asked to talk to him. >> i told him that i decided to forgive him. and that i wanted him to have hope. >> reporter: james is doing life now. dawn has not been charged. and two members of that three-person wedding, melissa and alyssa, are together again. >> melissa oxley is now joining us. and good morning, melissa. >> good morning. >> good to see you here. after you found your husband murdered in the bed next to you, and police arrived, they actually wrapped your hands in plastic to preserve evidence. what were your emotions going through all that on that day? >> very numb at first. and overwhelmed. and you don't even know what's going on, really. sad.

sick that you're being thought about it and have to go through it. >> after you learned that your husband's first wife's boyfriend had taken responsibility for what happened to ben, you thought about the fact that he had for months afterwards, after the death of your husband, had actually had in your -- you had discussions with alyssa, he actually took her to school. >> he did. he lived with her for over 19 months afterwards. saw him numerous times, picked her up from my voice, visitations together. >> this made you furious? >> yes. it's something i always fought with. for the longest time we didn't know who it was, what it had to do with, or who around will but just knowing that always makes it that much harder. >> you know, james says that your husband's first wife dawn bears responsibility.

>> i would agree. >> you would agree? >> yes. >> what is -- what kind of responsibility would you -- what kind of punishment or response or would you like her to bear? >> i'm hoping that the truth just comes out, and at the end of it all, when it's all said and done and i believe that she should have a punishment for her part in it, and own up to that. >> have you spoken to her? what would be your message to her, given all that's happened to you? >> that's a tough one. i would hope that she would do it not only for us, but her own daughter and daughters. >> you're raising alyssa, your stepdaughter? >> yes. >> and we just saw her on tape and she seems really remarkable, and forgiveness. >> strong little girl. i always told her pretty much from day one that whenever we find out who did this, we would

have to be able to forgive them at some point to be able to go on. >> i find it remarkable. you've had your husband killed next to you in bed. you have been accused of being the one to kill him, you've gone through that entire process, and yet you're sitting right here talking about forgiveness. >> i know, it's such a big part to be able to move on and not be so angry and held back by it. we have to still live our life. so i thought it was super important for her to be able to be able to go on with hers, too. >> so you're saying that you choose forgiveness, and you choose for alyssa to embrace forgiveness, because it is your will to having life, joy in your life again rather than being bitter. >> yeah. >> so in other words -- >> it's about god and this is the power that he's able to heal you, and for us to go through such a horrible thing but come out okay. >> wow. melissa oxley, pleasure to meet you. >> thanks for having me on. >> our best to you.

we want to mention that you can see more of melissa's story tonight on a special "dateline," while they were sleeping at 10:00, 9:00 central time here on nbc. and now let's get a check of the weather from al. >> "today's weather" is brought to you by kay jewelers. every kiss begins with kay. >> we've got a lot of heat to talk about down south. big area of high pressure. ridge of high pressure keeping the jet stream up and so we've got that pump of warm air coming in to the gulf. look at this, wichita falls high today 97. coming close to the record. probably break records in little rock, also in oklahoma city. memphis, and amarillo today with temperatures in the mid to upper 90s. rest of the country, those 90s situated there. 90s along the mid-atlantic coast. 50s in the pacific northwest. that'sic >> good morning. things are pretty quiet to start today. this afternoon, we could see some thunderstorms develop and some could be kind of strong.

>> that's your latest weather. ann? >> all right, al, thank you so much. coming up next, what happens when you call a mold contractor to come look at a problem in your home? well, jeff rossen put some of them to the test as hidden cameras roll after this. with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card, we earn more cash back for the things we buy most. 1% cash back everywhere, every time. 2% on groceries. 3% on gas. automatically. no hoops to jump through. no annual fee. that's 1% back on... wow! 2% on my homemade lasagna. 3% back on [ friends ] road trip!!!!!!!!!!!! [ male announcer ] get 1-2-3 percent cash back. apply online or at a bank of america near you. ♪

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back now at 7:41. this morning on "rossen reports" toxic mold in your home. it obviously can be dangerous. but when you hire mold

contractors for help, are they competent and honest? jeff rossen is "today's" nationville investigative correspondent. jeff, good morning, that's the big question. >> it is. we're both homeowners. this can be incredibly scary, finding mold in your home. when you see the black spots on the walls? what do you do? you call a mold contractor. experts say some of those companies are profiting off our worst fears, charging you big bucks for repairs you just don't need. this morning, we're undercover with hidden cameras putting them to the test. a basement play room, a concerned mother. >> have my son down here a lot. there's some dark spots i'm a little worried about. >> reporter: as a parade of mold contractors she called for help. >> that's black mold. >> that's black mold? >> absolutely. >> reporter: but that mom is really an undercover "today" show producer. and those spots, aren't mold, they're really woman's eye shadow. we know, because we put them there. so would these mold contractors know the difference? or charge us big money to fix a problem our experts say doesn't

exist? you're saying this is mold? you want to hear what it really is? >> sure. >> women's eye shadow that we put there this morning. >> wow. >> reporter: some wanted to charge us hundreds. even thousands of dollars. >> so how big of a problem do you think i have? >> i think you have a $10,000 problem. >> reporter: are you just trying to scare customers to spend a lot of money to fix a nonproblem? >> absolutely not. can we turn this off? >> reporter: our cameras are rolling to expose what some experts say is a growing problem in a growing industry. >> i think it's happening more and more and a lot more than people think. >> reporter: howard white is a mold remediation supervisor with a top company, working with us for our investigation. >> typically, they're preying on people's fears. i mean, people just want to know that their homes are clean and safe. >> reporter: so we set up an experiment, renting this house in suburban new jersey. we hired two reputable environmental testing companies to inspect the house from top to bottom, testing for mold and

moisture on surfaces and in the air. the results show this house is safe. then we had our expert dab black eye shadow in three spots. >> so the contractor comes in and says you got a mold problem here. you have to spend money. >> they're lying. >> reporter: our undercover producer called several mold contractors to inspect the basement, posing as a worried mom. then we installed eight hidden cameras. and watched from our control room upstairs, as the contractors showed up. >> my son's down here all the time. yeah, i see spots like this, and wanted to get them checked out. >> reporter: this contractor does an inspection. his verdict. >> i'm in the job to sell basement and water proofing and mold remediation. >> reporter: he says if these spots are mold they're so minor she can clean them herself. >> i would just bleach, bleach, bleach. kill with bleach what's here, and then wipe it up. >> reporter: in fact, two more contractors came in. >> it's not mold. it doesn't appear to be mold. >> reporter: and didn't charge

us, either. >> could just be a scuff from something. >> reporter: but our results were about to take a sharp turn. >> how are you? >> reporter: two minutes after stepping into our basement, this guy has some bad news. >> it's there, you know. definitely mold. there's no question about it. >> reporter: he says two of our spots are mold. and we also have signs of water damage. to fix it, he'll need to cut out sheetrock and spray chemicals. >> technically it's hard to say yes without testing it. but you don't need to pay for a test because this is definitely mold. >> reporter: but remember it's really eye shadow. >> it's definitely mold. how does he know? >> reporter: his price, $1,050. hi, jeff rossen from nbc news. >> how you doing. >> reporter: that's when i stepped in. are you a trained and certified mold technician? >> yes. >> reporter: so you're telling me that you thought that was mold and you're a certified mold technician. i hate that you were trying to charge her $1,000 for a problem that doesn't exist. >> there's a lot of companies out there who are very

dishonest. >> reporter: he said his company is honest. and he has many happy customers. >> where are you -- >> reporter: nbc news. >> thank you. feel good about yourself. >> reporter: we kept going. >> how are you? >> reporter: this next contractor sounds the alarm at our window. >> yes, that's definitely black mold. i don't think you need to test, it's a waste of money. >> reporter: his cleanup cost? $1200. >> to do the whole basement? >> that's really cheap. >> reporter: cheap? you're a mold expert, right? i had some questions for him. you know what this really is? >> no, i don't. >> reporter: women's eye had zoe that we put there this morning. >> well it looks like mold to me. >> reporter: why would you say to the homeowner i couldn't even give you an estimate and tell if there is a problem >> we usually do a test after we clean it. >> reporter: so they have to pay you the money before you'll test to see if there's a problem. does that make sense? >> yeah, it does. we do it all the time. >> reporter: okay. but we hadn't seen anything yet. this next contractor. >> hi there. nice to meet you. >> reporter: doesn't waste any

time. >> that's black mold. >> that's black mold? >> absolutely. absolutely. you've gotten water in here. i can smell the dampness from it. you know, it's not healthy. it's not healthy. >> reporter: he says we have serious water leaks causing the mold. but remember, two reputable companies checked this house for mold and moisture, and didn't find any serious problems. >> i'm going to break out the floor, so when i'm going to come in here, i'm going to take a saw, i'm going to pull all this molding off. >> how big of a problem do you think i have here? >> i think you have a $10,000 problem. >> reporter: that's right. his estimate, $10,871. to install a new drain system. >> i'm going to fix this now as if this was my basement. >> reporter: hi, jeff rossen with nbc news. >> hi, jeff rossen with nbc news. i've seen you on television. wow, this is really interesting. i thought you were on television. >> reporter: we're on tv right now. where is the mold, show me? >> this black mold, you have

some type of vegetation growing here. >> reporter: is this just a tactic to get customers to pay you -- >> i don't want to scare this lady in any respect. >> reporter: telling her there's a mold issue when there really isn't. >> i didn't say that. >> reporter: yes, he did. >> it's mold. absolutely mold. that's black mold. >> that's black mold? >> absolutely. this is mold, too. can we turn this off? >> reporter: no. then he told me he's not a mold expert. and thought he was called here for a water problem. did you test this house for water? >> no, i'll go get a meter. >> reporter: and you test this house officially for mold? >> i am not required to test the house for mold. >> reporter: in the end, five out of eight mold contractors, more than half, wanted to charge us for work that experts say we did not need. >> i question the integ rid i of my entire industry when i see people like this. >> reporter: experts say mold contractors should always do a complete visual inspection, they say some of the guys at our house just didn't do that. here's a tip, if your home has visible mold that is growing in

size, a serious water problem or your family is getting sick, those are warning signs that you may have mold and a contractor may not need to do testing. but david, either way, no matter what, doesn't hurt to get a second opinion when somebody comes in and says give me money. >> that's amazing stuff. well done. well done, jeff. thanks very much. coming up here, the mom charged with taking her young daughter to a tanning salon, now taking on her critics. but first these messages. rheumatoid arthritis... ...could mean living with joint damage. help stop the damage before it stops you... ...with humira. for many adults with moderate to severe ra,... ...humira's proven to help relieve pain and stop joint damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events can occur, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, blood, liver, and nervous system problems,... ...serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> a lot going on out there. jarrettsville pike remains closed at dulaney valley road in phoenix. investigation continues. warren road, beaver dam road, watch for an accident. another one being cleared at middletown road and york road. we are seeing delays on the north and west side. watch for delays through this closure point. charles is closed between center and reed, and that is until

sunday night. brock bridge and 175, watch for an accident in anne arundel county. foggy conditions, but construction delays heading southbound from coldspring towards 29th street. 95 out of white marsh, moving pretty well. 895 split, that is where delays start to form. not that bad. >> we had big thunderstorms last night, left behind now. we have fought out there buying. it will burn off over the next hour or so, but visibility is down to a quarter mile in some spots. 58 degrees in jarrettsville. as soon as sunshine breaks deck, it willog create unstable atmosphere. thunderstorms, and some of them could be strong. as we head into the weekend, it

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8:00 now on this friday morning. it's the 4th day of may, 2012. and we're dodging raindrops on the plaza this morning. hopefully things will brighten up for the weekend. it's about 57 degrees. a lot of people have got their rain gear on but their smiles are also on. so glad they decided to come and join us. i'm ann curry alongside david gregory who is in for matt this morning and al roque per and you don't even have your coats on. >> nope. >> you are a vision in color today. >> thank you. >> you don't need the tan, because you are your own color here. >> three chameleons died trying

to match her. >> my dress was like a test pattern. anyway, we're going to -- speaking of tanning, we're going to be talking about this case involving a new jersey mom who has been accused of taking her young daughter to a tanning salon. she has admitted that she's an excessive tanner. she had some harsh words for her critics. we'll hear what she had to say. and also we're going to take a look at some of the protections that people have to have when they use a tanning bed and talk about whether or not it's ever a good idea. >> yeah, exactly. we're going to go from extreme tanning to extreme couponing. this is an actual trend going on right now where it's not just clipping coupons, taking them to the store but thinking about how to do it and get the best savings. stockpiling is a key part of it. we've got a couple of experts. >> they have their own filing system. and then as we want to let you know, next week, the king of all media, howard stern, will be joining us. he's the newest judge on nbc's "america's got talent." he is going to be here in our studios. and i don't know if i'm going to

be able to pull him out. because, you know, he's so shy. >> stephen colbert was very tricky i can only imagine how howard stern might do. >> let's go inside and get a check of the top stories. >> good morning, everyone. secretary of state hillary clinton is expressing optimism this morning over the state of a blind chinese activist. chen guangcheng is seeking u.s. help to leave china after escaping from house arrest. >> has been confirmed that he and his family now want to go to the united states so he can pursue his studies. in that regard, we are also encouraged by the official statement issued today by the chinese government confirming that he can apply to travel abroad for this purpose. over the course of the day, progress has been made to help

him, and we will be staying in touch with him as this process moves forward. >> the standoff has overshadowed secretary clinton's visit to china for high-level talks on economic and security issues. two cuban brothers from miami were arrested thursday, what prosecutors call the biggest pharmaceutical heist in u.s. history. the brothers and ten other sis pengts are charged with stealing $80 million worth of prescription drugs from an eli lilly warehouse in connecticut two years ago. yahoo! confirmed thursday that its new ceo does not have a bachelor's degree in computer scene as stated in a recent regulatory filing. scott thompson does have an accounting degree. yahoo! calls the distortion an inadvertent error. it was uncovered by a hedge fund manager who's trying to topple the board of directors favored by thompson. now for a look at what is

trending today. supermodel linda evangelista is a top google search after the start of her bitter child support battle thursday. evangelista reportedly wants $46,000 a month to raise her 5-year-old son. his is now married to salma hayek. demi moore ended her search for a new twitter handle. she tweets so hard finding a name that was so fun, somewhat player, and available. so for now it will just be demi. and tanning expert if you can call her that and mother to be snooki is weighing in on a story sizzling online. snooki tells extra the deeply bronzed new jersey mom charged with taking her little girl to a tanning parlor is crazy. snooki has said that her own baby will be naturally tan. we'll have more on this story coming up in a live report. it is now 8:04.

let's go outside to al with a check of the weather. even snooki saying the tanning mom is crazy. >> wow, yeah, i'll tell you jimmy kimmel said she looks like wile e. coyote after he got blown up by dynamite. going on the bike tour. going to be on there with you riding on sunday. very nice. let's check your weather, shall we? see what's going on. montgomery, alabama, pick city of the day, wxfa news 12, sun and then afternoon thunderstorms, 84 degrees. and you see those storms firing up right now down through texas, also the mid-atlantic states, we're looking at rain through the mid-mississippi river valley. a slight risk of strong storms from there all the way back down and back up in to the dakotas. showers in the pacific northwest. windy and a little on the cool side southern california. slight risk of storms mid-atlantic into the northeast. rain into new england today. plenty of fog down in the panhandle of florida. sunny and warm through the southeast. >> good morning.

we will start out with dry conditions and maybe some and drizzle. we have the possibility of some strong thunderstorms this afternoon. warm and humid. >> and that's your latest weather. >> mr. roker, thank you very much. coming up here the woman who's been accused of taking her daughter into a tanning booth. shining the spotlight on extreme tanning and what a problem it is. we'll talk about it right after this. ld. [ female announcer ] the gold standard in anti-aging. roc® retinol. found in roc® retinol correxion deep wrinkle night cream. it's clinically proven to give 10 years back to the look of skin. now for maximum results, the power of roc® retinol is intensified with a serum to create retinol correxion® max.

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and only claritin is proven to keep me as alert and focused as someone without allergies. ♪ it's gonna be bright bright sunshiny day ♪ live claritin clear with non-drowsy claritin. back now at 8:10. a new jersey mom has been in the headlines this week for allegedly taking her young daughter into a tanning booth. but it's not just her arrest that has people talking. there's a lot of buzz about the mom's overly tanned appearance. nbc's maura schiavocampo has more with us now. good morning. >> ann, good morning. take one look at patricia krentcil and one thing is clear, she loves to tan. and she's not alone. nationwide artificial tanning is a huge industry. but experts say in the long run it could be bad for your health, and your looks. >> what do you say? >> reporter: in this new video an angry patricia krentcil lashes out at her critics. >> do you think there's some sort of hitchhunt against you? >> yes. >> why do you think that is? >> there's somebody out there in

my whole life that doesn't like me because they're jealous, they're fat and they're ugly. >> reporter: while the new jersey mom pled not guilty to second degree child endangerment, staunchly denying allegations she brought her then 5-year-old daughter anna into a tanning booth -- >> it is proven. >> reporter: many say she is guilty of one thing. overtanning. >> patricia are you excessively tanning? >> yes. >> reporter: krentcil's dramatically bronzed appearance has been making headlines and punch lines. >> is she tanning or did she fall down a chimney? she looks like wile e. coyote after the dynamite stick blows up. >> reporter: krentcil reportedly goes to the local tanning salon several times a week. >> it sounds like for this woman, it's almost taken on a life of its own. it's become her identity. and who knows what she's not addressing as a result of this repetitive behavior. >> reporter: an estimated 30

million people tan indoors in the u.s. every year, a growing trend that brings in $2.6 billion, with a "b," dollars a year. from the jersey shore to the hollywood hills, celebrities, too, have long embraced that sun-kissed look. george hamilton. snooki. and lindsay lohan, just a few of those known for taking tanning a bit too far. 86% of tanners believe they look more attractive with that bronze glow. but in the quest to look our best, can all those uvs actually speed up the aging process? >> the skin begins to look prematurely aged. they look dark, they look leathery, their skin is thin and cracked, they have lots of wrinkles. they look much older than their age. >> reporter: and it may be bad for your health, too. one recent study found that using tanning beds increases the risk for melanoma by 74%. >> the long-term skin cancer risk from uv radiation is not reversible. >> reporter: in a statement, the

indoor tanning association says there is no consensus among researchers regarding the relationship between melanoma skin cancer and uv exposure, either from the sun or a sunbed. now krentcil says she plans to keep on tanning, despite the controversy, calling it her, quote relaxation. ann? >> mara schiavocampo, thank you so much. we've got joseph levy, the executive director of smart tan, an education institute for the standing industry and also joining him is dr. nancy snyderman. nbc's chief medical editor. first of all we also have dante joining us, he's our model. he's been kind enough to show us how this works. dante is getting into this tanning bed. tell us about the protections and also why you say there are positives to using tanning beds. >> absolutely. this is a sun bed. this is developed in europe as a surrogate for natural sun exposure in sun deprived northern european countries. it is exactly what you find used in dermatology offices for sun

bed procedures for photo therapy procedures. it is less intense than that. there are millions of customers a year who come to us because this is just like what they get in a dermatologists office but less expensive. >> you're talking about vitamin-d. >> absolutely. it was developed for vitamin-d production in northern europe. we would have checked him at the counter for his skin type. he's a skin type three which means he can tan, he will sun burn so we gradually acclimate him based on the fda exposure schedule. we would have set his exposure time at the counter. we have control over that and knowledgeable operators to deliver three quarters or less of what would induce a sunburn. this is not a random procedure. this is a surrogate for natural sunshine. the sun bed is about twice as intense, this model, is about twice as intense as summer sun but the exposure schedule is only going to be 12 or 15 minutes. >> let me interrupt you to ask you nancy, because you know you are, as a doctor you looked at the impact of -- of overexposure to the sun. is there in your view as a doctor a safe way to use a

tanning bed? >> you're not going to find any consensus this morning. we know that uv light is a known carcinogen. the world health organization has already said that. uva, and uvb rays, whether in a sun bed or whether from the sun, cause skin damage over time, loss of collagen in your skin, loss of elasticity and wrinkles, and yes, even cancer. >> but we know that vitamin d is something our bodies need. >> absolutely. and we all know that one, the sun is a great source of vitamin d and we don't get enough of it. we also know we can supplement with pills. but the idea that a known carcinogen, just because you limit the amount, is therefore okay, is not okay. we talk about limiting sun, this -- this is not -- >> let's -- let's -- let's move on from that debate because we're not going to resolve this here. but let me ask you this question, do tanning salons have an obligation, if someone is overtanning, is using this in a way that they should not, is there an obligation by the tanning salon to stop them, to

intervene? >> the professional salons will set exposure and the amount of exposure to deliver a tan in a nonburning fashion. to reduce the incidence of sun burn. a tan is your body's natural protection -- >> yes or no. >> but that's not true, because you know why, it's not just sunburn. yes, sun burning increases your risk of cancer later on. 3wu9 there's no such thing as a safe sun tan. >> to say that is to -- >> because that is damaged skin. >> to say that any uv exposure is damage and therefore should be avoided, what would you say water causes drowning and therefore you should avoid water. it is an essential element of life, water, air and sun. we need sunlight. everything on this planet needs sunlight in order to live. >> we need sunlight. you don't need necessarily artificial light. >> this is a surrogate for living outdoors and most much us work and live indoors today. -- by being a tanner is less than what he gets as an outdoor worker. did you know that outdoor workers have fewer melanomas than indoor workers. >> that's exactly not true. he's not going to look as

good -- >> let me interrupt and say as i said earlier we're not going to resolve this here. let me ask you this question, do you believe, given what we've seen in this particular story that we just saw, and the potential for misuse by your definition, because you clearly -- on the idea that there is a proper way to use this, should this industry be more regulated, yes or no? >> yes. just like tobacco. >> this industry should work with the medical community as it's happening in europe and some countries so that we can develop consensus. but you can't do it in a three-minute segment i understand. i would much to have a much longer discussion on this because i would convince you that we're right. >> no, you won't. >> i will. >> we'll continue having this conversation because we've got to go. but, joe, joe thank you so much for coming in. dante, thank you, as well. and thank you, also, dr. nancy. and still to come this morning, two moms taking extreme couponing to a whole new level. but first, these messages. [ female announcer ] walgreens introduces nice!

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if you're a smart shopper you're always on the lookout for some great deals. an article in this sunday's "new york times" magazine sheds light on the newest form of cost cutting, it's called extreme couponing. here's nbc's janet shamlian. >> guess what time it is? >> what time? >> reporter: you don't have to look far these days to see extreme couponing in action. it has its own reality show. >> courteney's new hobby is couponing. >> reporter: and if the kardashians are doing it you know it must be trendy. >> it's like winning in las vegas. this is so thrilling. >> reporter: coupons date all the way back to 1887 when coca-cola first offered a free glass of soda at your local fountain. >> we've got big news for you. here's the cigarette coupon that pays off three ways. >> reporter: since then companies have used coupons for everything from cigarettes to sandwiches. >> any coupon works! >> reporter: today's savvy

shoppers are taking coupon clipping to new extremes. according to a new article in "the new york times" magazine. >> it's like printing your own money. >> reporter: kathy and monica run a popular coupon blog called fabulously frugal. updating the latest coupon trends on an almost hourly basis. >> suddenly we have this business that saves my family. >> reporter: kathy uses the savings to feed her seven children on a tight budget. >> it's pretty much always a coupon involved. >> reporter: for monica, coupon cutting provides an economic cushion for her husband and two kids. >> do you have a coupon for that? >> reporter: by combining coupons with sales, kathy and monica can sometimes walk out of a store without spending a dime. however, big name companies are catching on to some of the tricks of the extreme couponing trade. making it harder to gain the system. >> when you have an extreme couponer that is purely looking to try to take some advantage of the system, that's not in

accordance with the goals of those advertisers. >> reporter: extreme coupons is more than a hobby for kathy and monica now. with five-figure salaries and 13 part-time staffers, all with the same passion for finding a deal. >> i don't have to worry about putting food on the table now. >> $16.95. >> reporter: two extreme couponers turning a 125-year-old tradition into serious 21st century savings. for "today," janet shamlian, nbc news, houston. >> as you just saw kathy and monica are the co-founders of fabulouslyfrugal.com and they're featured in "the new york times" magazine story on news stands this sunday. good morning to both of you. >> hi. >> i want to zero in. people understand the concept of having a coupon, getting some sort of deal. but what we're talking in the extreme sense is stockpiling. and we saw a little bit of it in the piece. explain that and where the savings come from. >> stockpiling for us is like instead of picking a grocery

list and meal planning, and then going to the store, you get two bags of groceries and you spend $100 and where did all my money go. we plan our shopping by what's on sale. >> and you'll buy in bulk items that are on sale that you've got enough coupons for. isn't that the idea? >> right. but the difference between the way we do it and the way the retail industry portrays it, we go slow and steady. we're going to take a little bit of time and build that up slowly. >> talk about this binder which is huge and is really important for the organization of it. >> well, instead of cutting every single coupon we make a list of all the coupons inside the insert so you don't have to spend any time -- waste any time cutting. you only cut them as you use them. >> oh, i see. so it cuts down on that and helps you actually stockpile more of the coupons themself. >> i've got six of these inserts in each one of these. >> so what does -- what separates you from folks who will, you know, occasionally cut

coupons and try to pile them up a little bit. where does the extreme savings come from? >> it's strategic shopping. you know, we're planning -- that's the cool thing about this day and age to have the internet. so to have the websites to tell you exactly what coupons to use, where to use it and when. and when it's a good time to stock up. >> this is very personal. you've got a family of nine. >> mm-hmm. >> so this is real savings when you needed it. what's the best example of the savings you've had? >> oh, my biggest shopping trip ever was i got 162 boxes of cereal for just right under $14. >> how did you do that? >> it was a huge sale with entailed double coupons, a catalina, a sale and a lot of different stores. but i didn't clear the shelves on that day. >> just a few seconds, you worry about quality at all? is that an issue. >> no, not at all. >> if you use the coupons well? >> we're buying brand-name products now. >> excellent. ladies thank you very much. great advice. just ahead.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get a check in the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> handful of accidents we are tracking. in phoenix, an investigation is happening along jarrettsville pike. this is a double fatal accident. closures will remain for a while. edgewood road, we have an accident coming in. another harford county crash in bel air. '95 looks pretty good this morning. b.f. closures around trials -- we have some closures around

charles. 75 parts edmondson, and let's look to the j.f.x. construction delays in place from coldspring to 29th street. 95 is moving well from the white marsh area. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. john collins has the look of the forecast. areas ofve some pir dense fog around the region. scattered showers activity. reno is in the forecast. temperature-wise, 61 at the airport. humidity is all the way up. broadwater, northeast winds at 3 -- barometer, northeast winds at 3 miles an hour. we have a chance of sunshine, and thunderstorm activity this afternoon. may be severe. slight risk category during the day today. small chance for severe

thunderstorms. mix of clouds and we hope for a little sunshine. we could have a chance of rain on saturday, but b

♪ get your hats ready for the 13th running of the kentucky kerrby tomorrow here on nbc. and we're going to get a preview from churchill downs coming up. meantime, 8:30 on a friday, may 4th, 2012. we're outside on the plaza with a lot of fun people.

i'm ann curry alongside david gregory in for matt, and al roker and we've got natalie morales. coming up we're going to be talk ing about -- >> my kid would never do that on "dateline." we challenged kids from everything from handling issues of drunk driving, to stranger danger. this time it's all about peer pressure and discrimination, specifically. how would they react if they saw a clear case unfolding before their eyes, would they stand up for the person? we're going to show you what happens this time around, and it's such a great educational experience. >> really intriguing story. >> absolutely. great for parents to watch along with their kids. >> also we're going to talk about the big feature now in advertising, back to the future. pepsi is now using michael jackson's images to sell their product. as they did years ago. so we'll talk more about that. >> mm-hmm. >> and then we've got the one, the only, the spanish tornado, jose alvarez. >> jose!

>> he looks terrific. he's lost like 30 pounds. >> really? >>ize cooking up some great food and he's going to bring us some grea spanish classics. he's, in fact, a spanish classic. >> that he is. >> he's making shrimp with garlic and also making that spanish -- >> i love when you say that. >> i can't say it. he's really committed to nutrition. >> looks amazing. >> you look amazing. you're going to give us the weather. >> thank you very much. i am going to do that. let's start off with the run for the roses, the kentucky derby. that's right. they're going to have a problem, not only do they have to worry about thunderstorms but by 6:00 it's going to be about 84 degrees. average temperature is in the mid 70s. so that's going to be an issue there. now let's look into your saturday, rain in the pacific northwest. we've got some slight risk of strong storms in the mid-mississippi river valley. wet weather in the mid-atlantic states. then for sunday, sunday, we're expecting more sunny skies, mild conditions up and down the east coast, showers in the northeast. mild out west.

it's going to be hot through the southwest on into texas. >> good morning. things are pretty quiet to start today. this afternoon, we could see some thunderstorms develop and some could be kind of strong. >> don't forget check your weather any time you need it weather channel on cable, weather.com online. and now let's say hello to uncle willie scott. hello, willie. >> you put the lime in the coconut and then you call your friends at snuckers and have some jam. happy birthday for our birthday buddies from florida. we have ruth ladd from hudson, wisconsin.

108 years old. enjoys playing bridge. that takes brains to do that. anna condoleon from queens, new york. 100 years old today. loves to cook and people love to eat her cooking. big fan of her cooking. lawrence campbell, san marcos, california. favorite hobbies are fixing old clocks and scuba diving. but not at the same time. berrien crawly and she is from tucker, georgia. huge fan of the atlanta braves. loves to watch them on tv, and if she can, go to a game. can't beat that. martha brinkman of new jersey, 103 years old. on the boardwalk of atlantic city. and she is just a wonderful person who has great stories to tell. people love to hear her. adeline wallace from evansville, indiana, is 105 and has friends of all ages.

and she really believes in helping other people. and we have an extra one this morning, irene baumgartner of kenosha, wisconsin, is 100 years old. she loves to dance. and she also enjoys wonderful things like tasting some wine each evening before din-din. that's it. and now back to new york. >> all right, willard, thank you so much. pepsi has reached a deal with michael jackson's estate to feature the pop star's image in a new campaign now nearly three years after his tragic death. nbc's kristen dahlgren is in los angeles with details on this story. kristen, good morning. >> good morning, ann. remember, michael jackson and pepsi, the first time around, it was an ad campaign that had its ups and downs but was a huge financial success. now pepsi is banking that even in death michael jackson is still the king of pop. in the '80s it was a match that made madison avenue history. the word's biggest star, michael jackson, and one of the world's

biggest companies, pepsi. >> that was their heyday in the '80s when they were using celebrities better than anybody. >> reporter: now, almost three years after his death, pepsi is bringing back the king of pop. as part of the massive advertising blitz, jackson's image will appear on a billion pepsi cans. and the agreement with jackson's estate includes new remixes from jackson's album "bad." ♪ i'm bad >> reporter: so will the campaign be good for pepsi, which in 2010 slipped to number three in the cola wars, behind both coke and diet coke. >> a lot of times what marketers do when things are not going well, they look backwards. okay, what worked for us? those were the days, let's do it. unfortunately, today is not those days and a lot of times it doesn't work. >> reporter: guest celebrities have been used in advertising before. >> or my name isn't orville redenbacher. >> reporter: a computer generated orville redenbacher pitched popcorn more than a decade after his death. and following tiger woods' fall

from grace, his father earl seemed to give him advice from beyond the grave in this ad for nike. >> and did you learn anything? >> reporter: as for jackson, his estate's choice of pepsi is ironic, considering some fans, and even some in jackson's own family suggest michael jackson's drug abuse that ultimately led to his death started with this accident, and a burn suffered when jackson's hair caught fire while filming a pepsi commercial back in 1984. >> i had heard things about the prescription drugs when he had the pepsi burn. >> reporter: but in a statement, jackson's estate thanks fans for all their positive feedback about the campaign pepsi is calling live for now. a partnership that will answer the question, does the late michael jackson still have that marketing magic? now pepsi says it's all about honoring michael jackson's impact on the world of entertainment. neither the company nor jackson's estate will say how much this deal is worth. they'll be rolling out those

special edition cans. we'll see them here in the u.s. later on this month and ad experts say, ann, don't be surprised if you see more m.j. marketing deals in the future. >> all right, kristen dahlgren, thank you so much. coming up next, will you kids speak up in the face of a case of discrimination? natalie's hidden camera report is coming up. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

as parents we've all tried to teach our children and prejudice and intolerance are wrong. but would your kids know what to do when faced with a situation involving discrimination? natalie met some brave parents who wanted to find out for her series "my kid would never do that." what did you find? >> this is such an important issue and with the helping some willing parents we see how kids handle discrimination and what they learn is truly a lesson for all of us.

it's a subject that's hard to talk about, let alone confront. does your teen know what to do when they see discrimination? >> hi, i'm allison. >> allison's mother has agreed to take part in a "dateline" hidden camera demonstration about discrimination, because she says their family feels strongly about tolerance and equality. >> she's grown up with a mix of all people, and it's just expected that she would never distreat anybody. ♪ was blind but now i see >> reporter: allison and the girl next to her, nia, think they're here to judge a singing contest. they don't know that the other judges are actors we've planted to discriminate against nick rodriguez, who is also working with us. ♪ just the way you are >> nick gives a standout performance. while the next singer fakes stage fright. we leave them alone, hidden

cameras rolling, to decide who to eliminate. the actors go after nick. using insults experts say are common for latino boys. >> this game in with like the backwards hat. >> kind of ghettoish. >> not very professional. >> like he insulted. >> they laugh at the joke. but look down at the table. >> like he could be -- >> may be involved in drugs. >> allison's mom is surprised her daughter is not leaping to defend nick. though both girls are looking anxious. >> i can tell she's being torn. >> have we all come to an agreement? >> yeah. >> yeah. >> so we decided him. >> he's going to go? >> they don't like it but they go along and vote nick out. and moments later, allison and nia sound like they already regret the decision. >> i'm not comfortable with this. >> i'm not. i'm not that kind of person. >> i go in to tell them what our

shoot is really about, along with rosalyn wiseman, an expert in teen ethics. >> how do you feel? >> i feel like i gave under peer pressure. i didn't want to say that because he wasn't american -- i hated how they said that, and i just feel really, really bad right now. >> and so i think this is really important to show, is that people who, even people who feel so strongly about this stuff can still get caught in ways that they don't mean to do it. >> reporter: the interview is over, but just then, allison shows us a moment of true empathy. she wants to tell nick she's sorry. >> can i apologize to him? >> that would be great. >> there's a teen who's role modeling for all of us how to take responsibility. even in that moment feeling very focused on herself, all of a sudden she realized, if that was difficult for me it's worse for him. >> i'm really, really, really sorry. >> this is really at the end about peer pressure, right?

>> absolutely. you know, really important for parents to be specific when talking about their kids about the issue of discrimination. tell them what discrimination can look like, use examples that we're seeing even in the news today with so many stories, and also for parents to be the best example for their kids, as well. how often do we hear jokes where stereotypes are used and we laugh it off. if you stand up to that person and say, that's kind of not right it makes me feel uncomfortable that is a great message to send to your kids. >> they're not thinking of it that way. >> absolutely. >> the full report this sunday on "dateline" at 7:00, 6:00 central time right here on nbc. coming up next, the taste of spring from a legendary chef. first this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:46. and this morning on "today's kitchen" we're spicing it up with a taste of spain.

jose andreas is an award winning chef and the new dean of spanish studies at the international culinary center. jose, good morning. do i have to call you now dean andreas. i don't want to be disrespectful. >> good morning. that's why i wear a chef outfit today. >> oh, okay okay. >> my mission us was to teach people in america what is spain and what a better way than to partner with one of the greatest cooks anywhere to teach spanish food. >> and you're also now named, by "time" hag zone as one of the 100 most influential people in the word, right? >> i think that -- >> for humanitarian work -- >> i think of a time when they want reservation at my restaurant and they couldn't get it. >> you're showing us how to make some spanish classics, including shrimp with garlic. >> this is my favorite. because, anyone can do it. >> yeah? anyway? >> anyone. >> olive oil, garlic. >> garlic.

beautiful shrimp. you know what, it's a beautiful. >> it's clear, you got it. >> we put the shrimp we start making sure, that the garlic with the shrimp, the shrimp with the olive oil. >> i like you say that. one to each other. >> chili pepper. >> oh, big chili pepper. >> parsley. >> salt? >> a little bit of salt. >> little bit salt. >> and the garlic is ready. >> look at that. >> i'm ready. >> it's very short cooking. you don't have to spend too much time. >> anyway can do that. >> hmm, now. >> you actually have a special name for this gazpacho. >> gazpacho for patrice yeah my wife. i learned the recipe from her. >> ah-ha >> here we have tomatoes, green peppers, garlic, little bit of water. cucumber. put the sherry vinegar. >> sherry vinegar, ooh. >> a little bit of sherry wine.

>> sherry wine, sherry vinegar, hey now. >> and then we turn that on. look at. you can do this, anyone can do this. here you have the beautiful gazpacho. you strain, you serve it in a beautiful glass with this cucumber, fried bread. wow, you are queen or the king in the kitchen. >> and i know, doing nothing. taking only a few minutes. now one of the most famous things out of spain that people really live is bread and tomatoes. >> you are going to do it. bread toasted. you cut the beautiful tomato, and now you're going to rub it. >> just rub it like that? >> the tomato against the beautiful bread. and look -- >> so the juice is going in there. >> the juice. you need to make sure that the tomato is very, very, very ripe. >> oh. do i squish it? >> you squish it and you keep doing it. this is the catalan way. >> catalan way i know i know. now you put a little there you

go olive oil. >> olive oil. >> you have to put salt on this in >> salt. >> i'm not that big of a salt -- >> this dish, goes very well with your dress. look it. don't get messy. >> coordinating your food with my -- by the way, you want to say a quick hello to somebody. >> we have a very special person watching. it's a good friend, a good person, and i want to thank him from here. we love you david. >> david, we're all with you. and that's hello from me as well. first time hello. also i want to say congratulations because you also have a restaurant. >> opening. >> another one. >> in miami. we open at the end of may. so wow, i love america. >> amazing. jose andreas, dean jose andreas thank you so much. coming up next we're going to head to churchill downs for a preview of tomorrow's kentucky derby.

back now at 8:52 with the most famous horse race in the world. the longest sporting event in america's history. tomorrow is the 13 th running of the kentucky derby. "today" national correspondent jenna wolfe is trackside at churchill downs. jenna, good morning. >> good morning to you. david. this is the calm before the

much-anticipated storm for all the horses here at churchill downs for tomorrow's big kentucky derby. big race for these horses. last-minute preparation and pampering for all of them. this is the biggest race of their young lives, a career three years in the making. and if you're wondering where these horses come from, it turns out it's not that far from right here. the heart of thoroughbred racing can be found in the bluegrass pastures that surround lexington, kentucky. and the pursuit of america's next great race horse begins right here at places like three chimneys farm. the kentucky derby is open to horses from all around the world. how many of them have actually come from right here in kentucky, for the -- the backyard of the derby. >> i would say most all of the winners have been from kentucky. and i think if you look at the 20 that are in the field, i would say probably a good more than half are bred in kentucky. >> reporter: why is that? >> well, this is where all the horses are, isn't it? >> reporter: a stallion barns here are filled with retired

race horses of the finest pedigrees. and passing those winning traits to future generations is big business. with stud fees for the most desirable stallions reaching well north of $100,000. a stallion will breed how many times a month, a week, a year, how does it work? >> we breed three times a day. >> reporter: each stallion will breed three times a day? >> not every day. but sometimes they'll breed up to three times a day. and they breed between 100 and 130 moares. and during that six-month period of time. so they're busy boys. >> reporter: let's go in and visit big brown. is big brown up for having visitors? >> absolutely. >> reporter: okay. is there anything i should know about big brown before i get too close? >> well, this end bites and this end kicks. >> reporter: bites, kicks, bite, kicks. >> stay in the middle. he won the derby in 2008. he's real professional. he likes his new job very well. >> reporter: does he? he likes being a stallion?

>> he does. and he's very good at it. you know, most of the day is eating, sleeping, having sex. you know. like most men want to. >> reporter: i think i'm just gonna give them a moment of privacy. oh, yeah. yeah, definitely give them a moment of privacy. i would imagine that if these stallions are going for this much money, they're treated pretty well here. >> if i was an animal i'd want to be a good race horse and end up at one of these beautiful farms. >> reporter: every spring the fields fill with newborn foals, just days old and showing signs of future champions. for the most part, are horse owners coming to you with the hope that one of these foals is going to eventually be a derby contender? >> absolutely. we're selling a dream. anybody that breeds a horse, you're looking for that dream of success, at winning the derby, the preakness, a breeder's cup race.

>> reporter: so clearly horse breeding is not for the faint of heart which i quickly learned the hard way. if you're looking for a pick for tomorrow i'm going bode meister, bob baffert's horse. named for bode miller. that's my analysis. we'll be here today, tomorrow and tomorrow for the race. >> jenna, thanks very much. early coverage starts at 11:00 a.m. eastern on the nbc sports net work. coverage of the race beginning at 4:00 p.m. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. one woman is dead and another is critically injured after a double shooting in howard county. the victims were discovered just after 5:00 in st. peter's episcopal church in ellicott city. they found the body of a man in

the woods near the church with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the

>> in a lot of a fog of this morning. sunshine will eventually burn through. decent chance of strong thunderstorms this afternoon and evening.

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