good morning. spy games. . this morning new information on that foiled plot to bring down a passenger plane with a new, more powerful underwear bomb. the man at the center of it actually a double agent cooperating with the u.s. how did he gain the trust of al qaeda's most dangerous affiliate? where are they? fbi agents launch a new search for the man suspected of being on the run with two young girls, after allegedly killing their mother and teenage sister. this as a new surveillance video surfaces of the suspects, and new arrests were made in that case. and tanning ban? that case involving a new jersey mom leading to growing calls for tougher restrictions on underage tanning "today," wednesday, may

tougher restrictions on underage tanning "today," wednesday, may 9th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm ann curry. good morning, everybody. we're learning more details about this thwarted terror plot and boy, it has the makings of a hollywood spy thriller now. >> that's right. the bomber was actually an informant, we now understand, who spent weeks infiltrating al qaeda and he volunteered as a suicide bomber before sneaking out of yemen with the finished underwear bomb. now the obama administration is voicing some concern over how details of that extremely top secret operation have become public. we're going to have the latest on that coming up in just a couple of minutes. >> and also coming up this morning, a big day of testimony in the john edwards trial, as a former aide claims edwards may

have known donations used to hide his affair with rielle hunter could land him in legal hot water. >> and on a much lighter note, ann, al, natalie and i took on something very different. i want to say this was death defying. we paid a visit to a high flying off-broadway spectacle. that harness changed my life. it was really fun. >> you say you'll need some ointment to help you through today because of this? >> exactly. right. also ahead we've got the author of a book on, he's got some real important warnings for parents when it comes to them overseeing their children and their use of social media. >> a lot of concerns. >> exactly. let's begin with this double agent who helped intelligence officials foil a plot to smuggle a bomb onto a passenger plane. nbc's pete williams is our justice correspondent, pete good morning to you. >> matt, good morning. it's hard to overstate how remarkable and how dangerous this intelligence operation was. the u.s. and its allies actually

managed to insert an informant into the inner circle of the terror group that's the single most active threat to the united states. the al qaeda affiliate in yemen. by the time this most recent plt was in its final planning stages the u.s. was tracking it closely and the terrorists in yemen apparently had no idea that the person who volunteered to be the suicide bomber was secretly the informant, someone who had agreed to cooperate with an intelligence service friendly to the united states. >> it was an amazing piece of intelligence work and no one was at risk. they were able to nip this in the bud before it got even close to as far as the christmas bomber did. >> reporter: after the al qaeda operatives gave the informant the finished bomb representing their latest design, officials say, he then got it safely out of yemen and it was eventually turned over to the united states, where it's now being examined. members of congress, briefed on the operation, declined to provide specifics, but praised

the cia and its overseas counterparts. >> from what we were able to learn and monitor it and make sure that this was never going to make it onto a plane and actually seized the device, you couldn't have asked for more. >> reporter: those who've seen the bomb say it's remarkably similar to this, the one worn by the 2009 underwear bomber, who tried to set off his device on an overseas flight to detroit. but this latest bomb contained improved ingredients, and two possible ways to set it off in case the first effort failed. homeland security officials say they can't be certain it would have been stopped by airport screening, but they believe it would have been caught either by the full body scanners and pat-downs, or by a combination, screening, passenger background information, and other intelligence. the first suggestion that an informant was involved came monday night when a senior administration official said, quote, we were confident that we had inside control over any plot that might have been associated with this device. on tuesday, officials continued that theme, stressing that there

was never any danger to a u.s.-bound plane. >> i want to say this device was always under control, and that no one in the united states was ever at risk because we did have control. >> reporter: the obama administration and members of congress say they're concerned that so much information has become public, and they say they'll investigate how word of this top secret intelligence operation first began to leak last week, well before it was made public this week. ann? >> all right, pete williams this morning. thanks so much for your reporting on this. nbc news national security analyst michael leiter was director of the national counterterrorism center at the time of the failed underwear bomb attempt in 2009. he joins us now. michael, good morning. >> good morning. >> just yesterday morning, michael, you were on the show talking about what a home run it was for the u.s. to have gained access into the hinterlands of yemen, they've gotten its hands now, how much safer now that we have our hands on this device. 24 hours later, are we less safe

now that al qaeda knows how we did this? >> well, i think we're still better off, ann. but there absolutely has been some loss of how we do our business. because of all the release of these details to the public. i understand the desire to know exactly how these operations develop. but the fact is, they now know the partnership we have with the saudis. they now know they're going to look for future operatives and question them for stringently. and it's going to make it a little bit harder for us to get people on the inside again and foil the next plot. >> so, so, to what degree then, because we rely on this international cooperation, to what degree is it possible that we threatened this cooperation that we need to get the intelligence we need to stop this kind of threat? >> i think the government of saudi arabia is quite fine with everyone knowing that we have a strategic level partnership. but they generally do not like the details of these intelligence relationships to be disclosed to the public. and in that sense, any time that

we can't control sensitive information about sensitive operations, it absolutely makes foreign governments less likely to cooperate and provide their secrets to us. so we can push these operations forward. >> and, and, you know, you describe intelligence as a game of cat and mouse. in that game, what is the fallout more broadly, that it's now been revealed that we can use a double agent in a place like yemen? >> i don't think that al qaeda will be shocked that we can use agents like this. this is exactly what the cia and other intelligence services attempt to do. but they will simply be that much more cautious next time. so they are going to vet their operatives more closely. they're going to monitor them before they travel. and that's going to make it more difficult for them to get a weapon, to leave the country, and get to the safety of saudi arabia or the united states, and provide us with that information. >> we, now that we know that a double agent was involved, michael, what do you want to say about the courage it must have taken for a person to act in that position, and also, how much danger this person may be

in now. >> well, there has been enormous amount of courage surrounding this entire plot. that we had an agent in there. but also, remember, the agents that ultimately -- the double agent, not necessarily knowing if he was a triple agent. as we all know the tragedy two years gig in khost where it cia officers lost their lives with what they thought was a double agent, turned out to be a triple agent. there's enormous courage on many fronts on this. we're lucky in this case it worked out well for us. >> michael leiter, thank you so much for your perspective on this this morning. >> my pleasure. >> now here's matt. >> thanks very much. the longest-serving republican in the u.s. senate is now headed for retirement. six-term indiana senator richard lugar lost to a tea party backed challenger in his state's republican primary. that happened on tuesday. for more on that and some other political headlines of the day we turn to conservative radio talk show host and fox news

contributor laura ingraham. she's also the author of the new book called "of thee i zing." what did richard lugar? >> he is a nice man, very gentle person, however that era of bipartisan that we are kind of bemoaning the loss of today produced years of growing government, years of building up deficit and debt, and also it produced bailouts, it produced two wars, that frankly a lot of people are really unhappy with -- >> but also couldn't figure out where he lived. he had a residency problem that kind of hastened his demise. >> he's 80 years old. he's had an incredible career. unfortunately his own voters turned him out. with huge numbers. he lost by a huge percentage last night, and has has to mean something. it's not just about tea party, though. i think this is a general dissatisfaction with how washington is operating. >> does it make it easier for democrats to have a shot of taking over that seat though? >> it might. i have richard murdoch on my radio show -- >> who is the guy who defeated richard lugar.

>> who will be up against congressman joe donnelly who is actually quite popular. he said i think the democrats probably preferred to run against mr. lugar. he's not going to have the easiest fight. >> let me ask you about the general election, how it's shaping up. in an interview on monday, governor romney said this about the auto industry bailout. he says, quote, i pushed the idea of a managed bankruptcy and finally, when that was done, and help was given, the companies got back on their feet. so i'll take a lot of credit for the fact that this industry's come back. >> yeah, well, look, i think romney has got to remember, there's going to be traps out there set for him. he said -- made some comments about the auto bailout early on that were critical. and then weeks later, he seemed like well, people are liking the auto bailout in michigan so this could be a problem for him. matt, as much as the democrats and maybe even you at times, want to turn this into a referendum on romney, this is romney running against an incumbent president who has a record that the media ought to start talking about, that the media also wants to avoid. >> but it is a guy, on this

particular subject, who is trying to rewrite history. the version of the bailout he was looking for was money coming from private equity, and everybody agrees that money was not available. it couldn't have happened. >> well, i think he also understands is that there were a lot of people who ended up getting shafted in that bailout. a lot of auto parts manufacturers, people who didn't get the returns that they hoped to get out of the -- the wonderful bailout -- >> -- take a lot of credit for the fact the industry's come back. >> look, romney is romney. romney is not the, i think, the most -- he's not the most comfortable politician out there. this year the razzle-dazzle man is barack obama. he's with george clooney tomorrow night. i'm sure you guys are going to have big coverage on the "today" show. he's going to raise $14 million in molly wood. that is really cool for a lot of people, george clooney and the celebrities, that's great. maybe just this time it's not going to be about the cool factor. maybe it's about competency and ability to manage this economy and downsize this out-of-control government. >> i just want to throw five names at you real quickly.

possible vice presidential candidates. just tell me who the obama campaign should be most concerned about, guys like paul ryan, marco rubio, rob portman, chris christie, kelly ayotte. >> i think paul ryan is one of the strongest people on that list. i think for a number of reasons. number one, he's someone who has been vetted nationally already. he's been up against the democrats, point by point, on this budget. he's offering real serious reforms. and again, this is an election about the president's record. romney has his own issues but this is about why you're better off than you were four years ago. and the obama administration is going to try to make it about a lot of other issues. we'll see if that plays out. where's chris brown? i thought chris brown -- >> laura ingraham, thanks very much. >> great to see you. >> we've got other music for you. >> okay, great. >> once again here's ann. >> all right, matt, thanks. the criminal trial of former presidential candidate john edwards has reached a critical stage and today one of his former aides will be back on the stand. nbc's lisa myers is in greensboro, north carolina, once again this morning. lisa, good morning.

>> good morning, ann. in dramatic testimony, edwards' former speech writer claimed that he confessed to her that he knew all along that a wealthy donor had provided money to hide his mistress and child, while he ran for president. former aide wendy button returns to the stand this morning, after testifying tuesday that she worked with edwards in the summer of 2009, on a statement to admit paternity of rielle hunter's child. and possibly acknowledge money used to cover up his affair. she testified that edwards told her that he knew that fred baron had been taking care of things all along. although he didn't know the details. button testified about a draft statement that read, while i never asked fred baron for a dime, i stood by while he supported my daughter. but she testified that edwards rejected the draft. said that for legal and practical purposes, his statement shouldn't mention baron.

instead, edwards suggested a new line for the statement. some people without my knowledge supported quinn. but a statement was never issued. >> it's not everything the government needs, but it's a start. it puts edwards back in the middle of the cover-up and the money flow. but it doesn't go to his criminal intent. >> reporter: the government alleges that almost $1 million from baron and rachel "bunny" mellon, some of it used to hide hunter, amounted to illegal campaign contributions. edwards denies that and has said he did not know about the money. earlier on tuesday, edwards' legal team brought up that infamous sex tape he made with rielle hunter, referred to in court as a personal and private videotape. >> good morning. >> reporter: tobin, prosecution witness andrew young admitted that he and young jokingly discussed how much they could sell the tape for. the numbers were pretty big numbers, he testified. edwar edwards' lawyer asked, did mr. young tell you he had hired

an agent with respect to that tape? no, tobin replied. and that mr. young had discussions and meetings with the agent to sell the tape? >> no. >> the defense is trying to show that andrew young would go to great lengths to hurt, if not destroy, john edwards. >> reporter: tobin testified that after having dinner with edwards in may 2008, he became so alarmed edwards might become obama's running mate that he went to the obama campaign to warn that the tabloid stories were true. today, prosecutors are also expected to call edwards' former press secretary to the stand. she is said to have witnessed a heated exchange in an iowa hotel room in 2007, in which elizabeth edwards was upset about what was being done to take care of rielle hunter. ann? >> all right. lisa myers this morning. lisa, thank you. >> let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories. natalie is over at the news desk with the headlines. hi, natalie. >> good morning, matt and ann. good morning, everyone. we begin with overnight bomb scares on passenger jets out

west. two southwest airline flights had to be isolated and inspected following a threatening phone call. both planes were later given the all-clear, and no explosives were found. the threat grounded one flight in phoenix, arizona, and another in orange county, california. voters in north carolina have approved a constitutional amendment defining marriage as solely between a man and a woman. adding to their state law already banning gay marriage. the amendment prompted president obama's campaign to express his disappointment in the vote. meantime, in colorado, legislation there to allow civil unions reached an impasse, along with several other bills effectively killing the measure. tsa screeners in rhode island busted one flyer's unique attempt to allegedly get a gun through security by hiding parts of a disassembled .40 caliber automatic handgun inside three stuffed animals. the weapon was found in the carry-on bag of a 4-year-old child traveling with his father. the gun and ammunition were confiscated and the father and son were allowed to continue on their way.

an investigation is ongoing, but officials say the incident was related to a domestic dispute. now let's head to wall street. cnbc's courtney reagan is at the new york stock exchange for us this morning. courtney, good morning. >> good morning to you, nalie. the weekend's election in greece continue to concern markets. the dow falling for a fifth straight day as investors experience turbulence from the political strife in europe. and that's threatening the future of austerity measures, again raising fresh concerns about the region's debt crisis. and although most of earnings season is behind us a number of big names do report today like toyota, macy's, cisco and priceline. >> courtney reagan at the new york stock exchange. thanks. and a great night for the texas rangers, as josh hamilton came out swinging. he tied a major league record, belting four home runs in a single game. hamilton is the only the 16th player to ever do that and the first since 2003. and he also set an american league record with 18 total bases in a single game, leading

the rangers to a 10-3 win over baltimore. congratulations. 7:17 right now. you're up to date. let's turn it back over to matt and ann. >> that had to feel good. >> very good. >> i'm still kind of puzzled over this, so they found this guy had disassembled a handgun and hidden it in three stuffed animals, they took it but allowed him to continue -- >> continue on with his child, and think it's related -- there's an investigation ongoing. >> i think this guy got on the plane? >> bizarre. >> but anyway. natalie, thank you very much. >> we want to go now and talk to al roker who is in kansas city, missouri, right? good morning, al. >> hey, good morning, ann and matt. we are in kansas city, and, in fact, we're talking about -- we're right in front of the j.c. nichols fountain. one of over 200 fountains here in kansas city. second only to rome with the most number of fountains for a city. we're here to help the salvation army raise some money. we'll tell you about that a little bit later. let's look, talk about

mountains, too much water is going to be the problem in parts of the northeast. and all the way down in to texas. where we expect to see more heavy rain, and, in fact, we've got a slight risk of strong storms along the southeastern atlantic coast. look at that rain from central georgia, all the way up in to new england. we're talking anywhere from 2 to 3 inches of rain. some areas locally could pick up five inches. look for scattered showers in the pacific northwest. plenty of sunshine in the plains. >> good morning. we will have some off and on rain today. this will not be a steady rain situation. a couple of dry hours.

>> and that's your latest weather. matt? >> all right, al, thank you very much. tributes are pouring in for beloved children's author maurice sendak. the writer and illustrator best known for his iconic book "where the wild things are" died on tuesday at the age of 83. here's nbc's kevin tibbles. >> milk in the batter! >> reporter: there quite likely isn't a child's imagination that hasn't been touched by maurice sendak. just ask 5-year-old riley. >> they made him the king of the wild things. >> reporter: the wild things. >> wild things. >> reporter: sendak wrote and illustrated dozens of children's books. including "in the night kitchen," and the beloved "where the wild things are" about a boy named max and some scary monsters. >> particularly that the illustrations really allow children to fantasize. they love being able to fantasize, and that's definitely what this author has a gift in doing. >> reporter: it's also a favorite of the president, who

read it to children at the white house. >> and max said, i'll eat you up! >> he really valued that time we call childhood, and understood it as a time that was a time of joy. but also could be a time of sorrow. >> reporter: sendak's books aren't sugary fairy tales. often quite the opposite. dealing with the dark, fearful, corners of a child's imagination. sendak grew up in brooklyn, a sickly child, who passed his time drawing and listening to his father's elaborate bedtime stories. >> childhood was not a wonderful time, at all. it was very d-a-r-k. >> reporter: he even named the monsters in his book after his relatives and once joked with stephen colbert, truth be told, he didn't really like children. >> i like them as few and far between as i do adults. >> reporter: but adults and children loved his work. >> it's like one of the books i think about in my childhood. it was really, the picture was

so amazing. >> reporter: and perhaps like max, sendak now says, let the wild rumpus start. for "today," kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. >> and just ahead, the suspect acased of kidnapping a tennessee family and murdering two of those people caught on camera while on the run, as police arrest his mother and ex-wife. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

coming up, the alarming rise in concussions among young girls who play soccer. >> and ann, al, natalie and i take to the air to try our hands at performance art. after your local news.

are made with sweet cherries and the crisp, clean taste of our cranberries. i cannot tell a lie. 'tis tasty. okay, george washington, did you take my truck out last night? 'tis tasty. because grandpa said that our name goes on everything we make. [ male announcer ] tim and richard smucker grew up knowing that putting your name on every jar was a guarantee of quality. with a name like smucker's, it has to be good. pulland let's see howng gloves. colorful an afternoon can be. with certified advice to help us expand our palette... ...and prices that give us more spring per dollar... ...we can mix the right soil with the right ideas. ...and bring even more color to any garden.

more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. brighten mom's big day with colorful hanging baskets and color bowls. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. a community alert for residents of northeast baltimore on the heels of a string of burglaries. there have been eight break-ins in the area over the last few weeks and all of them take place during the day. the suspects get in through the rear through an unlocked door or window. none of the victims have been at home during the break-ins.

here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. roads are wet and as a result, problems. >> let's get you up-to-date on what to avoid. j.f.x. in the construction zone, we have an accident southbound 28th street. we have another crash in rosedale and pulaski highway. 25 mi. per hour in southbound 95. once you get on to the beltway, and heavy traffic to the dulaney valley exit. inner loop a perring parkway, reports of an accident. watch for an accident in ridge road and mount airy. falls road shutdown at gorsuch mall. let's switch over and show you the j.f.x.

tony, vergie of. > -- tony, over to you. >> just a few sprinkles around baltimore. 68 downtown, 56 at the airport. most of the rain is on the eastern shore counties. delaware, more rain upstream. maybe a thunderstorm in the forecast of a weak early tonight. a lot of dry hours mixed in.

oh! >> there we are, flying through the air, certainly not with the greatest of ease in an off-broadway show billed as a heart pounding fantasy. our debut performance you actually have to see to believe is coming up in our next half hour. it might hurt just to watch us. >> looks like a lot more fun when you look at the tape. there were some moments there that weren't all that much fun. anyway, it should be interesting. >> welcome back. 7:30 now, i'm ann curry along with matt lauer. also ahead this morning. >> the case of the tanning mom in new jersey that is now leading to growing calls for changes in the tanning salon industry. we're going to tell you what some lawmakers are now considering.

>> that's pretty interesting. >> and also the mom known as the human barbie, who admits to being addicted to plastic surgery, well now she's even reportedly trying to pass on her love of bow tax and implants to her young daughters. and she's entered her 8-year-old in a beauty pageant. so is she sending her kids the wrong message? we're going to talk to her and one of her daughters. >> and we want to let you know that tomorrow the self-proclaimed king of all media, howard stern, will make his very first live visit to studio 1a. what does he have planned as a judge on "america's got talent"? we'll talk to howard on that and much more going on, an always interesting guy. >> something to look forward to. we begin this half hour with the search for a man suspected of killing a tennessee woman and her teenage daughter, and fleeing with the woman's two younger girls. well now the suspect's ex-wife and mother have been arrested. nbc's thanh truong is in guntown, mississippi with more on this story. good morning. >> and good morning to you, ann. hundreds of state officers,

police officers, and fbi agents are searching for two missing sisters who disappeared nearly two weeks ago. police believe they've been kidnapped by a family friend who they say is armed and dangerous. now investigators have new clues that they say may help them track down an accused kidnapper. this is newly released video of 35-year-old adam mayes, in the white t-shirt. >> hot enough for you? >> oh, yeah. a little bit cooler since i got a haircut. >> reporter: in the store surveillance tape, mayes jokes about his haircut. police believe he changed his appearance while on the run. the video was taken in guntown, mississippi, on april 30th. that's three days after police say he kidnapped jo ann bain and her three daughters from their home in whiteville, tennessee. two of the missing were found buried behind the home of adam mays' parents. the victims, jo ann bain and her 14-year-old daughter adrienne. bain's two other girls are still missing. 12-year-old alexandria and 8-year-old kyliyah.

the fbi believes adam mayes is holding them captive. on tuesday, a break in the case. police arrested mayes' ex-wife teresa and his mother mary. investigators say the women helped mayes carry out the alleged kidnapping. according to court documents teresa mayes admitted she was involved with the removal and/or confi confinement of bain and her daughters and she drove the family from hardeman county, tennessee, to union county, mississippi. she's charged with four counts of aggravated kidnapping. mary mayes is charged with four counts of conspiracy, authorities say she knew what adam and teresa mayes were planning and wasn't long with it. police say adam and teresa mayes were friends of the bain family. teresa is seen here with the bain girls. teresa mayes' sister spoke with nbc affiliate on phone by tuesday saying the two had discussed disturbing details about adam mayes. >> my sister has told me things, yes. she knew he dug the grave. >> oh, she did? okay.

>> that was my understanding of the conversation with her, because i was yelling at her, because, i'm like, you what? you know. >> yeah. >> or, well, what she said was i saw him digging a hole. >> reporter: police won't comment on that conversation. as teresa and mary mayes sit in jail, hundreds of police officers are searching for adam mayes and the two missing girls. they're stopping cars, checking trunks, and asking questions in mississippi, tennessee, and beyond. teresa and mary mayes have not entered pleas to the charges against them. they'll be in court later this month. as for the two missing girls, police say that adam mayes may have altered their appearances, and for jo ann bain and her daughter adrienne, police have not released an official cause of death. ann? >> thanh truong, thank you so much this morning. nbc news analyst clint van zandt is a former fbi profiler. good morning to you. >> hi, ann, good morning. >> help us understand. what could possibly motivate a

man who is a family friend to kidnap a mother and three girls in this way? >> well, what we haven't heard yet, ann, is the relationship between the alleged kidnapper, the adult victim, and the children here. there are a lot of stories going around about possible special relationships that may have existed. and the kidnapping itself may have been some type of panic on the part of the suspect, ann, where the victim, the adult victim and her three daughters were moving from tennessee, they were moving west, and if he had this special relationship, and he saw them leaving, this may have been a panicked reaction on his part. a terribly panicked reaction. >> what do you mean by special relationships? in other words, what kind of relationships would cause the kind of emotions that could be connected, as you look at cases, you look at cases all kinds of cases that could explain this behavior? >> well, part of that special relationship, there are allegations, perhaps, that

the -- that the kidnapper may have had a ongoing relationship with the adult woman. that that may have been there. there also have been suggestions that he may have even been a biological father to one of the children. these are all stories that we don't know yet, ann. i think the fbi knows the answers. and i think the fbi has kind of put a cone of silence on this, because even right now, there's a good chance that the suspect is watching us, he's trying to develop information. i think the fbi wants to keep this case as tight as they can. because we've got three lives in danger right now. the two missing girls, as well as the suspect himself. >> meantime, prosecutors, as we just heard, have charged adam mayes' mother and also his wife now why would a wife and a spouse aid and abet a crime such as this? >> yeah, i've seen this before, ann, where a girlfriend, or a wife, or a spouse will help. a lot of times it's just because it's what my husband, it's what

my wife wants. other times, it's because of fear. it's because the wife or the ex-wife has been threatened. she's been in a fearful state all of her life. and when she's told to do something, as terrible as this is, she does it. but again, the authorities are trying to figure out the inner relationship between all of these people. what's tantamount right now is the lives of these two little girls. and this guy, if he's watching you and i right now, he has t the -- he has the ability to do something right. whatever he's done in the past is over with. but these are two young girls, they have their whole lives ahead of them, and he has the ability, if they're still alive, to bring them to the authorities, to help end this thing in a -- the best, positive manner we can. and we hope he takes that choice, ann. >> clint van zandt. thank you so much for saying that and for joining us this morning. >> okay. thank you. >> and now let's head to kansas city, missouri, for 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. >> ann, thank you so much. and as we look at afternoon temperatures for today, it is a little on the chilly side in the northeast. with highs in the 60s and 70s. right about seasonable, but still could be a little bit warmer. 90s as you make your way into the southwest. central california, 60s through the upper mississippi river valley. 80s in the mid-atlantic states, on into the gulf, where we have a slight risk of strong storms. a lot of heavy rain off the new england coast. look for some hit or miss showers in the pacific northwest. sunny and seasonable as you make your way up into upper midwest, with 66 degrees in minneapolis. >> good morning. we will see some off and on showers today. there'll be a lot of dry hours.

otherwise, mostly cloudy. >> that's your latest weather. matt? >> all right, al, thank you very much. the new jersey mom accused of taking her young daughter to a tanning salon has certainly attracted a lot of attention. now that case may lead to some changes in the tanning industry. nbc's mara schiavocampo is in nutly, new jersey, with more on that. mara, good morning to you. >> matt, good morning. new jersey is home to roughly 400 tanning salons, and many of their customers are teens. now, some state lawmakers say that soaking up artificial rays is downright dangerous for young people, and they want them kept out of tanning beds altogether. so-called tan mom patricia

krentcil, continues to get lots of attention. following allegations the 44-year-old new jersey mother took her then-5-year-old daughter tanning with her. krentcil says she's innocent, but her daughter came with her to the salon, but never was exposed to any tanning. krentcil's overly tanned appearance has made her a national celebrity. even getting her roasted on "saturday night live." >> piece of bread. put it between my thighs. >> oh, my gosh. >> reporter: while krentcil may be trying to laugh it off. >> that was hysterical. >> reporter: others say it's no laughing matter. some new jersey lawmakers are hoping all the attention on krentcil's case will revive efforts to pass anti-tanning legislation for minors. an old bill reintroduced this year would prohibit a person under 18 years of age from using a tanning bed in a tanning facility. >> if you start tanning as a teenager, you're 74 times more likely to get a malignant melanoma as a younger adult than

you would otherwise. >> reporter: 27-year-old allison doherty knows that all too well. at 21 she was diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma after years of tanning as a teen. >> something like a melanoma diagnosis doesn't just affect you. it also affects everyone else around you. this is where i might get emotional. because, you know, i remember, you know, my parents feeling like -- like it was their fault. and it wasn't their fault. >> reporter: in a statement to nbc news, the indoor tanning association says the risks of artificial tanning are exaggerated. writing, quote, it is a fact that ultraviolet light from a sunbed is the same as that from the sun, and as for patricia krentcil, it seems her 15 minutes of fame didn't end with that "snl" sketch. she is the inspiration behind this action figure.

krentcil is due back in court on june 4th. now as for the salon, they say that krentcil's daughter was never allowed in the room with her mother while she was tanning. meanwhile, here in new jersey, currently 14 to 17-year-olds are required to have parental consent for indoor tanning. that would change if this bill passes. the bill is currently in committee. officials say it will be voted on very soon. >> mara, thank you very much. up next, warning to parents of young athletes on the dangers of concussions. a group of girls opens up about how their lives have been impacted. ka te? ♪ will you marry me? ♪ yes. ♪ attention. he went to jared. [ female announcer ] create your own one-of-a-kind ring at jared this thursday through sunday and receive get set in diamonds rewards up to $1,000 toward a beautiful diamond setting when you buy your diamond at jared. choose from thousands of diamonds and hundreds of settings. oh! please return your fiancée to her original upright position.

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back now at 7:44 young girls who play soccer. nbc's kate snow is here with an eye-opening report. >> good morning, ann. most of the time when a young girl has a concussion, she recovers. but, with our kids playing harder, faster, younger, doctors are raising an alarm. and for one group of girls, what happened on the field was life changing. as the game gets rougher, tougher, and ever more popular, we found a group of girls outside philadelphia with a remarkable story to tell. how many of you have had a concussion? how many of you have had more than one concussion. how many of you have played through a concussion, you had a concussion, you just kept going? one group of friends, more than a dozen concussions. >> people who think of concussions as only being

present mostly in guys, and mostly in the sport of football, are just plain wrong. soccer is right at the top of the list for the girls. >> reporter: dr. bob cantu, a leading researcher, says girls are reporting nearly twice as many concussions as boys, in the sports they both play. >> girls, as a group, have far weaker necks. the same force delivered to a girl's head spins the head much more, because of the weak neck, than it does to the guy. >> reporter: of the six girls we met, three have had such bad brain injury they had to give up the sport they loved. >> i lost my identity. i lost my love for a game. i lost my social life. i don't think i'll ever get that back. >> reporter: jenna and kimmy haven't been able to consistently make it through a full day of school for almost two years, because their symptoms are so bad.

headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vision problems. as a result they have problems concentrating, and remembering things. >> okay. if at any point in time you feel dizzy or discomfort let me know. >> reporter: their days used to be filled with exercise and activity. now it's therapy and doctor's visits. >> she hit her head on the ground, and she didn't move. >> reporter: allison's first major concussion was more than three years ago. >> i told my friend, oh, my gosh, she's not moving. she's not moving. >> reporter: after she recovered from that hit, she played the next season, and suffered yet another concussion before quitting the game. now, to reduce her nearly constant headaches, they eat dinner by candlelight. her bedroom is bathed in blue. >> it's like a break. it's visible. but it's almost i need a sign on my back saying, my head is broken. i mean, you can say you understand. but it's like, you don't.

i'm sorry. you don't. >> their soccer careers are over. but for other girls cleared to play after concussions, it can be a real debate for families when do the risks outweigh the fun of the game. >> very important question. kate snow, thanks for bringing us this report. by the way want to mention that you can see more of kate's report tonight on "rock center with brian williams" at 9:00, 8:00 central time here on nbc. coming up next, with the newly crowned winner of "the voice." we'll be catching up, and matt, al, natalie and i will take a leap of faith into the world of performance art. and it's not always pretty. but first these messages. the wheat in every mini-wheat has gotta be just right.

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back now at 7:51 with the winner of season two of nbc's hit show "the voice." 33-year-old former background singer jermaine paul from team blake took home the title on last night's live finale. and he is live this morning. joining us. jermaine, congratulations. good morning. how you feeling? >> hey. >> oh, man, good morning, guys. it's -- it's so early here. but i'm so happy to be here, man. i haven't slept in -- i waited forever for this moment. so i'm happy to be awake. >> i loved what adam levine said not long ago. you used to sing backup for alicia keys. he said you're not a backup kinger anymore. that's been proven, i would imagine. i hope you realize that. >> you know, you know, to be

crowned "the voice" of season two definitely put me on the path of, you know, just putting out a solo artist album, and stepping out into the spotlight for myself, and i'm so excited about the future. i'm really excited about the album that i'm about to put together and put out and give to the world. and you know, i'm hoping that i could, you know, inspire other background singers, and other struggling artists out there to just continue to, you know, pursue their dreams. >> you know, i know that you developed a great relationship with country star blake shelton during this process. i see the smile on your face all right. so, so tell us about how much this meant to you, during this process. >> oh, man, you know, carson asked me that question, and i mean, i got choked up, and all i could say is it meant the world to me. this whole process has been a -- just a spiritual journey for me and you know, each song that i sang, we carefully, you know,

chose them, and to pinpoint, you know, emotions that -- and situations that i've gone through in my life, and i was able to connect with each strong. >> get to new york. we want to see you live and in person. congratulations, jermaine. >> friday. 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.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell. >> lot of problems out there. at dundalk, two accidents. lynch road, coldspring, roland avenue, tracking a crashed there. 11 miles per hour on it the west side. tracking speeds around 23. southbound 795, delays past

owings mills to the beltway. harford county aligned to the 895 split. on the j.f.x., this is what it looks like. construction delays in place. >> so far, it has not been too bad as far as the rain coast. a little bit of light rain showers or sprinkle activity for the rest of the way. humidity is kind of high. it will feel rather thick, so to speak. most of the rain is in southern maryland and the lower eastern shore counties. this is the front that has to come through. maybe a thunderstorm in the forecast. it will not be a steady rain. high temperature of 76. we will make it into the 60's on

thursday and friday. overnight those in the 40's. my mother stayed soft, we will make it up to 75. --

back now on a wednesday morning, 9th day of may, 2012. and let's be perfectly honest, it is not a nice morning here in the northeast. we've got rain falling here in new york city. and up and down a lot of the east coast. this could last until tomorrow. al is going to give us his forecast in just a couple of minutes. thanks to these people for stopping by and getting dranched out on the plaza. i'm matt lauer, along with ann curry. and coming up, we're going to try something a little different. ann, al, natalie and i, we recently kind of joined the cast of an off-broadway show called "fuerza bruta." it's odd. it's unusual. it's death-defying and you're going to find out how we did in

that in just a couple of minutes. >> also coming up, we're going to meet a woman who calls herself the most surgically enhanced woman in the world. she's in our studio, and the questions she's going to be asking, is she sending her young daughters the wrong message, and would she let them have cosmetic procedures? we're going to talk to her, let her answer those questions and also her 8-year-old daughter coming up. >> from one of the most cosmetically enhanced women in the world to one of the most talented singers in the world, adele. she sat down with her in london not long ago for an exclusive interview. you're going to see more of that tomorrow, right here on "today." it is adele, and she is riding a wave right now. six grammy awards this year alone. we'll have more with adele tomorrow morning right here on "today." >> sounds like fun. meantime let's go inside with a check of the top stories. we have natalie standing by. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with new details about the cia operation that foiled an al qaeda bomb plot. officials now say the man who volunteered to smuggle an

underwear bomb onto a u.s.-bound jet was actually a double agent. he infiltrated the al qaeda affiliate in yemen while working with the cia and saudi intelligence agencies, then delivered the bomb safely to u.s. authorities. a search is under way in western indonesia for a plane with more than 40 people on board. air controllers lost contact with the russian-made plane when it was in a mountainous area in just java. the plane was on a demonstration flight. mitt romney is celebrating a sweep with republican primary victories tuesday in north carolina, indiana and west virginia, adding at least 63 delegates to his count. meantime, president obama's campaign is slamming romney for saying he deserves a lot of credit for the u.s. auto industry's comeback. a former john edwards speech writer testified tuesday that edwards once told her that he knew money from a wealthy donor had been used to hide his mistress and child while he ran for president. the government says the money amounted to illegal campaign contributions. edwards denies that and has said he did not know about the money.

royal style at both ends of the spectrum is turning the heads in great britain. this morning, queen elizabeth took part in a ceremony filled with pageantry as she announced her new legislative programs. and last night, the duchess of cambridge attended a dinner party in a striking white gown, slit to the knee, along with jimmy choo sandals. gorgeous as always. and now for a look at what is trending today, our quick roundup of what has you talking online. children's author and illustrator maurice sendak is trending across the internet since his death tuesday at the age of 83. fans are tweeting memories of bedtimes spent with "where the wild things are" and going viral on facebook, a quote from sendak, who recalls sending the drawing to a little boy who liked it so much he ate it. and if you like the tan mom, now get this, you can actually by the action figure. yes it's out. believe it or not. the toy is modeled after new jersey mom patricia krentcil who denies taking her little girl into a tanning booth. if you don't mind the orange face it will set you back about

$29.95 plus shipping. maybe a lunch box will be next. >> >> just about everything secretary of state hillary clinton has done this months agone viral, including this comment about her low maintenance look. take a listen. >> because, you know, if i want to wear my glasses, i'm wearing my glasses. if i, you know, want to pull my hair back, i'm pulling my hair back. it's just not something that i think is that important anymore. >> secretary clinton is wrapping up an eight-day trip to china, india and bangladesh. it is now 8:04. let's go back to al with a check of the weather in kansas city, missouri, today. it's gorgeous there, al. that's the place to be. >> it is spectacular, natalie. we've got a great day today. in fact, a great day worked out pretty well. kansas city parks and recreation department, it's volunteer planting day, so you can see volunteers here at j.c. nichols fountain and they're going to be doing this all over kansas city, planting, and taking part in beautifying things. let's show you what we've got

going on. pick city of the day, happens to be kansas city, missouri. we've got a gorgeous day. action news 41. sunny, mild, 70 degrees today. as we look on the satellite you can see we've got a gorgeous day throughout much of the western half of the country. but from the gulf coast into the northeast, we're looking at a lot of wet weather. in fact, some areas going to be picking up one to two inches of rain with a slight risk of strong storms along the southeastern atlantic coast. >> good morning. we will have some off and on rain today. this will not be a steady rain situation. a couple of dry hours.

>> that's your latest weather. ann? >> all right, al, thank you so much. coming up next, matt, al, natalie and i fly through the air, in the name of art. that's coming up right after this. [ sneezes ] ♪ [ male announcer ] it's happening right now at your local walgreens. pharmacists are going above and beyond... armed with expertise and advice... ♪ ...with one goal in mind... to better serve you... ♪ ...so nothing will get between you and the care you deserve. find your pharmacist at walgreens.com. ...so nothing will get between new almay intense i-color™ kits

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every so often we get a chance to venture out of the studio and broaden our horizons. >> we competed in the westminster dog show, also learned to paint. >> and matt and al have taken place in quite a number of synchronized activities. >> for our latest stunt we took on the world of performance art, joining the cast of a high flying broadway spectacle known as "fuerzabruta." >> it's a combination of cirque du soliel and a house party all rolled into one. >> ever good with the harness. >> i'm not sure what's wrong there but something's wrong. >> the only way to get through it is to attack. >> what are you doing? i have one of these at home. >> hopefully we'll blend in and they won't know that we're any different than the rest of the cast. >> realistic, yes.

>> originally created in argentina, "fuerzabruta" has packed theaters in 16 countries, on four continents. >> they only have two hours to train before our audience, the group of kids come in, and expect to see a show. >> we're not graceful. we're not acrobatic. we fall well. but we can only do that once. >> the first thing you're going to do is hang on four lines. hang there, feel it out, feel how it feels to be in the there. >> there we go. how's that feel? >> now i want you goes all to separate. >> don't spin. >> that's nice. >> it would be great if we got some kids with sticks and they start hitting us. and candy falls out. >> form a circle. >> circle? >> farm a circle. >> whoa! >> pretty good. >> so now what? >> we'll be bringing the curtain back in.

>> it's a silver wall that comes out in the middle of the show. >> how far up are we? >> right now you're actually about a foot off the ground. >> i know where i am now but i'm looking up there. >> so matt and al will be 25 feet high in the air, running on walls. >> that sounds pretty scary. >> on harnesses. >> 25 feet. >> do we think that's going to work? >> try to picture a group of screaming children below you. >> hi, kids. it's time for al to throw up on them. >> i have a little bit of an inner ear issue. >> really? >> yeah. >> you're going to tuck your head under, roll, you'll roll around. >> the chances of us accomplishing this -- >> is zero. >> pretty much zero. >> no, that's completely zero. >> here they come, you guys. >> all right. ready boys? let's go nice and slow. but be very careful. >> can i go? >> if you want. >> there we go. >> exactly. beautiful. >> good job. >> beautiful. >> exactly and then you start to run nice and slow.

nice, big strides. >> catch me if you can, al. i'm going for the somersault. >> go for it. >> oh! >> amazing! >> defying gravity takes concentration, skill and a motor that basically drags us across the curtain, even if we go limp. which would never happen. clearly, we were born for this. >> whoa! >> good, al. >> whoa! >> that was a blast. >> i have no chance of having any more children. none! >> we ready to spin water? >> ann! >> wow. >> that is freaky. >> it could have been worse. this could have been us up there. >> i know. thank good. >> a really great moment in the show.

it's a big pool comes down over the audience. the audience can reach up and touch it. >> they're going to love this on youtube. >> okay. we're done. >> drain the pool. cut everybody off! >> there's a big finale with all four of us. >> mm-hmm. >> kind of taking a leap of faith. >> climbing up the huge staircase. is nothing. when you get to the top of the staircase it's a stairway to nowhere. >> it's in alaska. >> it is. >> you guys ready? >> yeah. >> no. >> yes. >> don't get go. >> i'm not going to let go. >> we are finally getting in to the swing of things. >> hey, everybody. but after just two hours of training, a band of rowdy youths arrive, expecting to see a show. >> i'm not sure the kids are going to know that we haven't been doing this for a very long

time. >> i think kids actually have a very good sense. >> they're more astute. >> of what is really good and what stinks. >> so i'm afraid of being booed, actually, is what it all boils down to. >> it's show time. >> thank you, john. >> don't say it. don't say it. don't say break a leg. because there are people on this show who've done that before. >> break a leg. >> oh! don't say that. >> don't say that. >> coming up. >> al and i kick it off with our high-flying curtain routine. we float above the children with the grace of angels. in between waves of nausea and partial paralysis, we do manage to coordinate a few moves. the kids seem to have no idea that two of the aerial sirens above them are amateurs. and nearly jump into the pool

with them. it's hard to believe they're sliding across a piece of plastic that is just an eighth of an inch thick. so far, our performances have been flawless. but as we gear up for our final act, it dawns on me -- we've never fully practiced that big finish. i, for one, am rethinking that decision. >> whoa! >> whoa! whoa! >> we may be sore tomorrow. but it's a small price for the chance to fly today. >> it was fun to make the kids happy. you know. then because they weren't harsh critics. >> they were pretty easy audience. >> al you're out there in kansas city. you and i agree that

"fuerzabruta" translated means rash that won't go away, right? >> that's right. it was -- it was pretty bruta, let me tell you. >> you had to spin around a couple times. you actually felt nauseous. >> in rehearsal we did it fairly slowly and during the show they kind of sped up that little conveyor belt. >> and they dragged us back and forth. >> yes, they did. >> just for good measure. >> anyway. >> all right, al, thanks. coming up tomorrow we're going to stake on the sport of crew, as the princeton crew team and all i can say about this one is ouch, as well. up next the mom who says she's addicted to cosmetic surgery. what message is that sending to her young daughters? we'll talk about it. ( telephone rings ) hi, honey. how's the camping trip? well, kids had fun, but i think i slept on a rock. what are you doing? having coffee. ah, sounds good! i thought you'd say that. ah.

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no wonder it's the number one choice of vets for their pets and yours. ask your vet about frontline plus. accept nothing less. back now at 8:21, with a british mom who admits that she's addicted to plastic surgery. now, she's come to this country to enter 8-year-old daughter in a beauty pageant. here's nbc's michelle kosinski. >> reporter: cambridgeshire, england, home to the best university in the world. and the so-called human barbie. >> some people don't simply get me. >> reporter: admitted plastic surgery addict sarah burgess. this video is from a promotion for her reality show the entire family is trying to make. sarah bemoans all the negative press you've gotten. >> you could say this is the [ bleep ] that i put up with every day. >> reporter: but shock value seems to be a well-loved part of the family.

sarah, whose spent what she says amounts to a million dollars on dozens of surgeries, is seen injecting her own face with poppy, her youngest child turned 7, her supposed christmas and birthday presents included vouchers for future lipo section and breast implants. this is who sarah used to be. >> how i never want to look. >> reporter: she says her cosmetic streak started when she was the victim of brutal domestic violence that disfigured her face. she brands herself as everything from a public figure to a pinup girl. >> believe you me -- looking like a middle aged matron. >> reporter: in the british press the criticism has been districted at her. especially over pictures like these, of poppy. and now here comes another stage for her, and mom. big hair and bigger personalities, american style. sarah plans to start poppy in beauty pageants, calling her little girl a diva, age 8.

for "today," michelle kosinski. >> sarah burgess is joining us along with her 8-year-old daughter poppy. good morning to both of you. >> hi, poppy. good morning. >> first of all, let me let you talk, clarify, this part of the reporting that we've heard from overseas that is incorrect. i want you to set the record straight. first of all, a lot of parents will be watching this and wondering why would you teach your young child how to pole dance? >> i mean, i really do wish the media would concentrate more on my professional side rather than this absolute baloney that they're dishing out continuously. >> you -- >> i am not a pole dancer. this was for a reality show that i was doing a pole was ele erec in my house. my daughter came home from school and any child seeing a pole in the middle of the room would just go swing round it. she just climbed up it like a monkey and came down it. it was actually for a -- we

actually decided to make that into a little bit of a comedy act. >> and the idea that you gave vouchers to your daughter for -- gave poppy vouchers that she could use for future enhancements if she may want. you want to clarify that? >> it's actually a tax-free gift that she can cash in at the age of 18 years old, we take herself to become the professional that she wants to be. poppy actually wants to be a plastic surgeon when she's older. and i think what to me just getting all hyped up and this sensationalism which is coming from the brutal press in england, i actually helped thousands of people every year follow the correct path to plastic surgery, through accident, disease and disfigurement. and most of them are from america. because they don't have an nhs system out here and i put them to the right surgeons for the job.

i have e-mails from people who are desperately, desperately saddened by gunshot wounds, from their children, and everything. and i help these people, and i'm shocked that the media want to portray me in such a negative light when all i do is help millions of people. we're raising -- >> you're emotional about it. >> i am. we are raising money for charity in this beauty pageant. poppy is going to sell all her clothes to raise money for our charity, which is called don't mess with me. which is very appropriate, i think. and so we can actually help thousands of people. >> and, and, you know, i think that part of this is tied with this idea that when you have your child in a beauty pageant or when you encourage this kind of thing, that you may be sending a, a wrong message. i think that's the kind of judgment that people have. >> uh-huh. >> what do you want to say about that? >> well, i think we're wanting to take beauty pageantry back to its traditional, sort of time.

and that is, not about, particularly about beauty. it's about grace. it's about poise. and it's also about raising money for charity, as well. >> sarah. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell. >> a few new accidents to add to the list. ramp to southbound route 1, belair road, accident causing delays. 95 and prior to the white marsh exit, two right lanes closed with an accident there. 13 and you get to the west side. reisterstown road to edmondson. the allies on the j.f.x. through the construction zone.

dundalk, lynch road, watch for an accident. further south, crash reported. here's a quick live look at traffic. 95 and the white marsh area, this is deceptive. just a little bit of traffic slowing. we will switch over to a live view of the j.f.x. heavy delays from northern down to the construction zone. tony, over to you. >> so far we've not had a big problem with rain in baltimore. it is a little bit humid outside. you will feel that when you step out. most of the rain is south of baltimore. sprinkles in annapolis and across the eastern shore counties bit more rain upstream. we will keep a chance for a shower, maybe a thunderstorm, and the forecast through early tonight. there will be plenty of dry hours if you want to do stuff outside. highs in the 60's on the stand

friday. >> we will have another update at 8:56.

8:30 now on a wednesday morning, the 9th day of may, 2004. it's raining cats and dogs out on the plaza, so our crowd definitely gets gold stars, each and every one of them, for staying with us. we're inside studio 1a. i'm ann curry, matt lauer, and natalie morales. anyway, we got a lot to talk about coming up in this half hour. we've got martha stewart in the house. and this morning she's going to be sharing her creative ideas

for bringing the beauty of your spring garden inside. >> then most parents post pictures of their kids online. coming up we're going to talk to the author of a new book who says that may not be such a good idea. he's going to explain why he feels that way and why he'd like some social media sites like facebook, for example, to come with an erase button. and that's a really important concept. >> it is. >> absolutely. and mark bittman is here. he's hard at work in the kitchen. he's going to show us how to turn what we have in our pantries into delicious desserts. >> but first we have a special treat. we get to say hello to, to an actress and former sports illustrated swimsuit cover model brooklyn decker, starring in the upcoming thriller called battleship. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> you spent a lot of time running from aliens in this movie. >> i do, i do. >> how is that? >> it's funny. i learned to run much faster, after that. but you're basically running from men in pajamas. because it's all done on green screen. that's not scary. that's quite hilarious. >> brooklyn, is it true that

when you were first talked to about this role, they met you and then they thought, no, you're not tough enough for this? >> that's exactly right. they kept bringing me and telling me i wasn't tough enough. i thought this is torture. >> how did you convince them? >> i had to make snot bubbles come through my nose. >> can you -- >> can you do that right now? >> that was not necessary. >> i know. >> it's so true. my director said -- >> i can't imagine that. >> he said you have to make snot bubbles or the part is not yours. so i guess i went in the bathroom, blew my nose and somehow made snot bubbles come out. >> you know, brooklyn, the second time we got the image. yeah, that was all right. >> just picture it. >> wow. there goes the glamorous -- >> that qualifies you for a role by the way, all my kids are going to be stars. >> meanwhile you're in another movie out coming out as well, that's "what to expect when

you're expecting." you play the perfectly expecting trophy wife that your daughter-in-law hates because she's having a hard time with her pregnancy. is that fun? >> it was. >> she's annoying? >> my character is, yeah, and i was saying i'm setting the bar way too high for myself and every other woman. she's walking around in six inch heels. >> and she's so happy dplp >> so happy. >> and she's so in love with her husband. >> and it's so great being pregnant. everything's perfect. >> so not right. >> oh. >> i know. >> i know. >> i saw this movie. i thought you were terrific. >> thank you so much. thank you. >> a lot of headlines or you got some attention recently about talking about your own desire to start a family? >> one day, yes. one day. the question comes up because obviously with what to expect it's a part of the conversation. but not there yet. but i definitely see it in the future. >> nice to see you. we'll just -- all the snot. >> right. >> i'd love to see that. >> good luck, by the way, with the movie. the more very is called "battleship" and it's from our

sister company universal studios, universal pictures, it opens on may 18th. now let's get a check of the weather from al in kansas city. >> but not far enough to not hear about the bubbles. nice folks here, we've even got the, got the sporting dog. there's no leash laws obviously here in kansas city. nice to see you. all right. let's see what we've got for you as far as your forecast. for today, we're looking at beautiful weather here. however, we have -- we need some rain in the southeast, and texas into the southwest, where we've got extreme to exceptional drought. the good news is they are going to get some help in texas over the next 48 hours with some more rain, it's going to get heavier later today. the southeast will see some rain, too. look for some showers in the ohio upper ohio river valley. scattered showers through the pacific northwest. heavy rain in new england. tomorrow that rain continues in to new england and the northeast. we've got some showers hanging around the western plains. sunny and hot through the southwest. that's what's going on around

the country. >> good morning. we will see some off and on showers today. there'll be a lot of dry hours. otherwise, mostly cloudy. >> don't forget, check your weather any time you need it. go to the weather channel on cable, weather.com online. everybody say hi, ann. >> and hi, everybody. and thanks so much, al. and coming up next, shielding your kids from the digital age, including what to do if they post something online they later regret. first this is "today" on nbc.

we're back now at 8:37 with "today's" tech. this morning, parenting in the digital world. kids now spend an average of eight hours a day using some form of technology. that's more time than most kids spend with their parents and teachers on any given day. so how do you strike a balance? jim steier is the author of "talking back to facebook" the commonsense guidebook to raising kids in the digital age. >> good to see you, matt. >> the title suggests you want parents to have somewhat of an adversarial relationship with facebook and other technology. is that fair? >> i think we need them to do their homework. they need to understand what their kids are doing on cell phones and facebook and set clear rules and guidelines. >> you said kids and teens use social media differently than adults do. what's the biggest difference? >> first and foremay they do it in ways that can affect their social and emotional development. when you and i do it is to keep in touch with people we went to

high school with, stay in touch with friends. kids today instead of having a face-to-face conversation, they'll text you, even if they're sitting in the same room. or they'll facebook you. and girls will put innumerable pictures of themselves on their facebook page and change them all the time. >> you talked to some students you thought and asked them how many of them have posted something online that they later regretted and the percentage was ridiculously high, wasn't it? >> ridiculously high. over 70%. the truth is, matt, kids oftentimes self-reveal before they self-reflect. and there's no eraser button out there. >> and you talk about that eraser button. is that just a theoretical pie in the sky thing or is there technology available that would allow sites like facebook to give kids something where they could take away something that might haunt them for the rest of their lives? >> there's no question that facebook and google, with their extraordinary technology expertise, and quite frankly their billions of dollars in their ipos, could build an eraser button. but they need to be urged to do that by parents like you and me. and quite frankly by everyone.

>> you talk to parents out there and they have children. when they have a baby, they go online and they put a picture of that baby. some even before they have the baby, they post the sonogram online. >> exactly. >> you say this is the earliest online blueprint or footprint for your child and that's not necessarily a good thing. >> that's your digital footprint. and many of the leading tech executives that we're talking about here, they do not post those pictures and kids don't necessarily like that. remember once it's up there right now it's up there forever because there's no eraser button. >> why don't those executives post those thingses? because they know there could be ramifications? what could be the ramifications from a picture of baby at a week old? >> one, the kids can be embarrassed about it later. you know, kids don't necessarily want that. and the second thing is quite frankly, you never know how images are going to be used. and that's one of the reasons why we need some sort of commonsense rules about this stuff. >> sow much access would you say, and i know this is a difficult question to answer because every kid is different, every parent is different, but what would you say as a rule of thumb is the proper amount of access to technology and social

media that we should give our children? >> depends on the age. i mean, zero to 2 basically no screen time. that's what the american academy of pediatrics would say. i think as they get older, the key is to set limits. you know, it's tough, because you and i both know with our kids, they want more. they want a phone when they're too young. but i think you have to think about an hour a day, two hours a day, and simply set limits and say, no. >> you have an interesting concept here. you talked a second ago about kids revealing more than they probably would desire. and i never thought about this, but reading it in your book, you say you shouldn't ever allow your children to take their cell phone or their laptop to bed with them at thinight. >> right. >> why is that time of the day so important in what they'll reveal? >> two things, one, it hurts their sleep. you know, digital media stimulates your brain when you're trying to go to sleep. >> also they feel less vulnerable. >> and they're sometimes literally doing it under the covers. and you know, they're sitting there in their own room. we always tell people with

common sense, don't have a tv set for your kids in their bedroom. but a phone. how can you control that? >> and while we believe that most kids adore these things, like facebook and tweeting, you conducted another poll in your students and i think over half of them said they wish facebook did not exist. isn't that interesting? >> what was the reason for it? >> i think because they're starting to realize that their privacy is at risk. that they're self-revealing before they self-reflect. and honestly that there's a whole lot better about sitting here. i'm looking at you. i can see your smile, i know where you're -- i can feel the nuances of your feelings. and i think they're beginning to think that this isn't that good for their relationship. and at the end of the day, it's about how human beings relate. >> you always hear parents saying, complaining there's no textbook for raising kids in the digital age. this comes close. this is right there. jim steyer, nice to see you. >> thanks. >> up next, martha stewart shows you how to turn everyday items into beautiful spring gardens.

back now at 8:44 and this morning on "martha on today" unusual container gardens. nothing says spring more than beautiful flowers. and martha stewart says you can use everyday household items to keep your home looking bright and colorful. the current issue of -- of "martha stewart living" is on standards today. hey, martha. good morning to you. >> that cake on the cover is really good. >> i bet it is. and also for mother's day is this idea you're going to show us this morning. >> yes. >> i've got to tell you, i have no green thumb and i'm always and throughout my history killing plants but you say that this is actually something for even someone like me. >> yes. because you can take ordinary plants, like petunias that you can buy at supermarket or at the home depot, and garden centers, and you can just take a can like this, paint it a pretty color. >> you're talking about a can that maybe had your green beans in it.

>> and you just -- >> eat the green beans. >> use what's in the cans. save the cans, wash them out and paint them with a latex paint so if you get anything on your fingers or your -- don't get anything on your pretty dress and just paint one or two coats of paint. make it look like a nice opaque container. >> sure. >> this actually looks kind of cute. make sure you poke, in you're going to plant plants in it you poke enough drainage holes in the bottom with an ice pick and a hammer, okay? >> uh-huh. >> and then plant. >> right. >> so you plant with prepare -- you can put a little gravel in the bottom. you can put the potting soil in. and then, oh, these are beautiful begonias, which i love. and this is a nice present for the children to prepare for their teachers for mother's day. >> sure. >> or their mothers. >> sure. >> so the dads can do it with the kids. >> so that will be -- and that can grow in there because it has drainage. and you have a very cute and inexpensive way to celebrate. >> or like me you can just not put holes in it and just have it

be a vase. now for the people who truly are challenged keeping plants alive. >> these are succulent and nothing is easier than a succulent, hen and a chick, these are so beautiful. and to plant them in a tray. >> now look here. look at this finished product. >> don't you like this on your dining room table? >> i absolutely want this in my house. >> first put some they call it cactus soil. put a very porous, dry soil in the bottom. >> mm-hmm. >> and then cover with sand. you can finish this -- >> this is regular sand? >> like beach sand. can you buy it. don't go to the beach and get it. then these are succulents. now many florists are now selling these as plants like this. >> mm-hmm. >> and so you see it already has roots, and you just put a little hole here, place this, and leave it like that. >> do you have to worry about getting it into the dirt though? >> no, no. a little bit. just place it down in there. try not to cover over the leaves. look at this one already in

bloom. make a little hole and plop it in. >> once you plant you can use beach glass, you can use pebbles and spread those very heavily around. that will hold the plant down. >> and also to cover up the brown bits. >> you don't want to see any brown soil. >> nice. >> that makes a very beautiful garden. and water sparingly. these succulents don't need very much water at all to survive. >> okay. >> if you're going to do a mother's day lunch or a breakfast tray, how cute to plant an orchid like this in a tea cup. >> this is as a place setting, you couldn't leave it there for very long. >> no, you could not. i always use plastic wrap. put plastic in there first. and then you can just take this -- there's no soil at all. just to protect your cup, put that in like that and you have a very cute little arrangement. bowls the same thing. and this is so pretty. it's temporary, but beautiful. and then if you want to plant a herb garden or someone or a bottle garden you can use cinder

blocks. so easy and you put a piece of wire, and some fabric cloth to hold the dirt in. and turn it over on its side -- >> and you get right here. >> yeah. >> this looks great. i've done a whole stack of these in my backyard. it's very nice container garden. >> and there's something very therapeutic about dealing with plants and bringing the outside in. martha, saw so much. >> you're very welcome. >> coming up next we've got some delicious -- hang out with us, mark bittman is in the house. take a look. involves chocolate.

this morning on "how to cook everything today" do it yourself desserts. mark bittman is the author of "how to cook everything the basics" and his dessert ideas will appear in "the new york times" magazine. >> good morning. >> we're going to do this in the steps in the same way we handled hors d'oeuvres in the past and breakfasts in the past. this time you're concentrating on desserts and you're starting us off with simple procedures everyone should know. >> these are kind of things that are useful in making dessert. this is normal strawberries, obviously. and this is what they look like after you add a little sugar, and stir them up, and let them sit for maybe 20, even 10 minutes. >> so they take on this glazed look. >> they juice up. they get a little shinier. actually, of course, they get

sweeter because you but sugar in them. same thing with blueberries. >> with ricotta cheese, what's the most important thing to remember? >> well, here, nice to put some honey or again you can use sugar, maple syrup. >> we will be using this as a filling? >> yes, a filling. just sweeten it up, and also as you work it it becomes creamier and creamier. >> okay. perfect. and next thing a lot of people don't think of doing, let me whisk this because it's starting to boil a bit. you take simple jams and jellies. >> and you put it in a pot and cook it over lower heat than this, obviously, and it thins out so that you get this really turn into a sauce. >> okay. >> and it's just -- you don't want to pour that on yourself but other than that it's pretty good. >> let's explain to people why they've done all this. now we've got this "a," "b" and "c" counter. the "a," which is always the case with your segments. these are the foundations for your desserts. >> anything you like. we have meringue, some cute little pancakes, store bought

pie shells, lady fingers, any kind of cookie. >> some of this you would already have in your pantry, for example the ginger snaps or the vanilla wavers, you probably are going to have something like that? >> you could but meringue you can buy, brownies you make. >> so that's the base. then the "bs" are the fillings. >> yeah. so you would, for example, we'll do one while we're talking. take a pie crust you have sorbet or ice cream, cream cheese mixed with vanilla. the ricotta with honey. chocolate mousse, a little more elaborate. sweetened yogurt. a snap. vanilla pudding, lemon pudding and plain whipped cream. >> you might do this for an elaborate party. what you're also telling people is even if you have 20% of these items you can do a great dessert table. >> look, this is the "today" show so we do things really beautifully. at home, three of these, three of these, you have a pretty amazing dessert. >> you put the lemon curd in your pie crust. >> what would you like here? you know. you could use a little fruit. you could use anything you wajs.

so we have nuts, fruit obviously of all kinds. toasted coconut. chocolate espresso beans and so on. >> all right. >> sauces. >> let's bring our guinea pig -- i mean our other staff members in and let's see -- >> exactly. >> anything for us? >> go ahead. >> wow! >> build your own desserts here. >> there are no -- >> the rules are set by your mind. but i have no rules for you. take a base that you love. >> i could eat that one. >> oh, yeah, you could do that. >> do i -- >> no, no, that's your base. >> something like -- >> something like this, ann. >> okay. i didn't pay that much attention. no, no, i did pay attention. >> she's eating healthy. >> don't double dip there, okay? >> okay. >> so now you've done the filling, ann. you've put a biscotti and what was that? whipped cream? >> whipped cream. >> now add a little topping. >> the chocolate. >> lemon curd. that's sweetened yogurt. >> yes, you can use two. >> that's really good. >> the idea is to have the

basics in your house, create a couple of fun fillings and toppings, and then create desserts that are different. >> hm-mm. >> we'll be back. after your local news.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. three men are recovering in hospital as police investigate a triple shooting in harford county. around 8:00 last night, police responded to edgewater drive, when they found it two male victims.

police learned of a possible

>> we expect off and on rainshowers to extend all the way through the evening. it will not be a steady rain situation. high-temperature near 76. as we head through the rest of the week, it will cool off. >> we will have another