good morning. off the fence. reaction pouring in to president obama's endorsement of same-sex marriage. an historic announcement on a divisive issue less than six months before the election. how will it change the race? chilling details. the ex-wife of the mississippi man suspected of murdering two members of a family and kidnapping two others tells police she witnessed one of the murders and helped hide the bodies. this as the prime suspect is put on the fbi's most-wanted list and a possible motive emerges. and all hail the king? howard stern is ready to see if america's got talent, but is america ready for howard stern in primetime? we'll find out when he makes his first live visit to our studio today, thursday, may 10th, 2012.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television >> announcer: this is "today" with matt lauer and ann curry live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and welcome to "today" on this thursday morning. i'm ann curry. >> and i'm matt lauer. advocates for and against same-sex marriage have been very quick to weigh in on president obama's new position or newly stated position. this is a first for a sitting american president. >> that's right. why did he do it now, just as the general election is heating up? did vice president biden's recent support of the issue force the president's hand? we'll get the latest from washington and also talk about this with msnbc's rachel maddow straight ahead. also ahead, prosecutors at the criminal trial of john edwards could rest their case as early as today. this after some extremely tearful testimony on wednesday centering on his late wife's final days. we're going to go live to the

courthouse for more on that coming up in a couple of minutes. and also coming up, matt, this exclusive interview with adele, she's just 24 years old, already has won eight grammys. coming up, her thoughts about finding success at an early age. and she'll tell you what you didn't see during her performance at the grammys. >> yeah, she's got spunk, i'll tell that you. also later, matt, al, natalie and i will be taking to the water for competition against the princeton crew team. let's begin on a thursday morning with the president's announced support for same-sex marriage and the impact it may have on the presidential race. chuck todd is nbc's political director and chief white house correspondent. hi, chuck, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, matt. according to aides, the president told staffers a few months ago of his change in position on gay marriage and instructed them to figure out a time and a place to go public with this change sometime before the convention. now, aides admit they had no plans to do it this week and admit that it was joe biden's

comments on "meet the press" that pushed up their timetable. >> i think same-sex couples should be able to get married. >> reporter: with those words, president obama shifted the issue landscape of the 2012 campaign. the president called his personal support for gay marriage the completion of a long evolution and credited his wife and two daughters for his change of heart in an interview with abc news. >> there have been times where michelle and i have been sitting around the dinner table, and we've been talking about their friends and their parents. and malia and sacha, it wouldn't dawn on them that somehow their friends' parents would be treated differently. it doesn't make accepts sense t. and frankly, that's the kind of thing that prompts a change in perspective. >> reporter: mr. obama's decision marks the end of a long public struggle on the issue of gay marriage. in his 1996 illinois state senate campaign, candidate obama supported gay marriage in a questionnaire, then reversed

course during his 2004 u.s. senate bid, citing religious convictions. in his 2006 book, "audacity of hope," then senator obama openly wondered if he was going to be seen as behind the times writing, "in years hence, i may be seen as someone who was on the wrong side of history." >> i wouldn't have any doubt about what this is about. >> reporter: mr. obama's evolution picked up speed this week after vice president biden appeared on "meet the press" sunday and seemed to get in front of the president on the issue. >> i am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women and heterosexual, men and women, are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties. >> reporter: mr. obama's announcement came only a day after a major presidential battleground state, north carolina, became the 30th state to constitutionally ban gay marriage. another nine states have laws on the books banning it. it's legal in six states and washington, d.c. campaigning in oklahoma, mitt romney who favors a federal amendment to the constitution to

ban gay marriage made it clear that his stance on this issue has not been evolving. >> i have the same view on marriage that i had when i was governor and that i've expressed many times. i believe marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman. >> reporter: and leading social conservatives believe the president's announcement helps mitt romney. >> i think mitt romney today was handed the key to not only solidifying support among social conservatives but beyond that to conservative socially-oriented voters across party lines. >> reporter: now, remember, in this interview, the president emphasized that it was his personal view on same-sex marriage and that he still believed this is an issue for the states to decide, and there are apparently, ann, no plans for any federal push, at least as of right now, to get a more nationalized view on gay marriage. >> all right. thanks so much, chuck todd this morning. rachel maddow is the host of "the rachel maddow show" on msnbc and joins us now.

good morning to you. >> hi, ann. >> you called the president's announcement historic in civil rights. given what we've heard from chuck todd, he's leaving it to the states, there's no movement to do something federally in terms of making a change, i mean, what actually changes? >> you know, i think that symbolic value is hard to see in the moment. i think this is something we will know more in retrospect in terms of what this milestone, just for knowing that the president believes this and he's waiting to see what that means. this is not a given that this would happen. think about what's going on in the rest of politics. george w. bush was for civil unions. the current republican de facto mitt romney is against civil unions. the states that recognized the rights would have those rights overturned federally by the constitutional amendment that the republican party supports. this is not something that is -- where everything is all marching in the same direction. i mean, mitt romney is right where rick santorum is on gay rights issues. it's a very, very conservative republican party on this issue. and i'm not sure that it's clear

what the electoral impact will be given the way that states keep voting against these rights. >> is it clear, though, that this will not satisfy gay marriage activists? in other words, that there's going to be an increase in their demands to push this further forward? beyond the platforms of the democratic party? >> i think that there's a very good chance it will be part of the platform for the democratic party. i think the prospect that that was going to be some sort of divisive fight or something they really wanted to avoid is now over because of yesterday's announcement. it will be in the party platform. what that means practically, i don't know. it's interesting. i'm an openly gay person who works in the news media covering this but also feeling this as a gay person, the thing that i'm realizing is that gay people have very practical feelings about this. that this is about our lives. this is about our families. this is about whether or not we are hurt by policy made in the public arena. and so the symbolic value, i think, is important and does mean a lot to us. but mostly we want practical policies that help us. >> it's interesting in seeing how all this came about, this

announcement in a hastily arranged interview on the heels of joe biden's comments. >> yeah. >> on "meet the press." you do get the sense that joe biden forced the president's hand on this, but i want to show you this poll because it's really interesting to also note that this comes as there is increasing support in this country for gay marriage rights. for example, take a look at this poll. there's a poll from 2004. and it found that only 30% of the population was in favor of gay marriage. and now there's a new poll that finds that 49%, a majority, favors gay marriage. so to what degree is this really just smart politics by the president? >> well, again, it's very hard to say because as you've seen those poll numbers go up, and it's consistent across all polls and really over an excaccelerai progression in the public, but every time you put these issues up to a statewide vote, they lose. generally speaking when you ask for a majority vote on minority rights, generally minorities do not fare well. you have to look at the fact that this came right after the

north carolina vote on amendment one to ban gay rights. that was an overwhelming vote. so for the president to have made this decision to say this is my personal view i think is an act of political bravery because there's no clear -- there's no clear way to say this is going to help him politically. i think the gay community supported president obama. they pressured him on certain things. it's not like they were going to go to mitt romney who wants to roll back gay rights nationwide. i think this is something he did in a matter of conscience. we're in a chips fall where they may moment. >> all right. on that note, thank you, rachel, for being here this morning. watch "the rachel maddow" weeknights on msnbc. now it is 7:09. here's matt. >> thanks very much. the fbi is learning more about the underwear bomb taken out of yemen by a double agent in that foiled al qaeda plot to bring down a u.s.-bound passenger plane. officials say the device bears the hallmarks of the terror network's master bombmaker. nbc's chief foreign

correspondent, richard engel, is here with more on that. >> some consider this bombmaker to be right now the most dangerous terrorist in the world. he's already tried to attack u.s. aviation at least three times. and there are no signs that he has any intention of stopping. >> reporter: ibrahim al asiri isn't an ideologue or firebrand cleric. instead, he's a skilled, practical and inventive bombmaker. he's good. he learns. and that's what makes him so dangerous. >> he's not going to go away. the u.s. knows it. and so we need to continue to aggressively identify his location and put him out of business. >> reporter: around 30 years old, born in saudi arabia, once arrested in saudi arabia, he seems to have only one goal. according to u.s. officials, it is to build a completely metal-free bomb. he studies airport security systems and wants to beat them. al asiri seems to like what he does. security experts say he enjoys

playing master terrorist, and he's getting better. al asiri's signature is easy to spot. he makes small powder bombs made of petn, a type of plastic explosive. the lack of metal means they're not powerful. there's no shrapnel. but they don't set off metal detectors. he also makes them into underwear so they're unlikely to be found in a basic airport pat-down. al asiri apparently knows he's at the top of the u.s. target list and moving up. he's practical about that possibility, too. >> what's particularly troubling is that he's also looking to teach others his capability and his skills so that in the event that he is taken off the scene, there will be others who can continue to do his type of bombmaking. >> reporter: also different, u.s. officials say, is al asiri's level of dedication. he even dispatched his own brother as a suicide bomber wearing one of his bombs either as a suppository for clenched

between his legs. on christmas day 2009, al asiri made the bomb worn by a nigerian on a u.s.-bound plane to detroit. the bomb made it on the flight but didn't fully detonate. he tried again according to security officials mailing a petn bomb to the united states stuffed in an ink cartridge. it, too, was undetected, only found because of a tip. and then last month, u.s. officials say, al asiri wanted to sneak an improved underwear bomb on a u.s.-bound flight for the anniversary of osama bin laden's death a year ago. but the plot was disrupted and the bomb seized. yemen is emerging as one of al qaeda's leading sanctuaries, but the yemeni government is cooperating with u.s. officials in looking for this bombmaker. >> richard engel, thank you very much. appreciate it. now let's get a check on the morning's other top stories from natalie morales at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. authorities are urging the fbi's latest addition to the top-ten

most-wanted list to turn himself in. adam mayes is accused of kidnapping two sisters from mississippi, and he has now been charged with the murders of the girls' mother and older sister. mayes wife is also charged in those murders, and she tells investigators that she watched her husband kill them and then helped him hide their bodies. investigators believe the missing girls alexandria and kyliyah bain could still be alive with mayes. we'll have much more in a live report coming up shortly. rescuers are searching a remote crash site in indonesia this morning where the wreck of a new russian-built passenger jet has been found. the plane disappeared wednesday carrying 45 people. all are feared dead today. major violence this morning in syria as two strong explosions ripped through damascus, killing more than 40 people. at least 170 others were wounded in the strike in the city at the heart of president assad's regi regime. the government has been engaged in a 14-month crackdown on a

popular uprising. a surprise $17 million settlement has been reached in the wrongful death lawsuit for 200 garian tourists killed in a boat collision in philadelphia. the families of the victims will split $15 million, and the other 18 surviving passengers who were on the death boat when it was hit by a barge will split $2 million. a horrific crash caught on tape in taiwan where a tour bus rolled off a cliff. all 15 people on board were injured, but they're all expected to survive. and an ancient ritual rekindled this morning in olympia, greece, where the olympic flame was lit by a high priestess using a mirror to capture the sun's rays. the fire heads to britain later this month for a 70-day relay leading up to the games' opening ceremony in london. matt, ann and al, 78 days to go. and counting. >> i know. >> exciting. >> toga! toga! toga! toga! toga! >> toga party. >> it's a solemn ceremony.

>> i know. toga! toga! toga! what about the weather, mr. roker? >> all righty. let's see what's going. it's all greek to me. we've got heavy rain, upper-level low is going to be spinning a lot of moisture into southern texas. so we have a risk of severe weather from brownsville all the way up past del rio, texas, for the possibility of isolated tornadoes. a lot of heavy rain, too. so we've got flood watches from san antonio into san angelo. in fact, rainfall amounts over the next 72 hours, we're talking two to four inches locally. we could be expecting up to five to six inches of rain in some regions. that's what's going on around dod>> good morning. the skies have clear. we will be in the 60's spirit women picked up a few clouds this afternoon.

that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thanks. prosecutors are wrapping up their case at the criminal trial of john edwards. this after one of the most dramatic and emotional days of testimony yet. nbc's lisa myers is at the courthouse in greensboro, north carolina, once again this morning. lisa, good morning. >> reporter: hey, ann, good morning. prosecutors are expected to finish presenting their case today without calling rielle hunter as a witness. in fact, in the closing hours of their case, the spotlight was on elizabeth edwards who a friend testified was consumed by her husband's betrayal. in at times wrenching testimony, jennifer paul mary, confidante of elizabeth edwards and press secretary for john, talked about elizabeth's reluctance to believe her husband had lied about fathering rielle hunter's child.

about her desire to keep the public from knowing about the affair. and above all, to keep her family intact. but john and elizabeth did separate. and paul mary fought back tears as she talked about elizabeth's final days when she lay dying of breast cancer. she testified that previously elizabeth had expressed concern that when she died, there would not be a man around who loved her. and i said, "i will be there, he, meaning john, will be there." and she testified that john was there tending to elizabeth when she died. >> it was the most powerful, the most emotional testimony i've seen throughout this trial, and i think it helped john edwards. elizabeth edwards on her death bed wanted john edwards by her side. >> reporter: but much of what she had to say was not helpful to her former boss. she recounted a very emotional scene in this iowa hotel in october 2007. when elizabeth angrily confronted a donor she learned

was helping rielle hunter. palmeri said elizabeth thought the affair was over and was very upset that donor fred baron and his wife, lisa, were in contact with hunter. blue even had flown hunter to los angeles on a shopping trip. palmeri said elizabeth argued that spending time and money on hunter makes john look even more guilty of the affair. she said lisa argued that "you gotta hold your friends close and your enemies even closer" and that rielle was "a loose cannon who might go to the press." palmeri said john edwards was there but said very little. "i found that a little unnerving," she added. >> it specifically shows that john edwards knew in realtime that miss hunter was being taken care of by the barons. >> reporter: prosecutors charge that baron's money was used to hide the affair and amounted to illegal campaign contributions to edwards which edwards denies.

if prosecutors do not call rielle hunter to the stand, the defense still could. but given how thoroughly she's been trashed by the government and her role in breaking up a marriage, edwards' legal team could decide that she's simply too big a risk, ann. >> lisa myers, thank you. it is now 7:19. once again, here's matt. >> thank you. now an intriguing story of murder and corruption that is gripping china. it's not a movie or a book but a real-life drama involving one of that country's most powerful men. nbc's ian williams is in beijing this morning. ian, good morning. >> reporter: matt, it could easily be a script from a hollywood soap, but this story of corruption and murder is for real and strikes at the heart of china's communist party. it begins on the misty banks of the river. he was the hard-line boss of the sprawling city where he peddled maoist nostalgia. he was a rising star at the top and ruthless.

he was sent to a labor camp for a year for poking fun at him. bringing neil hayward here in search of opportunity. but last november, the elite british consultant was found dead in his hotel. police said he had drunk himself to death. his body quickly cremated. then the police chief turned up at the u.s. consulate in nearby city fearing for his life. he brought with him the sensational allegation that his high-profile wife had poisoned hayward over a business dispute. the americans brought him back to authorities. he was fired, accused of corruption, his wife arrested on suspicion of murder. until just a few years ago, this whole saga would have been played out behind closed doors. but thanks to the explosion in social media here, it's quickly turned into the talk of china. spread by china's 300 million microbloggers.

>> the chinese are on the front level of the information flow. >> reporter: then pictures were published of his party-loving son, educated at the most elite schools, oxford in the uk and now at harvard. he responded with an open letter to "the harvard crimson," denying he had a playboy lifestyle and drove a ferrari. though a massachusetts transport official said he received three traffic tickets driving a black porsche. the accusations against him have just snowballed, that he bugged the telephones of top communist party leaders, and that his wife took massive commissions from businesses looking to set up shop here. much of it has been leaked by his rivals, little substantiated but still damaging. >> translator: it's a deadly strike to the credibility of the ruling class. nobody believes them anymore. >> reporter: though as we discovered, he still has supporters who angrily defend him for bringing development to the city.

and there are reports of similar infighting at the top of the communist party. a power struggle over key leadership changes due later this year. matt? >> all right, ian williams in beijing for us this morning. ian, thanks so much. just ahead, is he ready for primetime? or is primetime ready for him? we'll talk to howard stern, the newest judge on "america's got talent," and we'll talk to him live. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

still ahead, new trouble for the new jersey mom accused of taking her young daughter to a tanning booth. why she's about to find it much harder to get her orange glow. and our conversation with adele after your local news. [ male announcer ] it sizzles, ready for anything.

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and a choice. take advil now and maybe up to four in a day. or choose aleve and two pills for a day free of pain. way to go, coach. ♪ >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. public safety becomes a sticking point in the debate between several baltimore city council members and the city fire chief. the current budget proposal closes three fire companies and for good. fire chief james clackum says it is is merely a shift of resources that will increase stability in the department. time for a check of the morning

commute. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> major delays on eastbound i- 70. you can see around marriottsville, et they, towards the beltway. steel plates are put back in place over a sinkhole there. if you travel in parkton, york road, old york road, we have an accident. southbound 95 on the ramp to the outer loop on the northeast side, accident. delays in the white marsh area. king avenue and franklin square drive, lanes closed in rosedale. he's down in a 70 come here is a big problem spot. all lanes are closed. live picture at 83 and mount carmel. coming towards us is southbound traffic. that is the latest on traffic

pulse. >> yesterday's friends have moved offshore. everything is cleared out nicely. here's where we are going ahead temperature-wise. forties in the mountains. we warm up, not as warm as yesterday. yesterday in the 70's. today, mid-sixties for the highs. maybe a few clouds move into the area. 6169 for the high

wnbc. wnbc. wnbc. in my mind, it sounds like i'm saying exactly what you're saying. >> no. >> wnbc. >> that was howard stern playing himself in the 1997 movie version of his life, looking awfully young. now the man known for speaking his mind and also for pushing the envelope is going primetime on "america's got talent." he's the newest judge on that show. so how's that going to go? will he tone things down? we're going to be talking to howard in a live interview coming up in just a couple of minutes. it's 7:30 now on a thursday morning, may 10th, 2012. i'm matt lauer alongside ann

curry. >> all right. and also coming up this morning, we've got some new fallout from the arrest of a new jersey mom accused of taking her young daughter tanning. well, coming up, what some salon operators are now doing to send her a message, matt. >> then we're going to have an exclusive and revealing interview with adele. she's got a number one album, millions of fans and an armful of grammy awards, but she says she does not want to be a celebrity. and she'll explain that. >> she's so beautiful. and a little bit later, matt, al and natalie and i are going to be taking on the challenging sport of rowing with a crewing -- i don't think it's a verb, but we're rowing against the princeton team. i can promise you we're still feeling the pain of embarrassment. we'll show you exactly what happened. let's begin this half hour with the man suspected of kidnapping a tennessee mother and her three daughters, then killing two of them. now that man is on the fbi's top ten most-wanted list. nbc's tan tran has the latest on this. good morning. >> reporter: matt, good morning to you. this is a critical stage in the

nationwide manhunt, the fact that the fbi placed this suspect on its top ten most-wanted list conveys the urgency. adam mayes faces multiple charges of kidnapping and murder, and now it's a race against time to find two missing sisters. to help capture accused killer and kidnapper adam mayes, the fbi placed him on its top ten most-wanted list. >> by doing this, we are enlisting one of our most powerful weapons against crime, you, the public. >> reporter: investigators say mayes could be hiding anywhere in the country. they believe he's holding captive 12-year-old alexandria bain and her 8-year-old sister, kyliyah. >> we're enlisting every available resource we have to locate the missing girls and adam mayes. >> reporter: it's been almost two weeks since the girls, their mom, jo ann, and older sister, adrienne, disappeared from their home in whiteville, tennessee. authorities have since found the bodies of jo ann bain and

14-year-old adrienne buried in mississippi. on wednesday, mayes's ex-wife was charged with two counts of first-degree murder. according to affidavits, teresa mayes admitted she was present when adam killed jo ann bain in a garage in tennessee. investigators say she also told him that mayes killed her 14-year-old daughter near the same location and then helped him transport the bodies back to his home in mississippi. no word yet on a cause of death. >> i think everybody's praying for them. i think we all are. >> reporter: the murders and abductions have shaken the small church-going town of whiteville. mandy johns is a friend of the bains family and has known the girls since they were born. she prays they can hear her words. >> stay strong. they're going to find you. you will come home. we're all praying for you. we love them both. >> reporter: this store surveillance video of adam mayes was taken three days after the alleged kidnappings and murders.

it's the last known time anyone has seen mayes. but with his face now on the top ten wanted list, the fbi hopes someone will spot him so they can rescue the missing girls. >> to the girls, we are spending day and night, 24 hours a day, to bring you back home to tennessee. >> reporter: the fbi is saying very little about a motive, but in those court documents filed wednesday, mayes's ex-wife told investigators that he intended to take the girls from their home. teresa mayes is now in jail on top of the kidnapping charges, she also faces murder charges as well. mayes is considered armed and dangerous. ann? >> all right, tan tran, thank you so much for that reporting. we want to turn to another story which is new trouble for the new jersey mom charged with child endangerment for allegedly taking her then-5-year-old daughter tanning. nbc's mara schiavocampo is in nutley, new jersey, with more on this story. mara, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. patricia krentcil pled not

guilty and maintai she would never take her daughter tanning. still, some salons say they want nothing to do with her and that she is simply not welcome there. new jersey mom patricia krentcil has had strong words for her critics. >> somebody out there on my whole life that doesn't like me because they're jealous, they're fat and they're ugly. >> reporter: but now some are sending her a message. several new jersey tanning salons are turning up the heat on krentcil, completely banning her from their facilities. as seen on the website tmz, some salons are even going so far as to post pictures of the so-called tan mom behind the counter so employees can identify her and stop her if she tries to tan. >> i think it's ridiculous, the way she's been conducting herself. and she seems completely oblivious to the harm that she's doing to herself and potentially to her kid. >> it's probably at the end of the day better for her health. >> if she wants to do it, then let her do it. why stop her? >> reporter: the body works

tanning salon in garfield hasn't flat out banned krentcil but has some concerns. >> if she looks the way she did in her pictures in person, we'd be somewhat reluctant to take her in. our policy's always been that dark customers are a walking billboard. >> reporter: experts say these businesses want to distance themselves from a negative image of tanning. >> they are speaking not as a unified voice. they're probably speaking as an industry and simply saying, this is an abuse of a service that we offer. and she is not the poster child for what tanning should be. >> reporter: for better or worse, krentcil has become synonymous with an overly bronzed glow, inspiring this orange action figure. and getting spoofed on "saturday night live." >> tanning beds should only be used by responsible adults because you may not know this, seth, some people over tan. >> reporter: the owner of city tropics says cent sill tans up to 20 times a month using a

high-powered stand-up booth like this one. it's so powerful, the maximum exposure time is just 12 minutes. >> patricia, are you obsessively tanning yourself? >> yes. >> reporter: now the woman who loves to tan may have to get that sun-kissed glow from the sun. now, city tropics, the salon where krentcil was accused of having taken her daughter, has not banned her. the owner says he did ask her to, quote, cool out for a while and that he hasn't seen her here since april 22nd. ann? >> mara, thanks. and now let's get a check of the weather from al. >> thanks so much, ann. we've got some cutis here. who is this? >> this is emma. >> how old is emma? >> emma is 15 months. >> where you guys from? >> dallas, texas. >> well, she's a cutie. thanks for sharing. let's check it out, see what we've got today. finally rain moving out of the northeast and new england. we're looking at better weather coming. rainfall amounts in northern new england going to be about an inch or so. and then it all clears out. that is good news. as we look ahead today, slight

risk of strong storms down through southern texas. going to be seeing a lot of rain down there. we've also got some sunshine along the west coast. more rain in new england. breezy conditions in the northern plains. plenty of sunshine through the mid-mississippi river valley, mid-atlantic states to the southeast, a few hit or miss showers down in southern florida. other than that, we've got a nice day going. >> good morning. the skies had cleared west of the bay. we'll pick up a few clouds. somebody celebrating their first birthday. who's this? >> olivia. >> happy birthday, olivia.

very nice. ann? >> al, thank you. up next, three words. howard stern live. right after this. ♪ ♪ ♪ whoa-oh, yeah, yeah ♪ well, she goes the extra mile ♪ ♪ she's gonna make you smile, yes, she will ♪ [ female announcer ] from special occasions to unplanned thursdays, it's one good time after another. town house®. where good times reside™. you got mommy a mother's day present? oh, i totally agree... ...she is the best mommy ever. [ male announcer ] save up to 30% on these diamond fashions for mom at kay. the number-one jewelry store in america. ♪ every kiss begins with kay more generations of fleas.

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just, you know, demonstrating how we blend the fruits. ahem. try all our tasty ocean spray 100% and light 50 juices. back now at 7:42. "america's got talent" returns monday. all eyes will probably be on howard stern. he's entertained and stirred up endless controversy. >> i'm wonderful. >> since his very first days on the radio. >> right. why are you laughing? why are you laughing? >> what can we expect from the self-proclaimed king of all media? will he be shocking? vulgar? >> like a robot. >> a little nice? nothing disturbs me. i could keep doing this forever. >> nothing disturbs you.

>> take a look. >> take a look at what? >> personally, i think you are a magnificently looking woman. fatherly. marry a rich guy. sharon did it. it worked out fantastic. i'm telling you. you need an ozzie, someone like that. [ cheers and applause ] that's it. that's it. >> howard stern, welcome. >> look at me, i look a mess. i said to your makeup woman, make me look like brad pitt, and look what she came up with. >> look what she's done with me every day. >> oh, please. you're so good-looking. >> not much better. >> number one, it's very distracting being here with you this morning. you face a window of people, some of them are my fans out there, and they're waving at me. >> no, you see, i don't face the window. i always put my back to the window. we make you face the window. >> i notice this. and this is my bad side. believe it or not, this face has a bad side. >> when it was announced you were coming on the show, the reaction was very quick. >> people adore me, matt.

>> but people also do not adore you. your critics said. >> yes. >> this is a desperate act by nbc. it's all about ratings, and it's going to end badly. are two of the three of those things right? >> that sounds pretty accurate. what a crazy idea to put me on a family show. somebody at nbc should be fired for that, right? don't you think? listen. i am a serious judge on "america's got talent." and they came to me when piers morgan left the show. and they said, you know, we think you'd be a good judge. i watched the show. i'm a fan of the show. i'm not going on the show to disrupt the beauty of "america's got talent" because i love the show. i merely wanted to go on and be a very serious judge. and what we found as we traveled all over the country, that it turns out i'm the judge that everyone agrees with. you came -- you came to a taping. >> i came to an audition show. >> who is the greatest show? tell them. >> since you're sitting here, you were by far the greatest judge, there's no question. >> you sound like such a phony. this guy is a phony.

you're not invited to my home anymore. >> you do tend to say things quickly that the people in the audience are thinking about the person on stage. >> people -- when you sit at home and watch "america's got talent" this season, you will say, wow, howard is saying what i'm thinking. >> all right. here's what other people are saying. >> what do you mean, all right? >> the parents television council has reached out to sponsors calling for what sounds like a boycott. i want your opinion on this. they sent the following statement to potential media buyers. quote, nbc's decision to add mr. stern to "agt" will likely result in a sharp increase in explicit content. we urge you to be mindful when considering a media buy. >> well, first of all, nbc should pay them millions of dollars. the more they keep issuing these statements, it makes me seem more interesting and more controversial. i belief that's an organization of about search people who are sitting home writing e-mails and trying to raise money so they can get cash. >> but you think people have a preconceived notion about you and that you have not evolved at

all from the very earliest days they heard about you. >> well, first of all, who would evaluate me on "america's got talent" before they see the show? that's a very silly thing to do. why don't you tune in monday night and see how i am as a judge? and i think what you'll find is that we have a panel that unlike these other judging shows, you know, i watch "american idol" sometimes, and those three judges, they don't have a word of criticism. and i think that's selfish. i think you owe it to the contestants to offer criticism. >> you say you get your judging style a little bit from your dad who was notoriously blunt with you when you were a kid. he used to say don't be stupid, you moron. and when you stunk at something, he would say, "you stink." are you going to temper that a little bit when you're dealing with some of these people? >> look, my father was very tough on me. when i was in college radio, i sent him some tapes. it was a bad idea. i sent him some tapes of what i was doing. and he wrote me back, and he said, "you sound horrible." you say uh, uh all the time.

it's distracting. you're not a good broadcaster. even clowns who work in the circus start out as acrobats. they hone their craft. before you can be a clown, you have to be a real announcer." this was very -- would you stop interrupting me? >> i haven't said a word. >> i see you winding up. what's with you? you're like on crack. >> so your dad -- >> you're hyped up. >> so your dad perfectly prepared you, but he also sent you to therapy for a lot of years. >> no, listen. my father offered me sound advice. and what seemed harsh at the time was good advice. and what i do, you know, for example, we're doing "america's got talent." we're going around the country. and a 7-year-old kid is up there. now, i didn't decide to put the 7-year-old kid -- >> i was at that show. >> you were there. >> right. >> and i hit my "x" on him. he was not a good singer. >> he was a rapper. >> that's right. he rapped. and i hit the "x," and i was going to tell him gently that, look, show business -- he's got a lot of years ahead of him. well, he started to cry. well, of course, i felt horrible

inside. i don't know the rules. i walked up on stage. and i hugged him. and i calmed him down. >> it was that moment being there that i think your critics would have assumed you would have gone in for the kill and crucified the kid. >> no. >> and instead we saw a different side of you. >> what am i, frankenstein? maybe i look like dracula, but i'm not frankenstein. i'm a compassionate person, i'm a father, i've raised three daughters, and there is compassion, but there's also honesty. i'm an honest judge. and that's what i think america needs. no more of this kind of oh, everyone's wonderful. everyone can't be wonderful. it's a talent competition. and what i'm going to offer the contestants is a way to win the competition. >> if it goes well next -- starting next monday, are you going to do this for a long time? >> make it my life's work? >> is this what you want to be known for? >> honestly, matt, i'm using it as a stepping stone to the supreme court. i'll start my judge suspect here. and then before you know it,

i'll be ruling on very important things. >> $300 million against sirius radio. >> i did. >> saying they didn't give you some stock value. >> why are you laughing? >> no i'm not laughing. a judge dismissed it. are you going to appeal that decision? >> i am going to appeal the decision. i believe in fairness. i certainly make a good living, but when you make a contract, you're made promises. and in that promise it was that the more subscribers we get to sirius satellite radio, i would be compensated. and i felt that the interpretation of my contract was not just. the judge didn't see it my way the first time around. i don't think it was explained maybe to her. i don't know what happened. but i will appeal it. i believe -- >> might you go back to terrestrial radio and leave sirius in. >> i don't think i would leave sirius. i love working there. satellite radio has been very libera liberating. we do have a contract dispute going on, but i do enjoy working there. that's it? >> starting monday -- >> wait. >> i'm done.

>> what do you mean, you're done? >> that's all i got. >> you know you look good. i want to say something. i'm honored to be on the "today" show. >> it's only a four-hour show. >> i never get to be at the "today" show. >> right. >> matt and i are personal friends. we sit at my home, we drink wine and we evaluate the "today" show. we're in a competition with "good morning america." we have to win. >> oh, look at the time. >> i liked when al roker was fat better. it's like a put a pin in him. >> and you can catch the season premiere of "america's got talent" monday night. >> come here, baby. >> 8:00/7:00 central right here on nbc. coming up, a rare interview with adele, but first these messages. (bell rings) hi. good morning. big news. we're spreading the word about new honey bunches of oats fruit blends and their unique taste combinations. like peach/raspberry... and banana/blueberry. we're telling everyone.

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him, right? when matt and i discuss the "today" show over at my house, we say, what happened to al? you lost your mojo. >> we do not discuss the "today" show. >> let's have a planning session. how are we going to really beat the pants off "good morning america"? >> that's what we're doing right now. 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. it is ams out there. mess out there. >> not carmel road, prior to the accident, jammed around york road in the parkton region. eastbound i-70, the ramp to the inner loop is still closed. pick back up to 29. these delays are in place.

slow go on southbound 795. out of the harford county vicinity, all the way down to the beltway. speech at 12 miles per hour. giddings ave is shut down in severna park at just not road -- chestnut road due to water main break. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> sunshine here. all of yesterday's rain is offshore and in new england. temperatures this morning have been on the dealer-to-mid- fifties. -- low-to-mid-50s. to the west, we'll expect 54 highs. partly cloudy skies, sprinkles.

64 to 69 before the high. dry weather for most of the weekend. the 70's for rise.

♪ we could have had it all 8:00 now on a thursday morning, the 10th day of may, 2012. right now our crowd is grooving to the music of the most talked-about singer in the world these days. we're talking about adele. we're excited to tell you that coming up, we're going to hear an interview that she has done with matt. >> we sat down in london last week for a special that nbc's going to air coming up early in june. we talked about a lot of things including the moment in her last year that she says is the one that stands out. and also, you know her song "rumor has it"? >> yes. >> we asked her what is the best rumor she's heard about herself. she had a couple of great ones. we're going to talk about it. also coming up, yesterday we

showed you flying through the air. >> right. >> now today we're going to actually show you something about rowing. we're going to take on the princeton crew team and let's suffice to say that matt did not pull his weight. >> that's not fair. i don't think. i think that we all were lacking. and actually, we almost ended up in that water which would have been no fun. >> she threw you under the boat. >> anyway, that's going to be a lot of fun. what else? >> we need a bigger boat. later on, would you eat 12 bowls of ice cream for dinner? >> for dinner? >> for dinner? >> if it was cherry garcia. >> okay. >> yeah, maybe small bowls. i love that. >> some restaurants are serving that much, some meals that have the same number of calories. of course, you know, it has to be dave. he's got some healthier options that you can make at home. >> thanks. meantime, let's go inside and get a check of the day's top stories with natalie. >> good morning, everyone. one day after announcing his personal support for gay marriage, president obama

attends a hollywood fund-raiser tonight at the home of movie star george clooney. the president's historic declaration wednesday followed a comment by vice president joe biden on nbc's "meet the press" sunday that he was absolutely comfortable with same-sex marriage. presumed republican challenger mitt romney meanwhile restated his position wednesday that marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman. security officials in yemen say five al qaeda militants were killed by an airstrike this morning. meantime, the fbi is hoping the bomb seized as part of a foiled plot by al qaeda in yemen will teach them more about the man believed to have built it. ibrahim al asiri. he is at the very top of intelligence agency's most-wanted list, and officials warn he is intent on strike the u.s. a chicago jury begins its first full day of deliberations in the murder trial of jennifer hudson's former brother-in-law. william balfour is charged with killing the oscar winner's mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew. celebrity hairstylist vidal sassoon is being remembered today for giving modern women

new time-saving options with his wash-and-wear cut. sassoon died wednesday at his home in los angeles. he was 84 and had been battling leukemia. now for a look at what is trending today, our quick roundup of what has you talking online. rihanna is raising concerns about her health after tweeting this picture of an intravenous drip attached to her arm. she reportedly had been fighting the flu and was taken to the hospital after this week's costume gala at the new york metropolitan museum of art. the singer was later released. blogs are talking about brad pitt being named as the new face of chanel number 5. it's the first time a man has been chosen to front for the french perfume and reportedly comes with a seven-figure paycheck. and "mad men" star jon hamm is going viral for the teen web series "ask a grown man." one girl asked what to do about a guy who sends mixed signals. >> give him a break. if he changes his mind, then you change your mind.

the world's your oyster. you'll be just fine. i'm 41 years old. that doesn't mean you have to pay attention to me, but it's, you know, probably in your best interests. okay. you're probably all too young to watch "mad men." so i don't know. enjoy "the hunger games." >> maybe if they're old enough to watch "mad men," they'd know don draper probably isn't the fest sour best source of advice for young ladies. now back out to al for a check of your weather. >> thanks so much. our pick city of the day happens to be new haven, connecticut, nbc connecticut. clearing skies later this morning after heavier rain, 66. satellite view, you can see our temperatures getting into the 50es and 60s in new england. 80s and 90s as you wake your way into the southwest. 80s around the gulf coast. we have a risk of strong storms and heavy rain in texas. some areas two to four inches the next 24 hours. sunny skies up and down the west

coast with windy conditions in northern california. wet weather comes to an end in new england later this morning. that's what's going on around dod>> good morning. the skies have clear. we will be in the 60's spirit women picked up a few clouds this afternoon. that's your latest weather. ann? >> thank you so much. coming up, a very rare interview with music superstar adele right after this. you... c.

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of the most meteoric rises the music industry has ever seen. ♪ i set fire to the rain >> reporter: just three days out of high school, she landed a recording contract. two years later, her debut album won two grammys. >> the grammy goes to adele! >> reporter: now at 24, she's added six more grammys to her name. it hasn't stopped there. well, look who's playing royal albert hall. >> yeah. >> reporter: i mean, can you describe the moment? >> yeah. i had complete shivers. it was towards the end of my tour. it wasn't the last day of my tour. it was the moment i'll never forget. ♪ should i give up ♪ or should i just keep chasing pavement ♪ >> reporter: last september adele had london's royal albert hall under her spell with her trademark rich-singing voice. ♪ never mind i'll find someone like you ♪ >> reporter: two months after that concert, her career almost ended when she underwent vocal

cord surgery, unable to speak or sing while she recovered. because of all that was swirling around you and this career that was just exploding, was that pause helpful, though? >> i felt like i needed a bit of a rest. but at the same time, i don't like canceling shows. >> reporter: some really big names in the music industry reached out to you during that period of time. >> yeah. i was getting e-mails from, like, roger daltrey and steven tyler who had been going for decades and decades. >> reporter: do you say, wait a minute, i'm a whole different crowd here? >> when elton john called me in my hotel room, i phoned a friend, oh, yeah, it's elton. it still cracks me up. so yeah, no. it did make me think a little bit like oh, my god. it's a bill another level now. ♪ we could have had it all >> reporter: it was at the grammys this year that she sang for the first time since that surgery.

she says it was memorable in more ways than one. >> i had three or four pair of spanx on that night. >> reporter: were you are comfortable in that? did you like the way you looked? >> i loved it. i actually had another dress made for the grammys. i almost passed out in it. >> reporter: can you sing with four pairs of spanx on? >> i took a couple of pairs off when i sang. >> reporter: only two, maximum two pairs to actually sing? >> yeah. ♪ rumor has it ♪ rumor has it >> reporter: you have a song that's popular, "rumor has it." so what's the wildest rumor that you've heard about adele? >> hmm, there have been quite a few. probably that i was adopting an ethiopian child. >> reporter: wait a second. so that's not true? i have to change my whole interview. >> that's not true. >> reporter: for adele, the down side of this success is losing anonymity. >> i don't want to be in people's faces. and i feel a little bit like i am in people's faces because

even though i have all of my voice issues, my music is constantly on the radio and on tv. >> reporter: "entertainment weekly" did an interview where they said these are the 30 greatest artists right now. you're number one right now. it's nice but is it possible to live in the shadows even when that kind of adulation is being heaped on you? >> i've managed to sort of stay out of the public eye recently. the other day, i walked through trafalgar square on a saturday afternoon. >> reporter: describe the scene. what was happening? >> i was a bit worried. i was in my pajamas as well. i had been working the day before. so all i had was color, i'm always in black. this massive green coat and little pink pumps. luckily, i had this massive umbrella. >> reporter: wait a second. nobody recognized you? >> nobody recognized me. a couple looked around. no, she's in color. and what would she be doing w k walking through a packed trafalgar square. >> reporter: in pajamas.

>> in pajamas. >> reporter: but at dell we all know draws huge crowds and sells millions of albums. it's one thing to be talked about as the most popular singer in the world right now. do you want to be the most talked-about singer ten years from now? >> i just want to make music. i mean, i still hope i have a little bit of clout in ten years. all i've ever wanted to do is sing. ♪ to the beat >> i think most people in the music industry think she's still going to have a lot of clout in ten years. she is the real deal. >> that's the thing. i mean, maybe that's what makes her so good is it is for her about the music, you know? that's a lesson. >> and the other thing that comes across in the special, you'll hear more of this interview, is that, you know, she says everybody knows her as this person who writes about these horrible break-ups in her life and the sadness. she said in real life, she's a very happy, content person. and she thinks people will be

surprised by that. you can catch more of our interview with adele on her first-ever network special, "adele live in london," that's tuesday, june 5th, at 8:00/7:00 central. it will include performances from her concert at royal albert hall. up next, we challenge the princeton crew team to a race. the results right after this. k9 advantix ii. not only kills fleas and ticks it repels most ticks before they can attach and snack on us.

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back now at 8:18 with part two of our special series "today takes on" where the four of us step oud of the studio and try to broaden our horizons. >> that's right, wednesday we defried gravity and common sense. well, this morning we're taking to the water to be schooled in the sport of rowing. >> reporter: behind these ivy-covered walls, students speak in hushed tones of a battle of epic proportions. their beloved princeton tigers will take on a band of opponents unlike any other, the greatest rowers never to have held an oar, the rainbow warriors of team "today." >> is it particularly cold out here? >> you look like a girl. >> i think they will be so dazzled by the "today" rainbow that they will be stuck at the starting line. >> i generally prefer water that is chlorinated and bright blue.

>> i'm jason. this is kelly. we'll be your coaches for the day. and let's see 20 jumping jacks. >> let's go ten. >> okay. >> reporter: a few staffers, as at home in the water as they are behind the scenes. >> if we don't win, can i still be a page? >> knees up. >> my knees are up. >> do these things sting? >> what room? >> urg. >> you start to get a sense for people's power. and if someone has really atrocious technique, it will show up. >> it's a modern-day torture device. >> we're about five minutes away from me throwing that megaphone out the window. >> reporter: to pull this off, we'll need core balance, stre strength, cardiovascular endurance and the willingness to cheat. >> i'm having a stroke. >> natalie, looking good. the rest of you --

>> if you're going to do two times better than anybody else, you're going to be very unpopular, all right? >> i've had two shoulder surgeries. >> i have a bad knee. >> i injured my back once in a helicopter crash. >> wrist surgery. i think i may have a kidney stone right now, i'm not sure, but it's not feeling great. >> nothing. >> nothing. >> we've got them. >> oar in the water. now open. okay. row. all right. okay. that was terrible, but that's okay. you guys got to work as one. you've got to work as one. >> oars in the water. >> stroke! >> i think i bring a certain leadership. i'm not opposed to throwing someone else under the boat, so to speak. >> guys, you've got to work as one, as one. >> yes. >> you're not going to move the boat alone. how are you going to do it? >> as one. >> follow matt.

he's your fearless leader for the day. >> shut up. >> can we do this at the same time? >> leadership. >> this is not going to win the race. you've got to trust him. >> okay, that's all i've got. >> what are we going to do? >> as one! >> the next step is to put them in a boat and see if they capsize. ♪ i want to row >> this is going to be good when we sink and can't swim. >> "today" show kills the princeton rowing team. >> reporter: this is just a slight handicap. one arm and no sense of smell. >> definitely not, no. >> walking forward. >> there is no way they will win this race, but it will be funny to see what will happen when they try. >> one hand on the dock. ready. and go. oars on the water. there we go. >> reporter: almost immediately, our once-confident coach begins

to crack. >> oars on the water. we're good. oars on the water. we're trying to head that way now. we're trying to go in the opposite direction. >> you didn't show us about backing up. you just showed us about that way. not that way. >> you want us to face that direction? >> sort of like spin. you can't lift it out of the water. >> guys, we're all leaning to one side, which is not good. >> hey, i'm leaning my cheeks over to the left. what do you want? >> somebody's right cheek is heavy again, al. >> you know, i'm getting a little tired of you, morales. i'm going to show you. >> as one, you guys. >> reporter: what seems to be the best part of this sport might be the teamwork, the people in the boat work in harmony. >> we're giving up as one! >> we're not giving up. >> we're not giving up. who said that? >> we're not giving up. >> reporter: as one, we decide to lose four and bring on a few ringers to help with balance.

>> now we're moving. wow, what a difference. >> we will miss you. >> you guys ready? and stroke, back. stroke, back. good, good. you guys are getting it. >> reporter: we were firing on all cylinders and ready to make history. >> this is going to be a short sprint race. we're going to be fluid. we're going to be dynamic. down. >> come on, cheaters, let's go. >> three, two, one. attention. row. yep. here we go, boys. you're doing it. >> as one! >> as one! >> reporter: with every stroke, every breath, four "today" show

anchors finally become one mega host, able to crush -- >> they're winning! >> reporter: -- even the youthful ivy champions. >> we did it! [ cheers ] >> yes! we beat a team that was blindfolded and one arm tied behind their back! yeah! >> hip hip! >> hooray! >> hip hip! >> hooray! >> we are shameful. >> we travel with a boat that has an orchestra. that's pretty good. >> that was the problem. in fairness, we should say that then after that race, we had the four princeton guys on the bow of our boat not row, and we raced that other team again. >> and we had our pants pulled down. >> pulled down around our ankles. >> they still had one hand tied behind their back. we got killed. >> it was fun, though, wasn't it, guys? >> i like the alternate ending instead.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> let's check on the morning commute with traffic pulse 11 and sarah caldwell. >> we have an improvement in some spots. this accident we had on southbound 83 at mount carmel as off to the side. those delays are still dissipating. eastbound i-assembly, ramp to the inner loop, construction has been removed. we are still dealing with delays to the beltway. a southbound 895 approaching lombard street, we have an accident. 24 miles per hour getting down

to the white marsh area. you are also looking at it jammed packed ride on the j.f.x. southbound down towards the construction zone. giddings ave is shut down at chestnut road and severna park due to water main break. eastbound it is 70 is heavy towards 29 towards the beltway. york road, south of this, still delays towards mt. carmel. john, over to you. >> traffic cameras showed a nice, sunny conditions of this morning. rain has moved up to new england and is moving out of the picture. behind it, dry air will be breezy today. dry conditions extended to the rocky mountains. several days of good weather here. temperatures will be in the 60's around the area. one or two of those cuts could produce a sprinkle. northwest winds at 15 to 25.

64 to 69 for the high. saturday is sunny, 75. by the evening, a chance for rain. >> we will have another update at 8:56. at progressive, you can bundle your home and auto policies and save. don't worry, tiny people. flo is a gentle giant. bundle home and auto at progressive.com.

"today" at the olympics coming this summer. ♪ it's 8:30 now on a thursday morning. it's also the 10th day of may, 2012. you know, in the last couple of hours, it's gone from kind of dreary to just plain beautiful here in the northeast. we've got blue skies and warm temperatures and a great crowd out here on the plaza. the music, by the way, you're hearing is our way of reminding you that usher will be kicking off our "summer concert series." that is a week from tomorrow,

next friday, right here on the "today" show. if you're in the air, stop by. that's going to be a good one. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, natalie morales and al roker. coming up, grilling is supposed to be good? >> it is but david says that's not always the case. in fact, he says some of these meals are the equivalent of a dozen hot dogs. he's going to try to help us, as he normally does, to choose a less fattening option. and he'll help us with that coming up. of course, sunday is mother's day. so if you're thinking about what you need to get mom, well, rosie pope, our mommy expert, is here with some products that can save that special woman in your life some time and money as well. >> and she knows what she's talking about. >> yes, she does. >> sunday, right? >> sunday. >> we are going to rush through that segment. >> that's right. >> i'm boiling water. i'm telling you right now. >> what, are you making soup? >> experts on hand. meanwhile, imagine doing your job for free. jenna bush hager has an

incredible story of a teacher who is doing just that, she's teaching for free. and then later on, "today's professionals" tackle the top headlines including hillary clinton's decision to go makeup free. first, let's bring in elizabeth banks, one of the stars of "what to expect when you're expecting." she plays wendy. >> until i'm actually pregnant. >> it's not an easy pregnancy. >> no. i think it's really representative of at least i've heard now from a lot of women that it's very representative of their pregnancies which is that it's kind of a disaster. it's really hard to make a human being, to bake them in an oven that is the human body. >> to make it work, you're having to deal with the fact that your husband's father's girlfriend, i guess wife, is also pregnant played by brooklyn decker. and she's having a perfect pregnancy! >> she's having a perfect pregnancy. beyond that, she's brooklyn decker. and she walked around in a bikini the entire time on set.

it's, like, come on, guys. really? >> i don't think you have a problem. >> well, but i had to be, you know, like hair was disgusting and i'm having to work around it. and she was having the best time of her life. >> coming up, your character, avery jesup, on "30 rock" is coming back, held hostage in north korea. >> avery is freed on "30 rock." avery is back and better than ever. >> yeah, because last season, you had a baby and all of that, too, with your character, with alec baldwin. >> yes. a lot of babies in my life right now. >> by the way, i thought you were fantastic in "the hunger games." >> thank you. >> very well done. >> perfect. >> thank you very much. yes, very fun. >> we want to just say first thanks. don't forget, you can check her out in "what to expect when you're expecting." we wish you luck that.

>> thank you. thanks for having me on today. >> mr. roker. let's check out your weather for the weekend coming up including mommy's day, tomorrow, sunny and mild. gorgeous out west. then on saturday, we're looking at a beautiful day in the mid-atlantic states. more heavy rain starts to make its way up the mid-mississippi river valley. sunny and warm to sizzling in the southwest. then on sunday, plenty of sunshine in new england. rain in the central rockies. rain also in the mid-mississippi rivemi >> good morning. the skies had cleared west of the bay. we'll pick up a few clouds.

and that's your latest weather. >> al, thank you so much. let's say hello now to michael ealy. he plays a rebellious detective on usa called "common law." michael, welcome. you say you're playing a role that is a dream come true. why? >> it is a fun, action buddy comedy. when i was growing up, "lethal weapon," " 48 hours," those were the kind of movies i liked and wanted to do at some point. now i get to do it every week. the twist is we're forced to go to couples counseling because we're having so much trouble getting along. >> you and a detective. >> two coworkers that have to go to couples counseling. >> you're an irresponsible ladies' man who's a rule breaker which is what al roker has played on this show for the last 25 years. >> right. >> tell me more about this guy. >> well, you know, travis, he grew up in the foster care system. so he has a lot of different families. he speaks a lot of different languages. and yes, he's a little

irresponsible. you know, but he's a good cop. he's a good cop, and he means well. and ultimately, the ladies' man part, i don't know, they just keep putting me in these roles. >> so hard. >> yeah. tough life for me. >> exactly. >> congratulations. go ahead. >> thank you. >> that's all. all right. >> i think she's still stuck on the, they keep putting me in these ladies' man roles. >> better than putting you in ladies' roles. >> let's tell everybody that "common law" premieres tomorrow night at 10:00 on usa. thanks so much for being here. congratulations. we're looking forward to seeing you in it. >> nice to see you. coming up next, the meal that's equal to eating 12 bowls of ice cream. first, this is "today."

it is now 8:38, and we're

back with "eat this, not that!" and we're talking about when grilling becomes gut busting. when you eat at a restaurant, you may ordered a grilled dish as a healthier dish. but david zinczenko says you may be getting more than you bargained for. welcome back. it's good to see you. >> always a pleasure. >> you put a piece of meat on a grill, why is that bad for you? it sounds pretty healthy. >> because it's not cooked in your own backyard where you can control it. grilled in a restaurant means -- it's not grilled, per se, it's like a grilled plate. what happens, it traps in the fate. you know, the chef is cooking while he's painting it with more butter. if you add in, you know, slather sugar -- >> grilling is fine, but some of the ways they grill in these chain restaurants, we're not going to identify, is not good for them. >> you do it in your own backyard, you can lose a dozen pounds before the pool opens. >> let's take a look. the first one is a grilled pork chop. this is a restaurant chain

version of a grilled pork chop with mashed potatoes and spinach. what's the problem with this? >> the problem is the piggy should have stayed home. it's 1500 calories, three days of saturated fat and two days' worth of sodium. >> and the saturated fat and the fat is in the meat itself. >> you cut out over 1,000 calories just in the pork chop alone where it's a lot of fat and it ends up being the equivalent of these dozen bowls of breyer's vanilla ice cream. >> this is this. if you want to do it at home, you've got this equivalent. >> every dish here that you're cooking yourself is one-third the calories. this is 490 calories. you're cutting fat. you're cutting sodium. you're cutting everything. and you still have a size of grilled asparagus. >> okay. let's move on. we've got restaurant chain grilled steak fajitas, all right? what's the problem here? >> well, the problem again is you've got too much fat sauteed in the peppers and the onions. you've got it on an oily bed of rice. you've got a fattier meat and

these toppings. each one is probably 200 calories each coming into this dish where it ends up being the equivalent of these eight taco bell crunchy tacos. so if you do it at home, it's absolutely delicious. >> all right. now, the big difference i see here is what you've -- you have a less fatty cut of meat. >> right. >> you've got instead of the rice, you've got the vegetables, grilled vegetables below, but you still have the toppings here. >> right. and that's okay. it still comes in at 430 calo e calories versus 1400. >> let's move on to a burger. that's a lot of meat on this one. this is a restaurant chain burger. >> a big portion size. >> what's the calorie content of something like that? >> it's over 1300 calories. the cheap fatty meat, buttered bun, overblown portion size, dubious restaurant griddle glazed in molten beef fat. other than that, it's great. it's totally fine. 65 grams of fat. it's the equivalent of a full

pound of this beef jerky. >> do you know how long it would take to eat a full pound of beef jerky? >> it's insane. >> but make it at home. >> make this burger at home. this cowboy burger from "grill this, not that!" you are basically getting onion, cheddar, barbecue sauce. you're even getting bacon, and it's only 460 calories. >> that's a major, major savings. >> it's a major improvement. i mean, you can lose so much weight if you grill at home on a proper grill. >> let's go to a ribeye steak. this is one you might get at a very popular chain of restaurants. again, we're not mentioning the chain of restaurants. what's in this? >> over 900 calories, over 1,000 grams of sodium, it's a good portion size for a boy scout troop. calorie equivalent ends up being seven cups of campbell's chunky beef vegetable soup. >> are you telling me campbell's chunky beef is not good for you? >> do you believe it? >> because i love that stuff. i've had that stuff.

i grew up on this stuff. >> me, too. me, too. >> and the alternative at home? >> you go with a strip steak. it's a leaner cut. >> is that bleu cheese dressing? >> bleu cheese butter. >> and that's okay? >> yes, and it's 300 calories right here. >> real quickly, this is, what? grilled sausage? >> sausage pizza. over 1500 calories. 110 grams of fat. it's the ee kwif lent of a dozen oscar mayer beef franks. and if you have this sausage and peppers pizza from "grill this, not that!" you can do it in 15 minutes and it's 550 calories. again, it's one-third the calories. and there are 149 other recipes like this. >> saving us calories, helping us lose weight. david, as always, thank you very much. up next, products designed to make life easier for moms. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

"mom's rule today" is brought to you by tropicana. tap into nature.

>> back now at 8:45, and this morning on "moms rule today," products who save women time and energy. pregnancy guru rosie pope is the mother of two boys and with her third due any minute. in fact, she's due this coming sunday. she's also the star of bravo's "pregnant in heels." rosie, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> i think this might actually count for your baby's first appearance on the "today" show. >> i think it might. >> actually. >> she may arrive today. >> i know, congratulations and thanks for being here today. >> thanks. >> we want to talk about products you want to help other pregnant women and new mothers have, to think about how to make their lives a lot easier. >> yes. >> let's go through them. one of them to save time and energy. you've got this toy storage pod. how does this work? >> basically, it's a lay and go sack like this. you can lay out anywhere, if you're traveling, if you're at an airport, it keeps things clean and your toys contained. and then you just pull it up like this, and it becomes a tiny little pod. >> sure, so they can play

inside. now, another one which i think is pretty extraordinary, these are rugs you can actually throw in the washer? >> i love these because no matter how much i vacuum, my rugs are filthy. these you can actually rip off the base, throw them in your washer/dryer, put them back and it's clean. >> which is great because kids are messing up those rugs pretty easily. should i hold your hand? >> just in case you go into labor? >> i wonder if i should talk really fast. i'm not sure, i'm feeling all kinds of pressure. these bins are really cute for toys as well. >> they also hang on walls or doors. can you have them in a nursery and also use them when your baby transfers to a bigger room. >> these are for the countertop. and beyond looking cool, there actually is a function to them. >> can you put pacifiers to dry, bottles, they're really great, cute and cleanly. >> a lot of us as moms wish we could teach our kids to pick up after themselves. this is a good way to start. >> all their legos and everything is out. you can scoop it up in here. it makes cleaning a lot easier and gets them involved.

>> all right. bibs are important. as you well know. >> yes. >> what's new about these bibs? >> you always have your little baby in their sunday best. and the food goes down onto their shirt. these have a comfy bib around the neck. >> like a turtleneck. >> and it keeps the food away from the clothes. >> food storage. a cute way to think about that. >> these are bento boxes. kids love fun little containers. it helps them eat, makes them excited and they're really practical. >> this is something called what, a food pod? >> yes. >> these are all the rage, right? >> all the rage. they're from home organics. they have vegetables and fruit. they're organic. if you're traveling, on an airplane, you're worried about getting nutritious foods, these are wonderful. >> and you squeeze them. you don't have to worry about carrying utensils. >> they come with a spoon. you can attach them or you can just squeeze them. >> you don't have to refrigerate them or anything? >> no, they're perfect. >> we move over to, what, a purse holder? >> this basically comes with you. you can hang it on your stroller

or on a table. you can hang your diaper bag on it. >> diaper bag holders. >> it keeps them clean, keeps it off the floor and keeps obviously the bacteria away. >> all right. now, mommies need a little facial care. they need to take care of themselves a little bit. what do you have here? >> i find at the end of the day no matter how much makeup i have on, you're looking a little drab. you rub it on your cheeks, forehead, rub it in, it gives that you extra glow. >> when you want to teach your child to ride a bicycle. >> a mom on the go, if you're going out for coffee, running errands, can you teach them how to ride and hold on so you're not nervous and anxious. >> rosie pope, i think you deserve a medal for being here, just a few days before the delivery of your baby. congratulations again. thanks so much. you can catch the season of "pregnant in heels" next tuesday at 10:00/9:00 central on bravo. coming up next, a dedicated teacher who works for free. jenna bush hager shares the

remarkable story. first, this is "today" on nbc.

"appreciate teachers today" is brought to you by exxonmobil, taking on the world's toughest challenges. >> it's national teacher appreciation week which is time to honor the men and women who dedicate their lives to educating our children. "today" contributing correspondent jenna bush hager

is here with the story of one educator who's going above and beyond. good morning. nice to see you. >> good morning, matt. we all have that one unforgettable teacher. and bruce is that person for four generations of students. his story is about dedication, above all else, to the kids he loves. >> reporter: life as a middle school math teacher. the commute, the long hours, the angst-filled preteens. imagine facing all of this for free. you're not getting paid at all? >> not from the school district. i'm getting from savings and from pension. >> reporter: the 67-year-old has been teaching a ining algebra a geometry for almost four decades. but for the last few years, he's done it without receiving a single paycheck. three years ago, he faced his own math problem. retire and make more money than he would teaching or continue doing the work he loves and lose

money. >> i went to the principal and i told her, i said, my heart wants to stay teaching, but my head is telling me that i need to retire. and i followed my head, not my heart. >> reporter: and so after 43 years in the classroom, kravitz retired. but only for a few days. >> it was one weekend i was going to retire and then i realized there's nothing i'd like more than to teach. >> reporter: with the school behind him, the educator fought to stay unemployed while still doing the job he loved. >> if somebody is willing to come back who's so exemplary, yeah, i'm going to fight for that. >> reporter: so at the start of the next school year, kravitz is back in front of the classroom with a full schedule. >> so this is my hobby, i guess. >> reporter: an undertaking his students still can't believe. >> he can go off wherever he wants to go. but instead he still wants to stay here and teach. that's remarkable. >> if i was in that situation,

you'd probably find me in hawaii right now. >> reporter: david fagan was one of kravitz's students in 1968. the two maintain a close relationship today. >> he took a math puzzle which is how do you keep teaching but have it not cost you money? and he solved the puzzle by doing something that i think no one in l.a. or anywhere had ever done. >> reporter: kravitz's passion for numbers resonates with the students. is he your favorite teacher you've ever had? >> oh, yeah. >> his passion became my passion for math. >> he connects mathematics to everything. like we'll have a history lesson in the middle of a geometry lesson just because he decided it was relevant. >> he'll say, this is what the book says. this is how you do it. and this is why you do it this way. >> reporter: his influence doesn't stop when students head to high school. he regularly receives letters of thanks from former students. one even acknowledged mr. kravets in her commencement speech from berkeley. >> my middle school math teacher

who teaches classes to 12-year-olds algebra. >> reporter: words of praise and love, showing some things are worth more than money. >> he's really a great teacher, though. i love him. as a teacher, of course. >> and he constantly proves that he loves his students as well. they say he's available on saturdays, after school any day that they need extra help. and in 43 years, he has only missed three days of school. can we say this? >> i know. >> bruce kravets, that is awesome. that's fantastic. >> we tip our hat to you. >> and the fact that the students appreciate him. >> and he's a little bit older than they are, and he still can connect algebra and geometry to them, which is amazing. >> great story. >> much more after your local news and weather.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. state prosecutors have dropped more than half the charges of four people accused in the st. patrick's day beating and robbery of a tourist from virginia. in all, 13 of the 24 charges

were dropped.

quarter tosterday's 2/3 of an inch of rain. a few clouds drift in during the afternoon. one of the clouds could produce a sprinkle. blustery out there.