good morning. campus heartache. boston university in mourning after three students studying in new zealand died in a car crash, and at least five others were injured. this morning, new information about what may have caused that accident. searching for their own. law enforcement officers in southern cifornia launch a massive manhunt for a missing fbi agent who is said to be armed and possibly suicidal. and the big reveal. we surprised some deserving moms yesterday with head-to-toe mother's day makeovers. they spent the day shopping and getting their hair down. now it's just about time to reveal their new glammed-up looks today, mother's day,

sunday, may 13th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a sunday. i'm lester holt. >> and i'm jenna wolfe. and happy mother's day to everyone out there. and i don't always say this, and i should at every opportunity, but mom, sheila, i love you. so, maybe that will carry for the rest of the year. >> i've got to say the same thing. >> go for it. >> sheila -- oh, no, my mom, june, i love you. she's watching in california this morning. >> that wasn't awkward at all. >> but i love your mother as well. >> and i love your mom as well. >> she's a great person. >> wow, it's a mutual love society this morning. >> we have the makeover coming up later, so a lot more mother stuff, but we also have a lot more news to talk about, including what happened at boston university. a campus in mourning. a candlelight vigil was held last night to remember three students killed in new zealand. they were on a study abroad

journey. another five were injured. we'll hear from bu students about coping with the loss. then we're going to switch gears and turn to presidential politics. on saturday, mitt romney spoke at liberty university, an evangelical school that's called his mormon faith a cult. can he get religious conservatives excited about his presidential campaign? we're going to get all that, coming up. and we'll look ahead to the john edwards campaign finance trial. tomorrow, the defense team for the former presidential candidate begins putting on its case. real good question hovering over all this now -- will edwards take the stand? then, on a lighter note, all of the celebrity buzz that has people talking, from a spat between the octomom and the tanning mom to reese witherspoon's dad being accused of bigamy. there is so much to get to with all the celebrity buzz. >> and i know a lot of people will be taking your moms out to eat on this mother's day. the restaurants want you to have a wonderful time. and if you think they care only about the food, think again. coming up, what they're doing to get inside your head.

that's coming up a bit later on. >> are you doing it, going out today? >> yeah, later on, yeah. >> so you're part of that mass, you know that. >> there you go. but we want to begin with that tragic accident in new zealand that killed three boston university students and injured five more. nbc's michelle franzen has more now. michelle, good morning. >> well, good morning, jenna. one of the students who sustained life-threatening injuries and was air-lifted to a local hospital remains in critical condition. according to her family, she is in a medically induced coma. she was one of more than two dozen students from boston university who were studying abroad and traveling to hike to one of new zealand's most dramatic national parks. a trip of a lifetime that all changed in an instant. at boston university, sadness and disbelief over the deaths of three bu exchange students and five other students who were injured in a car crash in new zealand. >> if anything happens to any of us, i think all of us feel it. >> reporter: last night on campus, students and university officials mourned together at a vigil. >> just an awful, awful tragedy.

>> reporter: daniela lekhno, roch jauberty and austin w brashears died, authorities say, after the minivan they were riding in veered off the road near the vacation spot of taupo. >> appeared to have corrected or overcorrected and the vehicle went into a roll and cartwheeled down the road. >> reporter: investigators say it appeared some students were thrown from the vehicle and may not have been wearing seatbelts. university officials say 26 bu students were wrapping up their semester abroad and traveled as a group in three minivans, headed on a hiking trip to tonga rio crossing. >> this whole situation just puts everyone on pause, and it is just really a pause to not only pay respect but to, it's really sad. >> reporter: it was the latest adventure for bu students from all around the country. 21-year-old austin, an engineering major from huntington beach, california, posted pictures of his travels on his facebook page. his mom told nbc news the hike

was the last item on his new zealand bucket list and says she wishes he could have completed it. roch, who had lived both in california and in france, also chronicles his breath-taking experiences on facebook. daniela was from new jersey and studied international relations and economics. an overwhelming loss for family and fellow students now left to cope. in a statement, bu president robert brown said "this is a horrible tragedy. our prayers go out to the students and their families." he also says the university is offering support and counseling to students on campus and students abroad to help them deal with this tragic accident. jenna. >> michelle franzen. michelle, thank you very much. we want to get the rest of the morning's top stories now from veronica de la cruz over at the news desk. veronica, good morning. >> and good morning, lester and jenna, and good morning, everyone. there is a massive manhunt today in a rugged mountain area in southern california. nearly 250 law enforcement

personnel are trying to find an fbi special agent last seen by his family thursday night. officials think stephen ivens is depressed and that he may have disappeared into the nearby verdugo mountains. the married father of a 1-year-old child has his service weapon with him. ivens isn't believed to be a danger to others, but he could be a danger to himself. president obama held a rose garden ceremony saturday to honor the nation's top cops. he personally thanked the 34 officers who won a national police association award for their courage in the line of duty. wildfires are a big problem in the phoenix area this weekend. in the past few days, five wildfires have popped up. the biggest one, the sunflower fire, has burned more than 1,000 acres. so far, no structures are threatened and there have been no evacuations. grumblings from a mexican volcano are stirring up concerns for people living near mexico city. they can be seen wearing protective masks to avoid inhaling volcanic ash raining down from the increased activity of the volcano.

well, the leaders of china, south korea and japan are taking steps this weekend to calm tensions on the korean peninsula. meantime, the israelis and palestinians are trying to restart long-stalled peace talks. both sides issued a rare joint statement saturday, saying they're committed to peace. california's governor faces a $15 billion deficit, and he warns there will be massive budget cuts if voters fail to protect increases in november. meantime, tens of thousands of spaniards are protesting this weekend in the nation's largest city. they're angry over increasingly grim economic prospects and unemployment hitting one quarter of the population. the body of a u.s. army nurse who collapsed and died during a skype chat with his wife returned home saturday. several hundred people paid respects to captain bruce clark, who died two weeks ago at age 43. the cause of death is still being investigated. finally, we have video of britain's princes william and harry showing their royal skills on the polo field in front of

some hollywood a-listers. the princes nearly beat the opposing side. more than 200 special guests attended the match, including actor russell crowe. money raised will go to charities supported by the princes, and the event ends today. and that is the news. let's send it back to you, lester, jenna and sheena. i got the red memo, jenna. >> yeah. no, you did and sheena did. guess who didn't get the red memo. >> lester. >> uh-oh. >> i'm just saying. i don't want to say names, but guess who didn't get the red memo. >> i have an unlisted e-mail. >> clearly. thank you very much. sheena from nbc 10 is here with a check on the weather. good morning. >> good morning, lester and jenna. thank you! you know, mother's day, big, big weather day today because i think a lot of people wanting to do stuff with moms outside. we're looking at a lot of rain. if you're in the southeast, it's going to be a wet one today. radar showing a lot of rain stretching from northth fugh pa alabama, tennessee, even kentucky, moving into the carolinas. rainfall totals in the carolinas could get anywhere from two to

three inches in some of the higher amounts. we are looking at, though, mostly dry conditions for the middle and western part of the country. slight risk of severe storms for new mexico and >> and lester, back to you. >> all right, sheena, thanks. now to presidential politics. mitt romney, the likely republican nominee, walked into the lion's den this weekend. he gave the commencement address at liberty university, an influential conservative christian school where some have a big problem with his mormon

faith. nbc's peter alexander reports. >> to the class of 2012, well done and congratulations. >> reporter: at liberty university, founded by the late jerry falwl, mitt romney faced a stadium full of evangelical christians, an audience that he's struggled to win over in this year's campaign. the commencement address offered romney an opportunity to try to convince social conservatives he'll fight for their beliefs, including what he called the enduring institution of marriage. >> marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: but romney largely avoided divisive issues, emphasizing to these graduates that strong family values are key to helping improve the economy. >> moral certainty, clear standards and a commitment to spiritual ideals will set you apart in a world that is searching for meaning. >> reporter: here at the world's largest christian university,

mitt romney's remarks were heavily focused on religion, but he walked a fine line when it came to his own faith, not once mentioning the word mormon. instead, he suggested people of different faiths should find common ground in serving. at this campus where many view mormonism with distrust, one theology course here labelling it as a major cult, romney received a warm welcome. >> i think he did a really good job, like, considering the fact that he was coming in front of thousands of people that he knew disagreed with certain things. >> i think that the one thing is going to be the belief in jesus christ. >> reporter: romney's aides insist it was not a policy speech, but they hope it helps strengthen his support with a community he needs in november. for "today," peter alexander, nbc news, lynchburg, virginia. >> david gregory is moderator of "meet the press." david, good morning. good to see you. >> good morning, lester. >> this speech at a christian, conservative christian

university, following just days on the heel of the president coming out in favor of gay marriage, does that automatically strengthen romney among conservatives, social conservatives? >> well, yes. i think just the fact that there is a clear choice and clear differences between how they feel on this issue and the extent to which that governor romney is committing himself to pushing for a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, like president bush did back in 2004, i think it's going to galvanize social conservatives, and it signals to me, certainly, that the romney campaign wants to make this an issue in certain quarters, to deal with the base. romney and his team certainly know the view about same-sex marriage has changed, even among republicans. a 20-point swing, if you look at our polling, as this issue continues to move and the electorate changes their view about it, much more in favor now. >> when we look back, you heard some of the comments about his mormon faith, and they've been uttered by other christian conservatives before. you look at john f. kennedy, made the defining speech about

catholicism. obama during the campaign spoke out about it. is there an expectation that romney at some point will deliver a message specifically about his mormon faith? >> i have to say, i think if it didn't happen during the course of the primaries, it's less likely to happen during the course of the general election. i don't think that president obama is going to make an issue of his mormon faith. there are going to be people, particularly christians, who view mormonism in a certain way, and it may have been a factor in the course of the primary. it's very difficult to tell from polling because people are not often honest about their views on this. you know, so, i think the feel would be that it would create a turnout problem among republicans, but at the moment, it doesn't appear to be a huge, huge issue. >> i want to go back to the same-sex marriage question. this all started a week ago with vice president biden on your show coming out in favor of it and kind of forced the president's hand. i see the two of them are going golfing this weekend. is that trying to demonstrate that all is well? >> i'm sure that's part of it, because you know, there's been a

lot of palace intrigue within washington about how angry the president might have been or, you know, whether campaign advisers were angry with the vice president. i mean, the reality is that if the president -- and you know, he said that he was going to change his view publicly before election day -- if that was going to happen, well, he lost a lot of momentum, because the vice president did it first and pushed him into doing it. so, it lacks the sort of leadership moment that i think the president wanted. he says publicly all's well that ends well. we'll see. he's out there campaigning on it now and trying to reap the benefit of it to galvanize liberals in the party, but i think there are a lot of people who were not happy with the way it all went down. >> and before we let you go, i know we're going to hear more of your interview with jpmorgan's ceo jamie dimon. he made a bit of news this week as well, right in. >> yeah, the $2 billion blunder. a question people will be talking about this week, is washington poised to take on wall street again over this

issue of whether they're still engaging in activity that's too risky? mr. dimon's response to that. we'll also hear from carl levin, a leading financial reformer on capitol hill. >> all right, david. before you go, i think jenna wants to take a shot at you. >> david, how are you doing over there? i just saw, i know you were watching the capitals/rangers game last nights. i am so sorry about your capitals, genuinely. i'm so sorry about your capitals, but go rangers. >> you know, you're just a hurtful person. >> i just had to wear this red and sort of blueish motif here. sorry. >> i congratulate the rangers. i'm trying to be a little bit more magnanimous than you are. >> i don't claim to be. >> they did a great job, but yeah, it's a tough morning here. >> have a good offseason, david. >> yeah, thanks. >> okay. >> and with that, we can tell you, still to come on "today," one of the most popular days of the year to dine out. we'll look at why restaurants care more about what's going on in your head than in your mouth, right after this. [ jennifer garner ] why can't strong sunscreen feel great?

actually it can. neutrogena® ultra sheer provides unbeatable uva uvb protection and while other sunscreens can feel greasy ultra sheer® is clean and dry. it's the best for your skin. ultra sheer®. neutrogena®. so, here's some food for thought. folks celebrating mother's day will spend more than $3 billion eating out today, making it one of the busiest restaurant days of the year. and when it comes to making it a satisfying experience, the meal on your plate is only a small part of the equation. here's nbc's mara schiavocampo. ♪ >> reporter: appetizers, entrees and desserts. when it comes to eating out, you may think it's all about the food, but it turns out that restaurant owners may care as much about what's going on in your mind as what's happening in

your mouth. >> psychology is very important when you open a restaurant. >> reporter: and cornelius gallagher should know. an award-winning chef for more than 20 years, he's worked at some of the best restaurants all over the world. but this year, he opened his first restaurant, dragonfly, and human psychology took center stage. he says the key to a successful restaurant is catering to all of the senses. >> it's kind of like a song, it's a collection of notes, and if you hit a sour note, people subliminally are going to pick up on that. ♪ hooked on a feeling >> reporter: in the restaurant industry, the right notes include color, decor, lighting, menu descriptions, sound and service. >> every restauranteur knows that people are paying for an experience. they're not just paying for the food. i can go into a restaurant, and if the lighting looks like i could get my teeth cleaned, i'm out of there. ♪ >> whenever we open these garage doors, our sales go up between 30% and 40%, and i really think

that is proof that people are drawn to people, they're drawn to light. >> reporter: and knowing good experience can lead to more customers, higher reviews and higher profits, proving this could be difficult. >> this is an example of bad lighting it has to be a softer lighting, indirect, light that's not going to hit you directly. it's going to kind of bounce off the walls. this is optimal right now for dinner time service. >> reporter: one of the most important parts of restaurant psychology, the menu. for example, using mouth-watering descriptions like slow-cooked and hand-battered, can increase sales as much as 37%. dollar signs on the menu are a no-no. and food descriptions that ramble? well, you can just stick a fork in those. >> that's also going to affect table times. people are going to sit there and look at the menu forever. >> reporter: and let's not forget about the sound. >> you put the sound panels in there because we notice that people, the acoustics weren't exactly right, and those are the things that affect people subconsciously. >> reporter: serving the mind and not just the palate, ingredients to a positive dining

experience. >> it's things that people don't really think about when they're sitting there, but it affects the whole experience. >> reporter: and a recipe for success. for "today," mara schiavocampo, nbc news, new york. >> well, whether or not you're going out to eat today, we asked you to share with us some of your best and worst mother's day presents you've ever received. >> some mother's day gifts are a bit unconventional. tammy posted on facebook, "one year, my hubby got me a bulldozer for mother's day. nice seeing i didn't even know how to drive it." >> and kristen -- >> i'll never forget, my husband bought me a washing machine for my first mother's day. needless to say, he's doing my laundry now." >> but some were simple and sweet. amy on twitter shared this photo and says "my daughter drew this picture for me on the driveway with sidewalk chalk it was quite touching." and jenna says "my baby girl said mama for the first time today. it was a great gift."

she's 18. no, just kidding! just kidding. >> all right. >> that's it for us. >> we're going to continue in a moment. we'll get the latest on the john edwards trial. his lawyers begin presenting their case tomorrow. will the former presidential candidate take the stand? we're going to get a preview. but first, these messages. what happens when classroom teachers get the training... ...and support they need? schools flourish and students blossom. that's why programs like... ...the mickelson exxonmobil teachers academy... ...and astronaut sally ride's science academy are helping our educators improve student success in math and science.

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still to come on "today," we all know mom knows best, and we've helped some deserving moms look their best. we'll have their glamorous makeovers, ahead. and then, find out why jessica simpson, reese witherspoon and whitney houston's families have people talking. we'll tackle it all in our "weekend buzz." first, these messages. today, we stand against the tyranny of single mile credit cards. battle speech right? may i? [ horse neighs ] for too long, people have settled for single miles.

with the capital one venture card, you'll earn double miles on every purchase, every day! [ visigoths cheer ] hawaii, here we come. [ alec ] so sign up today for a venture card at capitalone.com. and start earning double. [ all ] double miles! [ brays ] what's in your wallet? can you play games on that? not on the runway. no. [ girl ]rumental ]s when i started playing soccer, i wasn't so good. [ barks ] so me and sadie started practicing. we practiced a lot. now i've got some moves! [ crowd cheering ] spin kick! whoo-hoo! [ giggling ] [ announcer ] we know how important your dog is to your whole family. so help keep him strong and healthy with purina dog chow. because you're not just a family. you're a dog family.

>> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today. >> good morning everyone. it is 8:26. here is a look at some of our top stories. baltimore police are looking for the gunman. the first one happened. we are showed a 25-year-old man showed up. of his recall to a drive-by shooting. that is where police said they found a woman suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. the victim told detectives she was shot at a red light when a car pulled up beside her and fired several shots. that car fred -- that car fled

the scene. we're told she is taken to an area hospital and is expected to survive. governor o'malley and presiding officers spent last week agreeing on a budget plan better and professional cuts in spending. it raises ethical taxes on people make more than $100,000 a year. and joint filers who weren't wonderful to thousand dollars +. -- $150,000+. shifting the cost of teacher pensions to local jurisdictions. the special session will last

>> taking a quick look at hd doppler, the bulk of the rain is still down in kentucky and southern ohio. this will all be advancing our way. for now, expect a lot of plans to increase throughout the day. but your chances in western maryland. baltimore, only a slight chance of showers. upper 70's along the eastern shore where they should see a little bit more sunshine today before rain pushes east overnight. but her reign chances through the next couple of days. especially monday and into monday night. we will be cooler early into the week. near 80 on thursday. keeping an eye on the forecast. for now, a saturday, increasing

clouds. >> thank you. the news continues in 25 minutes. ♪ we're back on a sunday morning, may 13th, 2012. our thanks to the great folks who are spending part of their mother's day with us out here on the plaza. once again, a very happy mother's day to all of the moms that are out there watching us. i'll go ahead and name every mom i know. let's do a whole roster thing. i'll start with "a." anna. we'd be here for a while. >> my wife. >> your wife, absolutely. and those are all the moms i know. i'm jenna wolfe alongside lester holt. coming up this half hour, we're talking more about the john edwards trial. >> the prosecution rested last week their case in this campaign corruption trial. the former presidential candidate could spend decades behind bars if convicted, but tomorrow, his lawyers begin

telling his side of the story. and the question is, will edwards, who is by the way, also a former trial lawyer, take the stand and try to convince the jury? we'll get into that, coming up. also, it's been a pretty busy week for celebrities, and especially celebrity moms, moms like jessica simpson and reese witherspoon. we're going to look at what's happening in pop culture during our "week in buzz." and it's almost the moment we've been waiting for. yesterday, we surprised three deserving moms with head-to-toe makeovers for mother's day. they have new hair, makeup and clothes and are getting ready for their big reveal on national tv. in a few moments, we'll see how their families react to their new glammed-up look. exciting morning. >> yeah, very exciting! we always love to see the before-and-after pictures here. before, after. you have no idea that when we first come in in the morning, we look exactly the same. that's the craziest thing. first, we want to get another check of the weather from sheena parveen, who is standing right next to us with a special little guest. >> look at this little boy. a first-time mom, baby payton.

how old is payton? >> 4 months. >> 4 months. uh-oh, and he's starting to cry, but he is so, so cute. we love the sunglasses. first-time mom. happy mother's day. >> thank you. >> happy mother's day to all the moms out here. let's look at what your weather's like. we have a heat wave in the western part of the country. it will keep temperatures 10 to 20 degrees above average. but much of the country is staying dry. we have a threat of severe storms through new mexico and texas. a weak cold front is moving into the northeast. so not looking too bad for most of the country for your mother's day. hopefully, you can take mom out with some nice plans there. some of the rainfall totals, though, in the southeast may be pretty high. that's a look at the

>> and let's go back inside to lester. >> all right, sheena, thanks. tomorrow, john edwards' legal team begins presenting his defense as he tries to avoid going to prison on charges of accepting illegal campaign contributions in order to hide his then pregnant mistress. as nbc's lisa myers will tell us, there's one big question looming over this trial. >> reporter: the biggest decision for the defense, will john edwards take the stand? prosecutors have gone out of their way to shred edwards' credibility, with a parade of former aides who recounted his many lies and by playing edwards' own words, a 2008 interview in which he claims to be coming clean about his affair but continued to lie about other

things, including that he fathered rielle hunter's child. >> i know that it's not possible that this child could be mine because of the timing of events. >> reporter: analysts say showing that video to the jury put even more pressure on edwards to testify. >> i think the heat is really on john edwards to take the stand. >> reporter: there are big risks. he starts in a deep hole with the jury in terms of credibility and would face embarrassing, potentially damaging questions. but many analysts say not testifying may now be an even bigger risk than taking the stand. >> it's going to be up to him to be able to look this jury in the eye and convince them that he did not violate the campaign finance law. >> reporter: the government alleged that money used to cover up his affair with rielle hunter amounted to illegal campaign contributions, a charge edwards denies. prosecutors opted not to call hunter herself to testify. the defense still could, but analysts say it would be very risky. john edwards' entire career has been about persuasion.

as a highly successful trial lawyer and as a politician. analysts say it's hard to imagine that with everything on the line, he won't take the stand to make the argument of his life. for "today," lisa myers, nbc news, greensboro, north carolina. up next, reese witherspoon, will ferrell and jessica simpson. they're all in "the week in buzz" right after these messages. ♪ start your puppy off right, with petsmart! we have everything you need, like the petsmart puppy starter kit - a $130 value for only $19.99, including a free bag of puppy food, and training orientation. at petsmart®. with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens,

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♪ what's going on it's time now for a look back at the celebrity headlines that had people talking in the "week in buzz." >> and it's mother's day and some moms made news, from the octomom to the tanning mom to jessica simpson. comedian chuck nice and editor of thestir.com erica suitor are here to break it down. good morning, guys. >> good morning. >> i want to start with "snl" last night. will ferrell was back and reprised his george w. bush impression. let's play it and then i want to get your thoughts. >> i'm just sinkt way presidents are always riding me. i mean, i'm an adult! >> hey, i've been there. i've been there. i used to catch grief all the time for president cheney. >> mm-hmm. >> chuck, we have a question, isn't it great to hear him doing that? >> yeah, you know what? i can't believe it, but i'm

nostalgic for the days of george w. bush. who would ever thought? that's the thing will ferrell does to you, he gets you right there. >> where? >> right there. >> i'm just making sure. >> yeah, my heart's on the other side. >> very funny guy. >> he brought the mojo back to the show. it was so funny, a lot of guest stars. it was one of the best "snl" episodes i've seen in a long time. >> from the department of the pot calling the kettle black, we have the octomom calling the tanning mom out for allegedly bringing her daughter to a tanning salon. your thoughts, because i'm just going to let you guys run with this. >> everyone's coming out against this woman -- snooki, octomom, and these people aren't winning mother of the year awards themselves. so, you know you've sunk to a new low when everyone's coming out against you like that. >> you know what? i'm going to take this opportunity, because the jokes write themselves, to look right into this camera and say, mom, i love you. happy mother's day. i'm so sorry for everything i've ever done in my life. i was a lousy kid.

you were a fantastic mother and i appreciate you more than anything in the world. thank you for never taking money tanning. not that i ever needed it. >> well done. >> i love you, mom. >> jessica simpson had a baby and now she's reportedly in line for a $3 million deal with weight watchers to get rid of her baby bump. nice mother's day present. >> note to self -- get pregnant! please, somebody knock me up. that's all i've got to say. who knew? who knew that being pregnant was so profitable? lester! >> she's taken a lot of slack for gaining all that baby weight. this has actually been in the works since november. she'll have to shed the pounds. this holds her accountable. and she's getting paid while she does it. >> we've talked about this before, this whole celebrity, you lose weight in commercials now. >> you're getting paid to lose weight. >> it's a big deal. why not make money? it's hard work to do. why not get paid while you do it? >> can somebody give this woman

credit? she had like a 15-pound baby. that baby was 9 pounds, 15 ounces. i haven't had a baby yet, but that seems like a big baby. >> she gets a bonus for that. >> so she's got a lot of weight to lose. >> giving high fives, you know that's a big child. >> this is bizarre. i'll read this. this is involving reese witherspoon. her mom is suing her dad, accusing him of bigamy. apparently, they're separated but not divorced, and then he married another woman, but he says he doesn't remember doing it. >> right. >> are you going to repeat that? >> they've been separated since '96, and she worries that the dad has early signs of dementia and she's worried she may be taking advantage of him. she says she's still in love with her husband and she wants the marriage annulled because she doesn't think he knew what he was doing and he was getting taken advantage of. >> do you know how many men say that? i didn't know what i was doing! i didn't know what i was getting into! i forgot. >> by mistake i got married. my bad. >> all right, let's move on to

this report that whitney houston's birth and sister-in-law will be starring in "the houston family chronicles." to be fair, this deal was reportedly in the works before whitney houston's death, and now the show will document how the family heals. first of all, would anybody watch this show before? >> people watched the whitney and bobby reality show. that was gold. i mean, that was amazing, the things that came out of their mouths. but people are really interested to see this. and now it's seeing how bobbi kristina picks up now that she's gone. so people will tune? >> i guess it will be about bobbi kristina, but i think it's kind of -- i don't know, it's a little weird, isn't it? it feels a little weird. >> people like weird. people will watch. >> you know, honestly, we're a society where we watch cats pooping on the internet. we'll watch anything, but that doesn't mean it's right. >> right. >> ericka, i think you summed up this entire segment properly, people like weird. thank you oh so much. just ahead, some deserving moms reveal their mother's day

makeovers. their families cannot wait. we'll reveal their new look, after this. countries took part in a science test. the top academic performers surprised some people. so did the country that came in 17th place. let's raise the bar and elevate our academic standards. let's do what's best for our students-by investing in our teachers. let's solve this.

♪ i'll always love my mama yesterday we introduced you to three mothers whose families wanted to surprise them with a makeover for mother's day. they didn't know why they were really being brought to new york. when they were told, they were obviously in shock. but then the thrill of it all kicked in as they headed to bloomingdale's for a styling section with "today's style" editor bobbie thomas, then got glammed up at louis licari's world-famous salon. this morning, we've made them up and they are ready to wow their families with a big reveal, so let's get started. >> our first mom is darlene johns from columbus, ohio.

let's take a look at what her family had to say and how she spent her saturday. >> our mom deserves a makeover because she's been through a lot through her life. she has had health issues. this is definitely something, like i'm totally excited. i know my sister is, too, because she deserves it. she really, really does. >> my hope for her is that she can look in the mirror after this is done and actually match her personality and the beautiful woman that she is, the way she's seen. ♪ strike a pose >> i'm a modest goddess. >> a modest goddess! it's all about you and getting you in one of tse goddess dresses. ♪ vogue ♪ when i see your face, there's not a thing that i would change ♪ ♪ 'cause you're amazing just the way you are ♪ ♪

>> and darlene's family is here to see what she looks like and what her transformation has done. let's take a look at what darlene looked like before the makeover. >> and now, darlene, come on out! ♪ hot stuff, baby, this evening ♪ ♪ i need some hot stuff, baby, tonight ♪ [ applause ] >> how do you like your new look? >> and your family. >> how do you like your new look? >> i guess that -- >> that says it all! >> okay? >> that says it all. >> darlene is here with her two daughters, nicole and fallon. ladies, are you ready to turn around? just do it, turn around. check it out. >> wow! >> gotcha! gotcha! >> what do you guys think? >> they thought i had a wig on yesterday. >> uh huh? >> got my hair all done -- >> oh, yes you did. >> but i said can't go there. leave my wig on.

this one here had thrown daggers at me through her eyes, because she thought i came here, acted like a -- >> darlene, your daughters are crying! do you want to go over there? look how proud they are. >> i know. >> bobbie, let's bring you in here while they are reuniting like that. how did you decide to dress darlene? >> her personality matches that dress. it's just so -- it sparkles, and there's nothing much to say except that we found the perfect dress at bloomingdale's. and then louis transformed her. >> louis, how did you decide on the look? >> well, you know, she wore a wig, which means she was just totally disgusted with her hair. so, we wanted to give her this very chic look. we gave her this great haircut. and paige gave her these beautiful highlights. it just softened her look and gave her glamour. >> well, you look great. you look great. >> got glamour! >> you did a great job. >> thank you. thank you so much.

>> thanks. >> all right, next up, the story of asia pane from woodlands, texas. >> she had to take on a lot of extra work. she's kind of taken her love and hobbies of gardening and turned it into her own little side business to help support the family. >> my mom likes to volunteer at our school and she helps us with homework. >> she is supermom because she does everything that we need her to do. >> she was very excited to know we were going to have a weekend away as a family, especially for mother's day. and then obviously, we kind of dropped the surprise on her that it was more than just a regular trip. ♪ baby, you're a firework >> i like color. ♪ come on, show us what you're worth ♪ >> how do you feel about hanging out and doing the girlfriend thing and shopping? >> oh, yeah. ♪ man, i feel like a woman ♪

>> asia's family is also here with us. first, we'll take a look at her before picture. and now, asia, show us your stuff! ♪ >> asia, without peeking, do you like your look? >> yes, very much. >> you like the look. >> yes, i love it. >> you love? we can't keep your family from peeking. >> your family was just turning around there, brian, riley and cooper, turn around. take a look. what do you think? >> hey, guys. >> does she look awesome? >> yes. >> yeah! >> kids, you like? >> yes. >> bobbie, why don't you talk us through this? >> well, asia told me she started the garden landscaping company. so i said we are going to be looking for an outfit for that, and the little black dress, smoking hot on her. this is calvin klein.

she's got the side zippers, the built-in jewelry, the snakeskin shoes. she was so excited to just put out the sexy, so i was very happy. >> and louis, it's a great look with the hair. >> oh, isn't it? she was dying for bangs. she had naturally curly hair. bridget gave her the bangs and then of course, we made the hair a little straighter. and again, paige gave her highlights and just a little bit of makeup. i don't see her in the garden anymore, girl. i don't know. >> let's show that before-and-after real quick here, before we -- there, look at that. >> look at that. >> great, great. >> are you guys happy? >> yes. >> awesome. very good. >> all right, asia, thanks very much. [ applause ] >> last but certainly not least, we're going to look at sherri from arizona. let's watch her story. >> she helps me out so much with my daughter and i wanted to be able to get my degree done if it wasn't for her. i was in a wheelchair a couple years ago and she every day came and took me to physical therapy. she does everything. she doesn't do anything for herself. when my husband was deployed,

she also, like, was just there the whole time, because i was pregnant and he was in afghanistan it was really hard and she was just there for everything. i'm hoping she's having a wonderful day. like, i'm ecstatic to see her and i hope she's having a wonderful time. ♪ >> that's purdy. this is pretty crazy! ♪ glamorous >> i put on lipstick for my kids. >> sherri's family is also here with us with their backs turned right now. but first, we'll take a look at her before picture. there she is. and now, sherri, let's see your new look. wow! >> wow. >> wow! >> sherri, how do you like it? >> i love it! >> oh, she loves it. >> fantastic. >> and your daughters, amanda and amy and granddaughter miah

are here. ladies, turn around, take a look. >> oh, my god! >> amanda, what do you think? >> how great does she look, honestly? >> she looks so beautiful! >> she does, doesn't she? bobbie, take it away. >> you know, she told me when i asked her, who do you want to channel? she says she loves stevie nicks, and i said i want something that you'll twirl in at your daughter's wedding. you're so excited to have this dress, and it's going to make me cry. she's such a sweetheart. she really deserves this makeover. don'tcry. >> i'm happy tears. >> i know. >> louis, what were you thinking with this look? >> well, you know, she's a sassy girl, and she made her hair blond because she has the usually graying problem. it became progressively blonder and blonder, but look what the warmth did to her skin color. you look like a movie star. >> i feel like one. >> wow! you look terrific. >> you look great. and can we look at the before-and-after one more time? >> well, let's bring everybody

out. there, here we go. wow, what a transformation! are you ladies happy? as we bring everybody out here. >> yes. >> and one more surprise for you here. >> yeah. and you know what? i'm really excited because my mom is here for mother's day, so -- >> your mom is here as well. >> yeah. >> here is bobbie's mom. what's your mom's name? >> fatimah. >> hi, fatimah! >> happy mother's day. >> you look fantastic. >> thanks, everybody. happy mother's day. congratulations. we'll be right back. ♪ moves like jagger

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♪ it's been a fun mother's day already, hasn't it is. >> we had a really good time. >> the makeovers were fun.

we're so happy the moms came on and they're happy with their new look. >> absolutely! are you doing something good today? >> yeah, i'm going to go out and do the mother's day lunch -- >> nice. >> no, no, dinner this year. >> as long as you're sure, lester. happy mother's day to my mom. so, i just want to say that's what i'll be doing. >> we want to leave you with "today's life illustrated." normally, it's shots of your family photo album. today, it's ours. we have a special tribute of our mothers made up from our staff and crew families. >> and keep submitting your snapshots and send them to our website at today.com or on facebook and twitter. you may see one here in the near future. >> so long, everybody. >> bye. ♪ ♪

-- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

>> the preaknesses this weekend. we sit down with the racing secretary. we will also help you find the perfect dress to go with your hat. >> we're keeping an eye on the forecast for next weekend. also the