good morning. feet to the fire. the ceo of jpmorgan chase expected to face angry questions about that $2 billion trading blunder when he meets with shareholders today. as the woman who oversaw the trade loses her job. are more executives about to be shown the door? focusing on the father, the 911 call made by the dad of the missing 6-year-old girl in arizona, describing how he broke the news to his wife. >> i just called her and i told her to get her butt home. >> as nbc news learns police say that father's statements have been inconsistent. we're live in tucson. and dog fight. a man and his ex-girlfriend in a bitter custody dispute over

their dog knuckles. he says the battle has cost him his life savings. she says he's just out for revenge. we'll hear from both sides "today," tuesday, may 15th, we'll hear from both sides "today," tuesday, may 15th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >> and welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning, i'm ann curry. >> and i'm matt lauer. jpmorgan chase's annual shareholders meeting is being held today in tampa, florida. what do you think the mood is going to be like in that room as the ceo, jamie dimon, faces investors? >> that's a pretty good question. he's already been under fire for the complex and risky strategies that led to that $2 billion loss. well, now, president obama has spoken out about the scandal, saying it proves we need tighter regulation on wall street. but mitt romney, an opponent of tighter regulation, has so far

been mum on the story. we're going to talk to a senior adviser to romney's campaign coming up straight ahead. >> then there is a major development at the criminal trial of john edwards. his eldest daughter cate will take the stand in her father's defense. that could happen as early as today. but will john edwards himself testify? a new decision from the judge in that case could actually force his hand. we're going to get the latest in a live report. >> and a little bit later, betty white is going to be here. she's going to be talking in a live interview as she gets ready to take the hot seat for the friar's club annual roast. you've been roasted. >> i don't even know if she understands what she's in for. it can be brutal. but you know what? she's got a feisty sense of humor. i still have scars. it was two years ago. anyway, we look forward to talking to betty. we begin, though, on a tuesday morning with the ongoing fallout over that $2 billion trading loss at jpmorgan chase. as the firm holds its annual

meeting today. nbc's ann thompson has the latest on this. ann, good morning. >> good morning, matt. today those shareholders will take a nonbinding vote on the krensation packages for two of the principles involved in this drama, $23.1 million for chairman and ceo jamie dimon, and $15.5 million for ina drew, the first to lose her job in this crisis. jpmorgan chase's $2 billion loss claims one of wall street's most powerful women, ina drew. the 55-year-old chief investment officer ran the group that made the trades causing the loss. in announcing her retirement, chairman and ceo jamie dimon called drew a great partner and said the loss should not overshadow ina's vast contributions in a long career. >> we have a lot of women on wall street working in lesser positions trying to work their way up. but ina drew had done it. and had been successful at it for 30 years. >> reporter: president obama says the loss will be investigated. calling jpmorgan one of the

best-managed banks and dimon one of the smartest bankers, mr. obama on an episode of "the view" to be aired today argues the loss makes the case for wall street reform. >> you can have a bank that isn't as strong, isn't as profitable, making those same bets, and we might have had to step in. >> reporter: other critics are more scathing. >> for me this is about accountability. rr9 elizabeth warren, the democratic candidate for the u.s. senate in massachusetts, wants dimon to step down from the board of the new york federal reserve bank. >> no one should be able to steal your purse on main street, or your pension on wall street. >> reporter: warren helped create the confumer watchdog group to oversee banks after the financial crisis of 2008. she says there is still not enough oversight of big banks. >> we all have to wonder, what's happening at the other large financial institutions? they are taking on more and more risk and that's bad for all of us. >> reporter: jpmorgan is conducting its own investigation into the trades that went bad.

and others are expected to be shown the door. matt? >> all right, anne thompson of nbc news on this story for us. anne, thank you very much. it's four minutes after the hour. here's ann. >> matt, thanks. president obama was in new york to deliver a commencement speech and to attend a fund-raising event, and he had more to say about his recent announcement of support for same-sex marriage. chuck todd is nbc's chief white house correspondent and political director. chuck, good morning. >> well, good morning, ann. you know the president's trip had a little something for all parts of it, re-election campaign, a nod to women, and hopes of expanding the gender gap, an embrace of enthusiastic donors happy with his new gay marriage stance and an awkward attempt to raise big money while bashing some of wall street's practices. >> ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to welcome the president of the united states of america, barack obama. >> reporter: president obama with singer ricky martin in new york monday, firing up his liberal base as he basked in the glow of a friendly audience following his decision to

embrace same-sex marriage. >> we have never gone wrong when we expanded rights and responsibilities to everybody. it doesn't weaken families, that strengthens families. >> reporter: earlier mr. obama taped an appearance of "the view" hinting he might use the gay marriage issue against mitt romney because of romney's support for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. but also targeting congress on the same issue. >> look, congress is clearly on notice that i think it's a bad idea. >> reporter: the official reason for the president's new york swing was a commencement address for the graduating class of the all-female barnard college which took place at his own alma mater columbia university. his remarks often felt like a campaign speech encouraging his audience of young women to remain politically active. >> that's how we achieved women's rights. that's how we achieved voting rights. that's how we achieved worker's rights. that's how we achieved gay rights.

>> reporter: meanwhile the obama campaign is turning its attention this week to mitt romney's business record. slamming romney's old private equity firm bain capital for baying and later closing a kansas city steel mill. the closing occurred when romney was no longer in charge of bain on a day-to-day basis. >> they made as much money off of it as they could and they closed it down and filed for bankruptcy without any concern for the families or communities. >> they came in -- >> reporter: the romney campaign quickly responded with its own web ad, highlighting what they believe is a bain capital success story. steel dynamics in indiana. >> mitt romney's private sector leadership team stepped in. >> building a dream with over 6,000 employees today. >> if it wasn't for a company like steel dynamics this county wouldn't have a lot. >> reporter: the president's last event in new york city was at the home of the president of a hedge fund that's twice as large as bain, and there, the president praised the free market system. they've been trying to walk a line, ann, a little bit on how

much they bash bain versus mitt romney. >> all right. good point. chuck todd this morning. thanks. eric ferguson is a senior adviser to the mitt romney campaign. good morning, eric. it's nice to see you. >> thank you, ann. >> first let me ask you about this $2 billion loss by trading loss by jpmorgan. as we just heard the president said this is why they passed wall street reform. what is mitt romney's reaction to that, given his position that these reforms should be repealed? >> well, jpmorgan is a public company, with public shareholders, and a board of directors, and the leadership of that company will be held accountable for this trading loss. but we don't want to punish companies, ann, for taking risks. there was no -- there was no taxpayer money at issue here. these losses went to investors in the company, which is how it works in a market. >> but considering how vulnerable our economy is to mistakes on wall street, just what would president obama -- president romney do to prevent

the kind of risk taking that could lead to a loss like this? >> well, of course, we need regulations. mitt romney is not advocating that there be no regulations. but our regulation should be effective, it should be streamlined. it should not be cumbersome, and it should not act as a wet blanket, or a damper on the economy. look, there will be companies that take risks. not every risk turns out to -- to work for the investors in the company. in a case like the one that before us now with jpmorgan, there is accountability. people will be held to account for the losses that occurred. there was no taxpayer money at risk. all of the losses went to investors which is how it works in a public market. >> you know, meantime as we just heard in chuck's report there is this mood now by the obama campaign, aggressively, to now attack your candidate, his record at bain capital, including with the two-minute ad and the six-minute video that

really focuses on the closing of -- of the steel mill. i wonder if mitt romney now thinks that closing of that steel mill was a mistake. >> well, i think these attempts by president obama to distract from his own poor record on the economy is the biggest smokescreen since mount st. helens erupted. look, steve ratner had it right when he called this attack by the obama campaign unfair. he is a former top official on the obama economic team, and he said that bain capital has a superb reputation in the community and that they acted responsibly, and that they're one of the leading private equity firms in the world. look, we know from our own 401(k) investments that not every stock we buy, not every company we invest in, turns out to be a winner. but over the long haul, mitt romney has had many more successes than failures. he learned from both experiences, and that's what makes him so qualified to lead

on jobs and the economy. >> meantime i don't have a lot of time left but i really need to ask you this question about mitt romney's reiterating his position that marriage is between one man and one woman, while the president is painting gay marriages as an expansion of human rights. and there's a -- there's a gallup poll now that shows an increasing support by americans for relationships between same-sexes. i'm wondering do you believe that on this issue mitt romney is on the wrong side of history? >> well, look, we -- mitt romney understands that people have different opinions on marriage. his opinion is that marriage is between a man and a woman. why does he have that opinion? it's because he believes a home headed by a man and a woman, married, is the best environment for the raising of our children. but we understand that -- that this is a tender and emotional subject for many people. not everybody comes down on the same side. but where mitt romney stands is that marriage is between a man

and a woman. >> all right. well, thank you so much for joining us. it's good to get your perspective this morning. >> thank you, ann. >> let's get a check of the rest of the top stories of the morning. natalie is standing by over at the news desk with a look at the headlines. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with an arrest that is raising questions about security at one of the nation's busiest airports. a veteran security supervisor guard at newark and liberty -- newark liberty international was arrested on monday. officials say he used the identity of a murder victim to hide his true status as an illegal immigrant from nigeria. they say the ruse went undetected for two decades. and former secretary of state and nobel peace prize winner henry kissinger was reportedly singled out for a full security pat-down friday at new york's laguardia airport. kissinger, who turns 89 this month, was using a wheelchair because of the long walk to the gate. new fallout this morning from the tabloid phone hacking scandal in great britain. former "news of the world" editor and news international

ceo rebekah brooks say she and her husband will face obstruction of justice charges. investigators are back on the scene of a horrible school bus accident monday in southern illinois. police say at least eight people were injured when the bus bringing sixth graders home from a field trip collided with a tractor trailer in a construction zone. triple digit temperatures and dry conditions are hampering firefighters battling several wild fires in arizona. the historic mining town of crown king remains under an evacuation order just weeks ahead of the tourist season. a last-ditch effort by colorado's governor to give gay couples rights similar to those enjoyed by married couples failed on monday, when state republicans rejected the civil union's legislation. now let's head to wall street, which got battered again on monday, and european markets also didn't fare any better. let's go to cnbc's courtney reagan at the new york stock exchange. courtney, what's driving the fears? >> you know, it's europe.

it's almost always europe these days, natalie. and today, likely won't be any different. though investors will sort of need to juggle what's going on here domestically with the latest readings on inflation, as well as retail sales with the latest out of europe. turns out, europe did avoid a recession in the first half of the year. but just barely. strength out of germany helped offset weakness out of france and italy. nevertheless, ratings even see moody's downgrade 26 italian banks. >> hope for some improvement there today. courtney reagan at the new york stock exchange. thanks. and some not so mighty ducks needed a helping hand when they got stuck in a storm drain this weekend in bend, oregon. a human rescuer used a duck call to hold the little ones' attention so they could be safely scooped out with the net. oh, they're so cute. 7:14 right now. let's turn it back over to matt, ann and al. worried mom's not far away. >> my home state of oregon. there you go. >> doing the little duck dance.

>> i got to say, i'm applauding. >> natalie, thanks very much. mr. roker, the rain moving in. >> yeah, it is unfortunately. in fact, a few areas in our country, first of all, here in the mid-atlantic states, we've got a risk of strong storms, possibility of some damaging hail. you can see that rain stretching from washington all the way up to bangor, maine. rainfall amounts anywhere from 1 to 2 inches generally from philadelphia up into new england. and as we head into the midwest, from davenport to grand rapids, the risk of maybe even an isolated tornado or two, you can see the rain moving through the upper great lakes. rain fall amounts about a half an inch to an inch in some regions. then down in texas even more rain stretching from brownsville on into austin. rainfall anywhere from about half an inch to an inch of rain along the gulf coast. >> good morning. off and on showers and thunderstorms expected today. the best chance for heavy rain will be this morning.

light showers this afternoon. >> and that's your latest weather. matt? >> all right, al, thanks very much. now to mexico and the escalating war between that country's drug cartels. authorities are now struggling to identify 49 bodies dumped on the side of a highway. the latest in a series of brutal massacres. nbc's mark potter is in mexico city. and mark, as i say good morning we want to warn our viewers the details of this story are very disturbing. >> that's exactly right. good morning to you, matt. for years the mexican drug war has been defined by its horrific brutalty, which in some areas appears to be getting even worse. the latest atrocity occurred near the city of monterrey, and as you just said, some of the images and details coming up here are indeed disturbing.

the mutilated bodies were found along a busy highway near monterrey, mexico, about 75 miles south of the u.s. border. the victims, 43 men, and 6 women, had their heads, hands and feet cut off. and are believed by mexican and u.s. authorities to have been killed by members of an extremely violent drug cartel. >> los vetas want to show they're the meanest, most sadistic, most cruel criminal organization in the americas. and they do that by committing absolutely unspeakable acts of brutality. >> reporter: sources say the victims may have been members of a rival cartel. a war over smuggling routes between los zetas and the sinaloa cartel has led to extreme violence. >> the fight between them is for domination of offloading points, transit points, and especially crossover points on the border. >> reporter: in acapulco, mexico, cartel violence has

turned a major international tourist destination into another front in the drug war. with more than 900 people killed there last year. as authorities try to gain control over organized crime groups. last week near guadalajara authorities found 18 beheaded bodies in two vehicles. nine other victims were hanged from a bridge just south of the texas border. in the last six years an estimated 50,000 people have died in mexico's drug war. former mexican foreign minister is now an nbc news analyst. >> a lot of people hoped that this would diminish that little by little the violence would start to descend, that little by little there would be fewer killings, less gory killings. i think what we've seen the last ten days or two weeks shows that that's just not going to happen. >> the mexican government continues to attack and arrest cartel leaders. the next step in that war, is now a major issue in mexico's presidential campaign, leading

to elections this summer. now u.s. officials say they still strongly support the mexican government in its war against the cartels, as those cartels continue to lash out at each other, and at anyone else standing in their way. matt? >> all right, mark potter in mexico city this morning. mark, thank you very much for your reporting. it's 7:19. once again here is ann. >> matt, thanks. john edwards' oldest daughter now plans to testify at her father's criminal trial. news that comes on the heels of what could be a major setback for the defense. nbc's lisa myers is at the courthouse in greensboro, north carolina. lisa, good morning. >> ann, good morning to you. the dramatic announcement that cate edwards will testify for her father as early as today came immediately after the judge appeared to gut a key part of edwards' defense. 30-year-old cate edwards has stood by her father in every conceivable way. they're shoulder to shoulder

virtually every day as they arrive for court. a graduate of harvard law school, cate has maintained her composure through painful, embarrassing testimony about this very personal family tragedy, breaking down only once when a witness spoke of her mother's reaction to her father's affair with rielle hunter. >> i think like no other witness, cate can bring some humanity back to john edwards in this trial. >> reporter: despite her father's lies and betrayals, friends say cate wants her father to succeed. and to hold her family together. she says this in a eulogy to her mother. >> one thing remains true and will never change, which is that we're still a family. >> she was certainly old enough to have been confided in by her mother. she was able to witness a lot of conversations, unwittingly or not, and maybe she can bring some real insight that the jury will believe. >> reporter: on monday the defense turned the jury's focus to campaign finance law, since that is what edwards is accused of violating. laura haggard, still in charge of compliance for edwards'

campaign, said even now she is not reporting the almost $1 million provided to cover up the affair. she said, i did not believe them to be contributions. and she told the jury, the federal election commission also has not deemed them to be contributions. the justice department, however, says this money constitutes illegal campaign contributions to edwards, which he denies. the defense tried to call former s.e.c. chairman scott thomas to give his opinion that this was not a contribution, and that edwards should not have been expected to think it was. but in a blow to the defense, the judge blocked most of his testimony, saying jurors don't need an expert to evaluate this. >> i think that an anchor to the defense was to be able to have people who are beyond reproach come in and tell this jury that what john edwards did was not a crime. >> because the judge has severely limited that key testimony for the defense, some

analysts believe it puts even more pressure on john edwards to testify. perhaps his highly sympathetic daughter will cause jurors to view her father less harshly. ann? >> lisa myers on this story again. once again thank you so much for your reporting on this. and just ahead, we'll hear the 911 calls from the morning a 6-year-old arizona girl was reported missing, as police tell nbc news her father has made inconsistent statements. we'll have a live report. but first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪

[ male announcer ] everyone at southwest airlines works together for one goal: to get you where you're going. and with flights all over the country to choose from, it's a good thing we love our work. and now we're excited to take you to the beaches of northwest florida. fly nonstop from bwi airport to panama city beach, florida. book all of our destinations online

only at southwest.com. just ahead a former couple in a bitter battle over this dog. we'll hear from the ex-girlfriend accused much taking him to california and talk to the man fighting to get him back. isn't major medical enough? huh! no! who's gonna help cover the holes in their plans? aflac! quack! like medical bills they don't pay for? aflac! or help pay the mortgage? quack! or child care? quack! aflaaac! and everyday expenses?

huh?! blurlbrlblrlbr!!! [ thlurp! ] aflac! [ male announcer ] help your family stay afloat at aflac.com. plegh! [ telephone rings ] how's the camping trip? well, the kids had fun, but i think i slept on a rock. ♪ the best part of wakin' up what are you doing? having coffee. ohh. ♪ is folgers in your cup it's trident gum. you open it up. pop it in. and all of a sudden, things are happening. it's like this smile for your brain that starts in your mouth. it tickles up your spine and punches you in the face. a good kind of punch. one that lights the fuse that starts the day you didn't see coming. ♪ you follow that feeling and every chew takes you somewhere new. so yeah, maybe it's more than just a little piece of gum. trident. see what unfolds. like a squirrel stashes nuts,

you may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec® liquid gels. nothing starts working faster than zyrtec® at relieving your allergy symptoms for 24 hours. zyrtec®. love the air. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. day two of the special session in annapolis. a final vote is expected on the budget. after passing preliminary approval for plan that shifts state income taxes, the state will be convened for a vote. the session reportedly is costing maryland taxpayers

$25,000 a day. let's check in the morning commute with sarah caldwell. ugly commute. >> we will start in harford county. bel camp, 543, multi-vehicle accidents taking up the right lane at there. fire activity at pulaski highway, not far from that accident traffic lights out at the intersection of pulaski and abbey road. pulaski highway, joppa, we have our crash. 95 running slow out of that area. blackrock, mount zion road, accident in upperco. heavy delays approaching middletown to beyond mount carmel looks like they extend down to the beltway. j.f.x. southbound, 11 miles per

hour on average. lombard and fulton avenue, watch for an accident in this city. if you want to travel at 648 and 9 malia avenue, watch for an accident. we have the wet roads to deal with this morning. take your time and, if you can, leave early. greenspring, going away from us, in other traffic is very slow towards the j.f.x.. we will switch to a live view of traffic at 83 and padoniani

i'm asking you to help me rescue knuckles. he's my puppy. in a lot of ways he's like my son. he's absolutely the cutest dog in the entire universe. >> how far would you go for a dog? that man is locked in a dispute with his ex-girlfriend over their dog knuckles. he says it's cost him his life savings. something like $60,000. just ahead we'll talk to him exclusively, and tell you what his ex is saying about that case, as well. 7:30 now on a tuesday morning. the 15th of may, 2012. i'm matt lauer alongside ann curry. and when you first hear that song you think, that's -- or that story, that's a lot of money to spend on a dispute over a dog. yet i was talking to some of the producers here this morning, and a lot of them said you know what, i feel that way about my

dog, or our animals, and i would go the same distance. >> to great lengths. $60,000 i think is something most people don't have to sort of think about and have to spend for that kind of thing but it really goes to show you how much love people have for their pets. and also coming up this morning we're going to be talking about some more topics because "today's professionals" are in the house and among the topics they're going to be discussing, a 9/11 widower who opposes the death penalty and says he is willing to testify to spare the life of the terror attack's mastermind. and also if a doctor could erase certain memories from your brain, what would you choose to forget? >> too late for donny. also ahead, we're going to talk to betty white when she joins us to really reveal the secret behind her success. she's got a couple of shows on television right now, and she is about to receive a very big honor. we'll talk to her about that. but we begin this half hour with the release of the 911 calls made by the parents of a missing 6-year-old girl in arizona.

nbc's miguel almaguer is in tucson. miguel, good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning. ever since 6-year-old isabel vanished from her home, tucson police have been methodically working this case, 25 days later there are still no suspects. but we now know isa's father sergio, the first person to call 911, is no longer living with his family. >> i need to report a missing child. i believe she was abducted from my house. >> reporter: it's the call no father should ever have to make. sergio celis tells police his daughter isabel is gone. his wife, he tells the operator, not home. >> is mom there also? >> she had just left for work. i just called her and told her to get her butt home. >> reporter: ten minutes later. >> she's only 6. can you please hurry and getson over here. >> reporter: isabel's mother is on the phone with police. >> oh, god. >> reporter: sergio celis says he last saw isabel the night of april 20th. the next morning police say he told them her bedroom window was open, the screen pushed aside.

on a property surrounded by a five foot wall, guarded by three dogs. what do you guys think happened to isa? >> kidnapped. kidnapped. >> reporter: that's what sergio told nbc news in an exclusive interview two weeks ago. but police have yet to call the case a kidnapping, instead labeling it a suspicious disappearance. police have executed search warrants at the celis home, culling the property for evidence and clues. law enforcement services tell nbc news investigators have found nothing to support a stranger abduction theory. >> if there is no evidence whatsoever, no fingerprints, no foot prints, no dna, no hair and fiber, inside that house, it's the only evidence is family members, then the focus will remain on family members. >> reporter: meanwhile, police have confirmed that isabel's parents have both taken polygraph tests. but law enforcement sources tell

nbc news that sergio's statements about the night isabel disappeared have been, quote, inconsistent. at a press conference monday, tucson's police chief said interviews conducted last week led to new information and a call to child protective services. >> and the voluntary agreement was reached between child protective services, and the parents, to restrict access or voluntarily for sergio to give some space and distance away from the two older children in the celis family. >> reporter: sergio is now separated from, and cannot contact, his two other sons, ages 10 and 14. sergio jr., the older boy, made a call to 911 the morning isabel disappeared. >> hey, i need you guys to come down. my sister's gone, someone broke in and grabbed her. >> reporter: despite the recent developments surrounding the celis family, authorities say they have not ruled anyone or

anything out. >> we are not closing our minds to anything about this investigation. >> reporter: to be clear, there have been no suspects named in this case. police say isa's parents are fully cooperating. matt? >> all right, miguel almaguer. miguel, thank you very much. nbc news analyst clint van zandt is a former fbi profiler. clint, good morning to you. >> hi, matt. >> let's just start with, i think, what everyone watching this story right now is either thinking or saying out loud. those two 911 calls. first the father, he calls, he's the first to report his daughter missing, he sounds calm, and at one point, clint, he even chuckles. and then ten minutes later the mother calls, she's frantic. what do you make in the difference in the tone? >> well, number one, i think we always have to be careful. we respond to stress in different ways. some people laugh inappropriately because they don't know how else to handle the situation. but i think you're right, there is just marked ly different

response. the father kind of matter of the fact, the mother is crying, is frantic. so right away, you zero in on that. but short of any other evidence, it's interesting, but it's just one more piece of this puzzle. >> certainly something that sergio celis is telling investigators makes them uncomfortable. although police say they haven't ruled anything or anybody out in this case. they're telling nbc news that certain statements made by the father are inconsistent. as an investigator, when you hear the word inconsistent, what does it mean? >> well, this starts to bother me. we know that polygraphs have been taken, too. we know that both husband and wife indicated we've taken a polygraph but we can't tell you the results of that. matt, if you or i took a polygraph concerning a missing child and we passed it, we would stand up and say, hey, look at me, i passed the test, so go find out who really took our daughter. we haven't heard that yet, so the inconsistent statements, we haven't heard the results of the polygraph. >> right.

>> all of this starts to build up the weight of the investigation pointed still inside that house. >> and then there is this voluntary agreement between the father and child protective services where he has agreed, for some reason, to stop having contact with his two older sons, 10 and 14. now at a time like this, he families are supposed to pull together, what could possibly be going on behind the scenes that would cause child protective services to want there to be space between the father and his two other children? >> well, intentionally or unintentionally, this could serve to drive a wedge between the father and the mother in this case. separating them for the authorities to talk to them. but, matt, there could be a lot of reasons. there could be allegations of violence in the home. there could be a lot of people in and out of the house. there could be a number of reasons to include, perhaps, a polygra polygraph, or a threat that the father might present to himself because he's so distraught. all of this could lead child

protection to take this step. so, again, it looks suspicious to us on the outside, but only the authorities know the true meaning of that, and how that fits in, in this almost month-long investigation for one more missing child. realizing in the united states, a child goes missing like this almost once every three days. we really get frustrating when we don't see these children brought home. >> all right, clint van zandt. clint, as always, thanks for your perspective on this. i appreciate it. >> thank you, matt. >> it's now 7:38. let's get a check of the weather from al. >> matt, thank you so much. got some friends out here. you guys must all be related. you all have the same hair. that's fantastic. >> mothers and daughters. >> where are you from? >> mississippi. >> thanks for coming. >> tupelo. >> that's right. it's always chilly there because it's tupelo. raining just a little bit here in the northeast. look at these temperatures, not two below in the northeast. temperatures, 60s and 70s. 90s to 100s in the southwest. where they got those wildfires

going in arizona. it is rough. temperatures in the 80s in southern texas where we got more rain. out west, gorgeous, 81 in medford, oregon, today with plenty of sunshine. heavy rain later today in the northeast on up into new england. >> good morning. this will be awet start with off and on showers -- disobey a wer >> that's your latest weather. matt? >> all right, al, thanks very much. coming up next, a man who says he spent his life savings fighting his ex-girlfriend for custody of their dog. a fight that's far from over. we're going to talk to him exclusively right after these messages.

the shops concept encompases a lot of newness.

doing project with different stores is a really cool idea. we want to bring a little piece of the boutique experience to target. a real taste of luxury. it's pretty special for us to imagine this little nook of polka dog will be in target stores all around the country. the shops we fell in love with, collected and curated for you. exclusively at target. with the red, white, and blue. ocean spray cranberry, white cranberry, and blueberry juice cocktails. [ coughs ] okay, i believe this one is yours? [ clears throat ]

you know that comes with a private island? really? no. it comes with a hat. see, airline credit cards promise flights for 25,000 miles, but... [ man ] there's never any seats for 25,000 miles. frustrating, isn't it? but that won't happen with the capital one venture card. you can book any airline, anytime. hey, i just said that. after all, isn't traveling hard enough? ow! [ male announcer ] to get the flights you want, sign up for a venture card at capitalone.com. what's in your wallet? uh, it's ok. i've played a pilot before. perfect golden color. rich in fiber. my dad taught me, and i taught my son out there. morning, pa. wait... who's driving the...? ♪ 99 bushels of wheat on the farm, 99 bushels of wheat ♪ [ male announcer ] yep, there's 8 filling layers of whole grain fiber in those fun little biscuits... so they stick with you, all morning long. kellogg's® mini-wheats cereal. [ mini ] yee haw! a big breakfast in a little biscuit.

back now at 7:42 with a butter custody battle over a dog. craig says his ex-girlfriend kidnapped his dog and he's waging an expensive fight to get that dog back. we're going to talk to him exclusively in just a moment. first nbc's mar were schiavocampo has details for us. good morning. >> good morning, ann. the adorable dog at the center of this dispute is named knuckles. dershewicz says he should be back here in new york, instead of in california with his ex-girlfriend. and she says he's lying and knuckles was a gift. now it's a cross-country war of the exes giving new meaning to the term dog fight. with floppy ears and a squishy pug face, craig dershowitz says knuckles or knuck for short, is so much more than just his best friend. >> knuckles is my son and i don't mean to come off as if he's more important than actual human child, but to me he is. >> reporter: but dershowitz, a

new yorker, says he hasn't seen his pugle in many months, since his ex-girlfriend sarah brega moved away to california and took 3-year-old knuckles along. >> knuckles is part of my family. i was with him since he was 4 months old. >> reporter: they got knuck while still a couple says dershowitz, but there's no question, knuckles belongs to him. >> i bought knuckles. i actually spent the money, i was his care taker for the most part. >> reporter: so with knuckles 2500 miles away, now dershowitz isn't just sad, he's suing. in court papers filed in new york, dershowitz claims sarah breger has kidnapped knuckles. >> it's a property dispute. it's a theft. >> reporter: in the meantime, dershowitz insists the dispute's getting very costly. 60 grand and counting, he says. and it's wiped out his life savings. so, he's posted a rescue knuck video online, asking strangers to pitch in. >> he's just so loving and so sweet and warm. the only problem is my

ex-girlfriend stole him. now this is my dog in every way imaginable. >> reporter: she vehemently disputes his account. >> we paid for the dog together. we split everything 50/50. vet bills, day care bills. everything was divvied up and split. >> reporter: after the breakup she says dershowitz left knuckles with her and her family for eight months. she says knuckles was an unconditional gift. >> he claims that he was trying to find a home for the dog. and i did take the dog to california. i didn't need to check with him, it wasn't his dog. >> reporter: she's fighting back in court to dismiss the case. brega says it's all about revenge. >> i don't think it's about the dog. i think it's about the fact that i moved on with my life, and moved to california. >> reporter: knuckles is better off with her, she says. >> he does feel like my son. i am his mom. i look forward to every day when i come home and see him. it is emotional, and i wouldn't be okay if i lost him. >> this is a simple case, will

the facts show that this dog was actually a gift? ultimately, though, the judge will also look at what's in the best interests of this dog. >> reporter: it's a bitter case, but when it comes to who gets knuckles, it's also one of dogged determination. >> the most important thing to me is getting knuckles back. and i'm going to do whatever that takes. >> reporter: now the core legal question in this case is who actually owns the dog. unlike with child custody battles, animals are considered property under the law. ann? >> all right, mara schiavocampo, thank you so much. craig dershowitz is now joining us exclusively along with his attorney. good morning to both of you. craig let's start with this, what we just heard in this piece, that sarah is saying that you unconditionally gifted this dog to her. >> absolutely -- >> do you have a response? >> yes, i did not. that's silly. when i moved back to new york and i was looking for a place to live, she held onto him while i found an appropriate apartment. and he was supposed to come back after that. >> she also told nbc news the documents you provided to prove

sole ownership are without merit and she goes on to say that she paid the vet bills, she fed, sheltered and cared for knuckles since he was eight weeks old. and as you heard in the piece she said this is about revenge. it's not about a dog. it's about revenge for her breaking up with you. i'm starting to see why this relationship didn't work out. but would you like to comment on that? >> when i called the veto actually get the bills, as well as the doggie day care they didn't even remember her name. they're like, craig, of course, how are you? what do you need? so, if she paid the bills, i don't remember that. as far as revenge, this is an expensive revenge. not something i want to do. i've actually -- i'm happy she's moved to california. i just want knuckles back here with me. >> so how is this going to move forward? you want to weigh in, these are not, these are property laws we're dealing with. >> the law treats a dog as a what they call chattel, which is a property. it's like a pen or a watch, something of that nature. right now, the battle is being waged in two courts here in new york, as well as in california.

and miss brega in the new york court really hasn't challenged the merits of the case. she's only challenged it on procedural grounds, claiming that new york is not the proper venue for the lawsuit. >> i think, you know, some people watching might say, this is much ado about nothing. however, we should mention there are a lot of animal lovers out there who feel as strongly about their pets as you and your former or ex-girlfriend do. i was curious, as you were watching the piece, craig, you said embarrassing. that it's embarrassing. is that the way you feel? >> i mean, i grew up with a lot of pride. and so to be out on tv pleading for money, which is what it looks like for a lot of people, just to have my name and my face out there on something of this nature, it's embarrassing. it's not something i did lightly. i just was forced to do it. >> you know, you, you talk about leading pore money, you're asking for people to contribute to your legal bills. >> yes. >> through the internet. there are a lot of great charities that people should

contribute to. why do you think that they should contribute to you? >> absolutely, that's a great question. i'm looks just for small bits. and most of the donations so far have been $20 or less. and i think that give bigger charities to the places that deserve it. there's very important charities out there and i give every year, of course. but this is something that with just a small amount you can make a large difference. >> and if you could speak to sarah -- first of all are you in communications or all or no contact? >> no contact. >> if you could speak to her right now what would you want to say to her? >> just let's get over this, bring knuckles back. really there's nothing else going on. contact me however, through my attorneys, i just want knuckles home where you know he belongs. >> craig dershowitz and sean dweck thank you for joining us. coming up just ahead we've got betty white here. we're going to talk to her about pulling pranks on the young people. and also the secrets to her success. but first these messages. agents, when it comes to insurance, people feel lost.

that's a dead end. don't know which way to turn. this way. turn around. [ woman ] that's why we present people with options to help them find coverage that fits their needs. almost there. whoo! yay! good work. that's a new maze record. really? i have no idea. we don't keep track of that kind of stuff. well, you should. [ male announcer ] we are insurance. ♪ we are farmers ♪ bum, ba-da-bum, bum, bum, bum ♪ diarrhea, gas or bloating? get ahead of it! one phillips' colon health probiotic cap a day helps defend against digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. hit me! [ female announcer ] live the regular life. phillips'. [ son ] mom, computer's broke!

where's i.t. mom? she quit. [ male announcer ] even with technology -- it's all you. that's why you've got us. get up to $200 dollars off select computers. staples that was easy. you... colorful... soft.... and totally irresistible. your lip butter? likewise. new revlon® colorburst™ lip butter. a hydrating buttery balm for baby soft lips in 20 shiny colors. can you start the day the way you want? can orencia help? could your "i want" become "i can"? talk to your doctor. orencia reduces many ra symptoms like pain, morning stiffness and progression of joint damage. it's helped new ra patients and those not helped enough by other treatments. do not take orencia with another biologic medicine for ra due to an increased risk of serious infection. serious side effects can occur including fatal infections. cases of lymphoma and lung cancer have been reported.

tell your doctor if you are prone to or have any infection like an open sore or the flu or a history of copd, a chronic lung disease. orencia may worsen your copd. [ male announcer ] now learn about a program committed to you and copay assistance that can reduce monthly orencia out-of-pocket drug cost to $5. if you're not satisfied after 6 months, you get that money back. call 1-800-orencia. [ male announcer ] aggressive styling. a more fuel-efficient turbocharged engine. and a completely redesigned interior. ♪ the 2012 c-class with over 2,000 refinements. it's amazing...inside and out. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial services.

coming up "today's professionals" tackle the hottest stories of the day, including a money saving move by a co-founder of facebook to give up his u.s. citizenship. is that fair? >> good question. that's coming up right after your local news and weather, including betty white! my name is paul fabry, and i grow oranges in florida for tropicana. my grandpa taught me that there's no orange like a florida orange. they're grown in just the right soil... with the perfect amount of sunshine. see, that's how you get that beautiful colour and ripeness. tropicana pure premium is made with 100% florida oranges. because the best oranges make the best juice. ♪ delicious gourmet gravy. and she agrees. with fancy feast gravy lovers, your cat can enjoy the delicious, satisfying taste of gourmet gravy every day. fancy feast. the best ingredient is love. ♪ a refrigerator has never been hacked.

an online virus has never attacked a corkboard. ♪ give your customers the added feeling of security a printed statement or receipt provides... ...with mail. it's good for your business. ♪ and even better for your customers. ♪ for safe and secure ways to stay connected, visit usps.com/mail but when i was diagnosed with prostate cancer... i needed a coach. our doctor was great, but with so many tough decisions i felt lost. unitedhealthcare offered us a specially trained rn who helped us weigh and understand all our options. for me cancer was as scary as a fastball is to some of these kids. but my coach had hit that pitch before. turning data into useful answers. we're 78,000 people looking out for 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare.

and, boy... oh, my... [ male announcer ] ...are they enjoying it. i might get another one. with some more sauce. [ male announcer ] but their quick bite to eat... could potentially turn into a long night of the shakes. thankfully, evan's corolla has available entune with bing to help them find another restaurant. another reason you can always count on corolla. from toyota. another reason you can always count(belhi.ings) 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. with one flavor in the granola bunch and one on the flake. try some. mmm! two flavors. in harmony. yummy. four nutritious grains and two big fruit flavors to make your day bunches better.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. time for a check of your morning commute. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. go, sarah. >> a lot going on. but roads. accident on the inner loop and ave. adding to the delays on the southwest corner of the beltway, we have them in both directions. lyons mill, owings mills, accident coming in. cell phones 795, that is where your delay begins. j.f.x. southbound towards the construction zone, dealing with

a slow go. in a lip at belair road, crashed just coming in. mike around dulaney valley, that is where the delays start. up on 95, just a mess out of harford county. 152 n pulaski highway, accident at joppa and pulaski and abing don road. let's give you a quick live look at traffic. update at greenspring did you can see the pace of things. both directions delayed due to the rain and wilkens ave. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. tony,. >> conditions are starting to approve around baltimore. in cecil watching county and it is running hard at to suffere, it will b

and our separate rain this morning, thunderstorms, to bring off with it cloudy skies and high temperatures near 75.

8:00 now on a tuesday morning. the 15th of may, 2012. it's a rainy day here in new york, as we say hello to a crowd gathered outside in rockefeller plaza. they're standing in the rain to say hello to all of you this morning. i'm ann curry, meantime, alongside matt lauer, and al roker. coming up, another round of the professionals. >> star, donny and dr. nancy are here. they're going to tackle another series of hot topics, including a guy who had his bicycle stolen and came up with a rather interesting way to get it back. but some people are not sure he did it the right way. >> all right.

and one of a number of topics. also coming up we're going to get to hear from betty white. she's in our studio getting ready for a live interview. you know, she has got some secrets. she's 90 years old. she's got two shows. one of them this new prank show that is getting rave reviews and great ratings. anyway, and on top of that, she's going to be honored at the friar's club annual roast coming up tomorrow. and i'm not so sure, matt, if she knows based on her experience watching you being roasted at the friar's club, she knows what she's in for. >> it's like one long four-letter word. it's like 3 1/2 hours of four-letter words. >> betty, i don't know, four-letter words. betty white, they don't go together! >> betty's -- people don't know. we've also got a lot more stars lined up this week when this young lady, ann curry, takes to cannes by storm. she's going to go to the cannes film festival with alec baldwin, sacha baron cohen, bin stiller

and chris rock just to name a few. ann will be there tomorrow, today, an idyllic paradise. by friday, a vast wasteland. but ann curry, south of france, thursday and friday here on "today." >> i'm excited. >> i hope your weather there is better than this here. >> i know. >> it's pouring in new york city. let's go inside, natalie is standing by at the news desk with the headlines. >> good morning, everyone. the ceo of jpmorgan chase will likely face tough questions today in florida. the bank's annual shareholder meeting in tampa will give investors their first chance to grill ceo jamie dimon about the loss of at least $2 billion in a trading blunder. john edwards' oldest daughter is set to take the stand in her father's defense. 30-year-old cate edwards could testify as early as today. the defense, meanwhile, suffered a setback monday when the judge barred testimony from a former federal elections official. he was prepared to say edwards did not violate campaign finance

laws. and we're learning more about the two tennessee sisters who were rescued from a horrifying two-week-long abduction that left their mother and older sister dead. here's nbc's thanh truong. >> reporter: after the most terrifying time of their young lives, 12-year-old alexandria bain and her 8-year-old sister kyliyah are now safe with their father gary in their hometown in tennessee. >> the girls did great on sunday. some days they didn't do so great. most of the day they do real well. >> reporter: last thursday the girls were rescued from accused kidnapper and killer adam mayes. by that time, the fbi says mayes had murdered the girls' mother jo ann and older sister adrienne. family spokesman david livington says the sisters are trying to cope with the loss. >> a long road ahead for the whole family, for gary, for the girls, and obviously they very much miss their mother and their older sister. >> reporter: alexandria and

kyliyah told rescuers they had been in the woods without food for three days. the fbi says mayes had been on the run with the girls for nearly two weeks. a tip led searchers to a wooded area near mayes' mississippi home. as authorities closed in, and with the girls present, mayes shot himself. a friend of the bain family says mayes epitomized evil. >> i don't see how anybody could take a mother and a child's life, and steal two kids from their home. i just don't understand that. >> reporter: the girls were physically unharmed. now, the focus shifts to supporting them mentally and emotionally. thanh truong, nbc news, atlanta. a three-man crew, including one american astronaut, is rocketing toward the international space station. the russian made soyuz blasted off this morning from the space center in southern kazakhstan with arrival scheduled for thursday. now for a look at what is trending today, our quick roundup of what has you talking

on line. howard stern is a hot search topic on google. he made his debut on the season premiere of "america's got talent." stern was a little tough on some of the contestants and viewers seemed to love it. lady gaga has tweeted a picture of her newest raw meat outfit unveiled in tokyo. similar to the one that grabbed attention two years ago, but as you see there, this one is much skimpier. and high school teachers are pranking their own students in this video that's going viral. they duped the students into fake interviews while fellow teachers perform goofy dances in the background. hope the kids get extra credit for that. 8:05 right now. let's go back outside to al for a check of the weather. i'm just going to go like this. >> this is where you live. nothing like that. this right here. hey. some people will be dancing. the aids walk, when is that? >> sunday. >> rain or shine? >> central park. rain or shine. >> how many people walking? >> 50,000. >> fantastic, all right.

good to see you guys. let's check what you've got for your weather today. oakland, california, nbc 11, early fog followed by some sunshine. 71 degrees. and as we look down to texas, a lot of heavy rain there. look for more showers and thunderstorms, making their way to the northeast. we expect to see some more clouds make their way into the pacific northwest in the next 24 hours. stopped raining. a look at plenty of sunshine, 11 in med ford. heavy rain along the northeast coast. look for a slight risk of strong storms through the upper mississippi river valley. i just wanted to show this beautiful young lady here -- what's her name? >> good morning. off and on showers and thunderstorms expected today. the best chance for heavy rain will be this morning. light showers this afternoon.

>> and that's your latest weather. >> all right, thanks, al. coming up "today's professionals" talking about the hot topics of the day, including what they'd most like to forget if science would allow them to. let's play indoors this weekend. all we need is a couple of gallons of our hardest-working paint... ...from the home depot. the place that gives us more top-rated brands than anywhere else... ...at prices that won't shake up our budget. let's make a one-wall statement... ...or tackle a total room takeover ...with paint that'll get the job done in fewer trips up and down the ladder. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. the number one brand of paint just got better. starting at $24.96.

with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card, we earn more cash back for the things we buy most. 1% cash back everywhere, every time. 2% on groceries. 3% on gas. automatically. no hoops to jump through. no annual fee. that's 1% back on... wow! 2% on my homemade lasagna. 3% back on [ friends ] road trip!!!!!!!!!!!! [ male announcer ] get 1-2-3 percent cash back. apply online or at a bank of america near you. ♪ with tuscani tuesdays! get amazing pasta for two for just six bucks or family-sized pasta for ten bucks. both with breadsticks on tuesdays. pizza hut. make it great.

whatcha doing, michael? homework. hey, listen to this. "jim has to go to the city. it's 30 miles away. how much gas would he need to use --" zero. he has a fully charged chevrolet volt. doesn't need gas. bam. but i wasn't finished. both: no gas. no gas. no gas. mom! no gas. no gas. [ male announcer ] visit your local chevy dealer today. right now, very well qualified lessees can sign and drive a 2012 chevy volt for around $369 a month.

fuel economy based on epa estimates. listen to what mvp justin verlander thinks about it. i would say the source of most of my muscle pain would be in my shoulder. my trainer kevin rand recommended it to me. i was kind of skeptical at first, but i tested it out, and bayer advanced aspirin relieved my pain fast. feeling 100% every start, every fifth day, i think definitely gives me a little bit of an edge. but don't take his word for it. put bayer advanced aspirin to the test for yourself at fastreliefchallenge.com and we're back now at 8:10 with "today's professionals." here to chew over the hottest

topics of the day, star jones, donny deutsch and dr. nancy snyderman. nancy, welcome back. >> thank you, matt. >> let's get started. blake allison, he's the man who lost his wife anna during the attacks of 9/11, she was on one of the planes that was crashed into the world trade center. he's now traveled to the military base at guantanamo bay to witness the arraignment of khalid shaikh mohammed, the alleged mastermind of those attacks. and while he was there, he met secretly with the attorneys for kfm and said he was willing to testify on ksm's behalf to spare him the death penalty. not saying he thinks he's innocent. but he's adamantly opposed to the death penalty. given the nature of the crimes, does this surprise anybody? >> to me, you know, it's easy to say, look, everybody has a right to their opinion, and to me i thought it was incredible insensitivity to the other families that lost family members. >>? >> that maybe didn't feel that way. >> whereas i don't think it's the place -- he is one of this

very, very tragic group. >> do you think grandstanding? >> it just felt to me inappropriate and i just know, if god forbid it happened to one of my family members, i'd be very angry. >> the fact that you say god forbid that's one of the reasons why a victim's impact statement in any criminal case means something but it's not des positive of the issue. emotionally we're invested with what has to do with our own family members. the death penalty, if you agree or don't agree that's the final punishment for someone who committed a heinous crime. >> i have a very dear friend whose sister was murdered while she was pregnant. and years later she witnessed the execution of the killer. she said it brought her no closure. and every time i hear her talk about the death penalty i always wonder, at the end, does it bring closure? >> but this -- >> he stood up in defense, i mean -- >> not in defense. no, donny.

>> no he didn't -- >> i think you say it's insensitive to the other victims. don't you in some way -- it's a moral conviction for him. >> -- i have a moral conviction and despite the incredible, heinous nature of this crime, it doesn't sway my moral conviction. >> which is okay for him to stand in that space. >> i think -- >> a victim has a right to feel that way. but the government has a bigger interest than one victim's opinion. >> let's move on. eduardo saf awin, he's the guy that mark zuckerberg allegedly tried to push out of the company, he stills owns about 5%, which has made him a very rich guy. and he stands to be even richer when the ipo goes through in the near future. about $4 billion he could make. now, he has given up his u.s. citizenship, moved to singapore, and some are saying this is simply to avoid capital gains taxes. >> sure. >> on that money. is it an outrage or is it someone playing by the rules? >> you know it's funny.

how do you spend $4 billion to $6 billion in your life anyway? so he owes the feds $600 million in taxes. at some point to renounce being an american, to save money, it's so a vacuous and hollow, i mean -- this company was founded here. he was part of it. and i think he is a weasel. >> and i think he's probably thinking, and they exclude me, this guy zuckerberg and i don't live here, i don't live here most of the time, i live in singapore, my citizenship means the world to me. but it never meant the world to him. >> that's right. >> he's saying i'm not trying to spend $600 million on the rest of y'all, i'm taking my money. >> he owes it to uncle sam to -- >> he's doing nothing different than a lot of corporations do. that is what he's doing. he's playing within the tax rules. >> yeah, that's right. >> so let's fault the entire corporate system. by the way, he almost brought that company down. his entire strategy was wrong.

>> so the impact this discussion at all to find out that as a young man he came from his native country of brazil, with his family, to this country, in part to escape kidnapping gangs that might have targeted his family because they were extremely wealthy, living in brazil. so this country was at one point a safe haven for him. >> that's the best part about being in america. >> you know, you don't want to be an american, don't be an american. did he break the law? no. but, i think it tells you a lot about who he is as a person. >> and our tax structure may need to change. >> hbo has a four-part documentary airing this week called "the weight of the nation" it's about obesity and the epidemic of obesity in this country. is this a public service? they're tackling this difficult issue? or is there something more here, donny? are they saying, wait, there's 79 million obese people in this country, that is a very targetable and marketable audience? >> they're actually setting up --

>> like "the biggest loser" on nbc. >> they're setting up marketers who look at an audience based on their lifestyle choice. a demographic is 18 to 34, a psychographic are people who like to eat a lot. >> are we going to see more of this? >> you're going to see dressing choices. you're going to see food choices. you're going to see diet choices. exercise choices. and then you're going to see the negative on the other side. you're going to see people who say i'm going to opt out of the big people game. that they don't want to be a part of. >> it's interesting. there are some exercise chains, line of clothing now. they're not even marketing to size 12 and over. they want to be seen as the young fit. so i think we're going to see probably in your world, people embracing the new market. and the sort of the more fit market, and we'll see a divergence. but at the end of the day, we're going to have to tackle this or there's -- >> real quickly. fighting toxic memories. scientific american has an extensive article about a new breakthrough in science that might help people forget toxic

memories. so if you've been in war. if you've been the victim of a crime, erased. they can help you forget that. do you think people are going to learn about this and want to erase more mundane things like embarrassing moments in their lives? the breakup with someone? you know, the time you bent over and split your pants in front of the whole class? >> no. i think -- >> what would you want to forget? >> i think it's for the severely impaired who just can't get over the ptsd of war, rape, genocide, terrible things. >> they gave some sort of medicine like that to people who were buried in the 9/11 impact, they gave that drug. they actually gave me one of them -- >> said i'm doing open heart surgery so that i didn't remember the first two days. >> it's like anything else. used properly like an antidepressant, great, then there are people who abuse it. i think every drug we overuse as a society, but you know look it can be a wonderful thing. >> the cool thing is how much we don't know about the human brain and frankly the avenues it

opens. i leave us all in a kumbayah place. >> entitlened place. >> nancy, donny, star, nice to see you all. up next the ever-young and hilarious betty white. right after this. [ male announcer ] if you have yet to master the quiet sneeze... [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] you may be an allergy muddler. try zyrtec® for powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because it starts working faster on the first day you take it. zyrtec®. love the air. [ sneezes ]

yeah lunch announcements are primetime. [ male announcer ] lunchables peanut butter and jelly with a crispy rice treat. feed your great ideas. [ feedback ] ♪ it's peanut butter jelly time ♪ ♪ peanut butter jelly time ♪ peanut butter jelly time ♪ peanut butter jelly ♪ peanut butter jelly [ cheers and applause ] peanut butter paul. a legend is born. ♪ peanut butter jelly with a baseball bat ♪

and hot! but we'll be pushing it to the extreme. so we use new coppertone sport pro series with duraflex. it's the best coppertone sport ever. it's light so your skin can breathe. but it stays on strong in extreme sweat conditions. it's all about taking it to the next level. that's why we stepped up to pro series. and it gives us broad spectrum uva/uvb protection. that sun won't quit. and neither will we. thanks to new coppertone sport pro series. let's go ! that's how we embrace the sun. recently, students from 31 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.

but i tested it out, and bayer advanced aspirin relieved my pain fast. it helps me get back in the game. but don't take his word for it. put bayer advanced aspirin to the test for yourself at fastreliefchallenge.com. back now at 8:21 with a true national treasure. seven-time emmy winner betty white is the star and executive producer of nbc's betty white's "off their rockers," a show that gives senior citizens their chance to pull pranks on the younger generation. and the results are hilarious. take a look. >> you get a present. you get a present. >> hey, whoa! >> come on, show us our tatas. >> show us your hooters. one will do. >> one each. >> one each. >> my bucket list. >> betty white, good morning. >> good morning.

>> show us your boobs, show us your tatas. i'm frightened what's going on in your mind. >> not my mind. i'm just an innocent bystander. >> but you're also the executive producer of this show. >> i am the innocent executive producer. no, it's silly. it's terribly silly. and we didn't expect to get picked up but we did. >> i know. here you are. the ratings are good. you've been picked up again. how did you know that seniors would be so funny? >> well, it takes getting a chance of turn the tables on some of the youngsters who usually get the last word and stuff. and it's surprising how people love to get involved with that. >> i know. >> so it's kind of a candid camera show. >> oh, very much. very much. >> the young people have no idea what's going on. the older generation there knows. and then you're taping all of this. >> they're taping all of this. and the reactions of the young people thinking that these are

regular conversations -- real conversations that they're hearing. so the reactions are kind of fun sometimes. >> it's so fun. and you've got that show. you've got another show called "hot in cleveland." you've got two shows, you're 90 years old, honey, how, i mean, i'm barely hanging onto one show. it's not -- >> do you think it's greed? >> it's not but at 90 years old, having two shows, i mean, a lot of people are going to wonder, you know, what is the secret to your success, betty white? >> i am the luckiest old broad on two feet. trust me. i just -- i love what i do, that's what i'm blessed with good health. and great energy. so, what's to say no to? well, i know what's to say no to. >> do you? >> i used to. >> speaking of which, by the way, you didn't say no to the friar's club.

>> oh, that -- >> they're going to have a roast. you're going to do that tomorrow. they're roasting you. >> now that i'm scared about. i have no idea what's going to happen. >> well, well, why did you say yes? i know that mary tyler moore is going to show up. all kinds of wonderful people are. are you prepared for all the four-letter words they're going to throw at you? >> of course not. of course not. you know that. you just wing it. you hope for the best and wing it. >> you might want to get ear plugs, betty. i was talking to matt. in fact i was there for matt's. i got to tell you, i turned crimson all the way up and down. i mean it's intense. >> really? >> yes. it's intense. they love you too much. >> but the good part of it is, i won't understand any of it. >> that's -- >> believe me. >> is there any part of your life that you don't want them to roast? is there any warning you want to send out now that they're coming tomorrow? >> nope, nope. when you've been around 90 years, you can't very well sort stuff out.

>> so the idea is to bring it on? >> bring it on and we'll handle it the best we can. the most i'd have to do is run away from home. >> right, right. well don't do that. we like to keep you close. meantime the gentleman at the top of our interview talking about their bucket list, wanting to see somebody's tatas. i mean i say that in a way to say, is there anything left, betty, on your bucket list that you've not done? >> i'd love to go -- no. no. i mean, nothing that i can talk about. >> okay. on national television? >> i -- there are a few people that i miss. but i'd like -- >> more of this.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. time for the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> it will take awhile for the delays to filter out. it is causing big backups, along with incidents. this crashes clearing at black rock road. take mount zion as your alternate. it is causing delays in the area. another accident being cleared at the inner loop of wilkens ave. 295 -- extending back to

back up is extending back to 295 towards the wilkens exit. northbound 295, 175, reported accident. barely moving approaching 100, all the way down towards 32. johns hopkins road, watch for an accident. chesaco ave at n rosedale. tapping the brakes approaching the harford county line all the way down to the 895 split. this is what it's like to and from 95 in the northeast corner. north and west side completely jammed in this area. that is the latest on trafc pulse 11. >> weather is starting to improve but the damage is done as far as the traffic goes. heavy rain there is any parts of the cecil county and along the eastern shore. from baltimore on west, it has tapered off to scattered, light

rain showers. forecast is mostly cloudy, a chance for a few showers this afternoon. i temperature of at 75. >> another update at 8:55.

8:30 now on a tuesday morning. it's the 15th day of may, 2012. and we stepped outside where the weather is improving somewhat dramatically over the last half hour. the rain has stopped. the sky is brightening. but i understand this is just a calm before another storm. more rain in the forecast. we've got a nice crowd of people

out on the plaza. i'm matt lauer, along with ann curry, natalie morales, and al roker. by the way the music you're hearing in the background. that's usher. the grammy award winner performing. it's our way of reminding you that come friday, right here on the plaza, we have usher live in concert. so if you're in the area, come on by. that's going to be a lot of fun. and the weather shoulden great by then. >> fantastic. >> really? >> oh, yeah, absolutely. >> anyway, coming up in this half hour the skinny rules. >> that's right. we're going to be talking to bob harper. the tough trainer from "biggest loser" he's out with a new book detailing his keys to losing weight and some of them include, for example, what he wants you to do before every meal that helps you lose weight. so there you go. that's our little tease. >> then how do the stars pull off all those great red carpet looks? jenna bush hager is going to introduce us to a woman who was just named hollywood's top stylist. by the hollywood reporter. >> ooh.

and with prom season in full swing, what do you want to do? you want to make sure your teens are protected. you have talked to them about risky behavior before the prom happens. we'll give you the -- what to say and what to do before the prom gets started. >> all right. a lot to get to. first can we say good morning to holly cavanaugh who is the latest contestant voted off "american idol." how are you? you know what about you, you got eliminated and yet you had this kind of incredible, positive attitude, even after facing that. >> thank you. >> how does that happen? >> i think -- i think i just kind of have the mind-set of i couldn't really complain. the top four from last year top four seems like a big step to me. so i think i was just thankful and blessed to be there. >> you had some powerful perf m performan performances. the judges did love them. but they did criticize you for that showing enough emotion. does that resonate with you? do you think as you look back at

the tape? >> i know in some performances that i look back on i was like oh, my face was kind of blank then. but i mean it's something that i'm learning and i'm growing and even like being off the show, i'll still continue to grow, and so i'll just looking forward to like what the future brings hopefully. >> what was wrong with your duet with jesse sanchez? it was kind of interesting. >> we had a lot of fun with those swings like we would just be on set like -- everybody was like, okay, it's time to sing and we're like, no, it's fine. but, yeah, it was fun. we just kind of had fun with that one. >> there are three contestants left. jesse sanchez as you see there, you have any idea, you say they're all very strong contenders, all very different. >> i mean you definitely see on the show that you never know what can happen. everyone was shocked what happened with colton so i mean it kind of is like you never know what's going to happen, you never know who's going to win.

>> congratulations. >> all right. >> holly cavanaugh, nice to have you here. >> thank you. >> as we have you standing here, let's remind people on may 31st the runner-up and winner of "american idol" will perform live on our plaza. we look forward to that. mr. roker?. >> good morning. this will be awet start with off and on showers -- disobey a wer

>> all right, thanks a lot, al. >> you really are cute. >> coming up next, bob harper's simple rules for getting thin.

"today's health" is brought to you by bayer advanced aspirin. fast, safe pain relief. >> we're back at 8:37. this morning on "today's health," simple rules to losing weight. bob harper, the longtime trainer on nbc's hit show "the biggest loser" has helped countless contestants shed hundreds of pounds. now, he's put his advice into a new book called "the skinny rules: the simple nonnegotiable principles for getting to thin." bob, good to see you. welcome back. >> really nice to see you, two. >> two words in that title jump out at me. simple, nonnegotiable, not so simple. >> when i wrote this book. which by the way is out today, you can go to bobharper.com and get it.

i wanted to show people sometimes rules are not meant to be liked they're meant to be followed. >> but nonnegotiable means they're very strict and a lot of people have a difficult time following that. >> well, i mean, we live in a day and age right now that we are really battling obesity and we have to have a set of rules to live by. it just -- i know that it worked for me with all my contestants throughout the seasons and it's like, i put them on the rules and it works. >> i want to get to some of the specific rules in a second. but before we do that, talk about this 80%, 20% idea. >> i love the idea that 80%, 20%, because if you and i are doing everything that we're supposed to be doing 80% of the time, then we have that 20% that we get to play with. there's a splurge meal that we get to have once a week that's going to kind of keep everyone on track. >> and that's because most people have a very difficult time following something 100% of the time. >> i think that 100% of the time is for just a really small percentage of people that know how to live that very athletic, crazy mental toy. and it's like i admire it. but i can't do that. >> let's get to the simple rules. one of the things you want people to do to lose weight, drink a large glass of water

before every meal, no excuses. >> no excuse on that. want you to drink a big, huge glass of waters soon as you get up in the morning, too. going to help your digestive system and your metabolism. >> you go with the eight glasses a day? >> i want you to have eight to twelve and it's going to be great for your skin, too. >> all right, eat protein at every meal. what form should it take? >> every single kind of protein that you want. that you can have. there's salmon, pork, chicken, eggs, i have eggs always in my refrigerator. i need things to be quick and easy. >> you like this one a lot. you say people should eat berries and apples every single day. >> antioxidants and fiber. the more fiber i can get you to eat the more satisfied your body is going to be and the less likely you'll be able to overeat. >> all right. and here's a very important one, one day a week, you make that a meatless day. you're talking about not just red meat. you're talking about -- >> no animal protein whatsoever. i get people to really focus on having more fruit and vegetables. it's really important.

vegetables, you're never going to gain weight, matt, eating vegetables. the sky is the limit. don't count the calories. have them any way that you like them. >> do you find that people are satisfied? is that a hard one for people to follow. >> yeah but there's so many rules, the last one we're going to be talking about, going to bed hungry. hardest rule in the book. >> let's talk about that. it happens to me. i get to the end of the day, i'm hungry. i don't want to get in bed hungry because i think i'm going to toss and turn all night. i have a snack right at the end of the day. >> what i have to do is so many people is get them on a routine and the routine is about three hours, at least three hours before you go to bed i don't want you to have any food in your system. you're going to get up in the morning. you will actually have a more sound sleep, you'll get up in the morning and let me tell you, you'll be ready to eat. you'll be ready for that breakfast. >> as long as you don't jump in and have eggs and bacon and hash browns and things like that. and plan one splurge meal every week. >> hugely important. you have that meal, and you will stay on track. you'll be more likely to keep all this up. >> bob harper. and you've had success, so clearly if people follow these

rules hopefully they will, as well. the book is "the skinny rules." you can find bob's recipes on our website. up next jenna bush hager introduces us to the woman behind the red carpet looks of some of hollywood's biggest stars. guys, i'm home!

sara lee one hundred percent whole wheat bread. with thirteen grams of whole grain in every slice, and delicious taste in every last bite. sara lee. so good, it's gone. we all know that it takes a team to get red carpet ready, but have you ever wondered who actually dreams up the looks of some hollywood's hottest celebrities? "today" contributing correspondent jenna bush hager went straight to the source. >> good morning, ann. that's right. kate young may not be a household name, but she's quickly making a name for herself on and off the red carpet. she was recently named the top stylist in the business by "the hollywood reporter." and once you see the looks she's created, you'll know why. the behind-the-scenes magician known for styling natalie portman, michelle williams, and hilary swank has always spoken

the language of fashion. >> my first word was shoe. >> reporter: stylist kate young is known for her bold use of color. and for creating those unforgettable red carpet looks. often with less than traditional choices. >> it's always like what you become obsessed with. so i hope to always just push it far enough that you don't think you like it, and you realize you love it. and then that will create some sort of image that resonates. >> reporter: her work resume is with actresses known as much for their substance as for their style. >> i'd like to say, oh, well i own work with smart women, i think there are people i have good chemistry with and i really admire them. i love pleated tulle. it's like the most magical thing in the world. it's like a little bit of poetry. >> reporter: and for kate, it's

art. >> originally we said should be orange or like iris color. and we had boughts of fabric when we were fitting it and i was like -- >> reporter: something's not right? >> the orange is weird, let's go with the purple and then three days later i woke up in the middle of the night and i was like no, no, no, no, no, it needs to be orange. >> reporter: the daughter of professors growing up in the woods of pennsylvania, she dreamed of a world surrounded by clothes. >> it's funny, because like i pride myself on being low maintenance now but i had to change every activity. so i would change into a cooking outfit. and change into like a change the light bulb outfit. and it was really about the fashion when i was a little kid. >> reporter: her first job in fashion was the assistant to legendary editor anna wintour. >> the winning of my career i got a job at "vogue" and that was like the realization of all my childhood dreams. it's almost like getting a harvard mba or something. it was like a master's degree in fashion. >> now, kate has two more starlets to dress.

sons leif and stellen. >> everything could go wrong but i have them. it doesn't matter, at the end of the day my kids don't care. >> reporter: and kate was recently named the most powerful stylist in the business. by "the hollywood reporter." how does that make you feel? i mean does that make you slightly uncomfortable, or -- >> being a stylist, it's not usually about me. so it's a little uncomfortable to have people talk about me. because i'm not used to it. you know, my job is usually making someone else look beautiful. but, i think it's feels great. it feels really good. my parents are super proud. >> reporter: proud, indeed. kate is recognized across the industry for the mark she's making in the world of celebrity fashion. >> kate is an automatic when people are thinking about who they'd like to have help them get dressed for a big event. definitely. i think kate is really at the top of everybody's list right now. not just "the hollywood reporter." >> reporter: even with her recent visibility kate wants to keep some of her secrets under wraps. >> i don't want to kill the

magic of it. i do really believe that, like, if i'm chatting too much about it, you won't believe in the girl in the dress. >> reporter: for kate now, life is good. she's hoping to spread some of the magic of the red carpet, creating fairy tales for women everywhere. >> i would really like to do a line of evening dresses for women that are affordable. i'd like to bring some of the magic of what we see on the red carpet, and make it available to regular women. i think that would be awesome. >> of course, there really is no off season in hollywood. but kate managed to find a little time in her schedule to style me. this is a kate young inspiration. >> i love it. and it's vintage, your dress. >> vintage. she found it. she's so great. she's so smart and so cool and i really, really like her. >> well, jenna bush hager you look beautiful. obviously she's very, very talented. and coming up we've got much more. but first this is "today" on nbc.

we're back at 8:49 with a powerful new book from the pulitzer prize winning journalist and author of "friday night lights." it's called "father's day: a journey into the mind and heart of my extraordinary son." today national correspondent jamie gangel has the touching story. good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. buzz businessinger has written an extraordinary book about his son zack, one of the safety

twins who was born with brain damage and autism. after suffering with guilt and frustration over the years, buzz took his son on a two-week road trip across america, from las vegas to bungee jumping. the book is what he discovered about his son, and perhaps more important, about himself. >> i love my son deeply. but i do not feel i know him, nor do i think i ever will. when's your next big outing? >> reporter: buzz bissingary's 28-year-old son zack was born with trace brain damage and has an iq of 70. but he is also a savant. and there are things you can do that are simply extraordinary. if i can give you some dates, can you tell me what day of the week they were? can we try? may 1st, 2000. >> may 1st, 2000. monday. >> right. august 20th, 2011. >> saturday.

>> right. can you explain at all the people how you know that? >> i just know. >> zack also will never forget a birthday. >> lorenzo's not in. >> it's his birthday. >> i don't remember. >> or a meeting. >> i remember on the 24th of july to the 26th. >> what's there? >> and he is a walking encyclopedia of streets and maps. >> yeah, it's a 12-minute walk from suburban. >> exactly 12 minutes? >> over to work. >> but in his new book "father's day" bissinger also gives a brutally honest account of what it's been like watching his twin sons grow up side by side. in 1983, zack and his twin brother jerry were born premature. just three minutes apart. the two are very close. and in many ways, typical brothers. >> do you remember some of our games?

>> blankets. >> get under the blankets. >> yeah. >> but as bissinger writes, their lives have been a world apart. >> there you go. >> today, jerry is getting his ph.d. >> would you like paper or plastic? >> zack bags groceries at shop rite and delivers mail at the philadelphia enquirer and daily news. >> always like looking at mirrors, one of which is unblemished, and one of which is cracked. >> while the rest of the family came to terms with zack's disabilities, bissinger admits he struggled to accept his son. >> i have loved zack to death. but i also say in the book, and i don't say it proudly, this is never the child i envisioned, and it was not the child that i wanted. >> you wanted him to be normal? >> i did want him to be normal. i mean i wanted him to play baseball. i wanted him to go to harvard. parents want things from their

kids. >> so buzz suggested they take a road trip across the country. he hoped they would bond. zack was much less enthusiastic. >> you don't seem very excited. oh, no, no, no, i'm very excited. how will we get there? we'll rent a car and we drive. hey, dad, i have an idea, maybe we can fly. >> so then you trapped him in a car for two weeks and you took him across the united states. >> now everyone thinks i'm probably the worst parent in the history of parenthood. >> there were funny moments, and rocky moments. patience is not buzz's strong suit. you'll get lost a lot. >> i do get lost a lot. >> and he bails you out. >> right. >> over and over. >> right. >> and over again. >> well, you know, it's a great benefit having a human gps. >> there were also playful revelations. buzz recorded their conversations. >> do you know what brain damage is? >> no. >> what do you think it is? >> when your brain isn't right.

>> do you know your brain is not all right? >> yeah. >> you hear your child say, you know, my brain isn't right. it -- it crushes you. >> zack's mom, buzz's first wife deborah, says it's part of parenting. >> bye, guys. love you. >> all of us sometimes have to discuss with our children things that are painful. i think he's too hard on himself. in the book. buzz is a wonderful father. he's a wonderful father. >> i came away realizing he is the man i admire most in my life. >> and in the end, the trip succeeded beyond buzz's wildest expectations. >> he is not the child i wanted. but he is no longer a child anyway. he is a man. the most fearless i have ever known, restoring the faith of a father in all that can be.

>> and we gave zack the last word. your dad says he learned a lot about you on this trip. did you learn anything new about him? >> no. >> so, zack, if your dad said to you that he wanted to do another road trip, would you go? >> maybe. >> really? that's sweet of you. can we drive? >> no, i can drive. >> wait, you said you didn't like the car. >> we do fly. >> zack does not like being stuck in a car. i loved this book. it is funny. it is painful. it will resonate with every parent. and you start out thinking it's going to be a book about zack's issues. but buzz is the first to admit, it's about him. his favorite review was titled, zack is good, buzz needs work. matt and ann? >> a great story, jamie.

thank you so much. we appreciate it. to read an excerpt from "father's day" you can head to today.com. we're going to have much more on a tuesday morning. right after these messages and your local news and weather. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. homicide detectives are investigating a deadly overnight shooting in east baltimore. city police responded to shots fired at north milton ave. they discovered a man in the street suffering will double

gunshot wounds. back in a minute with a check on

>> have become a steady rain year tapering off. rest of the day is mostly cloudy skies. muggy, high near 75. beautiful weather on thursday and friday. >> another weather update and a