we're back now with more of "today" on a thursday morning, the 28th of june 2012. a nice crowd of people gathered outside our studios this morning on a pretty thursday morning. we're hoping that the weather will be continuing this way as we have our summer concert tomorrow morning. i'm matt lauer along with natalie and savannah guthrie and al roker. we have our panel of professionals. >> the question is whether cookies should get political. we'll have them weigh in on that

and other hot topics in the news. >> speaking a hot, a new twist on sun protection. there's clothing that has actually spf protection built right in. >> a lot to get to. let's check out the headlines. natalie's here on the sofa. >> from the supreme court a key and long awaited ruling on health care reform. this morning the high court rules on the constitutionality of the health care overall and its so-called individual mandate, which requires that americans buy health insurance or face a federal fine. the hall mark of the obama presidency 26 states and small businesses challenged it. the decision of the court could be one of the most important in generations affecting virtually all americans. >> another tough day on the front lines for firefighters. with the fires nowhere near

contained in colorado, thousands of homes remain threatened. >> prosecutors have a recording to compare to 911 calls that night. investigators took george zim r zimmerman back to the scene of the shooting and asked him to call out for help. >> if you're one of the many people struggling to lose weight, there may be a new pill to help. the fda on wednesday approved the first long-term weight loss pill in more than a decade. belviq is meant for adult who is are obese and overweight and suffer with add laet one medical complication such as diabetes or high cholesterol. the fda says it may help people to eat less and feel full. >> results of a new cambridge university study may put a spiel on some women's faces. the study finds men who help

with household chores, that means doing the cooking, cleaning and dishes, they are happier, healthier and have a better sense of well being. expert suggest it may have something to do in part with feeling less guilty. take note husbands. >> don grady who played fred mcmurray's show "my three sons" has died. he was receiving hospice care at his home. don grady was 68. >> now with the los angeles glass glas gla galaxy, david beckham did not make the european team.

>> a survey found if there were ever an alien invasion, 65% of americans feel president obama would be better suited than mitt romney in handling that. it's a bizarre survey. >> that's just ridiculous. >> okay. >> meanwhile, on to other things. if your mom ever told to you chew your food slowly, you're going to really appreciate this. peanut here, the turtle, his eyes apparently birg than his st -- bigger than his stomach, eating a raspberry. >> it's like a yule log. >> it is mesmerizing. >> speaking of ufos, it's 4 minutes past the hour. >> it's good of david beckham to say he hopes the british team wins the gold as owe o opposed to saying i'm not on the team, i hope they go down in the first

round. >> mr. roker. >> unfortunately as natalie told you, we have horrible wildfires out there. weather is not going to help. scattered afternoon storms, dry winds will be bringing in storm winds of 45 miles per hour. we've got fire danger warnings, red flag warnings from nevada to ohio up into michigan. and then we've also got heat to talk about. we've got dangerous heat. we've got heat watches, heat warnings and heat advisories from texas as far forth as minnesota and as far east as ohio with 27 states and 50 million people by friday >> good morning.degree plus it will turn a little hotter today but the humidity will be in the comfortable range. high temperature near 93.

>> that's your latest weather. savannah? ♪ i've been taking care of business ♪ >> now to today's professional the, star jones, donny deutsch and dr. nancy snyderman is here. >> we have an account from a stanford police detective who said one of the ways zimmerman could have deescalated the confrontation is if he had identified himself as a neighborhood watch captain. star, you're our lauer. is this legally significant as we look at this case? >> i literally screamed at my own television when i saw the news and said "duh." that would have been one of the two things he could have done. one, not get out of the car.

two identified himself. it never ceases to amaze me that people assumed that zimmerman was afraid of trayvon but never for the first time thought trayvon may have been in fear of zimmerman. he may have been in fear of some dude walking down the street confronting him. >> donny and nancy, does this change your opinion of the case? >> we'll never know what happened. it's a tragic case. >> it will be interesting to hear with the new recordings versus the scream that night if everything will turn on that. we were talking about plea daelts deals or how this is going to go down. he should never have gotten out of the car. it's a disaster that never should have been. >> this is an extraordinary case and unusual facts but on the issue of neighborhood watch captains, is this a service or something that outlived its usefulness? is it capable of abuse? >> it's capable of abuse or we

wouldn't be talking about it. >> you can have abuse in any situation where you put two human beings together. i think it's positive for people to take matters and protect their communities. >> how about, hello, i'm george zimmerman, i'm a part of the neighborhood watch. are you a part of the neighborhood? extend your hand. all of a sudden it's not that confrontational. >> that's not reality. >> it is reality if you treat people the way you want to be treated. >> it's not a congenial situation. >> you have to question why wasn't it a congenial situation? you approached it in a negative way. >> and why pro actively is someone carrying a gun? we will prove on to a top. they did this oreo for a symbol of pride for the gay communities. there were comments for it,

against it. donny, is it a good idea for companies like this to get involved in a political issue? >> the issue aside, here's what should govern a decision and only one thing. their shareholders. they have a responsibility, all corporations have a responsibility to the people that invest in their company to sell their product. having said that, if they made a calculated and i think this is a smart decision that taking that stand and maybe con temporizing the grand and building an emotional bond is right for selling cookies and it's the right decision. my company did the first commercial, two gay guys shopping for furniture. that was a company about inclusion and it was right for their brand. >> i like what donny says in terms of it being business oriented but a moral standing ground. you sort of say this feels good but i'm doing it because it makes sense. >> you are agree, though,

there's nobody a bigger supporter of game rights than me. but having said that, if it was not right for their business. >> i found it very interesting that the cookie is 100 years old. they made a very decided opinion. i'm not an investor in this company but i'm a consumer and i love my oreos. i loved this! loved it, loved it, loved it! purely as a consumer. >> if you didn't agree with the sentiment, would that make you leave the brand? >> yes, as a matter of fact i left a brand this week, whichly tell you about off camera. >> let's talk about facebook. it cot in some trouble with some of its use thers week because it changed the e maim address that users had provided as part of its profiles to a facebook.com address. facebook says we did tell our users but maybe we didn't adequately warn them. are they on thin ice this

morning, as far as a privacy issues? >> i think this connectivity, the whole thing with the ipo, this brand is in trouble. i don't want to -- remember i told you that for a lot of reasons it's going to keep coming down and down and down. >> i was in a meeting silicon valley. they all have stopped using facebook. they think that the previouscy issues are so egregious that they no longer do it and this was the heart and soul of the silicon valley. >> now that young people are starting to feel as it if their business is being put out on the street and it not cool anymore, once they think it's no longer cool -- >> it's not even the privacy issue, it's -- >> it's not cool. >> let me be devil's advocate

for one second, if you give your information to facebook, do you in any way assume the risk -- >> yes. i don't have anything on my facebook that i wouldn't want my grandmother to see. >> have you seen this ring. on the inside it's engraved "married." if you were to slip off that ring, your finger would still say married. is this an idea whose time has come or if you need the ring you have a problem? >> a lot of times women are attracted to men with rings because it's not a long-term commitment. >> you are so wise, it's going to stop you from cheating. it does not matter --

>> what is officially a hoochy? >> a hoochy is a person that even if you're running for the president of the united states and the wife is dying of cancer, you will still go after him. that is a hoochy. >> do you spell it with a ie or a y? >> ie. >> no one in anyway mai family wear as wedding ring, including my parents. >> well, the commitment's there. >> you try to end on a high note but you just won't let it happen. >> coming up who takes the cake for the best cake in or contest. there are the contestants coming up. i'm a typical mom. i go to amusement parks. and my kid's games. and just like any typical mom i'm thrilled when my champion loves to eat something nutritious, like chobani champions yogurt.

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on our "quest for the best," we asked you to send in your best homemade birthday cakes. from a wide range of entries, we've narrowed it down to three finalists this morning. ladies, good morning. they're here with their cakes. good to you have here, mona, kelly and as well as i'm sorry, emily, i'm going to taste test all of your cakes but instead we decided to get a real pro here. how excited will you be to hear that martha stewart -- martha is going to be here to judge the cakes. come on in, martha! and martha is a real pro here. she's going to tell us what she's looking for. tell me what do you look for when you're judging these cakes? >> i look for creativity,

originality, i look for beautiful design and i look for taste. >> of course. fantastic. >> and that's all in the execution of a baked cake. these are quite something. >> they are. of course you all have, you know, you're home and you're working on these creations but i understand, moania your husband helped come up with the design plan, is that right? the champagne bubble cake here? >> he came up with the idea of a champagne bottle for a dear friend of mine for her 40th birthday. >> let's give it a try, martha. >> you can make the most beautiful cake and if it doesn't taste good, what the heck. >> right. and this -- now i understand there's a minty chocolate flavor in there? >> there's a mint ganache and brownie and -- >> it's a brownie, chocolate cake and ganache in the middle. >> and the frosting t?

>> it's plain frosting but there's a layer of dark right there. >> now we have our nasle cake. >> this was for a child? >> yes, it was for my sister's child's first birthday. we do big birthdays for first birthdays. >> i can see that. >> what's the sand? >> it's graham crackers. >> what else is the basin siin the case? >> it's a chocolate kate with peanutbutt peanutbutter mousse.

the towers are rice crispies and -- and the towers, too? >> last but not least we have emily. i hear you do all of your bake being. you're a college student at the university of vermont. what does your roommate think about that? >> the top is the best part of the cake. i've been decorating cakes since high school. >> this is your whimsical guard i don't know cake. people slug toll make their cakes flat but you see this is by intention sp. >> it is by intention. i followed through. >> wow, that's pretty hard to do. >> she has quite a career here. >> and look how nice the slice is. >> it's perfectly layered. so it's a chocolate base?

>> it is a chocolate base with an italian butter cream? >> how long does it take to put something together like this if you're doing it every detail from scratch? >> you have to make fondant a day in advance and let it sit. >> are you thinking of going into cake decorating? >> i am but i'm going to school. >> how many minutes do have i? >> you have 20 seconds as i work my way back here. they're all maamazing. >> they are all original and creative but in terms of taste and it always comes down to taste for me despite the other categories -- >> appearances and everything

else. >> that one there. >> emily! all right! emily takes the prize this time, our first ever "quest for the best." martha, if you would do the honors. >> emily takes the cake. >> oh, wow, look at this. >> that is quite a trophy. >> congratulations. keep up with your baking. medical school is good, too. if you know how to bake, you can all pay for medical school. >> coming up next, we're also going to take a turn. our next search on today's "quest for the best" is for the best comedian to the country. three finalists win a trip. and still to come this morning, stylish summer clothes that protect you from the sun.

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still to come we're going to go span the world. >> and how to protect your self from the sun. [ male announcer ] if paula ebert had her way, she would help her child. go! goooo! [ male announcer ] with everything. but instead she gives him capri sun super-v. with one combined serving of fruits and vegetables. new capri sun super-v. ♪ ♪

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>> live, local, late breaking. >> good morning. sunny outside and the temperatures of our rate. starting in mostly the 70's but it is going to get hot today. expect tight temperatures in the low 90's. here is the forecast for today's statewide. lots

♪ don't worry, nobody got hurt. but they sure know how to rock. the grammy award winning band maroon 5 has a new album in stores. they're going to be here tomorrow to rock the plaza with songs from their new album. come on down to the plaza tomorrow here on "today." >> adam levine can take a punch." that's going to leave a mark! >> absolutely. >> coming up in this half hour, protecting yourself in the

summer sun. we all know the drill about sunscreen but now clothing marvers are getting into the act with uv protection built right into the clothing. >> that's right. experts say we're in for a very buggy summer because of the mild and moist summer. lou is leer wihere to keep thoss pests away. but enough about your inlaws. >> al, what about the weather? >> sizzling in the southern half for the country. for saturday, more rain in coastal northwest. hot even to the northeast in new england and sunday, sunday we're looking at more showers along the coast in the pacific northwest. sizzling weather continues mid atlantic states, gulf coast, southwest into the mid

>> good morning. the humidity will got a little bit this afternoon. we expect mostly sunny skies. >> and that's your latest weather. >> coming up next, summer fashions that provide sun protection for the whole family. but first these messages. where choice is on the menu. start with all the fresh salad and warm breadsticks you want. choose 2 appetizers made for sharing. then 2 entrées from 6 of our favorites. classics like eggplant parmigiana and new favorites like smoked mozzarella chicken

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you're going to see items that have upf and fpf ratings. no matter what we show today, you're going to see some good fashions. you have to make sure you're still applying sunscreen to the exposed part of your bodies. that's the nitty-gritty science. let's get to the fashions. >> we have a beautiful couple dressed for a barbecue. and they are also going to be well protected. come on out. >> it's a perfect mix of cool and casual. we wanted to put her in something that's really lightweight. we love the summery feel of this. this has an fps 50 plus rating. it will block 50% of the sun's rays. that is $75.

that's a real life couple. her boyfriend kevin, we put him in a cue baseball short and those also have a upf of 50 plus. and the hat, you always need a hat. that's from sunday afternoon. everything you see here isnd unr 100. >> thank you very much. we wanted something a little more stylish for a picnic. come out, joan. >> we really wanted to elevate the look. i think we accomplished that with joan who is going to a picnic. this is from cabana light. it's $90. we love the beading around the neck. this company was started by a fashion editor who was also a skin cancer survivor. and you see a lot of companies

come out of san diego, australia. you can trust that everything here has a upf and you'll be protected. >> this is amazingly stylish, wearing this even over a bathing sued. >> thank you so much. it looks beautiful on you especially. next you want to take your whole family out for an outing. ali taking christian and stella. ali is one of our producers and these are her kids. >> putting sunscreen on a child can be like wrestling a giant worm, right? very difficult to do. >> very hard. >> you want to get them in these kind of clothing because it really will protect them and they'll look adorable. let's start with christian, a columbia top and lands end shorts. you're looking for something comfortable for the long hall. every that the kid are wearing, we have stella in lands end,

that's all moisture wicking. it's great if they want to go on a water ride because it will absorb all that. and ali, one of my favorite girls, she's looking super stylish. the skirt is actually a skort. it's 40d and it's shorts underneath. she'll be super comfortable. it has a temperature regulating system so when it senses high temperatures, it cools you down. >> all of their outfits are so cute. >> you're smiling now. yay! thanks, ali. and finally, you dressed cassandra head to toe. >> this is more of a party, wear

fib rick and light colored clothing. people are freaking out saying that's sun protection? we tacked about the right red hat. that hat is $55 and with every purchase 5d goes to stand up for cancer, for skin cancer research. so that's a great thing to buy. and the pants are draw strings, they're really comfortable. you really can find affordable options that are stylish and functional because you're getting protected from the sun. >> i don't know if you guys can hear me, but if you can come back out one last time. thank you to our models and congratulations on your little girl. coming up next, we'll have more of our summer survival guide. how to avoid those annoys bugs

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as part of a heart healthy diet. that's true. ...but you still have to go to the gym. ♪ the one and only, cheerios she would help her child. no. no no no no no. mommy's here [ male announcer ] with everything. but instead she gives him capri sun super-v. with one combined serving of fruits and vegetables. new capri sun super-v. 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®.

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♪ i don't like spiders and snakes ♪ >> this morning on today's "healthy home," staying bug free this center. the weather has provided the perfect breeding ground for bugs that bite, sting and ruin your garden. today we have effective ways to keep those bugs and pests at bay. good to see you. >> good morning.

>> so it's that time of year. it looks like it's going to be a really bad bug season. >> it's been dry in a lot of the country but they're still out there. even though we haven't talked a lot about west nile virus yet, it is out there. it's very important to protect yourself. it really starts personally with repellent. >> and a lot of folks say i'm worried about putting deet on. >> deet is the most effective repellant. there are some forms of non-deet that work but i've found that deet is the most effective. there are different percentages of deet within them. the american pediatric association, with children no more than 7%. for adult, 15% is the max. you don't need anything more than that. >> a lot of people say spray it on the clothing. >> even better.

>> does citronella work? >> it does work when there's a breeze at night. in europe they use the oil as a repellent. the breeze is not your best friend when it comes to mosquitoes. >> you say you can pretreat areas? >> these hose attachments, these products you can go and treat the grass, put it on the hose an hour before you have a party, it will permeate an odor to help repel the mosquitoes. it is not a replacement to mosquitos but it will help you. >> standing water is where mosquitos breed. get rid of it if you can. these dunks form a film over the water so the lar va can't hatch.

>> and then there are some old school things. >> that's called a fly swatter. this is a wife's sale, a zip lock bag filled with water with tin foil or pennies in it, hung offer the door in the sunlight. this is for flies. there's certainly about the reflection with shiny objects they perceive as danger and they won't come in here. it works well with horses. >> what about plants? >> there's moisture in these plants so they come and eat it. there's a ton of different products on the marketplace can you use. this seven, this powder, is one of the industry standards to springle. it's broad spectrum coverage -- >> safe? >> safe to a point. i don't want it on your vegetables. the organic products, ortho bug

be gone, whitney farms has a -- that's not the bottle. ultimately you're going to eat this food and i don't want to you put this stuff on there. >> grubs. this is the time of year to put the grub control down. this can ruin your lawn. this product by jonathan green is really effective. it goes down once, it will kill them. this is a broad spectrum grub control that can even help ants around the perimeter of your home. follow the instructions and you will be bug free. >> coming up next, we'll span the world with the one and only len berman. first this is "today" on nbc. [ male announcer ] millions of dollars for new schools and teachers...

thousands of new good paying jobs... all without raising taxes. that's what a world-class resort casino at national harbor would mean for maryland. but it won't be built unless lawmakers give us the right to vote on it this november. call 1-800-492-7122 and tell your delegate and state senator to vote "yes" on national harbor... one of the biggest new job projects in the country. we're playing the olympic music for you. we're going to take you on a wild ride through the whacky, wonderful world of sports.

>> june featured the miami heat and the u.s. open but what were sure the top sports of the month. let's go "spanning the world." >> unbelievable! >> all right. on your mark, get set and play ball. the best catch to end the game, derek salberg, lower columbia college washington state. this is a fly-off catch. it ended the game. our oops of the month. when you go to give usain bolt flores at the end of the race, you might actually wait until he slows down. >> look at the kid in the first round, he sticks his tongue out at the batter. that's not nice. so take that, kid! and it's time now to come in from the bullpen. no, not you. get back in there! >> our dangers of the month. rugby is not dangerous to play. it's the celebration.

>> oh! >> oh, my goodness! that's not good. >> and in monaco, connor daly and nobody got hurt! >> we have lots of fans of the month. the best place to drink your chocolate milk is right out of the stanley cup. >> i got to get me one of those mankinis. in italy. in houston corey scott catches the home run ball and it's his 11th birthday. happy birthday. our ballpark moment. it was star wars night in arizona and our sideline reporter princess leya. and who was that yuts on the field during the rain delay? oh, bill murray. that's who it is. never mind. our reporters of the month. who better to do the weather than lakers forward meta world peace. >> and to get from this island

to this island, take a boat. >> nice. >> and in front of the tv camera, you just might attract the attention of beer drinking dutch soccer fans. >> our p.a. announcer of the month, ray play who introduced michael jordan all those years. >> michael jordan! >> well, he does the honors at a wedding. >> guest of honor, amanda and sean! >> and our happy ending of the month, in columbus, ohio, she stepped to help lift up a competitor who had fallen and to cross the finish line. >> we love you as always, len. >> a little soft ending.

>> but had you that mankini in middle. >> i have to get me one of those. >> tell her about the shrinkage, jerry! >> coming up, kathie lee and hoda back with channing tatum. we got to stick around for that one. >> and ambush makeovers after your local news and weather.