tv Today NBC July 9, 2012 7:00am-9:00am EDT
7:00 am
. relief. a break from that deadly heat wave finally expected today. in some areas the temperatures will be replaced by dangerous storms. al is watching it out. new fight. president obama expected to call on congress for bush era tax cuts for the middle class, but republicans want to extend the cuts for all americans. a bitter bone of contention less than four months from election day. bright and early. a big day around here as savannah guthrie takes her place at the anchor desk today, july 9th, 2012.
7:01 am
>> announcer: from nbc's news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning. who after several years joins us as co-anchor of today. how does it feel? >> great. good morning. >> i get to be the first officially to say welcome. we have this goofy tradition here on the "today" show and have for sometime now where we get to do a deja vu. >> announcer: savannah guthrie live from studio 1a in rock plaza. >> you're going to have to get used to that. >> i'm glad you played it again. i was so nervous, i didn't hear it the first time. >> you'll have to watch this
7:02 am
whole show again probably. >> exactly. >> i mentioned savannah has been with the show now serving not only as the co-anchor of the 9:00 hour, third hour on today but as our chief legal corporate for "today." you've done a great job. even a couple of weeks ago we ended before you went on vacation and i went on vacation with a special story on the supreme court. you'll continue to do that as well as adding other talent to the show. we're happy about that. but we're happy because you bring a great attitude and what we like to call a weird sense of humor. so we're all very happy. >> 7:02 and he's already calling me weird. >> no. by the way, we'll spend time this morning and over the next couple of days getting to know savannah better. best way to become an official part is the team is to do it. let's do it. >> we do have a lot to get to this morning. just two weeks ago there was actually good news when it came
7:03 am
to gas prices, now they are suddenly on the rise. what caused that sudden change. we'll get into that. how is max page, the popular darth vader from that ad doing, after he underwent open-heart surgery. here is the good news. he's here in the studio. i guess that's a good sign. he'll tell us how he's doing. we begin with the deadly heat wave and relief. al upstairs. good morning, al. >> good morning. one more day of record setting heat, elkins, roanoke 102, raleigh 105, wilmington seting a record at 100 degrees. how hot was it? it was so hot, forget about baking an egg on the sidewalk, you could actually see a plane melt into the tarmac. take a look. this is in washington, d.c. at reagan national. you can see the plane actually sunk down into the tarmac it was
7:04 am
so hot. here is what's been going on. this is why it's been so hot. 74 people killed over 14 states in the last week. here is what's happened. the jet stream way up to the north. record high, big area of high pressure dominating. that was last week. this week we've got a change in the jet stream. it now dips to the south in the northeast. that brings in the cooler air as low pressure dominates there. high pressure dominates out west. we're going to be looking at this upper level ridge. the heat wave makes its way to the east -- to the west, i should say. in fact, take a look at these temperatures. looking at reno, nevada, salt lake, 96. where it takes the dip, denver 11 degrees below normal, amarillo. a stationary front stretching across the mid-atlantic states into the south. what that's doing is bringing in cool air. along that boundary line heavy showers and thunderstorms, a risk of severe wet. we'll tell you about that coming up in the next 15 minutes.
7:05 am
savannah. >> al, thank you. president barack obama is expected to call on congress to pass a one-year extension of the bush era tax cuts for middle class families today, this as republicans fight back against new questions about mitt romney's personal wealth. nbc's peter alexander is in washington for us this morning. peter, good morning to you. >> savannah, good morning to you. we should say congratulations. today president obama is going to try to shift the debate as you know away from the struggling jobs market towards that issue of tax fairness. he's going to be kicking off a push to temporarily extend the bush era tax cuts for the middle class only, not for wealthier people like republicans want. in the process, the president is trying to draw a clear contrast with his challenger mitt romney. for president obama, these must feel like the dog days of summer. back at the white house but still taking heat for the nation's sputtering economy, with june rounding out the weakest quarter of job growth in two years. >> we're not growing fast enough and we're not adding enough
7:06 am
jobs. >> reporter: on friday the president admitted as much. >> what's holding us back right now is not that we don't have good answers for how we can grow the economy faster or put people back to work. the problem is we've got a stalemate in washington. >> reporter: mitt romney supporters are trying to capitalize on that with a massive new ad. >> obama has lots of excuses for the bad economy. >> reporter: greeted by protesters sunday, a return to the campaign trail, mitt romney in the hamptons scooping up several million dollars during a series of campaign fundraisers. among the elite venues, $75,000 a coumadiner, a lavish 57 acre of revlon chairman ron pearlman. the reported ticket price there, up to $25,000 a head. for the obama campaign pictures of romney's week long family vacation in new hampshire illustrate his wealth. it's reports of romney's offshore accounts that the
7:07 am
president's team wants to make a central issue. >> mitt romney is not the solution. he's the problem. >> reporter: on sunday a course of democrats slammed him for lack of transparency with his finance. >> there's disturbing reports he has a bermuda corporation, secretive bermuda corporation no one knows anything about, investments in the cayman's, a swiss bank account. why does an american businessman need a swiss bank account. >> reporter: romney spokesman dismissed them as character attacks. some conservatives are questioning the nature of the campaign. days after "wall street journal" blasted the republican team for potentially squandering an historic opportunity. >> president obama had three disappointing months but he's holding his own. if i were in the romney camp that would worry me. >> reporter: you can expect to see a lot more ads especially in the key swing states.
7:08 am
$100 million worth alone. there's a new gallup poll that show it may be helping the president, 76% now say they support president obama, just 6% favor mitt romney. overall, though, this race is still neck and neck. savannah. >> robert gibbs is a senior adviser with president obama's re-election campaign. robert, good morning. >> good morning, savannah. >> let's start with the president's announcement today that he wants to extend the bush tax cuts for the middle class. you said as recently asd yesterday the president is committed to ending tax rates, this would have the effect of a tax increase on them. what would you say to an conmiss that that is the worst thing you can do in a fragile economy. >> we need to continue to grow from the middle class out. we need to give them certainty the tax rates they are paying now will be the same next year. for millionaires and
7:09 am
billionaires, they don't need a tax cut. they have done well even as the middle class shrunk. i think it's time to pay down debts and deficits by doing away with tax breaks showered on millionaires and billionaires but give certainty to middle class families. >> for a moment, in 2009 president obama acknowledged raising taxes even on the wealthy in a recession is bad for the economy. we are not technically in a recession but this is hardly a bustling economy. >> it certainly -- we've certainly made progress in this economy. we've got a long way to go. but savannah, we're going to have to make some tough choices in this country. we can't continue to spend the type of money that was spent over the last decade. i think a good place to start is saving almost a trillion dollars by doing away with tax cuts, again, for people, quite honestly, who are doing quite fine in this economy. >> let's talk about friday's jobs numbers. i know they were a
7:10 am
disappointment to the white house. it appears the president is not going to be able to run on an economy that is vastly improving. so what is his argument to voters? why is he going to say he needs another four years to do what he hasn't been able to do in the first four years. >> well, savannah, we inherited a huge mess. not just -- this all didn't start with a bank collapse on wall street. for the middle class it's been happening for a long time. we've got two very different visions in this election. one, president obama grows this economy from the middle class out and mitt romney who believes we should shower rich people with tax breaks, in regulations, go back to wall street writing their rules, somehow that's going to help the economy. we tried that for eight years. it ended in a calamitous disaster. it's now time to give the middle class a real chance in this economy. i think those are the two different contrasting visions in this campaign. >> you know the obama campaign has been getting a lot of mileage over romney's personal finances, the fact he has some
7:11 am
personal investments overseas in the cayman islands and switzerland. i guess my question to you, what relevance does this have to what the president plans to do on the economy. would you be making these kind of arguments if you had a stronger economy to run? >> absolutely we'd make these arguments. it's a great question you ask, savannah. the next president, the next four years, somebody is going to have to tackle comprehensive tax reform. they are going to have to deal with sheltering income like it appears mitt romney is doing in bermuda, caymans, switzerland. tax reform is going to be a big issue. i think american people deserve to know what tax breaks and what sheltering each of these candidates is taking advantage of. i know president obama who released years and years of tax returns isn't doing that. i think the american people deserve to know why does mitt romney have a secret bermuda corporation? why does he have a bank account in switzerland? savannah, when i pick a bank, i
7:12 am
pick a bank near my house because there's an atm i can get cash out of it. i don't think you're picking atm in switzerland because there's an atm near your house. >> robert, we have to leave it there. thank you for your time. we appreciate it. >> thank you. >> it is 7:12. here is matt. if you've been enjoying declining gas prices over the last couple of months, we have bad news for you. they are back on the rise from coast-to-coast. nbc's mara schiavocampo is at a gas station here in new york city. good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning. after weeks of watching prices go down they started moving in the other direction, much to the chagrin of people all over the countries. if history is any indication, they may be here to stay for a while. the pump got more painful. >> probably my biggest expense. >> reporter: with gas prices once again ticking back up. >> not with the gas prices. >> reporter: just how bad is it? last week the national average
7:13 am
jumps to $3.38 from $3.33. >> it's only been about $0.05 a gallon but it's pretty significant because this is the first time we've seen prices rise in about three months. >> reporter: in fact, the trend was going the opposite direction with prices dropping 75 of the previous 77 days from their peak of $3.94 a gallon back in april prompting many to hit the road. an estimated 35.5 million motorists traveled for the fourth of july, a ten-year record. so what's fueling this new increase? oil prices have been fluctuating. >> we can't be satisfied. >> disappointing jobs numbers released last week didn't help. >> everything has to do with consumer confidence in the economy and also whether or not oil prices are rising and falling. gas prices are intimately related to oil prices. >> analysts say while it's hard to predict what will happen with gas prices moving forward, they typically go up this time of year and are likely to remain high all summer. the good news here, things could
7:14 am
be much worse. these prices are still down $0.21 from this time last year and $0.55 a gallon from april. matt. >> mara schiavocampo, thank you very much. let's get a check of the other top stories. natalie morales is here at the news desk good morning. >> welcome, savannah. we're so glad to have you. you may be one of the thousands nationwide experiencing an internet blackout. after midnight they shut down a back-up server proirg access to users whose computers were affected by malware. if you're having problems connecting to the internet, contact your service provider. taliban claiming responsibility for the roadside bombing that killed six american soldiers sunday in eastern afghanistan. two other coalition troops were killed in the south. it was all part of a deadly day in afghanistan as 21 afghan civilians and police officers were killed by insurgent attacks
7:15 am
as well. special u.n. envoy kofi annan said he hammered out an agreed with bashar al-assad to bring an end to 16 months of escalating violence in syria. he will also discuss the plan with opposition forces. a cease-fire between government forces failed in april. pop singer usher's stepson has been declared brain dead. 11-year-old kyle glover struck in the head on a passing jet ski. he had been riding on an inner tube. a 15-year-old girl also seriously injured. he's the son of usher's estranged wife. the incident under investigation by officials. today hollywood remembers film legend ernest borgnine. the beloved academy award winner died sunday.
7:16 am
ernest borgnine's career spanned 50 years. people first took note of the gap toothed actor in "from here to eternity." he and in 115 movies, bad day at flat rock, "the dirty dozen." he first built a reputation playing tough guys, often the villain. >> i've been telling you all night i liked you. >> it was his tender role as a love sick butcher marty that earned borgnine an academy award. the film made him a marquee star. in the '50s he jumped ship to television. they know him as the scheming skipper in "mchale's navy." borgnine was married five times including a 38-day marriage to broadway star ethel merman.
7:17 am
he survived by his wife of 39 years tova and three adult children. he once said, quote, every time i step in front of a camera, i feel young again. in 2011 he won a life achievement award from the screen actor's guild. >> everyone always gives the best they can to our profession so people may enjoy us for many years. >> ernest borgnine was 95. it is 7:17, turn it back over to matt, savannah and al. what an amazing career. >> "mchale's navy." >> joe flynn and ernest borgnine. >> mr. roker has broken out the seersucker in honor of your first day. >> he has. it's very exciting. >> you need to rethink excitement. >> the only thing to make me happier would be matt's plaid jacket. >> maybe tomorrow. >> there you go. let's see what we've got again. as we were telling you we've got that stationary front across the mid-atlantic. risk of severe storms, roanoke,
7:18 am
raleigh as well. isolated severe thunderstorms, hail possible, damaging winds and heavy downpours. you can see the rain already firing up from the mid-atlantic states, d.c., baltimore, charleston, all the way back to little rock. rainfall amounts anywhere from one to two inches of rain over the next 24 hours from memphis all the way to clacks a good morning. a cold front across the area. all that stuff pushes further south into the 80's. south into the 80's. and that's your latest weather. savannah. >> al, thanks. london olympics 18 days away.
7:19 am
sunday wimbledon the world got a taste of the passion that the british will show their athletes. nbc's michelle kosinski has the details on that. michelle, good morning to you. >> reporter: hi. here at hallowed wimbledon, the hosts won onfor the first time in 70 years to make it into the finals. the williams sisters. high drama in the cold english summer. the wimbledon crowd was down right rowdy. every match a hard fought battle. players on this rain-slicked world stage, roger federer holding the record, olympic gold medalist. andy murray, the first british player to make it to a wimbledon final since 1976. the pressure, flag flown over
7:20 am
downing street, and disbelief. >> eddy murray in the finals at wimbledon. what more could you ask for. >> wonderful. >> reporter: people camped out overnight in the rain to get a better view from the lawn outside the match. >> it was wetter inside the tent than outside. >> under the bridge. >> it's really cold. >> reporter: watching closely court side, the prime minister, the london mayor, rupert murdoch, ronnie wood, murray's girlfriend, federer's twin, pippa and kate, who has been following and feeling every tense moment of the action. >> i do not like -- it's the most amazing thing. >> reporter: in the end, a british victory was not to be. the emotion for virtually everyone cheering him on. >> the support has been incredible. thank you. >> reporter: and for the women,
7:21 am
it was serena williams beating back injuries and her polish opponent to claim her fifth victory matching sister venus's wimbledon record and becoming the first woman in her 30s to win since martina navratilova in 19 90. williams sisters grabbed the doubles victory. next, olympics right here at wimbledon, now just days away. it's interesting for both men's and women's you had a 30-year-old player beating one in their 20s. speaking of 30 years old if you wonder why prince william was not present at this moment, he chose a different sport. he went surfing with his brother in the freezing cold waters off the southwest coast. savannah. >> he missed a good match. thank you so much. >> did you watch? it was high drama. were you rooting for federer or murray. >> federer. >> i was rooting for murray. i love federer, i love the rog,
7:22 am
as i call him. >> the rog. >> i was going for federer. make history. i know murray would become the first guy from the uk in 75 years. >> savannah calls him the murphy. >> the rog was nice to my son in new york. lifetime approval. >> murray is young. maybe we'll see him next year. still to come on monday morning, a welcoming party for savannah. this is "today" on nbc. hmm, it says here that cheerios helps lower cholesterol
7:24 am
7:25 am
one a day men's 50+ is a complete multi-vitamin designed for men's health concerns as we age. ♪ it has more of seven antioxidants to support cell health. that's one a day men's 50+ healthy advantage. to mid gradeell health. dark roast forest fresh full tank brain freeze cake donettes rolling hot dogs bag of ice anti-freeze wash and dry diesel self-serve fix a flat jumper cables 5% cashback signup for 5% cashback at gas stations through september. it pays to discover. requires daily sun protection. eucerin daily protection spf 15 body lotion is a long-lasting moisturizer and spf in one. it helps protect skin against everyday sun exposure. daily protection body lotion only from eucerin. i love the fact that quicken loans provides va loans. quicken loans understood the details
7:26 am
and guided me through every step of the process. i know wherever the military sends me, i can depend on quicken loans. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. here is a look at one of our top stories. police in baltimore county are looking for clues into a homicide. an unidentified man was shot and killed about 2:00 sunday morning. no word on a possible suspect or motive behind the shooting. lots of problems on the road. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> a lot going on in.
7:27 am
delays sat down on 95, the heaviest spot. prior to 24 all the way down to the beltway, a couple of disabled vehicles being cleared. 11 miles per hour on average. another one on glenarm road and gunpowder road. along with these delays, eastbound i-70, we have an accident causing a back up around 30 miles per hour on average. southside, watch for a crash. gorman road remains closed at murray hill road due to a downed tree. 216 is your alternate. heavy traffic from 175 all the way to the capital beltway. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> we will look at the radar. you can see this circle around
7:28 am
7:30 am
samantha guthrie at the white house. >> thanks so much, samantha. >> it's just hard to remember but we'll get it right. i promise you that. if you thought the worst was over, we're just getting warmed up. we're going to get to know more about savannah guthrie and her hair styles in the next half hour. meanwhile 7:30 monday morning. i'm matt lauer alongside the aforementioned savannah guthrie. >> shouldn't there be warning before you show that footage. >> you gave it to us. >> by the way, you were on vacation last week. how did that go? were you able to relax at all? >> no, anxiety, stress and
7:31 am
excitement. really, just excitement. >> again, more to come. we're going to get to know a little of your past in a couple minutes. >> that's scary. stay tuned for that. coming up, a great story. we've been following the story of max page, the little boy who played darth vader in a popular ad and had to undergo open-heart surgery. how is he feeling and what is next for him. max is here for his first live interview since that surgery. looking good. >> looks like he's doing great. also another commercial star getting a lot of tank because his brother is none other than brad pitt. we'll meet doug pitt when he joins us from an exclusive live interview. he's starring in a new ad for virgin mobile. we'll find out more about him. we begin this half hour with new details on the split of tom cruise and katie holmes. are they close to reaching a settlement agreement two weeks after she filed for divorce. kristen dahlgren in los angeles.
7:32 am
kristen, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. there's been some talk a deal cook imment but no word from either tom cruise or katie holmes over the weekend. kathy holmes in new york this weekend shopping at the grocery store, carrying daughter suri down the street, and stopping by her attorney's office for the second day in a row. she had no comment on the divorce providing while estranged husband tom cruise remains out of the public eye. family law attorney lisa meyer doesn't represent cruise or holmes but says she wouldn't be surprised if they never go to court. >> at the heart of it she doesn't want suri to go through a custody examination and for them to be examined about all their personal details and neither does he. >> holmes asked for sole asked of 6-year-old suri. >> i think by having joint custody katie felt there wasn't any way she was going to really be able to negotiate with her
7:33 am
soon to be ex-husband in that way. >> reporter: when cruise split from nicole kidman they shared custody but the kids remained mostly with cruise and members of scientology. cruise has been a member of the church of scientology for 15 years. >> when it comes to hollywood couplings in scientology, either your in or your out. there's no half measures there. if you're out, that marriage is as good as over. >> reporter: it appears katie may have been planning to get out for quite sometime, filing for divorce in new york after months of public outings there. with suri at museums, buying ice creams, all near her new manhattan apartment. >> the courts in new york are going to be more favorable to women on issues of child custody, visitation. >> reporter: and in the upcoming august issue of "elle" magazine
7:34 am
in an interview done before the divorce filing, katie may have hinted at the breakup saying, "i'm starting to come into my own. it's like a new phase." >> reporter: attorneys for the couple didn't return our request for congressmen. the church of scientology called it a personal matter. matt, as far as a prenuptial agreement, even if katie and tom had one, the courts don't allow those to determine custody issues. >> all right, kristen dahlgren. thank you very much. it's 34 after the hour. here is savannah. >> matt, thanks. now to a murder case that gripped the country nearly a decade ago. scott peterson is appealing his 2004 guilty verdict and death sentence for the murder of his wife and their unborn son. natalie is back with the details on that. hey, natalie. >> thank you, savannah. drew peterson claims prosecutors relied on shaky evidence and overwhelming publicity in the case affected the jury pool.
7:35 am
laysie peterson disappeared in 2002. scott peterson told police in fran he had gone fishing that day and when he returned to their home lati wasn't there. a search failed to find lass iri laci until remains of her son washed ashore. he was arrested and charged with two counts of murder. at the time of his arrest he had dyed his hair blond, grown a goatee, carried cash, credit cards and other items in his car. he was tried and convicted in 2004. in the appeal filed last thursday, peterson's attorney says the prosecutor could not prove how the crime occurred. there were no confessions or admissions of culpability. there were no eyewitnesses and no murder weapon found. >> they are raising good evidentiary issues. the problem is circumstantial
7:36 am
evidence alone is enough to establish guilt. >> reporter: the appeal also said a mob of more than 1,000 people waited outside san mateo county verdict and cheered for jurors after they found peterson guilty but before they deliberated his penalty. >> certainly the question of how the media affected these jurors will be examined carefully. but in this day and age, trials go on, particularly high-profile cases. >> peterson is on death row at san quentin state prison sending 19 hours a day alone in a single cell. >> certainly not a life that any of us would envy. >> reporter: attorney michael car dosa provided analysis and was asked to prepare him for testimony. >> he's let out of his cell five hours a day to exercise, play board games, do things in the yard with the other inmates. he's only with the people that have been sentenced to death. they call that the condemned.
7:37 am
>> a label peterson is now fighting to change. >> they are hoping a court will reverse their conviction and send them back for a second trial. >> attorneys familiar with the case say it's unlikely to be resolved for many months, perhaps years. more briefs will be filed and the court could spend a year or more on the written arguments before scheduling a hearing. >> now let's get a check of the weather from mr. roker. >> thanks so much, savannah. we've got somebody celebrating double digits. what's your name? >> natalie. you could be -- if natalie has to go on vacation, you could fill in for her. okay? good. we only have people fill in with the same name. thank you. happy birthday. let's see what we've got for you today. a look at a risk of strong storms on the coast, wet weather in texas, beautiful day in the pacific northwest. sunshine in seattle, 79.
7:38 am
86 degrees, less humid here in new york. look for 93 in beautiful tampa. as we make our way into los angeles, sunny skies and >> the good morning. rain across the area. we peaked out in the 80's >> and that's your latest weather. matt. >> all right, al. thank you very much. coming up next, a salute to savannah as we give her a laurel and hardy handshake. everything you need to know about our new co-anchor right after this. i want healthy skin for life.
7:40 am
[ female announcer ] improve the health of your skin with aveeno daily moisturizing lotion. the natural oatmeal formula improves skin's health in one day, with significant improvement in 2 weeks. i found a moisturizer for life. [ female announcer ] only from aveeno. did you know when heartburn, it's too late to take prilosec because... but it's but zantac® works differently. it relieves heartburn in as little as 30 minutes.
7:41 am
in fact, so, when heartburn strikes, try zantac® this has been medifacts for zantac® smoke? nah, i'm good. ♪ [ male announcer ] every time you say no to a cigarette, you celebrate a little win. nicoderm cq, the patch with time release smart control technology that acts fast and helps control cravings all day long. ♪ quit one day at a time with nicoderm cq.
7:42 am
we're back now at 7:41. as we've noted we're welcoming savannah guthrie to her role as co-anchor of "today." we could not be more pleased or proud. take a look. >> being a part of the "today" show is a dream come true. >> now she joins us to co-anchor the 9:00 hour. savannah, welcome. >> to stand out there and be next to everybody, it's kind of a pinch yourself moment. >> there's not many jobs you can describe as fun and actually mean it. this job is fun. >> i'm not taking a dog biscuit. i learned that trick from matt
7:43 am
lauer. your prince charles. welcome to the "today" show. >> savannah is very close to her family and loves her two little nieces. >> my mom raised us. she stayed at home. >> savannah's mom. >> are you kidding me? >> she got tired, she would just sit down right in the middle of the grocery store aisle. then she'd threaten us and say, i'll cry. she had a loudmouth. >> meredith is one of my beth friends. she's the sister i never had, i always wanted. >> my dad was in mining. i like to say i was a coal miner's daughter. when i was 16 my dad passed away. he had a heart attack. i felt a special bond with my dad. he named me, actually, after my
7:44 am
grandmother. >> i said savannah's name is savannah. >> savannah guthrie at the white house. >> thanks so much, savior. >> hi, al, i'm savannah, two ns with an h on the end. >> shoshanna. ♪ >> she missed being number one in our entire law school class by 0.2%. >> reporting live, savannah guthrie, nbc news. >> i love to write more than anything. i wanted to be a writer and reporter. i was not somebody who started and just knew how to do this job. it took me decades to learn. >> everybody on the beat liked her. she's got chops. >> savannah guthrie. >> is it possible voters can feel your still not getting it. >> today's legal correspondent
7:45 am
savannah guthrie. >> sizing up the credibility of its user. >> when the interview subject sits across from her, she will disarm you. >> what would you like to say that you are prepared to be commander in chief. >> why didn't you walk away? >> congratulations, four for four managing to find a negative approach. >> how will the rest of your day go. >> yes, from time to time, i have been a little star struck, that's true. >> you look great. >> thank you. >> how do you do that? >> how do you do that? >> i really feel like we bonded. at least i did. i'm available if meryl streep wants to hang out. ♪ >> i just couldn't get over that my jab was to attend a concert every friday and meet rock
7:46 am
stars. the first cassette tape i ever bought. >> i grew up in the '80s and had duran duran posters all over my room. i loved them with a burning fire, all of them. also i really love i just broke up with my boyfriend chick music. i try to play it on the guitar. i try to sing it. ♪ >> it's pathetic but it's true. ♪ all by myself ♪ there's no stopping us right now ♪ ♪ feel so close to you right now ♪ >> i get lots of ribbing. >> seriously. >> i don't know. i guess i had to review my crazy
7:47 am
uncle joke to be ready for matt and al. >> you can do this. you're looking like one of the angels. >> a little dance. want to see it again. >> so sweet of you to buy me this. >> she is a classic klutz. >> i'm very excited about the olympics. i just hope they don't want me to do anything athletic. >> she has a collection of bruiseses. >> savannah always has at least one broken heel. >> she's trying to do so much, something is going to break. >> there's truly nothing i can do in the kitchen. let's move on. >> al was one of the first people i felt i really got to know a little bit. now he has a heart of gold. he has become a friend and somebody to get into mischief with. >> savannah, i love you. >> thank you, matt. >> the one thing about matt is, he really teases me relentlessly. >> tall, elegant and lit by
7:48 am
9:00. enough about you. >> once i realized he does that to everyone, i felt better. >> i'll just come in earlier. >> then i knew, okay, i'm starting to fit in here. it's always scary to start a new job. i'm looking forward to getting to know everybody a little bit better. >> was that fun or horrifying. >> like attending your own funeral. >> you could have chosen a better phrase. >> we learned just about everything we could learn about you from the point you were a child. but we found one other thing. your favorite book -- >> no, no, no. >> the name of your favorite book. >> "war and peace." >> nice try. >> please, commercial, everybody. >> favorite book growing up was a book, your mom told me "dreams can come true."
7:49 am
it featured the picture of the cheerleader. she dreams of being beautiful, popular, becoming a cheerleader and dreams of having a handsome boyfriend. then she sees kip. "gree "dreams can come true." >> out of print but we found it for you. >> a nightmare. in all seriousness, this is a little unexpected as we all know. i want to say i'm so proud and honored to be in a place occupied by so many women i admire, ann, meredith, katie and jane, debra, barbara, hope i didn't miss anybody. >> you'll hear if you did. >> i love being with you guys every day. thank you. >> so happy for you. >> this, mom and dad, forget it. >> you are a cheerleader around here. you fit right in. >> she left her pompoms upstairs. >> and then she sees kip.
7:50 am
>> it was a really good book. can you borrow it. >> i'm going to wait until it comes out on tape. >> we're back after this. [ female announcer ] what makes florida's natural orange juice taste so uniquely fresh and delicious? is it the rich florida soil? or the perfect blend of sunshine, rain, and temperature? maybe it's the fact that florida's natural oranges are never imported. they're raised right here in florida, and passed with care from our hands to yours. 100% pure. 100% florida. florida's natural. of single mile credit cards. battle speech right? may i? [ horse neighs ] for too long, people have settled for single miles. with the capital one venture card, you'll earn double miles on every purchase, every day! [ visigoths cheer ]
7:51 am
hawaii, here we come. [ alec ] so sign up today for a venture card at capitalone.com. and start earning double. [ all ] double miles! [ brays ] what's in your wallet? can you play games on that? not on the runway. no. can you play games on that? celebrate the biggest sale of the year. the 25th anniversary sale and sweepstakes at petsmart. save up to 25% on thousands of items, and don't miss big savings on your cat's favorite brands of canned food during our canapalooza event. only at petsmart®. why severy room deserves ll us what outo look great.or is? and every footstep should tell us we made the right decision. so when we can feel our way through the newest, softest, and most colorful options... ...across every possible price range... ...our budgets won't be picking the style. we will. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. make room for savings with $37 basic installation on martha stewart living and platinum plus carpet.
7:52 am
7:53 am
news. fire. and the doctor said, cindie, you have shingles. fire. he said, you had chickenpox when you were a little girl... i said, yes, i did. i don't think anybody ever thinks they're going to get shingles. but it happened to me. for more of the inside story, visit shinglesinfo.com but they haven't experienced extra strength bayer advanced aspirin. in fact, in a recent survey, 95% of people who tried it agreed that it relieved their headache fast. visit fastreliefchallenge.com today for a special trial offer. the lines, the cost, the hassle. ♪ express yourself [ female announcer ] why not try coffee-mate? with over 25 delicious flavors for a fraction of the cost of the coffee house. add your flavor, with coffee-mate, from nestle. add your flavor, would you mind if to be i go ahead of you?omer. instead we had someone go ahead of him and win fifty thousand dollars.
7:54 am
congratulations you are our one millionth customer. people don't like to miss out on money that should have been theirs. that's why at ally we have the raise your rate 2-year cd. you can get a one-time rate increase if our two-year rate goes up. if your bank makes you miss out, you need an ally. ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense.
7:55 am
i wish i could keep it this way. [ male announcer ] even after a dental cleaning... plaque quickly starts to grow back. but new crest pro-health clinical plaque control toothpaste can help. it not only reduces plaque... it's also clinically proven... to help keep plaque from coming back. plus, it works in these other areas dentists check most. ♪ new crest pro-health clinical plaque control toothpaste. life opens up when you do. for extra plaque protection try new crest pro-health clinical rinse.
7:56 am
>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. this has been a rough one. here is sarah caldwell. >> still dealing with delays on 95. and little improvement from harford county. delays begin from 24 to the beltway. glenarm road, gunpowder road, accident still wrapping up. dowler towards dulaney valley, and southbound 83, shawan road, average speeds of 18 miles per
7:57 am
hour. eastbound -70, you are tapping the brakes with an accident on the right shoulder. just past 895 tel watch for delays due to an accident. aviation blvd., if you're heading to the airport, watch for that. gorman road and murray hill road, all lanes remained closed due to a downed tree. 83 and sahwan, delays from this point to the beltway. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. over to you, john. >> north of the city, generally speaking, rain has ended. southlawn to the eastern shore, we're getting rain. temperature-wise, we're still on the one side. -- warm side. barometer is down.
7:58 am
7:59 am
8:00 am
monday morning. it's the 9th day of july, 2012. you know, the folks we're looking at right now picked a really good morning to come to new york city and join in sightseeing because blistering temperatures from last week have gone down. we're at 77 degrees. looks like we're going to get a little bit of a break for the next several days. out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer with savannah guthrie and al roker. coming up, a little boy we've been following for the last several years really. >> following and falling in love with, 7-year-old max page. everyone remembers him as the little darth vader in that super bowl ad from last year.
8:01 am
max was born with a congenital heart defect and last month underwent open-heart surgery. how is he feeling right now? he will tell us in a live exclusive interview. there he is. he looks fantastic. >> he's out on the plaza doing great. also, brad pitt, watch your back, because your brother doug pitt is taking a star turn of his own. he stars in a new ad for virgin mobile. and basically he's showing off his normal guy lifestyle. very funny ad. we'll catch up with doug pitt in just a couple of minutes. and then manny the mammoth, sid the sloth, they are all coming back in the fabulous ice age 4, continental drift. stars ray ramona, queen latifah, john all will be here. >> i love that movie. let's go inside. natalie at the news desk. good morning, natalie.
8:02 am
>> good morning. the heat wave that gripped the eastern half of the nation is finally easing up. officials say the streak of record temperatures claimed at least 74 lives nationwide in the past two weeks. now farmers in the midwest are desperate for rain to relieve a drought that sent corn prices soaring 35%. president obama is using a white house address today to push congress for a one-year extension of tax cuts for the middle class only. republicans want to extend those cuts for all americans. meantime the mitt romney campaign is calling renewed criticism of the republican candidate's personal finances, quote, desperate character attacks. let's head to wall street, cnbc's mandy drury at the new york stock exchange. good morning, mandy. >> good morning. days the kickoff of the second car earnings season. companies with the s&p 500 are expected to post a 5.8% rise over last year in terms of their aerpgs. we're hoping earnings will help put the focus back on corporate issue and economy at home
8:03 am
instead of ongoing debt crisis in europe. regulators move to allow political donations by text messages. supporters of this say by allowing text messages for political donations, it allows people who can only give a few dollars at a time to campaign. back to you, natalie. >> mandy drury at new york stock exchange, thanks so much. the college student with the flesh eating bacteria has reached a new milestone in her recover. good morning. >> reporter: she is expected to be at an undisclosed rehab facility for the next weeks. now we know she's off to a great story. for most people they are every day tasks. for aimee copeland, they are milestones. >> i was astonished when i saw it. >> reporter: on his facebook page, her father writes, just a quick note, aimee fed herself for the first time.
8:04 am
she can now brush her teeth. how is that for only four full days of rehab. yeah, i'm beaming from ear to ear right now. >> just being able to tackle this and tackle it head on and basically make the most of it at a very early stage in the rehab process is absolutely phenomenal. >> last week aimee was transferred from a georgia hospital to a rehab center. the 24-year-old grad student lost her limbs to a flesh eating bacteria after a zip lining accident in may. copeland says his daughter is now using velcro cuffs stuck to the ends of her arms with a fork and toothbrush attached. >> just surviving this infection, this nasty spreading infection which kills up to 50% of its victims is already a great accomplishment. >> reporter: later this week aimee is scheduled to be fitted with her first prosthetics. >> i don't know that she's extraordinary. she's a normal person but she's just really responded quite well
8:05 am
to extraordinary circumstances. >> reporter: and later today here at the snellville city council meeting members of the community are expected to present the copeland family with a check to help with medical expenses. natalie. >> good to hear how well she's doing. thanks so much, gabe gutierrez in snellville, georgia. a roundup of what has you talking online. courtney kardashian has a daughter. revealed in a tweet by kim kardashian who wrote, welcome to the world, penelope scotland. justin bieber fighting back after his run in with the paparazzi. he's filing harrisment against one of the photographers who allegedly chased him down a california freeway. bieber was pulled over and cited for speeding. this video goes viral shows what happened when a fox reporter met a stray cat during
8:06 am
a live news feed in grand rapids, michigan. there you go. a little surprise. 8:05. back outside to al with a check of the weather. >> you never know. hate when that happens. let's see what we've got for you. pick city of the day just happens to be the lovely utica, new york, news channel 2, sunny, pleasant, 81 degrees. a lovely day today there as we look and show you what we've got on the radar. strong storms making their way across the mid-atlantic, stretch all the way back into texas. we're looking at the heat continuing out west. 102 in boise. risk of strong storms along mid-atlantic, plenty of sunshine, cooler weather, new england, across the great lakes, temperatures in the mid to upper 80s. lower humility -- humidity. look at this. watch out, new york, here comes
8:07 am
grandma. all right. the shert clacks a good morning. a cold front across the area. all that stuff pushes further south into the 80's. >> and that's your latest weather. matt. >> all right, al. thanks very much. we all fell in love with the pint-sized darth vader from the super bowl ads. how is max page doing three weeks after open-heart surgery. he's in our studio and we'll catch up with him in a few minutes after these messages. help stop the damage before it stops you
8:08 am
with humira, adalimumab. for many adults with moderate to severe ra, humira's proven to help relieve pain and stop joint damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma or other types of cancer, have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. ask your rheumatologist how you can defend against and help stop further joint damage with humira. look no further than the new chocolate chip frappé from mccafé. every bit as delicious as the mccafé frappés you love,
8:09 am
only this one has a bit more wow. bits of chocolate chips in every sip, blended into mocha and caramel, all topped with a double drizzle of chocolate and sweet caramel. you've never had a frappé like this. better get your hands on one quick, 'cause it's only here for a little bit. the simple joy of the perfect sip. requires daily sun protection. eucerin daily protection spf 15 body lotion is a long-lasting moisturizer and spf in one. it helps protect skin against everyday sun exposure. daily protection body lotion only from eucerin.
8:10 am
8:11 am
underwent open-heart surgery last month. we'll we're going to talk to max page and his mom in just a moment. but first the latest on their story. he captured our hearts as the pint-sized darth vader struggling to summon the force. when max page and on "today," he revealed the force behind the mask, his strength of character. since then max, only 7 years old now, has been through a lot. born what congenital heart
8:12 am
defect, he's already had eight surgeries. the most recent one last month. >> i just keep a good attitude through all. i just keep a good attitude. >> doctors inserted a new pulmonary valve into max's heart allowing it to function more effectively. >> what's wrong with the circulation has been corrected. most of the things we worry about in the surgery are sort of in the rearview mirror. >> i want to go home. >> this is part of his life, part of who he is and what he does. >> part of who max is is a boy always on the go. even before his surgery, he began listing all the things he'd be able to do as part of his recovery. his home, a testament to a boy whose heart is now up to the task of playing again. >> we have the explode zone. can't clean up. keep it messy. >> can't change him. he's full of life, full of energy, engaging, cares about people. >> his heart surgery has been a
8:13 am
journey for max's whole family including his six-year-old brother. >> when i came, he knew i was there, knew i was on his side. >> so are his fans around the world. >> they share some of their day to write me a card. it helps me so much. >> the original darth vader himself sent well wishes. >> my mouth dropped to the floor. james sent me a real read written card. >> he has five weeks to go before he can use his new force to the fullest. >> the sternum hasn't completely healed yet at this point. we have to hold him back a little as the bone fracture heals. >> as usual max is looking ahead to that play and already making plans. >> i can't wait until i can run around and play and just come back to being a normal kid. >> and max page and his mother
8:14 am
jennifer are with us exclusively. good morning to both of you. >> hi, good morning. >> max, you look great. you sound great. how do you feel? >> i feel awesome. i feel really great. >> can you tell the difference already between how you felt before the surgery and how you feel now? >> it feels way better. my heart feels better now. >> how did it feel before? were you tired a lot? >> i got tired more easily. >> and since the surgery -- >> i've just held up. i've just been good. >> i know that you are recovering right now, so you have to hang out at the house a little bit more. is that hard? have you been wanting to get outside and run around? >> a little but obviously got to fly to hear. so, i have to lay low. yeah, i have to lay low. >> what are some of the things you've been doing around the house. i know you guys funned up the house to make it more exciting. >> we've been making milkshakes,
8:15 am
games. >> lots of art. >> art. yeah, art. >> anything you've gotten really good at while you've been at home recovering? >> probably cards. >> cribbage. >> you beating everybody in the family? >> so far beating mom. she's the only one that knows how to play. >> jennifer, it must do your heart good to see how well max is doing. just give everybody an update how the surgery went and what his prognosis is. >> surgery went really well, as well as can be expected. he was in icu about four days. we had surgery on thursday and home by monday afternoon. pretty amazing. our biggest concern now is making sure the sternum heals. heartwise he's doing great. he says he feels better than he ever has. that makes me happy but also a little sad. i had no idea how much pressure. it was equivalent like wearing a backpack to him, a weighted
8:16 am
backpack. now he feels light. our biggest challenge is holding him back. he wants to run, he's such an athlete. he's like when can i audition. >> we're ready for darth vader two for sure. i heard cool things happened when you were in the hospital. you got to see the stanley cup? >> i got to see the cup when i was recovering, a week later i got to see the stanley cup. >> what else did you get to do with the stanley cup? >> i got to drink out of it. >> milkshakes? >> i wish. >> well, we're so happy to see you doing so well. i know you're little brother has been by your side? >> uh-huh. he's always been right here. >> max, you are just a doll. we're so happy to see you doing so well. and jennifer, you, too. keep in touch both of you. >> congratulations on your new job. >> thank you, sweetie pie.
8:17 am
we'll see you running around later this summer. coming up next, unlikely star of a new ad campaign. we're going to introduce you to brad pitt's brother doug right after this. now you can apply sunblock to your kids' wet skin. neutrogena® wet skin kids. ordinary sunblock drips and whitens. neutrogena® wet skin cuts through water. forms a broad spectrum barrier for full strength sun protection. wet skin. neutrogena®. because vitamin d3 helps bones absorb calcium,
8:18 am
caltrate's double the d. it now has more than any other brand to help maximize calcium absorption. so caltrate women can move the world. mine was earned off vietnam in 1968. over the south pacific in 1943. i got mine in iraq, 2003. usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation. because it offers a superior level of protection, and because usaa's commitment to serve the military, veterans and their families is without equal. begin your legacy, get an auto insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve. taste so uniquely fresh and delicious? is it the rich florida soil? or the perfect blend of sunshine, rain, and temperature? maybe it's the fact that florida's natural oranges are never imported. they're raised right here in florida, and passed with care
8:19 am
from our hands to yours. 100% pure. 100% florida. florida's natural. 100% florida. try our new lunch-size grilled chicken fajitas, with sauteed onions and peppers, served with soup or salad. lunch break combos, starting at 6 bucks. enjoy them with friends, because a lunch together feeds the friendship. hershey's drops. a lot of hershey's happiness in little drops of milk chocolate. and cookies n creme. pure hershey's. ♪ [ [ barks ] [ announcer ] all work and no play... will make allie miss her favorite part of the day. [ laughing ] that's why there's beneful baked delights. from crispy crackers to shortbread cookie dog snacks, they're oven-baked to surprise and delight.
8:20 am
beneful baked delights: a unique collection of four snacks... to help spark play in your day. ...more talk on social security... ...but washington isn't talking to the american people. [ female announcer ] when it comes to the future of medicare and social security, you've earned the right to know. ♪ ...so what does it mean for you and your family? [ female announcer ] you've earned the facts. ♪ washington may not like straight talk, but i do. [ female announcer ] and you've earned a say. get the facts and make your voice heard on medicare and social security at earnedasay.org. we're back at 8:20 with the second most famous pitt. doug pitt is stepping out of his brother's shadow as the spokesperson for virgin mobile australia. a campaign ad spoofing his very normal life. take a look.
8:21 am
>> announcer: this is doug pitt, the second most famous pitt in his family. >> hello, everyone. my name is doug pitt, welcome to my home. come inside. let me take you for a tour. this is my man room. family doesn't have my appreciation for '70s classic rock. this baby right here, it scans, it prints, it faxes, 1200 dpi, black and white. i'm going to upgrade to color. but right now this baby gets it done. what i like about this car, look at it. it's sporty, stylish, me. >> that's a minivan one way or the other. doug pitt is with us. >> thank you for having me. >> how does this feel? do you like the attention? you've lived for a long time with brad getting the attention, how do you like it? >> it's a little surreal but it's fun. the whole campaign is tongue in cheek and fun. >> you told the people at virgin mobile you're not an actor.
8:22 am
in fact, you're a pretty private person. this would be outside your comfort zone. what was it like shooting the video. >> they took a big chance. they really had no idea. honestly, i thought it would just play in australia. when it hit, i told nobody, employees, friends. all of a sudden i started getting calls, i panicked. i called virgin mobile australia and said, hey, what's going on. no, i'm thrilled with the response. a million plus there. it's fun. >> most is accurate. you're a normal guy. run a family computer business, a philanthropist as well. was everything accurate? was that your actual home? >> no, it's not my home. i don't mow much, don't cook. i have a man room. i do have a man room. it was tongue in cheek. >> did you call brad? obviously if you're the second most filmo ofamous pitt, did yo to ask brad for permission to do
8:23 am
this? >> he's been in this game 25 years and i've never stepped in. the timing was fun. virgin mobile came up with the creative. i called and said, what do you think? he said do it. >> did he get to see the finished product? >> i was out riding my bike, got a text that said, hey, just saw it. hilarious. >> there's obviously a resemblance between you and brad. when you're out on the street, you get stopped and people think you're another actor. >> early on, 10 or 15 years it was val kilmer, never heard brad pitt's name. when i turned into my 40s, the brad thing came up more. >> you're married, three kids. i understand there's not a week that goes by you don't have what would be a couple of brad pitt moments. >> it's -- i do. >> what do they want to know? what do they ask you? >> most is innocuous, nice, is
8:24 am
brad coming to down? what's he doing? what's angelina like? >> do you tell any nasty stories, make things up. >> there have been these questions for a long, long time. i understand the interest and appreciate it. >> now that you've had a little exposure in the limelight here, would you like to perhaps trade places with him for a week to get a sense of what his like is like? >> i've had that seat to be able to watch, again, for 25 years what he goes through. there is a price that he pays. again, to his admission, he welcomed it himself, walked into it. he's done extremely well and i'm really proud of him. >> how do you think he would do if he were to take a week and spend it in your normal life. >> i think he does normal, he and angie. they do a great job shutting out the noise to some degree that you can. >> your mom made some headlines recently with an op-ed she wrote talking about politics and social issues. i don't want to get into what
8:25 am
she wrote or what brad's views are but let's just say they are different. >> they are different. >> they disagree on a lot of key issues. has that over the years created interesting times at thanksgiving dinner. >> i think moms and dads and kids disagree all over the world. why would our family be different. no. there can be healthy discussion when people disagree with you and it should be. the bad thing is when it turns to venom and negativity. we don't have that in our family. it's open discussion. we learn from each other. if anything it solidifies your point or maybe you learn something. >> the name of the charity. >> i'm thrilled with virgin mobile bringing a platform to care to learn. a charity is southwest missouri a kid shows up for school, health, hunger, hygiene, we get it funded. i want people to learn about it. we've been able to fund over 100,000 cases in four year's time. >> philanthropy runs in your family. doug, great to meet you.
8:26 am
>> appreciate it. >> back after local news. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> let's get a final check on the morning commute with traffic pulse 11 and sarah caldwell. >> dealing with a new accident on 50. if you are heading past ritchie highway, we have an accident there. two lanes are closed at accident scene. watch for delays on 295 from 100 towards the capital beltway. gorman road remains closed at murray hill road due to a tree down. just ask 100, accident clearing.
8:27 am
northbound 95 past 895, another accident wrapping up. eastbound 70, looking at delays towards the beltway. the accident has been cleared in baltimore national pike. accident and delays just past the j.f.x. slow, jammed packed ride from approaching 152 down to the 895 split. live look at york road. lingering delays and the outer loop. over to you, john. >> the rain is out of i-95 east. spots of heavier rain in anne arundel county and montgomery county. temperature-wise, 72 at the airport. humidity is a little high. some five downtown.
8:28 am
8:30 am
8:31 am
i don't usually do the introductions. >> weird for us. >> speaking of weird, wooly mammoth, saber tooth sloth walk into an iceberg. what is it called? ice age. >> anyway, atmosphere great movie. we are going to have the stars of that movie here. coming up. also ahead since it's your first day here we're going to have a little surprise. nothing too humiliating. >> you've already done a little humiliating. >> a little surprise. >> are we ready for the spanking tunnel? then the olympic games kick off in just 18 days. we're going to head a little north of london to scotland to show you the sports they enjoy up there. and we'll go for a chilly dip in loch ness. tell about the shrinkage, jerry. >> zac brown band rocking our
8:32 am
plaza this friday. if you plan to come down, be sure to bring your best zach brown sign and they will pick the favorite and you'll get a ticket to the concert. >> mr. roker, talk to us about the weather. >> we're basically looking at fairly decent weather today along the eastern coast. as the week ahead moves on, you're going to see wet weather staying through the mid-atlantic states into the southeast. that's the early part of the week. above normal temperatures out west. mid part of the week, the rain stays south. above normal temperatures in the west. the latter part of the week, continue with weather in mid-atlantic. above normal temperatures, great lakes into the interior sections of new york, new england, and we're looking at above normal temperatures continuing out west. that's wha >> the good morning. rain across the area.
8:33 am
8:34 am
8:36 am
manny and his friends to brave the high seas and enemies to get back to the lives they know and love. ray romano, queen latifah and john leguizamo, sid the sloth we all love. i need a little moral support. this the fourth "ice age" movie. what made you all want to come back and do it again? don't say because you get to do it in your pajamas. >> millions of dollars. >> it was a good script. a really tight script. pirates. we get kidnapped, a lot of adventure. >> is there something liberating about voicing a character, about getting to get into that character without having to put your face on the screen? >> well, as you get older -- >> it's a benefit. >> you don't have to worry about that. you can do it in your pajamas. yeah, but it's fun to not only get into the act but where else
8:37 am
are you going to get into these situations? not in live actions. >> we've been following manny's career for many years now. he's kind of evolving, ray, would you say? >> if you mean getting older, yes. that's why i like this script because he -- manny has been living what i'm living. you know, in this movie he has a daughter who is becoming her own person and wants to branch out. it's very organic to what i'm going through. my daughter just graduated college. yeah, it's all real. >> queen latifah, you play manny's wife. you're kind of the voice of reason in this family? >> she didn't start off that way. she started off thinking she was a opossum. but yeah. she has evolved. has a teenager daughter she's cool with. >> raising prehistorics, teens,
8:38 am
there are parallel. >> this movie is really fun. i conceded to do it because i love it. my nephews and nieces love it. it's something grownups enjoy. so well written. animation is unbelievable. we've added so many cool characters on this. we're excited to give it to the world. it's funny, a good ride. >> john, what about sid the sloth. he's a sloth but quite energetic. >> the fastest moving sloth there ever was. sloths don't do anything fast. they haven't evolved. the same they were back then. the only time they move fast is when they are making love, which is odd. the only thing they do quick. >> learn a lot about sloths. >> watched discovery channel and learned a lot. >> you mentioned new characters, nicki minaj. >> wanda sykes plays my grandma. >> i heard she's hilarious.
8:39 am
>> she killed it. >> not a beloved relative. >> she's abusive, but sid the sloth is used to that. they abandoned him in the first episode. he's used to this abuse. >> was it fun to get these characters involved? >> that's another reason i loved doing it. i got some street credit because there's so many cool people. >> you said you lost cool points with your kids because you haven't done these in a while. >> as i'm getting older -- when my kids were younger, i was their hero. now they are starting to see behind the curtain like the wizard of oz, see who i really am. this was cool to get to work with all these cool people. i did gain a couple more points with them but it's only going to last so long. >> i know we're only on "ice age" 4 but could there be a 5? >> we have something to welcome you here, a little ice bucket. >> you guys know the way to my heart, drinking, champagne.
8:40 am
thank you so much. this may not be my first drink i've had to. >> we're not asking any questions. >> we're adults. >> ray romano, queen latifah, john leguizamo, thank you so much. "ice age" opens in theaters nationwide. coming up, an ancient competition in scotland to get you ready for the london olympics. but first this is "today" on nbc. [ male announcer ] now at your neighborhood subway: the new santa fe steak melts. get extra grande flavor with the santa fe steak & bacon melt or add egg for a santa fe steak, bacon & egg melt, perfect for breakfast or any time of day. subway. eat fresh.
8:42 am
we are back now at 8:42. the opening ceremony of the london olympics just 18 days away. we know the competition is going to be fierce. to get ready nbc's special correspondent ben fogel thought he'd try his hand at another intense event. ben, good morning. nice to have you in new york. >> good morning, matt. that's right. i actually headed up north to scotland where they have their
8:43 am
own set of sporting traditions like nothing else in the world. my first stop is edenboro and a visit. joey has an unconventional take on the clothing. definitely want something that stands out. >> got the thing for you, ben. >> that sorted, i'm heading north. i know of no more spectacular place in the world than scotland. from the brooding grandeur of the highlands to the breathtaking beaches of the western isles, it's a world landscape of fairy tale castles like the tower. is it as romantic as we imagined. >> we got engaged. >> congratulations. >> today at loch ness, i'm not looking for the monster. >> come on in, the water is
8:44 am
lovely. >> really? i'm going for a dip with swthis swimmer. 40 degrees, she does it every week. what is it about swimming you like? >> i like the solitude. >> not worried aboutness coming up grabbing you. >> you never know when you'll see nessie. >> more worried about the cold than the monster. >> next i'm to compete in the highland games. but first -- what do you think of my outfit. would you wear this? >> i don't think so. >> this is a special, beautiful horn, three belts here. look at the back. i actually got my number put on it. >> very nice. >> now to the serious business of tossing. former champion john robertson is going to give me a few
8:45 am
tossing tips. we'll find out later whether his tuition paid off. the games are in full swing. i get a chance to size up the competition. not small, are they? >> me next. no going back now. thank you very much. no pressure. next time. that was the warm-up. that was feeble fogel. now it's my third and final toss. success. well, sofrt of. what do you think my chances of
8:46 am
winning are. >> not much. >> last in the competition, mr. ben fogel. >> thank you very much. [ applause ] >> last. i came last. but i looked the best. can i remind you it's the taking part that counts. that did way 220 pounds. >> 100 kilos. >> your distance was? >> not very far. we don't need to mention the actual distance. >> you tried. >> i tried. >> i'm very proud of you. i'm going to join you -- you're going to be joining us in london as well. >> i can't wait. the fever is there. lots of rain. pretty bad weather. extraordinary few weeks. >> the weather will get much nicer. ben, thanks again. up next, a special surprise for savon her first morning as co-anchor of the program. but first this is "today" on nbc. ♪
8:48 am
♪ [ male announcer ] everyone likes a bit of order in their life. virtual wallet helps you get it. keep track of spending, move money with a slide, and use the calendar. all to see your money how you want. ♪ as you know by now, this is savannah's first morning as co-anchor. we all know she often tells us, tells us a lot, actually, she is multi-talented. one of those talents includes playing guitar. ♪ >> i had this thing in my early 20s, my mom bought me a little guitar. i picked it up and learned a few chords. i taught myself how to play guitar and it shows.
8:49 am
i love her early stuff. she's one of the best guitar players. she has a beautiful voice. she sings like an angel but people don't talk about it as much. she is a really good guitar player. she's amazing. >> in fact, you love her so much you put it at the top of the "bucket list" as we recently talked about "bucket list"s. so cross it off the list. let's bring her in. >> i love you. >> i love you, too. >> sit down. >> a girl crush. >> i cannot believe this. >> i heard you played guitar. >> no, you play guitar, i fool around. >> i think you should play guitar with me. >> talk about a little hazing. >> awkward. >> no, no, no, you play.
8:50 am
>> i know what song we're going to play. >> i don't. >> yes, you do. it's the one you taught. >> i tried. put it on the right fret. let me take this bracelet off. this is huge. you just play and i'll pretend to play. >> we should say this is a bob dylan song savannah knows very well. ♪ >> you're going to sing with me, aren't you? ♪
8:51 am
♪ ♪ >> terrific. >> come on, sing it out, girl. you do it. >> actually, should we put her out of her misery a little bit and let her relax. would you do us a favor and play us a song from your new album. would you do that? first of all, for savannah, very nice job. >> i'm proud to be here. i have to switch guitars.
8:52 am
8:55 am
>> welcome savannah on her first day. thank you so much. you did great. that was a complete surprise. you had no idea you were going to do that. >> i was shocked. are you kidding? >> that is a dream of a lifetime. thank you. >> do you want to come back tomorrow? >> she's ready to go on tour. >> "all fall down." back in a moment after these messages from your local news and weather.
8:56 am
8:58 am
8:59 am
1,097 Views
IN COLLECTIONS
WBAL (NBC) Television Archive Television Archive News Search ServiceUploaded by TV Archive on