round two. a second wave of brutal heat stretching from the dakotas to the northeast today. this after a weekend of strong storms and a lightning strike that killed two men and injured another in texas. mounting pressure. mitt romney facing new calls to release more of his tax returns. and this time they are coming from dominant conservatives. and the hunt is on. a massive search launched for a great white that killed a surfer off the coast of australia, and it comes on the heels of this dangerous encounter. a great white gets between a boat and two divers and starts to swim right at them. fortunately they made it safely back to dry land today, monday, fortunately they made it safely back to dry land today, monday, july 16th, 2012.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> and good morning. welcome to "today" on this monday morning. i'm savannah guthrie. >> i'm willie geist in for matt this morning. something like 94 degrees in new york today and we're the lucky ones. >> we're getting used to this, aren't we? >> a scorcher across the country. heat reports in 12 states. >> headed into the 90s this afternoon. could be hotter tomorrow. we'll tell you just how hot it's going to get where you are straight ahead. new details on an accident involving robert kennedy's daughter kerry. she was charged with driving while impaired and told police she had taken the prescription drug ambien earlier in the day. kennedy's doctors was looking into whether she may have had a

seizure. more on that coming up. we also told you about the mother diagnosed with the flesh eating bacteria days after giving birth to twins. she's undergone 20 surgical procedures. this morning she'll open up about her recovery for the first time in an exclusive live interview. the blame game in london. who pulled the plug on concert performance by music legend bruce springsteen and paul mccartney. you just don't do that. the story in a minute. we begin with the return of the brutal heat. the weather channel's stephanie abrams in for al this morning. >> good morning. we'll talk more about the heat in just a minute. but first i want to take you into houston and talk more about the lightning strike that killed two during a soccer game and injured another. they were taking shelter under a tree, the absolute worst spot you can be because lightning will go to the highest point. one man died at the scene, a

second taken to the hospital, a third treated for burns. the temperatures, the plains, midwest all the way to the northeast, we will see the 90s. we will see the triple digit readings yet again, all thanks to a big high pressure that is sitting over the area. that is keeping us baking here. you can even see portions of the plains. there is the ridge with the jet stream to the north. allows the warm temperatures to go far to the north as well. there is a cool-off in store. we'll see temperatures back towards average. chicago, mid-80s, back there by wednesday. >> stephanie, thank you. temperatures rising on the campaign trail as well as president obama and mitt romney trade jabs over romney's days with bain capital. the president is refuseing to back down. nbc's peter alexander is in washington this morning with more. peter, good morning to you. >> reporter: savannah, good monday morning to you.

this furious back and forth is more intense in the last few days with charges and counter-charges. as the president heads to ohio to campaign, a leading democrat says mitt romney is running from his business record at bain capital like a scalded cat. those are his words. a romney adviser is accusing the obama campaign of lies. in what's become an increasingly bitter slugfest, both president obama and mitt romney are fighting to control this summer's political debate. in an interview with nbc's norfolk, virginia affiliates this weekend the president rejected romney's call for an apology over the obama campaign's attack. >> first of all, you're not going to apologize. >> no, we won't be apologizing. >> reporter: in fact, the obama campaign is doubling down with a new ad using romney's rendition of "america the beautiful" to go after romney's jobs record. for his part romney is slamming president obama for what he has called an outrageous and

reckless campaign. >> whatever happened to hope and change. >> i'm mitt romney and i approved this message. >> reporter: in an interview with cbs news, the president admitted washington feels as broken as four years and conceded his handling of the economy, the basis for romney's attacks is fair game. >> you don't hear me complaining about making that argument. if i was in his shoes, i would be making the same argument. >> reporter: romney who spent the weekend relaxes in his summer home in new hampshire, attending church sunday morning is still fending off the timing of his departure from bain capital. one of his partners from bane told msnbc that even though he's listed on documents as the ceo of bain after 1999, he was no longer running the firm then, when companies bain managed began outsourcing the jobs. >> during the time, we could hardly get mitt to come back to negotiate the terms of his departure because he was working on the olympics. >> reporter: still democrats continue their offensive against

romney. >> stop whining. i give him his own advice. stop whining. >> reporter: during our interview friday romney challenged the obama campaign, once again insisting he would only release two years of tax returns. >> their strategy is to, quote, kill romney, end of quote. the american people want instead a discussion about the direction of the company. >> reporter: there is growing pressure for romney to share more of those tax returns. you'll remember his own father released 12 years' worth during his 1968 presidential bid. now, savannah, some prominent conservatives are urging romney to put more returns out. they say get it over with. one even calling romney's refusal to do so, quote, crazy. savannah. >> peter alexander, thank you. steve schmidt is an msnbc political analyst and served as senior adviser to john mccain's campaign in 2008. steve, good morning to you. >> good morning, savannah. >> let's start on the issue of tax returns. if you look at what presidential

candidates have turned over in the last years you see mitt romney is on the letter of the law but the low end of the norm. do you think he left the impression with voters that perhaps he does have something to hide? >> well, i think one of the things that characterizes our politics today is the collapse of trust in institutions of government by the american people. so when you don't disclose something, one side is demanding you disclose it. people in your own party are saying you want to disclose it. i think the american people look at it and they go immediately to what's he hiding whether he is or not. >> you think you should turn i over to make the issue go away. >> i think it's a difficult issue going forward. they have a decision to make. if they are going to fold on this and release more, they should do it now. if they are going to dig in on it, they need to make hur they are going to dig in on it permanently and ride out the bad press that's going to come from

it. >> on the issue of bain capital, it seems the obama campaign is going to try to turn this major credential romney has to run for president into a liability. have they been successful at doing that? >> they haven't been successful so far when you look at the polls. it remains a very, very close race. there's no doubt they are trying to knock down one of the central pillars of romney's candidacy, which is his ability to give a critique of the president on the economy from his private sector experience. the obama campaign is going at that very, very hard right now. >> if nothing else romney is now on the obama campaign's agenda. he scheduled five network interviews late last week to respond to these issues. in one sense are you surprised the romney campaign isn't better prepared for these attacks? it's well-known this was obama campaign's plan to go after him this way and newt gingrich did it during the primary? >> the bain attacks have been a centerpiece of attacks since

mitt romney since 1994 when he ran for office. they knew it was coming. this is much more part of the rhythm of a presidential campaign. this is mitt romney's first real defensive posture since he won the republican nomination. both campaigns go through this. is the campaigns that are best able to handle the down cycles that wind up on top in november. real quickly, romney asked the president to apologize for these attacks. is that smart? >> no, i don't think it was a particularly smart thing to do. for one, mitt romney is not a particularly sympathetic character on this front. no one feels sorry for him. the race is about the american people. it's not about mitt romney. it's not about mitt romney's feeling on an issue like this. mitt romney would have been much better off hitting back, pivoting, pivoting to a contrast on the economy and begin taking the fight to the president. >> steve, i can't let you go without asking about the vp selection process. you were the man who was

integral in the selection of sarah palin in 2008, do you think the romney campaign should go for a game change or play it safe? >> no, i think it's a very different election cycle. four years is a long time in politics. i think the romney campaign has been very safe, very cautious and i think you'll see them look to a very safe, very cautious pick in this race because they are in a very close race and the fact is we went four years ago. >> steve schmidt, great to get your perspective. thank you so much. >> good to be with you, savannah. thank you. now let's get a check of the morning's other top stories. for that we send it to natalie at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. the race against time to secure the release of a 61-year-old pastor kidnapped in egypt. the reverend lewis was taken hostage with two others as they traveled by bus to mt. sinai. the pastor is diabetic and does not have his medicine. his family is calling for his immediate release. meanwhile secretary of state

hillary clinton pushed the case in egypt for release of americans while visiting cairo this weekend but received a nasty welcome as her motorcade was pelted by shoes and tomatoes. this is the first visit since the election of the president mohamed morsi. now declared a civil war by the international red cross. the declaration could have an impact on potential future war proceedings for war crimes. this as government forces clashed in damascus for a second day. some shocking video captures the moment a deadly landslide plowed through a canadian town. take a look as images show a boat escaping the slide by seconds. this, police say, at least one body has been found in the deb. three others, including a german tourist and two sisters aged 17 and 22 are missing. sportsmanship is taking the

lead at the tour de france after someone dumped tack on the raceway scuttling sunday's stage. some had flat tires, one crashed as a result. police are searching for the vandal whose disruption shook up the leaderboard. bradley williams. a giant inflatable slide went tumbling across the sand. as you can see, some more concerned than others with the runaway slide. this couple making sure they keep their towels safe and sound. a towel check. you have to see this. this could be a very foul ball when a fan made a very risky catch. you'll see what i mean in a minute. the flyball went right to the fan. he caught it right between his legs without spilling a thing or injuring a thing.

he got a little help from a fellow fan who plucked the ball from its landing spot for him. >> can we see it again? see that in slow mo. >> talk about major talent there. they should sign him up. >> here you go. in slow motion. into the stands and off the fall ball. replay. there you go. that is the catch. what would you do, willie, refreshments or protecting. >> i wouldn't have caught it where he caught it, put it that way. >> the refreshments would have been gone. >> natalie, thank you. now let's get the weather forecast for stephanie abrams in for al. >> hi, guys. we'll see some nice weather, you have to go to southern california. that's where we are going to see cooler temperatures, because, of course, the heat is dominating here across the board at least through the day today. >> hot and sticky weather.

temperatures in the mid 90's. closer to 98 downtown. willie, over to you. >> all right, stephanie, thank you. now to our exclusive interview with the infamous captain of the "costa concordia." six months after his ship crashed into the coast killing 32 we have his first american interview. michelle kosinski is on giglio island. michelle, good morning. >> reporter: hey, willie. capital schettino sat down and

spoke for an hour and a half, he's accused of manslaughter, abandoning ship. he says he's willing to take some, but not all the responsibility for this disaster, calling it a really bad day in his life. >> no one can ever imagine the pain that you may experience. simply sorry is not enough. >> captain schettino accepts responsibility for the january crash of the "costa concordia" that sent more than 4,000 people scrambling to get off, 32 of whom did not make it. >> i'm not blaming nobody. i'm clear with my conscious. >> reporter: calling the disaster a chain of unfortunate errors. he said they didn't intend to pass as close to the island as they did, pointing to possible technical problems. >> something went wrong. the rock was marked on the

chart, but the depth of the water on the chart was more than in reality is. >> reporter: again insisting his turning the ship closer to land saved lives. >> we would collide straight with the bottom side of the rock and in that case really died thousands of persons. >> reporter: why didn't he sound the ship alarm and first told authorities it was a power outage. >> my thought was control the panic. first we were not aware. then the extent of the damage hitting the rock. >> there was panic aboard, some jumping into the cold sea to escape. >> yes, some swam exactly 20 meters thanks to somebody who decide to anchor the ship there. >> meaning himself. he denies abandoning ship, said

the tilting threw him in a lifeboat while he was helping people. he tried to persuade another lifeboat to bring him back. >> at the end of the story, find a scapegoat, to blame. the captain, end of story. i take my responsibility, of course, as a gentleman, as a man, as a captain, i took my responsibility. >> reporter: he says, yes, the captain is always responsible. but this was an accident and all the blame should not lie with him. he was not paid forth interview, by the way. he said he was doing it to tell the truth, not to try to justify his actions. >> michelle kosinski for us. thanks so much. 7:17. here is savannah. the tragic death of sage stone, the death of the son of sylvester stallone. the autopsy won't be done for months but we have found more

about how he was living at the time of his death. mike taibbi with more. how are you? >> reporter: good morning, savannah. this one kind of came out of nowhere. sage stallone, the oldest of sylvester stallone's business. he was in the business, but not on the party circuit, never a fixture on the gossip pages and supposedly in excellent health which makes it a mystery. he had a curious name, sage. he cast him as his son. >> having me was like being born again. >> reporter: two decades later, sage stallone, who was sylvester's son from his first life. friday attempts to reach him were unsuccessful. >> he didn't answer the phone. we sent the housekeeper over there after lunch and she made the discovery. >> reporter: the next call from the housekeeper to police. >> as the officers arrived, had

exited the location and determined the subject, sage stallone was, in fact, deceased. >> reporter: no suicide note found and no evidence of foul play but a coroner on the scene spoke briefly about what was found. >> there are some prescription bottles. however, i'm not going to detail what they were or how many. >> reporter: predictably the speculation has started, one stallone friend telling a gossip website there was a substance abuse problem and stallone was living like a recluse, like howard hughes. stallone's longtime lawyer said there was no problem with drink or drugs and the 36-year-old was planning his wedding. >> was in love with a girl. they were going to go off to las vegas and get married. he was full of life and full of energy. >> reporter: though he had had several minor acting roles, sage stallone worked mostly on the other side of the camera, directing an award winning short and distributing cult films. >> sage was definitely under the

radar, didn't seek attention like his dad. he wasn't a mainstream guy. his interests were alternative. he always did his own thing. >> reporter: now unanswered questions. how long had he been dead when his body was discovered. what caused his death at such a young age. sylvester stone issued a statement saying he was devastated and grief stricken over his death and called him a talented young man houst. >> bruce springsteen and paul mccartney thrilled fans in london. that is until organizers pulled the plug. natalie is here with details. natalie, what's going on. >> willie, it's hard to imagine. springsteen said he wanted to play the park for years and mccartney was his treat. no one expected the show to end the way it did.

it was the big finale, the crowd singing along and enjoying a rare collaration with two members of rock royalty when it all came to an bankrupt end. the mikes went dead. someone pulled the plug on the boss. among 76,000 fans was nbc's simmons. >> no one knew what was going on, mccartney, springsteen, it's amazing. people were dancing. suddenly, the band is singing, playing but you can't hear it. >> performing an endless play list. he had been playing three hours when he was joined by a special guest, paul mccartney. they treated fans to "i saw her standing there" and "twist and shout." how could anyone dare pull the plug on this dynamic duo? apparently the folks who live here in the affluent

neighborhood surrounding hyde park who demanded a noise curfew and this concert had gone past the time limit prompting someone to shut them down. >> it was a bit of confusion. >> angry e street guitarist took to twitter saying, "english cops may be the only individuals left on earth that wouldn't want to hear one more from bruce springsteen and paul mccartney. another, i'm jamming with mccartney, don't bug me. even the mayor weighed in on local radio and said, if they had called me, my answer would be jam in the name of the lord. we are talking about rock and roll god's from both sides of the pond. they issued a statement saying it was unfortunate the concert was stopped but it was laid down by authorities in the interest of health and safety. rock royalty. >> shut down the boss but paul

mccartney in london, sir paul mccartney. >> you ever wonder how they play an air guitar, you know. >> the show must go on. >> thank you, natalie. still ahead, was she impaired or did she suffer a medical emergency while driving? new questions about kerry kennedy, robert

coming up, dangerous waters. two divers get the scare afterlife time from a great white shark. >> katie holmes's new role as a single mom and the big decision she just made for suri. that's after your local news. stronger. believe. happier. healthier. i believe weight watchers made me more powerful. it's time to believe again. stand up and take charge. i believe if you want to change your life, you can. ♪ believe in yourself

[ female announcer ] weight watchers -- rated number one best plan for weight loss by u.s. news and world report, again. [ jennifer ] join for $1. weight watchers. believe. because it works. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. emergency crews will resume their search for a missing boater in aberdeen. she went missing around 8:30 after a boating accident. crews searched the waters of the bay least two hours. the search will resume under the

u.s. coast guard. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> delays and one accident of note, reisterstown road and gorman ave. marriottsville to its 29, a bit slow. white marsh to the beltway, and once you get on to the beltway, tapping the brakes from harford to perring parkway. looking good at the moment. we will switch over to a live view of traffic at 83 tanyard road from parkton. enjoy the quiet ride on the harrisburg expressway. ava has a check on your forecast. >> elise it is quiet, weather- wise.

boy, is it sticky. 72 in randallstown. 75 at b.w.i. thurgood marshall. humidity is high, a factor that into the forecast. downtown, it gets close to 98 degrees. it could be feeling like the low 100's. isolated chance for a thunderstorm this afternoon.

ocean to find a great white shark swimming right towards you. it happened as two divers were in australia as attacks are on the rise. luckily those divers made it back to their boat and we'll have their incredible story coming up. good morning, everyone. i'm savannah guthrie alongside willie geist in for matt this morning. details on katie holmes life after tom cruise and what she has planned for suri in new york city. then we'll meet the young mother battling a flesh eating bacteria. she was diagnosed in may, days after giving birth to twins. two months later she's in rehab.

an exclusive live interview. follow-up to our investigation into the truth about your baby can read investigation. the accident that may have led to kerry kennedy's arrest for driving under the influence. jonathan dienst in north castle, new york, with the latest on this story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. those close to kerry kennedy are asking could it have been a seizure and not prescription pills that caused the crash here on friday but police say they are awaiting their lab results to determine what, if any, drugs were in her system. investigators say after the crash, kerry kennedy spoke of taking ambien, a strong prescription drug. the sleep aid that carries warnings not to drive after taking it, as well as the possibility of a side effect where users engage in activities like driving without being fully awake. >> it looks like they are drunk but they are not. it's ambien affecting a certain

percentage of people in this way, which i term ambien zombies. people driving without absolutely any memory of doing it. >> reporter: one source said close to kennedy said her doctors are looking into whether the mother of three had a seizure and that could be the result of the accident. a spokesman said preliminary drug tests showed no alcohol or drugs in her system but law enforcement said detailed drug tests are still out and they will show whether or not a drug like ambien was in her system. she seemingly passed out in her lexus near this exit ramp. they say she had sideswiped a truck. other motorists called 911. two sources close to kennedy say she has no recollection about the crash. she said she was only speculating when she said maybe, maybe she took an ambien instead of a different pill that

evening. in 2006 her cousin and former congressman patrick kennedy crashed his car into a security barricade during the middle of the night. he blamed his disorientation on ambien and another drug he was prescribed. he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of prescription drugs. kerry kennedy is also the ex-wife of governor cuomo. she was devastated when mary kennedy, her ex-sister-in-law killed herself. >> mary was my best friend, the best friend anyone could ever imagine having. >> reporter: kerry kennedy was in exclusion all weekend. we do expect to see her tomorrow when she's due in court on that misdemeanor charge. >> thank you. 7:33. here is willie. the hunt is on for a great white shark that killed someone in australia.

this was right in the same area. here is nbc's stephanie gosk. >> the deadliest shark zone in the world. there have been five fatal attacks in months. the latest victim was 24 years old, an avid surfer taking advantage of the clearwater and great waves. just 100 yards offshore, he was attacked by a great white shark believed to be as large as this one, 15 feet long. >> riding on a jet ski, in front of us, attacked by a shark. took my mate to the shore, went straight out. there was blood everywhere. >> the shark was still there. >> a massive, massive white shark circling the body, the half that's also left. i reached to grab the body and

the shark came at me on the jet ski and tried to knock me off. nothing i could do. i did everything i could. >> the beaches are closed while officials search by helicopter and boat for the shark. >> the order has been given for us to attempt to catch the shark if we're able to. >> if you do catch the shark, what happens then, do you kill it? >> the decision is made then whether we kill it or not. >> reporter: experts aren't sure why it's been so deadly they expect population growth and popularity of watersports are to blame leading to harrowing encounters like this one last week. two spear fishermen can't get back to their boat. a great white shark is in their way. not exactly the catch they were looking for. but the encounters and the attacks don't scare everyone out of the water. soon after he was killed a long board competition nearby went forward as scheduled. >> it will never stop surfers

going in the water. once you're a surfer and only a surfer knows the feeling. we cannot stop surfing. >> even though they know off the coast of southern australia, they are sharing the water. stephanie gosk nbc news, london. that sight of the shark coming to the diver. >> they were enjoying it. >> once on the boat they could laugh. >> now to stephanie in for al. >> celebrating birthdays on the plaza. what has been the favorite thing for your birthday. >> shopping. >> is it ever too hot to go shopping? >> no. >> i'm glad you said that. if you're shopping in through portions of the southwest, it is hot but also humid. you've got that southwest monsoon. that means we are seeing the showers. there are flood advisories. look at this, we get that heating of the day and storms firing up. that is what continues through the day in the southwest. otherwise, man, if you are

shopping into the t >> a mixture of sun and clouds. it will feel even hotter as we get to the afternoon. closer to 98 downto willie, back inside to you. >> all right, stephanie, thank you very much. coming up the new book, pulling back an issue that affects millions of americans. the book "your baby can read" the investigation and interview behind it after this. .

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back now at 7:41, this morning on rossen reports, big news about a story we've been investigating about the popular reading program "your baby can read." today national correspondent jeff rossen first went after the truth about this product. big developments. >> big developments. a lot of parents have this in their homes. i've been looking into this company for two years. we did stories about how your baby can read was raking in millions experts say by misleading parents. now the company said what we exposed here on "today" caused them to go out of business under a pile of legal bills. >> what you are about to see will amaze you. >> which one said keys. >> the commercials were amazing. >> what about this word? >> swing. >> good job. these words say? >> those babies sure look like they are reading.

if you bought this $200 program, the ads say your baby can, too. >> my daughter began reading by the time she was eight months old. >> your baby can read came with flash cards, pop-up books and lots of dvds for kids to watch. they said it was based on science that all baby can read. >> seize this small window of opportunity before it closes. >> warning if you miss that window, your child would fall behind. so we had experts review the program at harvard. are those babies reading? >> no. >> and tufts. >> it's an extraordinary manipulation of facts. >> and nyu. >> i think it's misleading. i think it's false, and i think it raises false expectations. >> experts say this isn't reading, it's just memorization. in fact, they say it may be harmful to babies by urging them to watch tv. and this is the man behind it all, dr. robert titzer, the creator of "your baby can read."

they say it was our interview in 2010 that exposed the truth about his claims and caused his empire to come tumbling down. >> we're changing how people think about reading. >> we spoo with experts, harvard, yale, tufts, nyu, cornell, penn. they say your program is not only misleading but false. >> they are all wrong. we have a book full of studies that support these, our program that's literally thicker than this. >> can you provide us that research? >> yes. yes, i can. >> instead of published research on your baby can read, he sent us this customer satisfaction survey conducted by his own company along with general studies about child learning that experts we spoke to say he's twisting and taking out of context. >> >> i'm not a traditional expert as far as reading, a reading specialist person. i'm looking at this from a different perspective. >> the name of the program is

"your baby can read." >> the baby does learn to read. >> based on that interview, the parent company fired him. now they are suing him, too, calling his appearance on the "today" show disastrous, causing substantial damage to sales. once a company valued at 50 to $60 million, they are now in financial peril. by the way, much of the research he cited for the program seemed to be based on his own daughter using it. >> my children could read better at age four than i could at age -- at my age. >> you're saying your four-year-old was a better reader than you as an adult. >> of course. not only that. i was teaching college at the time. she could read better than my college students. >> now the company's website said they are out of business. while we vehemently deny any wrongdoing, we cannot longer continue operating. child advocates call this a

victory for parents. >> we are so glad you took this on. >> in fact watchdog group called complaints against "your baby can read" with the federal trade commission and they are investigating. the company did not respond for kmont but dr. titzer got back and said our stories were biased and maintained he had experts. best advice, talk to them, read to them. you can get the same exact benefit, better, and it's free. >> your baby will read. >> eventually. >> jeff rossen, thanks for the update. appreciate it. coming up next, katie holmes and suri out and about this weekend and the incident that made suri a little upset right after this. [ male announcer ] summer is here.

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we take it on ours. this summer put your family in an exceptionally engineered mercedes-benz now for an exceptional price during the summer event. but hurry, this offer ends july 31st. katie holmes is moving quickly to make big changes in her life following her recent split with tom cruise. now she's reportedly sending suri to catholic school. mara schiavocampo has more on that. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. while tom cruise has been busy on the set of his latest movie, katie holmes has been seen all around new york city, what many call a public relations war following the divorce. it has become a familiar scene in new york city, the paparazzi capturing photos of katie holmes out on the town with her daughter suri. this weekend mother and daughter were seen at a children's

museum, eating lunch after a visit to a famous toy store fao schwartz and seeing a puppy. it comes after filing for divorce from tom cruise, that reportedly caught cruise by surprise. it took 11 days for the couple's attorneys to reach a settlement, one that may include a role that religion plays in suri's life. cruise is a scientologist. holmes was raised in the catholic church. now according to our sister company e! news, holmes enrolled 6-year-old suri at a prestigious catholic store in manhattan, the same school attended by caroline kennedy, lady gaga and hilton sisters. >> katie holmes was raised catholic. she attended catholic school growing up. there have been reports she joined a catholic church,

enrolled suri in school. at that school she would have protection and security but also be able to live like a normal girl. >> reporter: while many celebrities go into hiding following news of a divorce, holmes has done the opposite getting photoed all over new york city. she showed up for a scheduled shoot at "project runway" and took her daughter out for ice cream and the zoo, a strategy some say has been crafted to control her image. >> she went straight to the most public city in the world, new york city. she's showing what a normal mother she is. for katie holmes to make a clean break, she had to show to the public she was done with scientology. she was done with this marriage. this divorce is about one thing and one thing only. she has clearly conveyed that message. >> reporter: some say is further evidence of pr savvy, holmes is

on the cover of "elle" magazine. >> looking at the pictures of suri not getting the dog i'm thinking thank god i don't have paparazzi following me and my kids. i'm thinking just this weekend at a restaurant i'm glad there wasn't paparazzi. >> if you're going into a pet store and not coming out with a puppy, that's the look you get. >> an interesting story in "new york times," a lot of people have perceived katie as a heroine, a lot of people seeing her as an example that she took control of her life after several years. >> the quick settlement hoping interest would die down, that didn't work so far. >> a surprising name throws her hat into the ring to be a judge on "american idol." >> coming up after your local news and weather. this is $100,000. we asked total strangers to watch it for us.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news. today in. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. onlet's get you up-to-date the area roads this monday. as far as delays, we are 14 minutes on the outer loop northeast side. 18-minute travel time on the west side. not bad in that direction towards the j.f.x.. let's give you a live view of traffic. southbound 295. we are seeing delays past 795 towards 32.

coldspring, j.f.x., no problems to report there. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> 75 degrees at the airport. 81 in annapolis. 76 in ocean city. the dew points tell the real story of how humid it is. upper 60s to near 70 degrees. to hire that number, the more you might it feels. it will take eight toll on temperatures today. we are expected to be anywhere from 93 to 98 degrees. maybe some thermometers are reading close to 100 degrees. isolated thunderstorm is possible. keep in mind that there could be an isolated thunderstorm.

heat advisory in effect from 8:00 p.m. because of the league and humidity. we will cool down with a cold front after wednesday. front after wednesday. oreo and dunkin' are the perfect match for the perfect moment. enjoy the new oreo coolatta and donut today. america runs on dunkin'.

july 16th, 2012. we've come outside to bond with all the good folks who have taken time out of their morning to come to the plaza. a beautiful day. good morning, everybody. i'm savannah guthrie outside with willie geist. matt is off for today. coming up we'll have an update for that mom who had twins and was overcome by this flesh-eating bacteria. >> just a couple of days after giving birth to the twins. an exclusive interview with the mom. lana kirkendall is her name, underwent surgical procedures in the last two months. there she is coming up. she'll open up about her recovery and beautiful twins.

>> i like her shirt, faith, hope, lana. we'll talk about the book, a provocative title called "fat sex." a programming note, sir elton john sits down with matt in a candid interview. outs his home in london. he said between his past dicks to drugs and alcohol and the aids epidemic, he's lucky to be alive. talk about that and his relationship with princess diana and elizabeth taylor, his son and a whole lot more coming up tomorrow on "today." >> look forward to that. we have exciting news to share. as of today msnbc.com is nbcnews.com. have no fear, you'll still find the top news and information you've come to know and trust. again, it's nbcnews.com as of this moment. >> you have to change your book mark or home page to nbcnews.com. >> nbcnews.com.

let's head inside to natalie for top stories. good morning, natalie. >> good morning, everyone. days after our last heat wave, blistering temperatures from the dakotas to the southeast. at least a dozen states under heat advisories. combined with lack of rain, it's devastating corn and soybean crops and hindering crews fighting a wildfire in northern california. president obama intensifying his critique of mitt romney's business records during a town hall meeting in cincinnati, ohio. romney said this morning attacks are dishonest and misdirected. however romney is under pressure from his own party to release more of his tax returns. the legacy of penn state football coach joe paterno up in the air as pressure mounts on the university to take down the statue of the deceased coach. this comes after a report

showing paterno and other officials did not act on child sex abuse against against jerry sandusky. this weekend an artist removed a halo from paterno's head from par painting on campus. women ages 19 and 22 reported missing on friday. police say interviews of the suspect in the case led them to the missouri field where they found the bodies but they cannot yet confirm their identities. meantime authorities have arrested that suspect. ford is recalling more than 10,000 2013 escape suvs. ford says it has no reports of any accidents or injuries related to the problem. now for a look at what's trending today, a quick roundup of what has you talking only. france's far right party says it will sue madonna over a video backdrop used as a

backdrop in paris. it depicts the party leader with a swastika on her forehead. she used the same backdrop when she kicked off her tour in israel. entertainment blogs talking about more respect to "american idol." she e-mailed the show's producers saying she would like one of the judge's spots left open if stephen tyler and jennifer lopez leave the popular singing competition. the now popular robot updated a viral video, a clip from his version of evolution of dance. >> walk like an egyptian. ♪ walk like an egyptian ♪ jump on it jump on it jump on it ♪ >> the original evolution of dance video has almost 200 million youtube hits so this robot better have some good batteries there. it is 8:04, back outside to

stephanie with a check of your weather. very cute, stef. >> very cute. we were dancing on the the plaza. we found people from minne sn t snowta. it's hotter there than our pick city albuquerque, new mexico, if you can figure that out. our highs are right where they should be in our pick city, around 90 degrees. there it is for you. 89 with a few isolated storms. speaking of isolated storms, popping on the map today. they will be scattered in nature. not a lot of rain overall. >> hot and sticky weather. temperatures in the mid 90's. closer to 98 downtown.

>> back down the plaza to savannah. >> all right, stef. thanks. up next, a "today" exclusive with the mom stricken with the flesh eating bacteria. how is she doing now? we'll catch up with her right after this. [ male announcer ] when you leave the dental office... plaque quickly starts to grow back. but now there's a way to keep the clean longer. introducing new crest pro-health clinical rinse. it's a clinical breakthrough that actually keeps your teeth 91% clean of plaque at 2 months after a dental visit. plus, it gives you these key benefits. new crest pro-health clinical rinse. crest. life opens up when you do. also try new crest pro-health clinical plaque control toothpaste.

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new mom of twins we told you about who survived a flesh-eating bacteria. we'll speak live in an exclusive interview with her in just a moment. first nbc's gabe gutierrez in greenville, south carolina, with the latest on her recovery. gabe, good morning. >> reporter: willie, good morning. by all accounts lana kuykendall's turnaround is incredible. two months ago she was in critical condition at greenville memorial hospital. now she's in rehab and could go home later this week a mother's motivation on display. having twins can be challenging enough. for lana kuykendall, the first few weeks of motherhood were overwhelming. almost. >> she is just a tough cookie. >> when you're ready, we'll walk over there. >> reporter: this the first video of her we've seen since she was hospitalized two months ago. amazingly despite the pain, she smiles often. as her husband darren looks on,

kuykendall is able to walk, climb downstairs and lift her legs. remarkable considering surgeons have removed so much muscle tissue. >> she's a fighter. she works hard every day and pushes through it. >> reporter: just days after giving birth in may at a hospital, kuykendall drove home to south carolina where she noticed a spot on her left leg. at first she thought it was a blood clot but doctors here in greenville soon discovered it was a flesh-eating bacterial infection. >> it was very scary to see her be as sick as she was squiggly. >> reporter: her husband, a firefighter, watched her suffer through multiple surgeries as her friends raised money for her recovery. >> we're all in disbelief and shock. >> this wasn't exactly we've heard a lot of. >> turns out kuykendall was the second recent case of that rare flesh-eating infection to draw attention. aimee copeland is in her third week of rehab after two months

in a georgia hospital. unlike copeland, kuykendall was able to keep her limbs. >> that's mak amazing. >> reporter: those arms allowed her to hold her twins in the icu. her friends think it may have helped her heal proving you should never underestimate a mother's motivation to bond withler kids. kuykendall might go home as early as this week. there's no telling when she will return to her job as paramedic but first she has a lot of catching up to do with those twins. >> thank you. lana is with us exclusively with her husband darren and dr. spence taylor, one of her many hospitals. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> two months, more than 20 surgeries. you look fantastic. how are you feeling? >> i'm okay.

>> you've been through a lot, though, haven't you? >> i have. it's been a long road, a lot of which i don't remember. but we're recovering and that's what matters. >> i understand your doctors say now you could go home as early as tomorrow, at least sometime this week. let's put aside your own health this morning, are you able to tangle with those infant twins? >> yes, i think i am. they have been visiting the hospital, so i've been practicing. >> so tell me about that trip after you had the babies, you're on your way back from the hospital up to south carolina from atlanta. you notice that bruise on your leg. you knew instinctively that you ought to go to the hospital. what told you to act so quickly? >> well, blood clots aren't something to be played around with. they can become dangerous. that's what i thought it was at the time. that's the only thing that actually entered my mind. i just knew i needed to get help. >> darren, you call this a

miracle, frankly, that your wife is alive. while lana has been rehabbing, you've been home with the babies. how are they doing? >> they are wonderful. >> you've had a heavy load to bear. how have you made it through? >> it's been tough, the most devastating thing i've ever done in my entire life. the uncertainty, not knowing from day to day what was going to go on with her, with her health. you know, with all the surgeries, you know, it was touch and go each and every day and it was very stressful. >> what do you want to say about your wife, the woman sitting next to you. you've been married four years. what have you learned about her over the last couple of months? >> that she's very strong. her faith in god has really pulled her through, pulled us all through this. that i knew she was a fighter from the word go. i love her with all my heart. she's the best thing that ever happened to me. >> dr. taylor, let me go to you.

congratulations first on the great work you've done there at greenville memorial. why was it so critical to our viewers watching at home that lana see that and get to the hospital as soon as she did. >> part of the hero story in this is these two individuals have background in health care as paramedics and recognize there may be a problem. time is of the essence. if there's a flesh-eating bacteria, she had a group a hemolytic stress infection, time is of the essence. immediate recognition, getting to the doctors as soon as she did, coming to the place that has physicians in house 24 hours, 7 days a week is really important a lot of heroes here but all pale in comparison to the courage kuykendalls have shown. kudos to them. patients all physicians aspire to take care of. >> lana, what will it be like to

walk in and see those two little babies. >> refreshing, nice to be home with the family, hopefully start our life as a family in a few hours. >> you look great. those babies look beautiful. enjoy them. lana, darren kuykendall, dr. taylor, thanks for being with us. >> certainly, thank you. >> thank you. >> new details on the shake-up at "american idol" but first these messages. with the capital one cash rewards card you get a 50% annual bonus. and everyone likes 50% more cash -- well, except her. no! but, i'm about to change that. ♪ every little baby wants 50% more cash... ♪ phhht! fine, you try. [ strings breaking, wood splintering ] ha ha. [ male announcer ] the capital one cash rewards card. the card for people who want 50% more cash. ♪ what's in your wallet? ♪ what's in your...your...

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you gave your book a provocative title "fat sex" because we don't often see those two words together at the same time. >> it a has a provocative title because it's a provocative subject. it's an important subject so i wanted to give it a provocative title. >> what was your goal? why did you write this book? >> my goal was to combat perceptions people have about large people. the notion that large-sized people are unattractive to everyone, that they are asexual, that they are not interested in sex. the truth of the matter is, there's no difference between large-sized people, small-sized people. as far as sex goes, everybody is interested in what they are interested in. it's not just sex but romance and intimacy and connections with people.

there really was no discussion out there, any substantive discussion about what it was like for people. i think most people have the wrong idea. >> you collect a variety of stories, people's real life stories. what are some of the common threads in the book, people's experiences. >> it's really fascinating. i interviewed men and women. not everybody in the book is large. there are people with eating disorders or gained and lost a tremendous amount of weight. there are people who have had weight loss surgery and also those who appreciate large people. that's their preference. and there are many themes that run throughout the book. i'd say the primary and most

important theme is that because of the messages people are given about size, starting from very, very young, they believe they just aren't worthy. >> keri, let me bring you into this. no matter what your size, this is something many, many people can relate to, how body image and the desire for sex, whether you feel like you're valuable enough to have sex, it all is so interwoven, isn't it? >> exactly. it's all about body image. positive body image and sexual communication are going to be stronger links to a happier, healthier sex life than weight alone. i see this in my practice all the time. clients whether 5 pounds overweight or 100 pounds, a person with a positive body image does better. >> images seem so unrealistic, lots of women in particular, i think, don't feel good about their bodies and don't want to

get naked with anybody. >> absolutely. and rebecca points to one of the classic examples in her book of barbie. if barbie were a real person she would be 7' tall and wear a size 5 shoe. that's not a real human being. those images in our culture can be damaging to anyone's self-image regardless of their weight. that can lower your self-esteem. someone dealing with weight issues and poor body image it can affect their libido. >> this is personal for you. you've gone through a struggle. you tell a story devastating to hear about how your grandmother when you were a very young girl said no one would ever love you. >> yes. when i was nine, my grandmother announced to myself and my family that no man would ever love me because of my size. i started to get a little bit chubby around six and was put on my first diet by a pediatrician. that diet started a lifetime of

yo-yoing up and down, of eating disorders, of terrible body image problems. and although i've done a lot of work to be comfortable in my own skin whatever size that i am, you never get over that entirely. you know, it really sticks with you your whole life. i'm not the only one in the book who was told that. >> your hope the book is a message of acceptance. >> this is a message of acceptance and understanding and empowerment and really connection for all people. >> thank you so much, rebecca. keri glassman as always. we'll be back right after this.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get a final check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> not too bad as you have this monday morning. disabled vehicle could impact you're right on a 95. blocking the right lane. bit of a delay on southbound j.f.x. as far as dry times, 13 minutes on the north side outer loop. 18-minute travel time on the envelope was side. 30 minutes from the beltway southwest to 32.

delays intermittently in the southbound direction. live view of traffic on the north side from heart road. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. ava has a check of a forecast. >> 78 already at the airport, at 80 degrees in salisbury. the dew points are already getting into the low seventies as well. it feels even hotter outside. that will be the case into the afternoon. he advisory for seven baltimore county, baltimore city as well. that is where the core of the heat bank will be this afternoon. drink plenty of water and stay in the shade. that advisory through 8:00 p.m. mid-to-upper-nineties through the afternoon. i don't think it will feel that hot outside the city, but downtown, with a concrete, will feel hotter.

finally, a cold front on wednesday night. storms possible and week. >> another update at 8:56. [ 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.

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geico, see how much you could save. 8:30 on monday morning, 16th of july, 2012. we have smiling faces, people waving on rockefeller plazas we say hello this monday. i'm savannah guthrie alongside willie geist, natalie morales. coming up, have you ever dreamed of being your own boss. >> yes. >> who among us haven't.

we're going to introduce you to a woman who left the corporate woman. she was an accountant, a successful one, now in the olive oil business. some good ideas if you think you'd like to start a business of your own. >> you ask who doesn't want to be their own boss, i ask who doesn't like finger lickin' ribs. the grill all fired up to make the best ribs ever. >> we are prepared to lick our fingers. then we'll switch gears after you lick your fingers, ask the doctor about embarrassing questions you don't want to ask. everything from problems with your nails to pink eye and much more. then later e! news correspondent here to talk about hottest celebrity news, biggest movies at the box office. plus that concert we talked about, paul mccartney, bruce springsteen concert they ended up pulling the plug on. >> first we want a check of the weather. stephanie abrams here for al. >> i found some girl scouts.

first find out their troop number? do you get a patch for coming to the "today" show? any cookies in the area? no cookies. you have cookies? you do. we found cookies here. they will hand over the cookies while we're doing the weather. we'll do the forecast. looking through the day today. yummy. hot across the country. temperatures are going to cool off in the coming days. as we head into tomorrow, another hot day. by midweek back down to average in the midwest and northeast. look what i found. >> a mixture of sun and clouds. it will feel even hotter as we get to the afternoon. closer to 98 downto

abby is turning 16 today. you have many years before you get on one of willard's smucker's jars. willard, over to you. >> once again from your nation's capital, some fantastic out there. from north dakota, remember the lawrence welk, joe ronning, 104 today, enjoys singing in his choir, people love his jokes. stephanie herbowy, 107 years old today. recently presented the bronze star for her late husband's service in world war ii. terrific. wilbur and elizabeth lancaster from columbus, ohio, home of the

famous glider. i'll have a dozen to go. 75 years they have been married and this is their anniversary. can't beat that, you love somebody and they love you. ruth staunton, clinton, maryland, that's down the road. famous for cooking and sticking to her healthy diet. lazarus todd, sterling, virginia. that's over here a few miles. 103 years old. a proud world war ii veteran. loves to golf and be with his family. paul forsythe of jacksonville, florida is 103 and is very, very active and enjoys watching all kinds of cheerleaders, especially the jacksonville cheerleaders. i like cheerleaders.

now back to new york where they like cheerleaders. >> all right, willard, thanks. coming up, how you can save money on wedding gifts without looking like the cheap skate. this is "today" on nbc. parents this year i'm going to teach your kids that magic does exist. it's called science! here's what they'll need. ♪ pencils, folders, notebooks. ♪ ♪ backpacks, denims, graphic tees. ♪

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we're back at 8:36." she's worn many hats from district attorney to judge to legal analyst, now she's adding novelist with her new book "sly fox." good morning. >> good morning. >> what do i call you, d.a., judge, political candidate, novelist. >> through the course of my career i can tell you a lot of defendants called me a lot of different things. i'm happy to talk about a system i've been in for years, a system that's compelling and fascinating and at times unjust. >> this morning we'll call you novelist. >> okay. works for me. >> i'm reading the book, a young

fiery assistant district attorney fighting the boys' club. does that remind you of anybody. >> gee, i don't know. >> how much of the book is about your life and career. >> it's loosely based on my career. the main character is someone who enters the system when it is an old boys club, westchester county boys club, not a crime to beat your wife, only a crime to kill her. she is confronted by a system she sees as unfair. what she tries to do is level the playing field. this one female prosecutor in a sea of men, one female d.a. with 40 police chiefs. she has to outfox her superiors to even get into a courtroom. danny fox is somewhat my alter ego, based loosely on cases i've tried and actual events. think about it, willie, a woman prosecutor like dannie fox sees in an autopsy photo what her

male counter-parts may not. you have to read the book to know what i'm talking about. >> it's astounding to hear you say it wasn't a crime, at the time the book was set and you were working to assault your wife domestically or girlfriend. how much of that has changed in a quarter of a century until now with domestic violence. >> it's interesting. it took a long time. the thinking was you beat your wife. if she didn't like it, she would up and leave. there was a whole movement and dannie fox starts one of the first domestic violence units in the nation. she is confronted by a system that favors the criminal and not the victim. in fact, she thinks that instead of the criminal justice system it should be called victim's justice system. the victim never chose to be part of the system in the first place. through "sly fox" the reader gets the sense of the fight to get the level playing field, the necessity to change the law, to

change attitudes and that comes slowly. >> put dannie aside, what was it like for jeanine pirro to walk into the room as the only woman and try to engage in a fight with a group of judge, with a group of prosecutors, with a group of criminal attorneys, defense attorneys who maybe didn't want you in the room. >> that's very wise of you. you know what, you had to be competent, you had to be prepared and you had to have a sense of humor. any woman back then in the late '70s who had a chip on her shoulder, it was not going to work. you had to believe. i was a believer. i was idealistic. i was eager. i wanted so much to make a difference. i wanted the justice and the equality that i learned about in law school to apply in the real world. but it's ever so far from the real world. i think what the readers want in "sly fox" they want the inside and outside of the courtroom, machinations, how you get justice in a system that may not really be as level as we think. >> can i ask you to put on your

legal analyst hat for a moment. whe we were talking about tom cruise, katie holmes, she filed for divorce a few weeks ago, already a settlement in the case. are you surprised how quick that happened? we're used to long protracted fights. >> i was surprised. you have two smart people who don't need the made red and bitterness that accompanies these separations. there's no reason for the public to be involved. they are both smart. i think she is very bright. she has now gotten full custody. he's got visitation. but make no mistake, willie, that can change. custody is an ever changing thing, it's an ever fluid situation. >> another name that's going to be back in the news this summer, scott peterson, eight years after being sentenced to death for the murder of his wife and unborn son he's filed an appeal. he said pretrial publicity compromise. any chance the appeal is

overturned. >> i read the appeal. what shocks me is it took eight years to file an appeal. these death penalty cases, they take forever. i don't think there's issues that will cause a reversal. however, no one has been sent to death since 2006. there are apparently several hundred guys on death row there. we'll see what happens. i don't think anything will change there. >> novelist jeanine pirro. great to see you. you can read an exert on "sly fox" on today.com. thank you. >> thank you. >> how to get money to start your own business but first this is "today" on nbc.

it's the perfect match for the perfect moment -- oreo the dunkin' way. introducing the new oreo coffee coolatta and new oreo vanilla bean coolatta. taste the fun today. america runs on dunkin'. hurry in to dunkin' and try the new oreo coolatta and donuts today. >> announcer: today's working home is brought to you by mcdonald's. i'm lovin' it. back now at 8:44. this morning on "today's" working woman, being your own boss. these days more and more moms are also busy entrepreneurs.

nbc's mara schiavocampo has one woman's story. >> good morning, savannah. one of the fastest growing groups of entrepreneurs in america today is women. in fact, according to the small business association, women-owned businesses contribute close to $3 trillion to the economy. we met one mompreneur who left the corporate world for the world of olive oil. this mom of two turned a passion of olive oil into a business. a cpa by trade, she left her job for a new adventure in olive oil. for inspiration under the tuscan sun. >> that was really the first thing that exposed me to olive trees, the lifestyle around them. so without that, i probably wouldn't have even noticed what was going on in napa valley. >> reporter: with a $15,000 loan from her parents, she started with a travel-sized bottle of

olive oil. >> i thought back to the wine industry, how did they begin. we were the first olive oil tasting room in the united states. >> with her daughters by her side business has grown an average of 20% a year. >> i'm looking for my passion. i know, i see through her how it's fun. work can be fun. >> with olive oil as the inspiration, o'kelly recently expanded into products made from all natural ingredients made of oil, of course. >> there's a lot of risk there. we're pushing it hard and running into issues. the nice thing is these issues feel very familiar. they are not as scary. >> reporter: she also notes although her two daughters don't necessarily want to follow in mom's footsteps, she's happy to show them the importance of taking risks and following your heart. >> a great story, mara. thank you. jean chatzky, author of "money

rules." some people have a great idea, how do you know it's good enough to risk their jobs. >> i don't want to encourage people to quit their job in today's economy without doing considerable research. you have to go out in the market and figure out is this new and different. if it's not completely new and different, have you been able to tweak the existing idea enough to make it stand out so you actually have a basis. >> the first step is really to do a business plan. what would that have in it? >> take a look at the marketplace, the pricing, how much it would cost you to launch this business, when you could expect to turn a profit. if this is something you don't know how to do on your own, there is a wonderful organization called score, service core of retired executives. they will help you for free, score.org put together a business plan. >> free, we like the sound of that. you have to put together a business. the one we just profiled, she borrowed money from family.

that is a good idea? >> i wouldn't go to friends and family first. it's a good way to ruin a friendship. i would go to kickstarter.com is a crowd sourcing -- >> what does that mean? >> it means you put your idea out there and people will come and contribute money for you to get your idea off the ground. you may also want to look at small business loans, micro loans for women. if you go to google and type in micro financing for women in the united states, you'll actually get a list of places that provide small amounts of capital, particularly for women, to start. >> if you do borrow from your family, make it legal, do it in a business-like way. >> absolutely. you want the paperwork there just to make everybody comfortable so everybody understands what the back and forth is going to be. >> in terms of resources and startup, you say you've got to think outside the box. what do you mean by that? >> save money any way you possibly can. if you've got a food business and need a professional kitchen, maybe you work with a local restaurant to use their kitchen on the hours where they are

closed. maybe you don't hire expensive labor but get interns from the local community college that you can hire on the cheap. >> what about protecting yourself from liability? would you recommend someone get llc right away or too soon? >> talk to a lawyer. an llc, patents, trademarks, copyrights, all of these things can be very, very important. get some legal advice. >> okay. jean chatzky, good advice. thank you. up next, the secret to grilled success. but first this is "today" on nbc. #f#f#f#f#f#f#f#f#f#f#f#f#f#f

this morning, host and author of "best ribs ever." >> how are you? >> it's a subtle title. that's why i like it so much. tell me what you love about ribs. you're obsessed. you use words like "majestic" to describe them. what is it about ribs? >> ribs are the most iconic barbecue. you pick them up, eat them with your hands, meat next to the bone is the most flavorful. when you eat a rib, you know you're eating great grilling. >> make sure i get the name right lone star beef ribs. >> first of all, the ribs, these are beef long ribs. this is the beef equivalent of a

spare rib. we start with a rub, salt, chili powder, pepper, oregno, cumin. we sprinkle with the rub, the first step. >> you're not bashful at all. dump it on there. >> not at all. then the gesture is rubbing the spices into the meat. >> rub and sauce together, that's not too much. >> we're going to do three things. the next preparation is a mop sauce. it consists of beer. >> good place to start. >> and vinegar. >> any particular kind of beer you want to tell people to use? >> well, a lone star beer would be great. >> and coffee. traditionally applied with a barbecue mop. we're going high-tech with a sprayer. come over here and let me show

you what i have going on here. a rack of ribs we put on earlier. these have been smoke roasting for two hours. the way you apply this mop sauce, you spray it on the ribs. what the mop sauce does is it keeps the ribs moist, adds an extra layer of flavor. >> let me interrupt. that's just a gardening sprayer you can get anywhere, hardware story. >> exactly. the third and final step. one common mistake people make with ribs is applying the sauce too early. i'm a big advocate. by the way, rib rack here enables you to cook four racks of ribs in a small space. >> you like the way it cooks better rather than laying them on. >> i do. it helps melt off the fat. the last step here is actually to baste the ribs with the lone star barbecue sauce.

bear bones barbecue sauce. then the ribs go over the direct part of the fire. we're working with an indirect grilling setup, coals on the periphery, meat in the center, we're burning, lacquering the sauce into the meat. >> these are three different things, the rub, the spray and now the barbecue sauce. >> exactly. >> okay. tell me what you're doing with the woodchips and why they are in water. >> they go on the coals to generate smoke. come on over. these are a batch of ribs we made earlier. >> the ladies step in to generously taste test. >> the meat will shrink back from the ends of the bones by one inch. good morning, ladies. >> majestic ribs. i use those words, too. >> you are not a fall off the bone kind of guy. >> i'm not. fall off the bone rib are

boiled. i think ribs should have chew to it. that's why god gave you teeth. >> turns out there's nothing you won't grill we have corn and cake. >> angel food cake, yes, jalapenos, areat desert and not a bad breakfast. >> for people who like the traditional pork baby back -- how are they, ladies. >> they are finger licking. >> my hands are tied here. delicious. >> thank you so much. i've got to itch my nose is the problem. >> you've effectively grilled everything on the table. >> barbecue, not just for breakfast. >> thank you so much. best ribs ever. >> they are the best ribs ever. yes. coming up, new details on the shake-up of "american idol." who is left at the judges' table and who might replace jennifer lopez and stephen tyler.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. work is scheduled to begin today to replace a large part of the water main in the southwest baltimore. the department of public works its two weeks to replace three 16-foot sections of the main.

some residents and a baltimore city and anne arundel and howard

>> hot and humid weather for the early work week. temperatures and the mid-and- rubber-90's. isolated thunderstorms possible. heat breaks by the end of the week. week. >>