good morning. bizarre behavior. why the alleged gunman in that colorado movie theater shooting acting so strangely in his first court appearance. does it set the stage for insanity defense. battery investigation? sheriff's deputies called to the home of michael jackson's mother katherine after reports of a family disturbance. jermaine and janet jackson seen arguing outside as paris tweets that she still hasn't spoken to her grandmother. what is going on? three days to go, the excitement building in london with the olympic games just around the corner. the royal family is getting

ready to experience the action today, tuesday, july 24th, 2012. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today," countdown to the olympic games with matt lauer, live from olympic park in london, england, and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1a in london, england, and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on tuesday morning. good morning, everyone. i'm savannah guthrie. matt is in beautiful london once again. i understand, matt, you actually got a sneak preview of the opening ceremonies last night. >> that's right. savannah, it was a huge night last night. they did a full dress rehearsal for friday night's opening ceremony. extremely secretive. we were all sworn to silence. but i'll tell you it is big, it's fascinating. there are going to be some moments people will be talking about for a very long time. excitement is rising here. it's kind of a fever pitch now

with three days to go. even the queen is getting in on the action. no, i don't mean meredith vieira, although she will be joining us. can't wait to see you guys as you get on a plane and arrive tomorrow morning. we have a lot planned for your big debut. are you getting ready? >> yes. i finally packed you'll be happy to know. please have my tea and crumpettes ready. we're excited to come to london. >> we're looking forward to it. let me tell you why ahead you may be seeing a lot of the royal family at the games. they have vowed they are fully behind team britain at these games. some of them say they will try to go to at least one event every single day. we'll tell you about that. also we'll track down american swimmer ryan lochte. he should probably be michael phelps biggest competition here. you may think olympic athletes are all work and no play, ryan is a guy who likes to let loose,

even to the point of breaking a bone every once in a while. meredith will stop by to explain why this is the year of the women at the olympic games, savannah. >> we'll keep hammering that home with you. we'll check in a bit. a new twist in the search for the twins. the newest judge on "american idol" is mariah carey. we want to begin in the news with james holmes, the man accused of the movie theater massacre in colorado. he had a very bizarre court appearance. kate snow at the courthouse in centennial, colorado this morning. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning to you, savannah. the last time anyone outside of law enforcement saw james holmes, he was wearing black. he was wearing military gear armed to the teeth. yesterday the man in court, the man who walked in, 24 years old, looked a whole lot different. this man was very quiet as a judge read his rights. he seemed to not respond at all.

>> people versus james holmes. >> reporter: with his hair dyed bright orange, 24-year-old james holmes entered court shackled for a procedural hearing sitting silently by his public defender. nbc's mike taibbi was in the courtroom. >> you could hear a pin drop. nobody was moving as james walked into court, slowly, sitting down, not engaging, looking at anybody, not reacting. >> reporter: throughout the 11-minute hearing, holmes never spoke seeming to nod off, glaring, staring blankly, sometimes looking quizicly, leaving many legal experts to speculate about an insanity defense. >> i think that's the only option the defense has. the question becomes mentally did you understand what you were doing and should you be held accountable for committing the crime. insanity said i did it but i can't be held accountable because of my mental state. sitting in the front row of the court, the father of 24-year-old alex who died while

shielding his girlfriend from the gunfire. >> i saw him in court today, i could have wiped the floor with him without even making a sweat. >> why are we making these cowards notorious. >> david sanchez spent monday morning at the courthouse, too. his daughter wanted him to be there to look holmes in the eye. >> i was putting off looking at his face. eventually i had to get past that and see who the killer was. >> reporter: katie couldn't be there herself. she was about to have a baby. she had gone to the theater last week nine months pregnant. >> they had batman apparel on and they had been waiting for this poef for over a year. >> reporter: monday night katie was at the hospital where her husband is in a coma after shielding his wife and unborn baby in the gunfire. given the enormity of the crime, 12 dead and 58 injuries, the

prosecutors may seek the death penalty. >> the death penalty certainly will be considered in this case but it will be a conversation we have with the victims before we ever make a decision. >> reporter: while holmes remained silent, a lawyer for his parents spoke out for the first time. their hearts go out to the victims, she said, but they will stand by their son. >> yes, they do. he's their son. >> reporter: the next court appearance for james holmes is set to be on monday but it will be months before his actual arraignment when he'll give a plea of guilty or not guilty or guilty by reason of insanity. savannah, it could be up to a year before they see him go to trial. savannah. >> a long road. linda is a former prosecutor. gail saltz, psychiatrist and "today" contributor. good morning to both of you. we need a lawyer and psychiatrist to look into this. gayle, i'll start with you. i know you can't diagnose from a distance. when you saw that demeanor in

court, what jumped out at you. >> people described it in a lot of ways. the reason was it was a nondescript behavior. he looked dazed or out of it or sleepy. the point really is in a snapshot you can't tell if someone is psychiatrically ill. they will need to do an in-depth psychiatric examination, psychological testing and they will have to look at the history, sort of going back to determine whether there is a reason for insanity defense. >> we've reported according to sources close to the defense, he was not on medication. other people have been saying, could he be faking it. can you basically fake an insanity defense? >> i'm not sure about faking it. i think he was not faking anything. he looks to me, given his prior conduct, like a sociopath. think of the conduct he did in getting dressed, ritual, putting on the gear, painting his body red. not only red hair but painted his body red, war paint.

this behavior was consistent with somebody who could easily be a sociopath. >> let's ask our psychiatrist about that. >> is that possible? most mass shooters are and aren't psychiatrically ill. you can't say that. someone who is very psychiatrically ill, psychotic is capable of planning something for a long time. it's all a matter if they have had a break with reality and have a delusional system that has driven them to commit a crime, that they didn't know right from wrong. >> that's the point i wanted to bring up with linda. just because somebody appears crazy to us on the outside, the bar to establish legal insanity. >> very high. you have to show he didn't know the difference between right and wrong in colorado and also he didn't have have an irresistible impulse and didn't know right and wrong. the problem here, he goes on a website, looking for sex.

you have the thing, it was like an erotic thing for him. >> real quick, gayle. is it possible someone can have a normal life and snap like this, no warning signs. >> there probably will be warning signs in retrospect. however, psychiatric illness present in late teens and early 20s, so can sociopathy. they can be paranoid and ultimately commit an act. >> i know we'll be checking back in with you. thank you. now let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories. natalie morales at the news desk. good morning. >> good morning to you, savannah. good morning, everyone. a standoff with an armed man on the campus in connecticut has now ended. late monday night campus police spotted a man with a gun who reportedly was threatening to harm himself. the campus was evacuated and early this morning the man

surrendered without incident. trouble at other screens of "the dark knight rises" following that massacre in aurora. in southern arizona police say an intoxicated man behaving erratically triggered mass hysteria in the wake of colorado shootings. panic ensued and some 50 people fled the theater. that man was arrested. meantime in southern california, 52-year-old man arrested at a local movie theater. he's accused of making criminal threats to mimic the colorado shootings at the showing of the batman movie in norwalk monday. in maine a heavily armed man arrested on a state turnpike monday. he was carrying an ak-47 assault rifle and several other guns. police say he claimed he had attended the new batman film with a loaded weapon and said he was on his way to shoot a former employer. for the first time brad pitt and angelina jolie have been named by british prosecutors as alleged victims of the phone hacking. this morning eight people, including former "news of the

world" editor, rebekah brooks, were charged in connection with the phone hacking scandal. syrian officials are threatening they will deploy chemical weapons to ward off international military intervention. the warning is the most direct confirmation yet that syria has unconventional arms at its disposal. tributes are pouring in for astronaut sally ride, the first american woman in space. she died monday after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. nbc's rehema ellis has more. >> reporter: sally ride was the first american woman to wear the uniform and make the memorable journey into space. she was trained as a physicist but ride will always be remembered as an astronaut and crew member who orbited the earth on board the space shuttle "challenger" almost 30 years ago. >> i think there are a few people that are waiting to see how i do.

>> reporter: what she did captured the nation's imagination and made her a household name. out of 8,000 who applied for the space program in the late 1970s, she was one of the chosen to enter what had been an exclusive men's club. even after she left nasa, she continued on her mission to inspire young people, especially girls, which she spoke about recently during nbc's education nation summit. >> maybe most important it's the teachers in the schools holding the high expectation and getting the message to the students, the girls as well as the boys, that we expect you to do well. >> reporter: sally ride died at age 61 from pancreatic cancer, an american hero, became a symbol for everyone, mostly women, who broke through barriers like she did. >> to wall street where all eyes again on europe.

cortney regan at the new york stock exchange. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. cutting outlook for germany, netherlands and luxembourg on concern some of the healthier countries in europe may have to increase their financial systems to the weaker ones. it was worries about the future of the eurozone that pressured stocks on monday. the dow posted a triple digit decline back-to-back in three months. elsewhere zillo, real estate firm, said home prices increase in the second quarter year over year for the first time since 2007. natalie. >> courtney reagan at the new york stock exchange. a milestone with gabrielle giffords. with her husband astronaut, giffords traveled 12,000 feet into the french alps monday. this was giffords first trip outside of the u.s. since she was shot in the head back in january 2011. she looks victorious there on the top of the mountain. back over to savannah and al.

looks great. >> that's great. >> good to see her. nice to see that joy on her face. natalie, thanks. al with the weather. >> the heat continues. we cannot escape it. heat advisories, warnings in the midsection, southeastern atlantic coast. look at these temperatures again, well over 100 degrees as you make your way into the midwest with heat indexes between 100 and 110 degrees. >> good morning. another hot day today. temperatures in the mid 90 bus. but iran today, we could see some

that's your latest weather. savannah. now to penn state and the harsh sanctions handed by the ncaa in the wake of the jerry sandusky child sex abuse scandal. today some penn state fans are saying the punishment doesn't fit the crime. nbc's national investigative correspondent michael isikoff in state college, pa this morning. michael, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. just now right behind me bulldozers are tearing down the wall where the statue of the late joe paterno once stood. it's one more sign of the end of an era at penn state. this comes the day after the ncaa imposed severe sanctions on the school that the group's president said were needed to send the message that the conduct that occurred here will not be tolerated in collegiate athletics. >> football will never again be placed ahead of educating, nurturing and protecting people. >> reporter: they are reeling

after the ncaa announced unprecedented sanctions as a result of the jerry sandusky child sex abuse scandal. the punishment includes a record $60 million fine, roughly the amount penn state makes on the football program each year to be used for programs to prevent child sex abuse. a four-year ban on playing in any bowl games, the loss of 40 scholarships over four years, and current players are free to transfer elsewhere, and vacating all penn state wins from 1998 to 2011, a devastating blow to the legacy of the late joe paterno. just this weekend the university took down paterno's statue after report by former fbi director louis freeh found the former coach played a key role in deciding not to notify authorities about an abuse allegation against sandusky, findings paterno's family denies. >> what we can do is impose sanctions that both reflect the

magnitude of these terrible acts and that also ensure penn state will rebuild an athletic culture that went horribly awry. >> penn state will not appeal the tough penalties and will vow to have a culture where people will speak up. it's central to the economy and penn state's identity. reaction on campus was shock, even tears. >> to do this to innocent people, players, the employees, community, it's just not fair. it's just not fair. >> you cannot deny there had to be a punishment. i just didn't think it would be this month. >> penn state football players med with head coach after it was announced. >> sports themselves can become too big to fail. indeed, too big to even challenge. the result can be an erosion of academic values replaced by the value of hero worship and winning at all cost.

>> reporter: a penn state spokesman confirmed this morning that the school had no choice. either accept these penalties or face the so-called death penalty, an outright suspension of the football program all together. savannah. >> all right. michael is quof ikoff at state college, pa. back to savannah and matt. >> obviously a lot going on back home. here the waiting is almost over in london. the games getting under way in just three days. it seems everyone is catching olympic fever, even the royal family. olympic spirit spread throughout the city of london monday. thompson carried by "star trek" star patrick stewart boldly going through the streets. >> it was thrilling. i shall never forget today. >> venus williams and murray each had their turn with the torch at wimbledon. no star sightings more

anticipated than the royal family. william, kate and harry vow to throw their support behind team britain, attending games every day. william, a former water polo player, is also expected to take in events at the aquatic center. kate, a former field hockey player may take in one of those events. harry reportedly has an interest in beach volleyball and will cheer on sprinter usain bolt who he met on a recent trip to jamaica. the queen show showing support to the olympics tuesday. >> the games will leave a strong legacy for future generations. >> but not everyone has caught olympic fever. london cabdrivers staged a protest on the tower bridge, angry at being forced out of newly created london traffic lanes. >> london cabbies are slowly

being pushed out of london. >> security around olympic park amped up as athletes continue to arrive at the village. inside the park, volunteers are getting early praise for being some of the friendliest the games have ever seen. >> i'm incredibly excited to be a part of it. i really am. >> approximately 10,000 of those lucky olympic volunteers were allowed into the stadium last night alongside performers arriving for an opening ceremony rehearsal, while the rest of the world has to wait just three more days to see the real thing. and a couple of notes for you folks back home. a couple of sports that will not be a part of the olympic games this time around in london, baseball and softball. one sport making its debut, women's boxing, which leads me to day two of our quiz from the nbc thick bic. >> showoff. >> stop whining. al, savannah and natalie, you're home. i hope you're doing your homework. five sports have been part of

every modern olympic games. name three of those. >> track and field. >> athletics. swimming. >> yes. >> gymnastics. >> yes. >> archery. >> two more for bonus points. no. if you say it twice it doesn't make it right the second time. >> making sure you heard. >> we're running out of time and you have to catch your flight shortly, cycling and fencing were the other two. >> all right. mr. highlighter pen. >> a lot of time on your flight tonight. >> thank you, teacher. coming up, the man who will likely be michael phelps biggest rival in the pool, ryan lochte and the two are extremely different. we'll catch up with ryan. first this is "today" on nbc. hmm, it says here that cheerios helps lower cholesterol

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coming up, what is going on with the jackson family? sheriff's deputies called to the home of katherine jackson. afterwards jermaine and janet seen outside arguing. also, meredith vieira swings by to tell us why these games will be the year of the woman after your local news. it's called science!xist. here's what they'll need. ♪ pencils, folders, notebooks. ♪ ♪ backpacks, denims, graphic tees. ♪ ♪ markers, calculators. whoa! ♪ ♪ converse one start tennies ♪ well, pencils, hair gel, binders. ♪ ♪ pencils, hair gel, binders. announcer: school takes a lot, target has it all. are made with sweet cherries and the crisp, clean taste of our cranberries. i cannot tell a lie. 'tis tasty. okay, george washington, did you take my truck out last night? 'tis tasty.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. we have an update to report on a stabbing that we brought you on monday on 11 news at 5:00. the victim in the case had been talking to our group of men had signed a 7-eleven store when he was stabbed in the chest.

he was taken to hospital, where he is in critical but stable condition. police have suspects in custody. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> we have accidents to watch for on arundel mills boulevard. there are delays leading up to this accident. watch for crash, and another one at 25th and greenmount ave. we have a fuel spill to report. an accident is still clearing in essex. another problem to know in darlington. how many church road. from the maryland line to the beltway, nothing significant, delay-wise. we have delays in the white marsh are out from white marsh towards the beltway northeast.

that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> so far, so good. it is warm and comfortable, but we don't have rain for the morning commute. 74 degrees in jarrettsville. we can see some showers and thunderstorms to the northwest coming across the ohio valley and the great lakes. the storms will give to the west of baltimore and maybe produce severe weather, so we will keep an eye on that. high-temperature around 95. cold front will go through tonight

>> that is the captain of the u.s. water polo team giving savannah a little advice for her first olympic experience. we're hoping she takes him up on it. it's 7:30 now on tuesday morning, the 24th day of july, 2012. i'm matt lauer at london's olympic park. savannah is back in new york city getting ready to jump on a plane and join me here. savannah, have you ever tried water polo. >> no. of course you want me to try it, because you know it will probably be embarrassing.

>> no, no, no, no. i will tell you, i actually played with the women's team in athens and nearly drowned. it is an incredibly intense sport. you should take them up on that. meanwhile, coming up from london, savannah, we're going to have a profile of probably a guy who could be called the best swimmer in the world right now and we're not talking about michael phelps. we're talking about ryan lochte. a lot of people think he might eclipse phelps at these london olympic games. he's fiercely competitive in the pool and he's a free spirit out of the pool. so we'll catch up with him. before we do, we have more athletes joining us in olympic park. the men's volleyball team, nice to see you, a pleasure. this is the team that won the gold in beijing in 2008. bad news, this is the team that won the gold in 2008, so there's a lot of pressure on you guys. >> that was four years ago and a

lot has happened since then. we have a good team. i think our upside is maybe higher than that other team. we're working on steadying things out. we're really excited to get things going. >> i'm learning, rich, this is not a sport for short people. who is your main competition in london? who do you think you've got to focus on most. >> in our group brazil, russia, serbia our first match. they are always a solid team. poland is an up and coming power in the world of volleyball. they just beat us in bulgaria, world league finals. there's somebody to look at as well. obviously everyone who qualified for the olympic is a strong team. >> we're wishing you the best. i just want to mention for you folks at home, from southern california right here. you mentioned your town is richmond, virginia, haven't lived there a lot. where do you call home now. >> huntington beach, california. >> thanks very much.

reed, rich, thanks very much. back to savannah. >> matt, we'll check back with you in a bit. we want to turn to more trouble for michael jackson's family. now sheriff's deputies have been called to the home of family matriarch katherine jackson. good morning to you. >> morning, savannah. >> katherine jackson was not at the home but police were called to a disturbance. >> her security team called and said there was allegedly a domestic abuse. randy, jermaine and janet came with a camera crew and tried to remove the children from the home, michael jackson's three children. paris, the oldest daughter, tweets after this goes down. police didn't charge anybody but looking into a battery. this is more battery for the jacksons. >> plenty of drama to go around. separately katherine jackson for a moment was reported missing. paris said my grandma is

missing. then came out and said she's in arizona, fine. then paris tweets eight days and counting. this isn't like her at all. i want to talk to my grandmother. >> this is very odd. we have pictures released, katherine jackson playing uno with rebe and her family. her team put out a picture saying we wanted katherine to ride in an r v travel on tour, saw a doctor that wasn't certified. the whole thing is very, very odd. >> meanwhile i believe it was last week some of michael jackson's siblings wrote a letter they are not happy with the executor of minds's estate. >> this has been going on three years since michael jackson passed away, fighting over the will, fighting over the estate. the kids are saying the will is not real. it went to court and they said this will holds up. katherine's people said we've reversed everything negative in katherine's life as far as the estate goes, it's making money for the kids.

leave it alone. >> real quickly, there was a photo taken, i believe of janet and jermaine, outside the house. they appear to be in some kind of dispute. this was yesterday. >> this appear to be in some kind of dispute but they allegedly ride together and united in the letter they wrote to katherine's lawyers. it's he said, she said, but one thing we do know, michael would not want this for his children. >> thank you for bringing this today, we appreciate it. now a check of the weather from al. >> today's weather brought to you by the makers of centrum, always your most complete. >> a lot of nice folks from upward bound, lexington, kentucky. who dropped their sunglasses. whose sunglasses? there you go. let's find out about weather. risk of strong storms in north

dakota, up into new england. could see large hail, damaging winds. we already have a severe thunderstorm watch including chicago. look at these storms training along this system from south dakota all the way into michigan. can you see we are looking at a lot of rain. some places picking up one to three inches especially in the upper midwest. >> good morning. we're starting out with a quiet conditions. some thunderstorms may develop this >> got a 14-year-old birthday. what's your name? >> james. >> happy birthday, james.

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we're back now at 7:40 with today's athlete to watch. we're talking about american swimmer ryan lochte. while other swimmers have grabbed the spotlight in past olympic games, this could be the year he takes center stage. while his easy going lighthearted manner may fool some, ryan lochte has always

been a fierce competitor and contender. he's come a long way from the kid who used to like getting kicked out of swim practice. >> no way anybody will catch ryan lochte now. >> ryan lochte coming home. >> for all his success in the pool, you might think ryan lochte was destined to be a champion. >> it is lochte, world record! >> he's the son and grandson of swim coaches. he didn't necessarily begin that way. >> when i was eight, i would try to get kicked out of practice. >> what didn't you like about it. >> i didn't like practicing that much. i liked going to races and racing people. i was a little kid having fun. >> ryan said it was his father steve, a high school coach, who pushed him to the next level. we first came to know the name

lochte as one-fourth of the 2004 gold medal relay team at the summer games in athens. while it seems the whole world was focused on michael phelps quest for eight gold medals in beijing in 2008, ryan lochte was focused on one thing. >> my long time goal was getting an individual gold medal while breaking a world record. i just remember looking up to the ceiling and saying thank god, it finally happened. >> you had been on the podium before. you had heard the national anthem played while you were standing there. this time you were standing up along. >> they had this big jumbotron and zoomed in on my family and my dad was even crying. it was something i'll never forget. >> six career medals. >> so much is being made, ryan, about the rivalry between you and michael. obviously he's one of the

greatest swimmers of all time if not the greatest swim tore date. every time you walk in a room, every time you walk in a room, people are looking and saying, you're going against each other and getting more intense. >> to me, michael is just another swimmer, just another person i've got to go up against and race. he's one of the toughest competitors i've ever had to race against. i love racing against him. >> you've been standing there by the pool on a couple of occasions where he's pulled off miracle finishes. and in some ways does the aura of that give him some kind of a psych edge? >> not really. just because when i go on the blocks, i always feel like i can win. i'm not going for second or third, i'm going to win. >> and when he did in the years following the beijing olympics, no longer in phelps shadow, it was ryan lochte who dominated the swimming world, beating phelps at the 2010 national championships. >> ryan lochte five gold medals.

>> in 2011, ryan went five for five at the world championship. he attributes that success to getting a little more serious outside of the pool. >> i started eating healthier. >> no more junk food? you don't do that at all? because you lived at mcdonald's in beijing, didn't you? >> every day, breakfast, lunch and dinner. >> he also got more serious with his workouts, teaming with strong man competitor and strength coach. >> for me for training, i need a variety. i'm lifting, what is this, an 850 pound tire. i'm dragging a 525 pound boat chain like 60 feet. i'm doing keg tosses in the air. >> what's the biggest difference you've noticed in the pool because of putting on extra bulk. >> i'm a lot stronger. i can pull a lot more water than i've ever pulled before. >> you're seen as a terrific competitor in the pool and a little more of a free spirit out of the pool.

free assessment? >> oh, yeah rainfall one way ryan expresses that spirit is his unique sense of style. colorful speedos to outrageous sneakers he designed. of course, his infamous mouthpiece, first revealed at a medal ceremony. >> nobody at home knew why you were smiling. then you take me through it, you walked up -- >> i had the grills in. >> have they been retired, by the way? >> oh, no. >> the grills could come back in london? >> they will come back. >> from what i understand, your closet would make oprah jealous. you are a bit of a clothes horse. >> oh, yeah. i mean, i love clothes. i love designing clothes. >> sometimes it seems you do things almost just to push the envelope. like we mentioned the junk food. i mean, that's not what olympic athletes are supposed to do. you have also injured yourself doing things like break-dancing. you've broken your ankle a couple times skateboarding.

will you swear off those types of things between now and london? >> no. >> so you would -- if we were to go out on the street right now and i was to say here is a skate board, you'd skate board down the road here? >> oh, yeah. i'd do tricks and everything. if i don't be myself, i won't swim my best. i need to be myself. >> ryan lochte doesn't just want to win, he wants to win on his own terms. >> if you can write the headlines, ryan, for what's about to happen in london, what's your headline going to be? >> ryan lochte takes over. >> that headline is interesting. you're going to have more -- we're going to have more on the rivalry between michael phelps and ryan lochte. you'll hear what michael phelps had to say when i told him what ryan lochte would dream up for the headline. it's an interesting response. meanwhile, j. lo out, mariah

in. mariah carey, the newest judge on "american idol." that right after this. [ bresha ] you know? you could increase your punching power if you opened your stance a bit. because if you win gold, i could win prizes. so chop, chop, marlen. let me know when you're ready to start. there you go, sting like a gnat. [ male announcer ] keep an eye on your us athletes when you enjoy select favorites under 400 calories at mcdonald's. when they wigold, you could win prizes. remember, the ukranians are doing this in the snow. [ male announcer ] the simple joy of winning. the calcium they take because they don't take it with food. switch to citracal maximum plus d. it's the only calcium supplement that can be taken with or without food. that's why my doctor recommends citracal maximum. it's all about absorption.

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new pencils, new books... new backpack...looks good. just trying to look our best. gonna take more than looks. from what i hear, ms. haskins is a toughy. oh we had a good breakfast, so we're ready. gonna be another great year, huh guys?! you bet your 8 layers! yeah! long distance high 5. whoa! oh, careful. hey, watch it. [ female announcer ] packed with fiber and nearly a day's worth of whole grains, kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal helps keep your kids full and focused all morning long. now available in touch of fruit raspberry. keeps 'em full. keeps 'em focused. with the azerbaijani wrestling team. ♪ can febreze air effects defeat the smelly air in their gym for good? [ man ] what can you smell? [ inhales deeply ] a lot of flowers. it's on the zingy side of floral. potpourri factory, maybe. you can take off your blindfolds now. oh my gosh. [ laughter ] [ male announcer ] success. victory over odors, for good, both here and in your home.

febreze. breathe happy. latest round of musical chairs at "american idol." natalie has more on that. good morning. >> certainly is musical chairs. more than two decades pop superstar mariah carey has fascinated audiences with her five octave range. now she will join the mega hit show. the unmistakable voice that's been heard by fans around the world will now judge the voices of others. monday superstar mariah carey confirmed she's joining "american idol" via twitter seeing, it's going to be so much fun working on "american idol." as a singer songwriter, i'm excited to help find and nurture new talent. idol has a long history of using

big name stars to attract viewers. this change comes after stephen tyler and jennifer lopez were leaving "american idol." >> they needed to do something big. there's nothing bigger than the best selling female artist of all time on the panel. >> they suffered the largest ratings drop in history, down 25%. >> i don't know if there can ever be one thing that can instantly fix idol and the problems it's having. there's so many musical competition shows, i think the audience is just getting tired of them. having said that, bringing on mariah carey certainly ups the diva quotient. >> as for her salary, carey will reportedly earn more than lopez. >> fox is reporting mariah carey is making more money than

jennifer lopez got, $12 million. >> her husband hosts "america's got talent" on nbc and recently joked idol producers couldn't afford to pay his wife. >> i think it's funny mariah carey is a judge on "american idol" while her husband nick cannon is the host of "america's got talent." i would love to see them engage in a little bit of a friendly rivalry. idol host ryan seacrest was among the first celebrities to offer baby-sitting help to the couples' twins by congratulating via twitter saying welcome to the familiar, mariah carey. when you and nick cannon need a date night, i'm happy to strap on the double baby bjorn. >> not confirming any other decisions on the idol judging panel, which includes randy jackson. new judges could be announced as early as the coming weeks. a lot of moving parts. everybody waiting to hear. >> the big question, can mariah be mean? coming up, much more from matt lauer and meredith vieira stops

by, after your local news. hi. i'm timothy. i came from the garden. [ cindy ] is he for us? mom, dad... i'm getting that feeling. [ male announcer ] on august 15th comes the family movie of the summer. why are you smiling? i can only get better. [ male announcer ] and once you meet timothy green... [ laughs ] i never thought i'd hear that laugh again. [ male announcer ] ...you'll never be the same. that little guy of yours -- he's something special. [ cindy ] everyone he touches, he changes. [ male announcer ] "the odd life of timothy green," rated pg. with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> not the best time to be on the bw parkway. speeds of around 18 miles per hour. two left lanes closed. take 95 as your alternate. southbound ritchie highway, accident coming in. northbound delays developing ports 100. let's look at what else is going on in the area.

kane street and lombard, accident in the city. heavy on the north and west side on the outer loop. live view of a couple of spots for you. coming towards us is out of the traffic. -- outer loop traffic. live view of traffic in the area of the security. tony has a check on your forecast. >> so far, just a little haze, high, thin, wispy clouds. no precipitation yet, but that will change this afternoon. 75 in parkton. we will make it into the mid- 90's this afternoon. scattered thunderstorms upstream, moving across portions of ohio and back in illinois. those will probably catch up to us later on today. a mixture of sunshine and clouds is our forecast. scattered showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. some of those to be strong. high temperatures in the mid- 90's.

funds will go through tonight and take care of the heat and humidity for one day. high temperatures in the mid-to- upper-80's. scattered thunderstorms are going in at the beginning of the weekend and

8:00 now on tuesday morning july 24th, 2012. we are out here to say hi and bye to the wonderful crowd that's come out here to say hello to us on the plaza. tomorrow we will be in london. you don't miss matt at all. >> of course i miss matt. we'll see him tomorrow. >> we will. >> we've got these nice friends today. >> hi and bye. >> are you putting a lot of sunscreen on the top of the dome here. >> nothing i can do for that, al. that's basically fried already, which brings up a good point.

as you guys get ready to come over here, all the talk of rain, three days in a row, also warm. get ready for that. it's close to 85 degrees today. hopefully that will continue for the next couple of days. we look forward to seeing you. also want to tell you here in london a lot of people are saying these summer games could signal the year of the woman and cue the theme music, because who is better to tell us about the year of the woman than meredith vieira. >> you know that expression i am woman, hear my roar. for the first time ever all 205 nations are sending women as athletes here. team usa, more women than men. >> what's your point? >> your days are numbered, baldy. >> wow, the civility went out the window early here. anyway, you're going to tell us more about that? >> i am going to tell you about that, the athlete from

afghanistan, the only woman from afghanistan. >> you can come closer. >> i'm nervous, your head. she was under pressure from her country, people that didn't want her here. see you in just a second. before we go further can i introduce nastia liukin, the reigning all around gymnastics champion. good to see you. >> thanks, matt. >> i almost wore that same outfit. talk to me about being a spectator and broadcaster as opposed to being part of the team. >> it's really different for me, but i'm so excited to be able to be here and enjoy the olympic games as a fan. for me to compete at the 2008 olympics was a dream come true. now i'm really able to enjoy the games. >> i know when you look back at that moment when you failed to make the team during the olympic trials after a pretty nasty fall, you have to kind of cringe. you know what i thought was

amazing about it. you could have said, check, please, and walked off. you finished your routine. talk to me about what was going on. >> i did. i knew at that point i had no chance of making the olympic team. it was more than that for me. i knew i had to finish what i started. for me it was that bar routine. my parents always taught me from day one, let's finish what you start. finishing my career to standing ovations with 20,000 people was heartwarming people. in 2008 people cheered me on because of my performances. in san jose a few weeks ago, they cheered me on for more reasons. that's why i got emotional, this is my last performance in front of thousands and thousands of people. >> are you going to have a little fun in london. >> i hope so. i'm excited. i'm excited for all the girls and be able to see their olympic moment this time. >> mention you're going to be working for nbc olympics decrease. >> i will. i'm so excited. >> great to see you again. we'll see you throughout london. let's go back to new york.

natalie at the news desk with a check of the headlines. natalie. >> good morning to you and everyone. colorado prosecutor said her office will consider the death penalty against movie theater shooter james holmes. with his dyed orange hair he made his first court appearance. he and dazed and didn't speak. he's accused of killing 12 people and injured 58. his family said they are standing by their son but issued a statement that their hearts go out to the families. penn state handed a penalty for failing to protect children against accused sex abuser jerry sandusky, fined $60 million, banned from bowl play for four years and stripped of all football victories from 1998 to 2011. the ncaa stopped short of suspending the football program. a jury could be seated by the end of the day for the drew

peterson murder trial. the former chicago area police chief accused of killing his wife. police began investigating the disappearance of his fourth wife. navy investigators said monday a civilian shipyard worker in maine confessed to torching a nuclear submarine in may and setting another fire last month so he could get out of work early. damage to the uss miami was estimated at $400 million. 24-year-old could face up to life in prison. now for a look at what's trending today. a quick roundup of what has you talking online. madonna triggered backlash at her show in scotland this weekend. she brandished fake guns out of respect for colorado. she brandishes assault rifles.

she would rather cancel than censor her art. cheek kisses in a receiving line. protocol dictates you cannot touch the queen unless she extends her hand first. the kissing couple turned out to be the king of greece and his wife so they were related to the phillips. the physical contact was okay. this husband's spur of the moment prank is getting a lot of reaction online. he saw a backward facing truck towed and decided to wake his sleeping wife. i don't think he'll be getting any husband of the year awards any time soon. the look of shock on her face. 8:06 right now. let's go back outside to al with a check of your weather. >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by the makers of

zantac, a new look at heartburn relief. >> don't scare your wife and don't shoot video of yourself while you're driving. what's your name, sir? you're 88? >> 88 today. >> world war ii vet. >> yes. >> and you met the queen. >> three times. >> you met the queen three times. >> yes. >> my gosh. you guys could have been dating. fantastic. i love this guy. all right. happy birthday, sir. >> good morning.r your service. another hot day today. temperatures in the mid 90 bus. but iran today, we could see some

>> and that's your latest weather. savannah. >> all right, al. thanks. coming up two young women who survived the shooting in colorado and even moved president obama with their story of bravery. we'll have it right after this. 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.

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♪ sneakers and t-shirts. ♪ notebooks and jeans, ♪ notebooks and jeans, ♪ notebooks and jeeeeans, yeah! ♪ ♪ notebooks and jeans! announcer: school takes a lot, target has it all. how far would you go to save your best friend's life. two women from colorado certainly know the answer to that question. they were in the movie theater in colorado when the bullets started flying. the story of bravery became known worldwide when president obama shared it during his visit to colorado. nbc's kristen dahlgren with a story of life, death, and everlasting friendship. >> reporter: at first glance, they are your typical bffs. >> we met working at victoria secret. >> reporter: allie young and stephanie davies finish each other's sentences. >> i decided we were going to be friends and hang out. we hung out that weekend. >> we've been inseparable since

then. >> reporter: almost every sentence ends in a laugh. >> she was like, hey, do you want to go see batman, the movie premier. yeah, i want to go. >> reporter: what started in a typical night out ended in a friendship so extraordinary even the president was moved to share. >> when the gunman initially came in and threw the canisters, he threw them only a few feet away from allie and stephanie. >> and the people behind us, run, run, go. i just remember opening my eyes. i'm on the ground, blood everywhere. i just hear her say, allie, get up. we have to go. allie, get up. i couldn't talk. i was like, stef, stef, i can't. >> i never heard her voice sound like that in my life. >> i can't move. she says, get up. people running down the aisle, i'm in the aisle, my arm across just laying there. she grabs me and pulls me into

the seats where your feet would be. >> there's blood everywhere. >> she puts her fingers over my artery, my carotid artery was exploded. that's where i got shot. >> i'm telling her, allie, stay down, stay quiet. just stay there. don't move, be quiet and just keep breathing. i'm looking up through all of the rows of seat. i just peek up. i see him up there, and i'm hearing him yell at people. then you just hear the rounds going off, just boom, boom, boom, boom. >> reporter: knowing she couldn't move, allie told stef to run, save yourself. >> you have to go. have you to go. she's like, no, no, no. i'm not leaving you. >> she stayed by her friend's side until the gunman was gone and s.w.a.t. teams arrived helping carry allie across bodies and two parking lots to safety and an ambulance.

>> i call her parents and told them, there was a shooting where we were. she's bleeding. she is shot. here is the ambulance she's going in. here is the two possible hospitals she could be going to. i love you guys. i hope you find her. >> reporter: stef went to check in on allie at the hospital and there's her dad. >> i get into the lobby and see her dad. he comes over and gives me the biggest hug. then he says, you know, allie can talk because she's got breathing tubes down her throat but they gave her a board to write on. the first thing she wrote on that board is where is my stef. i lost it. i just lost it. you never really know how close you are to somebody and how important they are to you until you can test your friendship and literally say you were both willing do lay down your lives for each other. she was willing to give up hers to let me run, and i was willing

to give up mine to make sure she lived. >> so when the president visited. >> he's the most important man in the world. >> a lot taller than we thought. >> he's really tall. >> reporter: even the commander in chief couldn't compete with the best buds. >> it was exciting. more exciting is being able to be here. >> being alive and being together. >> reporter: allie still has multiple gunshot wounds, no use of her right harm and a lot of healing ahead. surprisingly little anger for the gunman. >> i feel so sorry that someone went through that much in their life, that much pain and no one noticed, no one had a best friend like me to say that's not right. >> allie and stef still side by side. >> we consider ourselves eeternal optimist. >> we look at everything with a bright side. >> reporter: teaching us all the meaning of best friends for life. for today kristen godahlgren, n

news, colorado. >> what a story. back to london where meredith vieira will tell us why olympic games will have the woman's touch but first these messages. [ female announcer ] it's 9 pm... and the chocolate cravings begin... again. ♪ for nights like these... there's special k chocolatey delight cereal. so you can get your chocolatey fix... without undoing your whole day. ♪ an unguilty pleasure. what will you gain when you lose? with mccafé real fruit smoothies at mcdonald's. ♪ the simple joy that lasts forever. ♪ because vitamin d3 helps bones absorb calcium, caltrate's double the d.

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[ gasps ] hi. i'm timothy. i came from the garden. [ cindy ] is he for us? mom, dad... i'm getting that feeling. [ male announcer ] on august 15th comes the family movie of the summer. why are you smiling? i can only get better. [ male announcer ] and once you meet timothy green... [ laughs ] i never thought i'd hear that laugh again. [ male announcer ] ...you'll never be the same. that little guy of yours -- he's something special. [ cindy ] everyone he touches, he changes. [ male announcer ] "the odd life of timothy green," rated pg.

18 minutes past the hour where we welcome you to olympic park, where athletes will achieve greatness and inspire people around the world. history has been made even though the torch has not been lit. meredith here with that. >> hey, matt. these games are all about first and this year all about women. 205 countries competing in these games are sending female athletes. on the home front team usa, a first as well, women athletes at these games outnumber mean. london olympics may just be the girls games of 2012. even as missy the missile franklin is poised to be the next great american swimming icon, allyson felix is going for

gold on the track. >> felix with a sizable victory some are saying this could be the greatest u.s. gymnastics team ever. the girls of the london games have already made history. >> we have 269 women and 261 men on the team. as you can see, that really represents a strong group of women. >> on the global stage middle eastern countries bruni, qatar and saudi arabia will send female athletes to london. for the first time in history every country competing will compete. a sprinter from afghanistan. >> can you believe you're here? >> no. >> when do you think it's going to sink in? >> sometimes i think it's like a dream, but i'm here. >> i met up with her at the olympic village where performers welcome athletes to the game. she understands this is a

special time. she recognizes her own place in history. >> here you are at the olympics, the only woman on your team, only the third woman ever from afghanistan to compete in the olympics but it has been a hard road for you to get here, wasn't it? >> yeah. it was very hard and very difficult for me. there's a lot of people supporting me but there's also a lot of people that don't like me and they just hate me. >> what do they say? >> sometimes they will say that i'm not a good girl because i'm doing a sport. they are thinking i'm not a good muslim, these ideas they have about me. >> are you seen as less of a woman than those around you because of the fact you're in sports? >> there's a lot of afghan women that don't accept me and my way. they are thinking that i'm wrong but i am not wrong. >> so it's not just the men but the women, too. >> yes. >> he says her strength comes from her family.

every step her parents encouraged her olympic-sized dream. >> my family don't have any problem with my sport. all the time they are supporting me. i can say the most supporter of my life is my father all the time. my father told me that one day you'll achieve your goal. don't stop. that was the reason for me that i'm here. >> she is a practicing muslim and will compete in the olympics in a traditional headscarf and islamic uniform. >> do you feel in any way that will limit you as a sprinter? >> no, i never think that it's disturbing me during the competition. i don't think like this. >> what do you think the likelihood is that you will medal. >> very difficult to win medal from the olympic games. it's just like a dream. but if i got the medal, i think i will start a new wave for women of afghanistan know i

tried. that time they will believe theirself they can do everything that they want. >> with hope for the future and a fierce determination to make a difference, she will compete in the 100 meters for afghanistan. i asked her how to say good luck in her home language, persian. [ speaking foreign language ] >> it means good luck. >> thank you. >> she's part of these historic games they are calling the year of the woman. she's running 100 meters. she has a long shot. you never know. she has a sign in her room that says dreams come true. she looks at that every day especially under pressure from others not to compete. >> she will inspire a lot of people by being here. you are now here. what are you most looking forward to? >> i'm a sucker for gymnastics. i'm looking forward to that. meeting the athletes, you realize every one of them have an incredible story. it took so much to get here both

physically and mentally. great challenges like she has, respect for them all. >> opening ceremony friday night, which i'm looking forward to. should mention folks in new york will fly out overnight. as you know, these will be savannah's first olympic games. savannah, to help you out, we have some veteran olympians to give you advice. take a look. >> savannah, for your first olympic games, you should get crazy. dress in the red, white, and blue and go to as many events as possible because it's a once in a lifetime experience. >> savannah, you know, i really think the best way to show up to the olympic games and start fresh is to jump into a nice, cold pool with us and play a little game of water polo. >> make sure you tie your suit before you go in the water. >> savannah should not cheer like this. savannah should cheer like this -- come on!

you're in first place. >> you need to stand up on your feet and yell, go usa! >> if you can soak up every moment that is. >> there's going to be a lot going on. they will be over before you know it. sit back and relax, take a deep breath and enjoy the olympics. >> drinking. >> drinking. now we're getting to a sport. >> right, natalie and al, go ahead. >> i said that i think she should, contrary to what you guys have shown us, she should not wear spandex for any spot that will live on in archives and make it on the air. also i told her the other olympics. there's the spandex, we see it over again. she should invest in the other olympic sport with pin collecting. we started her off with her first set here. >> take as many pictures as possible because it's going to go so fast. you won't believe how fast it is. when you look back at those pictures, you are just going to

be amazed at what you did and what you saw. >> matt, what's your advice. >> more of a winter piece of advice. if bode miller asks if you want to party, just say no. nothing good can come to that. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> time for a check on our morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> problems could set you back a few minutes. southbound 295 past of arundel mills boulevard, at speeds of 24 miles per hour southbound pit stop on ritchie highway and east west highway, another one we are tracking 21 miles per hour west side on the outer loop.

on the outer loop come topside at belair road. darlington road and how many church road, fire activity the issue there. here is what it looks like on harford road. let's switch over to a live view of traffic on the west side of security, where we are dealing with the normal west side of volume delays from 795 all the way down. tony katz is up-to-date on the forecast -- ronny gets us up-to- date on the forecast. >> this afternoon, the weather should turn active. 85 downtown. 79 in cockeysville, 77 in parkton. thunderstorms developing to our northwest. strong storms around chicago right now. this is drifting in our direction. we will see how the severe weather situation develops this afternoon. otherwise, just his the sunshine

with highs in the mid-90's. wednesday should be a nice day. >> we'll have another update at 8:56. 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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we're back now, 8:30 on tuesday morning. it's the 24th day of july, 2012. coming to you live from sunny london. how often do you get to say those words. boy, it is beautiful temperatures in the 80s as you take a look at that beautiful millennium wheel. the eye as they call it, the rest of the sights of london. we are here for the olympic games that get under way friday

night with the opening ceremony. i'm matt lauer at olympic park. i've asked meredith to stick around a little bit. they have also got a great crowd in new york city outside studio 1a. that's where we're going to find savannah, al, and natalie, who are planning their trip here. guys, meredith and i want to know what you want to see when you get here? >> i'd like to see the london eye. >> although it takes an hour. i'm just looking forward to the town itself. london never disappoints. >> beach volleyball. >> matt, you almost missed a great sight here. natalie almost had a marilyn monroe moment, "seven year itch." >> really? okay. by the way, you're going to fly overnight and they are going to join us both at the bridge tonight. >> i was on the london eye a couple days ago. it took 45 minutes, less than an hour and it was fantastic. >> how many people in those

orbs. >> orbs? 12 to 16. >> they do it in an hour, 45 minutes for people they don't like. >> i had to jump. >> meredith got the bum rush. we have a very important figure standing next to us. can i bring in bella karolyi, the legendary gymnastic coach. you've spent so much time with team usa. i'll ask you the question everybody wants to know, can this team win the gold medal. >> the strongest team in the last 30 years. smart kids, smart, easy to work with them. easy to direct them toward the main goal, a perfect performance in the state competition. of course really not a competition, the most important. i'm having the vision that these five fabulous members of the team, they are going to do very, very well. >> in 1996, you won the gold. the team won the gold.

can you do it again? >> beautiful memories. that was different times. this is much stronger time. the competition is much harder than that. the closeness and force what the europeans are doing, russians, romanians, a strong situation to face. >> you've hung around and coached people with names like ma mary lou and nadia, is there someone on this team that should be mentioned in the group. >> jordan has the physical standing. she has the stamina, the power like nadia. mentally, they are strong like mary lou. physical and mental. >> we just talk to nastia. what do you think her legacy would be? >> wow, don't mention to me.

it's breaking my heart. our two best is missing on this team. what a blow to the team. i wish they would do that great, amazing performance but -- >> we'll mention bella will help us out at nbc sports for gymnastics. always a pleasure. back to the >> good morning. we're starting out with a quiet conditions. some thunderstorms may develop this

>> what's your name, young lady? >> emma. >> where are you from? >> naples, florida. >> very nice. all right. savannah. >> all right, al, thanks. coming up next, called hillbilly hand fishing, catching a catfish with your bare hands. we'll introduce you to this spor coming up. this is today on nbc. [ taste buds ] donuts, donuts, donuts! who are these guys? oh, that's just my buds. bacon, donuts. -my taste buds. -[ taste buds ] waffles. how about we try this new kind of fiber one cereal? you think you're going to slip some fiber by us? rookie. okay. ♪ nutty clusters and almonds, ♪ ♪ almonds. ♪ fiber one is gonna make you smile. ♪

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reel. how would you like to catch a huge fish with a your bare hands. kerry sanders jumped in literally to give it a try. kerry, can't wait to see this. >> good morning, savannah. i've been fishing my whole life, off the coast of maine, florida. there's fishing with a rod and reel and something called noodli noodling.

this will grab you hook, line, and sinker for the very reason there is no hook, line, and sinker. in south central oklahoma along the red river there's an area nicknamed the badlands for deadly snakes. >> we have cotton mouth, water moccasins, spiders. >> deadly spiders. >> there's the plaque widow we have to worry about. >> deadly heat. i've come down to these parts to witness, experience the tradition that dates back to early american. noodli noodling, cat fishing in the muddy waters with the touch of your feet and grip of your bare hands. who better to teach them, third and fourth generation noodlers. two home grown stars from animal planet's hit show, hillbilly hand fishing. >> you have to offer yourself up as bait. buddy, i'm telling you, you qualify. you're living and breathing, you look like live bait. >> i'm the worm at the end of the hook. >> yes, except there's no hook. the only hook is your hand.

>> it's a chore just to get to the fishing hole. >> fish to swallow up. >> after a quick prayer. >> in jesus' name, amen. >> be the bait. be the bait. let's go. >> it's time to get down and dirty oklahoma style with the experts and their families. >> going to ease up in here nice and easy using hands and feet. i'm feeling around gingerly, really soft. if you touch something let me know. if it's soft and slick, it's probably a fish. if it's scaly, could be a snake. do you feel something. >> yeah, yeah. you're very funny. >> no fish. >> it looks so easy on tv. but for me, it's slow going. >> feel real slow, easy. >> who in their right mind ever dreams this up. >> people that were hungry.

>> after several near misses and a few close calls -- that's a big spider. the excitement begins with skipper's daughter heather catching a catfish in open water. >> congratulations. >> thanks. >> shall i let him go? >> yeah, let him go. >> fishless and embarrassed i finally get my chance. look at that. it's tiny but i got one. >> that's what you call catch and release. >> but there was no way i was leaving the badland without a monster catfish to call my own. so with everybody pitching in -- >> his mouth. >> hey, hey, hey. looky there. a big fish.

>> a 45-pounder. >> give him a kiss. >> yes, it does hurt when you put your hand in a 45-pound catfishes mouth that would rather not be caught, shredded my skin. all these fish are catch and release. another day. >> that sound we heard from you kerry oh, my goodness. thank you. stars of animal planet's hillbilly hand fishing. skipper and jackson as you like to be called, good to have you here. >> thank you. >> kerry screamed like a girl. >> worse than that, like a pig under a gate. >> if everything goes right with this, you get bitten by a catfish, are you surprised how many are into this? >> they seem to want to live vicariously through our lives. they want to come down and go fishing with us. you're right. it is a little hard to convince them to become the bait. >> jackson, what is the term

noodling. what does that refer to? >> we cassel call it graveling, catching a fish with your hands. >> like you're noodling with your hand. >> exactly. >> what does it feel like, the catfish. >> it's a rush, slide back into a dark, deep beaver hole. he's way in the back. he starts running at you, puts a smack daddy bite on you. >> there's going to be some great satisfaction as you're gripping a fish with your bare hands. >> there's no greater pleasurement than to catch a fish with your bare hands, almost like going bear hunting with a switch. >> what makes noodling. >> a young girl like you. >> a lot of guts. >> i would think so. >> once you try, you're hooked. it's like an adrenaline you never felt before. you can fish your hole life with a rod and reel and never catch a fish as big as we catch every day. >> imagine you put your hand in the hole, you might get a catfish. >> beaver or snakes but more

often than not it's going to be a catfish. >> i think i'm too afraid to try the sport. what were you going to say? >> we would like to invite you to come down and go fishing with us. >> nothing against kerry. he was good. he done great but you would make much better bait than he would. >> i don't know. they like slimy. maybe i'll try it. you keep that hand sanitizer on the boat. >> real close. that little scar is three weeks old. >> you're not selling it. that looks scary. >> battle scars. >> thank you so much. we want to remind everybody the second season of hillbilly hand fishing premiers at 8:00 eastern on animal planet. simple cooking, some of the freshest veges of the summer but first this is "today" on nbc.#ff

this morning on,000 cook every san diego.

pick a peck of peppers, yellow, red, sweetness of bell peppers. today we have three classic recipes featuring the summer favorite. the author mark bittman, "how to cook everything." peppers are in season, right? >> they are totally in season. they are never sweeter than they are in midsummer. i know we have them all year-round. mostly they are grown in greenhouses now they are grown in gardens. >> we have three recipes, two of which feature roasted red peppers. give us the optimum way to roast. >> the optimum way to roast, which i'm not going to show you, super hot fire outside, throw them on the grill, blacken and collapse, that's the best. the most practical way, the way most of us do it. you do it in an oven, hot oven, on aluminum foil. not wrapped like that but on aluminum foil until they blacken and collapse. where that them a few minutes.

they seem a bit. the black skin is easy to peel off. >> as soon as it's cool enough to handle the skin comes off. >> this is not perfect usually. this is a good one. any skin that sticks is not a big deal. mostly what you want to get is the blackest parts because they are bitter. then you have beautiful caram carameliz caramelized, word of the year. you pull the core out. >> our first one is a spanish recipe, a salsa. >> it's some onions cooked until they are tender, then a bunch of chopped tomatoes, maybe that's a little too much. then our roasted red, or in this case yellow pepper. the taste, i like to add a little bit of sugar, and, of course, salt. then stir that up and come over here. >> okay. our next one is a bisque. >> just a second.

just a little bit of vinegar at the end, some oregano or other fresh herb and you wind up with something that's a fabulous salsa. >> looks good. i'm going to try it while you tell us about the bisque. >> the bisque, you could think of it as lobster bisque but with peppers instead of lobster. some chicken stock or a stock you have and a lot of roasted peppers. right in with smoked paprika, minced garlic. all of that cooks together for a while. then you puree that in a blender with a bit of cream. >> as much cream as you like. >> a little bit, really, is enough. then we topped it with cream fresh. you get this beautiful creamy, delicious -- >> cold or hot? >> you can serve it cold or hot, if it's hot, but it's fantastic cold. >> thirty seconds for our last recipe. >> this is easy.

basic mixed tango of peppers, olive oil, salt and pepper, a little vinegar at the end just to sort of spice things up, get that nice sizzle. so beautiful. you can serve with anchovies if you're bold. >> or all of the above. all right. great recipes. mark bittman, thank you. up next from bow to wow, we'll find shelter dogs a happy home. but first this is "today" on nbc.

>> announcer: today brought to you by sergeant's. >> time for our special series, bow to wow, take dogs out of shelters, clean them up, find them wonderful loving homes. our animal expert jill rappaport with us. we're still at 100% adoption. >> we're so proud of that fact. considering it's the dog days of summer, it's the perfect time to adopt a dog. yes, today we have another wonderful batch to continue our winning streak. from mighty to mini, all begging for a loving home. first up, the most precious little puppy. he's so cute. >> this is hailey, a four-month-old, a beagle. >> i gathered that.

she's been very mellow. but put her down and look at her. i can't take it. look at that little face. this bundled tri-color is jack. he is so sweet. if you zoom in close, look at those beautiful butterscotch color eyes. >> very friendly, very playful. >> we should mention he's an active puppy and a sweetheart. say hello to scooby doobie doo. this adorable little boy is a pomeranian mix. >> three years old. he was rescued as a stray not too far from the shelter actually. >> he's a little bit timid. considering what he's been through, he's definitely a couch potato in the making, isn't he? now onto another little powerhouse with a very big name.

this little guy is courage. >> courage is a three-year-old miniature pinscher. >> min pin. i love that. he's a baby. tell me about miniature pinschers. >> they have a big personality, even though small in nature. >> what a breed to be featuring on a hot july day. excessive xena, siberian pup. >> five years old. >> active. >> super active. >> sit down, baby. she has beautiful ice blue eyes. such a beauty. >> and joining us now as always is richard with the animal care and control. good morning. >> good morning. >> let's get right to the beautiful pups being walked out by kathie lee. we have the sweet scooby doo. one dog for kathie lee. scooby doo.

it's perfect. >> a good dog for children. >> you do that very well. very well done. >> very well with bambinos. >> beautiful white dog. sweet girl. all right. okay. thank you, kathie lee. prancing away. next we have jack with the butterscotch eyes along with our own butterscotch eyes, hoda kotb. >> jack is five-month-old, all the dogs and cats are spayed or neutered before they are adopted. he will be neutered. >> a sweet dog. >> he has a very mellow, kind personality. >> he doesn't have -- >> okay. all right. >> thank you, hoda. next we have the little man with

a huge name walked out by al roker. this is courage. >> he'll get under the covers and snuggle, loves to sit in your lap. >> only with the dog. >> take a few minutes to warm up. once he does he melts in your lap. >> big personality, little dog. >> we've never -- a nice one. >> thank you, al. the biggest dog in the group, the husky xena marked out by mario, our tech guru. >> loves to play. >> very active. >> very active. >> you're the star. >> have to be careful in weather like this. >> look at those eyes. they are gorgeous. >> they are excited over there because jack is marking his territory. >> finally, quickly, hailey being walked out by savannah. come on out sweet girl. tell me about this dog. >> typically beagles are

intelligent. they get along, great in a family with kids. >> they are puppies still. >> wind her up and let her go. her ears are bigger than her. very nice. thank you so much. jill rappaport, thank you. still to come, eat like an olympian after your local news and weather. great job, guys. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here's a look at one of our top stories. sentencing is scheduled for a man convicted in a murder for hire plot of a glen burnie dentist. he faces a life sentence without

possibility of parole. a woman was afraid the

>> it is going to be another hot day. temperatures will climb into the mid-90's. there could be scattered thunderstorms today. some of those to be strong or severe. high near 87. >> hi parents, big year for spelling. here's what the kids will n-e-e-d. ♪ pens and markers, paper wide ruled. ♪ ♪ hoodies, sneakers, tape, sticks of glue.♪ ♪ large boxes pencils, highlighters. ♪ ♪ sneakers and t-shirts. ♪ notebooks and jeans,

♪ notebooks and jeans, ♪ notebooks and jeeeeans, yeah! ♪ ♪ notebooks and jeans! announcer: school takes a lot, target has it all. that's mom to you. and you should eat something that's good for you before you go outside. never! come on james. it's a new fiber one chewy bar. chocolatey and delicious. fiber one chewy bar, huh? mmm. refueled space captain james. [ male announcer ] new fiber one chewy bars. great taste kids love plus calcium and fiber kids need.