life of the party. new jersey's fiery governor chris christie will be the keynote speaker at this month's republican national convention. after considering a run of his own, what will he do with this moment in the spotlight. demanding an answer? s. port authority calling for an investigation into the $100 million security system at the airport after a stranded jet skier managed to swim ashore, climb the fence and walk across two runways undetected. and photo finish. on monday it was up on abbey road, now matt tries to recapture the magic of michael jordan. >> wow, that's pretty good. >> hi, guys. >> if matt can be like mike, why is michael jordan laughing today

>> if matt can be like mike, why is michael jordan laughing today tuesday august 14th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on tuesday morning. i'm savannah guthrie. he's not really like mike. >> no, not even close. i'm matt lauer, the unofficial -- the official announcement is expected later today. chris christie says he's already grinding away on what will be his keynote address at the republican convention. >> in vintage christie style the governor says he will tell some direct and tough choices to americans. meanwhile paul ryan was met with cheers and a few jeers in iowa at his first solo campaign stop. straight ahead we'll talk about the presidential race with former republican candidate newt

gingrich. >> also, is your home's deck a hidden hazard? we've seen a number of collapses of decks across the country. experts are sake it's because decks aren't built right. coming up, how to spot the warning signs. then a remarkable car crash during a race on colorado's pike's peak. you have to see the video to believe it. what's amazing, the drivers walked away. one of them had a dislocated shoulder but nothing more serious. i'll tell you more about that. >> all right. we'll take a turn. look who followed us home from london, the gold medal winning gymnastic team. they are going to be helping us out all morning and answer questions from our crowd. >> and speaking of the crowd, some of them have been here since monday morning because we've got a live concert from one of the hottest names in music, nicki minaj. >> we want to get the president of politics and the choice to have chris christie deliver the keynote address at the republican convention. nbc's chuck todd is the

political director. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. all about the tough talk about the campaign. the battle to define paul ryan is on. democrats trying to paint him as an ideological warrior determined to take medicare away. republicans selling him as a serious candidate with a serious plan to get the country out of debt. >> it's my running mate paul ryan, a great leader. >> what's gutsy about gutting medicare. >> reporter: the two national tickets may not agree on much, but they are both trying to do the same thing, define paul ryan. >> he attacks problems. he recognizes there are honest differences between honest people. he looks to find ways to find common ground to bring people together. >> he's a very articulate spokesperson for governor romney's vision. the problem is it's the wrong vision for america. >> reporter: making his first solo campaign appearance in iowa monday, ryan hit back at the president who is in the middle of his own iowa bus tour. >> as you see the president come through on his bus tour, you

might ask him the same question that i'm getting asked from people all around america and that is where are the jobs, mr. president. >> reporter: as ryan quickly discovered, the latest flash point is medicare. ryan is the architect of a sweeping medicare reform plan. instead of a government insurance guarantee for health care coverage, ryan's plan calls for the government to give seniors in the future money to buy their own insurance. the president has been attacking ryan's plan for months. >> he plans to turn medicare into a voucher program. so if that voucher isn't worth enough to buy the health insurance that's on the market, you're out of luck. you're on your own. >> reporter: romney is pushing back in the senior citizen rich battleground of california backing ryan's battle plan but specifically not talking about the changes he'd make. >> my plan for medicare is very similar to his plan for medicare, which is do not change the program for current retirees or new tirees, but do not do

what president has done, and that is to cut $700 billion out of the current program. >> in fact the president did not actually cut medicare. the cost of that program continues to rise only at a slower rate but nuance gets lost when it comes to medicare politics. many republicans running down the ballot are nervous about running on ryan's medicare plan. in fact, in one high-profile senate race in montana, one of ryan's republican colleagues is running against it. >> rehberg refused to support a budget plan that could harm a plan so many seniors rely on. >> reporter: one other note, chris christie as keynote, the other contender, marco rubio, he will get the second most koefcod spot, that is to introduce mitt romney when accepts the nomination. >> thank you. newt gingrich is a one-time speaker of the house and

one-time favorite in the presidential race. good to see you. >> good to see you. >> i've heard in the last 36 hours paul ryan described in different ways. on the one hand i hear he's a game changer for the romney campaign, i also hear he's a dream come true for the obama campaign. what was your first reaction when you heard he was on the ticket? >> i think both are true. my reaction is very, very positive. callista has known him since he was an intern. he's a remarkably bright guy, worked under gene kemp and kilpatrick, has understanding of growth and how to create jobs and has courage. he's a game changer from the democrat's standpoint. he guarantees this is going to be a big issue, big choice election. and our job is going to be to insist on telling the truth about it and to work on issues such as, for example, the fact that no one 55 or older, no one has anything happen to medicare under the ryan proposal.

so to scare current senior citizens is just false. >> let's talk about medicare. we do have to go back to what you said on the weekend. you announced you wanted the republican nomination. when you were talking about that version, paul ryan's version then of reforming medicare you said it was right wing social engineering. he since has evolved. is there anything about his current version of that plan that is still right wing social engineering? >> well, he doesn't care for criticism, which is one of his strengths, unlike president obama who doesn't want to listen. the result was he worked with another. it's important to remember the only bipartisan proposal to save medicare for the long run is the ryan widen plan. can you keep the current medicare system if that's what you want. even if you're 23 years old, if you want to keep the current system you can do so. the challenge for the president is simple. he did transfer something like $716 billion out of projected

spending in medicare in order to cover the cost of obama care. he did create a 15 person bureaucratic board which ends medicare as we know it as a doctor-patient system. for the president to go around pretending he's google to protect medicare is simply not accurate and frankly not being fair to the american people. let's have an honest debate and let's ask the president and vice president biden to be honest about what they have already done and be honest about the ryan plan which doesn't affect anyone at all over 55 years of age. >> you talk about a bipartisan plan. i've heard paul ryan described as a true conservative. of course you used to describe yourself as that in this race. do you honestly think he is someone who will work and reach across the aisle to democrats or will he be an im movable object on key social issues and issues of ideology? >> i think first of all you ought to talk to senator ron widen, the democrat from oregon, who in big bold reform has worked very closely. i can tell you what his

relationship has been like with paul ryan. in addition paul, he represents an industrial blue-collar auto worker district in wisconsin. he's very attuned to trying to reach across the aisle to find democrats, to fin common ground. hi interest is finding a solution, not just going out and having ideological speeches. but he also feels passionately as a father of three that his children are going to be left a bankrupt country unless we do something dramatic. he knows when lou at greece, which is 55% teenager unemployment and youth unemployment, 20% unemployment overall, we can't go down that road, which is why frankly governor christie is a great choice for keynote speaker. he was one of the first leaders in taking on the cost of government. >> former speaker, newt gingrich. mr. speaker always good to see you. thank you for your time this morning. let's get a check of top stories, natalie morales at the news desk.

good morning. >> good morning everyone. the new york port authority is calling for an investigation into how a man was able to bypass jfk airport's $100 million security system all while soaking wet and wearing a bright yellow lifejacket. officials say 31-year-old daniel cassio ran out of fuel jet skiing in jamaica bay, swam ashore, jumped a barbed wire fence, walked across two runways and asked for help. he passed cameras and motion detecters without raising alarm. the increased patrols are on the perimeter and surrounding waterways. he now faces criminal trespass charges. a shoot-out near texas a&m has left three people dead. a man opened fire on a police officer while being served with an eviction notice. 35-year-old man killed the officer and one other man. police shot and killed him soon after. gop presidential hopeful

meanwhile spoke out right after the shooting saying thoughtful considering is necessary to prevent future shootings but said a change in gun legislation is not the answer. the fda has approved a new flu vaccine. this year's vaccine will help combat several new viral strains of the flu and will be manufactured by six companies. up to 20% of americans get the flu each year according to the cdc. head to wall street. mandy drury at the new york stock exchange. good morning, mandy. >> good morning, natalie. we're looking at a rebound after yesterday's decline. we'll see how much investors like earnings from home depot, better than expected as customers spend more on remodeling their homes. what cell phone do you use? more and more are using samsung, south korean company is widening market share lead over nokia and apple. people tend to like galaxy phones which run on android. back to you. >> mandy drury at the stock

exchange. thank you. an incredible car creche. the driver and co-driver flipped off course somersaulting as you see a dozen times down the side of the mountain. both drivers were airlifted to a local hospital and later released without even a broken bone. hard to believe seeing that. and last night on "the tonight show" with jay leno, first lady michelle obama invoked her rights as mom in chief to give gold medal gymnast gabby douglas a little scolding for her eating habit. >> how did you celebrate that. >> event finals after that. after the competition i splurged on an egg mcmuffin. >> egg mcmuffin. >> gabby, don't encourage him. i'm sure it was a whole wheat mcmuffin. >> on a whole wheat bun. >> egg mcmuffin, very good. >> you're setting me back,

gabby. >> we'll talk to gabby about that a little bit later. mrs. obama also called out another teenager girl, her own daughter. she said 13-year-old malia was disgusted she didn't deliver when the kiss cam caught her and the president at a recent basketball game. so the first daughter arranged for a second shot on the jumbotron. as you remember, they did deliver the goods. it's 7:13. back over to matt, savannah and al. >> thanks very much. let's check in with mr. roker outside among his people or nicki minaj's people i should say. >> wow, a big, big nicki minaj crowd here. we'll check in with them in just a bit. do have a risk of strong storms today including new york city all the way down to washington, as far north as binghamton, heading back to central new york. as we look on the radar, you can already see we've got storms pushing in.

hopefully rainfall amounts does wonders. some areas hopefully up >> good morning. we are starting out with some rain in some areas. there could be more coming in later this afternoon. and that's your latest weather. savannah. >> all right, al, thanks. there's a new crash test designed to make cars even safer. bah lot of cars are not passing. nbc's tom costello has details this morning. tom, good morning to you. >> hi, savannah, good morning to you. most cars today pass a federal as well as the insurance industry's crash test. these new crash tests are

designed to see what happens when the front of the car, but only the front 25%, is hit in an accident missing the safety instruments there to protect you. the newest crash test from the insurance institute for highway safety is all about the overlap. the 25% overlap portion of the driver's side that hits a barrier or car at 40 miles per hour. each year more than 10,000 people die in front impact crashes. small overlap crashes were responsible for 25% of all serious injuries and deaths. >> the key crash absorbing structure in vehicles is located here at the middle of the front end. people are vulnerable in small overlap crashes because these structures are bypassed. the crash forces can go directly into the occupant compartment. >> it happened to this woman hit head on in virginia. she suffered a concussion,

fractured cheekbone and teeth, a cut to her eye and deep head laceration. >> i don't think it was just hitting glass. i think it was hitting something hard that did that. it was pretty deep laceration. >> in its latest test only three of 11 mid-sized luxury cars and near luxury cars earned good or acceptable ratings. the acura ttl, volvo s60 and infinity g. look what happened to the lexus. >> it was one of the worst performers in the test. the front pushed in toward the driver. the front wheel pushed into the occupant compartment. the foot well collapsed trapping the dummy's feet. >> in a statement toyota lexus tells nbc news, with this new test the institute has raised the bar again and we will respond to this challenge as we design new vehicles. the mercedes c class and audi 84 also received poor marks while

acura tss, bmw 3, lincoln and volkswagen received marginal scores. experts say the key is a safety cage that protects everyone regardless of the impact zone. >> strengthen the safety cage and they also need to improve rerestaurant systems. >> reporter: audi and volkswagen tell nbc news they are going to work to make sure their car designs meet the new test. mercedes says it disagrees with the test design. it has said its mercedes c is safe. mercury says it's also already meeting federal safety standards. that's true. but this is a new test raising the bar yet again. savannah, back to you. >> raising some eyebrows, too. it's 7:17, now here is matt. >> thank you. helen brown, the woman credited with ushering in the 1960 sexual revolution has died. nbc's kate snow looks back at the remarkable and sometimes

controversial life of cosmo poll continue magazine's longtime editor. >> you've seen her legacy, big splashy sex-filled headlines that scream out from the front page of cosmopolitan magazine. maybe they are not a big deal now. but in the '60s, the cosmo girls were empowering. >> in her very first issue, the top cover line, the pill that promises to make women more responsive. she told me once she wanted to say responsive in bed or to men and management wouldn't let her do it but everyone knew what she meant. >> she's editor and chief now but for more than three decades it was helen gurley brown's magazine. >> she created a signature look. a really sexy attractive woman who looked like she had just walked into a party and thought, i own this room. >> brown was ambitious. she pushed to run her own magazine after her blunt how to dating guide "sex and the single

girl" hit the best sell are list in 1962. think of her as carrie bradshaw before bradshaw was born. she loved animal prints, fishnet stockings and of course -- >> sex is one of the three greatest things there is. i'm not sure what the other two are. >> reporter: in a 1995 interview with "dateline" she acknowledged the critics. >> they did instantly criticize us for concentrating on how you look and on being sexy and on pleasing men and i have fought that to the ground. i have said you can be sexy. i hope you're pleasing men. i hope they are pleasing you. i'll say again, anybody who accuses cosmo of being fluffy, lighthearted, superficial doesn't read the magazine. >> in one way she was a pioneer for women. in another way she promoted a magazine that seemed to have the impact of making women way more

conscious about their physical looks than we need to be. >> in 2003 at 80 she showed off her tango moves on "today" but complained about getting old. >> i don't find anything wonderful about being 80 except that i'm still here and i'm grateful for that. >> reporter: she coached single girls to sleep with married men. but she herself was married for more than 50 years. when she died monday at 90, she was still editor of cosmo's 64 international editions, still went to work most days. her colleagues said the office just won't be the same without her. for "today," kate snow, nbc news, new york. and still ahead, five guys, a friendship that's lasted the test of time, and 30 years of the exact same photo that tell the story. we'll talk to them. first this is "today" on nbc. [ male announcer ] progress. opportunity.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. a 6-year-old boy is recovering from serious injuries he suffered in a car accident. he was struck at pulaski highway and joppa, and and this did say that a family member was behind the wheel. the child was flown to johns hopkins children's center, where doctors say he is expected to make a full recovery. rain on the roadways, which is

expected to mean some problems, right, sarah? >> go street, we still have an accident. continued closures in the city. we have speed of around 22 miles per hour on the west side on the outer loop towards edmondson. back up on southbound 95 and 795 out of owings mills. here's a quick live look at traffic. update on the west side. coming to it says is out of traffic. -- and towards us is outer loop traffic. that is the very latest on traffic pulse 11. >> everybody added this to put this morning. rain extends from the eastern shore counties the baltimore city. showers, even a few

thundershowers, moving through the area. what you see is what you get, at least for the drive time. the point of 72. good chance for rainier to start the day. a batch of storms will come in later this afternoon and evening. still a slight chance

sports images, mike jordan's soaring. we'll show you that unforgettable moment. 7:30 tuesday morning august 12. >> nice uniform. >> he looked a little better in his uniform in 1998. >> also ahead they wowed the world winning gold, now the u.s. gymnastics team is taking over the plaza. we'll catch up with them. later on another treat for the crowd and our team, a concert

from nicki minaj. >> news you can use. every summer backyard decks collapsing without warning. it could have something to do with how your deck is built and attached to your house. we're going to show you how to spot the red flags. >> then celebrity news robert pattinson makes his first public appearance since his long time girlfriend kristen stewart admitted publicly to cheating on him. we'll hear from him coming up. we'll begin with the sole survivor of an airlines crash that killed 156 people. she's breaking her silence for the first time in 25 years. here is nbc's janet shamlian. >> reporter: good morning. not far from the airport this is the official memorial to the victims of flight 255. every passengers on the plane died that day except for one. a little girl named cecilia cichan. despite so much curiosity about her she was raised out of public view and spent her entire life not talking about what happened that day until now.

it was a devastating scene. northwest airlines flight 255 went down just after taking off from the detroit airport in august 1987. first the crash, then the fire. the wreckage was everywhere. and sifting through it the firefighter couldn't believe it was survivable until he herd a faint moan. >> you hear the faint cry a baby doll makes and i looked to my right and i saw an arm, kind of bent, coming out of a chair. >> it belonged to cecilia cichan. the 4-year-old was severely injured, fractured skull, broken collar bone and third degree burns covering much of her body. she was alive. her mother, father, 6-year-old brother died in the cash along with everyone else on the plane and two people on the ground. authorities at the time said they believed cecelia's mom shielded her with her body.

>> she was found in the crash site. >> they called her the miracle child. cecelia began endless curiosity, how did she survive. even after the accident, people clamored for information about her but cecelia never spoke about the crash until now. >> i think about the accident every day. it's kind of hard not to look about it when i look in the mirror. i have visual scars. >> reporter: in the aftermath of the crash, cecelia was shielded from public view raised by her aunt and uncle. now 29 and married, her interview for the documentary featuring people like herself in commercial plane crashes and somehow defied the odds. >> this like sole survivor project is more about a group and that's why i'm willing to get involved and be part of

something bigger. >> reporter: the director said all the survivors were somewhat reluctant to speak. sensitive to the loss of other families. but aware of the public's fascination with their lives. >> i can see cecilia is happy. she's grounded. she's doing wonderful. she's in a committed relationship. >> reporter: cecelia has kept in touch with victims' families as she's grown as well as her rescuer who saw her for the first time as an adult the day she got married. >> to see her come down the aisle, i lost it. to see her in person was something. >> reporter: makers of the documentary "sole survivor" said cecelia is hoping to continue living a private life. thursday there will ab memorial here marking the 25th anniversary of that crash. it remains to this day one of the worst disasters in u.s. aviation history. savannah, back to you. >> all right. janet shamlian, thank you. >> let us get a check of the weather now from mr. roker who

joins us again. >> thank you very much, matt. we have the latest on our drought situation. it really does not get much better. you can see we have extreme drought to the southeast, mid and lower mississippi river valleys. temperatures aren't helping in that area either. we're talking about highs in the 90s to the 100s, from texas on into the mid mississippi river valley. the northeast temperatures start cooling down. we're going to see cooldowns later this week in the plains states. meantime 113 in albuquerque, look for a high of 89 degrees in st. louis. risk of strong storms in the northeast and mid-atlantic states later this morning on into this afternoon. that's what going on around >> good morning. we're starting out the day with some showers and thunderstorms in some areas. otherwise, partly cloudy.

don't forget you can get your weather any time you need it, go to weather channel on cable or weather.com online. matt. >> thank you very much. robert pattinson is speaking out in his first interview since his girlfriend kristen stewart was caught cheating on him. natalie is here on that. good morning. >> pattinson talked to jon last night and did his bess to say very little about what was happening in his personal life. >> what have you been up to? >> i thought we had already prepared. i had a joke prepared. >> sitting down with robert pattinson jon stewart tried to break the ice with ice cream. >> a couple of guys talking. >> pattinson faced the first

questions about the in fidelity of his long time love kristen stewart. >> this is the weird thing about the interviews, my biggest problem in my life, i'm cheap. i didn't hire a publicist. every interview -- normally actors get scripted. i'm going to hire a publicist. >> reporter: the 26-year-old had reportedly been in hiding since news of the scandal broke last month. his girlfriend of three years had cheated on him with her "snow white and the henchman" directors. pattinson acknowledged fans for their support monday night for his new movie "cosmoplis." >> great, wonderful. >> for her part, stewart kept a low profile at her parents home. when the news first broke she issued a public apology staying in a statement, "i'm deeply sorry for the hurt and embarrassment i've caused to those close to me and everyone this has affected. this momentary indiscretion has jeopardized the most important thing in my life, the person i

love and respect the most, rob. i love him, i love him, i'm so sorry. >> tell me what you're thinking. >> reporter: it won't be long until the pair are reunited on the red carpet. the final installment of the series "breaking dawn" part 2 is set to be released in november. >> jon, i think you're confused about what this show is actually about and what the real issues in america are. >> what are they. >> tonight, maybe other times but tonight it's the "twilight" show. >> here is my wish for you, that you get to ham your business in private, in your personal life, and i wish you all the best. >> meanwhile pattinson's new movie "cosmoplis" opens in new york and los angeles on friday. >> still ahead former "american idol" jordin sparks opens up about working with whitney houston and what would be her

final movie role. up next, is your backyard deck in danger of collapsing? how to spot important warning signs right after this. [ male announcer ] ever wonder what's behind two little fleas? more generations of fleas. frontline plus uses two ingredients. one to kill adult fleas and ticks.

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back now at 7:41. this morning on rossen reports a hidden danger in your home. outdoor decks that can potentially collapse. national and investigative correspondent jeff rossen is here with how to protect your family. good morning. >> hey, matt. this is important information. we love our decks. you barbecue on them, invite people over, let the kids play and never worry about it, assuming they are safe. experts say people are getting hurt and killed because decks aren't built right, in danger of fall apart under your feet. this morning you're about to watch a collapse up close. it happens in a split second. you step onto your backyard deck, and it comes crashing down, no time to escape. no warning at all. >> if you're standing here taking a picture -- >> reporter: these teenagers in indiana were posing for their prom picture when suddenly the

floor opened up. chaos. >> oh my gosh. >> reporter: they were okay and walked away. >> is everybody all right? >> i think so. >> reporter: not everyone is so lucky. >> the ambulance, what is the address of your emergency? >> reporter: in austin, texas, a late night party turned into a horror show. >> a balcony has collapsed. maybe 25 to 30 people were on the balcony. it collapsed. it just dropped. >> reporter: dozens were hurt, rushed to the hospital. broken bones and lacerations. >> it was terrible. seeing people come out with bloody heads and bones sticking out. oh my god. >> you never think the floor is going to come out from underneath you. a really scaring feeling. >> reporter: it happens every summer everywhere from idaho to rhode island to kentucky. >> everything just fell. i was actually holding onto the latch of the door until -- i'm

screaming help, help, call 911, call 911. >> reporter: it's a hazard most of us never even think about. but home inspectors say they see the warning signs all the time. >> i would say 80% of the decks i inspect have safety concerns. >> reporter: so could your deck be in danger, too? >> a crack like this is severe. it should be replaced. >> reporter: an engineer for a deck equipment company, we visited their safety lab in california where ricardo showed us the red flags you can spot on your deck right now. >> the very first thing you want to look at is where your deck attaches to the house. in this case we only have nails. >> reporter: nails bad. >> that's right. >> reporter: experts say using nails is the leading because of of deck collapses. >> a nail is smooth, pulls out easy. >> reporter: good for hanging pits on your wall but not attaching a deck to your house. >> absolutely. >> reporter: rotting wood,

splintered wood causing problems leading to cracks. ricardo set up a good deck showing the difference using screws and bolts, which are more secure. >> the big difference here is you can see lots of metal. you see bolts. you see screws attaching the deck to the house. this is all good. >> reporter: and that's what you should be looking for underneath your deck. but if all you see are nails, you risk this. >> reporter: wow, that's crazy and so fast. >> it happens in the blink of an eye. >> reporter: this is very much a real scenario. somebody could be sitting in these chairs, grilling. >> not only on top of the deck but underneath the deck. they probably would have been killed. >> reporter: in these accidents, people don't usually die but the injuries are very serious. by the way, deck railings can be just as dangerous. every summer people end up in the hospital falling over. so if your railing is wobbly,

you can feel it, that's another problem. experts say check your deck once a year, that's all it takes. get under there and check the bolts and screws. matt, they say it takes five minutes tops, that's it. >> a lot of people will check today. if they spot a problem, can they fix it themselves or call a professional. >> unless they are bob villa. call a home professional to tell you what should be done. it's an easy and inexpensive fix and could save your family's life. >> thank you for the information. 7:46. five friends who have taken the exact same photos together over the last 30 years. we're going to meet them and find out what it says about the passage of time and their friendship. a little later, can i be like mike in this iconic photo of basketball legend michael jordan. we'll show you the results but first these messages. >> i don't think you need the harnessing wire. i put this on, i think i can fly. yeah. ow!r."

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morning to you. how does it feel to be an internet sensation. are you surprised at the reaction this has had, john? >> we're a bit stunned. it's a bit surreal. >> back in 1982 when you took the first picture, you had no intention of creating a tradition. >> no. >> not at all. >> so when you look back at that very first picture, five high school friends, what do you guys think when you see it. >> oh my god, that's a dorky picture. >> i see you guys dropped the shirtless thing in the early '90s. >> that's a must as you get older. >> i mentioned five friends. take me back to high school. what group were you in? were you the jocks, the cool kids? >> the nerds. >> we were do our own thing kind of guys, made movies. >> computer geeks. >> did great movies on weekends. >> we did our own thing. made movies programmed on the first pcs out there. >> computers had just started

coming out. just normal high school students really. >> wedge, can i call you wedge, you were kind of the keeper of this tradition, right? you're the guy that gets these guys together every five years. >> john took the first one, j.d. took the first one. five years later when we were all there i said, hey, we're all here again. let's take the photo again. we started the five year tradition. >> as you look at the passage of time through these photos, who changed the most? >> mark. >> who is the most like the picture in 1982. >> people say dallas. >> why dallas? >> no gray hair. >> still has his hair. >> i don't know. i've looked exactly the same since i was a child. >> it's interesting because it tells the story of friendship. of course, you have changed. not just physically but you've changed inside, too. i'm sure there have been disagreements over the years. but somehow you've risen above it. dallas. >> like any group of people,

when you're really close and you go through life, you're kind of interests changed and that sort of thing. sometimes we get irritated with each other. especially the first year we spent a month at that cabin fishing, doing all sorts of stuff. we got on each other's nerves. nobody talked to each other for half an hour, really like two months, three months. >> i think it's emotional to look at. when is the next one to be taken. >> 2017. >> raise your hand if you'll be there. >> oh yeah. >> you were a little slow there. >> "today" show curse, it's over. >> guys, thanks so much. great to see the picture. still ahead we've got nicki minaj live in concert after your local news.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> what a mess. dealing with the rain around the area. harford road, and getting word of an accident. 14 miles per hour. these delays stretch back to 95 shortly. 95 has delays out of the white marsh area. tracking a possible accident on the topside at harrisburg expressway. out of traffic, the back of stretches down to reisterstown road. 16 miles per hour.

17 miles per hour, according to the speed sensor come onto under 95. -- on 295. here is what it looks like on the northeast corner at belair road. back up again said baylor making your way towards the exit in cdo harford road -- accident scene at harford road. that is at the very latest on traffic pulse 11. tony has a check on your forecast. >> everybody is in the soup to start the day. up until about 11:00 this one, a good chance for rain. even a few thunderstorms on the eastern shore counties. temperatures are in the low-to- mid-70's. dew points 71. first batch of rain goes through this morning. then we get a little break in

the action. i temperature of 87. slight chance of

8:00 now on this tuesday morning august 14th, 2012. our crowd is particularly fired up this morning. there's good reason for it. nicki minaj is here for a live concert on the plaza in the next half hour. good morning, everyone. i'm savannah guthrie alongside matt lauer and al roker. coming up, a day in history. >> we recreated the iconic beatles album cover, had a lot of traffic stoppage on abbey road to do it. i decided to create a michael jordan dunk. do i be like mike or fall flat

on my face. we'll find out the results and even hear what jordan has to say about it. >> speaking of jordan, we have another jordan in the house. she now has hire first movie role, co-starred with whitney houston. we'll talk with jordan about working with whitney houston and other projects on the horizon. >> we know olympic gold but what about the fierce five ability to forecast? they are going to help me with the weather in just a little bit. a little later on hope solo will be joining us. we have a gold filled day. >> let's go inside. we have a lot to get to. natalie has the headlines. good morning again. >> good morning. more homes are threatened by a growing wildfire that has burned 40 buildings in central washington state. officials say the fire has scorched more than 24 square miles since it started monday. they are urging residents in the fire's path to evacuate. wildfires are also burning in oregon and idaho where a

firefighter was killed sunday when a tree fell on her. french police say at least 16 officers were injured overnight duringry rioting in northern france. officials say dozens of young men pulled people from their cars and set fire to a school. the violence ended after federal reinforcements arrived. republicans have chosen governor chris christie to deliver the keynote address at the republican national convention later this month. meantime mitt romney is making three stops today in the critical state of ohio focusing on energy issues. president obama is spending a second day in iowa where on monday he promised relief for drought stricken farmers. nbc's coverage of the london olympic games was the most watched event in american television history. nbc says the games drew more than 219 million viewers. that's pretty impressive. now here is brian williams with a look at what's coming up on "nbc nightly news."

>> coming up tonight on "nightly news," clean water for kids a world away. that's all rachel wanted for her birthday. now how a 9-year-old's dream inspired millions of people to make a difference. we'll have that great story tonight on "nightly news." for now, natalie, back to you. >> a quick roundup of what has you talking online. kristen chenoweth announced she's not returning to "the good wife" because she is still recovering from being hurt on set by a piece of wind blown equipment. she announced she loved the show and will be back when she can. >> taylor swift paid $5 million for a cape cod beach house to be closer to 18-year-old taylor kennedy. just a stroll away from conner's ground mother and the legendary kennedy compound. some new naughty entries

added to the webster dictionary, along with innocent man cave and "bucket list," also more risque terms like sexting and f-bomb. back outside to matt and savannah. >> now over to mr. roker and some of his special friends. >> that's right. it's the fierce five, help me with the fierce five-day forecast. for your hometown? gabby, start it off. >> virginia, partly sunny and warm, high of 86. >> that's right. virginia beach. >> all right, mikayla? >> can i have the mike? >> you have the mike but take mine. >> laguna niguel, a bit foggy but don't worry the sun will come out and it's going to be a beautiful day. make the best of it. >> wow, all right. next. >> i'm aly raisman, today a high of 89 and partly sunny.

go outside, go to the beach and get a tan. >> another california girl. >> good morning, alisa viejo, you might need your sunglasses. >> jordyn wieber. >> dewitt, michigan, early showers, grab umbrellas but later on partly sunny skies and a high of 76. >> very good. there you go. fierce five-day forecast. terrific. gabby you broke out the sunglasses. that's wsu >> good morning. we are starting out with some rain in some areas. there could be more coming in later this afternoon.

>> you guys enjoy your forecasting ability? weather channel is ready. they are on the phone for you. now, to savannah. >> i ge them a 15.9999. al, thanks. coming up next, "today" in history. we'll find out if matt can create the unforgotable image of michael jordan right after this. 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. ♪ ♪ 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.

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back now at 8:09 with more of our special series, "today" in history, where we try to recreate some of the most iconic photos ever taken. >> monday we took a famous walk across abbey road. i was sir paul down to the bare feet. luckily today i get to wear shoes but they are some huge shoes to fill.

>> we always knew there was going to be something good. >> you sat on the edge of your seat just expecting him to make your jaw drop. >> every night when i came to the ring, it wasn't just a game. >> jordan. >> jordan. >> jordan. >> i knew i was witnessing history. >> as the team photographer for the chicago bulls, bill had the high-stakes job of freezing history every night, every heart stopping slam-dunk, alley-oop, buzzer beater. >> i'd miss a shot, see it on the replay and be depressed for days. >> smith rarely had to worry about that because so many of his images became seared in our collective images. views as iconic as this. >> well, they are on their feet here in chicago stadium. >> but to land that perfect

shot, both guys needed to bring their a game, which they did to perfection during the 1988 nba slam-dunk contest. >> this is one of the epic slam-dunk contests of all time. michael jordan versus the human highlight film, wilkins. it came down to the final attempt. >> michael jordan needs a 49 to win. >> i had a chance to win. i wanted to do something special. >> now he's going to the baseline. >> the energy was unbelievable. >> here he came down the length of the court and he just took off at the foul line. >> he flew through the air like a bird through the rim and put it down. chicago stadium went berzerk. >> the crowd let's you know what they think about it.

>> i prayed -- i think i literally prayed that i had the shot. >> this was back before the instant gratification of digital cameras. and smith remembers camping out at the lab until his film was developed. >> you're nervous and your hand is shaking and you have your loop. then you see it. but is it in focus. when it was in focus, i just thought thank god, thank god, thank god, thank god. >> when you watched michael jordan and you watched his aerial act, it seems as if he would never come down. in this picture, it's the dream come true. it's jordan defying gravity. it is air jordan. >> i cannot say one picture illustrated my whole career but that would be very close. ♪ >> any kid who picked up a basketball in the last quarter of a century wanted to be like mike, plus there were plenty of big kids like me who secretly shared the dream.

so i agreed to try whatever it takes to be like mike. bill smith agrees to try to get me there. >> we might have to have a few bales of wire and some rigors on handed and our photo shot skills in post production. >> some soft landing spot. >> this is our second intern. >> number two. >> intern number one is on the way to the hospital. >> i dealey if we had a thin wire to hold each leg in position. what do you think? >> hi, guys. how are you? >> we're good. how are you? >> i feel great now. am i going to feel great in a couple of hours? how hard is this going to be? >> it's going to be hard. >> cut. take two. no, it's not going to be that hard. >> it's proven a little more difficult than we thought. >> actually accomplishing faking it is not going to be that easy.

>> it hasn't been with the nbc interns. >> oh it's the nbc interns. bill, come on. you have the real deal here now. let's give it a shot. >> this is the high-tech version of spanx, right? >> you have to get a deep, deep tan and shave off more hair. >> i think i'm committing some kind of basketball sin right now, tarnishing the uniform of michael jordan. i don't think you need the harness anymore. i put this on, i think i can fly. >> let's get me up there. now, bill, speed is of the essence here. right? the longer i hang here, the crankier i get and the more chafed i get. discounting my mad jumping skills bill turns me into a human marionette, suspending me with an elaborate system of harnesses, pulleys and fishing line to manipulate each

appendage. the closer i am to the original position, the easier it will be to remove me from this background and electronically take me back to chicago in 1988. >> raise his left leg higher, bring the ball back. >> right knee down to the floor. >> left leg higher and push your hand up higher. shoulders back, jaw out, intense look. >> i grimace and bear it. holding the excruciating pose, enduring the crew's seemingly endless critique of my misaligned body parts. >> the human body doesn't go in that position. it's almost as if this basketball superhero super version of gumby. he bends and contorts himself in a way that shouldn't be possible. >> ball back.

>> then adding insult to injury, they forget about me. >> he needs to twist toward the camera a little more. >> don't worry about leaving me hanging here, okay? [ laughter ] >> finally -- >> it's a wrap. >> so did all that harness burn pay off? >> wow, that's pretty good. look at that, just one jump. can you make a jump shot. that's what i need to know. >> all right. let's see how we did. by the way, i just want to thank bill smith. he was fantastic to work with. let's take a look at the original iconic photo of michael jordan. there he is in 1988. here is what we created. >> wow -- >> you did it. that is amazing. >> some things aren't exactly right. my feet are in a slightly different position i couldn't get. he propelled himself. he was a man in motion and we

were hanging. >> you can barely tell you're chafing there. you've never been the same since. >> really painful. my apologies to the interns that had to endure it for me. let me thank the broadway show that enjoyed rigging me up a little too much. >> now you're a real boy. >> tomorrow natalie will transform herself into one of the most pivotal stars of early hollywood. we're talking about charlie chaplain. up next former "american idol" jordin sparks and her first movie and what it was like to work with her idol whitney houston. that's right after this. you know what, this looks just like

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three sisters with a taste for fame. their mother, played by whitney houston, has higher aspirations for them. >> i knew he would love me and wouldn't torture me with something i want to do, can't help but do. >> you figured that was wrong. >> that i had a gift. >> sparkle, you can have a gift. it's how you use it. >> and jordan joins us now. jordan, good morning to you. >> good morning, how are you? >> jordin sparks, "sparkle." >> i said that the first time. "sparkle" it's got a nice ring to it. it's awesome. i think the stars did align with this film. everybody was in a place where they could really propel the characters. i feel like whitney was also in this place in her life where she could really play a mother like that. with me, it was my first time,

so i couldn't ask for a better experience. >> i wanted to ask you about that your music has gone platinum, done broadway, feature films was the next step. was that a little scary? >> it was nerve-racking for sure. there were times when i felt comfortable. there were times when i was like, i don't know if i'm doing this right. the whole cast were so amazing. maybe you should try this or try that. how can i help you? they were so open and warm and i wasn't expecting that. >> you had to audition for that role? >> i did. >> what was worse, auditions or "american idol." >> both nerve-racking. after getting to know simon a little bit, he actually is a softy. auditioning was different because i didn't have a microphone in my hand. then i'm good. you go in and try to relay the character everybody was thinking, it was a challenge for sure. >> as for all of that, you were playing across someone you grew up idolizing, whitney houston.

>> yes. >> what was it like to share the stage with her. >> it was incredible. taking out the acting side, as a sirng i grew up listening to her music and idolizing her. that was intimidating but really fun. she made it so comfortable. she's always delivered in her on screen performances. for me i was like what can i learn. i was a sponge soaking up everything she was doing, nuances, how she would change things. she was the consummate professional. she was spot on. as soon as they yelled action she was emma, that character, it was amazing to be across from her. this is whitney. is she really mad at me right now? she was so great at it. >> you experienced this movie together. i'm sure you formed a friendship. >> yeah. >> then to lose her. i'm sure you took it hard. >> i did. i only got to know her two months. it was an intense two months. you spend that much time with somebody, you do get close. i was devastated, shell shocked

rather. for me to feel that way, i can't imagine how her family and people who have known her for years felt. i was so completely devastated that they must be still reeling from it. it still comes in waves. at the same time, this movie, what better gift for her to leave for all of her fans and everybody than this amazing performance she does. >> you do a song together on the soundtrack. >> yes. >> in some ways you're tied to her forever because you did this last song with her. >> i am. her legacy and my story are forever intertwined. if i think about that too much i get overwhelmed. i can't believe this is happening. but to do a song with her was one of those things, yeah, that will never happen. here it is. i hear it on the radio. i get chills every time it comes on. it's definitely been a huge blessing for me and everybody in the cast as well. >> you have so much to smile about. this film, we see you on the cover of red book, shape

magazine. there's much less of you to love. you lost 50 pounds. everyone wants to know how you did that? >> there's no secret. i changed my mind-set. i got really sick right after broadway. i was like, you know what, i'm not going to take my health for granted anymore. this changes right here, right now. i was evaluating what i was eating and when. i love food. i was eating because it tasted good. i re-evaluated that. i think now i definitely listen to my body first. then baby steps because i was so fatigued with what i was sick with. just doing baby steps, getting more physical activity. eventually i found a trainer and trying to keep it up. it's a day by day thing. it's been a year and a half and i feel good. >> the results speak for themselves. >> thank you. >> "sparkle" opens in theaters this friday. still ahead a concert from nicki minaj after your local news.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am lisa robinson. the morningcheck on commute with sarah caldwell. >> we are looking at delays around the area because roads are so wet out there. expect to add a few minutes to your commute this morning. we head do to 15 miles per hour towards the towson region. the was the 895 split, those speeds continue to fort mchenry. southbound 795 is backed up out of owings mills. bw parkway southbound is looking

at delays because of the rain. slow go from 95 down at 32. there is a quick live look at traffic. update at bel air road, where things are thinning out a little bit. 97 and new gun road, we had an accident southbound. we are looking at residual volume. tony, over to you. >> those cameras looking better than they did an hour ago. heavy thunderstorms moving across the eastern shore counties. if you're looking that way, you can see the heavy rain for 20 minutes. forecast for today, this first batch of rain will taper off. scattered thunderstorms possible late in the afternoon. >> we are back with another

update at 8:56.

8:30 on tuesday morning, it's the 14th day of august, 2012. we hope our crowd is in the mood to dance because we've got nicki minaj in concert on the stage in just a couple minutes. meanwhile out on the plaza i'm

matt lauer along with savannah guthrie, natalie morales and al roker. >> tomorrow carrie underwood will be here, on thursday lionel richie will be here and on friday, the much anticipated reunion of al's favorite band 98 degrees. >> the u.s. women's soccer team hope solo helped lead her team to gold in london. in her new memoir, she says she doesn't believe in happy endings. she'll explain why in a live interview. >> first we want to say hello once again to five young ladies who also left london with gold medals, u.s. women's gymnastics team, mikayla, gabby -- >> notice the gymnastics team with three aspiring gymnasts. hi, ladies, i hear you have questions for the gymnast. lulu, you want to go first. >> congratulations on your olympic gold medal.

>> thank you. >> are you ready to give up your training to do other things that other teenagers do, like going to the mall, watching movies and eating ice cream and hanging out? >> it's a multi-part question. >> yeah, we like fashion and hanging out at the mall and movies. the next stop for us we're going to do the tour of champs. i'm very excited to do that. yeah, we're just regular teenagers. we like to talk about boys and shoes. >> okay. ellie, you've got the next question. >> [ inaudible ] >> thinking about rio? who is looking ahead? >> i think we're sort of taking the next few years one day at a time. definitely going to keep going, but work towards other things. >> i'll have to rescue you.

thinking about rio? >> possibly. i'm definitely thinking about rio. it's in the back of our minds. we're excited. >> yeah, definitely. >> maria, you get the last question. >> so many opportunities -- [ inaudible ] >> what advice? who wants to share advice? >> i'll share advice. >> it takes a lot of time, a lot of hard work and dedication, so make sure you always work hard, stay in the gym. >> good advice. >> good questions, ladies. >> girls, that you so much. your faces. your parents are proud of you. >> mr. roker. >> also the sparkly glasses. >> we like that. that's cool. >> try them on. >> that' >> good morning. we're starting out the day with

some showers and thunderstorms in some areas. otherwise, partly cloudy. don't forget, you can get that weather any time you need it. go to weather channel on cable or weather.com. >> mr. roker, thank you so much. when we come back hope solo, gold medal winner for the u.s. women's soccer team talks about her life on the field and struggles off it. first this is "today" on nbc. or women's soccer

braef back now at 8:36, one of of the heroes of the u.s. soccer

team in london. hope solo made several saves to help the u.s. beat japan and win their third straight gold medal. now she's out with a new biography called "solo, a memoir of hope." good morning to you. >> good morning. >> are you still on cloud nine about this medal. >> i don't know what time zone i'm in. >> you wrote this memoir. it's really personal. i was looking through it. i think a lot of it was painful. was it painful to write. >> the process of writing the book wasn't easy. it felt like i was going through counsel sessions when i sat down with my writer. i'm proud of it, i'm happy. it was a good process to go through. >> you're known for your outspokenness and competitiveness. in the prologue you write, i don't believe in happy endings, my family doesn't do happy endings, we do sad or frustrating or no ending at all. in a way it feels lying an explanation. do you want the world to understand you.

>> i sit here with you wearing a gold medal. i do believe in happiness. i do believe in life's moments. not everything is going to be perfect. i think i have a really outlook on that. i know that life isn't always easy and i accept that. i think it enables me to live life to the fullest. i'm proud of that. i believe in happy moments, i just don't think it's all going to be perfect. >> your father is a key figure in the book and your life and in many ways a tragic figure, somebody who was in and out of jail, in and out of your life. i know there was a point at which he kidnapped you and your brother. but you also adored him and that really comes through. do you think it's hard for people to understand how you can reconcile those two things. >> i hope after they read the book it's not hard for people to understand it, because the book is about love. people try to interpret my life. they tell me i'm outspoken. you know, a lot of people see me in a specific way but nobody really knows me or understands me or where i've come from.

my father was all about love. it didn't matter if you live on the streets. he lived life to the fullest. i'm happy. it's made me everything that i am. i accept that and appreciate it. i think i have more life experience than a lot of people. >> in another section you write, i was a teenager, i was self-conscious. i was embarrass thad my father was homeless, my mother was a drunk, that my brother was in constant trouble with the police. do you ever just sit back and marvel you got out. do you think soccer saved me? >> soccer saved me absolutely but my family's strength saved me as well. my mother had her own personal struggles, my father as well, but they gave me the strength i needed to get through life and be a fighter and accept everything i am. i might have embarrassed when i was young and 17 and in college, but it's because i didn't know who i was. i'm 31 years old now and i can stand up and be proud of everything my family has given me and everything i am.

>> one thing your father gave you was soccer. he was your first soccer coach. did you ever think i want to be a goalie? that's first. >> nobody wants to be the goalie, you're a hero or goat. you watch the olympics, i didn't do much in six games. finally in the final i was asked to perform. >> in 2007, i have to remeend you, you stirred up controversy when your then coach didn't let you play in the semifinal game against brazil. the team went on to lose. you didn't hold your tongue. it was controversial. the team ostracized you. >> you asked me this in london, if i had any regrets about that. no, i am who i am. im proud of that. i do believe in '07 i would have made the save.

i'm confident who i am as a person and as a player. no, i would have made a difference on the field. that's the competitor in me. people get angry about that. i want to win for our country. how are you going to get mad at me for saying, put me on the field. i'll make a difference. >> do you see controversy as a bit of a -- >> do i like drama? hey, did you see our win against canada. i think the u.s. team likes drama. >> you have obviously had a lot of fun. i remember has you said you were a little three sheets to the wind along with your teammates. was that really true back in 2008. >> the press gets crazy. yeah, i've had some fun, of course. i can celebrate, right? >> is that your phone ringing right now? >> not mine. >> somebody's alarm is going off. >> it is. time to wake up. >> one thing i read about you, when you had the gold medal from 2008, you wore it and wore it and wore it until the ribbon frayed. is that your plan for this gold

medal. >> snow. i'm proud of this. i don't want this one to fray. i'm going to put this up in my trophy room. i'm just happy. i don't know if i'm going to play in another olympics. i don't know if i can make it another four years. this could be it. this is the staple, the stamp for my character. it's been hard. there's been a lot of ups and downs. i'm so happy. i put everything into this game and sport. soccer has come a long way from back in 1999 when the u.s. team won their first world cup, only world cup, we've come a long way. i feel like my team and the current players have done a lot for the game. >> you certainly have. you're part of that progress. hope solo, thank you so much for your time this morning. the book is called "solo, a memoir of hope." coming up next nicki minaj live in concert. first this is "today" on nbc. "a

our concert crowd started lining up more than 24 hours ago. let's not keep them waiting any longer. ladies and gentlemen, nicki minaj. started lining up more than 24 hours ago. let's not keep them waiting any longer. ladies and gentlemen, nicki minaj. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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>> more in a moment. first this is "today" on nbc. ♪ i'm drinking dunkin'. medium iced, cream and sugar. dunkin' iced all day long. dunkin' keeps me going. it gives me the boost i need. dunkin' iced keeps me moving and grooving. i run on dunkin'. america runs on dunkin' coffee. we gotta sell the car. where would we even start? get the car. hi howard. get in. hi, good to see you. start with an actual written offer when selling your car, no strings attached. carmax. start here.

♪ nicki minaj was an underground rap artist, now very much aboveground tornado warning out hit after hit, teaming up with some of the biggest names

in the business. her new album, pink reloaded. nice to have you back again. >> thank you for having me. >> i know you craft your image very carefully and you control a lot of it. what are we seeing today? >> in terms of the performances? >> yes. >> this is -- i'm going to do something a little more gritty. for my gritty in the audience. >> last time you were here, you were nicki minaj. you were talking nicki. people like romans and barbies, any of them present today? >> roman will come out. >> barbie is not here today? >> no. >> no. okay. i mentioned you've got a lot going on. not only musically but fragrance, fashion. how hands on are you? >> very hands on.

my fragrance, a thousand times per picture, the commercial layout. everything. the fragrance will be out in september. i'm so excited for it. i think in a couple days we're actually going to show them a model. i'm hands on with everything. >> you don't want to sit back and let someone else control your future. >> that's not my thing. >> i know you just finished up an international tour. >> i had an amazing time. i want to thank all my amazing fans that came out. [ cheers and applause ] >> i couldn't ask for anything more. >> the best way to thank them is to do another song. ladies and gentlemen, once again, nicki minaj. for anythin more. >> the best way to thank them is to do another song. ladies and gentlemen, once again, nicki minaj. ♪

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♪ ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> nicki minaj will still be back with one more song in just a little while. but first on a tuesday morning, this is your news and weather. this is your news and weather.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am lisa robinson. the murder trial of the man accused of killing phylicia barnes in 2010 has been postponed. prosecution and defense requested a delay, saying more time is needed to sort through evidence. prosecutors claim michael johnson killed her in her sister's home and used a large sister's home and used a large tub to move the body [ male announcer ] progress. opportunity.

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>> rain will taper off this morning. we could see thunderstorms develop late in the afternoon. slight chance for rain tomorrow. thursday looks like the best day of the week. >> we are back here with the >> we are back here with the