parents footsteps today, august 16th, 2012. war of words. vice president joe biden under fire after saying the republicans will, quote, put you all back in chains. the romney camp calling that a new low. will this campaign be about issues or insults? this morning we'll talk to the head of both parties. exploding. a massive wildfire in washington state burns more than 40 square miles destroying about 70 homes. this while big blazes burn all across the west, including one that's turned deadly. and chelsea speaks. chelsea clinton, one of the most private of public figures grants her first interview. she's opening up about her life, her loves, and whether she'd ever consider following in her

parents political footsteps today, wednesday, august 15th, parents political footsteps today, wednesday, august 15th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> good morning, everyone. i'm savannah guthrie. they say presidential campaigns don't kick into high gear until after labor day. don't tell that to president obama, mitt romney and their running mates. >> they are on the trail. as you can imagine they are taking tough shots at their opponents over heated subjects such as welfare and the economy. coming up we'll talk to the heads of both the democrat and republican parties. >> you may remember the two women who would not leave each other's side during a colorado movie theater last month. their story caught the attention of president obama.

this morning they are here for a live interview. we have taken a stroll down abbey road, talked -- tried to be like mike. today it's natalie's turn to recreate an iconic photograph. she and her son will step into the past as charlie chaplain and the kid. and we haven't checked in with "today's" professionals since london. today they are back and loaded for bear on hot topics. let's start with presidential politics and a campaign that seems to be nastier by the day. peter alexander traveling with the romney campaign in columbus, ohio. peter, good morning to you. >> matt, good morning to you. these campaigns seem to be particularly at edge right now, all wound up, each saying it's outraged with the other. romney wrapping up a four-day bus tour, accusing the president of running an angry and desperate campaign. the obama campaign shooting back saying romney seemed unhinged.

wrapping up his four-day bus tour in ohio. >> so mr. president, take your campaign of division and anger and hate back to chicago, and let us get about rebuilding and reuniting america. >> reporter: mitt romney didn't hold back, trying to shame the obama campaign for its negative tone in a speech laced with fiery attacks of his own. >> he demonizes some, he panders to others. his campaign strategy is to smash america apart and then try to cobble together 51% of the pieces. if an american president wins that way, we would all lose, but he won't win that way. >> reporter: campaigning tuesday in another midwestern battleground, iowa, the president responded. >> what they are offering, it's not a plan to create jobs. it's not a plan to reduce the deficit. they don't have a plan to grow the economy. >> reporter: in fact, all four players are taking their swings. vice president joe biden targeted romney's fiscal

policies tuesday. >> he's going to let the big banks once again write their own rules. unchain wall street. going to put y'all back in chains. >> reporter: the romney campaign marked biden's language marked a new low. romney's newly minted running mate paul ryan tried to fend off democrats critique of his plan sweeping medicare. the gop going on the offensive with the new ad saying it's the president's ad that would harm the program. >> the money you pay for guaranteed health care is going to a massive new government program that's not for you. >> reporter: also tuesday the two campaigns engaged over energy. romney accused the president of declaring a war on coal. >> there's a time for truth. if you don't believe in coal. if you don't believe in energy independence for america, say it. >> reporter: the president championing wind power as a source of new jobs nationwide. >> 75,000 jobs across the country of these are good jobs.

>> reporter: president obama even took a dig at romney for once taking a family vacation with his dog on the roof. >> that's what they say about a car, you can't drive it with wind power. maybe he's tried it. he put other things on the roof. >> reporter: paul ryan will fill his shoes here. you can expect the nasty tone to continue. polls show this race is nearly a dead heat. >> all right. peter alexander in columbus. thank you very much. debbie wasserman schulz, chairman of the democratic national committee. good to see you. good morning. >> you too, matt. thanks so much. >> let mel quote, no one on romney's short list of contenders that they, meaning the obama campaign, wanted to run against more than the chairman of the house budget committee paul ryan. do you agree with that assessment? do you think paul ryan's addition to this particular is the best thing that could happen

to president obama's chances for re-election? >> well, i think what paul ryan's selection by merm to run with him for vice president is is the worst thing for the middle class and working families. i'm a mom and i'm raising three young kids and i serve on the budget committee and had a front row seat for paul ryan's approach to slash and burn deficit reduction, a budget that increases taxes on the middle class by an average of $2,000 for a family with children. a middle class family with children. to pay for budget busting tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires, someone who would end medicare as we know it. >> i've been hearing you say this over the last several days and other democrats as well. the fact of the matter is paul ryan has a plan. whether you agree with it or disagree with it, he's giving voters a choice. what makes you so sure that voters are not going to go with the romney/ryan choice? >> i know the voters in florida.

i've representatived my community for almost 20 years now, matt. i can tell you the voters that i know, they want to make sure that there's someone in the white house fighting for the middle class and working family. someone that understands we need a balanced approach to reducing our deficit and getting our economy turned around. paul ryan and mitt romney's approach -- i had a chance during these budget hearings, matt, to ask chairman bernanke, secretary of the treasury, mr. geithner, if we cut too much too fast, and t ryan plan is a cuts only approach, slashes head start, cuts pell grants, give budget busting tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires paid for by the middle class, if we take that approach do we risk blowing or slowing our recovery. the answer was consistently yes. that's deeply troubling. all the while ending medicare as we know it and ending that guarantee. that's the choice they will

have. >> congresswoman, let me ask you about strategy. do you think it's a winning strategy for president obama to make paul ryan the focus of this campaign? in other words, to treat this ticket as if it's the ryan/romney ticket as opposed to the romney/ryan ticket. >> you know, it's mitt romney that made the choice to run with paul ryan. he had already embraced what was an extreme budget. listen, i think paul ryan is a nice guy. in fact, paul ryan is one of those guys when you meet him, he's really nice. that's why it's so disappointing his views are so extreme. romney had already embraced the ryan budget and then he doubled down on that embrace by choosing him as his running mate. so when it comes to making sure, for me as a mom, that my kids have a good education, that the families that i represent can ensure that their future is one that has investments in head start and education and health care, and a bright future so that everybody can live the

american dream. barack obama and joe biden have been fighting for that. mitt romney and paul ryan want to take us back to a time when only the millionaires and billionaires are successful and hopefully that largesse will trickle down. that's what crashed the economy. we don't need to hear that. >> we'll hear from the other side in a second. but first debbie, thanks for your time. >> thanks, matt. >> chairman of the republican national committee. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> the romds campaign is out with a tough new ad against president obama saying he has weighted medicare to the tune of $700 billion. you yourself said on "meet the press" that president obama has blood on his hands with regard to medicare. my question to you, doesn't the ryan plan have those exact same $700 billion in cuts? >> no. what paul ryan tried to do and what we're trying to do is something that i think all americans out there, republicans and democrats alike can agree on, which is if we keep going

down this road of not having solutions on the table, of demonizing people who put solutions on the table, how to save medicare, if we keep going down the road of doing nothing, we all can agree that medicare is going to go broke. >> demonizing people. let's go back to the initial question. the $700 billion in cuts that you are exorriating president obama for are in the budget. that's not in dispute. >> mitt romney and paul ryan's budget, what we need to do in order to save medicare for people in this country 55 years old and younger. >> fair enough. contains the same cuts, right? >> savannah, no. the fact of the matter what paul ryan does in a budget, which by the way, the democrats and my counterparts haven't passed in three years, that we passed a budget to take care of a lot of things going wrong in this country. number one, people are unemployed in this country. the president didn't fulfill his

mission in regard to jobs and debt and the deficit. if the president was really being truthful and honest with his approach to the debt and the deficit, he would have passed a budget. you cannot get control of the crushing deficits and crushing debt in this country unless you address the exploding costs that are facing this country in regard to medicare. we're the only ones who have a solution to save medicare. >> ryan budget made decisions and huge spending cuts to get control of the deficit. i think a lot of americans understand we have a government we can't afford. how can you justify in the ryan budget defense spending that stays flat and then giving a massive tax cut which predominantly benefits the wealthy. >> that's not true. a lot of people in this country, when you talk about this $250,000 cut that the president wants to talk about, we have over 850,000 businesses in this country, small business owners that file as individuals.

if you increase taxes on that group of people, it's going to have a crushing blow on jobs in this country. one thing this campaign is going to be about, savannah, is jobs. that's what the president promised. he hasn't deliver on those. we know that's true. >> i know you wanted to talk about tone. vice president biden in a speech in virginia said the romney campaign wanted to unchain wall street and said to the crowd, they want to put you back in chains. the romney campaign said that was wild and reckless and a disgrace. based on that response, it seems the romney campaign sees something dark in what the vice president said. let me ask you, what do you think he meant? >> i don't know what he meant. obviously, i don't think it was well received. i don't think it's the type of tone we need in this campaign. i think it takes things to a new level. a level of negativity. i think it was a shameful comment. it goes with what the obama campaign is doing right now. they prompted four years ago

they were going to be different, be positive, bring people together. look what they are doing, putting people in chains. putting out an ad that says mitt romney is responsible for the death of a gentlewoman's wife after he left a company six years. >> you said the president had blood on his hands. >> here is where it's going, matt referred to it. we want to talk about the issues. not just the fact barack obama didn't fulfill the mission, didn't fulfill the promises, we can do better in this country but also about the fact that we're willing, i think very boldly, to talk about it. how do we save medicare, get our country back on track. that's what this campaign is about. we're willing to do that. we don't want to go down this road they are taking us down. >> it's a conversation that will be ongoing. i know we'll talk to you again soon, particularly at the convention. thank you for your time this morning. now let's get a check of this morning's other top stories from natalie morales who is over at the news desk. good morning, natalie.

>> good morning. wildfires are growing across the west. in washington state 70 homes there have been decimated and 40 square miles scorched since the fire broke out of the construction site monday. 900 people have been evacuated but no injuries have been reported. this country's worst route -- drought could send food prices soaring. >> reporter: experts say the price tag could be hundreds of dollars per family. experts are now saying some of those price hikes will hit shoppers before the end of the year. it's already withered corn crops, cracked the earth and sent ranchers scrambling to feed their herd. the next stop for this year's record drought is the nation's grocery store. >> i think we're going to see price increases across the board because corn, in particular, is such a ubiquitous product.

it's used in the manufacture of most processed food. >> the ripple effect will be on every isle, cereal and chips. it's animal based hardest hit, beef, dairy, poultry, pork will increase. >> i would try to find the best price i could. economically we don't have a lot of extra money to spend on groceries to eat. >> reporter: for a family of four, the price hike will add $615 to their grocery bill in 2016. >> i'll be more careful about how much i buy, so there's no way -- and be careful what i buy. >> reporter: experts predict shoppers will use more coupons and switch to cheaper items to try to beat the rising cost of feeding a family. that means dining out will be more expensive as restaurants pass along their costs to

customers. natalie, back to you. >> thanks, janet. we'll be following the historic drought of 2012 across all nbc platforms all day today. with just a week before his murder trial begins, he's set to plead guilty in the 2009 ft. hood shooting rampage. the former psychiatrist is not allowed to plead guilty because some charges carry the death penalty. an illinois judge could decide today to end the murder case against former police chief drew peterson in a mistrial. the case has been plagued by delays for years. the latest blunder coming from prosecutors when they mentioned a subject banned from being broached in front of the injury. he's on trial for the murder of his third wife kathleen savio. he was charged after his fourth wife stacy peterson vanished in 2007.

a resident because the a fast moving storm plowing through town tuesday afternoon tearing his two-story barn to shreds. a mishap when a small jet stream jet being towed collided with a turboprop. no injuries reported but it's under faa investigation. a photograph from the curiosity rover mars gives users a 360 degree interactive view from the red planet to your computer right here on earth. you can check out anything you want from the rover itself to the sun. looks pretty cool. 7:17. back to matt, savannah and al. looks like the southwest. >> we didn't get the memo it's plaid day here at the "today" show. >> look at that. >> plaid jackets. >> boys only. >> mr. roker, what's happening. >> we have a risk of strong storms today. they are going to be stretching across the east. but we're also talking about this drought. this is a typical summertime

pattern, upper-level ridge stays to the south, jet stream across the north. look at this, this upper-level ridge takes over much of the country. that's why we're seeing this drought of 2012, extreme drought, special stretching from the central part of the u.s. all the way into the midwest and southeast. bad news is we've got major rainfall deficits. kansas city more than 10 inches below, little rock 6.5 inches. how much rain would it take to make up these deficits, little rock, 15 insider, a foot in atlanta, more than 10 inches in chicago and almost 13 inches of rain for oklahoma city to get >> good morning. we are off to a quiet start. there is a little bit of a fog in some neighborhoods. high temperature near 86

and that's your latest weather. matt. >> thank you very much. chelsea clinton has spent most of her life in the spotlight. amazingly she has never granted an interview until now. in a surprisingly candid interview in the september issue of "vogue" she talks about her life and the possibility she will follow in her parents' footsteps and run for public office herself someday. andrea mitchell has more on this. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. from the moment she was born, chelsea clinton has been a public figure. though she and her parents have done their best to keep her personal life private she opened up to vogue and saying she is now trying to lead a personally public life. chelsea clinton was born into politics but not of it. with her father already governor of arkansas, she was instantly

in the public eye. but her parents fiercely guarded the privacy of their only child. in her first wide ranging interview, 32-year-old chelsea opened up to vogue saying i've been aware of how extraordinarily normal and how extraordinarily extraordinary my life has been. >> she spent the last 32 years of her life not doing interviews. when she finally decided to do it she went all in giving me three months, basically access to all quarters of her life. >> this is a side of chelsea rarely seen. her love of coffee, books, and running, which she calls the one part of my life in which i fundamentally feel like the observer instead of the observed. sheltered through most of the 1992 campaign, she made her first grand appearance at madison square garden when her father was being nominated. in the white house the family still shared family dinners. she tells vogue they organized their lives so we could have

that time, wherever they were. at least one of them would fly home to be with me. spring breaks were exotic trips, bosnia and india. there would be difficult times, too, for the family. but chelsea tells vogue the blessings outweighed. campaigning with her mother, we hading to childhood friend. strongly influenced by her grandmother dorothy rodham who died last november, chelsea started augmenting her graduate work with a career in philanthropy and then journalism as a special correspondent for nbc news. >> do you remember the moment when you believed you could have a different future? >> now for the first time clinton also reveals someday she may join the family business, politics saying, if there were to be a pint where it was something i felt called to do, then that would be a question i would have to ask and answer. >> i think usa she's kind of the

sole heir to her parents' legacy, which is huge, it's almost like she has no choice step up to the plate. >> hillary clinton was 32, chelsea's age, when she gave birth to her only child. standing in, chelsea joked about building a better world for the grandchildren her mother hopes to have, something chelsea says she looks forward to if her mom can wait. vogue hits news stands august 21st. >> interesting. thank you very much. still ahead, two young women willing to die for each other as bullets flew in the colorado movie shooting. their story of friendship under fire inspiring even the president. we'll talk exclusively to them in our next half hour. we'll talk exclusively to them in our next half hour. but first this is r.

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>> this is a wbal-tv 11 today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. maryland's general assembly approves expanded gambling in the state. the state gave the ok to construction of a new casino in prince george's county and table games in all state casinos. the measure of the worst tax rates for maryland live in anne arundel county and a casino on a baltimore city. gov. o'malley is expected to sign the bill into law later this morning. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> dealing with two problems.

we have an accident in aberdeen. if you are traveling there, and use extra caution southbound 95, 37 miles per hour. southbound 295 at on arundel mills boulevard, getting word of a disabled vehicle creating southbound delays. you are looking at delays on the outer loop west side. going to take you a little over 13 minutes to get through that stretch. here is a live view of traffic. 95 is out of eastern avenue, it is looking okay. we are starting to pick up in volume towards the fort mchenry. this is the area of southbound 295 at 175. southbound delays in place towards 32. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> it was a rough night last night, and in a few neighborhoods in baltimore county, thunderstorms, but nothing showing up on the radar

right now. there is a little patch of fog, but that is not a big deal. 66 degrees in parkton. the forecast for today, a mixture of clouds and sunshine. there will be a chance for a shower or thunderstorm this afternoon. it will stay dry this morning. beautiful weather coming up tomorrow. humidity will be in a comfortable range. highs in the upper 80s.

the 15th of august, 2012. we have a huge crowd on the set this morning. they have been lined up for hours because carrie underwoodes about to take center stage. good morning, everyone. i'm savannah guthrie alongside matt lauer. coming up in this half hour, republican vice presidential candidate paul ryan's grueling workout routine. >> we've been talking about his politics and some of his plans but a lot of people talk about what great physical shape he's in. he's 42 years old and in extreme help thanks to a fitness regime. we're going to tell you what's involved and meet the guy who created it. >> later on our "today" in

history continues. you remember the famous shot of charlie chaplin and the kid. this morning natalie and her little boy will see if they can pull it off themselves. >> let's begin this half hour with an amazing story of survival and two best friends willing to make the ultimate sacrifice during the colorado movie shooting. they are with us exclusively this morning but first nbc's kristen dahlgren takes a look back at a friendship that even enspider the president. >> reporter: in the face of unspeakable terror. >> there's smoke, there's explosions, there's blood, there's death, there's guns being fired. >> reporter: emerged a story of enduring friendship. >> 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 to lay down your lives for each other. >> allie young and stephanie davies answer thad question in a colorado movie theater as bullets began to fly.

>> boom, boom, boom, boom. >> allie was hit. >> i was like, i can't move. i can't get up. >> reporter: in all that chaos, with all that shooting. >> i'm seeing him up there and hearing him yell at people. >> reporter: steph never left her side putting her own hand over allie's wound to stem the bleeding. >> i said, you have to go, you have to go. she said, i'm not leaving. >> reporter: they carried her out of the theater across the parking lot to an ambulance and safety. two days later when the president visited aurora, their story helped lift a nation. >> as tragic of what the circumstances we've seen today are, as heartbreaking as it is for the families, it's worth us spending most of our time reflecting on young americans like allie and stephanie. because they represent what's best in us. >> reporter: allie and steph are far from your typical national

heroes. they met working at victoria secret. >> standing there folding panties. >> they are not at all changed by their visit from the president. >> seeing the president is exciting but more exciting -- >> being alive and being together. >> reporter: allie still has multiple gunshot wounds and a lot of healing ahead. but just like in that movie theater, she won't be alone. her best friend steph isn't going anywhere. for "today," kristen dahlgren, nbc news, denver. allie young and stephanie davies are with us now exclusively. ladies, good morning. it's great to see you. >> good morning. >> how are you doing? >> good. better. >> you say you're tired. is that a little bit because of the travel or is that a residual effect of your injuries. >> probably a little bit of both. still having some heart problems. i have a high heart rate now, resting is like 90 so i get exhausted faster pref i don't

want to get into detail but i want people to understand what you went through. you were hit with a blast from a shotgun. it fractured your lung, there were pellets or fragments in your heart and you bled profusely. >> yeah. >> what's recovery been like? >> after the surgery -- i had one surgery, wasn't too extensive. mostly it's been nerve damage, things that are going to take time. a lot the swelling, bruised ribs. a lot of time. >> as you're sitting here, you still have lots of fragments in your body. where are they mostly? >> in my back. i don't think they moved any in the initial surgery. we believe i have all 32 in my body. >> i mentioned you were bleeding terribly in the theater. steph, this brings me to you. she was lying there. she was unable to get up and she knew it. she says to you, run. run, get out of here, and you didn't. >> i was telling her, allie, get

up. get up. she looked at me and told me i can't. i can't. she told me, she looked me right in the eyes and told me, stephanie, you need to run. >> why didn't you run? >> i mean, she's my best friend. what crossed my mind was not being able to leave without her. i mean, it just wasn't an option. >> yet what was going on around you, steph, i mean, you describe it as being in the mouth of hell. >> yeah. >> the gunshots are going off. there are explosions. there are people trampling over allie to get out of there? >> the movie was still running at this point. you've still got bats flying across the screen. you've got a gunfire scene going on at the same time. >> she was traumatically injured. i know you must have been in shock, whether you knew it or not. yet you managed to do a couple of things. the one thing that keeps jumping

out at me, when the paramedics get there and get allie and stop to put her in the ambulance. you stop and write down the number of that ambulance, find out where it's going and pick up the phone and called your dad. you must have saved her family so much angst and frustration by doing that. >> yeah, i talked to -- i called her house phone actually, instead of calling her parents' cell phones. i called her house phone because i knew that would be the first one to be answered. i talked to her mom first. i said, kathy -- i said, hi, steph. i said, are you sitting down. >> were you crying at this time? >> no, actually, not yet. i was still pretty calm when i talked to them on the phone. i told them what happened, that there was a shooting in the movie theater and that allie had been hit and she was in this ambulance. it was going to one of two locations. you know, if i found out where she was before they did, to please let me know.

>> anybody questions the bond of this friendship, when allie woke up in the hospital, i know you had all kinds of tubes in you. you couldn't speak. your dad came in and you wrote down, where's my steph? that's the first thing you wrote, which is incredibly heartwarming. >> isn't it? i just kind of burst into tears when her dad told me that. >> you've got the physical scars from this. what about the emotional scars in are you dealing with those? >> dealing with, yes. >> dealing with how? >> we try to stay positive. we've always been positive people. we just try to have fun together, try to just push back those memories and move forward with our lives. i'm alive and i couldn't ask for more. i'm happy as a clam to be here. >> there are some emotional issues that i'm having from it. there are certain sounds that freak me out. it took me a while to go back to work, because i work next to an

open kitchen. there's lots of pots banging and people yelling at each other all the time. so that took me a little while. but it's just every day is kind of step by step. and i have an amazing family. i've got people that love and care about me. i've got my best friends. i have lots of friends back home that are just all conglom rated behind me for a massive support system. >> this is a relationship that probably gives must meaning to best friends forever. good to see you. >> thanks for having us. >> 7:38. let's get a check of the weather from al. >> we've got big carrie underwood fans. you came with a hat. >> yes. >> when did you get here? >> came this morning. >> nice hat. >> i got it monday for this. >> let's see what we have just for you. a risk of strong storms from

boston to charleston. not looking at anything majorly but damaging winds and lightning. look up into new england, rain already falling, heavy storms, airport delays from connecticut all the way up into the boston. rainfall amounts generally about one to three inches. some areas picking up locally a little more a risk of strong storms back through the upper midwest, upper mississippi river valley fargo to des moines, rainfall amounts there half an in >> good morning. it should be quiet to start the day. another chance for a shower or thunderstorm this afternoon.

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back now at 7:43. whether you're a democrat, republican, independent, there's one thing every american can agree on, it's to be healthy. vice president paul ryan talks a lot about his grueling workout routine. kelly o'donnell finds out how he does it. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. there's one place around capitol hill that will tell you an awful

lot about how paul ryan is. it's typically off limits to everyone but members of congress. i'm talking about the house gym. on most days that's where you'll find him starting at 6:00 a.m. he's doing a workout you've probably seen all over late night tv. call it extreme. we're not talking about his politics here. you won't actually see him sweat, but paul ryan loves to talk about his exercise. >> pullups, push-ups, sittups, lots of cardio, karate, jump training, yoga. >> reporter: a dedication that puts more than running in this running mate. >> i was actually a fitness trainer. i had three jobs when i came out of college, one was a fitness trainer. >> reporter: on his very first day next to mitt romney he beamed when talked about his workout. >> what's your workout.

>> insanity. >> how much can you do? >> everything called for. >> p90x and insanity generate sales and sweat. more than 5 million copies sold. this vice presidential candidate who loves crunching numbers and his abs stands 6'2" a lean 163 pounds and claims his body fat is between just 6 and 8%. ryan even leads a p90x class for a dozen members of congress. that got the attention of the expert in the video, tony horton. >> tony horton comes and works out with us every few months. >> horton might be the only guy who could coax a sleeveless ryan into showing off his guns for camera. back in the land that celebrates cheese and brats, he was active with everything from soccer to skiing. this commitment to fitness is deeply rooted. >> my dad died when i was young.

he was a good and decent man. >> reporter: ryan was a teenager when he found his 55-year-old father dead from a heart attack. like his grandfather and great grandfather who also died in their 50s, giving him an incentive, he says, to stay in shape. >> paul ryan talked quite a bit about the loss of his father relatively young age. i think it influenced his entire life, in that he is someone who is quite disciplined. >> reporter: being on the campaign trail, you know, savannah, that is not a good place to keep to an exercise and diet program. we're told he's spotted in the hotel gyms early in the morning do the the routine off his ipad. >> i guess he's more committed than we are, hitting the doughnuts. tony horton is the creator. good morning to you. have you seen a bump in business after this? >> we've seen a mild bump,

absolutely, sure. >> paul ryan loves to talk about this workout. has he a group on capitol hill, as kelly mentioned, they get together, do the p90 routine. you have visited with them. give us the lay of the land. what is that like? >> it's a blast. i've been to the congressional gym six or eight times. there they are, republicans and democrats on both sides of the aisle representing our country working together doing p90 moves. it's been an honor. >> what do you think about this program is that attracts the guys. >> it's cardio, resistance, yoga. the idea is to avoid plateaus and injuries and the kind of things that keep you from sustaining fitness. they are seeing results as members of the military and celebrities and people across the country. >> are you amazed paul ryan talks about it as much as he does. >> we get a couple of phone calls. it's blown up. a great thing whether michelle obama with let's move campaign or paul ryan, it's nice to see

more americans understand it's important. >> how did you get him to pose for that picture showing off his guns. >> after every workout we'll take pictures and sign autographs. >> it's strange i'm taking pictures with them and we want to share this thing together. it's kind of fun. >> you mentioned the first lady. she's used it as well. >> yes. i was down in florida at disney with espn working with her and her let's move campaign a couple months back. yeah, it's really nice to see that it's out there and more americans understand it's not pills and potions that solve your problems it's regular exercise and healthy eating. >> let's show a couple of things. the first thing is push-up to plank move. >> i'll just watch. >> you have the heels on. >> standard push-ups but added yoga component. we do both sides. >> throwing elbows move. >> throwing elbows is this here. mma is the number one growing sport in america. the abs and core, you get down

on the floor. >> is this the row your boat. >> row your boat. hands around. simple core move. >> last -- >> last new post activation initiation workout. what did he say? >> adding it. >> that looks hard. how do you have to do that? >> an hour and a half. no. >> get out of here, tony. >> about 30 reps. >> thank you very much tony horton. >> my pleasure. still ahead natalie try to recreate the famous photograph of charlie chaplin and the kid. huh! no! who's gonna help cover the holes in their plans? aflac! quack! like medical bills they don't pay for? aflac! or help pay the mortgage? quack! or child care? quack! aflaaac! and everyday expenses? huh?! blurlbrlblrlbr!!! [ thlurp! ] aflac! [ male announcer ] help your family stay afloat

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> time for a check at your morning commute. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> let's get you up to date. we have incidents and delays. we are dealing with delays on the west side. 27 miles per hour on average from liberty road to edmondson. southbound 95 out of the northeast, 25 miles per hour on average. those delays don't only continue to the 895 split. they art towards fort mchenry. washington boulevard, tracking

eight new accident. cecil county, a port deposit, watch for a crash at 222 and 275. we will update you on some of our cameras. eastern ave, delays extent towards the fort mchenry. we will show you what it looks like on 70 west of the beltway. prior to this, eastbound delays from marriottsville towards 29. tony, over to you. >> in contrast to last night, when the weather was active, nothing showing up on the radar this morning. that is a good thing we would get a dry morning commute in. 70 in cockeysville. increasing clouds, a chance for a shower or thunderstorm this afternoon. take an umbrella with you just in case. going into the weekend, a nice day tomorrow. humidity will be comfortable.

chance for thunderstorms back in the picture friday night and saturday morning.

we're back now 8:00 on wednesday morning. it is also the 15th day of august, 2012. look at the size of the crowd that we have gathered on rockefeller plaza. they are waiting for the one and only carrie underwood who takes to our concert stage in just about a half hour. so we're looking forward to that. don't forget tomorrow we'll see hello. >> hello. >> to lionel richie when he takes center stage. and it's a rare reunion of the boy band 98 degrees. that's friday morning here on "today." meanwhile i'm matt lauer with savannah guthrie and al roker. coming up "today's" professionals are in the house. we'll talk to them about the story of lolo jones. remember how emotional she got

in her interview with you after that really rough article about her in the "new york times" just before she competed in the 100 meter hurdles. the pros will take on the question of whether that article was too harshed and was it ill timed. that's just one of the topics we'll get to. we are going to continue our series "today" in history. on monday we created that famous abbey road photo by the beelgss. yesterday matt tried to be like mike and did a pretty good job. i still can't get over the uniform. tod today natalie and her son are going to try to recreate this photo. can't wait to see molly ringwald. she's here, '80s icon turned author. can't wait to get to her. >> let's go inside. the aforementioned natalie morales has a check of the headlines. natalie, take it away. >> thanks. verbal fireworks are echoing across the campaign trail.

on tuesday vice president joe biden told a virginia audience republicans want to unchain wall street. he then added, quote, they are going to put you all back in chains. in ohio mitt romney fired back accusing president obama of running a campaign of division and anger and hate. a state of emergency has been declared in two washington state counties where a wildfire has destroyed about 70 houses since it started monday at a construction site. officials say last night that the fire was only 10% contained. about 900 people have been evacuated. wildfires are also burning in nine other states where rain has been scares. government officials say the spread of west nile virus is bad and getting worse. spreading by mosquitoes more states reporting this year because of the mild winter and spring rains allowed the mosquito population to grow. cdc said almost 700 cases and 28 deaths this year in 32 states.

about 4 million baby seats being recalled this morning because babies have been able to maneuver out of the seats and fall. there have been dozens of injuries, some of them serious. consumer should stop seeing them immediately until they get a free repair kit. for more information, go to our website, today.com. here is brian williams with what's coming up tonight on "nightly news." >> natalie, good morning. coming up tonight when we join you for "nightly news." dr. nancy snyder han has a report on an increasing challenge many of us have played, millions of americans who play the role of caregiver, especially taking care of aging parents. we'll have more on that and "nightly news." natalie, back to you. >> thanks, brian. a look at what's trending a quick roundup what has you talking online. kristen chenoweth appears to be on the mend one day after she's off the good wife after getting hurt on the set. she was spotted in new york city wearing a neck brace.

she's also undergoing physical therapy. condoleezza rice is a professor, a pianist, and now a fashion model. she's sporting a cleveland browns football jersey in the online ad for the female clothing line. she's a big football fan as well. this photo of quarterback tim tebow attracting attention online. the quarterback and christian is shirtless. some say the pose is reminiscent of jesus on the cross. it was originally taken when tebow was a college star. it's black and white with all references to the gators removed. it is 8:04 now. back to al with a check of the weather. >> who knew condoleezza rice was a member of the dog pound. carrie underwood fans? >> yes. >> looking forward to it? perfect placement. that's fantastic. let's see what we've got for you? is your weather perfect? our pick city happens to be

buffalo, new york. partly to mostly sunny, mild, 78 degrees as we take a look at the satellite radar, heavy rain and thunderstorms down through dallas. 30 or 50,000 people without power. there's a lot of flooding down there. rain moving out into the northeast, slight risk of storm, mid-atlantic into the southeast, slight risk, upper mississippi river valley. portland, oregon, today, 92. within three days they are going >> good morning. we are off to a quiet start. there is a little bit of a fog in some neighborhoods. high temperature near 86.

that's your latest weather. now back to miss guthrie. >> al, thank you. coming up next, are facebook and twitter turning you into somebody who brags too much. we'll discuss that with "today's" professionals coming up right after this. the 2-in-1, a great clean doesn't have to take long. i'm done. are you thinking what i'm thinking? ♪ give me just a little more time ♪ okay. all right. oh! [ female announcer ] the 2-in-1 swiffer sweeper uses electrostatic dry cloths to clean better than a broom. and its wet mopping cloths can clean better than a mop in half the time so you don't miss a thing. mom, have you seen my -- hey! hey! he did it. [ female announcer ] swiffer. better clean in half the time. or your money back.

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♪ [ telephone rings ] how's the camping trip? well, the kids had fun, but i think i slept on a rock. ♪ the best part of wakin' up what are you doing? having coffee. ohh. ♪ is folgers in your cup we are back at 8:09 with a new installment of "today's" special. the olympics may be over but we have a gold meteorologist here. i missed you guys. >> missed you, too. >> let's get to something that made headlines while we were away at the olympics. i want your take on this.

lolo jones, the american hurdler. she's a darling of the sponsor. she's the one that clipped the second to last hurdle four years ago in beijing, failed to medal there. she's a deeply religious person, describes herself as a virgin. a couple of days before her competition in london, she was the subject of a very harsh article in "the new york times." some of the things written in the article, quote, jones has received far greater publicity than any other track and field competing in the london games. this was based not on achievement but on her exotic beauty and on a sad and cynical marketing campaign. essentially jones has decided she'll be whatever anyone wants her to be, vixen, virgin, victim, to draw attention to herself and the many products she endorses. he goes on to say, if there's a box to check off, jones has checked it, except for the small part about actually achieving olympic success as a hurdler. what do we think of this article? >> i thought it was mean and nasty. i thought it was inappropriate two days before a united states

runner or olympian is going to participate. furthermore, if being the fourth greatest hurdler in the world is something to be ashamed of, i think this guy is wrong. >> yeah but here is the tough part. you can say being fourth is great. the reality is we measure one through three. hope solo came in in the soccer, also gorgeous, sort of out there, controversial, then had two great saves. she was teetering as to whether people thought she was going to pull it off or not. the reality is, if you're really beautiful, both these women are and marketable, they are, the reality is you have to produce, one threw three. >> yes, you get a medal. but i don't think she should be made to feel she didn't accomplish anything and that's what the article says. >> i read that. when endorsers look for people. yes, achievement is one thing, overall persona, charisma. derek jeterer, great athlete but good look guy. anna kournikova.

not just the performance. it's -- >> the public editor of the "new york times" comments on content in the newspaper on regular occasions said he felt this article was too harsh. couple of their footnotes. lolo jones came on our show the morning after she competed in london and failed to medal again. she was extremely emotional with savannah. take a look. >> the fact that it was from a u.s. media like -- they should be supporting our u.s. olympic athletes, instead they ripped me to shreds. i work six days a week every day for four years for 12-second race. the fact they just tore me apart, it was heartbreaking. >> by the way, we saw a tease with tim tebow with his shirt off. we're a visual society. broadway joe namath. if he didn't look like he did, there's a lot of guys that won a lot more super bowls than he would. >> the journalist asked to take

this back, said, no, i thought it was fair. >> knowing how important it is to anybody who did a job, how do you feel about the timing? you knew she would see this. some athletes would say this inspired me. >> if you're an athlete and performing in front of a billion people, i think a comment about commercialism. >> it was a personal attack. >> it wasn't -- >> excuse me, he said vixen, virgin, or what was the -- >> victim. >> victim. that's a personal attack. >> people talking about how many people they had or didn't have sex with. i'm a virgin, that's part of her persona. >> let me make one other footnote acknowledgement. when she said in the sound bite, she said the job of the american press is to support athletes. >> it's not the truth. we are there to cover the olympic not our team. "the new york times" job is not to be pro usa. >> have we become a society of

bragga braggarts. people tweeting what they did last night, amazing trips they take, restaurants we're eating in, we've crossed the line from informing people and being self-confident to being brart bragga braggarts. >> i call it useless information. guess what, i had a double burrito. >> i love twitter. >> like i don't have a life. >> it forces people to brag. >> i do think people brag. i can be honest. i'm very conscious of the things i say so it does not come across as look at me, look at me. i enjoy the interaction with people who i never have a chance to meet. >> something in the workplace, i say this all the time. do not be afraid to stand up and talk about your accomplishments. if you can't use a mega phone, nobody will. social media aside brag in the workplace is a smart thing to do. >> i love twitter.

>> self-confident or braggart. >> i love twitter but i drop people. i want breaking news, move a story forward. who you had lunch with is a yawn. >> the last inspired by ryan lochte. ryan lochte, obviously a well-known american swimmer, did an interview and admitted something you admitted to me, donny, in the past, that he pees in the pool. >> i mean, who hasn't. >> they are in there training for long periods of time anderson so they urinate in the pool. a survey of online viewers. before the results, how do we feel about it? medically speaking what's the problem? >> the fact is there's enough chlorine to take care of it. >> how about the shower. >> washes down the drain. that's a good place to urinate. >> pe.

in the bowl. >> do we have an age cutoff where it's socially okay? >> are you saying it's okay to pee in the pool. >> when have you? >> maybe when i was two. >> bad start. >> i just took swimming with an olympian off my book. i don't want anything to do wit. >> showers -- >> online poll of our viewers, 80% said it's okay to pee in the shower. >> how about the pool. >> nobody would say that. >> we didn't ask that. star jones, donny deutsch, dr. nancy snyder man. today in history natalie and her son try to recreate the unforgettable image of charlie chaplin and the kid right after this. the capital one cash rewards card

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[ male announcer ] monica's decided to make a quick pit stop for gas. [ engine turns over ] but it looks like she'll have to find another station to fill 'er up. no! are you kidding me?! [ male announcer ] good thing her corolla has legendary mpg, so getting there won't be a problem. another reason you can always count on corolla. from toyota. this morning we head back in time for our special series, "today" in history. on monday we stroll down abbey road. on tuesday matt took off as air lauer.

it's your turn now. >> it is my turn, so i stepped into the role of one of the most recognizable characters of all time. charlie chaplin's the tramp, is arguably one of the most famous film characters of all time. from his shabby chic ensemble to that signature walk, he inspired countless memorable images. but there is one, a publicity still from chaplain's film, "the kid" that reminds me of the funny little man in my life. >> say hi to mommy's friends. looking at that photo, first of all, i can see myself sort of looking like chaplin with all the right makeup and attire. but the kid looks exactly like my son luke, down to the chubby cheeks and pouty face. >> sure a professional makeup crew can help us look the part,

if only luke chooses to cooperate. >> can you take this off now. >> but to truly inhabit the man behind the moustache and the boy behind the kid, we have to do some tramping around of our own. i just need to get that walk of his. >> programmed in 1917 and opened in 1918. >> nearly whafl a century later his original hollywood studio still stands. this is where he made the majority of those legendary films. hidden with the quiet oasis, genius of who built it. >> here are the original gates. >> i read when he would come to work, there was a big to do. >> a ceremony. his production manager would shout, "he's here!" like the king has arrived. >> is it true there are many days he didn't feel like coming? >> many days.

inspiration didn't come, neither did he. >> inspiration stuck after a tragedy in 1920. three weeks after the death of his newborn son, chaplin happened upon a brilliant young vaudevillian. >> my father went off and started playing with a little boy. he came back and said this is the most astonishing person i've ever met in my life. >> and "the kid" was born, built as a picture with a smile and perhaps a tear, the story follows chaplin's tramp who finds an orphaned boy and lovingly raises him as his own. >> chaplin is reliving his own childhood as a kid, his feelings of loss and aabandonment of his father, taken away from his mother, all in "the kid." that was his life. >> he even recreated the slums of his childhood for the setting of "the kid." >> this is where the sets were

built. sometimes chaplin would build a set without an idea in his head as a way to buy time. >> they say chaplin would play every character if he could, each actor down to the flutter of an eye if he didn't like what they did. if he didn't like a daily he would reshoot. >> he was his own director, it was the only way he could see himself. >> jackie was only 4 years old but the perfect side kick. >> my father said jackie could bring emotion to action and action to emotion. >> there's something genuine between the two of them. they liked playing with each other and chaplin happened to be filming. >> together they made the world laugh and cry. in the climactic scene where chaplin saves him from welfare

workers they made history. >> it's the most heroic scene and the most beautiful love scene he ever shot. >> everyone loves a happy ending. "the kid" became one of the most successful films of its time, adored by millions around the world. >> they had premiered the movie, big night. my grandfather got to sit on chaplin's lap for the screening and probably fell asleep. >> coogan went on to become hollywood's first child star, though he was less successful as an adult. it was reborn at age 50 when the world's cutest kid became one of the world's best monsters, uncle fester in the adam's family. but the duo never worked together again. my side kick may not have spent his formative years in vaudeville. but after mastering funny faces 101, this kid is ready to remake history. >> are you ready? >> i'm ready.

>> sort of. >> hold onto your knee like this. what is that, mad face, angry face? >> mad face. >> mad face. >> ready, here we go. >> there you go. >> luke kept his cool long enough to snap that famous photo. them like chaplain, they let him improvise, because you just can't take the kid out of the kid. >> love it. >> so how did we do. drum roll, please, as we reveal the photo. this is the original, as you see, from "the kid." and here we are. >> that's great. >> that's spectacular. >> pretty good. >> great keepsake for you guys, too. >> i smell christmas card. >> luke was amazing. he didn't have a naphtha day. >> how about you? >> i needed a nap after that but it was great. great job, natalie.

\ >> live, local, latebreaking. this wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am lisa robinson. >> not over yet. tracking several accidents this hour. this taking up the left center lane. be extra careful. delays expected there. accident at hawkins point. if you are going to travel in howard county, we have an accident at rockspring mill road. if you want to travel in the city, york road, we are tracking accident, go slow-go on the north side outer loop and the outer loop west side.

this is in bel camp. 2 and 275, accident wrapping up. these delays extend from white marsh to the fort mchenry. southwest corner of the beltway, going away from us, and attracted to it -- in a liquor traffic. over to you, tony. >> off night in baltimore county and other parts of the area. nothing showing up on the right are this morning and that is good for the morning commute. six sand in a randallstown, 67 in parkton. take an umbrella just in case. we could see a few showers or thunderstorms. nice day tomorrow. lower humidity. another chance for a few thunderstorms friday night and saturday morning.

>> back with another update at 8:56.

8:30 this wednesday morning. we have a big, excited, enthusiastic crowd on the plaza this morning. mere moments country music star carrie underwood. i'm savannah guthrie alongside savannah guthrie, al roker. >> actually, natalie, you have an exclusive interview coming up tomorrow. >> i'm headed to graceland, the

home of elvis presley. on the 35th anniversary of his death i'm going to sit down with lisa marie presley and priscilla presley and have that interview for you. we'll have that live. >> meantime we all remember some of the biggest movies in the '80s, thought brat pack movies. molly ringwald is here but in a different role this time, that as author. >> we're going to catch up with two big winners from these last olympics. allison brought him medals, recognize swimmer nathan adrian who has three medals to his name including gold in the 100 meter freestyle. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> allison, when last we left you you had won one gold medal, next we know you have three gold medals. >> i was a little busy. aid great time. so much fun with my teammates and happy to come away with three golds.

>> we did a poll, your win in the freestyle rated the number one race of the olympic games. how do you feel about that? >> that's incredible. that's a really big honor. i had no idea that came about. you know, i was on the right side of 1/100th of a second. feels good. >> the relay medal, helped add to michael phelps the last medal of his career. >> that gives me goose bumps just talking about it. it was such an other than and a fun experience to be a part of his last relay and his last medal at the olympics. >> the 200 meter. in athens you won silver, in beijing you won bronze. what was the difference this time eight years later? >> i feel like i could finally put it together. i used those experiences of being defeated just to motivate me throughout the year. of course to all come together which is so, so special. >> you both have talked about the support that the crowds in great britain gave to their home

athletes. so talk to me a little about the support you both have gotten since you've been hoe home here in the states. >> it's been amazing. people just giving you hugs, just so much love. you just really feel that support and encouragement. >> yeah, absolutely. it's a matter of people, you know thanking us for representing the country. it's such an honor to say i represented team usa at the olympics. >> how is rio looking for you both? >> i'm excited about it. >> are you there? >> absolutely. i was excited the second the dancers got on stage at the opening ceremonies. >> different deal. busted. >> it's going to be exciting seeing the -- >> awkward. >> oh man. >> nathan, adrian, i guess we'll see you and the dancers in 2016. >> how great we can take a nice moment and turn it. >> out it. >> mr. roker. >> starting with today we expect

to see plenty of sunshine out west. that heat in the pacific northwest. 80s and 90s. a risk of strong storms in the upper mississippi river valley, mid-atlantic, northeast and southeast. for tomorrow the mid mississippi river valley, tennessee river valley seeing a risk of strong storms. sizzling weather southwest into the rockies and the pacific northwest. lingering showers up through new hrgland. >> good morning. it should be quiet to start the day. another chance for a shower or thunderstorm this afternoon.

don't forget get your weather any time you need, weather channel.com. when we come back, natalie will sit down with molly ringwald, talk about her new book and a concert on the plaza from carrie underwood. but first this is "today" on nbc.

molly ringwald was the it girl in the '80s, the breakfast club, pretty in pink, landing on the cover of "time" magazine. in recent years she added a new role, writer. "what's happened to you." >> good morning. >> goes without saying i grew up watching you, we're of the same generation. little did i know all this time you were a writer in addition to being an actress, even as far

back as "the breakfast club." >> i was writing all along but it was my little dark secret. >> you have been writing all this time. i know you released a book a couple years ago. this is your first attempt at fiction to be published. is it just it was kind of intimidating to take on this? >> i think so. when you're known for one thing and known pretty well for that one thing, it's hard to think that other people are going to accept what you do. there's a lot of things i do. i write, sing jazz. when i turned 40, i said i can't pay attention to other people's preconceived notions. i have to do what matters to me and writing really matters a lot. >> i read somewhere you feel people kind of have low expectations of what an actress can do as a writer? >> there's not that many actresses, really none that i can think of, that write literary fiction. it is sort of an anomaly.

it surprises people. people don't know what to expect. so far it's been really well received. that makes me feel good. >> did you really write a little importance of it on your iphone? that right there is quite impressive? >> you know, when you're an actress and a mother, i'm a mother of three, i'm a little challenged for time. i found myself on a set. when you're on a film set, you have a lot of downtime. all i had with me was my phone. i started taking notes. then i kept taking notes and taking notes. sort of by the end of the day i had a skeleton or structure of the title story. >> the concept of your book is really interesting. it's short stories but interconnected, so they are related. the common theme is betrayal. >> yes. >> now, what could appeal to you about that? >> i think what initially appealed to me is just the universality of it. i was trying to think of something that connects us all. i don't think there's one person that can say they haven't been betrayed or betrayed someone or

betrayed themselves. i just thought it was a very rich subject to write about. i just tried to come at it from every different angle. it's just very human. i'm really interested in writing about human im perfection, because i think that's what makes us interesting. >> there's a range of stories and situations in the book. because people know you, they will be looking for anything that may be autobiographical. will they find it? >> i think i take a little bit from me and i take from others. it's just sort of what you do when you write fiction. you observe a lot. you imagine a lot. it's the same thing that i do when i'm acting. i've never been a method actor, in that i've never had to go through something. if i'm playing a drug addict, i don't feel compelled to go out and do drugs. it's the same from fiction. you take from everywhere. it's not my life. it's very fiction. very invented. >> as we mentioned, you will forever be associated with those movies "the breakfast club," "pretty in pink," "sixteen

candles." i want to check in on this. is the brat pack a hated phrase? >> it's reductive. in other ways i'm proud of it. i'm really proud of those movies. it's a little heavy to have a whole era sit on your shoulders sometimes. but i'm glad they are good movies. i have a lot of fondness for them. >> you've got kids. would you ever want them to go in the business? you started pretty early yourself? >> no. as adults. i want them to have as normal of a childhood as you possibly k there's a lot of rejection. i was really lucky. there's a lot of rejection in the business. i just want them to be kids for as long as possible. then if they want to pursue it as an adult i'll do whatever i can to support them. >> since we're an author of literary fiction, should we do a little literary critique. i heard you heard "50 shades of grey" and didn't think the world

of its literary quality? >> i took issue with what it said about women. it went so far away from how i was raised, which is i can always take care of myself. my parents said, you need to get an education. you need to work. never depend on anyone else. it's just -- that's the thing i found most horrifying about it. >> a little cheesy, too. >> a little cheesy. >> molly ringwald, thank you so much. we want to remind everyone, "when it happens to you." >> carrie under wood on nbc. we need to look for a new van. yeah. i just don't know where to start.

glad you found us. start by test-driving nearly every make and model, all in one place. carmax. start here.

our crowd has been waiting all morning for carrie underwood to perform. now she's going to be her 15th number one single called "good

girl." ladies and gentlemen, here is carrie underwood. ♪ hey, good girl with your head in the clouds ♪ ♪ i bet you i can tell you what you're thinkin' about ♪ ♪ you'll see a good boy gonna give you the world ♪ ♪ but he's gonna leave you cryin' ♪ ♪ with your heart in the dirt ♪ ♪ his lips are dripping honey but he'll sting you like a bee ♪ ♪ so, lock up all your loving go and throw away the key ♪ ♪ hey, good girl get out while you can ♪ ♪ i know you think you got a good man ♪ ♪ why, why you gotta be so blind? ♪ ♪ won't you open up your eyes? ♪ ♪ it's just a matter

of time till you find ♪ ♪ he's no good, girl no good for you ♪ ♪ you better get to getting on ♪ ♪ your good-bye shoes and go, go, go ♪ ♪ better listen to me he's low, low, low ♪ ♪ hey, good girl you got a heart of gold ♪ ♪ you want a white wedding and a hand you can hold ♪ ♪ just like you should, girl like every good girl does ♪ ♪ want a fairy-tale ending somebody to love ♪ ♪ but he's really good at lying ♪ ♪ yeah, he'll leave you in the dust ♪ ♪ 'cause when he says forever well, it don't mean much ♪ ♪ hey, good girl so good for him ♪ ♪ better back away, honey you don't know where he's been ♪ ♪ why, why you

gotta be so blind? ♪ ♪ won't you open up your eyes? ♪ ♪ it's just a matter of time till you find ♪ ♪ he's no good, girl no good for you ♪ ♪ you better get to getting on ♪ ♪ your good-bye shoes and go, go, go ♪ ♪ yeah, yeah, yeah, he's low yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ he's no good, girl why can't you see? ♪ ♪ he'll take your heart and break it ♪ ♪ listen to me yeah ♪ ♪ why, why you gotta be so blind? ♪ ♪ won't you open your eyes? ♪ ♪ it's just a matter of time till you find ♪

♪ he's no good he's no good ♪ ♪ won't you open up your eyes? ♪ ♪ it's just a matter of time till you find ♪ ♪ he's no good, girl he's no good for you ♪ ♪ you better get to getting on your good-bye shoes ♪ we'll have more music from carrie underwood in a moment. but first this is "today" on nbc.

oreo and dunkin' are the perfect match for the perfect moment. enjoy the new oreo coolatta and donut today. america runs on dunkin'.

you may have heard by now carrie underwood won "american idol" back in 2005. she proved she's no flash in the pan. she's had 15 number one hits. she sold 15 albums and won five grammy awards. her latest cd "blown away" was on the charts for five consecutive weeks. carrie underwood, great to see you. welcome back. >> thank you. >> you have grown so much as a performer. i watch you out here. also as a songwriter. i know that's important to you? >> it is. it's all part of the package. coming off of "american idol" and being able to go on tour and being able to give song writing

a shot. now i'm a few albums in and a few tours in and i feel like things just keep getting better. >> you co-wrote eight of the songs on the album. when i mention "american idol," i don't know if you're tired of hearing about it. did you ever imagine how it would change your life? >> i don't think anybody could have predicted what's happened since then. there's nothing about my life that's the same as it was before. what an amazing blessing and opportunity i got. i've gotten to do so much since then and i'm still loving it. >> i was reading an article, as we tend to do, about you last night. one of the things you said is you're kind of shy and a bit of a home body. as you get set to go on this huge national tour, how do you square those things, a very public tour being shy and a home body. >> making the bus at home as much as possible is important and having a lot of my things, just little things like sheets i'm used to, my dogs running around. it's nice to have those little

comforts. >> i want to say something i think is really nice. you're donating a dollar from every ticket you sell on the tour to the american red cross and canadian red cross. >> all the shows in america a dollar goes to the american red cross. in canada the same. >> very nice. before i let you sing again. by the way, they are still looking for a judge on "american idol." are you interested in that? >> between my tour schedule and everything, i haven't been asked, i don't know when that would be possible. i'm looking forward to see whoever they do get locked in as a judge. >> we're looking forward to hearing you again. what are you going to sing? >> blown away. >> ladies and gentlemen, carrie underwood. ♪ dry lightning cracks across the skies ♪ ♪ those storm clouds gather in her eyes ♪

♪ daddy was mean ole mister ♪ ♪ momma was an angel in the ground ♪ ♪ the weather man called for a twister ♪ ♪ she prayed blow it down ♪ ♪ there's not enough rain in oklahoma ♪ ♪ to wash the sins out of that house ♪ ♪ there's not enough wind in oklahoma ♪ ♪ to rip the nails out of the past ♪ ♪ shatter every window till it's all blown away ♪ ♪ every brick, every board every slamming door flown away ♪ ♪ till there's nothing left standing ♪ ♪ nothing left to yesterday every tear-soaked ♪ ♪ whiskey memory blown away blown away ♪

blown away ♪ blown away ♪ ♪ she heard those sirens screaming out ♪ ♪ her daddy laid there passed out on the couch ♪ ♪ she locked herself in the cellar ♪ ♪ listened to the screaming of the wind ♪ ♪ some people called it taking shelter ♪ ♪ she called it sweet revenge ♪ ♪ shatter every window till it's all blown away ♪ ♪ every brick, every board every slamming door flown away ♪ ♪ till there's nothing left standing ♪ ♪ nothing left to yesterday every tear-soaked ♪ ♪ whiskey memory blown away blown away ♪

♪ there's not enough rain in oklahoma ♪ ♪ to wash the sins out of that house ♪ ♪ there's not enough wind in oklahoma ♪ ♪ to rip the nails out of the past ♪ ♪ shatter every window till it's all blown away ♪ every brick, every board ♪ ♪ every slamming door flown away ♪ till there's nothing ♪ ♪ left standing nothing left to yesterday ♪ ♪ every tear-soaked whiskey memory blown away ♪ ♪ blown away blown away ♪

♪ blown away >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am lisa robinson. no luck for pit bull owners hoping to overturn a ruling that declared their pets inherently dangerous. stand,rt's ruling will at least until next year, when

>> it should be smooth sailing through the rest of the morning. by the time we get into the afternoon, 40% chance of a thunderstorm. sunshine, low humidity. >> thank you for joining us. weather update at 9:25.