good morning. hollywood tragedy. tony scott, the director of blockbuster movies like "top gun" and "days of thunder" jumped to his death from a bridge in california. this morning the latest on the investigatio hot water. a republican congressman apologizes for swimming nude in the sea of galilee during a fact-finding trip. another makes way for this comment about rape and pregnancy. >> if it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. >> huge distraction for the gop with the convention now just one week away. all hell broke loose. an overnight storm temporarily

knocked swimmer diane nigh nyad off course. how is she doing? we'll have an interview with the man on the boat right next to her on tuesday, august 20th, man on the boat right next to her on tuesday, august 20th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning. welcome to "today" on this monday morning. i'm savannah guthrie. >> i'm lester holt in for matt this morning. a puzzling end to the life of director tonigy scott. the 68-year-old parked his car on the bridge and jumped to his death. >> they found a suicide note in his office. he directed popular movies over the past years. he was the younger brother of

oscar nominated actor ridley scott. also, a lot of folks are asking what's going on with facebook stock price. it hit a new low on friday. some wonder if it's time for mark zuckerberg to step down as ceo. more on that coming up. ahead, lot of us like to curl up with a guilt-free diet ice creams. are they as guilt-free as you think. coming up, find out what we found when we tested calorie count on popular brands. >> do we really need to know that? >> there goes my saturday night. much more from rihanna's tearful interview with oprah winfrey, how she describes her relationship with chris brown now and whether she still loves him. >> we want to begin with the tragic death of actor tony scott. diana in san pedro this morning, good morning to you.

>> reporter: good morning. tony scott was a legend in hollywood, the creative force behind dozens of movie hits. when the news came someone jumped to their death from this bridge, his friends were stunned to learn it was tony. he was known for directing some of hollywood's biggest blockbuster like "top guns" and "days of thunder" starringom cruise. he also worked with eddie murphy on "beverly hills cop 2" and worked with denzel washgton. he talked about his craft. >> denzel, i think you should play the scene this way, wear this haircut, these sunglasses. you can forget all that once you know what the interior of the personality is. once you found that guy, it's so much easier to find that one person for every one. >> earlier he took his own life jumping off the bridge plunging into the harbor.

witnesses told police they saw him leave his car around 12:30 sunday afternoon and scale an 8 to 10 foot fence on the south side of the bridge before leaping 185 feet to his death. a police dive team recovered his body four hours later. the 68-year-old was the younger brother of producer director ridley scott. the brothers were executive producers on the cbs television drama "the good wife." josh charles who stars in the show tweeted i'm deeply shocked and saddened by the news of ty scott's death and my thoughts and prayers are with the family tonight. director ron howard added, no more tony scott movies. tragic day. he leaves behind wife donna wilson, their twin son, and some of the most memorable action films of the past 30 years. tony and ridley collaborated on many, many projects. in fact, tony produced ridley's latest movie ""prometheus."

so far we have not heard a comment on the passing of his younger brother. just a tragic story. >> thank you so much. it's 7:04. here is lester. let's turn to politics, high-profile distraction to the republican party. two congressman under fire, one for what he did, the other for what he said. two reports beginning with nbc's foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell. good morning. >> good morning. a christian holy site where jesus was said to have walked on water. for a large group of republicans last year it was a setting for a night that included carousing and one congressman skinny dipping. the visit to israel by 30 members of congress, some with family members was sponsored and paid for by american israel education foundation, a nonprofit off shoot of the pro israel lobby apack. according to the mission statement these help educate political leaders and

influentials about the importance of u.s.-israel relationship through firsthand experiences. almost a ago, august 18th, 2011, 30 had a different experience. after a night of party 20 participants jumped into the sea of galilee. one kansas freshman kevin yoder swam nude. >> at a time when people dislike, distrust congress anyway, here you have lawmakers, their aides in one of the most sensitive parts of the world swimming in the sea of galilee, some in their underwear, one of them nude. some of the people even took a team picture afterwards. >> nbc news confirmed eric cantor who was on the trip but not present for the hi jinx jas advertised them. a year ago my wife, brooke and i joined colleagues for dinner at the sea of galilee in israel.

after dinner i followed some members of congress in a spontaneous and very brief dive into the sea. regrettably i jumped in without a swimsuit. it's my greatest honor to represent the people of kansas and congress and for any embarrassment i apologize. there was not illegal about the excursion. contrary to reports, the fbi did not investigate and would not have had any jurisdiction, but it is, of course, a potential embarrassment to a large group of house republicans about their behavior on a foreign trip. savannah. >> all right. andrea mitchell in washington, thank you. missouri kong congressman backing off a comment he made that victims of, quote, legitimate rape rarely get pregnant. capitol hill correspondent kelly o'donnell has that story for us. kelly, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. well, it's one of the most dangerous things for a candidate, saying something that ignites a controversy. that has happened toed to ac to

making a comment about rape. a big primary victim two weeks ago for veteran common, favored to win one of the most watched senate races in the country. suddenly he's swept up by national attention. a stir that began with a local tv interview sunday, a strong social conservative and vocal opponent of abortion rights and measures like the morning-after pill. he was asked if he could support an abortion exception for women who are raipd. >> seems to me, first of all, from what i understand for doctors it's really rare. if it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to shut that whole thing down. let's assume maybe that doesn't work or something, i think there should be some punishment but the punishment ought to be in the rapist and not attacking the child. >> on the medical science experts estimate that of 64,000 reported rapes in 2004, about

3200 likely resulted in pregnancy. he really touched a nerve when he referred to, quote, legitimate rape. his campaign opponent the incumbent senator mccaskill called him sincere but misguided. >> frankly, like most women, when we heard the statement, it was like, are you kidding? it was a stunner, just jaw dropping and hard to comprehend. >> on damage control he wrote in reviewing my remarks it's does not reflect the deep empathy i hold for thousands of women raped and abused. later tweeted, all of us understand that rape can result in pregnancy and i have great empathy for all victims. i regret misspeaking. the most powerful republicans in the party who oppose abortion rights distance themselves from

akin. governor romney and congressman ryan disagree with akin's statement and a romney-ryan administration would not oppose borings in instances of rape. >> also running for senate have criticized todd akin, they have said they strongly disagree with what he said. a committee trying to get more republicans in the senate say it was right for akin to say he misspoke. >> on the hill for us. thank you. chuck todd, white house correspondent. good morning. >> good morning. >> obviously his comments will have an impact on his race in missouri. let me ask you the larger question, do you think it will have an effect on the republican race where the female vote is so important. >> reporter: look at the obama campaign, targeting female voters, targeting ads already

talking about how mitt romney would defund planned parenthood. it wouldn't be for questioning his commitment not just on issues like reproductive right but also contraception. as for akin, keep an eye over the next 24 hours, there is a very small wiow. the damage here could be so bad for him, there as small window you may see republicans try to pressure him to quit the race. there is a 24 hour window to do this by law, by tomorrow. if that doesn't happen by tomorrow akin stays in the race, it could mean control of the senate. >> the romney campaign was very quick to release a statement which kelly o'donnell had in her piece. i assume this is a conversation that the romney campaign does not want to be having right now. >> look, you brought up the gender gap issue. they are petrified of this issue. the gap is double digit particularly in places like virginia and colorado. i keep coming back to those two states because in the past

republicans have lost races in both of those states because of the issue of abortion, because of issues having to do with women's reproductive rights and contraception. they are very sensitive to it. i think you see they know those ads have been effective already. that's what was fascinating, watching the romney campaign react proactively not wait for questions. >> let me ask about congressman yoder who now admitted jumping naked into the sea of galilee. let's get your take on this. is this a momentary personal embarrassment or worse tidings as a whole. >> certainly the timing is very bad. think about when this took place. this took place two weeks after the paralysis over the debt ceiling. two weeks after the united states credit rating was downgraded. so i think the perception of a bunch of freshman house republicans who came to washington trying to stop things, trying to create this

confrontation with the president over the debt ceiling, which, of course, in turn created all sorts of economic havoc, that feeling, what do they do two weeks later, the party got drunk and went skinny dipping in the sea of galilee. not what an institution hovering in the teens on a good day wants to be showing. >> chuck todd in our washington newsroom, thank you. 7:13. once again, here is lester. >> savannah, thanks. facebook stock price following steadily since its much anticipated debut a few months ago. some asking whether mark sukds is the best to lead the company. mara schiavocampo has more on that. good morning. >> last week facebook hit a new trading low. some are wondering if mark zuckerberg is in over his hoodie and if it's time for him to step aside as ceo. facebook made new friends on wall street last week. friday the stock price fell to a record low de losing below $20

for the second day in a row. the latest blow in what some are calling one of the most disastrous initial public offerings in a decade. >> 90 days since the ipo in may. the stock has fallen by half its value. so the drop has not just been dramatic in terms of size, it's been so rapid. >> the social media giant boasts approximately 900 million users world wide. when the company went public on may 18th, investors clamored for shares including private investors like san diego sandwich shop owner. >> 250 shares at $40. >> now he patiently waits for better days. >> ups and downs, no question about it. >> facebook's ipo was plagued with problems from the very beginning. technical glitches delayed the opening and led to trading confusion. investor lawsuits followed and the stock price started falling, from an opening high of $38.23

to friday's low of $19.05. now some wonder if it's time for founder mark zuckerberg to step aside as ceo, questioning his readiness for the job. the 28-year-old upset many on wall street by showing up to his first investor meeting this spring wearing sneaker and a hoodie. >> his company. he's not doing the right thing to make money. >> what i tell mark zuckerberg, you're a smart guy. you've created this great product called facebook but now the game has changed. >> zuckerberg is facebook's largest shareholder. he lost $9 billion since the company went public. we reached out for comment but they declined. >> thank you. a check of today's other top stories. natalie morales over at the news desk. good morning. >> good morning savannah and lester. one of the fiercest fire seasons in history is raging out west. mike taibbi in pine, idaho where the blazes there have forced thousands to evacuate. mike, good morning. >> good morning, natalie.

we're overlooking the fire camp where 1,000 firefighters waiting for the signal to confront the most eminent threat from idaho's huge fire, the town of featherville, north of here and under an evacuation order. this huge fire has other towns now on high alert. as happens, the shape and movements of idaho's trinity rich fire have changed. when occupants of homes and businesses in featherville were given evacuation orders some feared the worst and vowed to stay until the very last minute. >> until i see fire come over the hill, i'm going to stay. >> this is a big investment for us. this is our retirement. >> the fire that spread to the west northwest, now within 10 miles of idaho city. it's the weather that sets the pace. often a two-sided sword predicted thunderstorms that needed moisture but that also means lightning. >> lightning can hit the ground

sparking fires. >> there are similar stories across the western wildfire zone. 35 dangerous fires now burning in 10 person states in a brutal season that's already seeing 6.7 million acres consumed by flames. there are new fires that are causing havoc. the ponderosa fire in northern california has destroyed seven homes and threatened 3,000 more. >> i don't have rental insurance, fire insurance. that's not good. >> lightning strikes overnight sparked a new fire just east of featherville but that was quickly extinguished. the main fire, idaho's biggest ever is still described in the latest update as smoldering and creeping, its growth potential extreme. >> mike taibbi in idaho. thanks, mike. prince philip release freddie a scottish hospital after spending five nights there for a recurring bladder infection. the 90-year-old was sidelined for part of the queen's diamond

jubilee for that same problem. embattled wikileaks founder julian assange is speaking out, accusing the u.s. from creating a witch hunt from the window of the ecuadorian embassy in london where he was granted asylum. nearby stood police which can only arrest him if he steps outside the embassy. they are trying to extradite him where he's wanted for alleged sex crimes. the new york stock exchange, good morning, kayla. >> reporter: good morning. investors helping edge the stock market to its highest point in five years, despite the fact main trading floors like the ones at the new york stock exchange remain sparse during the dog days of summer. investors today expect the announcement of a $7 billion merge are of two giant health care providers to provide a boost on wall street. natalie. >> kaley, new york stock exchange. thank you. nasa's curiosity rover getting

down to business on mars this morning as it zaps laser pulses at a rock making atoms glow. they are finding what elements are in the rock. a halt stopping video from volvo as world record holder skyliner faith dickey takes her girl on a wire on the road literally. she has mere seconds to make it across the road electric there across two trucks speeding down the highway before a double barrel snaps the cord. she makes it. scary to watch that. >> that is cool. >> looks like something out of a hollywood movie. >> okay. what did you do this weekend. that's amazing. natalie, thank you. >> pretty cool. >> we want a first check of the weather from stephanie abrams. are you too speechless. >> i'm speechless. >> al's birthday. >> yes, it is al's birthday today. so al, happy birthday from the entire family here at the "today" show. let's show you the maps right

now. we are seeing showers and storms into the southeast and carolinas, down into florida. this is a big front. it's going to continue to move eastbound here. for the rest of you today, we are going to see that sunshine through the midwest andth >> good morning. we're starting out with some cloud cover and some sprinkles. about a 30% chance for a rain shower. >> savannah, over to you. >> stephanie, thanks. just ahead. diana nyad fighting through storms owned her fourth attempt of a swim from florida to cuba.

a live interview of the man watching over the 62-year-old's shot in history. first this is "today" on nbc.

still ahead today, more of rihanna's emotional interview with oprah. the 6-year-old reality star called honey boo boo after your local news. 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 at aflac.com. plegh!

yeah go hide. one, two... [ son ] come and find me! three! [ male announcer ] bite-sized chicken's grown up. new kfc bites. freshly hand-breaded in the colonel's original recipe. try 10 bites with an 8 piece meal for $19.99. today tastes so good. gives you a 50% annual bonus. and everyone, but her... likes 50% more cash. but, i have an idea.

do you want a princess dress? yes how about some cupcakes? yes lollipop? yes! do you want an etch a sketch? yes! do you want 50% more cash? no you got talent. [ male announcer ] the capital one cash rewards card. with a 50% annual cash bonus it's the card for people who like more cash. what's in your wallet? i usually say that. the moisturizer in other body washes sits on top of skin. only dove has nutriummoisture, which can nourish deep down. dove body wash with nutriummoisture. superior natural nourishment for your skin. here at the hutchison household. but one dark stormy evening... she needed a good meal and a good family. so we gave her purina cat chow complete. it's the best because it has something for all of our cats! and after a couple of weeks she was part of the family. we're so lucky that lucy picked us. [ female announcer ] purina cat chow complete.

and for a delicious way to help maintain a healthy weight, try new purina cat chow healthy weight. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news. today in. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. we have happy ending in the search for a missing 12-year-old boy. he has been found safe and sound. he was reported missing from the 3400 block of liberty heights ave around 1:00 p.m. on sunday. he suffers from autism, but he is safe and sound and probably back at home by now. here is kim dacey at traffic pulse 11. >> just one problem is what

we're tracking right now westbound on 70. one thing to watch for. a bit of a slowdown on 95 in the northeast corner heading south towards the beltway. 41 miles per hour. typical for this time of mourning. the other major road race checking out ok. 50 along the tops of the beltway. a bit sluggish, but nothing to major as far as delays. this is the topside of the beltway. your screen may be a bit sluggish on the outer loop. just leave a few extra minutes. mountain road, everything is ok here. tony has a check of the forecast. >> generally very little as far as rain goes. 62 a in parkton.

there are a couple of sprinkles trying to show up on hd doppler. most of the heavy rain is to our south in virginia and going to the north fork area. the lower eastern shore counties, a slight chance for public showers around baltimore. mostly cloudy skies. high temperatures between 76 and 81 degrees.

>> i've got to make me holler honey boo boo. >> she is the breakout star of toddlers and tiaras, 6-year-old honey boo boo. now she has her own reality show reviewing to big ratings and a fair amount of criticism, too. what makes that show so popular. is she being exploited? we'll get into that coming up. 7:30 monday morning. i'm alongside lester holt. >> i don't get out much. >> we'll learn all about her. but first a woman trying to complete her dream. >> she's tried before, talking

about diana nyad trying to finish an unassisted swim from cuba to florida without a shark cage around her. she's battling rough sea, jellry fish swims. we'll talk to a man following her on the journey and find out how she's doing. >> may i give a lady's alert, they promise all the satisfaction, none of the good luck, but can you trust calorie count on so-called diet ice cream. what we found when we put some popular brands to the test. later, why are so many americans now dealing with anxiety disorders. we'll kick off a special series to change the way you think and cope with stress. >> but we want to begin this half hour with the question, will the fourth time be the charm for swimmer diana nyad. mark potter in miami following her progress. mark, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, lester. diana nyad has been swimming out there in the ocean for more than a day and a half now. she ran into a storm last night but still heading to key west, hoping to make it all the way this time.

♪ >> after her first full day on the water, diana nyad still and to be in good spirits and going strong on the 103 mile swim from havana to key west. this is nyad's fourth attempt to swim across the florida strait, something no one has done before. she first tried in 1978 but bad weather pushed her off course. just last summer she made two more attempts after one of them was cut short by asthma, she sat down with our own natalie morales. >> you know, it was such a shame, natalie. i was so worried. i wasn't even sore. after 30 hours of swimming, no soreness. >> now the 63-year-old is trying again followed by a team providing nutrition and support, using a kayak with a device that emits an electric field hopefully to keep sharks at bay. the biggest problem so far have been jellyfish which rise to the

surface at night. members of her crew say she has been stung repeatedly on her neck, lips, forehead. only the rising sun brings relief. on her behalf one crew member tweeted, today is more like swimming. i don't know what you would call last night, probably surviving. it is estimated it will take 60 hours for nyad to complete the swim, which she is determined to finish. >> i am not going to quit until i stand on the shore in florida. i'm going to make it across. >> reporter: now, if she overcomes all the obstacles, stays on schedule, stays on course, she'll arrive in key west tomorrow to make history. lester. >> mark potter, thanks. mark sullen ger is dine nyad's operations chief. he's with us on a phone in a boat right next to diana. good morning, thanks for coming on. >> good morning. thanks for having us. >> we saw the tweet referring to all hell broke lose.

she was off course. how do things look at this hour. >> actually things couldn't look better right now. the sun is up. diana is in, what we call the streamer, which is what she follows. her stroke looks good. we're moving in the right direction. >> do you have your eyes on her right now? >> i'm looking at her as we speak. >> when you look at her, can you tell how she's doing just by her stroke? do you see her face? does she give you indications of how she's feeling? >> actually we can. we time diana's stroke count. that's how many times she strokes per minute. and a good stroke count for her is 50. she's on that number right now. >> so when you look at her health and the weather conditions, what's your anticipation of when she will -- whether she'll complete this swim and whether she might hit land. >> that's a good question. unfortunately it's one that's difficult to answer accurately. there are so many variables involved in this with mother nature, as you know, that it's

really tough for us to give you an exact time, even an exact place because so many different things can happen. that's why this year we're using the tracker system, which people can follow on diana nyad.com to see where we are, how we're going, and where we might land and when. >> i know the showstopper in the past has been these jellyfish stings, including the box jellyfish that releases toxins. that kind of knocked her out of it last tithe time. how is she handling the jellyfish this time around? >> the first night we had a rough night. she had several jellyfish stings as did some of our shark team members who are in the water all the time. we have the foremost jellyfish expert with us this time around from the university of hawaii, who got to diana immediately and administered the proper care for those jellyfish stings. she did the diana nyad thing and powered through that night.

>> we just put a picture up of her wearing it looks like a mask and a full suit on that was supposed to protect her from jellyfish. has that been effective at all? >> that's been super effective. that's something that diana has worked very hard on developing over the last year. unfortunately, you need every piece of skin of your body covered to have full protection against these things, and there's no way really to cover your lips. the stings she encountered the first night were on her lips. >> mark, quickly before you go, i know she sings to keep her occupied. what is she singing these days? what does she like? >> yesterday we had an awesome day. the weather was incredible. we got to see that classic diana nyad strokes. she came up and was actually singing beatles songs to the crew to lighten everybody up. it's an amazing thing to see. >> i wonder if it was "yellow

submarine." mark, good luck and tell her good luck. >> thanks for having us and thanks for your support. as we say on the nyad team, "onward!" >> that's amazing. we'll check back in and see if they made it. >> the jellyfish would end it for me. >> i wouldn't even get in the water. let's check in with stephanie abrams in for al. >> today's weather, brought to you by chico's makers of the so slim pants collection. i want to introduce you to the falcon, a representative of the air force. >> aurora, a white falcon. she's 16 years old. the affairs academy's official mascot. >> one of 13, i love she has the name aurora, a weather term there.

we'll take you to the tropics and show you this mess. this could become tropical storm isaac in the next few days potentially affecting florida as some of the models are saying. for the rest of the nation what do you have to watch out for? >> good morning. we're starting out with a little bit of cloud cover. we will keep a chance going into the afternoon. >> you can always get your forecast 24 hours a day at weather.com. thank you for your service and aurora as well. of course the jonas brothers are coming out. they are ready for the jonas brothers. >> all right, stephanie, thanks.

up next, new backlash over rihanna's interview with oprah, is she being too understanding of chris brown. we'll talk about it after this. si zzli ng news from chili's lunch break combos. try our new lunch-size grilled chicken fajitas, with sauteed onions and peppers, served with soup or salad.

lunch break combos, starting at 6 bucks. enjoy them with friends, because a lunch together feeds the friendship. that glorious season of nasal congestion. [ sniffs ] ♪

discover nasonex (mometasone furoate monohydrate), the only prescription nasal spray approved to relieve nasal congestion due to seasonal allergies. [ female announcer ] nosebleeds, infections of the nose and throat and slow wound healing may occur. do not use nasonex until your nose has healed from any sore, surgery or injury. eye problems, including glaucoma or cataracts may occur. have regular eye exams. nasonex can increase your risk of getting infections. avoid contact with infections like chicken pox or measles while using nasonex. side effects may include headache, viral infection, sore throat and coughing. [ bee ] why suffer? ask your doctor about nasonex. back now at 7:41 with more of rihanna's interview with oprah. apparently not everyone is happy with some of the things the pop star is saying. natalie here with that. good to see you. >> the full interview aired last night. rihanna says she has forgiven

chris brown for assaulting her in 2009 and admitted she still loves him. >> what do you want the world to know about your relationship with him. >> we've been working on our friendship again. now we're very, very close friends. we've built a trust again. that's it. we love each other and we probably always will. >> superstar rihanna got deeply personal in her interview with oprah winfrey admitting three years after being abused by then boyfriend chris brown that the two are working on rebuilding their relationship. >> you know there are rumors you saw him in st. tropez. did you? >> we did. we went to mutual friends party on a yacht. >> brown pleaded guilty to felony assault and was ordered by a judge to stay away from rihanna. she told oprah that court order has since been lifted. she says she's not dating brown again but described what it's like when she spends time with him. >> what happens when you see him? >> it's awkward.

it's awkward because i still love him. >> does your heart do this, do that whoosh thing. >> my stomach drops, yes. i have to maintain this poker face, and, you know, not let it get to the outer part of me. >> i think rihanna sitting down and talking about how she's still in love with chris brown, that he is still the true love of her life. it's rare to see someone sit down on national television and open up about such a thing. >> reporter: rihanna faced a backlash after excerpts of the interview were released late last week. the singer said she was protective of brown and was worried following the 2009 fight he needed help. >> the fact that any sores of abuse occurs is never healthy and really should be highlighted. there's always the concern with any sort of public relationship that society will choose to mimic it and believe it is the archetype for how relationships should progress. >> i think the one who gains

from this the most is chris brown. the very person who is supposed to hate him the most in fact still loves him. >> reporter: despite her critics, rihanna says she has forgiven chris brown. >> you have moved on from that incident in 2009 where you were abused and he was arrested, even though you know that that will follow both of you probably for the rest of your life. >> yes. >> is that what you want the world to know, you have moved on? >> i mean, i have to move on. you know, as i said, it happened to me, so i can't tell people how to feel about it. they are entitled to feel angry, because it wasn't a good thing that happened. >> but you have forgiven him. >> but i have. i have. that's my personal thing. >> and by the way, we reached out to chris brown but he had no comment, savannah. >> all right, natalie. thank you. coming up next, can you trust the labels on the lower calorie

deserts? we put some popular treats to the test. our results 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. would they switch? notice a difference? it feels a bit tight. [ female announcer ] soap leaves behind soap residue that can cause a tight draggy feeling. with 1/4 moisturizing cream, dove cleansers rinse cleaner than soap.

♪ wow... [ female announcer ] sometimes, all you need is the smooth, creamy taste of werther's original caramel to remind you that you're someone very special. ♪ now discover new caramel apple filled werther's original. because vitamin d3 helps bones absorb calcium, caltrate's double the d. it now has more than any other brand to help maximize calcium absorption. so caltrate women can move the world. yeah go hide. one, two... [ son ] come and find me! three! [ male announcer ] bite-sized chicken's grown up. new kfc bites. freshly hand-breaded in the colonel's original recipe.

try 10 bites with an 8 piece meal for $19.99. today tastes so good. you have a plan? first we're gonna check our bags for free, thanks to our explorer card. then, the united club. my mother was so wrong about you. next, we get priority boarding on our flight i booked with miles. all because of the card. and me. okay, what's the plan? plan? mm-hmm. we're on vacation. this is no plan. really? [ male announcer ] the united mileageplus explorer card. the mileage card with special perks on united. get it and you're in. we're back at 7:47 this morning on rossen reports. a new wave of lawsuits against the food industry. how accurate are the labels on the food you buy? "today" national investigative correspondent jeff rossen puts some popular diet deserts to the test.

>> looking out for our girlish figures, goes right to the thighs. there's nothing better than binging on ice cream but who wants to gain the weight. a lot of us buy the lower calorie stuff trusting those labels. can you really believe them? this morning put down your spoon. we're getting the skinny on your favorite treats. they promise all the satisfaction with none of the guilt. diet deserts from frozen yogurts to ice cream and treats boasting lower calorie numbers dieters crave. >> they make me feel like i'm not overindulging. >> everybody wants to look like heidi column, skinny and fabulous. >> right there on the package. >> right there, front and center, buy me and you'll lose weight. >> reporter: nutritionist and nbc contributor joy bauer says you buy them because you're counting calories. she wants the numbers to be as accurate as possible. after all, they preportioned

packaged foods. >> i'd like to see the calories right on the money. if you have a little wiggle room, i'd say 10%. >> should be 10% off tops. >> tops 10%. >> we found claims that aren't even close to what's in the package. we went shopping, buying nine individual diet deserts from popular brands. from ben & jerry's to weight watchers, skinny cow, to the new sensation, arctic zero ice cream promising 150 calories for an entire pint. but don't be so sure. we put each sample in specially marked containers for our blind test, packed them in dry ice, then took them to emsl, a top food laboratory. there scientists tested each one for calories using the industry standard's methods. the results, three of the products actually had fewer calories than the label claimed,

skinny cow cookies and treatment truffle, frozen yogurt and ben & jerry's fro yo half baked. chocolate frunlg brownie and stonyfield's frozen yogurt. but things are about to take a turn. take the weight watcher deserts, giant sunday cone, the candy bar, 16% more calories. the company told us they do rigorous testing to make sure labels are accurate. >> isn't that illegal for them to represent it in one way and have it, in fact, be something different? >> reporter: i'm glad you asked. believe it or not, it's completely legal. under fda regulations, packaged foods, even diet foods like this, can be as much as 20% off on the labels. the fda says to account for variation in portions.

>> they know they can get away with it because the fda allows up to 20% wiggle room. so they push the envelope a little bit. there's variation. it's upsetting but it's legal. >> but the biggest gut buster of all, this new summertime craze, arctic zero ice cream. it promises 150 calories for the whole pint. sounds great. but in our test, the results are less than appetizing. our sample of arctic zero vanilla maple had a whopping 46% more calories than the label. chocolate peanut butter, an incredible 68% more calories. >> that really upsets me, sticks a knife in my heart. i think that's horrible. >> reporter: arctic zero tells us its calorie counts are accurate so we asked to see their test results. we're still waiting. >> shame on this company, really. people are eating the whole pint in one sitting. you eat that every single day, listen at the end of the week,

you have to walk an extra nine miles just to burn off those calories. >> reporter: savannah just screamed from across the studio, i hate you rossen. they say they test a dozen or so and take the average to ensure accuracy. how widespread is the rob, the numbers being off? experts say it's hard to know. the fda doesn't have the manpower to test most foods. so lester, these companies that make diet ice creams are on the honor system. we have to trust them. >> you did a good job. you understand a lot of people were perfectly happy in their ignorance. >> out the window. >> savannah has put a hit out on you. >> natalie. >> i'm sorry. i just couldn't get through your story, jeff, without a little ice cream. >> all over you. >> still ahead, america's fascination with honey boo boo after your local news. ♪ i know a blessing in disguise ♪

♪ [ female announcer ] you know the difference between paying more and getting more. that's value sense. at scott we're all about value. introducing the scott shared values program. get deals like free movie rentals, free admission to family attractions and more. use your value sense. sign up at scottbrand.com. the blissful pause just before that rich sweetness touches your lips. the delightful discovery,

the mid-sweetening realization that you have the house all to yourself. well, almost. the sweet reward, making a delicious choice that's also a smart choice. splenda no-calorie sweetener. with the original sugar-like taste you love and trust. splenda makes the moment yours. [ 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. and there are game-changers. another reason you can always count on corolla. those ideas that start with us rolling up our sleeves...

...and end with a new favorite room in the house. and when we can save even more on those kinds of projects... ...with advice to make them even better... ...that's a game-changer in itself. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. get flooring for every budget with pergo gunstock oak laminate for just $1.88 per square foot.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am sarah caldwell. let's check on the morning commute with kim dacey. >> we don't have any problem spots to talk about, so that is good news. we have white-related delays. 32 -- we have a volume-related delays. delays continue on the northeast corner. otherwise, out of the west side is checking in ok. sluggish on the west side. nine minutes on 95 southbound. delays on 95 southbound.

beltway on the southside checking in at 6 minutes. nothing to maj. outer loop coming towards us, and you can see that it is sluggish on the topside. live view of 95 in the area of 695 just south of the beltway, top part of your screen, traffic is just crawling. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> a couple sprinkles in some neighborhoods. 62 in parkton. we can see steady rain out of virginia. we cannot rule out a showers around baltimore. mostly cloudy. just the chance for a rain shower. high temperatures between 76 and 81 degrees. next few days will stay below average.

warmer over the end of the week. dry all the way through saturday and

8:00 now on monday morning, august 20th, 2012. we give a wave to families back home. i'm savannah guthrie alongside lester holt. good to have you with us. >> that's okay. good to be with you. >> have another cup of coffee and keep going. >> since friday nonstop. just ahead, we're going to introduce you to honey boo boo. okay. if you haven't heard of her, you're about to. six-year-old beauty queen turned reality show sensation. the show is a hit, the family is -- at the very least exploiting. we'll have a debate on that

ahead. >> kicking off a series of anxiety. a lot of us say we're stressed. as men as 17 million americans are estimated to be suffering from anxiety disorders. this morning we'll look at what's to blame and why a lot of people are not seeking the proper health. >> all right. then we've got folks who have been here since when, yesterday? i thought it was for you, too, lester. actually it's because the jonas brothers are here. they have a big announcement. we're going to bring them out here in just a couple of minutes. i love to do that. >> let me try. jonas. >> let's send it back into natalie who has the top headlines of the day. hey, natalie. >> good morning, savannah and lester. british filmmaker tony scott has died. police say scott jumped to his death sunday from a bridge over

los angeles harbor. the "top gun" director was executive producer of tv drama "the good wife" along with his older brother ridley scott. tony scott was 68 years old. the gop is fighting a backlash after politico.com revealed kansas congressman kevin yoder went skinny dipping in the sea of galilee during a fact-finding trip to israel. the missouri congressman and u.s. senate candidated to akins sparked a firestorm by saying in an interview that conception is unlikely from, quote, a legitimate rape. the six-term republican congressman was defending his stance not to support abortions for rape victims. he has since said he misspoke. mitt romney'sampaign meanwhile has blasted the remark. facebook founder mark zuckerberg is facing calls to step down as ceo as the social network stock hit a new low dropping below $20. that's just half of what the stock cost when it went public three months ago. los angeles county sheriff's department investigating the

death of a free diver off the coast of california. the body of 50-year-old rebecca weiss found over the weekend off the peninsula. weiss's husband reported her missing last week. detectives have not yet suggested foul play in the case. a second person has died in the small plane crash in long island. the faa said the plane went down in a vacant lot close to some homes. it had just taken off from a small nearby airport. for a look at what is trending. a quick roundup of what has you talking online. los angeles police department investigating whether actress amanda bynes was involved in a hit-and-run accident. this the third she's been involved in this year including one that resulted in a drunk driving charge. in honor of world humanitarian day, featuring performances of her song "i was here" in front of an audience at the united nations.

♪ beyonce is leading an effort to in spire people to make a difference. she's joined by jay-z, justin bieber and first lady michelle obama. these pictures of a small pod of humpback whales are going viral on yahoo!. they were taken over the weekend by retired instructor. the incredible images captured off the coast of california, san luis obispo show the whales feeding off the shore for stunned on looks. very beautiful picture. 8:04, let's go back inside to savannah and lester. i wouldn't want to be in a boat too close there. >> natalie, thank you. let's get a check of cool weather from stephanie abrams across the plaza. >> it is very cool. it's hot down here. i found jersey girls waiting for the jonas brothers. what time did you leave new

jersey. >> we left new jersey at 11:00. >> when did you get here? >> we were here quarter to 1:00 in the morning. >> you have a "bucket list." which of the jonas brothers would you like to meet? >> i'd really like to meet nick. >> all right. in the next half hour. we want to take you to where it's actually quite warm literally. that is dallas, texas. it's hot on the plaza. can you feel the heat as everyone is excited for the jonas brothers. 92 and sunshine. all you have to do is say jonas brothers and you get the screams, right? showers along the east coast as well. we are seeing a few storms >> good morning. we're starting out with some cloud cover and some sprinkles. about a 30% chance for a rain shower.

>> this is kind of fun. lester, watch. jonas brothers. >> watch this, lester holt. it was worth a try. up next, honey boo boo, the 6-year-old beauty queen, reality television's hottest new star. is she being exploited right after this [ male announcer ] there's everyday chicken and then there's juicy chicken with hellmann's ♪ hellmann's is the secret to making parmesan crusted chicken... [ bell dings ] ...so crispy so juicy so delicious it's your secret to making dinner disappear

hellmann's. bring out the best i get the power of claritin-d. sinus pressure? nothing works stronger or faster than claritin-d. get non-drowsy claritin-d at the pharmacy counter. live claritin clear. ♪ look out baby 'cause here i come ♪ ♪ and i'm bringing you a love that's true ♪ ♪ so get ready ♪ so get ready ♪ gonna try to make you love me too ♪ ♪ so get ready ♪ so get ready ♪ 'cause here i come ♪ get ready 'cause here i come ♪ i'm on my way ♪ get ready 'cause here i come

♪ every day ♪ get ready is non-stop to seattle? just carry preparation h totables. discreet, little tubes packed with big relief. from the brand doctors recommend most by name. preparation h totables. the anywhere preparation h. . wait for everybody. you know what, while we're waiting why don't we play a game of hide and seek? right now? yeah go hide. go on buddy. one, two... [ son ] come and find me! three! [ son ] are you even looking for me? i am looking! [ male announcer ] bite-sized chicken's grown up. new kfc bites. freshly hand-breaded big bites of premium breast meat, seasoned in the colonel's original recipe. try 10 bites with an 8 piece meal

for $19.99. [ son ] dad? [ male announcer ] today tastes so good. back at 8:09 with the fascination with honey boo boo. if you don't know she's one of the young stars of tlc's toddlers and tiara's. now the family has their own show. like it or not it has a lot of people watching and talking. here is janet shamlian. >> reporter: it's the newest guilty pleasure among reality show fans. the new tlc series. here comes honey boo boo. >> i am honey boo boo. >> a spinoff from toddlers and tiara's, it follows little

pageant girl elana, nicknamed honey boo boo and her family. >> here is my craziest. punk in is the craziest. my favorite, bff. the boss of the family is mama. >> my name is mike, i'm nicknamed sugar bear. >> we're rednecks. >> honey boo boo has taken cable by storm with millions of viewers. >> like her, don't like her, we don't care. we love our life and have fun doing it. >> i think a lot of people are watching the show to laugh at these people. yes, these shoes are designed in many ways for us to feel superior as we make fun of the people on them. but i'm not sure these people should be disallowed from doing it. >> others have called out the parenting of elana's mom june who admitted giving her 6-year-old energy drinks to rev

her up. >> she drinks before a pageant to give her the extra upph. whatever works, i don't it. >> is it fun. >> it's a funny show. >> reporter: there's no dispute it revels in snark, from the grocery store. >> to the stacks of toilet paper back home. >> the reason why i have as much toilet paper, because it's free. hello. >> reporter: in a statement to tlc they defend the family. they don't care what people think about them. because at the end of the day they are having a good time and know exactly who they are. not everyone is going to appreciate that, but an awful lot of people are enjoying them. despite the wackiness of it all maybe honey boo boo and her family are getting the last laugh. >> by the time you've completed an entire episode, it seems to be a happy family that kind of has a lot of fun. >> yes, we are rednecks.

>> no, we are not redneck prfs yes, we are. >> we all have our teeth don't we. >> reporter: for today janet shamlian, nbc news, houston. >> lisa is a senior columnist from "huffington post" and ada from the "los angeles times." good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> you represent two different views on honey boo boo. i'll ask both of you the same question, start wug, ada, what is the appeal of the show. >> a lot of people relate to them. they are a poor family but having a great time. a lot of people are making fun of them and saying june is not the best mother in the world and enjoying feeling superior, which i don't think is so healthy. >> is that what you feel? >> what she said. they are fun to watch. she's adorable. on the other hand there's also the feeling of oh, god, when you're watching. it's a bit of a train wreck. i don't think people are watching them as role models. people are watching them to laugh. >> do you think there's an element of exploitation that the joke is on them and they are not

in on it? >> i don't think it's going to end well for this little girl. that's why i can't watch it. it's upsetting to watch and think she didn't sign on for this. she doesn't know what the future is with this being her reputation through life. yeah, i think it's exploitive. >> ada, you actually have talked to mama june, the mother in this show. what was your impression. >> i thought she was a really loving mother. she said she wants her children to be who they are. elan aa is a maniac, a very charming, very outgoing girl. she wanted to support her and let her be herself and be social. >> she's a little girl. you can let her be herself. now it's on television, will live forever. do you have the same concern as lisa has, she might not be happy to look back and see she was on tv this way. >> i wasn't worried after talking to her. it seeps like they are grounded, they love each other very much. >> i can see one of those articles in 25 years in "people"

magazine, looking back, whatever happened to, i just don't think -- i hope i'm wrong. she's charming. i don't think it's going to end well. >> as you mentioned, it's not your cup of tea. do you see something morally wrong here, bad parenting? >> i would like to see less bad parenting on television as entertainment. with more and more reality shows, there's more and more bad parenting. it shouldn't be fun to watch. i'm not quite sure how we got here? >> what do you say, ada, last word on this. are they laughing all the way to the bank. i assume they are making money here. >> they are. i don't think she's a bad parent. she loves her kids. >> good to get two perspectives. a reminder, you can catch honey boo boo right here on tlc. coming up next the age of anxiety, new ways to think about all of that stress being felt by more and more of us coming up right after this. exclusive to the military,

and commitment is not limited to one's military oath. the same set of values that drive our nation's military are the ones we used to build usaa bank. with our award winning apps that allow you to transfer funds, pay bills or manage your finances anywhere, anytime. so that wherever your duty takes you, usaa bank goes with you. visit us online to learn what makes our bank so different. huh. [ birds chirping ] are you a fan of demoisier? uh, um... [ thinking ] demois-a-who? okay, you can't get by on just your looks forever. okay. [ thinking ] you just ordered a premium roast coffee and a savory sausage mcmuffin for only a dollar each off mcdonald's dollar menu at breakfast. so you know you're smart.

he has a certain... je ne sais quoi, you know? [ speaking french ] yeah. oh, yeah. all the time. [ male announcer ] the simple joy of being smart. ho yeah. oh, yeah. all the time. w do [ male announcer ] the simple joy of being smart. edelicious hershey's chocolate with 30% less fat? yeah. oh, yeah. all the time. new hershey's simple pleasures chocolate. 30% less fat, 100% delicious. new pencils, new books... new backpack...looks good. just trying to look our best.

gonna take more than looks. from what i hear, ms. haskins is a toughy. oh we had a good breakfast, so we're ready. gonna be another great year, huh guys?! you bet your 8 layers! yeah! long distance high 5. whoa! oh, careful. hey, watch it. [ female announcer ] packed with fiber and nearly a day's worth of whole grains, kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal helps keep your kids full and focused all morning long. now available in touch of fruit raspberry. keeps 'em full. keeps 'em focused.

we're back at 8:18 with a kickoff of our special series, anxiety in america a long hard look at the disorder that affects tens of millions of americans. dr. nancy snyderman, nbc's chief medical editor. good morning. >> good morning. we're talking about everything from panic attacks to generalized anxiety disorder. the number of men and women suffering from acute anxiety is on the rise and our stressful fast paced lifestyle is not helping. soon loan debt is surging above $1 trillion. >> census department figures show an astounding number of divorces. >> 13 million americans need jobs. racing thoughts, rapid heartbeat, sleepless nights, classic signs of anxiety. for the millions of americans living with anxiety disorders, the fright think feeling could become all consuming, even

debilitating. >> it can lead an individual to not leave their home. it can lead an individual to lose their job. someone who really does feel their mind is constantly on sort of red alert. >> reporter: the numbers alone are worries some. since 1980 there's been a 1200% increase in the number of people suffering from anxiety disorders. today that adds up to 117 million people by some estimates making it one of the most common mental illnesses in america. a normal defense mechanism, anxiety is part of our fight or flight response to receive threats like a barking dog or on coming traffic. at times that response can misfire. >> the issue is when it gets to impairing, a response above and beyond what's expected. >> in 1933 fdr anxiously thought to calm an nation with these

prophetic words. >> the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. >> reporter: today some experts point to our high-paced high style and feeding this, ushering in a new age of anxiety. >> our expect as are so high now. we can't meet expectations. the gap is what creates anxiety for people. >> reporter: while anxiety disorder are highly treatable, it's estimated only a third of those suffering will actually seek out help. >> while the call is obviously for people to seek out health, lester, the other concern is, frankly, are there a lot of people asking for help who don't warrant it yet. that's part of a real conversation right now. >> it's a shocking number, the number of people diagnosed with it. we have to ask in this case, is that because it's being diagnosed more or happening more. >> we're looking at almost the perfect storm. we've underdiagnosed it in the past. we're overdiagnosing it now more. when people see each other.

i'm stressed, i'm stressed more. i'm stressed, too. i have a bigger project. we ramp it up in each other, we have really good drugs and medications work. >> two words, stress and anxiety. are they the same things. am i stressed because i have a busy day, but i don't have anxiety. how do you know it crosses into a disorder. >> stress is natural motivator in the workforce and stress helps is avoid trouble. anxiety is what happens when it interferes with your normal workday. you're afraid to leave the house. you have such rampant thoughts you can't get a project done. you're lying in bed and worried about what's going to happen the next day. it's a little bit like people who have problems with alcohol. when alcohol disrupts one's quality of life and getting things done, it's a problem. when these thoughts and anxiety interrupt a person's life and getting things done, it's a problem. in the past you needed to have

three issues that lasted six months or so before a psychiatrist would say, yes, you have a true anxiety disorder. now there's a push to say, wait a minute, shouldn't have to be six months, one or two issues lasting three months. concern is a lot more people into the flood gates. the hope is it will bring a lot more people in who should be treated that haven't been. >> this is fueling huge business in pharmaceuticals, $600 million in current prescriptions, 26 new medications in the pipeline for anxiety right now. is there a tie between the two? >> look, it's easy to blame things on the pharmaceutical industrial. they are responding to what they see as ununmet need. the fact there's 27 medications in the pipeline is astonishing. you and i know for the number of people we've seen in this business that anxiety and stress while interwoven can be easily treated, so people sometimes reach for the medicine before

they reach for the change in lifestyle. a lot of times it takes sort of stepping back for a day and saying, okay, what's a real stressor. do i have a place to sleep tonight? do i have food on the table? do i have a job? if you can answer those three things many of the stressors are not as big a deal. >> are we too plugged in. >> sure. >> is the fact i feel this need to check my blackberry every 20 seconds, is that stress inducing to the point it could become a true anxiety disorder. >> not only plugged in, we don't unplug enough. i would say to anybody one hour before you go to bed at night, tv goes off, blackberry gets put away, off the computer. that's when you start reading, tuck yourself into bed. get the tv out of your room. the things that really become cocktail top about stressors and anxiety many times can be undone and taken out of one's life and medication -- >> recognizing those stressors quickly. >> in your brain you know exactly what they are. >> all right. nancy, a calming conversation.

thank you. >> thank you. >> a lot more tomorrow including some new ways to fight your anxiety. now here is savannah. >> all right, lester, thanks. look how i ran into, kevin, joe, and nick jonas. guys, you have a big announcement for us coming up. >> yes. >> earlier all i did was mention your names and got this reaction. let's see what happens when i actually bring them out. >> over here, 30 hours. i promised them. >> as the jonas brothers greet their legions of screaming fans. we'll let you know we're going to have a lot more from them including a big announcement about their future right after this.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning to you. i am sarah caldwell. we want to get a check on traffic. kim says there is a problem on the west side. >> crash approaching old frederick road. quite a back associated with that. we will give you a live look. accident on the tops of the beltway at belair road. 19 miles per hour there as well. delays there. inner loop, delays as well. white marsh boulevard, 28 mi. per hour on the northeast corner. live but outside on the accident scene at frederick wrote. looks like only one lane is

getting by. the only major delays -- definitely is a major delays. things are picking up just a little. a little sluggish as you head towards 95. >> you can see a little cloud cover on the traffic cameras. a couple of sprinkles in a few neighborhood spirit chance for rain will pick up a little bit. steadier rain coming up in the best chance for rain will be southern maryland and the lower eastern shore counties. cannot rule out the possibility of rain shower in baltimore. high temperatures in the upper 70's 2 around 80. seven-day forecast is nice. on tuesday and wednesday to upper 80s by the weekend.

>> another update at 8:56.

8:30 on monday morning august 20th, 2012. there's a reason our crowd is extra loud and screaming this morning. the jonas brothers are here. they have a very special announcement for their fans. we'll talk to them in just a moment. good morning, everyone. i'm savannah guthrie alongside lester holt and natalie morales. if you love music, we have great concerts coming up. on thursday we have carly rae

jepsen of "call me maybe." friday train will be here as we wind down the summer. >> meanwhile just ahead, back to school system. vanilla ice is here with high-tech gadgets that will give your kids an advantage in the classroom. >> very cool. also making deserts tastier. can you hear anything i'm saying. martha stewart is here making deserts for us. she's got some twists on the classics literally. a little later bradley cooper dax shepherd stopping by as well. the ladies will keep screaming on the plaza. >> we want to say hello to kevin, nick and joe jonas. >> hi. >> how are you guys. >> let's hear your big announcement? studio album? >> yes. we are back in the studio again for the first time in three

years. also we are putting together for the first time in a long time october 11th a new cd. >> that's a one-time concert. how do fans get tickets. >> one-time concert, tickets on ticketmaster as well as our app, jonas brothers app. >> it's not a fal show, the first of many to come. >> you guys have kind of gone your separate ways with individual projects. why was the timing right now to put it back together? >> i think the timing is still right for us. we fulfilled things we wanted to do on our own and came back together. there's amazing fans, especially here today, that support us. it's the right time in our lives as well. >> what's it like to be back in the studio, like riding a bike or reducey. >> right back in the rhythm. we have so much fun together. we hang out. we're family. getting back in the studio to be creative is a good time. >> what's the new album sounding like? an old take on what you guys did

before or the greatest. >> it's a good step for us. we're kind of right in the heart of it right now getting into some real topics with the three of us in our lives. the music is a combination of what we've done in the past but a step forward. we're inspired by different things and trying to continue to be progressive. >> you've got loyal fans right now. given the time, do you think you're generating new fans? is it a new audience you're finding. >> so many people listening to so many kinds of music, especially with the ways to listen to music. we hope so. we're excited some of the old school fans. >> look forward to the new album. joe, you're going to hang around and talk to kathy and hoda. you can watch "married to jonas" sundays 10:00, 9:00 central. >> let's get another check of the weather now, stephanie abrams. >> you want to do the weather? you want to do the weather?

all right. so the maps are going to be on the screen. >> all right. >> this is a dream. >> go. >> so looks pretty hot in texas, like 95 and stuff. 105 in arizona. 67 in northern california. breakout that swim shorts, going to be warm in new york. >> a scorcher. >> looking like it's going to be warm all over the place. >> what's this? >> good morning. we're starting out with a little bit of cloud cover. we will keep a chance going into the afternoon.

>> and now you have your forecast 24 hours a day on weather.com. we're going to send it down to willard with some birthdays. hey there, willard. >> birthday cake, some good old ice cream and how we danced on the night we were we had. floyd and francis, aren't they a beautiful couple? they have been married for 75 years. salem, indiana. they love each other very, very much. they like to hold hands. their 70-year-old kid. just threw that in. happy birthday as our jam jar spins. rosemary jones in columbia, south carolina, 100 years old. enjoys volunteering in her church and community. she's loved by everybody. here is james curly, 100 years old. a retired nypd detective. he can find anything including the ice box.

and thomazina forester, riviera beach, florida, 106 years old. her favorite thing is cooking for her grandchildren. loves them with all her heart. and from new palestine in the great states of indiana, hans schultz, 104. tloufs play poker. he likes to fish and drink beer. sometimes at the same time. how about him. josephine rovito from sag harbor, new york, one of the prettiest places. 104 years old, she loves to work with children. that's it for now. back to you. >> coming up next, martha stewart shows us how to put a twist on some classic deserts. but first this is "today" on nbc. íúñ

♪ ♪ come on baby let's do the twist ♪ >> back at 8:38 with martha. a surefire way to wow your dinner guests is to give them a desert with a twist. martha stewart with famous desert treats. >> good morning. >> we're looking at the gorgeous table, everything is here. >> peanut butter, mango cream, cherry gelee. this is delicious meringue with ice cream. >> they look hard to make. >> everything looks a little bit hard but they aren't really hard. >> chocolate peanut butter tart. >> melt peanut butter, smooth peanut butter, look how nice it melts and spreads. >> what kind of tart is that. >> a chocolate crust.

>> then sprinkle your peanut brittle. >> something you made, too. >> you can make it or buy peanut brittle. it's so easy to make. the recipes are all in the magazine, also online. so you can get these. >> them spread your chocolate. this is a chocolate ganache, chocolate melted with heavy cream. you have to get it all over then spread it smooth. now the swirl part is the fun part. it's very fun to create a swirl with some more peanut butter. >> savannah and i are watching like finish already. >> it's beautiful. >> put a do the of peanut butter like this. not too much. then you're going to swirl with a skewer. watch this. take a skewer and just swirl this into the ganache. see how it swirls, very easy to

do. yours is doing nicely. >> i'm trying. >> you have to get it a little smoother. >> you let it cool. that's it. >> put it in the ice box, chill it and slice it. this is fun. are you going to? >> i'm going to try. >> you're making a meringue. a meringue will ultimately look like this. >> okay. it is egg whites and sugar, salt. put a lot of that on here, swirl it. that's the size you want ultimately. this meringue gets big. >> all of that is yours. >> gee, i'll go to town then. >> bake this four hours in a 200 degree oven. >> all right. >> this is a good thing to make. you can save these, put merin e meringues into an airtight container, so you can make it the day before you have a party. swirl the meringue itself and also put a little bit of coffee

extract. see this coffee extract. >> coffee meringue ice cream we're making. >> do the this over the top. >> do you mix it in? >> i swirl it in with the back of the spoon. >> running out of time, savannah. >> all right, all right. >> i want the jelly roll. >> put this on top. the ice cream is regular store bought coffee ice cream but enhance with coffee beans, salt and almonds and put this on top like that. that is fantastic. >> ready to go. >> then you chase it with a jelly roll. >> jellry roll. >> spread with jam. >> has to be strawberry. >> or peach, whatever. put your cream on. we have a wayward fly here. >> that's not part of the recipe. >> protein, my friend.

>> roll this up rainfall just roll it up. >> have you ever rolled a jelly roll? >> i have not. >> it's on a powdered sugar towel. this helps you roll it up. don't go all the way to the edge. >> is that how you keep it from breaking? >> take the towel. >> take the towel up. once you start rolling it, keep rolling like this. >> see how pretty? >> your results may vary. >> it's getting there, prettyish. >> then you have it. show this. when you slice it, you have that beautiful swirl. >> you chill first. >> that's what it looks like. >> this is what it looks like. >> i was going to say, i wonder what it tastes like. >> tell me what you think. >> this is really good. >> it's good, right? >> very good. >> thanks so much. >> thank you. >> coming up next, rob van

winkle, aka vanilla ice with gadgets to make the grade.gr [ male announcer ] the magic of nature blooms in every seed, in deep red apples and in each golden bead. it blends into a perfect crunch you'll savor, giving us the most perfect lesson in flavor. nature valley, nature at its most delicious. 100% natural ingredients like roasted peanuts, creamy peanut butter, and a rich dark chocolate flavor.

plus, 10 grams of protein. so it's energy straight from nature to you. nature valley protein bars.

>> "today's" classroom brought to you by kellogg's frosted mini wheat cereal. >> back now at 8:46. this morning on "today's" classroom, back to school gadgets that give your kids a high-tech edge. rob van winkle is a gadget expert and host of diy's vanilla ice project because rob is vanilla ice. >> hey. >> you know your song was my jam back in the day. >> can you still do the moves? >> i don't think i ever could but i'll try or we can talk about gadgets here. these are not for elementary school kids. >> great gadgets, college kids, high school kids, where you fit in on all this stuff. >> the first is an ewriter, etch a sketch for modern era.

>> boogie board. record up to 200 pages, put in your computer, save it, store it, good to go. it writes like a regular pad. >> instead of a notepad, write on this. >> download to computer. >> download it onto your computer. >> the next gadget is a pen. >> echo smart pen, really cool. you'll need this paper to make it work. you know, you tap it here and say i love honey boo boo. then you just hit it here and it says, i love honey boo boo. >> you can record it on the pen. >> record everything there. not saying we promote cheating. yes, everything here. keep your notes, come back and listen to them and save them, store it in the computer, whatever you want to do but good little device there. >> the flash drive, which is a great thing to have. >> flash drive is great. this one is super mini. you can keep it anywhere.

stores up to 8 gigabytes. >> how do you plug it in. >> simple as a pimple. plug it in, good to go. >> that is simple as a pimple. >> love notes, slide them down, answers to the test, slide them down, nobody will see that. >> hopefully more love notes than the answers to the test. >> this is the modern trapper keeper. >> this is a trapper keeper here, which is great. you'll keep your ipad safe and everything. it's great. you can still write, which we've kind of gotten away from here. do it on this or on this and keep it safe. >> printers, good for the dorm room? >> good for the dorm room, mini, quick, simple. you can do everything without the wires. all bluetooth. any smart device, ipad, iphone, whatever you've got. click it and print it and you're good to go. >> this is a backpack that's got a little something special to it. tell us about it. >> this backpack is really cool

because you can charge your smart devices on this, tablets, whatever you want and you never run out of batteries. >> you've got solar panels there. you plug in your iphone. >> that's it. it's as simple as that. solar panels here. you'll need some sun obviously. you keep everything fresh, batteries are always full. you're good to go. >> another backpack that's got emphasis on safety. explain that one. >> speaking of backpacks, we've got one here. heard the story, the dog took my papers, i didn't have them. no excuse anymore. this is an alarm. so anybody comes by tries to yank your backpack. >> learning a lot of new vocabulary words. >> and you can hear it for 1,000 yards away. >> okay. my hearing is taking a beating today. first the kids outside screaming for jonas brothers now this. we know it works. >> you pull that and you won't remember the jonas brothers.

>> tell us about the headsets. >> these are cool. you might see michael phelps wear these in the olympics. it helped him get olympic medals, he was jamming out. what's cool, you can mix match them, noise reduction, good quality sound, personalize them, any color, make them cool. >> these are fashion statements, you know. >> they are. >> very, very attractive. so are these little coffee pots for a late night study. >> that's it. all kinds of different colors. looks like candy here. makes a cup of coffee in 30 seconds. so for the people on the run want a quick caffeine fix, go into school, there you go. >> all right. rob van winkle, aka vanilla ice. thank you so much. good to see you. >> good to see you. >> coming up next, does your town make the grade? the best places to live in america. this is "today" on nbc. hey, there's barely a line at space mountain.

you there ! i am looking for someone, hair black as night, skin white as snow ! yeah, yeah, i got that ! she is at the castle. dad ! honey ! but she's on the move. disney mobile magic, on verizon.

you wouldn't happen to have an apple ? find characters, access wait times for the park you're in, and enjoy premium features when you download disney mobile magic, powered by verizon. the best place toss liver in america. money magazine coming out with the list. here with a sneak peek, thank you for being here. you focused on smaller cities, 50,000 to 300,000. >> that's right. >> what are you looking for? >> money magazine has been doing this for 25 years. we look for great places for

families to live. thousands of data points, a combination of great schools, affordable homes, lots of jobs and lots to do. i think what really makes money's list stand out, send a team of reporters out to the top ranking places to find out what people who live there say is great about the place to live. >> redmond, washington, smaller city but close to seattle. >> a lot of people love it because microsoft headquarters are there. there's a lot more to redmond than microsoft and bill gates, close to seattle, cascade mountains. people in redmond say there's plenty to do there, eateries, good music. >> i've been there. one of the cons, economically it's all in the tech side industry. >> that's right. it really does go up and down with the technology industry though it's been doing pretty well lately. >> number four on the list, northeast, newton, massachusetts, obviously big

education, mit. >> boston college. that's right. it's really benefited the whole area. the boston area has unemployment, less than half the national average. there's lots of jobs there. education, you're right, is the big story in newton. there are 13 villages all developed out of elementary schools. newton takes advantage of the higher institutions and its partner with mit to develop curriculum in science technology for their schools. >> housing a little on the steep side. >> that's one of the things in our top list, probably one of the more expensive for housing. >> eaton prairie, minnesota, money magazine's worst list, did it get worse or competition get better. >> competition. jobs, jobs, jobs. three fortune 500 companies right in eaton prairie. it's one of the if you cities with a budget surplus, a light rail from eaton prairie into minneapolis. >> you know the competition is better, number two is

mckinneyey, texas. it was number five in 2010. i understand it's an affordable place to live. >> incredibly, three bedroom two bath home there is $170,000. ena nice neighborhood. they have great schools there. it's actually one of the oldest towns, north of dallas, one of the oldest towns in north texas, dates back to the 1940s. a great historic town with lots to do. >> i didn't bring my drums, so no drum roll. number one city in america, carmel, indiana. how is that for timing. i'm sorry, what i wanted to say was the number one small city is carmel, indiana, two years ago it was number 14. what happened? >> that's right. this is a good story. bucked the economic trend, used to be a sleepy suburb of indianapolis. it's redeveloped, the whole city. it's now a place where people can work and they can play. it's got great jobs. the largest concentration of

office workers in the state except for indianapolis. they created a new performing arts center and water parks. the mayor said when you don't have mountain or ocean views you have to work harder on the cultural scene. >> donna, good to have you here. >> thank you. >> we'll be right back. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am sarah caldwell. baltimore city police are investigating an overnight shooting that leaves three people injured this morning. three males, one of them a juvenile, were shot in central baltimore late last night. the juvenile was rushed to hopkins pediatrics. the two men were taken to shock, but no word on their condition.

>> cloud cover to start the day. slight chance we could see some rain. high temperatures in the upper seventies to around 80. dry all the way through the weekend. >>

♪ ♪ i'm thinking sweet ♪ and i'm thinking new ♪ i'm thinking all these brilliant colors ♪ ♪ shining through ♪ i'm thinking sunshine ♪ i'm thinking sunshine ♪ i'm thinking [ whistles ] ♪ i'm thinking [ whistles ] [ female announcer ] 40 delicious flavors that feel as good as they taste. yoplait, it is so good!