impassioned plea. first lady michelle obama delivers a rousing speech at the democratic national convention. reaching out to women, she gets emotional as she talks about her family. >> my daughters are still the heart of my heart and the center of my world. >> savannah has reaction live from charlotte. scary moments. the newly elected premier of quebec rushed off stage as masked gunman opens fire at a victory rally. this morning at least one person dead, the shooter is under arrest and police are looking for a motive. tennis, anyone? pippa middleton checks out the action at the u.s. open. a trip to new york city that has

some wondering if she has a new man in her life today, some wondering if she has a new man in her life today, wednesday, september 5th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning, everyone. welcome to a split edition of "today" on wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> i'm savannah guthrie at the democratic national convention in charlotte. matt, i was on this floor last night when michelle obama spoke. at times she was fiery. at times she seemed to get choked up. in distinctly personal terms, she made the case for why the president deserves four more years. she did not mention mitt romney by name, did not go on attack,

that was by design according to her advisers. what she drew from his background and the republican challenger was not subtle. he watched the speech with daughters sasha and malia at the white house. chicago mayor rahm emanuel joins us live straight ahead, matt. >> we'll be back with you in a couple min. a tell-all book is out from one of lance armstrong's teammates. he claims armstrong is lying when he claims he never took performance enhancing drugs because he said he saw him do it. hamilton's credibility has been called into question. who can we believe in we'll ask hamilton when he joins us for a live interview. a little later on, the church of scientology is lashing out against sources from the "vanity fair" article. we'll talk to the writer of that article which claimed the church

auditioned potential wives for tom cruise. >> a lot to get to. we'll begin with the first lady's speech at the democratic national convention. chuck todd, nbc political director, chief white house correspondent. chuck, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. the first night got off to a rousing start. culminating with michelle obama, the most popular figure in the democratic party, had a hold in a way no one could do in tampa. a sharp contrast in the way they structured their convention and enthusiasm. making the case for re-election, michelle obama mixed the personal and professional in a speech designed to address her husband's biggest vulnerabilities with democrats. >> change is hard, it's slow and never happens all at once. >> reporter: with recent polls showing the president's likability shrinking compared to mitt romney, her job was to get

them to like him all over again. >> when people ask me if being in the white house has changed my husband, i can honestly say when it comes to his character and convictions and heart, barack obama is still the same man i fell in love with all those years ago. >> reporter: her chief role tuesday, simply playing character witness. >> i hear the determination in his voice as he tells me you won't believe what these folks are going through, michelle, it's not right. we've got to keep working to fix this. we've got so much more to do. >> reporter: while she never mentioned romney by name, a few lines about her husband seemed designed to directly contrast him with the republican. >> for barack success isn't about how much money you make, it's about the difference you make in people's lives. >> reporter: the speech culminated with the first lady showing rare public emotion. >> my daughters are still the heart of my heart and the center of my world. >> reporter: just before the speech ended, the white house released this photo of the

president and their two daughters watching her from washington, ending a night in charlotte that was not just about bolstering the president but also hitting romney and sometimes hard. >> where mitt romney was willing to turn his back on akron, dayton and toledo, ohio, the president said i've got your back. >> mitt romney talks a lot about all the things he's fixed. i can tell you massachusetts was not one of them. >> reporter: and the job of appealing to latinos fell to keynote speaker santa i don't mayor julian castro. >> my family's story isn't special. what's special is the america that makes our story possible. my mother fought hard for civil rights so that instead of a mop, i could hold this microphone. >> reporter: tonight the featured speaker is former president clinton, but he's got an interesting opponent night. he's against opening night of the nfl on nbc.

savannah. >> chuck todd, thank you. chicago mayor rahm emanuel served as president obama's first chief of staff. good morning to you. >> good morning to you, savannah. >> one thing i have noticed, behind the scenes if you talk to top democrats here, they are quite confident, i might even use the word cocky, about the president's chances of re-election. if the polls show a close race that's razor tight, how do you account for that confidence and do you share it? >> i don't know who you are talking to. i think everybody knows this is a close race. you're going to have to make every minute of every day count making sure people know the choice they have, the difference between the two candidates, different visions, policies that have huge consequences to their own lives. i don't walk with any confidence. i know this. the president doesn't share that. this is a very competitive person. he doesn't share any sense of confidence. we have a job to do which is tell american people what the choice is, the consequence of those choice and the different visions for the future. >> you talk about those visions, array of speeches, yours

included. many of them were a backward looking defense of what the president did his first term in office. what you hear less of is an affirmative case of what he will do in the next four years, especially on the economy, almost sounds like stay the course, eventually the economy will get better. >> first of all i disagree with the characterization. the president will lay out the roll. that's his job. no one will do that. he's the nominee, president of the united states, he'll lay out the vision for the next four years. i do think it's worth reminding people which i tried to do in my speech and others did, what has the country inherited. we're not out of the woods but not the global recession, deepest since the great recession, an auto industry about to collapse, the auto industry out and thriving. we had new numbers out in august showing again sales are up. on that clear choice mitt romney said i think he should go bankrupt. the president said not on my watch. clear difference.

if we had followed mitt romney's strategy we would have lost those manufacturing jobs and ohio would have a lower unemployment rate. >> the president was recently asked to grade himself on the economy, his answer was incomplete, something he has said time to time over his four-year term. the voters gave him four years and the four years are about up. is it sufficient to say it's incomplete. >> i think his reflection, i think would be a true statement, until the middle class feel like their economic security is where it should be, the president should have an incomplete in the sense of being able to afford college tuition, own a home, security and job skills to grow and maintain a middle class life. and if you're looking for a job, you have the ability to find one. that is, i think, a proper grade in the sense the president make sure the american people know he has not given up day in and day out from the moment he wakes up

until the moment he sleeps every time in that office making sure he's making progress for them so they can achieve what they need for themselves, their children and grandchildren. >> the president cited the president's wall of opposition. >> that's true. i was there as chief of staff. not within one minute before we sat down the same way the republicans treated bill clinton when he passed his first budget without their vote, when the country was in the midst of the worst economic recession since the great depression, the only job they were interested in getting was the white house not the american people back to work. >> let me ask you about that. you were on the front lines. >> for both presidents. >> something the president has been saying a lot during this campaign, things will be different if i'm elected because republicans will begin to cooperate. is that hope or is that a strategy. why would you think suddenly republicans will change their tune after you've said -- >> savannah, it's pragmatism. i'll give you a clear example from history, recent history.

1995, republicans shut the government down no one would buy their technology. a huge debate over medicare, sound familiar, education, sound familiar, medicaid, the environment, the role of government. election happened, president clinton won. nine months later you had a balanced budget agreement that created the first children's health care program. doubled the size of our national parks, balanced the budget, cut taxes for families to send kids to college with hope scholarship and lifetime learning. same parallel president obama makes president clinton made election of '96 cleared the air. the american people issued a verdict and republicans sat down at the table rather than shut the government down they negotiated a change of direction. >> favorite parlor game, will hillary run in 2016. you've worked for obamas and clintons. care to venture a guess. >> i think you have to assume mrs. clinton has been clear, served as first lady, secretary of state, united states senator.

she has a lot to say about her career. i think she's clear, though, she's done in public life. electoral life or severing in the administration there's a lot you can do in public life without having to run for office. >> mayor rahm emanuel, thank you for your time. an exclusive interview with featured speaker president clinton on nbc news. more from charlotte in a bit. for now let's go back to new york and get a check of the other stories from natalie morales. good morning, back to you. >> reporter: good morning, everyone. we begin with the shocking and deadly shooting overnight at a political rally in canada. police say a man wearing a mask opened fire inside a montreal theater where pauline marois was celebrating her election as first female premier of quebec. one killed, another critically wounded. marois was rushed off stage and not hurt. the suspect was tackled by police after starting a small fire outside the building. the fbi is disputing a

computer hacker's claim information on millions of apple iphone, ipod was obtained by hacking into an fbi's laptop. on sunday the group posted what they claimed to be a partial list of information. some security experts say they believe at least some of the data is genuine. army corps of engineers will investigate whether the fortified system that protected new orleans from flooding during hurricane isaac last week pushed floodwaters instead to surrounding rural areas. a new study finds many doctors may be giving up too soon when it comes to cpr. it fipds giving cpr nine more minutes than the average amount gives patients a better chance of surviving. there's currently no clear guidelines for hospitals about how long to continue cpr. the study was published in the lancet. penn state said jerry sandusky sex abuse scandal has already cost the school nearly $17 million. that includes legal fees and payments to consultants and

public relations firms. penn state says the money will come from insurance policies and other sources and not from tuition donations or taxpayers. overseas markets were mostly lower overnight. cnbc's mandy drury at the new york stock exchange. good morning to you, mandy, how is it looking there today? >> you're absolutely right. growth could stall u.s. stocks again. it is a big day in terms of the battle for smartphone dominance, nokia's most powerful smartphone yet. this could be the last major shot at winning back market share from apple and samsung. labor day, come and gone, prices at the top still sticky at the top. national average still $3.82 a gallon. back to you. >> mandy drury at the new york stock exchange. thank you. a florida restaurant that never had a drive-through window now has one after a car crashed right through its front entrance tuesday. for neal it had not opened for the day's business yet.

two people in the car suffered minor injuries. police say the driver had accidentally shifted into reverse. it was a similar problem, though, with a different outcome in massachusetts where a driver apparently hit the gas, instead of the brake. his car then crashed through a fence and landed right there in that swimming pool. the driver was safely pulled out, though, before the car went under. still not good. 7:14 now. back over to matt and al. that's a heck of a cleanup. >> it is, natalie. >> he thought that was the carpool lane. >> they told me to go quickly to you, you need to go quickly to the forecast. >> risk of strong storms. some storms talking about isolated possibility of a tornado yesterday in camden, new jersey, those same storms traded fires in homes. a real mess there. fortunately nobody injured today. we have a risk of strong storms pushing through with a cold front making its way through the upper mississippi river valley

as we go to the map from green bay to fort wayne all the way to st. louis. you can see the showers and thunderstorms already firing up. rainfall amounts are basically going to be anywhere from about one to three inches of rain stretching from green bay all the way down to chicag >> good morning. another warm and humid start. some storms could drop locally heavy amounts of rain. >> and that's your latest weather. matt. >> al, thank you very much. it is a startling number. more than 244,000 u.s. troops have returned from the wars in iraq and afghanistan with traumatic brain injuries, an

issue that is front and center for the nfl. a league dealing with the problem of concussions among many of its current and former players. the league is now teaming up with the u.s. army and national institutes of health to research ways to limit these types of injuries. roger goodell is commissioner of nfl. dr. landes director of the nih's institute. general odierno is the chief of staff of the army. good morning to all of you. general, that's a huge number, 244,000 military personnel with those brain injuries. i know the seriousness of those injuries varies from person-to-person but it's a problem that has to be addressed. >> absolutely. one of the problems we have are soldiers coming forward first to say i have a problem. one of the things we're really focusing on is making sure the physical, mental, dedication to accomplishment does not impede

people from saying i have a problem and i need help. that's why this initiative is important to us. we're now putting sensors in helmets our kevlar helmets. about 7,000 soldiers have those in their helmets. we're collecting more and more data, collecting more and more information but we have a lot of work to do yet. >> commissioner, most people will not associate players injuries with when our men and women are dealing with in these wars but the problem is great for you as well. 190 concussions in 320 games last year. is that why this is the perfect partnership? >> well, we have a long history with the military. general odierno and i have spent a lot of time talking about our cultures, what it is to make sure our people stand up and say i have an injury and it's okay to ask for help or have your teammate or fellow soldier to say i've got an injury, so i need to get the proper medical attention. it's one of the big issues making sure anyone who has this injury get proper medical

attention. >> you're announceing a grant to help research the problem. >> we are. we're going to be funding $30 million with the foundation for the nih to fund new research that will hopefully help and accelerate understanding of brain injuries. help not only athletes in the nfl but throughout sports and the military. >> doctor, what can that kind of money accomplish? >> can accomplish a huge am. i'd like to start off by saying not only is traumatic brain injury an issue in military and sports but affects people of all different ages. it's the leading cause of death and disability in young children and has increasing impact in older adults. so with this generous gift from the nfl to the foundation for the national institutes of health. nih-funded investigators will be able to determine what causes brain damage after traumatic brain injury, they will be able to find out who is at risk, who isn't at risk, to develop

diagnostics, to help with having people come forward if you had a diagnosis you can say i have a problem think about prevention and treatments. we're very excited about this. >> an interesting partnership. general, thanks for being here. appreciate that. doctor, good luck. commissioner, it's nice to see you. >> good to see you, too, matt. >> thanks very much. reminder nfl season kicks off tonight here on nbc. now back to savannah in charlotte. >> all right, matt, thanks. when the lights dim at these conventions each night, many delegates make their way to lavish parties thrown by corporations and special interest groups. nbc's national investigative correspondent michael isikoff has more on that story. michael, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. political conventions have always been a magnet for lobbyists and rich donors seeking influence. the democrats pledged this year in charlotte would be different. but public watchdog groups and lobbyists say it's not quite as differ as they would like you to

believe. as democrats swarmed the streets of charlotte, party officials are calling it the people's convention. unlike any before. >> this is truly the most diverse, the most open, the most transparent, the most exciting convention. >> they are bragging about their script new rules. no corporate money, no money from lobbyists. no donations over $100,000. but after the session is adjourned, delegates and donors pour into parties like this film industry bash where actor jeff bridges introduced rock star band. lobbying arm of the liquor industry throwing its own big bash where democrats smoked free cigars and drank malt liquor from an ice sculpture bar. >> this is kind of politics as

it was and always will be. >> reporter: as for that ban on corporate money, this marketing brochure obtained by nbc news shows how the official convention committee set up a sister nonprofit that has aggressively courted donors to help cover millions in convention costs. companies that ponyied up $1 million got special responseship opportunities, banners and logos in other prominent locations and. >> reporter: it's super bowl for special interests. we're seeing it in charlotte as we saw it in tampa. >> gop party scene was bigger in tampa where the conservative activist groups citizens united threw its own giant party for donors featuring fox news host sean hannity. >> hello tampa. >> and country star trace adkins. >> there's not going to be a lot of sleep tonight because we're having too much fun celebrating. >> reporter: but the real rock stars in tampa were mega donors

like casino billionaire sheldon adelson. when he entered one republican group event the waters seemed to part. one more sign that at the conventions, big money still speaks loudly. now, those lobbyist sponsored parties and big fundraisers are continuing right through tomorrow night in charlotte. among the most anticipated a big bash by google and what's called super fundraiser for democratic super pacs in which rich donors are asked to cut a check for $100,000 or more. savannah. >> michael isikoff, thank you. in charlotte, ted kennedy's sons open up about their father's legacy kept alive with this convention and what do they legacy kept alive with this convention and what do they

now sink your teeth into that big n' toasted if you're ready to soar. good. exits are here, here, and here. a big day calls for the big n' toasted breakfast sandwich. grab yours at dunkin' donuts.

still ahead lance armstrong's former teammate speaks out how he saw the sefb

time tour de france winner use performance enhancing drugs. we'll talk to tyler hamilton straight ahead. >> kate middleton's sister pippa comes to the u.s. and is the talk of new york city. we'll have that story. but first a check of your local news and weather. (bell rings) hi. good morning. big news. we're spreading the word about new honey bunches of oats fruit blends and their unique taste combinations. like peach/raspberry... and banana/blueberry. we're telling everyone. with one flavor in the granola bunch and one on the flake. try some. mmm! two flavors. in harmony. yummy. four nutritious grains and two big fruit flavors to make your day bunches better. it's guaranteed they'll go through a lot. that's why you get guaranteed savings for back to school at staples. now get a sandisk flash drive for just $4.87 at staples. ♪ now get a sandisk flash drive for just $4.87 at staples. 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. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. it is all about the orioles. the o's are tied for first place in the american league east. sharing the first place spot with the yankees puts the orioles in a great position to make their first playoff run since 1997. the birds will wrap up their

series against toronto tonight and open up four games with the yankees at camden yards. here is kim dacey and traffic pulse 11. >> we have a disabled vehicle on northbound 95. conaway and light street, harford county, we have one crash remaining. we have some normal delays developing around the area. outer loop on the northeast corner of the 83's. 95 southbound between the harbor tunnel on the beltway on the south side, and we will give you a look at those delays. that is the outer loop coming towards us. sam sighed -- and on the topside of the beltway.

>> warm and humid start for us, but relatively quiet. 77 at the airport. a few showers brought back from earlier this morning. most of that activity has dissipated. scattered thunderstorms will redevelop. high temperatures between 84 and 89. chance for rain goes down on thursday and friday.

that is pippa middleton, the duchess of cambridge's sister out and about in new york city, a trip that led to some speculation about a possible new love sbin her life. more on the big trip to the big apple coming up. 7:30 on this wednesday morning, the 5th of september, 2012. good morning i'm savannah guthrie at the democratic convention in charlotte. matt is back in studio 1, a. >> hey, savannah. good to see you again. coming up the case against lance armstrong. he recently dropped his fight against allegations that he used performance enhancing drugs but he maintains his innocence. this morning one of armstrong's former teammates who claims he saw him using ped speaks out in

a live interview. a little later on some new details about those claims in "vanity fair" magazine that the church of scientology conducted top secret auditions to find potential brides for tom cruise. it's a story that's been making headlines. the woman who wrote that article will join us for a live interview as well. >> all right. we're going to begin here at the democratic national convention where delegates paid tribute to the late ted kennedy last night. i had a chance to sit down with kennedy's sons ted and patrick who began talking about their father's legacy. >> from my uncle teddy, politics was always about people. >> for the first democratic convention in 56 years, teddy kennedy wasn't there. but his presence was felt. >> the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die. >> it's a bittersweet moment to be honest with you. we're sad because our father

isn't here but i'm filled with pride. >> we think of what he did for us in our lives. like anybody else who has lost a loved one but we're filled, as my brother said, with pride for what he represented and what he fought for. >> he was a real person. he had real struggles. how do you think those struggles should be part of his legacy. >> keep in mind not only did he lose his brothers, president kennedy and bobby kennedy, he lost them in the most violent way possible. for him to carry on in spite of that. >> so i think he's somebody that represents a guy who carried on in spite of the pain. sure he had lots of struggles, very public. everybody admired this was a guy that never gave up. >> health care was something so important to your father. it was really his life's work. health care passed and yet it

remains incredibly unpopular. do you think he would have been disillusioned about that? >> no, health care was complicated. my father always wanted to expand access. >> my dad if he were alive today would be cheering on president obama for delivering on the promise of health care for all. it isn't perfect but my father believed perfect should never be the enemy of the good. >> their father believed in bipartisanship, health care passed on bitter party lines on issues large and small congress is more divided than ever. >> some of his greatest achievement he was able to succeed that by crossing that aisle. >> we shouldn't sugarcoat it, though, your father was a liberal and a fierce partisan. >> you know what, he had honest friends who were republicans. it's very hard to attack somebody when you've been over to their house the night before to dinner. >> president obama is somebody who has acknowledged he's not the guy to invite politicians

over for dinner. that is a mistake? >> i think it is a mistake to try not to foster relationships of a more personal nature with the people you have to work with. >> some have noticed, ted, you have kind of raised your profile a bit. are you thinking at all about running for office? >> well -- >> i hope so. >> you've got his vote. >> i think coming from my family, we all have been brought up in a tradition to try to give back. i haven't made up my mind one way or another, but i hope one day i have the honor to serve in some capacity. >> when patrick left congress in 2010, it was the first time in over six decades that no member of the kennedy family held political office in washington. recently the family has again faced personal struggles. mary kennedy, the estranged wife of ted and patrick's cousin robert, committed suicide. >> what my cousin mary faced was

not only a depression but the stigma that kept her from wanting to seek treatment that would otherwise help her deal with her depression because now all of my cousins who miss her as a mother are going to have to grow up without her as a mother. this is a real impact of untreated mental illness in our country. >> when people talk about some of the hard times your family has faced, sometimes they use that phrase, the kennedy curse. i wondered if that irks you. >> obviously we've had a lot of losses in our family, but you know what, so, too, have many other americans. the issues of cancer, gun violence affects many people, the issue of mental health. what makes our family great is how close we are. >> the extended kennedy clan has recently grown close to another familiar face. ♪ >> country superstar taylor swift has been dating robert kennedy's 18-year-old son

conner. >> i did read in "us weekly" that you thought taylor swift was a kennedy groupie. >> a what? that who said that. >> i don't know, that supposedly you did? >> that i said that. no, i want it clear right now on the "today" show, no. no. >> how do you guys feel about taylor swift, she's dating a kennedy cousin. >> we love taylor swift. she's great. >> what she likes about spending time with our family is she can be herself. she's a great person and we love getting to know her. >> former senator ted kennedy's sons ted, jr., and patrick. now let's head back to new york for a check of the weather from al. >> thanks so much, savannah. it is a hot, sticky, warm, ugly morning out here. if you think it's hot here with the humidity, take a look at what we've got out west. we are talking chicago 90, 99 in st. louis, memphis 98 degrees. tulsa checking win a high of 104.

houston 96. laredo, texas, 107. 80s in the upper plains and upper mississippi river valley. into the southeast, hundreds in the southwest. nice and cool in pacific northwest, portland 85, 77 in seattle today. risk of strong storms from the mid great lakes all the way into southern indiana and illinois as well. >> good morning.r sunshine ok it will be another soupy day. a few rain showers this morning .

>> guess what, another great tradition gets started, we're not talking political conventions we're talking nfl football. the nfl kickoff starts tonight. the boys coming in to metlife stadium. partly cloudy skies, warm, take on the giants. temperature upper 70s into the low 80s. the kickoff special starts tonight, 7:30 on nbc. savannah. >> all right, al. thank you. i'm in the mood. coming up next, we'll talk sports. a former teammate of lance armstrong claims he saw the cycling great take performance enhancing drugs. he's speaking out in a live interview this morning right after this. [ russian accent ] rubles. eh, eheh, eh, eh. [ brooklyn accent ] 50% more simoleons.

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u.s. anti-doping agency even though he says he's innocent. the book is called "the secret race, inside the hidden world of the tour de france." tyler hamilton is here with his co-author. good to have you. >> in our business we say credibility is everything, the source is everything. i need to ask about you. you have admitted to doping in the past and you have admitted to lying about it. so why do i believe what you put in this book right now? >> well, the first thing i want to say, matt, is this was so hard. this the hardest thing i've ever done in my life, to come clean. i lied for a long, long time. there was sort of an -- people really encouraged me not to speak. finally -- it finally came out i planned -- i planned to take the secret to the grave. there was a federal

investigation and i told the jury the truth, nothing but the truth. >> in this book are you telling the truth, whole truth, and nothing but the truth. >> absolutely. >> your name is on the book. are you confident the guy who is telling you the truth. >> we made an agreement. no subject off limits. i had access to all his materials. everything would be confirmed. spent two years talking to former teammates, wives, girlfriends, staffers, this thing rests on independent reporting. >> a lot in the book is about you, your career and your time with the tour de france. the headlines, of course, are going to be about lance armstrong. i think the question a lot of people have, tooiyler, here is guy who was tested for drugs and doping some 500 times over the course of his career. do you have any physical evidence that proves he failed some of those tests? >> well, first of all, i passed hundreds of tests when i probably shouldn't have. >> how? the average person wants to know

how that can happen, because the testing is pretty sophisticated. >> the testing is great. the united states doping has been doing a fantastic job, improving their tests. back in the day, the time i was riding, we had doctors one step ahead of the testers. >> you write this. they have got their doctors, we've got our, and ours are better. so they knew how to get you around those tests? >> they sure did. they sure did. >> back in 2001, you write in the book, and daniel jump in there, lance armstrong talked to you once and he said he got popped, which was his term, according to you, for he failed a test prior to the tour deswitzerland. tell me about that. >> i remember being in swi switzerland where we finished a time trail the day before. we just finished breakfast, were walking outside and he told me he had just gotten caught.

>> why didn't that make national and international headlines. if he failed a drug test, why didn't it get to the test. >> good question, a call was made to the cycling body, uci, this test should go no further, the matter should end here. >> you're claiming a cover-up. >> that's right. a meeting between armstrong, his coach and the lab and also $125,000 donation from armstrong to the -- >> lance armstrong vehemently denies being part of any cover-up. the international cycling union denies there was any cover-up. so do you have a smoking gun? if you do, case closed. >> we have 300 pages of a smoking gun, an avalanche of evidence. >> doesn't surprise me they would deny it. they denied it for years. after a while you get pretty good at it. i've lied to you before straight to your face. for me it's like a huge weight off my back. today i feel fantastic. fantastic. >> obviously the book is going to create a lot of waves, tyler

and daniel. this guy, lance armstrong, has done an enormous amount for the sport of cycling. he's done an enormous amount for people around the world through his foundation. in your opinion how should history treat him? >> lance armstrong is one of the best athletes i've ever met, hands down. hands down. he's done incredible things. you know, i think we'll let the cards play the way they fall, i guess. >> here is what lance armstrong said in advance of this interview. >> tyler hamilton was a teammate of lance's more than a decade. writing a book today boutter vents that allegedly took place ten years ago is not about setting the record straight or righting a wrong, it is greedy, opportunistic and self-serving. >> it's the truth. it's the truth. you know, again, i'm not surprised by that. i denied for such a long time. there are other people still

denying. it's hard to come to terms with that, to tell the truth. you know, for my telling my parents for the first time, my friends, it was just brutal. >> people have a right to know the truth about this. he's an icon for millions of people. he's an icon because he inspired people through his winning. now there's truth coming out about exactly how he won and now people can make up their own minds. >> the book is called "the secret race." tyler hamilton, daniel doyle. 7:47. on a much different note kate middleton comes to new york. we'll catch up with pippa right after this. our moment? 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.

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prince harry made headlines with his recent trip to las vegas but he's not the only royal sibling living it up here in the states. mara schiavocampo has more on this. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. pippa middleton in the big apple. she spent the weekend with the best new york city has to offer and got people talking about a possible new love interest. from the u.s. open to table tennis, hot restaurants to the hamptons, pippa middleton is closing out the summer american style. kate middleton's younger sister arrived in new york just before labor day and she didn't wait long before taking a bite of the big apple. >> wow. >> warm, tuna cold. >> reporter: one of her first

stops trendy manhattan restaurant catch home to executive chef, winner of top chef season three. >> she came with friends sat on the main dining floor. she ordered crispy rice cakes, tuna tar tar. >> she has good taste? >> she has great taste. >> middleton's britain's most eligible bachelorette has also sparked romance relative humidity ors. sunday she reportedly flew from manhattan to hotel owner. they were seen playing ping-pong together and spotted around town several times. >> if anything is happening between them, i'd have to say it's at the very early stages or maybe he was just being a great host and restaurateur and brought her there to entertain her. >> tuesday, middleton a huge tennis fan was spotted at the

u.s. open. naturally she also made time for night life in the city that never sleeps, reportedly partying at the electric room in the chic dream hotel. middleton has reason to celebrate. she's just two months away from the release of her first book of the same name, a festive party planning guide. >> pippa millington's return to the social scene is very apt considering she has sort of picked the biggest party city in the world, new york. i think what's more interesting is she's not going it rather discretely but doing it with a lot of spark, shall we say. >> no word on when pippa is heading back across the pond. tomorrow is her 29th birthday and the start of new york's fashion week maybe she'll stick around a few days. >> mara, thank you very much. a live interview of the vanity article about tom cruise and the church of scientology's influence on his love life but first your local news. ♪

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>> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is kim dacey and traffic pulse 11. >> crashed on the inner loop of the southwest corner of the beltway. traffic is squeezing to get by here. a crash in the city at conway. in carroll county and westminster, a few things to watch for. 24 minutes on the west side of the beltway.

6 minutes i-95 southbound between harbor tunnel. live looked outside. outer loop is just jammed up. leave some extra time. switching over to a live view of the beltway. this cleared and the last couple of minutes. tony has a check of the forecast. >> not a whole lot happening right now. the dew point is 72. tropical feel to the air mass. later on this afternoon, scattered thunderstorms. variable clouds, a chance for a shower or thunderstorm this afternoon. high temperatures between 84 and

89. chance for rain will go down. we will hit 90 on both days. another chance for showers and storms on saturday night and sunday

it's 8:00 on wednesday morning. it's the 5th day of september, 2012. it is a gray, damp, humid, sticky, not so nice day here in new york city. >> a lot of adjectives. >> it's a little thick here. we have a nice crowd of people. they don't seem to be bothered by it. a slight breeze in the air. i'm matt lauer with al roker. savannah guthrie in charlotte at the democratic national convention. savannah, the president will keep an eye on the weather tomorrow night. >> reporter: the president and

aides plan to do the speech outside. the convention is moving to this outside arena, bank of america stadium, for the president's speech. there is a decent chance it will be raining. officials here say they will hold it there rain or shine. only a very severe weather event will have them moving it. meantime, guys, you've noticed the first lady is making headlines not only for her speech also for her fashion choice, tracy reese dress, j. crew shoes. as many male staffers have been commenting on it, a blue gray hue nail polish really the talk of the internet. i've been calling all morning over to the first lady's office to discover that shade but i haven't been able to find out just yet. >> meanwhile you won me a $10 bet. i told you those were j. crew shoes. >> the tracy reese i was dead on. >> savannah, what do you have tomorrow for us. >> i had no idea you were so sensitive, in touch with your

feminine side. tomorrow we'll hear from two people who know the president well, his sister maya and brother-in-law craig robinson, both spoke at the convention so we look forward to that. >> look forward to seeing you, savannah. also coming up now from here, we're going to be talking to the author of that "vanity fair" article that talks about the connection between the church of scientology and tom cruise's love life even claiming church officials auditioned women to date or perhaps even marry that superstar. the church is speaking out firmly against that article. marreen orth is here. we'll be talking to her in a couple minutes. on a much lighter note actress and singer demi lovato will be here. she'll tell us what it's like to sit at the "x factor" table with simon cowell and britney spears. >> natalie with the headlines. good morning. >> good morning matt and al, good morning, everyone. democrats are hoping for more momentum when former president clinton takes center stage at

the democratic national convention tonight. last night first lady michelle obama got a rousing reception as you saw in a speech mixed with personal and professional observations of her husband. with the president in a tight race with mrs. romney, mrs. obama said, quote, change is hard, change is slow, and it never happens all at once. some terrifying moments during a victory rally overnight in montreal. quebec's newly elected premier pauline marois was rushed off stage after shots were fired. she was unharmed. at least one person killed. the suspect now in custody. fire officials say it could take a week to surround a wildfire in los angeles. so far flames are staying away from homes and other structures. the fire has burned about 3600 acres and is at least 15% contained. jurors begin deliberations in the drew peterson murder case today. closing arguments wrapped up tuesday. the former illinois police sergeant is charged with the 2004 drowning of his third wife.

a remarkable survival story out of oregon. 94-year-old pilot jack haggerty is lucky to be alive after the brakes on his cessna failed causing him to nosedive and crash at an airfield in toledo. hagerty, who is a flying legend in the area says he's never crashed in his 70 years but says now may be the time to hang up his wings. now here is brian williams a look at what's coming up tonight on "nbc nightly news." >> hey, natalie, coming up tonight when we join you from here in charlotte at the democratic convention before president bill clinton gives his address to the group he'll sit down and talk with us exclusively. that's tonight on "nbc nightly news" from here. for now, natalie, back to you. >> thanks, brian. now for a look at what is trending today. our quick roundup of what has you talking online. this disturbing video spiking on youtube. it shows one soldier at fort bragg hitting another in the chest with a large wooden mallet. the soldier then collapses, his

his head and has a seizure. he is okay now. it was meant as sort of initiation after being promoted to sergeant. the other soldier meantime was fined and reprimanded. bob barker is a top search on yahoo! after his snub from the price is right's 40th anniversary special which aired tuesday. the 88-year-old who hosted the longest running game show for 35 years said, quote, the producers chose to ignore me and haven't offered me a dvd. most new jerseyans love the boss but maybe not as much as the state's boss chris christie. he boasted about attending his 130th bruce springsteen concert this week on late night with jimmy fallon. >> screams all the words louder than bruce springsteen behind me. ♪

>> pretty good duet there. christie says he's been going to springsteen concerts since he was 13 years old. can you see he does know all the words. 8:05. let's go back outside to matt and al. think he has you beat as a springsteen fan. >> he's got a good voice, though, so does jimmy fallon. mr. roker. >> all right. got some friends here from hawaii, aloha. very nice. let's see what's going on as far as today's weather. we've got two systems out there. tropical storm michael, tropical storm leslie. we're more worried about leslie because it may be affecting bermuda later this week. 490 miles sous southeast of bermuda, 65-mile-an-hour winds. it's moving very slowly. it is going to be affecting the eastern u.s. with strong rip currents and strong waves. a lot of wet weather in northern new england today. look for heavy showers and thunderstorms along the central gulf coast. also a risk of strong storms through the upper mississippi river valley, including chicago, on into detroit and

indianapolis. beautiful in the pacific northwest. sunny and hot in texas on into >> good morning. another warm and humid start. some storms could drop locally heavy amounts of rain. i'm thinking of convening a panel right now. a little construction off the plaza. >> look out below. >> yikes. >> mr. roker, thank you. when we come back we'll talk to the author of the new "vanity fair" article about tom cruise and the church of scientology's

effort to audition a wife for him. that's the article. back after this. og#wvs#q'ppu;v? ♪ nope. [ female announcer ] charmin ultra soft is so soft you'll have to remind your family they can use less. charmin ultra soft is made with extra cushions that are soft and more absorbent. plus you can use four times less versus the leading value brand. don't worry, there's plenty left for you dad. we all go. why not enjoy the go with charmin ultra soft? they're whole grain good... and yummy good. real fruit pieces. 12 grams of whole grains and a creamy yogurt flavored coating. quaker yogurt granola bars. treat yourself good. quaker yogurt granola bars. are made with sweet cherries and the crisp, clean taste of our cranberries. i cannot tell a lie -- 'tis tasty. okay, george washington, did you take my truck out last night? 'tis tasty.

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women for tom cruise. this morning the church is calling that hogwash. marreen orth who wrote the piece is with us. mauereen, good to see you. good morning. >> good morning. >> here comes the church. they are questioning your sources in the article. you have a lot of sources, named and unnamed. here is what the church said. "vanity fair" relied on a group of anti-scientologists, a handful of self-promoting apos tats, liars and perjuries. the article fails to quote quote a single source that is -- is it fair? >> no. scientology does not know everybody i talked to, for one thing. all of my quotes -- all of my sources in this article, with very few exceptions, are on the record. these are people who were very high up in the church at one point. >> but do they all have drapes against or grievances with the

church of scientology? >> no. some of them are scientologists but they have gripes against the current leadership of scientology but not against the religion necessarily. >> let's talk about the premise of the article. it starts with tom cruise talking to an official of the church. i can't find a girlfriend, not even my sister can help me find a girlfriend. that's what initiates this process, according to sources, of auditions for tom cruise. we have to believe one of the most popular movie stars in the world, one of the wealthiest, one that women consider the most hand some. >> gaga. >> can't find a girlfriend. >> he can't find the scientology soul mate he needs to be the number two most important person in the religion, which is what he was called by the head of scientology. >> it has to be a woman that meets his standards but also meets the church's standards. >> correct. >> the church did not approve, according to your sources in the article, of nicole kidman.

>> for a long time tom cruise andole kidman had drifted amp from the church. it was the charge to bring him back in the church. he audited them, which is their confessional, every day for a year. >> you write in the article staff members in tom cruise and nicole kidman's home were spying on them and reporting back to church officials. >> that's what i was told, every single thing that went on in that house between them was reported back by their assistants, who were a married couple in the house. >> when it comes to this auditioning process you write it was conducted under the guys of a special project done with tom cruise. the women who auditioned had no idea really what that project was. this is how the church ended up coming up with this woman

nazan nazanin. >> she was a beautiful woman born in iran, graduated with honors from the university of california at irvine and wanted to be a doctor. she was applying to medical school. >> she goes through this audition process, doesn't know what she's auditioning for except she's been asked about tom cruise. >> yes. she's been asked about every part of her life. she had to write a 20-package single spaced paper about hopes, dreams, aspirations, all of her sex life was asked about. she was being audited for hours every day. because she was being told she would meet world leaders and a very special mission for the church. >> she was told a couple of things had to change. she had to change her hair, lose her braces and dump her boyfriend. >> that was hard for her. she was very much in love with this young man. >> but she agreed to it. >> he also was in scientology. i was told the confidential audits of him, some of that

material in there was leaked to her that caused her to break up with him. >> by the way, you did not talk to nazanin boniadi. >> i'm not talking about my source. >> if she is part of the article wouldn't we want to know. >> you you might want to know but i'm not going to tell you my sources. >> she was told this was a dating situation with tom cruise. she fell head over heels in love with him. >> he turned on the charm, shut down rockefeller center. she was asked her dream date. she said sushi and ice skating. she got it all. >> eventually not long into this relationship, things soured. she was basically sent away to a scientology center, according to your sources, in florida. when she finally broke down and

told a friend of hers, who was a scientologist about what happened with tom cruise, which you say was secret, she was punished. >> she was being -- my sources told me she was being told the fact she was heart broken was her problem. she should be able to get over this. she was crying all the time. this woman also there said why are you crying all the time. she broke down. she was forbidden to mention this thing happened or talk about tom cruise but she did. as a result she had to get down on her hands and knees and scrub toilets what toothbrush. >> why would she put up with that? >> why would she put up with that? she believed she was in a church that was saving mankind. she was a true believer. >> this young lady is an actress, right? she's no longer a member of the church of scientology. >> no, she's not. no, she's not. >> clearly her name is going to be in all the headlines right now. would you expect she would come forward just to clear the record

and set the record straight in one direction or another. >> she was very, very deeply traumatized by this whole experience. plus i think for a long time, according to what i understood, she really did not want to be defined in hollywood by this particular -- >> do you know if she objects to what you've written here? >> i think if she would have objected i would have heard about it and i haven't heard. i've heard a very good friend of hers paul haggis, the director stand up to what i've written. >> did you talk to nicole kidman or katie holmes about your research? >> i tried. there's a very few people willing to talk. by the way, we asked tom cruise and the head of the church of scientology several times for interviews and they refused. >> marreen orth, the article can be seen in this edition of "vanity fair" magazine. still ahead demi lovato on joining simon cowell and britney

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join the american cancer society making strides against breast cancer walk and help us get there faster. sign up at makingstrideswalk.org. back now at 8:22. football teams here with teams suiting up and hitting the field all across the country. one high school in florida features a very remarkable

player. tamron hall is here with her story. >> good morning. south plantation high school has a quarterback who is throwing passes and breaking down barriers. it looks like a regular friday night high school football warm-up before the game. but number 13 is no ordinary quarterback. 17-year-old erin is south plantation's third string quarterback. and yes, she's a girl. >> when i first came out, i just came out to play. i've always wanted to play. >> reporter: she's not the first teenager girl to play football but she may be the first to play quarterback in a high school game. >> erin was my quarterback for the flag football team. she did a really good job. >> reporter: so coach gatewood asked her to join the boys. >> i said come with the boys, workout with them.

she picked up boys ball pretty well. >> reporter: she's athletic, also plays point guard on the girls basketball team. at 5'5", 140 pounds, there's some concern for her safety on the field. her coach felt confident putting her on the team. >> a lot of people feel as though she's more apt to get hurt. she's not the smallest kid i have on this varsity team. >> reporter: and erin's teammates don't have an issue playing with a girl. >> i'm not anything special. i'm just another player on the team. just because my gender is different doesn't mean they treat me differently. >> reporter: the only difference, erin suits up in the girlsst locker room, then joins the boys. erin's coach is adamant she has earned her stripes to play. >> most years i'm hoping itch a kid that knows the plays, doesn't fall over his hands and feet when he throws it off and can get me through the game. erin is by far better than that.

>> last friday erin's team was up in the fourth quarter in their first regular season game. for her coach and other quarterbacks see some action. she gained ground making everyone proud, including her parents. >> we're so proud of her and her determination and her courage. i think it takes a lot of bravery for a young lady to step onto a field. >> there's no really word to describe it. it's just sheer joy. she's living the dream. >> reporter: for erin, it was a moment she will never forget. >> i want to send out a message to girls to try that. if you're good at football, why not just try it. just because you're a girl doesn't mean you can't play. >> reporter: i love that. erin has already applied to several colleges. but instead of football, she's hoping to play basketball at the next level. matt, if erin is not enough for

you, there's rachel evans in my home state of texas, the first female to play football for the high school. her debut as kicker, she nailed the winning extra point. thra >> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. a final check of the morning commute with the kim dacey. >> nothing major going on with problem spots. southbound route 1 at belair road, that was shut down. northbound traffic does get by. you can see delays on the topside of the beltway. in westminster, route 97, we have a crash to watch for as well. 23 minutes on the outer loop west side.

six minutes on 95 southbound. northwest corner of the beltway, a very slow it there. barely moving at this point. southwest corner, and earlier accident has cleared. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> so far, not too bad, weather- wise. dew points is 72. you will feel that. scattered showers earlier this morning. this afternoon, scattered thunderstorms. high temperatures between 84 and 89. temperature will go up and it will be near 90 both days. 70's early next week.

>> we are back with another update at 8:56.

8:30 men's morning, the 5th day of august, 2012. you know the music, this means it's time for football in the early fall, late summer. kick off the celebration on nbc, got a concert on rockefeller plaza, mariah carey, gwen

stefani, a big event. some fans of the new york giants, dallas cowboys in our area this morning. i'm matt lauer along with natalie morales. savannah guthrie is in charlotte, north carolina covering the democratic national convention. coming up, a guy whose name apparently i've been mispronouncing for years. guy fieri. he's going to school us on tailgating for the big game tonight with some spicy recipes. >> we look forward to that. singer actress demi lot of, a has a new gig. her new gig on the "x factor" alongside simon cowell and britney spears this next season. we'll be catching up with her in a little bit. >> since a lot of kids are heading back to school or already heading back to school, if your family is having trouble get into that routine again,

some great ideas, resolutions to make things go a little smoother. >> bedtime last night not easy at my house. later "today's" professionals are back on "today" to talk about a lot of things including a story -- there's a lot of love and happiness in the studio as well. one of the things they were talking about, parents on a flight with newborn, had an interesting way, newborn twins, how they were able to keep the peace. talk about that. >> first, though, let's go to al. al is over in the channel gardens in rockefeller plaza. what have you got? >> not as much as donny deutsch does obviously. a new meaning to scoring. very nice. let's show you what we've got as far as today's weather is concerned. we're looking at strong storms in the upper mississippi river valley, sunshine in the pacific northwest, toasty from the southwest into texas. wet weather in northern new england. tomorrow we've got a risk of strong storms mid plains. beautiful weather in the pacific northwest. sizzling down in texas. gulf coast looking at hit or

miss showers and thunderstorms. sunny and warm, not quite as >> good morning.e n it will be another soupy day. a few rain showers this morning . tonight all will be right with the world. that's because it's time for the nfl kickoff special on nbc. starting at 7:30 when the cowboys fly into metlife stadium. yeehaw. partly cloudy skies and warm as they take on the giants, temperatures upper 70s, low 80s with high humidity and just a

slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm. that's on the nbc kickoff special tonight at 7:30. keeping in that theme, let's bring in travi mccoy, front man for the group. good to see you. >> good to be here. >> you guys have taken part a new song, all in. >> all in. it's the official giants. hopefully get them pumped to destroy the cowboys. >> destroy the cowboys? >> destroy. >> gone. you've got -- not only do you have this anthem but also when you're writing something like this, what's the inspiration? what do you go for? >> go to the stadium and hang out with some of the players. all across the stadium there's motivational like phrases and stuff these guys see every day to get them pumped. it actually helped me as far as going in and having inspiration to write the song. >> you're going to be there tonight to perform and get in

the crowd. as a giant fan what's that like. >> yesterday, it was surreal, nobody in the stadium. the fact i wrote the song for them, tailor made and today before 80,000 people, it's ridiculous. my heart is beating right now. >> congratulations, "the fighter" up for the best video. >> best video with a message. means a lot. >> travie mccoy. have a great time. >> thank you so much. >> miss demi lovato has been in the spotlight every since her days on barney and then disney. at the age of 20 she's taking on a new role as judge alongside simon cowell, britney spears on the "x factor." >> you do not look 40 at all. >> i eat a lot of fish. >> simon, you should srt eating a lot of fish. >> i have a teeny, tiny crush on

you. >> how old are you? >> 22. >> we should meet in 10 years. >> or 30. >> demi lovato, good morning. i see season two starting off with fireworks between you and simon cowell. >> yeah, we've been having a lot of fun. >> what's it like working with him, britney spears, reed. >> working on this panel is absolutely incredible. i never thought i'd be sitting next to britney spears for anything in my life let alone working with her all the time. so that's amazing. then simon cowell and l.a. reid. i'm a big fan. >> he did call you, using his words here, a brat. >> that's okay. he's just intimidated by my responses. >> that's good. you give it right back to him. there was a lot of speculation that paula abdul, they would go

because they were too boring and too easy as judges. do you have to try harder to be confrontational? are you trying to be confrontational at all? >> i'm not trying to be anything. when i sit on that panel and they ask for my opinion, i will be very honest. sometimes it may seem a little harsh, but i try to say it as nicely as possible. sometimes it does come off harsh just because it's brutally honest and they don't want to hear it. we're ultimately looking for someone to invest $5 million on. that's what the prize is. so if we're going to spend $5 million on somebody, they have to be ready to go. >> britney spears is also a huge fan of yours. she says she thinks you are, quote, cooler than she is and you inspire her to raise her game. that's pretty cool. she's a fan. >> yeah, that's crazy. i don't know why she thinks i'm cooler than her because she's britney frickin' spears.

when i heard that, i was like oh my god. >> is she an idol of yours. >> she's one of the first concerts i ever went to. i've grown up listening to her music. i was very honored to get to sit next to her, let alone become cool with her. >> no cat fights that's going to be happening there? >> no way. >> a lot of speculation about special guest mentors on the show. for example, nick jonas. i know you can't confirm a lot of things. nick jonas, maybe marc anthony, justin bieber. you go back, toured with the jonas brothers and also with him in the disney days. >> yes. >> can you say he taped with you? >> i will just tell you that you'll have to wait and see. >> have to wait and see. that's it. >> yes, you'll have to wait and see. >> you seem like you're doing so great right now. have you a great week ahead of you. you have a preshow for the vmas, part of that, nominated as well. your song, "give your heart a

break" hit song. things are going good in your life right now? >> i can't complain at all. it's amazing. i'm living in a dream right now. >> you talked last time you were here in march you talked very publicly about the struggles you had faced including eating disorder, bipolar, cutting. a lot of people really sympathized and reached out to you, some of your young fans who may be experiencing the same things. what's the advice you give to them? >> the advice i give to anybody, people i know, family, friends, if they are dealing with these issues, if it's not an eating disorder or bipolar or an addiction, if it's just bullying, they are all very serious issues which can be potentially life threatening. so the most important thing you can do for yourself is to get help and to tell somebody. it can ultimately change your life or save yours. >> that's what it did -- how you sought treatment and you're doing great. >> yes. >> can't wait for season two. looks great. >> thank you. >> good luck with everything. demi lovato. so great to have you back again.

>> thank you so much. coming up, resolutions for the new year to make your home happier with the school year starting off. first this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:42. this morning on "today's" moms, new school year resolutions. september often a very hectic time with new routines filled with homework and after school activities. we asked moms to open up about what might make their homes a little happier. >> when i think of september, i think of transition. >> a lot of excitement. >> i call it going from 0 to 60. >> i'm really ready for them to get back into a routine. >> to make myself a little happier this school year, i would really like to do less screaming. >> underreacting to situations

that arise at home would be a great resolution. >> i'm not sure how realistic. >> you yell, they don't really hear you. >> my resolution for this school year is to have smoother mornings with less drama. >> my house, what would make a big difference would be wake up half an hour earlier, but it's hard for us because we love to sleep. >> i think about do i have a happy home. i think you want your children to be happy. >> the house is in order, i'm in control. >> one thing would make me a happier mom is having an hour, two hours to myself. read a magazine without being interrupted. >> i control the temperament of the household. if i could be a happier mom, my family could be happier. >> gretchen reuben is the author of the best seller "happiness project" now she's out with a follow up called "happier at home." good morning. >> good morning to you. >> this is the busy month, kids

heading back to school. why start a happiness project now and why kind of try to uproot your life now. >> to get to the holdover of our own school days, september feels like the other january, new beginning, new notebooks, fresh pencils. we feel like even as adults, there's a chance to make a new beginning and new start, new routine, new possibilities. >> we heard a lot of moms say, if i can be a happier mom, my family can be happier. is that what set you off on this second happiness project? >> absolutely. one of the things that's interesting is how much we in effect each other, emotional contagion. if i'm happier, my family is happier. if i'm calm, everyone is is more cheerful, too. >> did you get your husband and two daughters to sign up as well. were they always able to play along? >> no, they don't play along. i only change myself. when i change, atmosphere of the house changes. i change the way they behave by changing myself. i don't get them to sign up for

resolutions. >> when you talk about changing the temperament and tone in the house, that's what we heard in the piece, a lot of moms saying i find migration yelling, the craziness adds to the tension. one of the things you say first is try to underreact to problems. >> it's interesting. the way that we act really influences the way we feel. if you can control your action, keep your voice down. if you can maybe even joke around a little bit, which is very, very hard to do. >> hard to do when you're frustrated. >> i find when i do control my reaction to something, i feel calmer and then the whole moment becomes calmer and easier. it's a way it take the level down. >> you also talk about possessions and sort of sorting through your possessions. >> yes. >> you actually say that in this case simplicity may not be the key, right? >> i think we can overvalue the idea of just getting rid of everything. the important thing is do we need it in do we use it? do we love it? if not, get rid of it. it's true, all that stuff just weighs us down. if we can keep the things we

love, we have very important emotional attachments to things. they are important reminders of people, places, activities we love. it's very easy to get overwhelmed with junk. getting rid of that makes you feel lighter and more calm. >> one of the things i love, great advice. you hear this a lot. you're more mindful about hellos, good-byes in the morning. say hello, good-bye to your daughters, make sure it really counts. >> this is one of the things, so small, so much changed the atmosphere of our home. every time somebody comes and goes, everybody puts down their stuff and really says hello and good-bye. it makes you feel more tender, more attentive. it really does make a difference. >> a couple of things in this second book of yours did not necessarily make you so happy, for example, learning how to drive and tackling some of the thing, including sorting through your photo albums and pictures, 15 minutes of suffering you called it. >> i was overwhelmed with my digital photos, just thousands and thousands of images. i stuck to it, 15 minutes a day,

chipped away at it. i have a whole bunch of photo albums and i'm much happier. >> that creates more happiness in life. thanks so much. the book again is called "happier at home." coming up next guy fieri is cooking up a last-minute tailgating party for us for tonight's start

this morning on "today's" kitchen we're spicing things up for tonight's start of the nfl season here on nbc. this is the perfect occasion to throw a little get together with friends. we've got the right guy to tackle the job. guy fieri, author and tv personality. >> how did i know this was going to happen. >> first new york restaurant, guy's new york kitchen and bar

in the heart of times square. >> hi, guys. >> fieri. >> say it however you want it. that's why i have the name guy. fieri. >> your first restaurant in new york. why did you come to the dark side? >> i've got seven restaurants in cali. i've always wanted to come to new york. if you're not a new yorker, don't know somebody, have the connections or inside, you should really kind of have warning. i met a great guy who owns brewery, interested in doing it, 16,000 square feet and opens this week. >> let's tailgate. >> let's talk about tailgating. i like burgers and dogs at a tailgate but i really like to take it to the next level. you guys know great food. you can make this at home, take it to the tate gate, heat it on the cue. >> great with a family of 63. >> have pork will travel. >> here what is we've got pork loin, belly. all this beautiful meat inside of it and we're going to roll it up. we take a combination.

toasted fennel, fresh cracked black pepper, oregano, salt, parsley, all this here into the panko. when you bread something, have you onhave something that will soak up the fat. a little olive oil, half cup into that. >> do you do this well in advance or game day? >> that's the great thing about it. do this in advance, let flavors marry together and that's how it really -- that's when you really start to bring out the great flavor inside. the salt will help that. sprinkle this on top. sorry, al. >> that's okay. >> i know a great dry cleaner now that i'm here in new york. you get this here, spread it out. also going to dress the outside of it. i made this fantastic glaze with honey, some milk and some of the beer we brewed from my restaurant called morgan's red ale named after my sister.

>> you're going to roll this up. >> by the way fred flintstone called. he wants his meat back. >> ready? >> over. it's going to get on your suit. you're going to kill me. >> >> keep going. always great to have a friend in the kitchen. >> how much does this weigh? >> about 40 pounds, believe it or not. >> 40 pounds of pork. >> isn't that what you guys bring to your tailgate? >> absolutely. >> tie it like that. >> we get the idea of the tying. >> okay. now we come over here. about an hour to start it off, pull it off, about 100 degrees. hit it with the fantastic glaze we have here. then get in underneath the skin and give it a little slice. >> you're not waist thanksgiving skin, are you? >> no, that's for you. i have that going back tower room. >> let me taste that. >> agents glaze, honey, milk. >> got it. >> there you are.

sir? >> thank you, sir. >> that's good pork. that really is. >> you bring that to a tailgate, people will give you free tickets. we're going to do this as guy's american kitchen and bar on 44th. we're going this, great oysters. another thing you can tailgate with. >> oysters at a tailgate. >> barbecue, shuck oysters, parts of the south, on the coast, even in new york, you've got the abundance of fresh seafood. great way to go. tacos. >> does seafood travel well when you take it -- >> you should be bringing enough ice. that's the thing. we've moved beyond. now with all these great food shows and everybody that knows how to cook, we're starting to expect more when we go there. these are items you can do. >> sandwiches. >> take that pork, slice it down. you and i would eat it like this, drink the beer, some want it in a sandwich form. >> in new york, go out on a limb, who wins, giants or cowboys. >> a great time hanging out with you guys. of course it's new york. all my dallas restaurants are

getting me. >> welcome to the big apple. >> fieri. >> said that right? >> perft. >> a reminder, catch the nfl season opener between the dallas cowboys and guy's new york giants tonight starting at 7:30 eastern right here on nbc. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. wççñçñ

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. another woman has leveled sexual harassment allegations against anne arundel county executive john leopold. carla sagerholm, an employee of leopold's office, filed an affidavit saying he was

subjected to sexual jokes. leopold was faced similar accusations and charges

>> it is in going to be another warm and humid day, with showers and thunderstorms. they will be hit and miss. chance for rain will go down tomorrow. >> we are back with the weather