good morning. the front-runner mitt romney pulls ahead of president obama in three new national polls with just over three weeks to go until the election. can the president turn the tide in tomorrow night's crucial debate? what a jump. fla felix balm duartner's death-defying leap 24 miles up plummeting from the edge of space at 833 miles per hour. this morning we'll hear from the daredevil himself. >> and live on the plaza we've hosted some of the biggest bands in the world. it doesn't get any bigger than one we're announcing this

morning, a morning show first, and you're about to find out today, monday, october 15th. 2012. from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and good morning. welcome to "today" on a monday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> good morning, everyone. i'm savannah guthrie. we're not giving any hints about the concert just yet. we are very excited. this group has never performed on this morning's show, on any morning show and given their reputation i'm not sure they are morning people. >> i don't think they are. when you look at them you say, nah, i don't think so. we'll tell you more about that coming up. meantime, how about that jump? >> amazing. >> did you watch it live? >> i watched it live. the first step, it's a doozy. really impressive, and he sticks the landing. >> how about when he started spinning out of control? i mean, that was crazy. >> and i think it was a genuine

concern because the thought was if he was doing a lot of spinning initially that might be bad news. there he is on his feet at the end. >> we'll find out more about that. how would you feel if your child's school monitored their whereabouts electronically? happening at one of the largest school districts. some parents, as you might expect and some students saying this is a major invasion of privacy. we'll tell you more about it. and for the first time richard burton's personal diaries are being published in a new book, and they include some extraordinarily revealing entries shed on the actor's sometimes tumultuous love affair with elizabeth taylor. look forward to hearipeering ins diaries and getting into his business. we begin this morning with mitt romney pulling ahead in the presidential race. we begin with peter alexander. good morning. >> reporter: these knew polls are basically a coin flat.

nationally it's tied, within the margin of error and in critical swing states different polls say it could really go either way. of course, this isn't the final stretch. the next eight days could easily be the most important of the entire campaign. we have two final presidential debates during that time, including tomorrow's job hall, kind of like a job interview. both the president and mitt romney will apply for the job in person to american voters. on the eve of what could easily be billed as the rematch, both candidates will spend another day in virtual seclusion. >> hello, everybody. hello, hello. >> reporter: president obama briefing popping out of debate prep sunday to deliver pizzas and a surprise to supporters. >> i wanted to call and say thank you. i'm over at the williamsburg office, and i know that you just have been working so hard for the campaign. >> reporter: his opponent mitt romney pausing for sunday services a ever he claimed what he called a crescendo of enthusiasm for his campaign one day earlier in ohio taking aim at the president. >> his president keeps getting smaller and smaller as he talks

about big bird and so forth, and our crowds keep getting bigger and big sneer in round two tomorrow night, president obama's surrogates are confident he'll unleash his more aggressive side and blunt romney's recent surge. >> i think the momentum will be slowed not just by the president's performance at the second debate, but by the economic numbers that are coming out, that demonstrates that there's been clear progress. >> reporter: top romney advisers are convinced americans are increasingly in their corner. >> even if he changes his style and whatever political tactic the president settles on as being in his best interest for this debate, he can't change his records or his policies. >> reporter: and as first reported in "new york times" both campaigns are digging into each other's personal lives to get out the before, like where you shop, who you date, what you read online. all of it offers clues about how you might vote. >> it's a fundamental change in how much campaigns know about us and how they know that they can push our buttons to make us go vote for their candidate. >> reporter: practice, data

mining, it's called, has taught the obama campaign its supporters with more than likely to eat at red lobster, shop at burlington coat factory and listen to smooth jazz. romney backers prepare to drink sam adams beer, eat at olive garden and watch college football. both the candidates will spend another day behind closed doors sparring with their practice partners. senator rob portman will be the one who is competing as barack obama for mitt romney and john kerry, the senator from massachusetts playing the role of romney for the president, and win or lose, the president, savannah, is already looking ahead to post-debate. he'll have both bill clinton and bruce springsteen campaigning on his behalf this thursday in ohio. >> thank you. tom brokaw is an nbc news special correspondent and chuck todd is nbc's political director and chief white house correspondent. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> chuck, we'll start with you. you've seen the polls, nationally tight.

romney leading. this is an election that will be decided state by satate. how close is this race right now? >> the first debate did shift things. at first a lot of democrats were trying to apiece themselves saying all the movement in the polls is just a bunch of soft republicans who quote, unquote come home to mitt romney. he showed life and all of this, but i have to say the numbers i've seen in talking about campaigns, something shifted fundamentally, and it's a dead heat, but it's one of these but even right after the debate you had the obama caaign, yeah, it's just a dead heat, but we've got all the fundamental advantages in the battleground states and the romney folks would have conceded that. the numbers that have come over the last 72 hours, we're in a real dead heat, and you see that shift. this means, savannah, this debate couldn't be more critical for president obama. if he loses this debate, then you could start seeing momentum just continue to shift to

romney, and he would pull ahead in a lot of state. >> that brings me to tom brokaw. we've been known to hype things in the past here in the media, but this is a very high-stakes moment. >> what's opinion great about the debates they really have re-engaged the country, paying much more attention. i expect it will have a very big audience, and a lot of people will be in the hall asking questions online, i expect mitt romney will do everything short of saying the boys and i will come over and wash your car and mow the lawn and the president can take the playbook page from vice president, one answer talk about 47%. where are your tax returns? we'll cut taxes for the middle class and if you make more than a 1 million a year we'll raise your taxes. this is the president saying a different mitt romney today than we saw a month ago. >> we've been promised from advisers to see a more energetic president and a more aggressive president. that's a very fine like you walk because he wants to maintain the likability. >> it's a tricky feat.

they will in a town hall surrounded by real voters. candy crowley has reserved the opportunity to ask a followup question that is appropriate, when necessary, so it's eyeball to eyeball, and there's a certain appeal that both men have at that. the governor has been doing a lot of town halls around the country, but the big piece for him is to say i'm one of you. i get it. i know what you're going through. 47% i made a big mistake. >> tom mentioned, chuck, this idea that the obama campaign has a new tact with romney which is to portray him as a flip-flopper. is that a new strategy? >> as you know, savannah, they had been debating for months like do they try to run against him as this out-of-touch conservative, or do they try to run against him as a guy with no core who is a flip-flopper? and frankly they are still not sure which way to go. they still prefer this ideological bent. they think that moves voters move, but, you know, i want to go back to this town hall thing. i do believe that this is --

this is going -- i've always thought this would be mitt romney's hardest debate of the three, this interacting with people, relating to people. this has been the trouble for him. that's why a win at this debate would be a debate that would put -- could put him ahead to a point where it would be hard for the president to catch up, because it would -- it would sort of blow up the stereotype that he can't connect with people. >> all right. chuck todd, tom brokaw, all the more reason to watch, and just want to remind everybody you can watch tomorrow's presidential debate, 9:00 eastern, 6:00 pacific time right here on nbc. and now for a jump that is right out of the ages. felix baumgartner stepped out of a balloon more than 24 miles up on sunday, and he stepped right into the record books. nbc's tom costello has more on fearless felix's death-defying plunge. say that three times fast. tom, good morning. >> reporter: good for you. felix baumgartner said he was most afraid of dying in front of his family and his girlfriend, considering that he jumped from an altitude three times higher

than where jets fly. it was the highest jump ever. he broke the sound barrier as he fell 833 miles per hour, and he broke a youtube record for the most watched number of live views. >> felix, disconnect the oxygen hose. that a boy. >> reporter: there he was at 128,000 feet standing quite literally on the edge of space, preparing to do what no one had done before, with his mom watching from mission control, 43-year-old felix baumgartner offered a few words most hard to understand. >> the whole world is watching us. >> reporter: and then he was gone beginning a terrifying supersonic dive from 24 miles up. a white dot as he quickly passed 700 miles per hour. >> speed 729. >> reporter: day began well before sunrise in rosswell, new mexico as the red bull team laid

out the balloon and fearless felix slipped into his spacesuit and capsule. he's made harrowing jumps before in brazil and croatia from 15 and 18 miles high, but sunday's mission was about breaking a free fall record that had stood since 1960 when joe kitinger jumped from 19.5 miles high and also breaking his sound barrier. if the suit tore the former australian paratrooper faced certain death. he was on the "today" show last week. >> i like the challenge. >> reporter: sunday after a brief burst of wind baumgartner's balloon got the green light. >> there's the release, and there's the applause. >> reporter: two and a half hours later he was standing where no man had stood before with joe kitinger on the radio. >> and our guardian angel will take care of you. >> reporter: out of the capsule

felix was a bullet, 833 miles per hour, mach 1.24, exceeding the speed of sound, and then with his space mask fogging up what looks like a terrifying out-of-control flat spin before he stabilized. finally four and a half minutes later baumgartner pulled his chute and went to a gentle landing in a desert in new mexico. >> when i'm standing up on the top of the world you become so humble you want to come back alive. you do want to die in front of your parents and girlfriend. >> reporter: you want to come back alive. nasa believes there could be real scientific value. in the cutting edge spacesuit that he wore that allowed him to survive the jump and techniques that could be used in future commercial or nasa space missions what. will he do after this? he's ready to settle down and fly rescue helicopters for a living. matt? >> thank you very much. robert hager covered aviation for 35 years as an nbc

correspondent. he was in mission control providing commentary on felix baumgartner's historic jump. good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. >> you've seen a lot of aviation milestones, both good and bad. what was it like to watch this? >> oh, i think it was kind of thrilling. it was scary when he was coming down, too, but it was just thrilling to be a part of the whole thing are and that's why i did it. it was a lot of fun. just wonderful when he broke those records, and as tom costello said, i think there is something to be gained from this. i mean, some things to be learned about it. >> i was amazed that he was able to talk during portions of this free fall and even while he was spinning. i don't think you'd want to hear what i would have been saying during that spinning portion, but, i mean, it really was incredible that he was able to communicate during this. >> sure. well, i mean, they had been testing equipment. all those cameras spread all over the capsule itself when he's floating up, and then he's loaded with gear for the trip down, too, and there will be

more of that, too, shown in a documentary that they are making to show later, but the communications were great. he's not a big talker. the other guy, kitinger who set the record some years ago very colorful and loaded with quote. felix is more business. >> going back to that spin, was that something that anyone in mission control had predicted or expected? because when we talk about the fact that had his suit torn he would have died instantly. i think a spin can't be a good thing in that area. >> no, a spin is a very dangerous thing, and they worked very hard to try to avoid that, but, you know, nobody's had experience up above 100,000 feet. there are no nasa suits, by the way, certified to jump from more than 100,000 feet so that's why this is good for the future so, yeah, they worked very hard on a technique that would try to avoid that spin. when he went into it, that was a frightening moment, and i stepped back and didn't say anything and waited to see what was going to happen, and he, fortunately, was okay, and he

was frightened, too, he said. >> covering aviation has been a major part of your life. is this an event the rest of us are going to be talking about? are we going to say, hey, we know where we were when this guy accomplished this? >> well, i don't know. i mean, not like neil armstrong walk on the moon or something like this, but this -- this is a very important milestone when chuck yaeger broke the sound barrier in a plane, actually, what was that, about 50 years ago, anyway, 1947, so not that long ago, but we do remember that. not as part of our everyday life, but i think we'll remember this as an important milestone, yeah. >> by the way, i think chuck yaeger, the anniversary, 65 years ago yesterday, so felix baumgartner. >> thanks for fixing up my math. >> not a problem. 65 years. bob hager, always good to see you, bob. thanks very much. >> okay, matt. nice to talk to you. >> all right. >> let's take a turn to get the day's top stories from natalie. natalie, good morning to you. >> good morning, savannah and

matt. good morning, everyone. we begin with a massive and deadly show of force by militants in pakistan, a key u.s. ally in a volatile region. officials say more than 100 militants attacked the police station near the main northwestern city of peshawar this morning. at least six officers were killed. in addition it appears that several police officers were kidnapped. meantime, a pakistani girl who survived an assassination attempt last week has been airlifted out of pakistan for treatment. nbc has this report live from london. >> reporter: malala yousafzai is heading to birmingham where they have expertise treating these types of injuries and where doctors treat wounded troops. malala yousafzai was shot for simply speaking out and now doctors try to save her. rushed from the hospital in pakistan flied to the uk for specialist treatment for her head injuries. the 14-year-old girl attacked because she fought for young

girls to be educated and independent. >> there has been a wave of public revulsion in pakistan and around the world for this attempt to obstruct the education of the young generation. >> reporter: she was targeted by the taliban, but the attackers turned many against them. thousands rallied in her support this weekend, and she's backed by one man who knows about fighting fundamentalists, salman rushdie who himself was threatened by execution for islamists for writing a book. >> what did she want? she wanted an education. and for wanting an education she got shot in the head. it says a lot about an ideology that will react like that to a 14-year-old girl wanting to learn something >> reporter: pakistani police have questioned dozens of people over the attempt to kill malala, the shooter yet to be identified as she is flown across the globe in an international operation to save her life. while malala is still in a coma she has been able to move her

feet and hands so doctors are hopeful for this young girl who has inspired so many. >> lots of prayers around the world for her. thanks so much. a public funeral is set for tomorrow for former pennsylvania senator arlen specter. spector, a survivor of decades of political fights in washington, lost his battle against non-hodgkins lymphoma sunday at his home in philadelphia. in a statement president obama called spector fiercely independent, never putting ideology or party ahead of the people he was chosen to serve. arlen specter was 82. well, stocks are coming off their worst week since june. cnbc's mary thompson is at the new york stock exchange to tell us what is moving the markets today. mary, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, natalie. earnings are a focus as corporate america rolls out its results from last quarter starting this week. this is the dow, just 6% below its all-time high despite last week's losses. japan's softbank is playing $20 billion to give a 20% stake in

sprint to give them a hold in the u.s. wireless market and it will gill sprint for much-needed cash against bigger rivals at&t and verizon. >> thanks. covering pro football games is not without its hazard. look what happened to the nfl network's ian rap poe port discussing the packers guy on live tv. did you guys just see that football? >> i saw it. >> anyway. >> he felt it for sure. >> ian is in his first year with the nfl network but handled it like a real pro. he just kept on with his report there, savannah, matt and al. wonder what we would do if that was the case. >> we would duck. >> catch it an start running for the engine. >> after we squealed like little girls. >> all right, natalie. thank you. >> mr. roquer is here with a check of the weather. >> that's right. we've got problems on both coasts today starting off here in the east coast. we've got a front that's bringing a lot of wet wet we are

it, stretching from louisiana all the way to new england. we've got a risk of strong storms that stretches from the gulf coast all the way up into new england, a risk of strong storms, real strong storms from charleston up into the delmarva peninsula. then out west we've got a big system moving into the pacific northwest. rain already coming down pretty heavy. we're looking for anywhere from 2 to 3 inches of rain over the next 24 hours, and then another system comes in behind that bringing even more rain. >> good morning. it will be a mild day today. about a 40% for some rain showers. a mixture of sun and clouds.

>> and that's your latest weather. savannah? >> al, thank you. just ahead, does it make sense to put your pets in harnesses in cars? some result of a crash test and a very big announcement of a very big act come to our plaza, but first this is "today" on

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and water rushes through. actually, i just press this button. brew what you love, simply. keurig. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. city police are investigating the death of a pedestrian replied police struck by a police cruiser the cruiser had its lights and sirens on when it struck the victim at patapsco ave sunday morning. the victim was taken to an area hospital but did not survive. let's check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> we have several new

accidents. just in the past few minutes, we have a vehicle fire on southbound 295. it is creating some delays towards westboro. northbound 29 shutdown towards brokenland parkway. northbound lanes blocked at brokenland parkway. still recovering from an earlier accident at the beltway southwest. 21 miles per hour towards 1095. harford road, watch for crash. with such delays in place at white marsh. edgewood road, watch for an accident. rick live look at 95 and fort mchenry, delays the of the toll plaza. wilkens avenue, southwest corner is very heavy towards 95. over to you, tony.

>> not a whole lot happening weather-wise. 66 at the airport, 64 in cockeysville. average high temperature this time of year is 67 degrees. just a few sprinkles on hd doppler. i suspect it will fill in as we go through the afternoon. the best chance for rain will be later on today. high temperatures in the low-to- mid-70's. it

well, crowds have flkd to rockefeller plaza to see big names in the past like justin bieber and lady gaga and many others. now, one of the most popular bands of all time is set to take to our concert stage for the very first time. we'll have that big announcement in just a bit. we're excited for this one. >> this is a big one for me. kind of like the soundtrack for my life. >> let that be a hint to you, america. >> going to be fun. >> 7:30 on a monday morning, the 15th of october, 2012. i'm savannah guthrie alongside matt lawer. >> as a parent you want your kid's school to know where they are, but does using an electronic chin tracking their

every move cross the line? that's what parents and teens are saying about a new rule about some schools in texas. we'll tell you more about that. >> a big star from an oscar-winning movie up in our makeup win right now. yes, a dog from "the artist." not only can he act, he can write. he's got a new memoir. we'll ask him all about it, so that interview should go well. >> nice of you to get out of the chair in time to let him in there. >> speaking of hollywood glitz and glamour, a collection of richard burton's private diaries are now being published, this for the first time. in them he reveals a lot about his feelings for elizabeth taylor and their two marriages. so we'll be diving into that. >> okay. we'll begin this half hour with a colorado community on edge as police search for 10-year-old jessica ridgeway's killer. nbc's miguel almaguer is in westminster, colorado, this morning. miguel, good morning to you. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. over the weekend, thousands gathered to remember little jess camp vigils and memorials popped

up all across this city as police are now focused on finding their suspect. collective heartbreak for a little girl abducted on her way to school. jessica ridgeway, the 10-year-old who loved to dance, vanished 11 days ago. >> my heart's broken. i don't know how to deal with it. >> reporter: her body discovered seven miles from her home in a rural open field described by police as not intact. investigators positively identified her remains late friday afternoon. >> our focus has changed in a search for jessica to a mission of justice for jessica. >> reporter: with state, local and federal agents working jessica's murder, police have scoured her neighborhood and the community for clues. more than 1,500 tips have poured n.500 homes searched. a manhunt under way for a killer still on the street. former fbi profiler clint van zandt. >> this is just a whole other

type of predator. number one, to commit a horrible act and kidnap a child, but, number two, to dispose of a bod they way puts this guy in a breed almost by himself. >> reporter: last seen by her mother walking to school, the fifth grader never made it to a nearby park to meet classmates. jessica's backpack was discovered the day after she vanished, one of the few clues investigators have publicly released. >> if he should feel he can't be identified, he could very easily start looking for another victim. >> reporter: with no suspects today an entire community is on edge. >> it's unthinkable. it's unthinkable that this happened right here this close and such an awful, awful manner. >> reporter: an innocent young life plucked off a quiet street. this morning there are no answers in a neighborhood where grief is only matched by a cry for justice. >> why would you kill a child or hurt a child or steal a child

from their family? >> reporter: jessica's parents who last week were cleared of any involvement in their daughter's disappearance have not spoken publicly since announcement of the discovery of the body. police are following several leads but are not releasing any details as to not compromise their investigation. savannah. >> all right. miguel almaguer in westminster, colorado, thank you. we'll take a turn now and get another check of the weather from al. >> today's weather is brought to you by edward jones. >> and good morning. we've got a little activity out in the tropics. we have tropical storm rafael right now 680 miles southwest of bermuda. it's got 70-mile-per-hour winds. it will probably become a hurricane later today. moving northwest at 10, the path of it brings it just east of bermuda sometime early tuesday afternoon or wednesday morning, and then it moves out into sea. no big problems. the rest of the country, we've

got a risk of strong storms along the southeastern atlantic coast. heavy rain moving into the pacific northwest. plenty of sunshine through the southwest. 86 and sunny in l.a. today. windy conditions around the northern great lakes. look for some showers around there, and temperatures remain mild in the mid-section of th >> good morning. we have a chance for a little bit of rain. about a 40% chance. >> don't forget you can get that weather any time you need it. go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. matt? >> al, thanks very much. seems like a good thing, school

administrators able to tell exactly war student is at all times, but some teens and parents in texas are not too happy about a new program that requires students to wear electronic tracking chips at school. nbc's janet shamlian is in spring, texas. janet, good morning. >> reporter: matt, good morning to you. yeah, the use of this technology is growing and so are concerns over privacy. at this high school in the houston area they have had it in place for about four years. the chip is embedded into a student's i.d. card and it's used to track attendance, but elsewhere in the lone star state where it's newly implemented it is meeting with tremendous resistance. what kids wear to school is often a hot topic for teenagers. here in san antonio students are buzzing about a small item they are being forced to wear. >> it has like a tracking device on the back of it. >> reporter: it's a student i.d. badge that allows the school to instantly locate any student in the building. >> i think it's good because if you're not in class and they

could like search snow not only do these cards help locate students on campus, they also help count them, and counting students is how schools make money. >> when we're looking for students that were on campus but marked absent, our attendance secretary can look on her web page and see where they are at. >> reporter: for every student counted for attend and the state pays almost $30 million a day. the district loses $2 million a year due to poor school reporting so the districts turned to technology to increase the number. >> kids who are in the building, in the counsellor's office, nurse's office, hallway, the gym,ets. if we can in fact though they were at school we can count them present. >> reporter: not everyone has the school i.d. spirit, and some students are refusing to wear the badge. >> it is dumb why are they going to track me during school? >> track is us everywhere? do we have any privacy? like, it's uncalled for.

>> reporter: some parents are concerned the tracking system will spread to even more schools. >> i just believe that there should be other means of accounting. i know that attendance equals money in texas. there has to be another way >> reporter: aclu is even weighing in saying the tracking i.d.s may violate privacy rights. >> the schools talk about security, but what's really going on here is budgets and money. it treats children like cat. where does this go from here? today in the schools, tomorrow in workplaces and who knows where else. >> reporter: in the san antonio schools, the students are not allowed to access the library or the cafeteria without this tracking badge. for its part the school there says that when the students are in their care, they have no expectation of privacy. >> janet shamlian, thank you very much. still ahead, the difficult choices faced by a woman who found out she had cancer just weeks after learning she was pregnant.

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back now at 7:42 with a followup to a story we first brought you two weeks ago. dog owners who restrain their pets when driving. it's a bill that's being met with mixed reaction. nbc's mara schiavocampo is live there with more this morning. mara, good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. as you mentioned, we got a huge response from this story. now one organization says they have tested some of these dog harnesses and found shocking results. pet harnesses, seat belts for dogs, designed to keep our best friends safe while we chauffeur them around. there are dozens of dog safety products on the market. lawmakers in new jersey are even considering a bill to require a car restraint for rover. >> reporter: people tend to treat their animals and their pets like members of their family. why don't they treat them like that when they are in the car. >> reporter: while harnesses may

ve peat owners peace of mind, a new study suggests they may not offer much actual protection. >> it was just astounding what we saw. >> reporter: lindsay founded the center for pet safety in 2011 after getting into a car accident while traveling with her dog. the harness failed, and maggie suffered spinal injuries. so she decided to test four of the strongest dog harnesses on the market, applying the same federal motor vehicle safety standards for testing child seats. using a 55 test dog she and her team simulated a 30-mile-per-hour collision. the result, every single harness fail failed. in the first test the harness held up but provided too much slack. the dummy dog rocketed forward, crashing into the back of the test bench. the results would get far worse. in two of the tests the harnesses snapped completely, sending the test dog flying through the air totally unprotect

unprotected, becoming a dangerous projectile. it's estimated that in a crash at 30 miles per hour a tiny ten-pound dog will exert 300 pounds of pressure. and in the fourth test a devastating result. the harness slid up to the test dog's neck upon impact. >> i don't think that there's any doubt that those dogs would have been severely injured if not fatally injured. >> reporter: she doesn't identify the manufacturers in the test because she says they are not doing anything wrong. there are no existing safety standards in place for dog harnesses, something the center for pet safety is working to change so that road trips are safer for all passengers, including the four-legged ones. >> my dog was injured by one of these products, and i felt that this was inexcusable. this should not happen. the pets that we love, they need real protection. >> reporter: the american pet product association represents those dog harness manufacturers, and in response to the findings they released a statement saying there are an increasing number of reported accidents where a

pet distracting the driver is being cited as the cause. a pet restraint that merely limits pet's access to distraction and the driver and limits its motion in the event of an accident is s still an improvement over no restraint. savannah? >> esschiavocampo in chicago, thanks so much. still ahead, the priceless expressions on the faces of people at a halloween fright night attraction. and coming up next, our big announcement about the big act coming it our plaza right after this. hi, i just switched jobs, and i want to roll over my old 401(k) into a fidelity ira. man: okay, no problem. it's easy to get started; i can help you with the paperwork. um...this green line just appeared on my floor. yeah, that's fidelity helping you reach your financial goals. could you hold on a second? it's your money. roll over your old 401(k) into a fidelity ira and take control of your personal economy. this is going to be helpful. call or come in today. fidelity investments. turn here.

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are we there yet? [ male announcer ] it's the age-old question of travel. the same one we ask ourselves every day. is it the safest, the most efficient? have we created the kind of vehicle to move not just people... but an industry forward? are we there yet? are we really? [ male announcer ] are we there yet? we are, for now. introducing the all-new seven passenger gl. mercedes-benz. the best or nothing. so we've been promising a little bit of an announcement, actually a very big announcement from the world of music. one of the great things about this job or the years is we've had the chance to host some of the biggest names in music out on that plaza. you find yourself like a kid or a fan again when they come to see you -- when they come to play here. i think this is a good example of that. >> i think we'll have a huge crowd. never done a morning show before. >> right. >> and i think that's because they are up all negotiate partying all the time.

>> probably. a band that's probably had one of the legendary feuds going on throughout history between two of the key members, so that's a little bit of a hint. why don't we cue the music. ♪ >> that's right. it's aerosmith. it's going to be walking our way live on the plaza, november 2nd, right here. >> never done morning television before. >> wow. >> they are members of the rock 'n' roll hall of fame. sold more than 100 million albums. they have got new music. music from another dimension coming up, and obviously we're talking about steven tyler and joe perry. one of the two great combos in not only performing but writing history. had a chance to sit down with steven tyler not long ago, and we talked about the fact that they came up with so many incredible hits at such a young hit, like "dream on." take a look. think of the lyrics of this song. that is a song about a guy

looking back over the vast terrain of his life, really, and here you are this 26-year-old kid. it seems like it couldn't come from you. tell me about that song. >> i wrote that song, and i'm sitting up at the barn, and it's like, you know. ♪ you know, just i'm loving this melodic stuff. it's growing through me, and i -- i don't know where that came from. ♪ ♪ every time that i look in the mirror ♪ what? ♪ all these lines on my face are getting clearer ♪ >> that's the best part. ♪ the past is gone ♪ it went by like dusk to dawn ♪ isn't that the way

♪ everybody got their dues in life to pay ♪ so it was that melody which told my mouth -- which touched something in my brain that made my mouth sing that. every time i look in a mirror. >> do you have a lighter, matches, i can hold up? come on, i want more. >> did he break out into song in an interview? do an interview like that always put the person like that at a piano. it works. what do you think it happens when they did the -- part of that? >> exactly. >> i'm glad you went there. >> meantime, did you guys see "saturday night live" on saturday night? >> great. >> they had some big laughs, of course, and it started with what else, the vice presidential debate. take a look. >> congressman ryan, we begin with your opening statement. >> thank you. >> first of all, i want to thank centre college for hosting us this evening. >> oh, boy, here we go. oh, man. >> four years ago president obama made a promise. that he would bring down

unemployment below 6%. >> oh, this guy. i mean. >> giving it a lot of mileage on that. >> he goes on to say, yeah, he may have done the px-90 but i'm old man strong. when that amtrak breaks down, i push that thing all the way to washington. >> what's really funny is they used actual lines from the debate. >> they did. didn't have to write any material. right there in front of them. >> just a reminder, aerospace november 2nd out on the plaza. just ahead, the personal diaries of icon richard burton. >> i hope he likes to share. and, of course, our big news today, aerosmith, november 2nd. >> now a check of your local news. [ male announcer ] humana and walmart have teamed up to bring you a low-priced medicare prescription drug plan.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell. >> let's bring you up-to-date as you head out on northbound 29. left lane closure of brokenland parkway fifth all northbound lanes closed. accident is wrapping up in the area tariff if y. if you want a handout on the outer loop, baltimore national pike, watch for an accident. park heights, northern parkway, watch for a crash. north avenue and park avenue, watch for an accident in the

city. pulaski highway and edgewood road, still clearing. crashed in the edgewood region. a live view of traffic. we are all clear northbound 29 and brokenland parkway. starting to see some of birth and for it much for the residual delays fell. greenspring avenue, going away from mrs. inner loop traffic. we have reported accident that was not found. outer loop delays begin prior to 795. over to you, tony. >> rain has held off a little bit. right now there is not a whole lot happening. 63 in randallstown. warm start for us. nothing showing up on baltimore. this may drift in as we go towards the late morning and afternoon. chance for a few rainshowers.

temperatures in the low 70's. next couple of days look nice, cooler, but nice.

we're back now. 8:00 on a monday morning. it's the 15th day of october, 2012. it looks like it's turning into a really pretty morning here in the northeast. we've got moderate temperatures. it's in the 60s or something like that after some chilly weather passed through over the weekend. we've got a very nice crowd. people out on the plaza. these folks, if they stick around until november 2nd, will be tickled and tickled by the music of aerosmith. november 2nd on the plaza. first time ever that they have done a morning concert. that should be a lot of fun. >> yeah. >> out on the plaza i'm matt

lauer along with savannah guthrie and al roker. >> in just a minute we'll get into hollywood's most alluring romances, elizabeth taylor and richard burton married twice, a lot of sparks on screen and off and now for the first te burton's diaries are being published revealing his private thoughts on that intense relationship. that and a lot more. we'll take a look. >> the woman who got the best news of her life followed by the worst. first she found out she was pregnant, a joyous occasion, and then just a couple of weeks later she found out that she had cancer. we'll be talking about the battle to save her life and the life of her unborn baby. >> what a difficult journey. all right. and then we go to our green room now live where we have a very special guest. ugge t uggie the dog is here from "the artist." he has penned his autobiography and giving a spokes conference already. actually recorded the audio book, which is fantastic. it goes a lot like that for four

hours, but really riveting. >> can't wait to see that. that's going to be great. >> lots to talk about. >> but first let's go inside. natalie has a check all the headlines. natalie. >> good morning, matt, savannah and al. good morning, everyone. president obama and republican challenger mitt romney are spending the day preparing for tomorrow's second debate. the obama campaign promises a more energetic president will take the stage at hofstra university in new york. romney says the president can change his debate style, but he can't change his record. the republican's strong showing in the first debate is widely credited with giving new life to his campaign. the alleged mastermind of the september 11th attacks khalid sheikh mohammed and four co-defendants are expected in court for pre-tile hearing at guantanamo bay. families of the victims have been invited to four u.s. military bases to watch the paroledings on closed-circuit television. the memorial site in colorado near where jessica ridgeway's body was found was visited over the weekend by

hundreds of people. many of them were parents who brought their kids. some held hands, and many prayed for the 10-year-old who disappeared october 5th on her way to school. jessica's body was found wednesday night a few miles from where she lived. investigators are working around the clock to find jessica's killer. the number of cases of fungal meningitis in the u.s. has risen to at least 205. federal health officials say the rare outbreak has spread to 14 states and claimed at least 15 lives. it's linked to steroid shots used for back pain. the space shuttle "endeavour" is finally home. it took about 17 hours longer than expected to move the retired shuttle just 12 miles from los angeles international airport through city streets, to then the california science center. trees had to be cut and traffic lights were raised to clear the path, but for the thousands of spectators all along the route, the experience was well worth it. now for a look at what's trending today. our quick roundup of what has you talking online.

rihanna is gracing the november cover of "vogue," the second time as the cover girl. the singing star reveals she hasn't been on a date for two years, but there are reports that rihanna may get back together with former flame chris brown after her new album "unapologetic" is released in november. the two were seen together in new york recently. one shot was all he got, and now that shot is going viral. san diego college student lined it up from the half court this weekend for a chance to win a brand new truck. he let it fly, and drive safely, craig. pretty amazing. and these pictures of scared thrill-seekers at a haunted house are bringing endless amusement to people online. the photos were taken at the nightmare fear factory in niagara falls, canada. you'll notice most of the scaredy cats there in those pictures are guys who go for a dose of terror. look at that face. now, that is a scared face.

8:05 right now. let's go back outside to matt, savannah and al. >> a little scared looking tat. >> like you had on the tower of terror, they take the one of my family on that. mr. roker. >> got some nice folks here, some folks overseas. >> that's right. now through november 11th, veterans day. appreciate that. let's check out our pick city of the day, manhattan, new york. showers and storms, a high of 70 degrees. let's look at the week ahead. it's going to be really wet in the pacific northwest. western half of the country above norm a. normal along the eastern seaboard. mid-week period we expect to see warm weather along the gulf coast up into the northeast. rain in the great lakes and the mid-mississippi river valley. above normal temperatures out west, and then the week ahead, chillier conditions move into the great lakes and the upper

mississippi river value we rain and snow showers. warm out west, and the rain continues into the pacific northwest. >> good morning. it will be a mild day today. about a 40% for some rain showers. a mixture of sun and clouds. weath weather. savannah? >> all right, al. coming up next, richard burton's private boss on his career and his love affair with elizabeth taylor. a look inside his personal diaries right after this. [ female announcer ] quaker yogurt granola bars.

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a personal look at one of hollywood's greatest love stories. elizabeth taylor and richard burton's romance that played out on the pig screens for two decades. a personal collection of diaries being published. we talked to his daughter and the very revealing entries. >> the extraordinary thing about these diaries is they are my father's words, going from the most mundane, to the most esoteric, to the most brilliant, to the most hilarious. >> "the richard burton diaries" written between 1939 and 1983 chronicled the glamorous yet troubled life of an acclaimed actor, loving father and passionate husband, an inside look at the personal life of one of the world's most famous couples. ♪ because i love you just the way you look tonight ♪ >> forget brad and angelina, any couple today they pale in

comparison who what liz taylor and richard burton were. these were royal celebrities. america was completely transfixed at the time. >> even now decades later, hollywood is still swooning over their love affair, "liz and dick," the lifetime tv movie comes out next month. >> god knows you know how to make an entry. >> their relationship played out on the big screen in movies like "cleopatra." >> i can see nothing but you. >> and "who is afraid of virginia woolf" that amoused the hearts of all fans. >> give me a big sloppy kiss. >> they had a lavish lifestyle that included private jets. ♪ come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away ♪ >> enormous yachts and extravagant jewelry putting the 68-carat burton taylor diamond he purchased in 1969. >> he had to keep up with the world's most glamorous woman. >> but it was not an easy life

in the spotlight as his diaries reveal in such a personal way. richard and elizabeth married and divorced twice, and through it all battled dueling careers, health problems and alcohol abuse. >> for me reading the diaries, that was one of the most powerful experiences is watching him try to navigate that slippery slope. >> even though burton was nominated for seven academy awards, he'll always be remembered for his passionate and legendry love of elizabeth taylor. >> it was a real relationship. it wasn't just, you know, walking around and having your photograph taken and wearing diamonds and wearing tuxedoes ♪ love, endless love >> chris williams is the editor of "the richard burton diaries." good to see you. >> good morning, matt. >> this is really intense stuff. where have the diaries been? >> these diaries in the possession of sally burton, rich's widow and she gave them to university in 2006, and the

understanding was we would seek to public them in kind of a scholarly edition with appropriate context actual information. >> reading into the entries here, do you get the sense that richard burton ever thought these would be made public? >> i think that he didn't intend these to be made public as they stand. i think he was expecting perhaps later in life to go back to these and to use them possibly as the basis for a memoir. >> all right. let's go. some of the entries are elizabeth taylor are getting a lot of attention. here from november 19th, 1968. i have been inordinately lucky all my life, but the greatest luck of all has been elizabeth. she's a wildly exciting lover-mistress. she is shy and witty. she is nobody's fool. she is a brilliant actress. she is beautiful beyond the dreams of pornography. she can tolerate my impossibilities and my drunkenness. she is an ache in the stomach when i am away from her, and she loss of me. he has a way with words. >> he does. some of the passages are absolutely superb and quite

emotional to read and give you great insight into the kind of complicated personality that he was. >> and complicated relationship. this was an up-and-down relationship. >> oh, yeah. >> for everything wonderful he says about her, he admits in these diaries that it was not always easy. march 20th, 1969. the last six or eight months have been a nightmare. i created one half and elizabeth the other. we grated on each other to the point of separation. hi thought of going to live alone in some remote shack in a rainy place and e had thought of going to stay with howard in hawaii. it is, of course, quite impossible. we are bound together. hoop-steeled. wither ,thou goest. what was the problem? >> alcohol abuse. richard had issues with alcohol. elizabeth liked to drink as well. both short-tempered people and i think to some extension the relationship fed off the tension

between them. they could enjoy the argument and the row and particularly making up again. >> the diamond we talked about in the setup spot, chris, 69-carat amazing diary and writes in one of the diaries about it, november 16th, 1969. he says it's been a bizarre few days. first of all, there was the affair of the diamond. elizabeth's delight in it, a joy to behold and a very quaint thing to witness. it is the obvious pleasure that other people take in her wearing it. and, of course, nobody can wear it better. the miraculous face and shoulders and breasts that set it off to perfection. the guy can write, can't he? tell me about that diamond. why did it captivate all of us so much? >> that was one of the most expensive jewels in the world at the time that it was purchased, and there was a bidding war which also involved aristotle onassis, so richard was delighted to have outbid onassis and jackie kennedy for it. >> one of the things you learn in the diaries is about richard burton's insecurities.

he was not satisfied with the way his life and career turned out. >> no. he's a man i think of tremendous complexities, somebody who had come from a very ordinary background in south wales and had achieved great things, but was never really that content with being an actor, and he had many other ambitions, one of which was to write. >> a little later on, 1971, august 15th he writes this. he says my lack of interest in my own career, past, present or future is almost total. all my life i think i've been secretly ashamed of being an actor, and the older i get, the more ashamed i get, and i think it revolves it -- it resolves itself into a firm belief that the person who is doing the acting is somebody else. >> well, richard's father was a coal miner. all of his brothers had been coal miners. he came from a culture in which that kind of manual labor was what defined you as a man, and to be an actor i think he felt was slightly effeminate. >> i have to say that even in this culture where we seem to

get too much information on celebrities, there's something about the words on these pages that's really fascinating. chris, thanks for bringing them to us. appreciate it. >> my pleasure. >> read a few entries from t"th richard burton diaries" on today.com. up next, an expectant mom learns she has cancer. the attempts to save her and her baby after this. find well-made s that stand on their own and mix with your favorites. ♪ get it on ♪ bang the gong ♪ get it on we're big fans of izod, a classic since 1922. and still every guy's go-to for no-fuss style. jcp and izod make it easy, always at a great deal. ♪ has become boring and tasteless... only one man can save the day. kellogg's crunchy nut!

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went on with the day >> reporter: pain continued throughout their honeymoon, but soon there was news that lifted their hearts. >> we found out we were pregnant. >> reporter: their joy quickly turned to concern. lindsay's pain had worsened, and she developed a cough. she finally had a chest x-ray around thanksgiving. >> i got a call from my doctor that night at about 8:00 p.m., and she said to me that there was definitely something on my x-ray. >> reporter: a mass in her chest. lindsay had b-cell lymphoma. >> i was scared to death. i was pregnant. >> couldn't wait to hug her and say, okay, i'm going to be here for you through thick and thin. >> reporter: lindsay underwent six cycles of chemotherapy. sick from treatment, sick with worry. >> what was going on with the baby, and how was it rayfecting her? >> pregnancy is a whole mass of rapidly dividing cells, and chemotherapy is not compatible with pregnancy. as she was being treated for her own symptoms, the baby was also getting the same chemotherapy

load. >> reporter: the very treatment that was saving lindsay's life was stunting lena's growth. >> every time we saw her, lindsay wanted the best thing done for little lena, and hi to remind her often that sometimes we had to think about the best things for lindsay as well, and she didn't always want to hear that. >> reporter: three weeks before she was due, lindsay was induced. >> it was a happy day. >> i was so, so happy that she seemed to be doing well, and she wasn't inside me anymore. i wrote in her baby book, like, mommy loves you so much. >> reporter: lindsay immediately began radiation treatment. she was very weak. it turned out so was her baby. just as doctors had suspected, little lena's immune system was severely compromises. just a month after she was born, she was back in the hospital fighting off an infection. she recovered, and today is right where she should be. lindsay is doing better as well. recent tests show she is on the

path to remission. scott believes the best is yet to come for their young family because lindsday's a fighter, lena is, too. >> a wild wide to watch anybody to go through, and you can't help but stand in awe and she's -- yeah, she's -- she's amazing. >> reporter: for "today," diana alvear, idaho. >> well, for more on this we turn to dr. nancy snyderman, nbc's chief medical examiner. good morning. first thing you think when you see a story like this, how can they give chemo when somebody is pregnant, won't it harm the baby? >> yes and no. some chemotherapy drugs doing. the timing was really important. they waited until she was through her first trimester when most injuries can hurt the fetus, and as soon as they could get the baby out, i suspected 32 or 33 weeks when they knew the baby's lungs would be okay, and

you notice there was no radiation given to her until the baby was delivered, but, you know, some chemotherapy drugs are more toxic to babies than others. >> is there anything that the unborn baby has around her in this case that protects her? >> there's a barrier that protects some things from going back and forth, but something as simple as an aspirin can affect the fetal development. the timing of the chemotherapy drugs, but interestingly since mom's tombors affected the lymph nodes, that's one of the first lines of defense, the chemotherapy drugs affected the baby's immune system so the baby was susceptible to bacterial infections which is probably what landed the baby back in the hospital immediately afterwards. the great thing prognosis for child super. those things, that part. i munn system comes right back to normal, and for mom, we'll just have to wait and see. >> have there been any long-term studies on what effect chemo might have on a fetus? >> 20 years ago the choice would

have been to a mother do you want to go the entire length of the pregnancy and risk your being cured and we'll see, or do you want to abort now and save your life? now we know so much more about chemotherapy that moms really do have choices, and doctors can be intelligently aggressive during different stages of the pregnancy, so there are a lot more options than what there have been in the past. there's more data on young children getting chemotherapy and their risk of other cancers later in life, but this baby has a phenomenal prognosis for a happy, healthy life. >> happy to hear that. dr. nancy, thank you. back with dame judi dench after your local news.

>> this is wbal tv 11 news in baltimore. >> let's get a final check in the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> it has been a busy morning rush. if you travel on the west side, looking at delays due to accident on baltimore. . pikein th -- in the red all the way down to reisterstown road. park heights and northern parkway, watch for an accident. delays south of the beltway to 28th street. another one has harford road block. watch for delays there. backing of traffic, disabled

vehicle on the lane. jarrettsville pike, schuster road, watch for an accident there. padonia road, looking good at the moment. wherehead for live view, we're looking at major delays. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> at least the rain has held off so far. the traffic is busy. 65 in randallstown. you can see some rain off to our self. it will catch up to was later on this morning. it will be scattered rain showers. high temperature is right reverend 73 or 74. it should be dry on tuesday and

wednesday. >> back with another update at 8:56.

8:30 now on a monday morning. it's the 15th of october, 2012. a great warm day on rockefeller plaza as we say hello and good morning to our crowd. right now people are hearing a little bit of trisha yearwood, great country star. she will actually perform for us in a moment. however, not musically. >> she is also really good in the kitchen. she's got her own show, a cooking show.

she's done cook books. she will make a recipe for us this morning. you all like chili. >> love it. >> she will do fancy chili, a southern favorite. we'll be here with trisha in just a couple of minutes. >> also. two other huge stars here with us as well. dame judi dench, of course, starring in the newest james bond film. she's here, and uggie, the dog. who can forget his star performance in "the artist" so we're looking forward to catching up with them as well. >> hi, uggie. >> and, of course, it's never too early to start thinking about holiday shopping. >> no, really. >> at mitt it, you've already bought some gifts. >> you're probably done with it. >> no, not done yet, no, no. >> you're slacking this year. >> a little bit behind. >> but i'll shoal you what you can do to score some great deals right now. >> all right. >> we want to remind everybody we've got our big dance contest on the plaza october 26th. we need us your show us your

moves entries. we'll have a dance-off live on the plaza. to submit to your videos head to our website today.com. some of the entries we've already received. the competition is fierce. if you're a good dancer you'll get flown here to new york for a dance party. >> look at that guy. >> that guy. >> a check of the weather. >> all right. a little breezy today here in the northeast. it's going to be a little on the warm side, too, as this front gets ready to push through. slight risk of strong storms along the mid-atlantic states in the southeast. a lot of wet weather in the southwest and windy in the plain states and warm through the southwest. tomorrow cooler in the northeast and mid-atlantic states as well. some showers in the upper mississippi river valley. mountain snows in the western plains. a few showers continue into the pacific northwest. heat continues from the southwest into southern california. that's wha. >> good morning. we have a chance for a little bit of rain. about a 40% chance.

. >> and that's your latest weather. >> well, ben affleck's newest film "argo" is getting some early oscar buzz after opening second place at the becomes office this weekend. it's his third tim rescue effor daring and too risky to believe. >> i got an idea. >> they are a canadian film crew or science fiction movie. i fly in tehran. we all fly august as a film crew. >> ben affleck captures it all in his new film "argo," a little known shaye operation to rescue six in tehran. >> these people died and died

badly. >> was's your passport? >> the plan masks the agents as canadian film crew shooting a saigon movie. >> you don't have a better idea than this? >> this is the best bad idea. >> affleck plays antonio mendes, the cia operative who masterminded the escape. >> i said let's do something flamboyant. >> i need you to help me make a fake movie. >> wouldn't imagine someone would use that idea as a cover because it was so outrageous. >> miraculously it paid off. >> the six americans slipped out of iran. >> and now this real film about the fake film has everyone talking. >> "argo" is definitely one of those movies that will live up to all of the hype surrounding it. it's the kind of movie that will hold on very well throughout the weeks and months ahead. >> the film is affleck's third directial effort. >> i'll do it. >> and a departure from his previous films which took place in his native boston. >> definitely was a little more outside his comfort zone, but he

definitely rose to the occasion and direct what had most critics are saying is the best movie he's done. >> we want to set up a movie in a week. >> in fact, some critics are already speculating about an oscar hat trick with possible nominations for best picture, best director -- >> teach somebody to be a director in a day? >> and best actor. >> you have to know your resume back to front. as with "goodwill hunting" which won affleck his first oscar in 1988, award momentum is building. >> we think everybody knows hollywood. >> there's one a lot of people want to see. another movie i want to see is "sky fall." hollywood superstar dame judi dench starring in the new james bond film. judi, good to see you. >> and you, good morning. >> this is your story, this one. from what i've heard, this is the story of them, the back story is revealed. how surprising is it? >> quite surprising to me, it was. >> yeah? >> suddenly to get out from

behind the desk. it was very, very good indeed. i kind of checked always in a book room behind a desk so i get out to do a lot of action and spinning around and keeping the boys in order. >> there's been a lot of speculation and buzz that this could be the end of the line for emme. probably not going to tell us. >> no. >> feel free if you wanted to. >> has it been fun to be the center that have speculation? >> it has been. it has been terrific but very, very difficult, you know. like the press corps just before we all started, and you get many, many questions about nobody could answer a question. weren't allowed to answer a single one. >> meanwhile, this is the 50th anniversary of the bond series. how does this film differ from the others? >> i don't know really. i don't know how it differs because having not seen it yet, but it's gone down so far very, very well, and it's lovely that it's the 50th.

we had global james bond day last week, and it's lovely that it happened on our year when we have the jubilee and we've had the olympic games and, you know, we're waving the flag a bit. >> so you haven't seen the movie yet? >> no. i'm going to wait for a week on tuesday. >> when people say what happens, you can say i honestly don't know? >> i have no idea. >> my son asked me, daddy, what the "sky fall" means. >> what does sky fall mean? >> the name of a house. >> not the way emme meets her maker. >> no, no. >> anything, give us something here. do you have a favorite bond movie of even the early ones? >> no, not -- i mean, i remember seeing "from russia with love," and i just loved, it absolutely loved it. >> that's a good one. >> but they all have great charm about them, i think. >> well, please tell us it's not

the end of the road for emm sgle we can't take it. >> one of the great reasons i love these movies. >> she's good. >> i've got more from uggie than i did from dame judi here. >> what happens to emme, uggie? tell us. come on, uggie. what happens? >> "sky fall," by the way, opens november 9th. by then we might know. up next, another legend is by then we might know. up next, another legend is here. it's heavy lifting. you start with a democratic senator named ben. by getting bwi-marshall funding for new runways, he's helping us serve 21 million passengers a year, which helps keep 100,000 jobs that depend on the airport, and that means more cargo for more businesses and more skycaps unloading more taxis... welcome to bwi. ...carrying families with more luggage. thanks. it's like he's out here with us. he's my friend, ben. i hope he's your friend, too. i'm ben cardin,

and i approve this message.

well, you know you've made it when you go by just one name. cher, madonna and now uggie. the adorable jack russell terrier was starred in movies like "water for elephants" but his role in the oscar winner "the artist" has solidified his star status. he's here with his trainer omar

von mueller. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> my first question is to uggie. you knew you were an actor. did you know you were an author as well? >> did you? >> yeah. he said he does. >> he did. omar, why did you decide to write this book? >> actually i got a call from wendy holden which is a writer, and she gave me the idea, and so i talked to him and he said absolutely. let's go for it. >> you say that there's something special about uggie, that he really is acting. he's really a star. explain. >> yes. i mean, you can tell when he's acting, when he's on stage, he's the type of dog that just wants the attention. when we say action, he goes to where he's supposed to be doing. not looking at the cameras or me or anybody else and he's totally acting. he loves it. >> he co-starred with reese witherspoon in "water for elephants." he holds a torch for reese. dead case the book to her, for reese, my love, my light, and he says ours was spontaneous attraction.

it was written if the stars for what i hope will be a deep and enduring love. whenever i came into her orbit the incandescent smell she gave me was even more captivating than a slice of pepperoni. >> actually i knew he had a crush on her, but once he sta started barking to me and telling me the whole thing. >> we see them smooching there. is the feeling mutual? how does reese feel about uggie? >> he's a little jealous that she got married and he still has a crush on her. >> now, you've had uggie for a while. you mentioned he's had other roles. when "the artist" first came to you, did you think, wow, this is going to be huge, a breakout movie? >> no, nobody knew it. it was just like a low-budget frenchy black and white, and we never even knew we would see it on dvd or anything like that, and then it just exploded. >> and then the oscar. so much has happened. what's been your favorite thing to see and do with uggie since "the artist" has become such a phenomenon? >> probably the tour. the tour's been great and now the book.

he also has his own application so he's going places. >> is uggie retired from movies now? >> from movies, definitely yes. >> why is that? just because there comes a time when it's too much work. he's older now? >> he still has a lot of energy, but he just doesn't have it to be on set for 10, 15 hours a day, and it's just not fair, and i think he had a great time in "the artist." we're going to leave him there. >> a hollywood maxim, got to know to leave on a high note. can he did a couple of tricks for us before we go. >> give him a kiss. you ready. get shy. >> that's pretty good. he's hiding his eyes. >> that's pretty cute. the book is called "uggie, my story." thank you so much for bringing it to us. >> you're really welcome. >> say bye? >> yeah, bye. >> still ahead, it is never too early. money-saving ways to get a jump start on your hollywood shopping, but first this is "today" on nbc.

back at 8:46. this morning on "celebrating la vida latina," an up-and-coming fashion designer who is experience includes more horses than fabric. this fashion designer grew up more than 5,000 miles from new york city. born and raised on her family's ranch in uruguay. >> been there since the early 1800s before uruguay was really uruguay so it's quite a special place to grow up. >> what was it like growing up, the goucho life on this ranch in uruguay? >> all i knew was ranching, horses, cattle, sheep, i rode

horses all my life. >> even as a little girl surrounded by horses and sheep gabriela gravitated towards fashion. >> i've drawn shoes and dresses since i'm a little kid, and i remember watching cinderella for the first time and, you know, that scene where they make the little mouse with the dress, i went to my grandmother lace sleeping gowns and cut them up. >> so you have been living the cinderella story in a way. >> yes, yes, yes, i think so. >> her cinderella story began in 2004 when a t-shirt company in brooklyn and just $700. >> my mom on a horse, and she's very like natural. used to ride rodeo, so with did an illustration based on that image and then we created it on t-shirts. >> from t-shirts to her present day collection for her brand she called candela. >> a hispanic name that means light. has different means all across america. in the caribbean it's like

there's enough life and where i come it's a light, joyful name. >> and that joyful spirit is captured in her clothes. these shoes are based on an embride which which my grandmother did in the tunic collection. >> she's shown her collection at new york fashion week three times. >> describe it me that your feeling of showing you're mainstream. you're there with donna karan and marc jacobs. >> the excitement, the day of the show i'm very relaxed. i've done all the work, and now i have to enjoy the moment. >> what does being a latina designer mean to you? >> it means following other great latina di designers. >> "harper's bazaar" featured gabriela in their magazine this month. >> this is a very tough business to crack, and i think what's so wonderful about gabriela is now candela is beginning to make a

mark in the fashion world, and it's now one that top fashion editors are noticing. >> and this city girl still goes back to the countryside. >> i go very often. i have a working ranch there with my brothers, so, yeah, it's my second job. that's my dad with his whole goucho regalia, his big mustache obviously. >> he's a real goucho? >> he was. >> he tattooed her father's ranch symbol on her wrist so she wouldn't forget where she came from, an her designs prove she never strays too far. >> we are an american brand with a uruguayan designer. >> and-for-more an gabriela and other designers as well head to nbclatina.com. up next, country star tricia yearwood cooks up some southern favorites, but first, this is "today" on nbc.

and this morning on "today's kitchen," what's on the menu? southern favorites. grammy winner trisha yearwood is probably best known for her top-charting country hits, but these days she's spending a lot of her time cooking in the kitchen. her food network so "trisha's southern kitchen" is heading into season number two. trisha, it's great to see you

>> great to see you. >> how did food become such a big part of your life? >> something as a kid you used to pull your chair up to the counter and help. >> i really did it mostly testing as a kid. >> you were a sampler. >> my mom was a great cook and when i got to college and got on my own i missed home. i learned cookie. that's when i learned. when i was in my early 20s i started making her food. >> learned by trial and error? did you go out there and take lessons? i learned from my mom. i want to make your potato salad. how do you do this? things like how long do you boil water? do you put cold water over corn before you -- just basic stuff. she tout me everything. >> you're going to make chili here. >> yes. >> the weather is getting colder, football season under way. great combination for chili, but you're making a southern favorite called fancy chili. what makes it fansy in. >> i've never had chili with carrots in it and red bell pepper in it so just some things. i've never seen anything like that in chili, and in my family it's more of an idea of trying to get your kids to eat more

vegetables so i put them in everything. >> you start with ground beef. you don't put that in first. >> no. we put a little garlic, because garlic is good in everything and green onion, a little scallion, and we'll get those kind of going and then the meat will go in right after that. a lot of times when i make this at home i use either really lean ground beef or ground turkey works just as well. >> one of the great things about chili you can make this in one pot basically. >> absolutely. that's always good. especially if you're doing the dishes. >> better the second day which we were talking about. you'll brown that for a little while. >> brown the ground beef. and by the magic of television it will be brown in two seconds over here. >> because you do a cooking show. now you know all about this stuff, right? >> that's right. >> this is going to go in before the vegetables. you talked about is that to preserve them a little bit so they don't get all mushy. >> you want your beef to be completely cooked through before you add anything in. that takes five or ten minutes just to make sure that it's completely cooked all the way through, and if you use really

lean beef or lean turkey you don't have to worry about any grease or any description, things like that. >> all right. >> once the beef is done you add the rest of the ingredients, just that simple. we've got some fire roasted tomatoes. >> okay. >> that is pot chili seasoning. >> do you like yours pretty spice i? >> i like it pretty spicy. my husband does not. this has a nice kick to it but it's not terrible. >> okay. >> black beans. and then shredded carrots, diesed red pepper and a little bit of brown sugar. >> all right. the brown sugar gives it a little bit of zing to it. you won't really taste the sweet, and then this really cooks on the stove for 15 minutes while everything is really combined, and -- and that's it. that's it. >> that is it. >> i'm all about -- >> hot, southern, fancy chili. >> yeah. >> there's a major difference in your house. there is a bit of a feud. now garth likes the chili served over rice which is very popular in lots of parts of the country. >> yes.

>> you're not an over rice person. >> i'm a corn bread girl. >> you serve the chill irk right on top of the corn bread. >> i did. >> what kind of corn bread did you make? >> this is called sour cream corn bread. it can be dry. it has sour cream and creamed corn in it. >> snuck a piece before. a little moisture to it so it's really nice. >> doesn't get dry and it's not sweet. >> hi, guess. >> hi. >> and then even if you do it over the corn bread, a little sour cream, maybe even some cheddar cheese on top. >> yeah. whatever you want. make it your own. yummy. >> and it's so healthy, too, and fancy. >> and fancy. >> on the show this year garth comes on and you actually do some of the recipes you guys like to do at home. >> i do. i teach him how to make stuff so now he has no excuse. >> he's not a good cook. >> he is a good cook but tends to make things up in the kitchen so he adds tortellini to everything which i don't let him make cookies. >> not good for that. >> not so much. >> catch the season premiere of

"trisha's southern kitchen" on the food network. she will stick around to help us out with "take 3" after the local news. >> this is the of the pal tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara . ravens outlasted the cowboys sunday afternoon, but there could be a bigger loss and at hand. ray rice will undergo an mri today. we should learn more about

>> is not going to be a bad day, there will be a few scattered showers. only a 40% chance. otherwise, variable clouds dri. dri. >> we are back with ano as a pastor, my support for question 6 is rooted in my belief that the government should treat everyone equally. i would not want someone denying my rights based upon their religious views, therefore i should not deny others based upon mine. it's about fairness. this law does not force any church to perform a same sex marriage if it's against their beliefs. and that's what this is about. protecting religious freedom and protecting all marylanders equally under the law. join me in voting for question 6.