good morning. taking blame. secretary of state hillary clinton tries to douse a political firestorm saying she takes full responsibility for security breakdowns in that deadly attack on the u.s. consulate in libya as president obama and mitt romney face off tonight in their second debate. this time it's voters asking the questions. the list, a small town reeling as officials release some names of alleged clients of a zumba instructor accused of turning her studio into a brothel, and the release of even more names in the coming days. and ladies night. a big announcement for the golden globes, tina fey and amy poehler announced as the she's

hosts today on october 16, 2012. from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today," decision 2012, with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, liar from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and good morning. welcome to "today" on a tuesday morning. i'm savannah guthrie. >> and i'm matt lauer. here we go again. at any time's debate at hofstra university about a half hour from here on long island. it's going to be different, as you mentioned, town hall style, and the questions are coming from undecided voters. >> it's a different dynamic. tricky for both candidates. the president hoping to do better than in the first debate and mitt romney would love a repeat of his last performance to lock in momentum and we'll get the details straight ahead. first lady michelle obama opens up in an interview are ryan seacrest about the pressure facing her husband. we all know campaigns are

about creating images. some are paying attention to this image, paul ryan, washing dishes at a soup kitchen in ohio over the weekend but now the charity's presidents says the dishes he were washing was already clean. would we do that? we'll talk about that, and if you know savannah, she doesn't do dishes because she doesn't cook. >> i do do dishes. somebody else cooks. >> starting today we'll change that and teach you how to cook. >> bobby flay is going to walk me through the basics with the goal of cooking a delicious feast by the end of the week. i know i'll learn a lot and you will, too. as matt said last week he's a chef, not a miracle worker. we'll give it a try. we want to start with politics, presidential race and the all-important presidential debate. chuck todd is here, the chief white house political correspondent. he's here with us this morning. >> you're a pretty good eater. good at that part of it. a decisive victory for either candidate could create a sense

of momentum tough to stop before election day. for mitt romney a second debate win could mean he's finally able to break the president eats strangle hold on state like ohio and wisconsin making the path to 270 electoral vote and for the president a big win could reset the race back to where it was before the first debate when it looked like he was the heavy favorite. it's round two for president obama and mitt romney squaring off in the presidential debate. both spent the day hidden as they finish up for debate appropriations, president obama in virginia and romney here his home in massachusetts. campaigning in pennsylvania ann romney said her husband is ready. mitt's prepared, mitt's confident, mitt's got a good presence about him, and mitt's running because he believes in america. >> reporter: in a debate that will tackle both domestic and foreign policy issues, the president's handling of libya and the security lapses are sure to come up. traveling in peru monday secretary clinton did a series

of interviews claiming what she called full responsibility for the security lapses in benghazi, but to nbc news she made a plea to take politics out of the discussion. >> i don't think we want to get into any blame game. i think what we want to do is get to the bottom of what happened. >> reporter: clinton also weighed in on the stakes for her boss in tonight's debate. >> i think he'll do fine. i think he just has to get out there and talk about what he's done for the country and what he wants to do for the next four years. >> reporter: tonight's town hall format comes with risks and rewards for both candidate. for mr. obama it's a chance to bolster his likability over romney and make up for widely panned performance in the first debate. >> you know, four years ago -- >> reporter: for romney, who has done more town halls than the president this year, it's an opportunity to break the stereotype created by the obama campaign that romney's privilege and out of touch. in fact, town hall debates have proven in the past it's not always what the candidates say

that matters but how they say it. you don't want to sound too cranky. >> you know who voted for for it, might never know, that one or look disengaged or body language can trump all of it. >> but can he get things done? and i believe i can. >> very first town hall presidential debate actually featured three candidates. that third candidate was a guy named h. ross perot. ross perot has done something he did in a decade, endorsed for president. he endorsed mitt romney in "the des moines register" and paul ryan is dealing with fallout from the weekend photo-op. he visited a soup kitchen and now according to the "washington post" the president's charity said the dishes were already clean. matt, it's something that the campaign is a little nervous about because they are trying to get through this idea of whether they are in touch or out of touch. >> right. chuck todd, thanks very much. msnbc political analyst steve

schmitt is a republican strategist and adviser on john mccain's presidential campaign and jennifer gran home hosts "the war room" on current tv. nice to see you. you've run your fair share of campaigns. is it in the realm of possibility that paul ryan was washing clean dishes, would a campaign do it? >> it is absolutely within the realm of possibility. >> i thought you were going to say no. >> and those dishes are extra clean now, absolutely. >> wow. governor. let me go to you. before the first debate it seemed all the pressure was on mitt romney that he was presidential and could handle the big stage. boy, is the shoe on the other foot. >> i know. >> all the pressure on president obama. is this game seven, to use a sports analogy, win or go home for him in. >> it's not win or go home because there's a third debate so the question for him though is can he put that first debate behind him? and i think he can. he's really just got to talk about what he's done, how the

economy is moved, and he cannot let the misstatements sit there like he did in the first debate. >> in other words, he's got to go after mitt romney and challenge him to come up with specifics? >> it's a target rich environment, if you will, because there's been a lot of ambiguities. >> no question, steve, that there's going to be a different barack obama facing mitt romney tonight. can mitt romney use that to his advantage. can he look at voters and say which president obama is in the room right now, the way that president obama is probably going to say to voters which mitt romney is in the room, the conservative or the moderate? >> sure, absolutely, and president obama has to be very careful not to overcompensate after the bad first performance by coming out tonight by being too negative, being too hot. if he does that it could backfire badly with a very small group of voters that are going to decide this election. >> here's what obama is now saying on the campaign trail. he's saying, quote, after running for more than a year in which he called himself severely conservative mitt romney is trying to convince you he was

severely kidding. how does mitt romney answer that question why have you moved to the middle tonight? >> i don't think he has to answer that question. >> i think he does. >> i think the one thing that everybody in this country knows is that mitt romney has had a flexibility were his positions on any one of a number of issues. it's about what is the plan to move the country forward. what is his plan to create economic growth, and i think if obama spends his evening trying to point out something that everybody already understands, it's going to be difficult for him. >> if everybody already understands that he was a severely conservative guy who is trying to put on this facade of being a moderate, that's a question of trust. who are you really? what is your core? and if you are masking what you are really bringing, then i think the president can really take advantage of that. >> there's been some discussion of the moderator in this, candy crowley. a town hall style debate. the questions coming from undecided voters, but candy in interviews on her network say i feel i have the right to follow

up questions as i see necessary, and it seems both campaigns are a bit upset by this because it's been carefully negotiated, but we're choosing the leader of the free world here. shouldn't voters expect that these guys can handle a couple of follow-up questions. >> you go, girl. that's what i say. >> i thought you were talking to me, that's weird. i didn't know where you were going. >> you're overreacting, matt. >> that shouldn't be an issue. >> there's no bad question, only bad answers and both campaigns will try to work the refs a little bit before the debate and be prepared for whatever comes. >> real quickly, you don't get to ask the question tonight, governor. what's the one question you would like to ask of mitt romney tonight? >> personally i would want to ask him are you going to have a litmus test for appointing justices to the supreme court to overturn "roe v. wade" like you said in the president. >> and your one question for the president? >> why would the next four years be any different than the last four? >> we're moving, man, come on. >> wait until the physical

violence at least holds off to the end. >> thank you very much. you can watch the debate tonight at 9:00 eastern, 6:00 pacific time right here on nbc. tomorrow on "today" we'll talk about it with vice president joe biden but right now the morning's other headlines with natalie standing by at the news desk. >> good morning to you, matt. good morning, everyone. security has been stepped up at the british hospital where a wounded pakistani girl is now being treated after a taliban assassination attempt. nbc's kir simmons has the latest from birmingham, england, good morning. >> reporter: overnight a number of people attempted to get close to emyumalala yousafzai's bed claiming they were member of her family. they said they were well wishers. the hospital has said she's been seen by six specialists. they are saying she is not out of the woods yet. all the same, one doctor quoted as saying she shows every sign as being as strong as we were led to believe, natalie.

>> thanks so much. two hikers missing for three days in montana's glacier national park have been rescued. the friends from virginia were reported missing friday after what was supposed to be an overnight hike. search teams worked through wintry conditions and found the men monday in good condition. the nationwide peanut butter recall has been expanded to include some whole peanuts. the heiines peanut calling is recalling 2 million pounds of peanuts in the shell, processed at the same plant as the center of the peanut butter salmonella outbreak. the peanuts were sold at walmart, general dollar and other stores. wall street is looking to build on monday's stock rebound. mary thompson is here from the new york stock exchange. >> reporter: the markets notched a good day thanks to strong retail sales numbers, the dow finishing the best day in a month and the nasdaq ending a six-day losing streak.

companies report including ibm and intel. amazon is reported to be hiring 50,000 temporary workers to make sure your packages get shipped by christmas. back to you. >> all right. mary thompson of the new york stock exchange, thanks. this dramatic video of a reckless stunt will hopefully serve as a warning to others. a young woman egged on by friends sticks her head out of a train window as another train approaches, and she appears visibly shaken by her near tragedy which has gone viral on youtube. and it is going to be on a lighter note ladies night at this year's golden globe awards. "thirty rock" star tiana faye will team up with amy poehler taking over from ricky gervais. the two have starred together on "baby momma" and on nbc's "saturday night live" and, of course, they have that great chemistry. can't wait to see it. 7:12. back over to savannah, matt and al. going to be great. >> it is, but the video of the train with the girl.

>> frightening. >> i know, it's shocking. >> idiotic. i'm sorry about that. >> but thanks for trying to put us in a better mood with the golden globes information. >> i'm sorry, how many times do you say to your kids. >> don't do that. >> very lucky. >> thanks, natalie. mr. rocker here with a check of the weather. >> big changes coming thanks to a system moving in from the pacific northwest. a lot of rain there, and we're looking at half an inch to an inch of rain, but the big thing with this front we'll be looking at warmer conditions and windy conditions. high wind watches and warnings and advisories from the pacific northwest all the way into kansas and then ahead of this frontal system we've got temperatures that are going to be anywhere from 5 to 15 degrees above normal. kansas city today getting up to 84. amarillo 10 degrees above normal with a high of 83. >> good morning.ing on we had a lot of rain yesterday. we will enjoy sunshine today.

high temperature i >> that's your latest weather. matt. >> all right, al. thanks very much. a hearing is under way in italy to decide if the captain of the ill-fated "costa concordia" will stand trial. he's accused, as you remember, of causing the shipwreck that killed 32 people back in january. nbc's michelle kosinksi is there this morning. michelle, good morning. >> reporter: hi, matt, guess what? the ship is still here nearly a year later. could be another year before they can float it away for scrap, and now it's just come out that it's beenburg rides out here. jewelry, paintings, furniture stolen. meantime, the captain's on trial for causing the wreck, but many survivors say he's just

something of a scapegoat. final responsibility lies with the american company that owns it all. francesco schettino sporting a dark tan and darker glasses arrived at court through a side door. it's actually a local theater being used for the preliminary hearings to accommodate the crowds from several nations. survivors, families of the 32 who did not make it off the "costa concordia." some said they just wanted to look the captain in the eye. also here, lawyers representing hundreds of passengers. >> we felt that he didn't seem very remorseful or very sorry about what has happened on the ship. seemed very confident. >> reporter: just as we've seen some of the panic on board, thousands of people scrambling for life boats, jumping into the water after the colossal ship struck rock too close to the island. now we hear the ship's black

box. that's captain schettino in those moments ordering the ship to be turned abruptly. schettino sat down with us in july. >> after the accident, of course, everybody was realizing that sooner or later maybe could there be an accident that was waiting to us. >> reporter: he said he owned up to his mistakes but has accused the company of pressuring captains to do these salutes. the company has said he alone made the decision to go off course and that he badly mishandled the aftermath. attorneys here for the victims though say responsibility lying ultimately at the very top with u.s.-based carnival. >> he made a horrible mistake, but, you know, he was allowed to make that mistake many times before without consequences so that's one of the big problems is the lack of discipline of the captains. carnival should know where its ships are and should know what they are doing, and they failed to discipline him, and if they had done it, this wouldn't have

happened. >> reporter: we talked to costa cruises this morning. they, again, blamed the whole thing on schettino calling his suggestion there might have been some kind of mechanical failure a colossal security. lawsuits against the parent companies allege other things like not enough crew training, language barriers, and somebody else is suing the company now, schettino. he wants his job back alleging wrongful termination. matt? >> all right, michelle kosinksi nibali this morning. michelle, thank you very much. savannah. representative jesse jackson jr. is facing new scrutiny this morning out of sight for much of the past four months now being investigated for possible misuse of campaign money. nbc's national investigative correspondent michael isikoff has more. michael, good morning to you. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. even while he runs for re-election jess gentlemen j hab boston absent from congress and the campaign trail for months undergoing medical treatment, his campaign says, for a bipolar disorder, but now he's facing another ominous threat, this

time from the fbi. >> making a statement. >> reporter: it's the latest probe into jesse jackson jr. law enforcement sources tell nbc news the fbi is in the final stages of an investigation into whether the illinois congressman used campaign funds for personal expenses that reportedly included decorating this washington, d.c. home which was briefly put on the market for $2.5 million last august. >> campaign finance laws clearly prohibits candidates from using their campaign funds for personal use. it's a blanket prohibition, so if mr. jackson was using his campaign funds to buy furniture for his home, that would be flat out illegal. >> reporter: a spokesman for jackson works hasn't been seen in public for months even while he runs for re-election, declined comment, but the sources say jackson's lawyers met with federal prosecutors in washington last week asking them to delay any decision on bringing charges until after the november election. the feds gave no assurances, said the sources. top illinois democrats monday

brushed off questions about the new probe. >> my thoughts are with the family. he's obviously dealing with some personal issues. >> reporter: but one illinois political analyst said that while jackson is likely to re-election the probe could ratchet up pressure for him to step down. >> the cumulative drip on a series of scandals certainly adds a great deal of pressure on him personally. >> we measure champions not how quickly they get knocked down but by quickly they get up. >> reporter: once a rising star in chicago politics, jackson has been engulfed in a swirl of controversies involving both his ethics and personal life. in 2009 jackson was investigated over allegations he directed a top fund-raiser to offer $1 million in campaign funds for then governor rod blagojevich in exchange for naming jackson to barack obama's senate seat. jackson denied any wrongdoing, and no charges were brought. according to an nbc news tally jackson has missed 225 consecutive roll call votes in

the house since last june when he took a leave of absence for treatment of what his staff called a mood disorder. >> we have a congressman who stopped talking, who is not communicating, for four months not said a word to anybody. >> reporter: sources tell nbc news that the fbi probe actually began before jackson took his leave of absence in june, and a spokesman for jackson confirmed the congressman hasn't been seen in his office since then. he's under his doctor's care, the spokesman said, and they have not okayed for him to come back to work. savannah? >> michael isikoff in washington, thank you. coming up, first lady michelle obama sits down with ryan seacrest and talks about how she feels when her husband is on the debate stage. >> so i'm perched. i'm looking at him. i'm smiling, giving a thumbs up if he can see it. with the lights you can just never tell. >> we'll have more of ryan ice interview, but first, this is "today" on nbc.

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.

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more concerts, more events, more experiences. [ jack ] hey, who's boring now? [ male announcer ] get more access with the citi card. [ crowd cheering, mouse clicks ] >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. the ravens defense will have to find a new approach. ray lewis is out for the season with the triceps injury. lardarius webb is also out for the season -- torn acl. he leads in interceptions. and the team is still hoping for the return of terrell suggs

after next week. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> a very busy rush on the west side, dealing with an accident i-70. blocking the left lane in both directions in the area of 5-7 in. these delays stretch back prior to reisterstown road. i delays. westminster, ridge road is shut down at wagoner rode with an accident there. delays continue down towards the 895 split. you also find some slowing on the north side. 38 minutes on the outer loop west side stretch, the worse spot at the moment. we have a left lane closure in each direction. very busy for motorists on the west side at i-70.

that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> at least the weather is nice and quiet. significantly cooler than the last couple of days. 47 at the airport, 46 in randallstown. we are going to call it mostly sunny. high temperatures this afternoon will climb in the mid-to-upper- 60's. it will be another nice day tomorrow. chance for rain comes in at the end of the week. chile's start fo when we lea

to continue working on those issues, but who knows? i mean, that's -- maybe that's one of the things i've learned, never say never. you never know what the future holds. >> that's michelle obama talking about ryan seacrest about her future plans. she also had a lot to say about the presidential debates, the first family and her guilty pleasure on the campaign trail. we'll have ryan's interview with the first lady coming up straight ahead. 7:30 now on a tuesday morning. it's the 16th day of october, 2012. i'm matt lauer alongside savannah guthrie. >> good morning, everybody. also ahead, a small town in maine really on edge this morning. first a local zumba instructor was accused of turning her

studio into a brothel. well, now a list of 21 alleged clients have been made public, and there are more names to come. we'll get a live report. >> someone's going to have some explaining to do. then "today's professionals" weigh in on big talkers, among them a high school that refused to let a teen mom pose for her senior yearbook photo with her baby. was it the right decision? we'll have more on that, but let's begin this half hour with "today" on the trail. today's special correspondent ryan seacrest caught up with the first lady michelle obama at a campaign event in ohio, and they talked a lot about things, including her early voting effort. >> so you cast your ballot today. >> i did it. i voted today. >> is it a bit surreal to vote for your husband for president? >> i would say that. it's interesting to see his name on the ballot, but it was rewarding, refreshing. you know, i am confident in my vote because i've seen this president in action for the last three and a half years. we've got health care now.

we're out of iraq. the economy is on the right track, so i'm -- i'm -- i voted for my husband. >> on the record. you voted via absentee ballot. does that take any fun out of it not going to the polls and seeing all the pomp and circumstance? >> you know, actually, as a busy mom, i'm still a working mom, i look for convenience, because who knows where i'll be on election day. there's no reason with early voting and absentee ballot voting that citizens in this country shouldn't be able to make their voices heard. >> well, as we speak your husband is preparing for debate number two. >> yes. >> and after debate number one he had said about you that you are his toughest critic. what did you say to him when the two of you walked backstage? >> i am and was and will continue to be so proud of my husband, and when i see him up on that stage, i still see the man that i fell in love with, that i'm proud of. he talked from his heart. he talks about values, so i gave

him a big hug and i said way to go. >> have you spoken to him about the prep because i know because he's been behind closed doors the last couple of days. >> i talk to him every night. our check-in is really about the kids. he wants to know what did we talk about at dinner. how is sasha doing? how is basketball? did malia win her game? >> you'll in the front row. >> i usually get a good seat. >> does he make eye contact with you? does he look at you for encouragement? >> you know. i can never tell, but i'm always primed just in case he is, so i'm -- i'm perched. i'm looking at him. i'm smiling. i'm giving a thumbs up if he can see it. with the lights you can never tell. i assume that he can, so i make sure i'm always giving him that positive love >> you said something about him that i wanted to ask you about. you said he'll go out of his way to inconvenience himself and take the heat to make sure you and the girls experience as few bumps as possible so what's an example of that? >> gosh, there's so many ways,

but i think one of the things that he does is that when he walks in the door, he's barack, and he's dad. i am -- i am always astounded when i read in the paper or i talk to some advisers and i found out what he's actually dealt with in any given day, but when we sit down to dinner, you know, he let's that all go for that moment. he is there for me. he is there for sasha and malia, and he's there as a dad. >> both of you trying to achieve that balance with intense schedules. your schedule is very impressive. do you get a chance to stick to a normal healthy diet. do you get a chance to exercise? what's life like on the road for you? >> we have a lot of support so i can't even begin to complain. we can bring food on the plane. we've got good food on the plane so i'll make sure that if i don't like what they are serving i'll bring a sandwich. >> you've got a lunch box. >> yeah, i do, i live the white house with a little carrier, got my salad and my veggies and my

turkey chili, an easy thing to eat on the road. >> do you have a guilty pleasure when you travel? for me it's peanut m & ms. >> i'm a big peanut m & m fan but you know what, reese cups. i like the peanut butter and the peanut butter and chocolate. >> that's a go-to thing. once you start, you can't stop. >> back to malia and sasha. what do you think has been the most eye-opening for the girls since they have been at the white house? >> you know, i haven't had a chance to let me ask them. let me tell you who these girls have met, nelson mandela, the dalai lama, the queen of england. >> pretty good education. >> this is their play list of meeting people. that's why, you know, when people ask me, the kids, how do they manage? we feel so bad. normal lives, and, you know, this has been a wonderful experience for them, and, you know, there's no way that they or us or anyone could complain about the -- about the minor inconvenience that come along with being the president's

daughters. >> there's no doubt that you've had to sacrifice a great deal for this life, and i'm wondering at the end of your time at the white house, since your husband has had a chance to pursue his dream. >> yeah. >> is it his turn then to support you in what you want to do, and if so, what would that be? >> yeah. that's a good question. i mean, in some ways he's supporting me now as first lady. i mean, the fact that i have complete discretion over the issues that i choose, and in order to do that i've got to have a president who is going to have my back around the issues that i care about, so childhood obesity is directly linked to his desire to make sure that we have a healthy nation. the support that he's given me and the long leash to really reach out to military families and be that spokesperson, you know, has been great, so when we leave here i want to continue working on those issues, but who knows. you never know what the future

holds, and who knows what life will look like in another five years when this is over, and i know that whatever i do he'll be right there with me as he always has been. >> that's the first lady, michelle obama with ryan seacrest, and a reminder can you watch the second presidential debate tonight 9:00 eastern, 6:00 pacific right here on nbc. >> all right. we'll get a check of the weather now from al. good morning. got a gorgeous day here, but we had a beautiful night a few nights ago, up over norway. northern norway. this is the result of a coronal mass ejection from the sun, super radiation hitting from the atmosphere and hitting the aurora borealis. that is spectacular. let's see what we've got. right now we've got hurricane rafael, 395 miles.

it is currently south of bermuda. 85-mile-per-hour winds moving northeast at about 16 miles per hour. it's going to skirt to the east of bermuda. they have tropical storm warnings up. they will probably get about 2 to 4 inches of rain and some pretty windy conditions, but other than that, not too bad. the rest of the country today, morning showers up in new england. got wet weather, windy conditions in the pacific northwest and plenty of sunshine through the gulf coast on into the mid-atlantic states. beautiful day here in the northeast and in new england with temperatures in the low to mid-60s. that's what's going on around t' >> good morning. it will be a nice day today. no revenue in the forecast. we expect mostly sunny skies -- no

>> that's your latest weather. why are you guys hiding? >> it's so cold. >> you're just huddling for warmth. >> oh, okay. >> you were on tv so you shouldn't hide, okay. let's go back into matt. >> all right, al. thank you very much. coming up next, the prostitution scandal involving a small town zumba instructor. this morning a partial list of her alleged clients is out. we'll go there live, and a little later on savannah gets some much-needed, much-needed help in the kitchen from chef bobby flay. man the fire extinguishers, but, first, these messages. oh the kids would love this hot wheels wall tracks with monster jumper. i think they're gonna love this, leapfrog leappad2 with games and apps. i say we flip a coin. you mean with your double-headed coin? you know you could put both those things on layaway and pay a little at a time. awesome!! awesome!! high-five? [ mom ] mmm, you and your trick coin...

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♪ it's all that sweet ever needs to be. new nectresse. sweetness naturally. back now at 7:42 with a new development in the sex scandal involving a local zumba instructor. it has rocked a small town in maine. a list of some of her alleged clients is now public. nbc's katy tur is in kennebunk with more. >> reporter: kennebunk expected 100 plus names to come out yesterday. what they got just over 20 meaning the small town drama is

anything but nearing its end. a modern day "scarlet letter" story set but where else, new england. 21 names of 21 men who now stand publicly accused of paying for sex with this woman. alexis wright, the local zumba dance teacher. in this picturesque escape the scandal and the list of johns are the talk of the town. >> there's no pride in them. i feel like that they have no class. >> it's an unfortunate situation. i'm not -- i'm not happy about it. >> reporter: in court filings monday the lawyer for two of the alleged clients unsuccessfully argued to have the names sealed forever claiming their constitutional right to privacy was at stake. >> it's obviously devastating and people are presumed innocent, yet in this particular -- with this particular type of crime the allegation itself is -- is damaging. >> reporter: wright allegedly

sold sex out of this dance studio and secretly videotaped the encounters. prosecutors say they have comprehensive ledgers listing clients, acts and prices to convict wright on 106 counts of prostitution and promoting prostitution. both wright and her alleged business partner mark strong have pleaded not guilty. wright's lawyer says her client is not a monster. >> i think you'd find she's like many 29-year-old women you'd meet. she's bubbly. she's kind. she's volunteered in her neighborhood. she tries her best to be the best possible mother to her son that she can be. >> reporter: and adds that the 29-year-old is reeling from the pain the release of names is causing. >> she doesn't want any of their families to have to go through the suffering that her family is going through, and she just assume that their names be left entirely out of it frankly. >> reporter: names now out, some

in the town are trying to tout its unwavering pride as others try to capitalize on its shame. again, this is not the end for this small town of 10,000. more names will be released as this investigation continues. savannah? >> katy tur, thank you, star jones former prosecutor and legal analyst. good morning to you. >> good morning, savannah. >> the reason the court is releasing the names of these men because it is a crime in maine to solicit prostitution. >> yes, indeed, it's a misdemeanor. however, just like any other crime, this local practice forced the police to release the names in what they cole the police blotter every couple of weeks. they tried to stop that from happening in this case. >> the defense attorney made an argument that the mere allegation was damaging to their client. do they have a case, isn't that true of anybody that's crime? >> first of all, everybody is innocent unless and until proven

guilty so what makes this crime more special, if you want to say it's not a violent crime, well, what about insurance fraud? what about some other lack of confidence for the public kind of case? it would be damaging to anybody if their name came out and if they were truly an innocent person. they are being treated the same. when a public trial is not in public, then in some ways it dilutes the confidence of the rest of us that people are being treated the same. >> the defense lawyer made an argument the judge should consider what the release of the names would do to the families and children. >> i think the men should have thought about what doing this kind of zumba would do. that's the bigger issue. the bigger purpose is to make sure there's fairness and justice, and that's what they are doing. >> could these men then be forced to testify against her at trial? i mean, could they cut a deal with prosecutors and then testify against her and say, yeah, okay, i was a client.

>> you're looking at somebody at the very most they will have to pay a $200 fine. that's what the criminal liability, is but the personal liability is so much bigger. the best advice that anybody could be giving is pay the $200 fine and walk away really quickly and put your head down and try to get your wife and your kids to forgive you. >> she allegedly videotaped these encounters, something i assume we'll see at the trial when we get there. would the men have a claim against her for invasion of privacy? >> oh, yeah. she's been charged criminally with invasion of privacy. if in fact there's money to be gotten, you would expect lawsuits to come along with it. that's the least of their worries, as you might say, savannah. they have a lot of explaining to do. >> at home. star, thank you. >> we'll see you in a bit for "today's professionals q."plus on trending, jennifer anniston's first interview since her engagement. she choked up talking about her fiance, but first these messages. m bonnie, and this is . i don't have time for the flu. that's why i'm knocking things off my to-do list. vitamin d, done!

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no national bike through the leaves day or pick out your pumpkin day, but there is a way to celebrate all these days with pillsbury halloween funfetti. a perfectly sweet way to celebrate more every day. not quite knowing what the next phase was going to be, you know, because you been, you know, this is what you had been doing.

you know, working, working, working, working, working, working. and now you're talking about, well you know, i won't be, and i get the chance to spend more time with my wife and my kids. it's my world. that's my world. ♪ with all eyes on tonight's presidential debate, pizza hut thought it might be an opportunity to rise a wave of attention with a contest, but now the company is doing some backtracking on that idea. nbc's kerry sanders is in ft. lauderdale to explain. kerry, what's up? >> reporter: well, good morning, matt. on paper this must have sounded like one of those can't miss publicity gimmicks. at the debate the candidates will be asked questions directly from members of the audience, so pizza hut now it would be cute

if somebody in the audience asked the candidate sausage or pepperoni. >> hello. that's right. >> reporter: the online commercial was taken down from youtube by pizza hut. >> the next debate is town hall style which means real people ask real questions. >> reporter: idea was plant the question in the audience at the debate. >> if someone asks a question about the pizza during the next debate on october 16th, pizza hut will supply them with free pizza for life. >> reporter: but the pizza giant with more than 6,000 restaurants in the united states did not anticipate the backlash. >> not really a question you should be asking people that are going to be the leader of the free world. >> it's an advertising ploy, and i don't think that that has a place in politics. >> reporter: some customers who have seen both candidates enjoying slices across america say the negative reactions are humorless. >> there always has to be a little humor in debates, so this creates a little humor. >> reporter: but when this was

on youtube on pizza hut's own youtube channel, some customers posted absolutely disgusting promotion and terrible idea. this is serious. on twitter, if pizza hut thinks asking a pizza question at the debate is important, then it is important that i never order another pizza from them. and then the headlines followed, including this one on gawker. want free pizza hut pizza for life? just make a mockery of the american democratic system on live tv. on comedy central. >> folks, i love this. what could be more american than using our electoral process for product placement? >> reporter: we've heard silly questions to candidates before. >> mr. president, the world's dying to know. is it boxers or briefs? >> usually briefs. >> reporter: but marketing executives say it's a different

time in america. >> the debate isn't about whether pizza hut's campaign is humorous or not. the debate is really is it appropriate for a brand to insert itself commercially into a public forum? >> reporter: pizza hut says that the contest is now online so everyone can participate, not just those at the debate tonight. they do say, however, if somebody does ask that question at the debate, they will still honor the free pizza offer. matt. >> all right, kerry, thanks very much. donny deutsch, the ad guy and image guy is here. are you now going to stop advising pizza hut? >> actually it's a brilliant idea you. >> really like the idea? >> beyond the obvious that we're in a discussion here, i mean, we do have this complete blending of immediate why and celebrity and politics and commercialism. a lot of people would go yuk, but a lot of young people, the core pizza audience would say cool pizza hut. it's crass but very effective. >> it's crass. >> only you would think it's cool. >> i didn't say it was cool.

>> you need to put both fingers in your ears to block out the boos. >> somebody will ask. >> but it will drive pizza sales. >> all right, donny, thanks. we're back after your local news and weather. gotta start the day off right. wardrobe. cute. then new activia breakfast blend. a great way to help start the day. mmm... creamy lowfat yogurt with grains in yummy breakfast flavors, like apple cinnamon. its hearty, with twice the protein of regular lowfat yogurt and helps regulate your digestive system. our morning routines are important, aren't they? new activia breakfast blend. of green giant vegetables it's easy to eat like a giant... ♪ and feel like a green giant. ♪ ho ho ho ♪ green giant

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>> this is wbal tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> it is 7:56. >> good morning, bad news on the west side. we have a new accident on the northwest corner. westbound 100 at ritchie highway as an accident backing up traffic. on the west side, the outer loop has a new accident adding to the delays. that continues down the west side. the inner loop of washington boulevard has a crash at coppermine terrace. in westminster, ridge road and

remains close due to an active and we're looking at delays from the beltway into town from the southbound jfx beginning of reisterstown road. southbound 83 is tied up coming down from timonium road. this is a live view of traffic at i-70. traffic on the outer loop is the pace of things all the way down and watch for the additional accident at reisterstown road. >> good morning, at least the weather is nice and quiet today and no rain to contend with but it is chillier than yesterday. the rain we had yesterday is now pushing off the new england coast and high pressure will take control here. for a couple of days. mostly sunny skies today in a few-clouds but generally sunny

with high temperatures between 63-68. another nice day tomorrow with sunshine, around 70 degrees and the next chance of rain will

8:00. it's october 16, 2012. the sun is shining out here on the plaza, and the band is playing one of my favorite songs of all times. duran duran's epic "hungry like a wolf." >> is our way of teasing that we're going to teach you how to cook. >> no, something more exciting is happening. john taylor the bassist from duran tran to is here. we'll talk to him about his memoir. i was his biggest fan as a teenager. i once met john taylor. he was trying to have a lunch at a hotel in tucson, arizona. i was 13 years old.

he was my idol. i saw him. we stopped hip. we watched him, and when he got up to leave the table where he was having a lunch by the pool, my little girlfriends and i went out and stole his plastic fork, and i kept that for decades. >> in fact, you had dna made. >> and right now john taylor is about to stand up and leave. >> run, john, now. run. >> i know, i'm sorry. anyway, so excited to have him. we'll talk to him in a little bit. >> what a cute creepy story. >> i know, little stalker. >> also "today's professionals" are in the house and we'll talk to them about a controversy brewing at a local concert hall that has fans of jay-z a little upset. >> interesting. >> that's because they went through metal detectors. >> that's right, when barbra streisand fans were only hand-wanted. >> a topic for the professionals. >> you know bobby flay as a chef, cook book author, talk show host. now bobby flay miracle worker.

he will be teaching savannah how to cook. >> oh, my. menacing with the knives there. >> such a big fan of his. i stole his handkerchief one time. >> it happens. before we get to all that have let's check in with natalie morales with the top stories. natalie, good morning again. >> good morning, everyone. president obama and republican rival mitt romney face off in their second high-stakes debate tonight. the town hall style debate at hofstra university on long island offers both candidates a chance for a breakout moment just three weeks before the election. secretary of state hillary clinton says house republicans should blame her and not the president for security issues at the u.s. consulate in libya. an attack by extremists last month killed the u.s. ambassador and three other americans. clinton said monday that security at diplomatic missions is her job and not that of the white house, but critics say the buck stops with the commander in chief. security was stepped up this morning at the british hospital where wounded pakistani teenager

malala yousafzai arrived monday for treatment. officials say several people were stopped overnight while trying to reach malala, but they were apparently well-wishers. the taliban targeted the 14-year-old because she supports education for women. well, now here's brian williams with a look at what's coming up tonight on "nbc nightly news." brian? technical difficulties there. we apologize for that. a lack at what's trending, our quick roundup of what has you talking online. fans are watching this video of jennifer anniston speaking publicly for the first time about her engagement to writer and actor justin theroux. she got choked up while talking to chelsea handler on monday's show. >> you are engaged. >> yes. [ cheers and applause ] >> oh. are you so happy?

>> i just got per clumpt. >> justin popped the question to jennifer back in august during a romantic dinner in new york. it may be true that cats have nine lives. a mechanic found a kitten near an axel after the man brought the truck in complaining that it was meowing. the mechanic posted the video of this unusual rescue. the mechanic who has a 3-year-old daughter has adopted it. they found a new home. and justin bieber and nicki minaj's new music video has been only out since the weekend. it's already setting a new standard. take a listen. ♪ let the music make you move ♪ baby, do it like you do >> the video for "beauty and the beast" broke the record for most views in a day with more than 24 million hits. it is now 8:04.

let's go back to brian williams to see what's coming up tonight on "nbc nightly news." >> natalie, good morning. coming up tonight, we're doing a series this week called what's the alternative about what we used to call alternative medicine. it's now called complementary because it's supposed to complement regular medicine. tonight, how they go back pain these days in alternative ways that. and more when we see you tonight for "nightly news." natalie, back to you. >> thanks to brian. now let's go out to al roker for a check of your weather. hey, al. >> what's your name? >> claire. >> claire, where you from? >> texas. >> all right, texas. good to see you. a little chillier here than texas. hope you're all nice and warm. let's see what we have for you. pick city today happens to be rochester, minnesota. kttc. congratulations on winning that morning emmy there for you. morning clouds giving way to sunshine. news team doing great there. 70 degrees, and as we see wet weather moving off of the new england coast. we've got heavy rain in the pacific northwest with a lot of wind. cooler conditions making their

way into the upper mississippi river valley with some showers there. look for plenty of sunshine >> good morning. we had a lot of rain yesterday. we will enjoy sunshine today. high temperature i >> got some nice folks here promoting the lewy body comment a organization, check it out, lbda.org. safe in a? >> all right, al, thank you. coming up next, a school prevented a teen mother from posing in the school yearbook with her baby. is that the right call?

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>> let's start at the barclays center, the new home to the nets of the nba and home to a couple of high profile concerts. jay-z performed out there and this last weekend it was barbra streisand. when jay-z performed fans heading into that arena were put through full metal detectors, the kind you see in an airport and you walk through. this weekend when barbra streisand walked through there their fans were hand-wanted. the barclays arena says they are experimenting with different forms of security. anybody here think there was a different reason? >> of course there was, and i have no problem with it. security is a business, and the same way in certain schools or certain areas, that there could be more propensity to an issue, and i don't think it's even a black/white issue. i think it's a youth issue. i have a feeling at the meadowlands, if you had a technoconcert versus a crosby stills nash concert would you have more security. this is reality. this is not a moral judgment.

this is a business security decision. >> star? >> i was there at the jay-z concert and the went through the metal detectors. one, it didn't bother me in the least. would i prefer to have the metal detectors be consistent because there is a double standard. >> yes, there is. >> the question is whether or not the brooklyn barclays center had any reason to believe that there might be additional reason for security or were they just racially profiling? as a brooklyn prosecutor, i might have gotten a report beforehand that they might have needed additional security. if not, i don't think they should have been different. >> is it fair to say if they did research of the last 20 years of incidents at rap concerts versus a barbra streisand or celine dion concert, is it fair to say probably there's a higher propensity of crime in the former? >> i would say there's a higher propensity for some sort of violent reaction or response. a lot of the lyrics lend themselves to a little more of that kind of reaction. >> i think it's age. it's race, too. >> it is. >> and is it profiling, absolutely, absolutely.

>> the barclays center denies it. >> come on. >> they deny that racial profiling was involved in the matter, and they say that going forward they will use only the wands which they found to be just as effective as the traditional detectors. >> because they got caught. >> it's not wrong, guys, and i also think it's very youth driven. >> but then address it. >> i'd much prefer you to just call it what it is. >> let's move on. >> okay. a high school in northern minnesota. the students there, 100 of them signed a petition. they want a memorial page in the yearbook to pay tribute to a student who committed suicide back in january. the school says no. that memorial page will not be included. is suicide something that should not be and cannot be addressed in a yearbook? >> for that school to deny that is atrocious. it's disgusting. obviously it's a horrible sad story, tragic story this. boy was in that class and to not acknowledge that is -- is disgusting.

>> donny, you're 100% right in this regard. there's no way you do not -- if the child was killed in a car accident you would acknowledge it? this was a member of their class, and i completely disagree with the school. >> you know, it's funny. i read that some parents and some of the faculty were concerned that this was a troubled child or -- >> of course it was a troubled child. >> or they would encourage other suicides, and we know -- the reality -- >> don't put it in the yearbook. >> if this child died of cancer or a car accident there would have been a different kind of tribute. this is a very antiquated approach of dealing with a tragedy. >> same school, same yearbook, a senior, a woman, wanted to pose with her child. she's a teen mom. >> right. >> the school said no to that as well. right or wrong? >> correct. this is not family reunion time. this is senior class photo time. >> 100%. >> not even a question. not a question of, you know -- >> i don't care that she's a

teen mom. >> skipping to the end here. brad pitt is the new face of chanel number 5, the iconic perfume, they are giving him $7 million to be in these ads. are you more likely, are women more likely to go out and buy chanel number 5? >> it's the perfume i wear, my fragrance of choice. i saw this ad yesterday and my neck sort of snapped. it is a fabulous ad, and in the newspapers it shot almost three-quarters from behind. i think it's amazing. >> i like brad pitt and i'm sitting here thinking if i wear chanel number 5 maybe somebody that looks at brad pitt and might smell me, it works. >> such an old fragrance. >> a brilliant idea, but what's even more interesting, and i'll announce it on air. >> you wear it, too. >> they are bringing back high karate cologne and matt lauer is a spokesperson. >> i thought i could smell english leather on you this morning. >> you guys can continue to discuss amongst yourselves.

nice to see you guys. >> you, too, matt. >> up next, bobby flay takes on the greatest challenge of his professional life. can he teach savannah how to cook? >> let me just plate this. >> gorgeous. about their body washes. i wouldn't change. [ female announcer ] this test paper was designed to react like your skin. if other body washes can strip this paper, imagine how harsh they can be to your skin. oh my gosh. [ female announcer ] new dove is different. its new breakthrough formula changes everything with the blend of gentle cleansers and nourishing nutrium moisture. so what do you think now? definitely switching to dove. [ female announcer ] this is new. this is different. this is care. that's been wrapped in a flaky crust stuffed with a gooey center toasted up all golden brown then given a delicious design? a toaster strudel. pillsbury toaster strudel. so delicious...so fun.

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[ knock on door ] your bs, sir. both: finally! one taste, and you'll understand. enjoy dunkin' donuts coffee anytime. pick some up where you buy groceries. something's in the oven and i think it's starting to burn. >> back now at 8:19 with a special series called "savannah's cooking school." no secret around here that our friend savannah lacks certain

skills in the kitchen. >> or any skills. >> i love food so it's a little hard to admit, a little embarrassing, but this week i'm trying to turn over a new leaf from w some lessons with our good friend bobby flay. >> i'm going to try. >> big bone. >> julia. >> tons and tons of flavor. >> giada. >> go. >> savannah? >> one of these three is not like the other. >> sweet potatoes. >> yes. >> that's the orange thing. >> i am no cook, if it's not obvious. >> you know the broiler. >> the top part. >> some people have a talent in the kitchen. i'm not one of those people. >> oh, my gosh. i broke my glass. >> there's truly nothing i can do in the kitchen. let's move on. ♪ baby i'm bad news >> my mom cooked dinner every single night so i have no excuses. >> all my kids cook. well, all my kids except for savannah. >> well, i guess i've just given up. totally given up. >> oh, you should see her cook book. she has a library of cook books.

she loves to look at pictures i guess. >> and though i may be culinarily challenged, a girl can dreaming right? what if i had my own cooking show. ♪ hi, everybody, and welcome to another episode of "ing is's cooking with savannah." today we are going to make dinner, and, boy do i have an appetite. i think we're going to make five cheese lasagna. it's a little more difficult than the three or four cheese lasagnas, but i think we can handle it. so, first what you do is you take the box out of the freezer. then you're going to have to take it out of the box.

some people like to use a knife for this. i have a little more experience. i can use my bare hands. you need to ventilate the dinner, so what you need to carefully do is place puncture holes into the dinner. this allows the lasagna to breathe. it needs to breathe when it's in the microwave. the next step is to place it in the microwave. come over with me. now, this is a state of the art microwave which turns so you don't have to stop and turn it halfway through. you simply press, time cook and ent enter 7:00. that's because the directions say it should cook for 7:00. then, you wait for 7:00. hear that sound? music to my ears. dinner is ready, and you have to be very, very careful because it

is hot. h-o-t, hot. simply scoop your lasagna on to the plate. one thing i like to do is drizzle kind of some of the sauce on the top. this makes it look good and adds that special something. dinner is served. seven minutes. well, now that we've had such a great time making dinner, i thought i'd do a bonus meal and make some lunch. one of the favorite things i like to make is a classic. peanut butter and jelly. creamy or chunky. i think you know what i like, creamy. take a huge scoop of it, and don't be shy, and place it on the bread. this is a little tip from me to you. use the same exact knife and put it in the jelly. then you only have one utensil to wash.

and then place the bread on top. now something i do with my peanut butter and jelly that i think makes it a little special is how i slice it. here's the finished product rate here. i like to do it in three strips because i think that just makes pb & j a little bit more exciting. you've done a great job, everybody, and now it's time to enjoy the fruits of our labor. let's eat. here we go. i don't know about you, everybody, but i don't think there's anything so satisfying as a delicious home-cooked meal. mmm, delicious. and i love the red wine. hope you enjoyed it as much as i did, everybody. this has been "something's cooking with savannah." have a great day. cheers.

okay. >> hold on, al and i have to go get a haircut. >> that whole thing scares me because it just proves that everybody can have a cooking show. >> who can get a bone in peanut butter and jelly. >> now you see your work is cut out for you. >> yeah it is. >> only giving me three and a half and four-minute segments. i requested a fifth hour of the "today" show. they said they couldn't do that. we'll start with the basics, chicken stock, tomato stock and then we'll move on to completed chicken dishes and then you're on your own. >> and friday you're going to make dinner for us. >> you would do it for us. >> the question is what did we ever do to you? i expect you to be encouraging in this new venture. >> stomach aches and ulcers standing by. >> thanks, bob. >> looking forward to it. >> peanut butter and gelly is actually really good. >> thank you so much. it's a gift. it's a gift. >> duran duran coming up. >> after your local news.

>> good morning, it is 8:26. let's get a final check on that morning commute. >> good morning, still some slowdowns out there. very heavy delays and the west side at 8 miles per hour on the outer loop just past the jfx down the west side. there are several accidents out of the way it impacting your ride. eastbound i-70 coming in to the beltway and rena road is closed in westminster to an accident and a slow go at 543 and philadelphia road. eastbound 100 at snowden river

parkway, there is an accident and we're dealing with a crash northbound i-95 at 175. southbound to 95 has delays getting from 432. look at the heavy delays of 97 north and southbound from route 50. allied view of traffic on the beltway. -- alive view of traffic on the beltway. the northwest corner of the belt way of reisterstown road, as a slowdown in each direction that is the latest on traffic. >> good morning, a busy traffic but nothing going on with the weather. cooler than yesterday but dry. 49 degrees in rising sun. it will be a nice day today but cooler. mostly sunny with high temperature is 63-68 degrees. a nice day tomorrow with sunshine and close to 70 and chance of rain coming in at the end of the week and a chilly

start to the weekend on saturday. >> thank you for joining us and we're back with another update at 8:56. 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.

we're back now at 83:00 on this tuesday morning. it's the 16th day of october, 2012. you're looking down at the rock center rink which was just opened, and that is the synchronized skating team known as the skyliners getting ready for a special live performance. i understand natalie caught up with them and may have a trick or two up her sleeve as well. out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer

along with savannah guthrie and al roker what. else is coming up? >> well, it's a big day around here. we all remember the '80s. all love duran duran if we had any sense in our brains at all. john taylor, one of the founding members of the band, is here. he's out with a revealing new memoir to take us back through those days, the journey. very excited to talk to him and catch up with him in a few minutes live from our studios. >> wants to keep a certain distance from me and i don't blame him. >> actually quarantined him. >> the restraining order provides that specifically. >> and then a little bit later on martha stewart is in the house. she's going to get spooky with it and help us -- show us had you to make some fun crafts for halloween with our kids. >> some of these are really good. looking forward to that. meanwhile a check of the weather. >> i do indeedy do. let's show you what we've got for today. plenty of sunshine here in the east. we've got windy conditions back through the central plains. wet and windy in the pacific northwest. warm through the southwest and on into southern california. tomorrow we've got a risk of

strong storms in the lower mississippi river valley. wet weather up into the great lakes. out west a spectacular day through the southwest. sunny and cool here in the middle atlantic states and the northe >> good morning. it will be a nice day today. no revenue in the forecast. we expect mostly sunny skies -- no >> an that's your latest weather. >> mr. roker, thank you very much. look who is here. chris rock is joining us this morning. >> look at you, tally. chris, how are you?

>> how are you, matt? >> i'm doing okay. >> i'm good, man. >> you should be good. "madagascar 3" debuted $663 million at box office. >> i get half of that. >> are you getting ready to -- to let families see this for -- are you going to keep doing these until madagascar 9 and 10? >> as long as they pay me, matt. >> already half a billion. >> even when they cut it in half, i still might take it. >> go ahead. >> you give this interview to the "new york times" and you said you hadn't done dirty work in a while and getting ready to curse and be that bad boy again. that's not going to happen in "madagascar." >> no, no. >> you going on tour again? >> maybe. me and chapelle have been working out to get stuff together so we'll see. >> is that even allowed? >> it is allowed, al. >> sounds dangerous. >> could be pretty dangerous. >> speaking of the ad libbing and dangerous stuff, is there an

outtake reel for your sessions on "madagascar 3" that i could get ahold of. >> i always do really dirty stuff for the convention and whatever when the dreamworks folks gets together. >> circus afro, was that an ad-lib. >> that was an ad-lib. my daughter lola was at the studio. bored out of her mind and i was trying to get her up more than anything. >> by the way, we have a few people wearing the look. what do you think? >> yes. comes out today on dvd. >> really, didn't-ins. >> dvd. >> you're a fan of politics. if you could ask one question at the debate tonight, what would you ask? be careful, it's morning tv. >> why would you go there? >> well, you ask different guys different things. mitt romney, my god, no one prepared me for this. >> yeah. >> yankees or tigers? >> what's your answer to that? >> z brass. >> i'm a yankee guy.

going to be tough, verlander. jeter with a broken leg. >> not good. >> broken leg. >> chris rock, "madagascar 3." can you see it here. >> with the afro wig. >> with the afro wig if you don't already have one. >> we'll be back with john taylor of duran duran. this is "today" on nbc.

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. back now at 8:37 with the founding member of one of my favorite bands growing up, john taylor, the bass player for duran duran. his band became one of the biggest in the world in the 1980s with hits like "hungry like the wolf." and to date the band has sold more than 80 million albums. now john has written his memoir "in the pleasure groove." general taylor of duran duran,

good morning. i promise not to stalk. >> it's okay. >> you've written this memoir, tells a very personal story but not a dishy tell-all. >> i wanted to memorialize my parents actually. i lost my dad a couple years ago and soild sold tld the house i up. i wanted to talk about the house i grew up in birmg him in the '60s and '70s and meeting nick and getting sober and, of course, the crazy years. particularly the early '80s, the fun part of the '80s which was a really creative and dynamic time i think for pop culture. >> it is in a way a love letter to your parents. you talk about your childhood. here you end up becoming a rock star but you weren't necessarily musical as a kid. >> no, not at all. i came of age around the time the sex pistols came along and they said the less you are the best you are suited for making music right now. i didn't know a lot. >> you described yourself as shy, and here you've become not

the front man. i guess simon was the front man. >> definitely got a lot of attention for a bass player, not what i had in mind. i was in a quiet spot in the corner of the stage, but, yeah. >> you were in a moment in the '80s were videos were the thing, and you -- this band really captured and embodied that moment. when we look at "rio" or "hungry like the wolf," right here, were there stylers and producers or was this all you guys? >> we had done it very cheaply. the four of us had gone on a vacation together and the film crew came and jumped on the back end of the vacation. sri lanka, stopped off on the way to australia. they were made on a shoestring, those videos >> you mentioned a couple of moments ago your struggle with addiction. this was the '80s. you were the hottest rock star in the world. there must have been temptations everywhere. >> there was temptation everywhere, yes, but, i mean, for the most part it was -- yeah, i mean, you know, you just

get involved. part of telling of the story was -- was like i think in a way if you had been there, would you have done it, too. you know, i had a wonderful upbringing. my parents were fabulous, but nothing could have prepared me quite for the madness that came along around about 1983 i think it was >> i think it's so interesting what you ultimately conclude about what caused you to fall into that. you said you were basically battling crushing loneliness, and you write i'm trying to live away from home, live on the road, live out of suitcases and hotel rooms and buses and not die of loneliness. i missed home. missed many and dad. i didn't know that then. that's heartbreaking. >> not easy to admit to it as a guy. we don't like to admit to loneliness. >> there were a lot of girls, be honest. >> but it didn't make up for what was going on. no compensating for it, and it took a long time for me and you start using drugs and alcohol to compound that and then you get into the shame cycle and you're

screwed. >> and you said you had -- it led to problems with your band mates. >> well, it did, although i have to say it never really got too badly in the way. there was one story that i told about, you know, i made a real mess of things, and i bust up my hand and they had to play a couple of shows without me and that really messed me up, you know, because i felt like i had started the band and to watch the band play from the side of the stage, that was -- that was a real punishment. we wouldn't do that now. >> how do you look on that time now? i mean, there was that moment where you couldn't sit and try to eat lunch without little teenage girls -- >> without somebody coming along. >> and stealing your plastic fork. i guess i wonder how do you feel about that time now? >> i feel great about it. so proud to be a part of something that has had, you know, been impactful in so many people's lives, and, you know, i think of you like a movement we have them everywhere. we go and have friends. i think when you've got that many songs that have touched people over the years, you've

got a lot of friends that you don't even know. >> nice to meet you in person all these years later since i was too shy back then. general taylor, thank you. >> thank you. >> and the book is called "in the pleasure groove." coming up next, natalie goes on the rink with the skyliners, but first, this is "today" on nbc.

and this morning on "today at the rink," opening day of this institution and the opening performance comes from synchronized performers. >> they are called the skyliners and natalie checked them out. >> we've seen it in water. and in the gym. now the art of synchronization has hit the ice. with speed and precision.

>> it gives these kids an opportunity to develop life skills that they can carry through the rest of their lives knowing how to work as a team and knowing how to compromise. >> the skyliners junior and senior teams represent the usa on the world stage. >> it's very competitive, but it's also like dance, and it's like choreography. it's really fun to do. >> they will be the first to perform on the historic rockefeller center ice rink this season, and yesterday i went to check out their final rehearsal. hi, skyliners. come join us. >> before i knew it. >> it should be interesting. >> they pulled me on to the ice. >> take it easy on me. >> we started with a little warmup so i could get my skating legs under me. >> have to get our inner divas going. >> inner divas. >> okay. >> good. i think i'm warmed up. >> then very carefully i tried a few moms. >> where's savannah guthrie. savannah, do this with me. ♪ i'm a single lady ♪ i'm a single lady ♪ put your hands up

>> little did i know trouble was stirring nearby. this thing ready? >> reddy. >> just as i was starting to get the hang of all this. >> natalie better get out of way. >> someone crashed my party. >> time to clear the eyes. >> got a big truck, baby, and i'm not afraid to use it. we've got a job to do. let's pick it up. >> s-k-y, sky seniors usa. >> go power rangers. >> and now here to perform live, ladies and gentlemen, the skyliners.

♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ >> there's our little skating star natalie morales. wow. and the judges give you a 10. >> matt, what do you give her? >> what are you giving her?

>> i was totally not synchronized. >> great. how do you feel? >> scary. most frightening thing i've ever done. >> how did she do, ladies? >> they were great. they deserve, fabulous. >> here you go, my dear. >> thank you, thank you. >> i'm going to give these. >> ladies and gentlemen, the skyliners. thank you again with miss natalie morales. honorary member. you get to keep that outfit on. >> no. i'm going to go change right now. >> coming up, martha stewart and her halloween hints, but first this is "today" on nbc. hundred and eighty million dollars for maryland schools. that's a lot of money. my classroom. games and a new casino for maryland. million more for education every year. the money goes where it's supposed to. it's the law. this is about our kids. this is about better schools. seven. i'm voting for question seven. i'm voting for question seven.

and this morning on "martha on today," halloween good things. martha stewart is here with some very simple ideas to make your halloween a little more festive. they are all from the pages of "the best of martha stewart halloween handbook. "with the martha, nice to see you. good morning. >> good morning. every year we do something big for halloween and this year it's the fabulous handbook.

we have all kinds of great stuff to do that are simple, inexpensive, and these little bats. >> we're making the batmobile. >> little bat sort of tree for your house. >> how do you do this? how hard is it? >> paint some branches from the yard black. pick some fallen branches, okay, and then we have a template, beautiful template for beautiful-sized bats on our website, marthastewart.com and fold the black craft paper in half and trace the wings with your white pencil. >> and basically cut them out. >> yes. >> okay. >> and then we have little lines where you fold the bat so that it moves a little bit. sew it with a piece of thread and a needle, and then just tie it on the tree. >> cool. that's good. >> kids can help. >> it's a little scary and children love bats. ew. one flew into me yesterday at my farm. >> a lot of people don't like

halloween and don't want to answer the door every five minutes so they leave candy out on the stoop. >> this is a candy pumpkin and what you do is pull this off, inside, candy corn, little chocolate bars, whatever you want. very cute. >> don't you like that? >> do you answer the door at your house? >> of course. i'm out there with the dogs. >> do kids come trucked in from like miles away. >> miles, miles. >> must be a major event. >> i never let them know where i'm going to be so it's kind of confusing. >> you give out candy. >> oh, of course, bushels, bushels. >> this is candy corn. >> and you get these little gift backs and stamp it with our rubber stamp, our craft product, and you just stamp like this, trick or treat. fill it with candy. >> thumb tack them right on to the pumpkin. >> put them in hard because you don't want the gets to get the thump tacks. >> i love this. >> scary eyeballs. >> parents coming by, they are cold and tired and they want a

martini. give them a martini with a scary eyeball. talk it me how you make this. big radishes and cut the top off the radish, with your potato peeler take off not all the red. because you want it to look like a red vein eyeball and make a whole and insert half an olive right there. that's your eyeball. >> you can put it in martinis for the adults and fruit punch for the kids. >> and make ice cubes. ice cubes with the eyeballs in them, scary. >> great idea. >> finally the glowing ghosts. this is a little hard. get a glow stick like this. it's a little odd. stick it in a balloon, okay, and then you blow up the balloon. >> which we're not going to do. >> and you break the stick. this glows in the dark, and once it's blown up. take a sharpy pen, our handy sharpie and drew a face, any

kind of face, fill it all in, and you have -- and put these in the trees. >> and they don't show up so well in the daytime but at night they look great. >> they look great. >> mar, that fantastic. happy halloween. >> thank you. have fun. >> going to have much more on "today" on a tuesday morning right after these messages and your local news. >> good morning, at -- it is 8:56. testimony will continue later today in the trial of two prince george's county police officers accused of beating a college park students. they are tarred with assault for the 2010 videotaped beating of the university of maryland student.

they initially said he attacked a police after a maryland terps

>> welcome back, it looks like it will be a nice day today, cooler than yesterday. a mixture of sunshine and a few clouds and a high temperature will be in the mid to upper 60's and another nice one tomorrow. >> thank you for joining us. we're back with another weather we're back with another weather update