tv Today NBC October 18, 2012 9:00am-10:00am EDT
9:00 am
we're back now with more today on a thursday morning, 18th of october, 2012. a gorgeous day here in new york before the rain comes a little later on. that's okay. fall weather, we like it. nice to see people out on the plaza. we thank them for stopping by. we're inhe kitchen where savannah's cooking school has been going on. i'm matt lauer along with savannah and al and bobby flay. >> we were talking about why we didn't tie the chicken legs together. >> that's next week. >> you didn't think i was up to tieing? >> no, but your roasted chicken is delicious. >> thank you. >> you're making us an entire dinner tomorrow. how are you going to do the show and the cooking? >> well, i'll pop up in the 7:30 half hour and make sure -- i'm
9:01 am
going to do some chopping, dicing. >> you're going shopping today? >> yes. >> today? >> yeah. i've got my menu planned. but i'm actually going to cook. i'm doing it. bobby's not here. no training wheels, and then at 8:00, you guys will check in, i'll cook and we're going to eat at 8:45. >> i think you're going to do great. >> i hope so. i don't think i'm as bad as everyone thinks. >> no, definitely not. >> don't all disagree at once. ceelo green sticking around. he's going to put in his two cents on some of the stories that have caught our eye today. all part of take three. >> and those chee-tos are part of it. >> love it. also, halloween is just around the corner. if you haven't started decorating yet, we've got everything you need from magic mirrors to fog machines. everything to creep out all the trick-or-treaters. thing. and later, boosting your credit score. we'll separate fact from fiction
9:02 am
to get you on the right financial path. >> let's get a check of the top stories of the morning. natalie's down at the news desk. good morning, everyone. the 21-year-old man behind a foiled bomb plot is now behind bars without bail. officials say they nabbed quazi nafis wednesday morning in a sting operation in new york city when he parked a van with what he thought was a bomb outside the federal reserve building. the explosives were fake and his associates turned out to be undercover officers. nafis had come to the u.s. on a student visa in january from bangladesh and had allegedly tried to recruit others to join him in his jihad. but police believe he ultimately acted alone. terrorism authorities say the public was never in any danger. president obama and republican rival mitt romney are trading barbs on the campaign trail. but some tough words are coming from the candidate's supporters romney's son tagg said in a radio interview he wanted to, quote, take a swing at president obama during this week's debate. he said it was a joke.
9:03 am
meanwhile, bruce springsteen vows to campaign for the president in the battleground states. sponsors are racing to dump lance armstrong after the seven-time tour de france winner stepped down from his cancer charity because of doping allegations against him. nike's decision came minutes later followed by anheuser-busch, 24-hour fitness and trek bicycles. others were considering cutting ties, as well. u.s. military and japanese officials are investigating rape allegations. accused of raping and robbing a woman. the incident has sparked protests on okinawa where more than half the u.s. military personnel in japan are located. wild weather in our nation's midsection overnight in mississippi and tennessee, emergency officials say a severe storm toppled trees, power lines, and damaged mobile homes in at least five preliminary reports of tornadoes in the area.
9:04 am
power outages have thousands of residents in the dark this morning across mississippi and arkansas. meantime, out west in denver, crews are working there to restore power after high winds knocked down power lines. progress overnight for crews battling a vicious wildfire outside santa barbara, california. evacuation orders have now been lifted after firefighters launched an aggressive air and ground attack with the help of tamer than predicted winds. the fire had been threatening about 100 homes at its height. brazilian model has been chosen to wear the coveted fantasy bra in this year's victoria's secret fashion show. decorated with $2.5 million worth of gemstones, including a 20-carat white diamond. ambrosia said the honor made her want to scream. if you ever thought about flying, daredevils jumped from a mountain in china during the first wing suit flying world championship.
9:05 am
new mexico native jeb corliss was among the favorites, but a south african jumper took the top prize. and dogs, well, they're just like us. so what really happens when they get their day started after you leave work? same old thing, they fight with the alarm clock, they throw on a shirt, do some dental hygiene, grab a bite for breakfast, of course, and then they hit the couch for some quality tv watching. time to change the channel, it's a dog's life all right. that's genius. it's now five minutes after the hour, love it. driving off to work. back over to al for another check of the weather. >> that is fantastic. oh, thanks so much, natalie. all right. let's see what we've got for you. starting off, we've got this big system that is pushing its way from canada all the way down to texas. heavy rain down through the gulf coast. we've got showers also around the great lakes, behind the system, some wrap around snow coming in, high wind warnings, high wind watches and wind
9:06 am
advisories from bismarck down to tulsa. and as we go ahead of the system, we've got a lot of warm air, moist air coming in, strong storms from charleston up to pittsburgh, the risk of not so much tornadoes, but a lot of wind, damaging hail and thunderstorms. rainfall amounts anywhere from 1 to 3 inches. stretching from new orleans all the way to wilmington, north >> good morning. it will be breezy and mild this afternoon. a mixture of sun and clouds. it should stay dry bank during the day.
9:07 am
time now for "today's take 3," where we each give our take on three stories catching our attention. and sitting in with us today, this is an honor, five-time grammy winner ceelo green. >> hey, darling. >> you know what you're getting into? >> i think so. >> bring it like you always do. you're going to like this first one. usa today had an article, take one, year of the shirtless man. "elementary," "arrow," "last resort," and you keep seeing the toned male abs everywhere. we had the super bowl ad with david beckham shirtless. the price is right, male models. >> that's right. >> i support it. what about you? >> this does nothing for me. am i the only -- i'm not going to watch a show because a guy has no shirt on. >> see, i'm actually shirtless under this. >> i want a real show with a
9:08 am
good script and plot and the whole bit. i guess it's extra eye candy. >> the idea of shows trying to stand out and trying to attract women. so perhaps that's the way to do it. >> but i actually do agree with natalie, i don't know -- do men think that women want to see shirtless men? or do women really want to see shirtless men. >> i don't know. >> i don't want to know either. >> i don't want to see shirtless men because it reminds me of how bad i look. >> we see that all the time. >> i think when shows resort to that, it's sort of like a desperate ploy. >> in other words -- would you and blake shelton go shirtless on "the voice?" >> they don't need to. >> not that close together. you know, in fact -- >> well, you've performed on our plaza, we've had some rappers here who have performed shirtless. we had l.l. cool j. >> yeah. >> he's always shirtless. >> yeah. >> he doesn't own any shirts. >> flo rida went shirtless too.
9:09 am
>> i think i know who has his shirt. >> don nash's wife had flo rida's shirt. >> give us a verdict, are you pro-shirtless as a performer or no? >> i'm pro appropriation. if it's inappropriate not -- >> for example, when cy went shirtless, is this appropriate or not? >> let's see. >> yeah, that's not working for us, i don't think. love him, he's got plenty of style on his own. what did he say? he likes to dress cheesy. >> stay classy, dress cheesy. >> he's working this, isn't he? >> yeah. >> dress classy, dress classy, dance cheesy. now we've got it right. gangnam style. >> it's catchy.
9:10 am
>> you know, obviously we're all focused on halloween now. two weeks away to that. but already talking christmas and ceelo has a great new christmas album coming out. >> i do. >> who are some of the performers on the album? >> christina aguilera came and joined the album, rod stewart, and also the muppets. >> the muppets. >> cute. >> you have performed with the muppets. >> you have a favorite christmas song? >> my favorite christmas song of all times is "silent night" by the temptations. >> you did "sight night" last year at the tree lighting. you're going to be doing it again. >> yeah. >> made us start to think, though, as we are going to start hearing christmas songs, when is the right time to start playing christmas music? your album comes out october 30th. >> that's right. >> right before halloween. i think a lot of radio stations start thanksgiving, or -- >> the minute after you finish your meal, you start hearing the christmas music. >> and their ratings go through the roof.
9:11 am
>> i don't know. people love the christmas music. do you have a favorite? >> i think mariah carey "all i want for christmas is you." >> makes me want to dance. >> i know. >> how about you? >> i love "o holy night." so many people have sung it so beautifully. gives me chills. and there's so many beautiful versions of "o holy night." >> and just amazing. >> you've got to be able to sing, though. >> yeah. and i still, the end of charlie brown christmas. >> love that. >> "hark the herald angels sing." and when they take the breath -- >> i know, so cute. and this is "hark the herald --" >> not it, but it's close. >> we love it just the same. >> now you're in the holiday spirit. >> nobody chose alvin and the chipmunks.
9:12 am
>> we like that too. it's funny. >> flamin'chee-tos. >> there we go. >> in california, new hampshire, illinois have banned flaming hot chee-tos, the main reason, a lack of nutritional value. one snack-size bag, 26 grams of fat and the amount of sodium for the entire day. >> 380 calories, 26 grams of fat. >> they're also concerned about all the messy red fingerprints from this. >> yes, look at this. >> is it flaming hot? >> regular chee-tos give you orange fingerprints. >> have you tried these? >> we reached out to the manufacturer, and they say they are committed to responsible and ethical marketing practices, which includes not marketing our products for children 12 and under. we also do not decide which snacks are available on school campuses. >> if they're eating that at school -- >> i think they're good, too, but it is good to have a glass of water next to you. >> but i can understand the red
9:13 am
fingerprints and also the nutritional value issue. >> need some kool-aid. >> going old school. >> what happens when this happens? do you pick it up and eat it? >> five-second rule. every year they debunk this, apparently. >> i think every parent knows there's no truth to that, but we still pick it up, here, go ahead, kids, eat it. >> less than five seconds. >> thank you. >> you won this delicious bag of chee-tos. coming up next, gadgets for halloween coming up after this. >> there it is. [ woman ] ring. ring. progresso.
9:14 am
i just finished a bowl of your new light chicken pot pie soup and it's so rich and creamy... is it really 100 calories? let me put you on webcan... ...lean roasted chicken... and a creamy broth mmm i can still see you. [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. that's why new dove style + care frizz free cream serum nourishes and conditions, keeping hair smooth shiny and free from flyaways. new dove style + care frizz free cream serum. better style through better care.
9:15 am
alright, alright. now this is a party. what is that? go, go, go. mmm. give me some of that sauce. i don't know, i think i might bail. yeah, it's pretty dead. [ male announcer ] one is never enough. new kfc dip'ems. freshly prepared tenders dipped in irresistible sauces. this is it. now this is a party. [ male announcer ] try a 20 pc bucket with 6 sauces. today tastes so good.
9:16 am
i don't have time for the flu. that's why i'm knocking things off my to-do list. vitamin d, done! hand sanitizer, done! hey, eric! i'm here for my flu shot. sorry, didn't make an appointment. well, you don't need one. whether it's flu shots or prescriptions, we continue to accept express scripts and medco plans. i'm bonnie, and this is my cvs. can your moisturizer do that? [ female announcer ] dermatologist recommended aveeno has an oat formula, now proven to build a moisture reserve, so skin can replenish itself. that's healthy skin for life. only from aveeno.
9:17 am
"today" celebrates halloween is brought to you by snickers. nothing satisfies like snickers. this morning on "today" celebrates halloween, gadgets that are sure to spook any trick-or-treater or party guest. technology expert katie is here with the season's creepiest collection. good morning. >> yes, good morning. >> we are spending a ton of dough on halloween stuff. and it just gets crazier. >> yeah, it's one of my favorite holidays and i say why can't you go a little bit more high-tech? so showcasing some of my favorite halloween gadgets. >> the haunted mirror. >> the haunted animated magic mirror. and as soon as you stand in front of it. this is $75. awesome to put in the hallway if somebody heads down the restroom, freak them out. >> is it motion activated?
9:18 am
>> it's motion activated and that's you, al, right inside of there. that's what you don't know. it's a full-on surprise. >> that's good. >> let's move on to our next one. this is a hovering ghost. this is cool because it gets up to 6 1/2 feet tall. it works off batteries or you can plug it into an outlet. imagine trick-or-treaters coming up to this thing. totally freaks you out, right? i've got to get inside there and shut it off. >> okay. all right. >> moving on. >> big bugs. >> and if you live in new york city, this is a cockroach -- >> i killed one like that. >> we all have. you're not a true new yorker unless you stomp one of those. remote control, very easy to use. there's a spider and also a cockroach good for any age, $30. >> he's still alive! >> he's still alive. he just fell off the table. but a nice little remote controlled option. >> fog machines, i love this. >> yes, this is a fogger bubble
9:19 am
machine. put the rc remote down. >> fogger bubble machines and it comes in two different size bubbles. >> oh, wow. >> they're small or large. >> they look like eyeballs. >> you have an expensive suit on, you pop them and it's fog. don't be afraid there. here it comes. standby. and remember with this one, you can't forget the fogger or bubble juice too. put this on the stairs. >> that's cool. i like that. here's my favorite one. a few years ago, this is pac-man and i had to engineer a sound board to my suit to have sound effects. now there's eight sounds in here. so every time you move, you can be a cowboy, a monster, a robot, you can even be a hero. put this here, right? and if you jump, you get -- it's like you're mario. and you can turn it up really loud too.
9:20 am
>> okay. >> that's pretty cool. decorating your pumpkin. >> yeah. putting a candle inside a pumpkin is no longer, that's like mailing it in these days. this is a color-changing pumpkin light. and here's the best part, it's only $4 from party city. >> that's crazy. >> so a fun little gadget option there. and moving along to another inexpensive choice. this is haunted -- you can put these light up lights in your shrubs, in your trees, and i like to say with this one, you can keep it until christmas. because you know you have those neighbors that do that, right? >> holidays are fun at your house. >> continue all year. >> talking pumpkin. you put this inside your pumpkin again. going to activate on movement. >> not talking as much as screaming. >> exactly. >> just as you get ready to carve one, that would be great. >> well, if you carve a scary one, it makes it a lot more fun.
9:21 am
>> this is very attractive. >> these are the best. go anywhere from $15 to $20. they are moving hands. there's one in mummy form, there is one in reaching form. and here's my favorite one, like adam's family style. hold this. >> okay. >> three aas, and you can put them anywhere in your home and let them do whatever you want. >> oh, wait a minute. oh, that feels good. nice. and lastly you've got a little app thing. >> we can't talk about halloween without talking about apps. this is one of my favorite apps of all time. this is ghost capture, 1.5 million downloads to date. you can add a ghost to it. you can change the transparency, change the size. you can add civil war ghosts, possessed demon children.
9:22 am
>> you've obviously been to my house at dinner. >> and al, the people over at ghost capture know you have eyes always in the control room, so they created your very own custom al ghost. yeah, you're omni-present. >> that's right. i'm always haunting my director joe michaels. all right, katie, thank you so much. >> yay. >> great to see you. and on october 31st, we're going to be throwing our annual halloween bash. so come on down to the plaza. and just ahead, best-selling author james patterson. his detective "alex cross" hits theaters. [ bump ] ugh. i'm the horseless headsman. i think you mean the headless horseman? no. have a snickers®. why? because you get confused when you're hungry. better? better. [ male announcer ] you're not you when you're hungry®. snickers® is halloween satisfaction. what a bargain! [ female announcer ] sometimes a good deal turns out to be not such a good deal.
9:23 am
but bounty gives you value you can see. in this lab demo, one sheet of bounty leaves this surface cleaner than two sheets of the leading ordinary brand. so you can clean this mess with half as many sheets. bounty has trap and lock technology to soak up big spills and lock them in. why use more when you can use less? bounty. the clean picker upper. why use more when you can use less? we're spreading the word about honey bunches of oats fruit blends and their unique taste combinations. like peach/raspberry. with one flavor in the granola bunch and one on the flake. two flavors. in harmony. honey bunches of oats. make your day bunches better. here's my morning routwardrobe. cute. then new activia breakfast blend. mmm... a great way to help start the day. and it helps regulate your digestive system. new activia breakfast blend. go out tonight - be social! then stay in tomorrow. make a date with your flat screen. olive garden's new dinner today, dinner tomorrow.
9:24 am
two dinners for two nights, just $12.95. choose one of five entrees tonight, like new mezzaluna ravioli. served with unlimited soup or salad and breadsticks. then choose a second entrée to take home for tomorrow all for just $12.95. this has "movie night" written all over it. new dinner today, dinner tomorrow go before it's gone! go olive garden. go, go, go... ♪ you are exactly one of a kind ♪ ( bark, bark ) yay ! yummy. ♪ a-b-c-d-e-f kiss him. ( honk honk ) drive it to daddy. ♪ 'cause we were made for each other for always ♪ ( giggles ) sure, bisquick makes delicious pancakes, but that's just the start.
9:25 am
unleash the hidden power of bisquick. see what you can make at bisquick.com. still to come on "today," "time" magazine named him the man who can't miss. we'll talk to best-selling author many times over james patterson. and celebrating fact from fiction when it comes to your credit score. all that and more after your local news and weather. doorbell rings ] donuts? ♪ [ chuckles ] ♪ you're cute. ♪ [ door creaks, closes ] [ female announcer ] the protein effect. new special k protein cereal. with ten grams of protein and three grams of fiber... finally, a protein cereal to help keep you fuller longer. willpower. what will you gain when you lose? ♪ in everything you do
9:26 am
[ female announcer ] add your own ingredients to hamburger helper for a fresh take on a quick, delicious meal. it's one box with hundreds of possibilities. and this is maryland. teacher: this is west virginia, opennsylvania, delaware.al. every year marylanders spend five hundred and fifty million gaming at casinos in these other states. question seven will build a new casino and bring table games to baltimore... generating hundreds of millions for schools. and that money has to go to education. it's the law.
9:27 am
so vote for question seven. so we can stop spending all that money here, and keep maryland money in classrooms like mine. [ sally umlaut ] what? the five stages of muller. ah yes... stage one: suspicion. "it's a yogurt, how good can it be?" stage two: revision. "actually, this ain't bad." stage three: surprise! "look at this cool cornery thing! i love this stuff!!" stage four: desolation. "it's gone!" stage five: anticipation "i guess i could always have another"... "have you been through the five stages of muller yet?" "yeah, just now." [ male announcer ] muller. the european for yummy.
9:28 am
>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> lots of sunshine. temperature in the 50's. we will warm up like we did yesterday. there is a storm off to the west. eventually, rain chance. it will hold off until the evening hours. evening hours. experts in aroma. they're the world championship cheese judges.
9:29 am
9:30 am
although the aim is for us to have sex, i'm not a prostitute. you don't have to pay me up front. i have nothing against prostitutes, but there's a difference. we can talk about that later. >> i'm sorry. >> oscar winner helen hunt already earning oscar buzz for her latest role as a sex therapist in the new movie "the sessions." she'll stop by to tell us about the role which is quite a bit daring for the actress tomorrow on "today." a lot of good buzz on this movie in general. we're looking forward to that. >> while on the topic, actually, speaking of, there are 50 hot bachelors in our 30 rock -- >> lining up for you today? >> no, no, no. they're here for hoda and kathie
9:31 am
lee. there they are. >> it's kind of dark down there where they are in the green room. >> they're in the witness protection program. >> the hottest bachelor contest. so one from each state. 25 for hoda, 25 for kathie lee. >> if they had two from each state, it would be the senate of hot guys. >> or the noah's ark of hot guys. we digress. good morning, everyone. >> okay. moving on -- >> coming up, hey, i don't know if he's going to stay after hearing this, but a "new york times" best-selling author, he's written more than 90 books. now one of james patterson's most enduring and popular characters, detective alex cross is back thrilling audiences on the big screen. we're going to talk to author turned producer, he's a hollywood mogul now, james patterson. >> wow. >> amazing.
9:32 am
and we'll get some financial advice about boosting your credit score. it can, of course, determine many of your big purchases like buying a car or home, but what really impacts your credit? we're going to separate fact from fiction. and then later, how one cash-strapped town is sitting on a cash cow of money but it actually could be a risky proposition for the residents. interesting story. we'll tell you about that. >> a lot of the community's facing the same question. >> exactly. >> interesting answers. >> all right. first, though, al, check of the weather for us today. >> let's show you what we've got looking ahead toward the weekend. tomorrow, we're going to have a lot of wet weather in the northeast and new england. in between, plenty of sunshine, although a little on the chilly side and breezy through the central plains. saturday, gorgeous along the eastern sea board, more wet weather moves into the pacific northwest. few showers around the great lakes, sunny and hot from the southwest gulf coast into texas. and then sunday, sunday, sunny along the eastern sea board with lots of sunshine, along the gulf coast, more rain in the pacific northwest, mountain snows in the cascades and look for plenty of
9:33 am
sunshine in the upper mississippi river valleymi >> good morning. it will turn out to be a nice day today. it will be a breezy and mild by this afternoon with a high near and that's your latest weather. >> all right, al. thanks. coming up next, from the best-selling book to the big screen, author james patterson right after this. how you doing?
9:34 am
alright, alright. now this is a party. what is that? go, go, go. mmm. give me some of that sauce. i don't know, i think i might bail. yeah, it's pretty dead. [ male announcer ] one is never enough. new kfc dip'ems. freshly prepared tenders dipped in irresistible sauces. this is it. now this is a party. [ male announcer ] try a 20 pc bucket with 6 sauces. today tastes so good.
9:35 am
[ male announcer ] try a 20 pc bucket with 6 sauces. you can't argue with nutrition you can see. great grains. great grains cereal starts whole and stays whole. see the seam? more processed flakes look nothing like natural grains. i'm eating what i know is better nutrition. mmmm. great grains. search great grains and see for yourself.
9:36 am
[ ding! ] losing your chex mix too easily? time to deploy the boring-potato chip decoy bag. then no one will want to steal the deliciousness. [ male announcer ] with a variety of tastes and textures, only chex mix is a bag of interesting. [ male announcer ] with a variety of tastes and textures, do you often experience the feeling of a dry mouth? it can be the side effect of many medications. dry mouth can be frustrating... and ignoring it can lead to... sipping water can help, but dentists recommend biotene. biotene moisturizes and helps supplement some of saliva's enzymes, providing soothing relief when you need it most. don't ignore dry mouth... look for biotene in your oral care section today. this has been medifacts for biotene. body washes with paper that reacts like skin. if others can strip this paper, imagine how harsh they can be to your skin. oh my gosh. [ female announcer ] dove is different. its new breakthrough formula changes everything. new dove. this is care.
9:37 am
there's an amazing statistic. since 2006, 1 out of 17 novels sold in america has been written or co-written by james patterson. and coming to a theater near you, "alex cross" based on his detective series. alex is a crime-solving single dad, finds himself in the cross hairs of a madman. james patterson, the author and also one of the film's producers. >> absolutely. >> what was it like being that hollywood producer now? >> it's a mixed bag. in the case of this, i love this project because everybody who got into it was really excited about it. tyler had never done this kind of drama before, matthew fox had never been a bad guy. so the passion and i think the passion comes out on the screen. >> "kiss the girls" came out in 1997, the amazing morgan freeman. >> yep. >> you're really jumpstarting and rebooting, in a sense, the
9:38 am
alex cross character. >> he's closer -- tyler's closer to the character in the book. he's more physical, and he can have a family. and that's the big shift here. the family is really integral for this story and we couldn't have it in "kiss the girls" or "along came a spider." >> this is an intense movie. action is intense. matthew fox isn't just a bad guy. >> matthew fox is great. >> he's a bad guy. >> way over the top in a good way. >> both he and tyler perry changed their physical appearance for this role. >> yeah, tyler took off some weight and he's on the cover of what "health" -- >> he got buff. >> yeah. i think he likes it. >> and matthew fox -- >> tyler is going to blow everybody's mind. he's very, very good in this. >> he's such a big guy. >> yep. >> physically big. did that present a problem at all in framing or in -- >> no, matthew plays football, college football.
9:39 am
matthew's a good-sized guy. i don't think so. tyler -- >> got on a stepladder. you know, obviously tyler perry known for, more famous for the madea roles. do you think his audiences will accept him? >> i think they're going to love it. i hope they will. as i say, it's a lot closer to the alex cross in the books and does a great job. it tested great. in five cities, atlanta, detroit, chicago, l.a., new york. >> so we assume -- >> tested great. >> we assume this will do well. will this be the first in a series? >> that's up to tyler. if he wants to do them, we'll do them. i'd love to do them with him. he keeps getting better and better and he loved -- when i went to atlanta to meet him. he said, james, i would not attempt this if i wasn't sure i could do it. and he killed it. he killed it. >> as an author, you're the author, you're also the producer. were there compromises that you had to make? >> yeah.
9:40 am
there's a few things. yeah. obviously there's tax things, you shoot in certain places. but mostly it was pretty good. and the director, obviously has a lot of influence. this is a very smooth experience. >> okay. let's take off your producer hat and put your author hat back on. what's coming up next year? >> "merry christmas alex cross." "nypd" is out right now, a special police group in new york city that takes care of the rich and powerful. and "merry christmas alex cross," which is kind of the worst christmas anybody's ever had obviously. >> i always feel bad for alex cross. >> the sun is shining and then thunder comes. >> tell us about readkiddo.com. >> it's a place for parents and teachers and librarians to go and find kids that are going to turn -- find books that are
9:41 am
going to turn their kids on. my thing with parents and whatever is, they've got to get this in their heads that it's our jobs, their job, grandparents' job to find books for their kids. it is your job. and, you know, come the holidays and whatever, they don't need another phone. >> they don't need another video game. >> they need books. you can get them in libraries, stores, online. it's a great place to go and find books that your kids might love. >> it's a great initiative. james patterson, always great to see you. >> nice to see you. go to that movie. you're going to love it. >> alex cross hits theaters tomorrow. coming up next, separating fact from fiction to boost your credit score. mt. rainier. what if we could keep that much plastic waste out of landfills each year? by using just one less trash bag each month, we can.
9:42 am
and glad forceflex bags stretch until they're full.* so you can take them out less often. it's a small change that can make a big difference. [ female announcer ] breast cancer touches all of us. and all of us can join the fight, with save lids to save lives. redeem lids from over 100 general mills products. together we can make a difference. find lids now at walmart. but what about your wrinkles? neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair visibly reduces fine lines and wrinkles in just one week. why wait if you don't have to. neutrogena®. i got this snapshot thing from progressive, plugged it into my car, and got a discount just for being the good driver i've always been. i'm just out here, snap-shooting it forward. you don't want to have to pay for other people's bad driving, do you? no. with progressive snapshot, you don't have to. i'm going to snap it right now. bam, there it is. goes underneath your dash.
9:43 am
keep safe, and keep saving. you know, i won't always be around to save you money. that's why you should get snapshot from progressive. all right, dude! thanks! to the safe go the savings. and there's juicy chicken hellmann's is the secret to making parmesan crusted chicken so juicy so delicious it's your secret to making dinner disappear hellmann's. bring out the best [ female announcer ] with depression, simple pleasures can simply hurt. the sadness, anxiety, the loss of interest. the aches and pains and fatigue. depression hurts. cymbalta can help with many symptoms of depression. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens, you have unusual changes in behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta.
9:44 am
taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. simple pleasures shouldn't hurt. talk to your doctor about cymbalta. depression hurts. cymbalta can help. depression hurts. if you think occasional irregulathink twice.ig deal, with occasional irregularity, things your body doesn't use could be lingering in your system, but activia has been shown in clinical studies to help with slow intestinal transit. ♪ activia.
9:45 am
this morning on "today's" money, credit myths versus facts. in this economy, raising your credit score is a must. but there's a lot of false information out there. here with advice, a credit coach and author of the 90-day credit challenge. good morning to you, jeannie. >> good morning. >> we know how important good credit is. but lots of misconceptions out there. how can a lack of knowledge hurt you? >> because if you don't know
9:46 am
what's going on on your credit report, how do you know how to fix it? it's just not having enough credit education. if you're going to use credit, then get some tips on it. >> you say it's important to check it at least twice a year? >> absolutely, check your credit at least twice a year. >> let's get to some of these facts or myths as you say. let's run through them. first, pulling your own credit report drops your score. a lot of people believe this. >> that's a myth, because you can pull your credit as much as you'd like and it does not count against you as an inquiry, but if you apply for credit, going to get a credit card, loan, those inquiries do hurt your score. so you want to be on top of that. but you can improve your credit if you haven't looked at it. >> good to know. next up is setting up automatic minimum payments is pointless if you have bad credit. myth or fact. >> myth. >> because you have to start from somewhere. so make it today. you want to start improving your credit, you're going to start paying attention, and you're not
9:47 am
going to have new lates appearing because you set up automatic payments. so there's a new beginning for you. >> absolutely. >> no new lates. >> you've got to start somewhere. next stop is closing an account helps your score, let's see if we get the music on time. myth or fact. >> myth. we want to see a lot of credit. keep it open. it's almost like i was juggling. if i juggle three tennis balls, that's good. but if i juggle ten and we have flames, tennis balls, knives, you'd be impressed. and that's how the credit report is. they want to secret cards, they want to see loans, you paying them on time and keeping them open. here's a little tip. if you pull out a card that you haven't used for a while, that will boost your score. >> even if you don't want to use it? >> well, i don't want you to use something you don't want to use -- >> you're saying it ultimately will help you. >> if you're going to go in that store, pull out that card, use it, you'll get extra points. >> next up, keeping credit card
9:48 am
balances under 20% of the limit is good. myth or fact? >> that's a fact. >> so if you are maxed out right now on credit cards -- >> right. >> try to have a goal of lowering them. you'll see your score go up. so that's a great thing. so just really be on top of it. >> okay. here's one that i think a lot of people think is true so you'll tell us what it is. utility bills do not report to the credit bureaus. myth or fact. >> that is a myth. and this is new. so this is so important. because no one knows about this. they don't think -- they think credit cards, loans, that's on your credit report. they don't think their gas bill is going to report their payment history. they don't pay attention to the payment due date. but you know what? they're reporting now your history. so it's very important to pay attention to that due date. >> make sure you pay those bills on time. >> absolutely. >> here's one that can be confusing. fico scores are different than credit scores. >> that's true. fico scores are different.
9:49 am
90% of lenders look at your fico score, not the credit scores. so there's over 100 credit scores out there. if no one's looking at them but you, what's it matter? you want to pay attention to the correct score and that's fico. >> how does i lower your credit rating? >> 90% use it. how long you've had credit, what types of credit you've had. everything i've been talking about, but it's your fico score you want to pay attention to if you're going to be applying for a mortgage. >> last one quickly, secured credit cards are a waste of time. myth or fact. >> well, come on. you want to rebuild. so people have had hard times. if you want to rebuild, you may not be able to get a regular credit card. get a secured card. when that goes on your credit report, it does not report it's secured. it looks like any other traditional credit card. so that can give you new history and healthy new credit.
9:50 am
>> all right. well, jeannie kelly, thanks so much. great information. >> thank you for having me. coming up next, how one midwestern town could be sitting on a windfall of millions of dollars. 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.
9:52 am
across the country, cash-strapped cities are turning to a new and controversial way to raise money. >> that's right. allowing oil and gas companies to drill on public land hoping natural gas will bring in some much-needed cash. cnbc's phil lebeau is in youngstown, ohio. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, al and natalie. right behind me, the city crew is getting ready to tear down this abandoned home. youngstown has more abandoned homes than it can afford to tear down. so the city is looking to cash in by saying yes to fracking for natural gas. in youngstown, ohio, where a rebound in manufacturing has sparked a resurgence, the mayor
9:53 am
is frustrated. he sees a city in decline desperately in need of money to tear down abandoned buildings. >> if you wanted to renovate or tear down this building, how much would it cost? >> about $1 million to tear it down. >> to tear it down is $1 million. >> and on the other side, you see it's grass or a parking lot. >> reporter: tearing down 1,100 abandoned homes will cost youngstown at least $4 million, money youngstown doesn't have. so the city may sell its mineral rights and allow energy companies to drill and frac on city land. to force release of oil and gas is filled with unknown risks, like the possibility of causing earthquakes and ground water contamination. >> are you that crazy for money? >> i guarantee you, we will organize under the first amendment, everybody in here and bring the wrath of god into this chamber and power back to the people.
9:54 am
>> other cities have already sold their mineral rights. in ohio, the money from drilling will pay for new sidewalks, water treatment, and perhaps give the small town a shot in the arm. >> a few years ago, every store front just about was empty. now, there's new business coming in. >> as cities struggle with tighter budgets, a potential windfall of millions of dollars trapped under public land is a tempting answer to their cash crunch. >> this could be something that could help the area not only now, but ten, 20, 50 years from now. just like when the steel mills came here. >> reporter: back live in youngstown, ohio. and yes, they have actually started the demolition of this house. guys, one update on this story, last night the city council approved fracking on public land. they're hoping that perhaps there are millions of dollars of natural gas trapped under those lands that would help the city pay for tearing down abandoned homes like this. >> thank you so much. you can watch special coverage of "invest in america" all day
9:55 am
9:56 am
9:57 am
anticipation "hey! there's more in the fridge." 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.
9:58 am
314 Views
IN COLLECTIONS
WBAL (NBC) Television Archive Television Archive News Search ServiceUploaded by TV Archive on