ridgeway's killer release images of a wooden cross recovered after her body was found. could it help identify the person responsible for her death? breaking his silence. >> i've been tter, but i've always been worse. >> lance armstrong speaks out for the first time since stepping down as chairman of his cancer charity, in the wake of a damning report claiming he doped his way to cycling victory. as he waits to hear if he'll be stripped of his tour de france titles within days. and it's official. justin timberlake and jessica biel get hitched at a star-studded italian wedding. the inside scoop about their big

bash. today is saturday, october 20th, 2012. >> from nbc news, this is "today" with lester holt and jenna wolf. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a saturday. i'm lester holt. >> i'm jenna wolf. investigators in colorado spent the last week looking for the person who abducted and killed 10-year-old jessica ridgeway. >> now, there's potentially a new clue that could bring them closer. they're hoping that this cross provides them with new information in the case. we're going to get more on this potential important piece of evidence in just a moment. then it looks like a scene from an action movie. thieves making off with paintings worth millions of dollars. plus, we've all season video of people swimming with dolphins. maybe you've done that?

>> sure. every thursday. >> how about a tiger? ever thought of going swimming with a tiger? this is a new attraction at a zoo if florida. some people say it's thrilling, call of the wild. others say it's sending the wrong message. i thought cats didn't like water. >> well, who came up with the idea? who's sitting around -- oh, i know what i haven't done. let's swim with tigers. it's so random. >> i'm not sure how i feel about it. but we'll see more about it. speaking of other crazy things people are doing, a little mud, sweat, and tears are coming, i took on something that helps an excellent charity. i didn't know i had to go through all this to helping them out. it involves racing through a mud-filled obstacle course. these are all the rave now. i thought i could handle it. you could see i couldn't so well. >> i'm starting to feel better about swimming with the tigers. >> it was a lot of fun, so we'll have more. >> you clean up well.

>> by the way, thank you for responding to the invite when i asked you to come. >> next time. we want to get started with presidential application. president obama and mitt romney will spend the rest of the weekend studying up for the next and final debate. peter alexander is traveling with the romney campaign. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. we are in the tarmac right now. this is the romney campaign plane as he heads today to boca raton ahead of monday's third and final debate. the president will spend his weekend at camp david preparing for that debate. but both candidates on the trail squeezed in another series of attacks just yesterday. the president was in virginia accusing romney of moderating his stands and conveniently forgetting past positions on women's issues and the economy. he referred to it as romnesia. mitt romney said the president simply has no agenda, no plan for the future. he said the president's basically been reduced to petty

attacks and silly word games. again, though, that last debate son monday, just 15 days before what will be a very close contest. the focus is foreign policy. it will be heavily focused on the middle east and on terrorism. the president has long had an advantage on foreign affairs. of course, he was the man who called for the attack that killed osama bin laden, but republicans and mitt romney's allies have seen a vulnerability in this administration, especially after revolving responses to last month's deadly attack in libya. there are new documents released late yesterday, lester, that include documents from ambassador chris stevens. he simply said a month before the attack that violence in the country was not random. lester?

joe and minka are here to break things down with us. let's talk about mitt romney's comment about having a binder full of women, speaking in reference of what he would do. >> the fact that he asked for the binders is not true. he was given the binders by a bipartisan organization of women's groups that want to see more women in office. second of all, it just seems like not a very personal story in term ofrs understanding the needs of women and families. if you look at the difference between mitt romney and the president on these issues, the president leaves mitt romney in the dust. >> the president typically has been ahead in terms of women. you look at battleground states. >> there is a tightening up. it certainly looks like in this poll, the pew poll came out last week, and a lot of women weighed in and they said they thought

mitt romney could handle the economy better. they're thinking about how they can put their children through college. >> they're thinking about the economy. when it comes to health care and their families, women are protected under this administration because of the health care legislation. if you think about jobs, women are doing better than men, quite frankly, under the obama economy. >> i want to ask you both about the continuing controversy over the benghazi attack and how the administration characterized it at the beginning and later on. >> it was a really frustrating part of that debate. you would think mitt romney would have been able to clearly state his case, talk about how the white house made mistakes, not only with security but after. you have the president claiming the other night that from day one, he said it was an act of terror. >> he did call it an act of terror. >> he condemned the attack, but in another sentence, he said we'll be against acts of terror across the globe. >> is this a big issue? we have a foreign policy debate coming up. >> i don't think it resonates

completely. having said that, mitt romney missed a huge opportunity in the last debasmt i think we agree on that. and will be ready for next debate and the administration better have their ducks in a row. >> it does go to leadership. to their bigger message. which is the president saying i'm a strong leader, i'm strong on the national defense, i killed osama bin laden, and al qaeda is in retreat. if a u.s. ambassador is killed by al qaeda, the white house can't get its story straight on that fact, it messes up that message. >> i was in florida this week, i'll be doing the show as part of our battleground series sunday in florida. talked to some people who were put off by some of the gotcha in the debate. said they wanted some answers and they didn't hear a lot. >> these are serious times. i hope the conversation in the next debate breathes a little bit. >> you were a congressman. they're giving a sense of why it's such a huge outcome.

>> mitt romney at this point better have florida and north carolina and virginia locked down, because he's got a fight the next couple weeks in the midwest. florida seems to be breaking mitt romney's way. and you'll know early in the night, polls close at 7:00 in florida. and if barack obama is outperforming him in the eastern time zone, then game over. >> all right, thanks very much. you can catch "morning joe" week days at 6:00 a.m. on msnbc. now let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories from courtney reagan. good morning, everyone. this is a day of mourning in lebanon where a huge car bomb has ended several years of peace. stephanie gosk reports from beirut. >> reporter: the military is on the street in beirut, they've shut off a number of roads, including the main road to the airport. this city is really rattled after yesterday's attack.

in one of the city's most affluent neighborhoods. sensually leveling entire city block. it killed eight people including a top security official here. he investigated a number of high profile terrorism cases that eventually implicated the syrian government, and yesterday, some top officials here were accusing the syrian government of assassinating him. this country, like syria, is split between two groups, pro and anti-assad, and the fear all along has been that the violence in that country would spill over the borders into this one. courtney? >> stephanie, thank you. there's good news to report about the 15-year-old pakistani girl whose story is being followed around the world. the british hospital treating 15-year-old malala yousafzai says she's able to stand and write with some help. malala was shot in the head by the taliban for speaking out for the right of girls to be educated. a small wooden cross pendant may be an important clue in the case of a murdered 10-year-old colorado girl.

the cross was recovered as police investigate the killing of jessica ridgeway. they say it could help identify the person responsible for her death. jessica was kidnapped walked to school and was later found dismembered. the spotlight is back on in the trayvon martin trial. lawyers for george zimmerman can check the postings for martin. the judge says lawyers need to know if martin has any violent tendencies. zimmerman says he shot martin in self-defense. a texas icon has been destroyed by fire. big tex, a metal cowboy more than 50 feet high, welcomed visitors with a big howdy, folks, for 60 years. they are vowing to rebuild the icon in time for next year's fare. jessica biel and justin timberlake have exchanged vows in southern italy. "people" magazine says the

famous couple got married friday in what's reported to be a $6 million ceremony. timberlake, who is 31 and biel who's 30, have been dating on and off since 2007. their engagement was announced earlier this year. that's the news. i have to admit, my teenage heartbreaking a little. j.t. officially off the market. >> yeah, sad. but a lot of weddings been going on lately. >> speaking of italy, someone just got back from italy. dylan dreyer, you just got back from your honeymoon. >> why to you think we planned italy? j.t. was there. >> congratulations, by the way. >> i was too nervous to say hi. thank you very much. it is nice to be back here, settle back in. i was here for a couple weeks and then just disappeared for a while, so now i'm back. pretty nice weather. we have a couple rain showers through the northeast. we have this upper level low that is sending in cooler temperatures. but where there's a dip in the jet stream, there's a ridge in

t the jet stream, too. temperatures in north dakota about 15 degrees above normal. that is going to try spread east ward into the great lakes. we have some heavy rain across cape cod. it is sunny down in texas with highs today toppi >> good morning. sun out this morning. cool temperatures but dry conditions. we'll probably pop a few scattered clouds this afternoon. somebody might catch a sprinkle. otherwise a nice day with highs >> and that's a check on weather. >> all right, dylan, thank you very much. the pressure to perform well in school seems to be high oher than ever for ambitious

students, and now an increasing number of high school and college students around the country are going for a dangerous quick fix to make sure they succeed. kate snow has the cautionary tale told by one of those students. >> reporter: it was examine time at one of the nation's most prestigious schools, columbia university in new york, and the pressure was on. >> 20-page papers, all kinds of revisions, presentations, six classes. there's a lot of stuff that needs to get done. >> reporter: stephane perez was powering through the usual way. >> two or three days i'm up straight. >> reporter: all the way through the night? >> yeah. >> reporter: and how are you doing that? >> adderall. >> reporter: widely prescribed for attention deficit disorders. but this is a story of an ambitious student and many more who have misused adderall to get an edge.

>> i have this tunnel vision. it was just me and my books. i was just scanning pages like a machine. >> reporter: taking it all in. >> i wouldn't even want to get up to drink water. >> reporter: how easy is it to get the stuff? >> almost as easy as buying book t s at the bookstore. kids won't even have a drink all year, they'll go crazy for adderall. >> reporter: why are kids doing this? it's a controlled substance. >> because you're doing very well. i never heard anyone say i took it and did terrible on my exam. it's like an academic stroir. >> reporter: i was just thinking that. it's like taking steroids in sports. >> barry bonds in the library. >> reporter: but taking it when you don't have adhd can be dangerous. >> you get tolerant of it, you have to take more and more. >> reporter: and when you stop,

you crash. >> you get no energy, you get depressed, and can become suicidal. >> reporter: eventually stephane started selling it to friends. what was the going rate? >> anywhere from $10 to $30. >> reporter: but even handing addarall to a friend is illegal. and in september 2010, he was arrested, part of a sting called operation ivy league. in about five seconds time, you've gone from straight a student, millennium scholar at columbia university to handcuffs. >> yeah, life took a drastic turn. >> reporter: stephane pleaded guilty to selling adderall and did 300 hours of community service. columbia expelled him, but before that he took his final exams. >> i took finals for five classes. i did it without adderall.

took me a while, but i finished them all and i did well in all those classes. >> reporter: you didn't need that drug. >> i didn't need that drug. i fell like a lot of people don't need that drug. >> reporter: for "today," kate snow, nbc news, new york. i'm here with more health headlines. very interesting topic there. we're going to touch on a couple of other topics as well making medical headlines. we're going to start with this meningitis outbreak. the numbers are just so scary. the death toll stands at 21. 271 reported cases. what's the takeaway here for parents that are concerned, for people that might have had injections. >> in the news this week is they've actually identified the fungus and they did link it directly with this compounding center in new england. basically the takeaway is if you are getting any kind of back injection, you do want to check with your doctor to make sure it wasn't part of any of these

contaminated lots. but in general, the fda need to look closer at these type of compounding farm sis where they're mixing it on their own and shipping it out throughout the rest of the country. this outbreak has really brought that to the attention of the fab. >> next topic. early puberty in boys. now it's becoming more and more prevalent in boys. the question is are they having long-term effects? >> early puberty now is documented in boys, as much as six months to two years earlier than what we previously thought. so overall, the puberty age was around 10 years old, but for african-americans, it's actually only 9 years old what. are the impacts? we're not sure. we think for girls, it may increase their breast cancer risk. for boys, we're not sure. it's probably not a good sign of what we're getting in our environment. is it due to chemicals? is it due to the fact that children tend to be more obese

these days? unclear. one thing parents should know is you need to be looking for signs of puberty earlier because there are a lot of mental issues going on. you'll be having different conversations with your young boys at a younger age. you and your pediatrician need to look out for it. >> the cdc came out with new news on the flu. i feel like every year we have a conversation about the flu, whether children should be vaccinated or not. but now this news is a little bit alarming to parents. people are wondering what's going on. >> the cdc reported that 43% of the deaths in children who die from flu are in previously healthy children. we think of children that die from the flu as having asthma or cerebral palsy, but healthy children are almost as at risk. we talk about flu all the time. you absolutely need to get vaccinated and your children as well. even over 6 months. only about 50% of children are getting vaccinated. >> which is very surprising.

i'm taking my kids next week. >> i don't even have kids and i'm taking them tomorrow. last question is on the fertility front. it used to be that freezing your eggs is this experimental practice. it's really not anymore. >> it's no longer considered experimental. the american society of reproductive has said it's not experimental. they're having comparable success between frozen and fresh eggs. prior to this announcement, insurance companies would not cover that process. hopefully now they will. and for women in general who want to delay childbearing, this is a viable option. >> as always, great, helpful information. thank you very much. once again, here's lester. you may be sick of the run-up to the presidential election, there's one group of people who will be very sorry to see it come to an end. the late night comedians. here's a look at how the election is being played in late night. >> i'm sorry, but with all due

respect this is a bunch of malarkey. >> what does that mean? >> it's irish. >> no, irish is i come over there and smack that dumb look off your face. >> folks, follow your instincts on this one. >> my instincts say paul ryan is getting kicked in the debate. >> oh yeah? what's that like? >> how many times a week does biden show up in a wet bathing suit to a meeting. just ballpark figure? >> i had to put out a presidential directive on that. we had to stop that. >> you got to put towels down. >> i got to say, though, he looks pretty good. >> lindsay lohan has at long last revealed which presidential candidate she backs. >> as of now, i think it's mitt romney. as of now. >> as of now. as of now. she hits a car with an obama bumper sticker, that could change. as of now, she's endorsing mitt romney. >> one of president obama's goals tonight is to win back

female voters. [ cheers and applause ] >> romney had some odd

skill to come today, lance armstrong steps out for the first time. plus, swimming with tigers is possible at a private zoo in florida now. some say it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience while others say it sends the wrong signals. but first, these messages.

>> good morning. i'm jennifer franciotti. here's a look at some of our top strryes. a split verdict in the trial of two prince georges police

officers accused of beating a university of maryland college student back in 2010. officer james harrison was found guilty of second degree assault, but was acquitted of the misconduct case in if official charge. officer reginald baker was found not guilty on all charges. the case centers around eyewitness video showing the officers using force against john mckenna. >> we believe tonight that the citizens of prince georges county have spoken loudly and clearly that although we appreciate and we really honor the protection that is provided to us, that protection must be reasonable. that protection must respect the dignity of every human being in this community. >> definitely glad that some justice has been done today. it's been a long two years for me and my family. >> officer harrison will be sentenced in december and he could face up to ten years in prison. both officers are still officially suspended. a 21-year-old man is facing

134 counts of animal cruelty. earlier this month animal control officers retreefshd a number of dogs and cats and several exotic pets from the pasadena home of shane taylor. investigators say many of the animals were without adequate food and water. some died. taylor denies the charges and insists he provided the appropriate care for the animal. he's currently out on $10,000 bond. the flu is making an early visit to maryland. the department of health and mental hygiene announced friday that the first confirmed cases of flu have been diagnosed in four children in the baltimore region. one of those kids was hospitalized but all four are doing well. last year the first confirmed case wasn't reported until december 30th. so far with these early cases the state health department urges everyone to get the flu shot now. the health department said the vaccine is headley available this year. we're back in just a minute with a look at today's forecast.

>> take a look at our radar. we have sunny skies here. clouds off shore. that's last night's stormy activity. rain is out of range of the radar. to the west we have some clouds, too, but not producing any rain. few sprinkles around pittsburgh opinion current conditions outside with the sun coming up 48 degrees right now. the humidity 96%. little high, but that will drop way off as the sun gets higher in the sky. 29.74 the barometer is rising. all right. so here are the clear skies. the front is to the east of us

now. the storm is still spinning west. we still have high pressure coming in so it's a good day. we'll pick up some afternoon clouds. high temperatures in the 60s. >> thank you john. thank you for joining us i'm jenna wolf along with lester holt. coming up, who doesn't love a pool party? but would you willingly swim with tight sneertigers? >> a private zoo actually allows patrons to swim along with tiger cubs. some say it's wonderful, others caution, say it sends the wrong message. we'll let you be the judge. >> i get dolphins.

i get turtles. i get fish. >> tigers? >> really? >> yeah, i don't know. >> next week, we're going to swim with a rhino. and we'll hear about lance armstrong's state of mind. he could be stripped of his tour de france titles within days. plus, one tv reporter's live shot. they told me we're not going to show you the video. but it's this. and i near fell off the couch. >> it's what? >> i can't say what it is. but it has to be your worst nightmare. >> when you do what we do now, you live in fear of becoming a youtube moment. >> this one is a youtube moment. for everyone in our control room, if that wasn't enough of a tease for people to stick around -- >> better than our colleague who got the bug in his mouth. oh yeah, mark. oh. [ laughter ]

we want to begin this half-hour in the lone star state, a place where football and faith are often intertwined, but what's happened when one east texas town sparked a huge debate over freedom of speech. now some high school cheerleaders are celebrating a legal victory. here's gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: beneath the friday night lights, and the banners these cheerleaders have fought for. >> a huge weight has been lifted. >> reporter: on thursday, a county judge ruled in their favor, allowing the public school students to display bible verses at school sponsored football games. until a trial next june. >> it's just so exciting that we'll be able to continue to use our signs toward the rest of the season. this small town of 2,100 people was caught in a legal showdown between freedom of speech and separation of church and state. >> they just feel like it's part of what they were doing. i guess they don't see the scope of it just yesterday.

>> reporter: the decision came a day after the texas attorney general with governor rick perry by his side publicly backed the students. >> the first amendment does not demand hostility toward religion. nor does it demand silence on the part of students in this state or in this country. >> the controversy began this month. in a written statement, the atheist group argues it is not preventing freedom of expression, but instead, defending freedom of conscience. the constitution differentiates government from public school peach. school officials say while they sympathize with the students, the supreme court has decided that public schools can't endorse a religion. >> it's a difficult situation to reach a settlement on, because

either you let the banners on or you don't. there's not a real middle ground you can reach. >> reporter: but for now, at least, the towns will stay in a town where faith and football are hard to separate. for "today," gabe gutierrez, nbc news. let's get another check of the weather. >> dylan dreyer is on the plaza with another check of our forecast. i know you're wearing yellow, but that's not a raincoat. >> no, it's just trying to transition from whatever season we're in right now. i mean, it's a hard jacket season. we've got a group of girls, a group of ladies who took the red eye bus from ohio last night, and your main goal was -- >> to go shopping. >> is that not a bus load of girls or what? but in ohio, we are looking at some showers. we have a couple of scattered showers through the great lakes region. but it is going to start to clear out as we go into tomorrow. we have also some rain through cape cod. heavy at times. we had some big loud thunderstorms move through the

area in southern new england overnight. those are moving out over the water. we will see improvements all across the northeast. the great lakes hang on to some showers, but up through the dakotas, we are looking at temperatures at about 15 degrees above normal. looks real nice through theic good morning. last night's storms have moved off shore. there's still a storm spinning over the great lakes. all that activity should stay to our north today. we'll see plenty of sun. maybe a few clouds. highs in the 60s. >> and it is officially the weekend. that means tomorrow night is "sunday night football" night in america.

clear and cool at paul brown stadium. 59 to 63 degrees. that is some awesome weather for football. you can always get your latest forecast for football for anything on weather.com online. >> all right, dylan, thanks. up next, we'll talk about some ways to make your small business a big success. and later, swimming with tigers. >> why some call these pool parties the adventure of a lifetime, while others claim it's not such a great idea. but first, these messages. means living with pain. it could also mean living with joint damage. help relieve the pain and stop the damage with humira, adalimumab. for many adults with moderate to severe ra, humira is clinically proven to help relieve pain and stop joint damage. so you can treat more than just the pain. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb.

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♪ is that all you get for your money ♪ this morning on today's "morning tips." big business in the u.s., there are over 27 million of them in the u.s. so how do you bring your company to the next level? j.j. ramberg is the author of "it's your business", nice to have you hear. we hear the term small business a lot. the presidential candidates used

the term 46 times in their first two debates. so you have to wonder, is this a good time to start a small business or is it not because of the economy? >> there's certainly a lot of attention being paid to them right now. i say yes. if you have a good idea, any time is a good time to start a small business. and it's relatively cheap compared to what it used to be to start something. >> in your book, you have a ton of tips. 183 of them, to be exact, in order to transfer your small business into a success. we're going to get to a couple of them. you're calling them little tricks of a trade. the first is an interesting one. be the first one at every event. >> this is beyond business. this is for everyone. if you're a little bit shy, your inclination is probably to show up late to something. but it's harder to break into a group of people than to be one of the first people there when all the early birds gather together. >> you mentioned you're sometimes the one in the corner. faking the portant e-mail. i do that, too. but you say dive right in.

if you're first, dive in and mingle. >> the easiest pickup line is to say hi, i'm j.j. >> easy. i'm going to use that. next one, you say turn no into yes. >> right. oftentimes when people hear no, they think okay, it's over, i'm never contacting this person again. you walk away dejected. one woman i interviewed said no, don't do that. put in your calendar a follow-up time. one month, two months, three months, a year down the line. and in that, put everything they said to reject you so that when you call them again, you can say oh, we've changed this in my company. or i have a new idea for you so you can counter anything. >> so no doesn't mean never. next up, get your holiday gift notice. >> this is good. if you're sending a holiday gift to a client, a potential customer, don't send it december 17th. they're going to have a stack of presents there. they're never going to remember which one is from you.

so why not send it before thanksgiving? send it now. >> that's a good idea. we also have a bunch of viewer questions. everyone is very curious about this one. the first is a video question from erica. let's take a listen. >> my question is, as a start-up business, a small business, how does one use the internet to gain their share of the market? >> very important question. >> yes. and the beauty of today is you do not need a billion-dollar advertising budget. you need a facebook account and a twitter account. but you should keep in mind that if you're going to use social media, you have to make it a conversation. don't just try and sell things because you want it to get passed on. a quick example. if you had a children's clothing store, don't send a tweet out saying 10% all clothes this weekend. send a tip that says ten tips to get stains out of baby clothing. >> next up, a viewer e-mail.

rona writes we are a self-funded online ad agency that's one year old. at what point in our growth should we seek investors? >> if she thinks she's ever going to need investors, start looking for them now, because the last thing you want to do is start looking for money when you need money. whether she takes the money now is a different thing, but at least start networking to talk to people about getting that money. >> we have time for another video question. let's take a listen. >> as an attorney, i often have problems delegating work, trying to control too much. and i was wondering do you have any best practices for actually delegating work so i can actually get more done? >> so many people have this problem, because it's our babies. one woman said to me this. make a list in the morning the ten things you need to do that day, and then circle everything that only you can do. everything else you have to delegate. and just do it. do it for a week. once you start trusting your employees, you'll get better at delegating it. >> that's great advice.

j.j., thank you so much. good luck with everything. up next, everyone into the pool with the tigers. harmless fun or recipe for trouble? we'll find out after this. it just wouldn't go away. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and for some people, it can work in as early as the first week of treatment. so now i can plan my days and accomplish more. lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior, or any swelling or affected breathing or skin, or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. with less pain, i'm feeling better

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pool parts are common in florida, but one zoo is getting a lot of attention and not all of it is positive. kerry sanders has the story. >> reporter: to be sure, few people can boast they've ever gone swimming with a tiger, but in an effort to bring people closer to animals, a small private zoo in florida -- >> tigers actually can't float. they have to keep swimming. >> reporter: is making these one-of-a-kind interactions possible. 8-year-old rachel bennett says she will never forget her time with tony the tiger. >> it was really exciting for me and my brother. and it was very fun. >> reporter: it costs $200. for jacqueline, an unforgettable birthday present. >> it was unbelievable what i was doing, that there is actually a tighter in the pool swimming right there next to me, that's never going to happen again in my life. >> reporter: as much fun as it may be, there are some zoo experts who argue this is not

good. >> you're perpetuating this belief that people and tigers get along. that tigers can make a good pet. when you see somebody swimming with a tiger in a pool, this is -- you can't help but think oh, this is so cute, i want to have one of those things. wrong message. >> reporter: here at the zoo, trainers claim swimming with the siberian tiger clubs acclimates the cats to humans, which they believe pays off later when the cubs are full grown. >> but allowing the public to help with us our training, it helps the animals get used to more people. that helps them when they get full grown when they start seeing more people. >> reporter: under both state and federal law, these interactions are legal until a cub hits 40 pounds. that's usually within four to six months. usda inspection reports show this zoo in florida has had seven violations that required corrections in the last two years. including a failure to handle a tiger cub as expeditiously and

carefully as possible in a man hear the did not cause trauma, behavioral stress, physical harm, or unnecessary discomfort. swimming with tigers, controversial. if not unique. >> it was pretty shocking being able to do it. it was pretty cool. >> reporter: for today, kerry sanders, nbc news, miami. >> pretty pricey. 200 bucks. >> i always feel like these seem like good ideas until there's some sort of tragic accident and then you go back and you're like maybe that wasn't such a great -- i don't know. >> will always be a wild animal. still ahead, could o.j. simpson get a new trial in his armed robbery and kidnapping case? a new bid for freedom by the disgraced former football star. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

i've always been lucky. flew 37 bombing missions over germany. made it home every time. i'm lucky to have good friends who are all still around, and we're all lucky to have a friend named ben. ben's protected our medicare and veterans' benefits. and he's helping my 13 grandchildren afford college. he's my friend, ben. i hope he's your friend, too. i'm ben cardin, and i'm honored to approve this message.

we did a little welcome back earlier, but officially, dylan dreyer, welcome back from your wedding. and congratulations. >> thank you so much. my whirlwind is finally calming down a little bit. you know, the wedding, the move. >> you were here like two weeks, and like oh, i'm going to take a couple weeks off to get married. >> but i'm here now. >> look what we have. have you seen all of these already? >> these obviously taken from facebook, different people posting them there. that was my dad before this one. we ate our whole meal -- i kind of felt bad because we didn't wander around to talk to people. >> it was in florence? >> that was in florence. this was a walk down the amalfi coast. the most terrifying walk of my life. because that view up there -- >> cute couple. >> then we went to the pantheon in rome. i was all about the food. >> i'm glad you ate on your vacation. it's so refreshing to hear about that. >> big wedding? >> about 250 people.

about ten were from my family and the rest was all brian's family. >> congratulations to both of you. now settle down and get to work. >> i'm going to try for now. i'm here for good. still to come, lance armstrong talks about the future of his live strong cancer charity. >> we'll be back right after this. in my life. this is huge! how many people actually win this thing? and i, monica roxanne warden, just won $50. [ male announcer ] with a chance to win a car, cash and 1 in 4 odds at great prizes like your favorite foods, that special feeling, is actually pretty typical. monica! no, you didn't win $50. you won $500! 500 dollars. [ male announcer ] the simple joy of more to celebrate. but i'm still stubbed up. [ male announcer ] truth is, nyquil doesn't unstuff your nose. what? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus liquid gels speeds relief to your worst cold symptoms plus has a decongestant for your stuffy nose. thanks. that's the cold truth! ♪

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so how'd it go today, richard? i shoulda brought more. [ male announcer ] for five generations, with a name like smucker's, it has to be good. >> good morning. i'm jennifer franciotti. the time right now 7:55. here's a look at some of the morning's top stories. howard county police arrested this man in a bizarre peeping tom case. 42-yr-old michael mckenny faces

burglary, visual surveillance and videotaping without consent charges. we're told numerous tips led police to the suspect after police showed the video thursday and friday. police believe mckenny knew the victims. investigators are now working to notify two other women who were all recorded in a separate incident. mckenny's being held on $100,000 bond. one year after the murder of a baltimore county man, family members are offering a $10,000 reward to find his killers. baltimore county police found ernest gails shot to death inside a car on salt lake drive last october. authorities released surveillance pictures of three of the suspects on friday and the victim's mother hopes the pictures will lead to an arrest. >> that's what we are hoping for today. that somebody will look at these pictures and recognize these guys and make a phone call that will help us get justice for our son. >> metro crime stoppers is also offering a reward for

information leading to these arrests and conviction of the suspects. the flu is making an early visit to maryland. department of mental hygiene confirmed the first cases of flu have been diagnosed in the baltimore region. all four are said to be doing very well. last year the first confirmed case wasn't reported until december 30th. so with these very early cases, the state het department is urging everyone to get the flu shot now. the health department said the vaccine is readily available this year. we'

>> good morning. sun is out this morning. areas that have low lying fog that developed nap will burn off quickly as the sun heats things up. yesrday's storms all off shore. there are some clouds off to the west. some sprinkles and showers up in the great lakes. part of that storm is still back there spinning around. there are these little impulses spinning around that storm, too. one of those will probably help bring a few clouds into the picture. basically, it's going to be a nice day. we'll call it on average partly cloudy. cooler than yesterday. 63 to 68. but that's typical for this time of year. a sprinkle with some of the afternoon clouds wouldn't be out of the question, but it won't change the game all that much. it will still be a nice day. west winds 6 to 12 miles an hour. small craft advisorieies on the bay. by monday and through next week we'll be in the mid 70s for highs. not bad for autumn weather. >> thanks, john. thanks for joining us. back in 25 minutes with another update. see you then.

welcome back to "today," saturday morning, the 20th day of october, 2012. we've got a great crowd on the plaza waving hello to friends and family back home. our thanks to them for spending part of their sunday with us. outside on the plaza, i'm lester holt along with jenna wolf. no one will notice us because we're standing -- >> it is the guaranteed way to get on television. have a 4-month-old baby. >> i love this outfit. >> this is isabella. >> hi, isabella. >> isabella looks perfect holding pink scripts. if you want to just read what it says here, that would be great. >> might as well. we've only got an hour left. thanks for coming by. >> welcome. thanks for being here. so adorable.

we're talking about lance armstrong. >> yeah, he's speaking out for the first time since he resigned as head of his charity. >> yeah, first time we're hearing from him. he's been under a cloud of doping allegations, so we're going to tell you what the embattled cyclist had to say and where he goes from here. then, a big museum rip-off and they're asking questions, was it an inside job? it's one of the biggest art heists in history. it went so smoothly, investigators want to know if maybe the thieves got inside information from museum personnel. they've got the surveillance video that may hold clues to the identity of the thieves. we'll have a live report coming up. >> cut right out of one of those movie thrillers. then we're talking about ways to save money at the supermarket. food is getting so expensive these days. with the high cost of thichicke and fish, we'll tell you the best way to get your money's worth. >> justin timberlake and jessica biel are now newlyweds. they were able to keep most of the wedding plans a secret, but we've got some inside details

that we'll share with you coming up. >> remember last saturday when i was like, do you want to run a 5k with me, and remember how you never responded? >> yeah. >> it was called the rugged run for respect. >> that's not a run. that's a crawl. >> well, it was not all on foot, as you can see. one of the harder things that i've done, this was for a great charity. and benefits special olympics. we're going to show you a little bit more about what was involved. >> why do you do stuff like that? >> i honestly do not know. because i say yes far more than i say no. then i realize maybe i should have said no. >> we want to get another check of the news headlines now. >> we're going to go inside and say hi to courtney reagan. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with a new development as police investigate a child killing in colorado. nbc's michelle franzen reports. >> reporter: a new clue in the murder case of jessica ridgeway, the 10-year-old girl who was abducted in westminster,

colorado, earlier this month. investigators released images of a small wooden cross, possibly worn as a necklace, and recovered after jessica's body was found in an open field seven miles from her home. her body dismembered. a possible unique piece of evidence, experts say, in the hunt for the killer. >> whether it was found where the victim's remains were or where she was believed kidnapped from or with her backpack make no, sir difference right now. this is one more piece of evidence that could link the killer to the crime itself. >> reporter: police are also looking at a link between a possible abduction. >> we love you, jessica, and we'll miss you every day. >> reporter: meanwhile, the community and jessica's family are mourning the loss of this little girl who loved to dance, waiting for justice and answers. >> we recognize that there is a predator at large in our

community and we are committed to doing everything within our power to keep our children safe. >> reporter: michelle franzen, nbc news, new york. searchers have found the body of a young oregon woman who vanished this week on her way to work and a neighbor has been arrested. the body of 21-year-old whitney hikel was found in a remote forested area east of portland. she was last seen driving to work tuesday morning. police have arrested 24-year-old jonathan holt, an akwa answer the who lived in the same apartment complex as she and her husband. several years of peace have been brought to a violent end with a deadly car bombing in lebanon. a top security official and seven other people were killed friday in a devastating attack that the prime minister says has links to the civil war in neighboring syria. lebanon's cabinet shoelding an emergency meeting to talk about how to keep the peace, taeb government has declared this a national day of mourning for victims. a nevada judge has agreed to

reopen the theft and kidnapping case by o.j. simpson. he is serving nine to 33 years in state prison. the maker of banana boat sunscreen is recalling a half million bottles of spray of on lotion. there are reports that a handful of people have caught on fire after applying the product and coming in contact with open flames. here's something you don't see every day. this is a reporter for nbc 4 in los angeles. he was doing a live shot when a cockroach started crawling over his shoulders. he finished his report and tossed back to the anchor in the studio, all without flinching, but he later joked about the experience on twitter. that's the news, and now back to jenna. i have to admit, if that happens on television, i will not likely remain that calm. >> i'm just going to say it. hands-down, the most awful thing that could possibly happen to you while you're doing a live

shot. i would take a snake rather than a cockroach. that is just awful, courtney. and you even told the story with a straight face. i'd be like cringing. i can't watch it. that being said, let's check it over to dylan dreyer for another check of the weather. >> i would scream and run so fast. we are talking about fall followage. we are seeing it turn into land escapes of gold, bright fiery oranges and reds as the leaves filly change color. in connecticut, people are flocking to see the fall foliage. it's a similar scene in wisconsin. people say the fall colors are even brighter this year. experts say the best time to see the fall changeover for many parts of the country will probably be this weekend or next, if you can't go this weekend. so we are looking at some really nice colors all across the central and northern half of the

country. if you can get out this weekend or even next weekend, you still have some time. we have a couple rain showers that will affect some areas in the great lakes. chilly in the great lakes, in the 40s and 50s. the new england area should be in the 60s later on today. we'll see any rain on cape cod exit the region and we are looking at warm temperatures up through the dakotas. temps topping out in the upper >> good morning. sun out this morning. cool temperatures but dry conditions. we'll probably pop a few scattered clouds this afternoon. somebody might catch a sprinkle. otherwise a nice day with highs

>> just curious. who here is from hurricane, west virginia? they all came on a bus. a 12-hour bus ride from west virginia. lester? >> all right, dylan, thanks. now to the race for the white house. the presidential candidates are backing away from the spotlight this weekend. they're preparing for monday's third and final debate. peter alexander is traveling with the romney campaign. peter, good morning. >> reporter: lester, good morning. both of them are retreating from the campaign trail the next couple days. the president will spend his weekend hunkering down at camp david. mitt romney will head to boca raton. they squeezed in one more sharp exchange. with more onstage fireworks expected next week, the romney campaign lit up the sky after laying into his rivals. >> they have been reduced to petty attacks and silly word

games. just watch it. the obama campaign has become the incredible shrinking campaign. >> reporter: mr. romney was taking aim at these comments in virginia on friday, accusing the republican nominee of forgetting his own past promises. >> we've got to name this condition that he's going through. i think it's called romnesia. >> reporter: the goal for both candidates, to make their message stick in voters' minds. perhaps their last best chance, monday's final debate, that the president loosely previewed during a charity dinner this week. >> the topic is foreign policy. spoiler alert. we got bin laden. >> reporter: while most polls show president obama still holds a slight advantage on foreign affairs, governor romney sees a vulnerability in the white house's evolving response to the terrorist attack in libya. on friday, house republicans released state department documents including this cable

from ambassador chris stevens a month before the attack. warning, what we have seen are not random crimes, but rather discriminate attacks. house democrats slammed the release as politically motivated. er. >> i think this race is at a pivot point and i think the race right now is as up in the air as it's been in some time. >> reporter: mr. obama's advisers are also out thing new unemployment numbers that fell slightly last month. the romney campaign unveiled this new ad promoting governor romney as a bipartisan leader. >> i've done it before, i'll do it again. >> reporter: where the candidates choose to go after monday's debate says a lot about the states they believe are still up for grabs. mitt romney and paul ryan go to nevada and colorado. >> peter alexander, thanks. mark halperin is a senior political analyst for "time" magazine and msnbc. great to see you.

all the buzz phrases in this election. binders full of women. now romnesia. where do we stand right now? >> i've been traveling with both candidates. there's a lot of excitement in the country. this race is up in the air. we haven't seen a race like this in a long time where either candidate is really if a position to win. on the other hand, it's also very tense. you talk to partisans on one side or the other, they're panick panicked, desperate about the thought of the orguy winning so. the country is very engaged, but it's very negative, and the president's romnesia line, democrats look at that and say people, particularly women voters, don't trust mitt romney. they want to sew that. they want to sew the doubts about whether they trust mitt romney on issues that voters care about, morely women voters. on the other side, the romney campaign says this is st. paul, this is petty. >> i've been looking at all the

data coming in from the swing statings. is it conceivable that we could see the winner of the electoral vote not be the winner of the popular vote? >> it's possible. you have 41 states that are basically being ignored. in california and here in new york, you'll see the president run up big margins. but a lot of the southern and mountain states you'll see governor romney. if that happens, like we had in 2000, it's likely the president would win the popular vote, but end up losing the electoral college. >> let's talk about the foreign policy debate coming up on monday. they've gotten into it a little bit certainly on the benghazi situation. is that a dead issue or is that going to come front and center again? >> it will come up in the debate. it's still not really clear to me that either campaign really wants to go for it. governor romney had his chance in the second debate and he kind of whiffed. i think that the press and the public feels that that's been adjudicated to some extent. i think the president still hasn't adequately explained what he knew and how he reacted to

all of this. there are other big foreign policy issues. it's unfortunate, as far as i'm concerned, that we'll have 90 minutes on foreign policy. a lot of big issues. we still need a big debate on the biggest issue facing whoever wins, which is the fiscal cliff, all these issues of taxes and spending. i hope they find a way to work that into sbthe debate as well. >> typically the incumbent has an advantage on foreign policy. is the president vulnerable on policy issues? >> he's been a towering issue on foreign policy. i think there is some question on libya and around the world. the arab spring. we still haven't really resolved our relationship with place like china and russia. it's a messy world. the u.s.'s role in the world is confusing. i think there are some points of debate. but in terms of what vote rers going to actually vote on, i don't think he's particularly

vulnerable, nor does he have an advantage. the economy is what at what most voters are going to look at here. >> a couple program notes. tomorrow i'll be anchoring the broadcast from florida and how the election is shaping up in this key battleground state. you can catch the final presidential debate monday night at 9:00 eastern, 6:00 pacific right here on nbc. still to come, justin timberlake and jessica biel tie the knot. we'll have details on their star-studded wedding. but next, caught on camera. police release this surveillance video to try to find the thieves who snatched paintings worth millions of dollars. we'll tell more more about that after these messages. so on august eighth we woke up a sleepy town to show that eating well can be easy and delicious with jennie-o turkey bacon and sausage cooked thoroughly to 165 definitely very good it's excellent this is delicious makes me want to eat breakfast more it's time for a better breakfast i can't stop eating this make the switch look for jennie-o at a store near you

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i'm bonnie, and this is my cvs. gone in 60 seconds. that's what happened to paintings worth millions of dollars from some of the most celebrated names in the art world. investigators hoped surveillance video can lead them to the brazen thieves. duncan golestani is live in london with more. good morning. >> reporter: it's four days since one of the biggest art thefts of all time. detectives in the netherlands have released just a few seconds of footage, but they hope there's a clue in there that could lead to the recovery of the stolen paintings. they came in the dead of night. the daring thieves walking through a museum side door with their faces covered. less than two minutes later, they were gone again, on their backs seven works of art, among them piece by picasso, monet, and freud worth tens of millions

of dollars. >> it's a very significant loss both to the public and to the trust which owns the pictures. >> reporter: they were stolen from a museum if a raid being described as brazen and meticulously planned. its supposedly state of the art alarm system overcome, leaving empty spaces on the walls. >> these people aren't going to your local department store smashing and grabbing, if you will. these are highly sophisticated individuals that know sophisticated alarm systems, that know the import-export business, currency exchange, etc., because once you get it, you got to get rid of it and that's very tough. >> tough because the pieces are so distinctive and famous among art lovers. detectives know they're up against a dark and murky underworld where stolen paintings simply disappear from view. two years ago, a paris gallery was raided. pictures from matthysse and picasso are still missing. >> such staples are so

well-known that no one will take the risk to present them for sale officially. >> reporter: instead, the owners of this private collection will be praying their paintings are recovered, just as this one was two years after being stolen, and of course the mona lisa taken from the louvre . police hope to get a tip which helps crack this incredible case. what nobody can work out is what do the thieves expect? the paintings might be worth millions of dollars, but they'll never be able to sell them on the open market. instead, experts wondering if maybe they'll ask for ransom. >> thank you so much. still ahead on the show, lance armstrong on how he's holding up amid the enormous doping scandal that's swirling around him. but first this is "today" on nbc. latest extreme

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snunt 2010. officer james harrison was found guilty of second degree assault but was acquitted of the misconduct charge. officer regional baker was found not guilty on all charges. the case centers around eyewitness video showing the officers used force against john mckenna. >> we believe tonight that the citizens of prince georges county have spoken loudly and clearly. that although we appreciate and we really honor the protection that is provided to us, that protection must be reasonable. that protection must respect the dignity of every human being in this community. >> definitely glad some justice has been done today. it's been a long two years for me and my family. >> officer harrison will be sentenced in december. he could face up to ten years in prison. both officers are still officially suspended. a 21-year-old man is facing 135 counts of animal cruelty. earlier this month animal

control officers retrieved a number of dogs, cats and exotic pets from the home of shane taylor. investigators say many of those animals were without adequate food and water and some died. taylor denies the charges and insists he did provide appropriate care for the animals. he's out on $10,000 bond. the flu right now making an early visit to maryland. department of health and mental high general saying the first cases have been diagnosed in four children in our area. one of the kids was hospitalized but all four are said to be doing well. the first confirmed case last year wasn't reported until tend of december. with these early cases the state health department is urging everyone to get a flu shot now. the good news, the vaccine is readily available this year. and we'

>> good morning. sun out this morning. last night's storms off shore. the cold pront with it. so high pressure is coming in. there's still a piece of the storm spinning back in the great lakes. that may help to provide a few scattered clouds this afternoon. we'll give it a partly cloudy day today. high temperatures 63 to 68. about ten degrees cooler than yesterday. this is pretty close to normal for this time of year. a sprinkle from some of those afternoon clouds. it wouldn't be out of the question. wouldn't change the game. still basically going to be a nice day sunday. lots of fun 65. next week will be in the 70s for highs. very nice. >> beautiful. thank you, john. thanks for joining us. we're back in 25 minutes with another update.

and we're back on a saturday morning, october 20th, 2012. want to thank our crowd for spending part of this beautiful fall day with us. it is actually a really nice day out here. i'm jenna wolf alongside lester holt. still to come in this half-hour, we're talking about lance armstrong. he's speaking out. >> the disgraced cyclist is saying he's seen some better days. i think that's an understatement after being caught up in the doping scandal that's cost him millions of dollars in endorsements and forced him to step down as chairman of his live strong cancer charity. and then we're going to talk some celebrity news. there was a nice wedding that recently happened. justin timberlake said b bye bye bye to the single life.

he said "i do" to actress jessica biel. also, a tumultuous week for his ex britney spears. her former manager making some very startling allegations about her in court. and then shopping for the best cuts of chicken and fish. we're going to get some expert advice on that. we'll tell you which part of a chicken is the best when it comes to grilling. when shopping for seafood, should you buy fresh or frozen? we'll have some tips for our next trip to the supermarket. >> ours? >> oh no. your trip, my trip. let's move on. fun, filth, and more fun this past weekend. i got a chance to do the rugged run for respect. it's this whole big craze now, the obstacle courses and the mud and tires and the balance beams, all of it. a great cause, all to benefit special olympics. this one was. we had a really good time. i noticed that of all the people that were there, my co-host was not. i'm just saying. it's something i noticed while i was there.

>> i'm still recovering from our last workout. >> that was eight months ago, by the way. >> let's get a check on the weather. dylan is back and has our last check of the weather. >> it's absolutely gorgeous out here in new york city today. we did have some rain across northern new england, but that is actually going to exit across cape cod as we go throughout the rest of the morning. across the rest of the country, a couple scattered showers, but we are talking about temperatures about 15 degrees above normal through the dakotas. 77 degrees. that is some really nice stuff, especially at the end of october. then as we go into sunday, some of that milder air will work back into the great lakes where it is going to be chilly today. tomorrow you'll get back into much more comfortable temperatures, not feeling so much like fall. it will be cool across the northeast. the southeast does look warm. nice and sunny all across the gulf coast states with a couple scattered thunderstorms possible, especially strongon good morning. last night's storms have moved off shore. there's still a storm spinning over the great lakes. all that activity should stay to

our north today. we'll see plenty of sun. maybe a few clouds. highs in the 60s. and this young lady just stood next to me. we're matching in our bright green colors. but we are getting into tomorrow, sunday night football night in america. of course, we are talking about the steelers heading over to cincinnati to take on the bengals. clear and cool, 59 to 63 degrees. looks real nice for a game at paul brown stadium. that is, of course, sunday night. also, check out your forecast any time at weather.com. lester? we're hearing from lance armstrong for the first time since he stepped down as chairman of his live strong cancer charity. the move was in the wake of the

doping scandal that's tarnished armstrong's cycling career. as charles hadlock reports, support for the charity remains strong. >> reporter: a yellow carpet welcome and a chance for celebrities to hear from a sports legend fallen from grace. friday night in austin, lance armstrong spoke publicly for the first time since he was kicked out of the sport he once dominate. >> it's been an interesting couple of weeks. it's been a difficult couple of weeks. for me, for my family, for my friends, for this foundation. >> reporter: the occasion was the 15th anniversary celebration of his live strong foundation, the cancer-fighting charity he founded after surviving testicular cancer. a host of celebrities came to show support. >> it's for a good organization. it's helped a lot of people's lives in ways that are more important. >> reporter: news cameras were

not allowed inside, and while armstrong didn't address the doping charges levelled against him by the u.s. anti-doping agency, he told the crowd -- >> i've been better. but i've also been worse. i am -- and i think i can speak on behalf of this entire team behind me, truly humbled by your support. >> reporter: by all accounts, this has not been a good month for the seven-time winner of the tour de france. last week the u.s. anti-doping agency detailed what it called overwhelming evidence that armstrong used performance-enhancing drugs to win the competitions. the agency banned armstrong from the sport for life. armstrong has denied the charges, but to protect his charity, this week he stepped down as live strong's chairman. >> it's truly a statement that this organization and this mission means more than anything to lance and his family. >> reporter: almost immediately, armstrong lost long-term contracts, including nike, who dropped him due to the seemingly

insurmountable evidence. >> i think they realized that because of the public response, so there was no other choice but to cut him loose. >> reporter: now the public gets to hear his response as he tries to help save the charity so closely associated with his image. for "today," charles hadlock, nbc news, dallas. up next, after a string of high profile romances, justin timberlake says "i do" to long-term girlfriend jessica biel. we'll tell you more. but first, these messages. ♪ [ slurp! ]

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it is time now for an entertainment round-up, from justin timberlake's wedding news to courtroom drama for his ex britney spears. here to discuss them is the senior writer for "people" magazine. charlotte, welcome. good morning. we have a lot to talk about this morning. let's start with the good news. j.t., justin timberlake. we go way back, so i can call him justin timberlake. we don't go way back at all, actually. and jessica biel finally tied the knot. it's been a long time for them.

>> they've been together five years. they got married yesterday in southern italy. it was a beautiful ceremony. according to people around them, they really pulled out all the stops. they flew in all of their guests on a private jet. they had a pre-party featuring fireworks and live music, and, you know, it was just a beautiful italian menu with every delicious delicacy you could imagine. >> i can imagine. and you guys have the exclusive coming out on wednesday. >> we do. >> okay. they did release a statement. they said it's great to be married. the ceremony was beautiful. it was so special to be surrounded by our family and friends. you sort of assume that. but are you surprised? he's had a long line of high-profile romances. britney spears, cameron diaz, fergie, alyssa milano. and they had a little hiccup, they did break up. are you surprised? >> he has a little bit of a reputation as a ladies man. that might be unfair. they've been together five years. but even when they broke upper he said she's the most important person in his life.

it didn't take very long for them to get back together. he got serious really quickly. so obviously she's the one for him. >> before we leave this subject, there's a ring on her finger the size of a small child. nicely done. >> she says that he has great taste. she let him go forth and pick a ring. he custom designed it. he really has amazing taste and she was thrilled with it. >> i feel like justin timberlake is picking out a ring, it's like whatever you like is fine with me. i really, really appreciate it. let's move on to justin's ex britney spears. a little bit of courtroom drama this week. there was a civil lawsuit that was brought on by her ex-manager sam lufti. he accused her of drug use. not just recreational drugs, some pretty hard drug use. what can you tell us about this claim? >> he says that year during which she had this string of breakdowns, she was on amphetamines as a result of her drug use, including shaving her head, that she was paranoid that they might test her hair for drugs and find something in there, and that's why she shaved

off all of her hair. we can expect that her family is going to come back swinging. >> and i heard crystal meth was one of the drugs mentioned in all of this. >> he claims that he brought in drug-sniffing dogs to the house and that the dogs found crystal meth, including drugs that had been in the carpet and he had to constantly be vigilant to make sure she wasn't doing drugs. >> doesn't this contradict claims he had made around that time? >> a couple years ago, he was interviewed on the street and he actually said the shaving the head thing was just her making a statement. so he definitely down played it then and i'm sure the spears family is going to bring that up in court. >> how is she doing today? >> she's doing very well. she's doing a great job on "x-factor." she's really put together. she's doing a great job. this is really not what she needs. she had been on an upswing. this is knocking her down a few pegs. >> thank you so much for all your insight this morning. we really appreciate it. coming up next, saving money at the supermarket. when it comes to buying chicken and fish. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

welcome back. this morning on "supermarket savers", the best for fish and fowl. you may have experienced sticker shock at the grocery store. today janice lieberman is here with advice on navigating the prices of poultry. good morning. >> so expensive out there. so we figured out we need an education. if you're going to spend your hard earned cash purchasing chicken and fish, you might as well the best way to get the best for your dollar. so with the help of america's test kitchen, we got an education. >> five and a half minutes. >> reporter: you may not be a top chef master like these chefs from the bravo show, but we're all fishing for the best seafood we can buy. so we asked food expert jack bishop to get us through those muddy waters. what do you look for when you're

purchasing fish? >> i'm looking for whether it's fresh or whether it's been frozen and thawed. you can see there's a lot of water in there. a good price at $2.99, but it also looks like it's not quite as firm as this one over here, which is fresh fish. >> reporter: so what's the difference? >> when it comes to the meaty fish, tuna, cod, it doesn't freeze that well. tilapia, flounder, they freeze better. >> reporter: a way to tell if it's fresh, look them in the eye. >> should look kind of clear and healthy. if they're cloudy, it's a sign that it's older. you can ask to smell anything. it should smell like the sea. >> reporter: the fish should also be intact. >> if i see it's been damaged, that's going to make it harder to cook it because it's going to get mushy and lose its juices. >> reporter: if you're buying fish in prepackaging, look through the window. >> you want to see what you're buying. this is a very pretty package,

but this is what they're showing you. it's hard to see is this freezer burned? i recommend that if you're buying fish, buy it in clear packaging. >> reporter: how do shrimp stack up when it comes to freshness? that looks nice and fresh. >> if you read the label, it says thawed. almost all of the shrimp sold in the united states is frozen, and either it's thawed in the supermarket or you can thaw it at home. but don't he is hit buy the frozen shrimp. it's the same quality as the thawed shrimp that you're buying at the supermarket. >> reporter: from fish to fowl, finding the best bird for your buck can also ruffle your feathers. >> there's everyday chicken, and then there's juicy chicken. >> reporter: we all use breast and cutlets, easy, quick. >> most of these packages contain boneless, skinless meat. this is 6.99 for the breast meat, 4.99 for the thigh meet. i think the thigh meet is

better. the dark meat saves you $2 a pound and tastes better. >> reporter: last, it's important to read the label on the chicken. >> they can be air chilled or they can be water chilled. the water chilled pick up liquids. this one says may contain up to 5% retained water. that means you just spent 50 cents on water. it's important to understand what you're actually paying for. some people think it's going to be juicier. we didn't find that it was juicier. >> so once you get your purchase home, make sure you store it or cook it the right way, or it is money down the drain, which we certainly can't afford these days. >> no, we can't. poultry, chicken. sometimes there seems to be a little bit of blood in there. is that something to be concerned about? >> when you buy it if you see blood in there, that means that it's been previously frozen and it's been defrosted, so you want to stay away from that one. look for the clear liquids. there's nothing unhealthy about it, but you're better off buying one that wasn't previously

frozen. >> some of that fish had been previously thawed. can i freeze it again? >> it's not going to be unhealthy, but it's going to taste bad and be mushy. >> how long typically would we keep chicken and fish in the refrigerator? >> if you have fish, try to use that day. if you can't use it that day, put it on ice, definitely use it by the next day. chicken, you've got two days. >> how do you like to defrost chicken? microwave? warm water? >> what you do is in the refrigerator, you put it in a metal container, like a tin or a pan, and that's going to react with the chicken or the meat and let it defrost better and easier and quicker. >> i like to rinse the chicken before i cook it. am i being overcautious? >> actually, america's test chicken says it's worse because you're spreading the jerms arou -- germs around. >> i'm not doing anything right. >> and it doesn't improve the taste. they did taste test both ways.

>> why is that a bad thing? >> because you're spreading the germs around the sink. and it doesn't improve the taste. and you're cooking out anything that might be bacteria anyway when you put it in the oven? >> any other cooking tips? i'm not going to tell you what i do. >> with fish, you want to cook it properly. don't overcook it, especially a steak like tuna. if you want it to be rare, it can be about 110 degrees. salmon, 125. and 140 tops. don't dry out fish. >> that's the temperature i always cook it at. that's not true. i don't know what temperature i cook at it. >> you don't even know what you're cooking. stop rinsing your chicken. >> thanks, janet. good to see you. up next, jenna goes on a rugged run. she takes on an new orleaenormo obstacle course. but first these messages. [ chuckles ] ♪ you're cute. ♪ [ door creaks, closes ]

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how would you like to crawl through wet mud pits, rubber tires, metal pipes, one-inch balance beams through tiny mud-filled -- okay, i'm getting a little crazy here. but pushing your physical limits may not exactly sound like the most fun thing to do on the weekends, but it's become all the craze now. so when i heard about the rugged run for respect, an obstacle course to benefit charity, i

very eagerly said sign me up. the quintessential tale of mud, sweat, and tears. what draws you to these kind of races? >> it's exciting. >> but it's not for the feint of heart. >> it's very intense and aggressive. >> the setting, a field in brooklyn, new york. >> there's all kinds of natural obstacle and manmade obstacles. >> the cause, charity, a good one, benefiting the special olympics. >> events like this help us fund the competitions. >> the anxiety high, but with a little hope and a lot of caffeine -- >> oh, my gosh, we're starting. >> we were off. along my partner in crime dan, we soon learned that this obstacle course was no walk in the park, no matter how fit we were. it's called the rugged run for respect, but run you ragged is more like it.

>> still alive. >> up hills, over walls, through pipes, small pipes, mind you, in mesh, through tires, weighted down -- >> i feel like i don't have the best technique. >> on foot. >> i'm conserving my energy, letting people pass me, just in case they make me do this twice today. just in case. >> and if that wasn't enough, there was the cold, wet, heavy mud. >> thank goodness this is for a good cause. >> after a mere 40 minutes, but what felt like 140, that finish line was calling our name in every language imaginable. we came, we channelled our inner warrior, and minus the bumps and bruises, we walked away, helping the more than 55,000 athletes of special olympics new york. >> all for the job! >> it wouldn't be me if there was no drama.

500 people actually participated in that race. >> did you stop along the way at all? >> well, three bathroom breaks. i stopped to watch an episode of "law & order" and i got two snacks. no, we went all 5k! >> that's what i would have done. >> it was under 30 degrees when we started the race. so props a little bit? next year, want to do it with me? the mud part. >> no, no, no. >> you sure? think about it. >> i'll think about it. get back to you on that. >> that is going to do it for us on a saturday morning. tomorrow we'll have a preview of "law & order's" 300th episode. one of us was on that episode. you should definitely tune in. best time ever. and i'm off to florida. we'll anchor from there, the presidential election. i'll see you from there. have a great day, everybody.

>> good morning and welcome to 11 news saturday morning. a stormy start to the weekend for many in our viewing area. baltimore and hartford counties were under a tornado warning on friday evening. in garrettsville downed trees. a crew from bge was on the scene trying to get power back on last night. hartford county sheriff's office had the road blocked off and there were no reported injuries. a 21-year-old man is facing 134 counts of animal cruelty this morning.

earlier this month animal control officers retrieved a number of dogs and cats and several exotic pets from theys pasadena home. many of those animals were without adequate food and water and some died. taylor denies the charges and insists he did provide the appropriate care for the anim s animals. he is currently out on $10,000 bond. it's been five years since the baltimore county school system updated its student search policy, but all of that is now about to change. the school board is set to review proposed changes next week. it comes on the heels of foun gun related incidents on school campuses. well, the time now is 8:57. it is 48 degrees. here's a look at what's coming up next on 11 news saturday morning. unfortunately, earlier than expected. why parents need to be concerned about their kids getting the flu shot. weather wise, cooler temperatures but very nice.

your insta weather plus forecast just ahead. don't become a victim of auto repair ripoff. how to know when you're being overcharged when 11 news saturday morning continues. stay with us, please. 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.