back now with more of "today" on this thursday. it's the 1st of november, 2012. nice to see the sun out in the northeast, it's the mid-40s here in new york city. and got to be thinking about all those who do not have power. >> it's going to be a chilly night tonight. and really, the next 72 hours, temperatures will moderate here in the northeast. but, you know, if you've ever lost power in your home, sometimes it feels like it's colder in your house than it is outside. so we really wish the best for our friends who don't have power right now. >> yeah. people on the plaza, people have come to visit. >> can't get their flights out. just ahead, more on the

recovery efforts going on across the region. natalie's over in hoboken, new jersey, where people are still stranded by flood waters. we'll check in with her in a couple of minutes. >> then we'll take a turn and check in with "today's" professionals. a lot of people talking about the decision on the new york marathon. and i got my subscription in from "glamour" magazine. i've got the women of the year, including people we really got to know well in london earlier this year. >> all right. before we get the there, let's go across the hudson river, natalie is in hoboken where national guard troops are delivering much-needed food and supplies there. natalie, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, matt. and yes, that relief is such good news to all here in this stranded town. this city of 50,000 really has left residents here in a lurch. because about 20,000 or so of them were stuck here and couldn't move around because of the flood waters. as you see, the good news here

is that the flood waters have receded a lot. there were about -- there was about 3 or 4 feet of water. it was like roaring rapids down this very street where i'm standing right now. there is a building with a water main break there, but let me tell you, that bit of water is nothing like what was here just as of yesterday as i was flying over in a helicopter, i saw a lot of this area and what was happening here. and there were national guard troops going house to house, door to door trying to get to people who were still stuck here. the good news is, we are seeing residents now, coming out of their homes, starting to pick up the pieces and trying to make sense of what is here and what was their lives. as you see, you know, the sandbags in this resident's home, that did not protect against the storm surge. it came up to about where that person is standing on the stairwell. hopefully that person going into their home did not hopefully see a lot of water inside the house, but certainly any basement level

apartments or any other sublevel, ground level floors were impacted here. but so many people i still think are feeling very lucky because there was no loss of life here in hoboken, though, people do still desperately need help. there are still people who are stranded, the national guard is still trying to get to them. but people here need donations, food, supplies, blankets for warmth, and the power is still out. it will will be for days. those who do have power are taking people into their homes and offering any little bit of warmth and comfort that they can. matt? >> natalie over in hoboken this morning, thanks for your reporting from there. we appreciate it. >> we just got a tweet from con edison saying they expect the power to be restored in manhattan in buildings that weren't water damaged friday/saturday, i believe what they said. we'll keep an eye on that. it'll be good news for so many people. for now, though, let's head over to tamron hall. good morning, guys.

good morning, everyone. after diverting his efforts to manage the recovery following super storm sandy, president obama is back on the campaign trail today. the commander in chief wednesday in new jersey touring the devastation along the coastline. but he's making up for time today. his republican challenger mitt romney spends the day campaigning in virginia. more than 19 million people have already cast early ballots, but those, of course, won't be counted until november 6th. state prosecutors in pennsylvania are reportedly announcing criminal charges against former long time penn state president graham spanier. they are based on e-mails in which spanier and others agreed not to tell authorities about former football coach jerry sandusky. meantime, sandusky was transferred to state prison where he will serve 3 to 60 years behind bars. and residents in louisville,

kentucky, are waiting to return to their homes after workers accidentally sparked a chemical fire at the site of a train derailment. at least three workers suffered serious burns. residents outside the evacuation zone have been warned to stay indoors. a human rights group said syrian rebels killed 28 government troops today in a town that straddles the country's main north/south highway. five rebels were killed in the attack. syrian forces also shelled a town near the turkish border. fighting has escalated dramatically since the failed cease-fire monday. the ameridose drug company is recalling all of the products after they were told they must improve their testing process. it is the sister company to the massachusetts pharmacy whose drugs have been implicated in that deadly meningitis outbreak. ameridose is a major supplier of injectable drugs to hospitals nationwide. they stress the fda did not identify any impurities in its products and that the recall is

out of p an abundance of cautio. bionic man zach botter is going to attempt to climb the stairs. he lost his leg in a motorcycle accident will now use an experimental prosthetic leg that is controlled by his mind. that's something. it is now six minutes after the hour, we are rooting for him. we'll be following, maybe even tweet about it if we get some power around here, al. >> yeah. >> isn't that fantastic? unbelievable. >> that's like science fiction. thanks so much. let's see what we have for you. today, remnants of sandy up into canada, spinning around, bringing some moisture, wrap around moisture and lake effect enhanced rain, western new york, western pa. and mountain snow in the upper elevations there. rest of the country, more rain moving into the pacific northwest, some mountain snows in the plains, look for plenty of sunshine in the southern two-thirds of the country, a

little on the chillier side in the southeast with temperatures in the 50s and 60s there, but >> good morning, chilly weathere following the aftermath of hurricane sandy, 54 degrees will be a high temperature today and it is still busy -- breezy >> and that's your latest weather. matt? al, thank you very much. up next, "today's" professionals breaking down the hot topics of this morning with savannah right after this. google, how much does the earth weigh? google voice response: earth has a mass of five point nine... ♪sleep on needles by sondre lerche

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back now with another edition of "today's professionals." and here to tackle the headlines, star jones, donny deutsch, and alex wapner. we're happy to have you guys here. speaking of the storm, on tuesday night, mayor bloomberg here in new york decided the new york city marathon will go on. this is happening despite the fact that this is a city still in crisis. traffic is at a stand still. the subway system barely corralling back. was this the right call given the circumstances? >> my immediate gut was thanking mayor bloomberg. i know that the numbers of resources that are going to be used for the marathon is going

to be tough for our city, but you think about it. about $340 million, $350 million that will come in because of it and the city could do it. and i think the ability to cheer on other people is going to help us through this. >> since we did an interview this morning, matt did with the head of the marathon, gotten a lot of tweets and viewer mail, they don't take that position. a lot of people think this is not something to be doing when the city is in crisis and you're diverting resources, potentially police resources to the marathon. >> i guess i'm in -- i have a contrary opinion, which is now more than ever. i mean, if you've been to the marathon, you can feel the sense of community that's in the air. it's about people coming together as star said to cheer each other. and look, the city is in crisis. but i think there's something to be said for what that does mentally in terms of lifting spirits, the emotional benefit of it. i think to cancel it would be --

you know, new york is big, it's a strong city, and we don't let -- >> i couldn't disagree with you guys more. i understand the psyche argument. i'm going to take the ceo argument. it's a zero sum game. we know what it costs, the police officers, the extra tens of millions of dollars, and i would rather have a given police officer or given fireman downtown helping an old woman up and downstairs at the very least than watching a bunch of runners go by. i actually think it's -- why not -- >> well -- >> honestly, i think it's a borderline ludicrous decision. the city etc. when it's a marathon gets tangled up to begin with. they close the bridge, honestly, and i love bloomberg and i'm a big bloomberg guy and love what he's doing with soft drinks, i think this is a ludicrous decision. >> i'm still of the opinion when we can cheer in the midst of tragedy, it's a good thing. >> you know what?

we are all talk that we have not lost power. i wonder if the people downtown are going to be cheering. >> you know -- >> the strength and resilience of the city that the mayor who has taken a very -- as you said zero sum attitude toward many other things is saying we're going to go forward. >> let's take a poll of the people affected. >> i have someone staying with me from downtown because she has no power and the first thing she said was that marathon's going to be a good thing. >> we shall see. the show will go on no matter what. apple exit. did you hear about this? the ceo of apple asked for basically, the guy who basically was in charge of the mapping on the new iphone that was so widely panned and reportedly one of the reasons why he was forced out was because he refused to sign a letter of apology for some of the missteps. what do you think about that? >> someone needs to apologize for that mapping software. i have been lost for days on end following that apple software.

steve jobs never would've let this happen. there's a lot of question about -- >> we're learning the nucleus of that company was the brain of jobs. i don't think that -- and also, the feud between google and apple is so at the forefront given this whole -- >> larger question to you, donny, as our business guy, at what point do you think it's good for a company to come out and apologize. that's something that steve jobs was not into. >> well, the agency handles the company. apple has a problem that they're almost too high up there. sometimes when you are so in such rarefied air that when something goes wrong, it gets magnified. two issues here. number one, apple was built on design and function. and that's their whole premise. and now that software more than ever is becoming a bigger and bigger part, this may really be a chink in the armor.

when you want to ai am the ceo of this company, you take out one of the other guys lead lieutenants. so i think there's something going on there also. baby out on the town. halloween was not canceled for everyone. kelsey grammer and his wife attended the party at the playboy mansion and they had their 3-month-old baby and a lot of people were upset about this. where do you come down on this? do you think it's appropriate? >> well, one, i don't know why i know about it. you are grown people, and what you do with your baby unless you're giving it alcohol shouldn't be my business. but now that you've made it my business. >> now that you're asking. >> now that you've made it my business, i don't understand how kelsey and katie or whoever he's married to now could not find a babysitter. that is the most annoying thing in the world. >> one parent stays home and the other goes off to the playboy

mansion? >> how about miss a party? there's a billion parties, just miss it. oh, i'm not going to make the party this year. >> the baby's 3 months old, she's not going to have any memory? >> well, there's a photograph that will live on with a baby and a bunny. you know. >> i play two roles here. one, i would certainly love to be invited to a playboy party. but more importantly, i'm a dad. some things you don't need to do. by the way, just some things, the kid is not going to be scarred. it's just about your own -- and i like kelsey, he's a good guy. it's just about sometimes you have to -- what does this look like? what does this say about me as a person? who needs it? he's smarter than that. >> it's another party. you miss it. it'll be all right. another one's coming next week. >> i can do some pick-up babysitting. >> and we've learned that donny is available for next year's party. >> i have yet to be invited. it literally, i'm somewhere ten

rungs below polly shore. >> next topic, schools bribing parents. we talk from time to time about parents bribing kids to get them to do something. in chicago there's a pilot program where parents will be given a $25 walgreen's balance reward program if they pick up the report card and attend parent/teacher conferences. >> i have two things to say on this. one is, i don't think we can underestimate the economic stability and giving a child a good education. if parents are working multiple jobs, it's hard to be a good parent, hard to be there for the parent/teacher conferences. inso far as this alleviates economic stress, i think it's great. >> is this the reason behind this, though? >> this is -- that's why it's a two-fold answer. the second part is, there's something that feels not quite right about having to incentivize good parenting. >> let me challenge that for a second. if at the end of the day -- and you're right, it's all about getting better education for kids, and if although it's

horrible -- >> and crass -- >> but if this gets the job done as the ceo, i say do it. >> you may think there's an ick factor. >> if it gets the job done, i'm for it. >> and offering a buffet lunch will get a parent in to care about their child and their child's relationship with that school, then that's what you need to do. whatever's necessary. >> let's do our next topic, football dancing. i know star's a big football fan. >> exactly. >> the jacksonville jaguars are trying to -- >> jacksonville? >> did i not say it right? >> jaguars. >> what do you say? >> jaguars. >> isn't that what i said? >> i'm sorry. >> whatever. >> this is not the topic. >> exactly. go ahead. >> the jacksonville -- those people, have decided that the head coach does not want the players to do the end zone dance. so if they just hand the ball to the referee, he will make a donation, team will make a donation to charity. >> what do you think about this? i think the end zone dance is kind of fun.

if you do too much of it, it's illegal. >> girl, i look for the time for victor cruz to do -- >> that's how i feel about it. >> how do you know if a tou touchdown is scored if no one is in the end zone? >> what i don't understand if you're a coach and you're in charge of your team, guys, it's not happening, you will not be on the field if you dance. why do you need to do that that way? once again, i've never coached a football team, but trust me if i wanted it done that way, it would be done that way. >> they need a buffet lunch. >> to incentivize them. >> i think it shows weakness in the coach. >> they're going to give the money to charity, i can understand that. but this is football, y'all, let us have something that's fun. you keep trying to be nanny state and clamp down on everything -- >> if you're going to reform football, let's start with the head trauma, the injuries, the rough stuff, and not the end zone dance. >> espn picks up, this is what

they run. and you do it, you do want to send the signal to young people, it's not about that, there is a sportsmanship issue. there is a reason behind it. >> don't be a fuddy duddy, you'll never get the invitation to the playboy mansion. good to have you. nice to see you guys, thank you. coming up, a first look at "glamour" magazine's women of the year. but first these messages. [ female announcer ] why settle for plain bread? here's a better idea. pillsbury grands! flaky layers biscuits

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> looks like we will be stuck in this chilly and breezy pattern for a couple of days. it feels colder. wind gusts up to 20 miles per hour. these guys will be mostly cloudy. temperatures only in the 50's temperatures only in the 50's the next couple of 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.

♪ you are listening to one of the many hits from aerosmith's extensive catalog. and they will be with us tomorrow on the plaza. and we'll have a live concert. and we're hoping to give the new york area a much-needed lift after a tough week. i'm savannah gurthrie alongside al roker and tamron hall. >> it's going to be a little chilly. >> well, it's an aerobic activity. it's not the only concert tomorrow. we want to remind you that the networks of nbc universal will bring a special concert tomorrow night. >> that's right, performers

include the likes of bruce springsteen and the e street band, along with jon bon jovi, billy joel, sting, christina aguila aguilera, matt's going to be hosting it and it benefits the red cross starting tomorrow 8:00 p.m. tomorrow night across the networks of nbc universal. >> fantastic. they can put all of those big names together. >> in about a minute. >> less than a minute. >> meanwhile, just ahead, some remarkable women, ""glamour" magazine's most glamorous women. >> mr. roker, nice and sunny around here. >> that's right. finally. let's look at your wait a second weekend ahead starting with tomorrow. a gorgeous day in the southeast through the gulf coast and into the southwest. some rain in the pacific northwest and some mountain snows in the plains. then as we move ahead toward saturday, we're looking at

showers in northern new england, rain again in the pacific northwest, showers in the ohio river valley. plenty of sunshine through the southwest. and then on sunday, sunday more rain in the lower mississippi river valley, showers in the pacific northwest, sunny and cold in the northeast and new england, hopefully our friends get their power back and then we're looking at sunshine, mild conditions through the southwest. that's what's going o >> you can see a little bit of rotation across the northeast and that is producing showers all the way down into western maryland. >> and that's your latest weather. >> thanks. and coming up, an inspiration to all of us.

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back now with the first look at "glamour" women of the year. as they recognize the most glamorous from all walks of life. it's always a pleasure to see you on. >> thank you. good morning. >> good morning. let's talk about how you narrow it down. so many women to choose from. >> so many amazing women out there this year. but we really look for women who not just had a great year, but had a particularly great year this year. and we quite honestly look for the give back factor. not just doing great things for themselves, but in some ways have made the world a better place. >> that's fantastic. let's get to the list. starting off with a cover girl

selena gomes. she's a young woman now. >> she's our youngest ever woman of the year cover star, by the way. >> wow. >> and she would have been a woman of the year for her professional accomplishments. she started on the disney channel and has become a multi-platinum blockbuster pop star and movie star, has her own fashion line, et cetera. but what really captured our attention is that she is -- and most people don't know this the youngest ever ambassador to unicef. >> not just a celebrity title. >> no. she's involved. >> does the work. not just her name on the program. it's real. >> and also, i guess when she was talking with your staff, she kept some very positive responses going. >> well, when we talked to people about her, they all kept saying the same thing, which is she's not entitled. not one of these young actresses who sort of has the feeling that all good things should come to me because i'm famous, and there are a few of them out there. >> not the spoiled hollywood girl. >> she feels she wants to give

back to her fans. >> another great woman, 26 years old, she's the force behind the hit show on hbo. she's everywhere. >> she is. this is inarguably the biggest tv debut of the year. and young women in particular worship her. love her, follow her on twitter. she is the creator, the writer, and the star of it. i'm sure she basically works the craft services. it is all her. and women love it because it's so real. >> is it her independent streak? she wore this really short skirt on one of the red carpets and she said deal with it. if you don't like my thighs, get over yourself. >> yeah, i think she's comfortable being herself. and the show shows women who don't have quote unquote perfect jobs, lives, bodies, and boyfriends, but it's incredibly entertaining. and i think it makes women feel great to watch it. >> next up on the list, the women of the olympics. for many reasons, but that's some serious girl power. >> yeah. this was -- they were calling it team title nine this year.

opened all those doors for women. and if you look at the big stories of the olympics were, so many of them women stories. >> i have to remark about the picture. that's an awesome photograph. >> isn't that amazing? >> and all those gold medals. they take them everywhere, they're incredibly proud, very, very humble. you had so many firsts. gaby douglas becoming the first african-american woman standing on the top podium in the individual gymnastics competition. missy franklin still in high school and brought home so many golds in swimming, four golds and five medals overall. you had the american soccer team which won their match and carly lloyd who scored both goals in that match. and an incredible range. kayla harrison brought the first judo gold. >> another person on the list, most people would expect to see on a list of this compiled together, supreme court justice ruth bader ginsberg, again, the

obvious reasons, very powerful force. >> and powerful in ways that i think many people don't realize. it's hard to imagine a day when women didn't have equal rights and things like housing, social security, and things like that. the reason so many of those laws are no longer on the books is because of justice ginsberg as her days as a lawyer and then as a justice, she has upheld fairness for women. we made her our lifetime achievement winner this year as a way of saying thank you. >> and the last person we'll talk about, erin marin. >> she's only 27, most people have not heard of her. >> her story is unbelievable. >> she had a tough childhood. sexually abused at the hands of two different men as a child. and she had the guts to come forward about it. but also now is advocating for schools to begin educating children about sexual abuse. and she puts it, we do fire drills, we do tornado drills, we do bus drills, we need to teach children about this. and erin's law as it's called has passed in four states and on the books for ten others next year. >> well, she is so inspiring.

it is amazing what she has survived. and to reach out and help other kids. and such positive example. cindy, thank you so much. pleasure seeing you. >> thank you. >> and "glamour's" women of the year will be honored at carnegie hall. we'll be back with more "today" after this. ♪ [ female announcer ] at yoplait, we want you to feel even better about your favorite flavors. so when you call, tweet, and post, we listen. that's why yoplait light and yoplait original are now made with no high fructose corn syrup. and why we use only natural colors and natural flavors in yoplait original. so, anything else we can do for you, let us know. but you'll keep it to yogurt, right? 'cause we shouldn't really help with your love life. yoplait. it is so good!

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each year, nearly 400,000 babies are born to young women between the ages of 15 and 19 years old. for many of those new mothers, finishing school is not an option. but one principal is trying to change that. "today" contributing correspondent jenna bush-hager has more. good to see you. >> good to see you. he has been giving teen moms the opportunity not only to finish school but to start a lifelong education process for their babies. >> reporter: at first, the high school looks like any other. students in class learning, listening, taking notes. but just down the hall, a very different type of education is taking place.

>> we started a really developmentally appropriate early education program. >> at the katherine ferguson academy in detroit, the soul of the school, andrews has created a loving environment not just for her students but also for their babies. >> last year she was in the infant room, now she's in the junior toddler room. everything they teach the kids in there is great. >> one of four high schools in the u.s. designated exclusively for high school mothers. with 220 students, the academy, which caters to pregnant teens and teen moms wasn't always like this. 26 years ago, principal andrews housed babies in a crib in her office. >> it was a little program that was hidden, nobody knew about it. >> reporter: as the demand increased, andrews saw the importance of creating an environment supportive of teen moms, but also gave their babies a head start. >> what do the moms get coming to this school they wouldn't get in another school? >> they get a staff that is focused on them.

that is not mad about them being pregnant or parenting, who celebrate the fact that even though they're pregnant and parenting, they're still in school and they're participating in making a life for themselves, giving themselves some choices. >> reporter: choices that can transform these students' lives. >> part of what happens, and it is kind of a bizarre thing to say. for many girls, getting pregnant in high school changes their lives in ways that i don't know what else would've. it's a lifesaver really. >> if you weren't in this school, where would you be? >> i would be out of school, i'd drop out. i wouldn't be in school. because i can't bring my baby to school, no one will watch him and i don't have the support team. >> what do you want for all of your girls? >> i want them to have a future that they determine. i want them to feel like they have some power to determine their own future and that they come back and give back. >> do you guys want to go to college? >> yes.

>> reporter: for the girls at the academy, heading to college is not just a dream, but a requirement. principal andrews won't allow any student to graduate without having been accepted to college. >> you know all of us have something in common. and all of us could believe in each other that, you know, we can graduate stuff like that. i mean, i do. >> reporter: the education these girls and their babies receive spans outside the typical classroom walls. for three years, select students have been afforded the opportunity to travel internationally. the academy's also the proud home to an urban garden and farm. a place where the city kids thrive. >> my son, he likes just looking around us. when he comes up like he's never been outside before. >> he's curious. >> he is. >> reporter: this school and its garden nurtured these students to raise a new generation of loving kids. >> as my child gets older, i want to show her even though mommy had you at a young age, i

still finished high school, still graduated, i went to college, you know. i made something of myself. and i'm going to tell her you can do it too. >> for a city with one of the highest dropout rates in the country, it was inspiring to see these two generations excited about learning. and they actually go to south africa, which is amazing. and one of those girls said, you know, now i'm not just a girl from the block. i'm a girl -- i'm an international girl and i can tell my son that he's a kid of the world. >> what an inspiration that principal is. >> she's amazing. >> really. jenna, thanks for that story. and we're back in a moment. but first this is "today" on nbc.

back now with more on the damage from sandy. nbc's michelle franzen is in seaside heights, new jersey. one of the cities most harshly

affected by sandy's wrath. >> reporter: finally rescued from her seaside heights home after riding out hurricane sandy, they stepped off a national guard truck wednesday happy to be on the mainland in toms river. >> when the water came in, all of a sudden it was up to here. it was a very sudden thing. i don't think anybody over there was prepared for it. >> and no one was prepared to see the aftermath. streets and homes once flooded now covered in debris or destroyed. >> it's still hard to believe. you know, you think you're going to wake up any minute. it's just sickening. it's sad. >> reporter: the beach community most recently put on the map by mtv's "jersey shore" was virtually wiped out by hurricane sandy, the town's biggest attraction, the boardwalk and amusement rides including the iconic roller coaster now propped in the atlantic ocean after sandy ripped away the boardwalk underneath it.

>> take a look out here now and you see all this devastation in an area where you guys have lived. >> it is. that's all it is, devastation. no other word for it. >> captain joseph mitchell and rescue crews have spent these last few days going door-to-door and helping stranded residents like c.j. and his friend's dog willie get out. >> yeah, she's probably cold and excited. >> reporter: just north along the jersey shore, dozens of homes and the entire landscape has been violently altered by the force of mother nature. for residents like melissa griffith who witnessed sandy's wrath, it was a life-altering experience. >> i was born and raised on the beach. this is all i know. and i survived this one. and everyone says it's worse than '62. i survived. >> michelle, thank you. and while we're talking about sandy, we should also mention the number of animals and pets impacted by the storm. and we saw in that video the

woman with her three dogs and we've seen this before, al, hurricane katrina, for example, people risked their own lives because they didn't want to leave their pets behind. >> and first responders taking that just as responsibly and as important as rescuing any human. because they're so important. they become parts of the family. >> exactly. and we don't know how many dogs and cats and other pets have been taken into shelters, but meredith was on earlier mentioning the aspca and other organizations have stepped up to help. that dog's like, thank you, sir, thank you. i don't need any bacon bits or anything. >> look at that. >> hey, we also want to remind you, tonight's rock center with brian williams will be completely devoted to the recovery from sandy. you can watch it 10:00/9:00 central right here on nbc. >> incredible lineup there. and just ahead, kathie lee and hoda, but first, your local news and weather.