breaking news, a powerful storm system rips through the south overnight, spawning several tornadoes and knocking out power to thousands. this morning, that threat is far from over. >> standoff. police in alabama, locked in tense negotiations right now with a man who burst on to a school bus, killed the driver and grabbed a 6-year-old boy. the gunman and that child now holed up in an underground bunker. we are live at the scene. and the motive. the man behind the manti te'o hoax breaks his silence. >> i wanted to end it because after everything i have gone through i realized i just have to move on with my life. >> so why did he do it?

his answer, "today," january 30th, 2013. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and good morning. welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> good morning, everyone. i'm savannah guthrie. weather is the story again this morning. severe storms moving east, packing heavy rain, high winds. al is tracking this for us. we'll get to him in just a moment from now. also ahead, bill gates is considered one of the great visionaries of our time. for example, take a look at what he said to tom brokaw in 1992. >> one of the big things over the next couple of years will be getting the computer on enough desktops that we'll actually communicate through what's called electronic mail and it's surprising to me it's not

happening a little faster. >> ooh, electronic mail. i think we call this e-mail. i guess he is a visionary. >> any other crazy predictions you want to make? >> it's amazing how fast technology is moving. if you go out 20 years, you'll be able to talk to the computer. it will be kind of pervasive, your walls, your white board. it will see what you're doing, be able to write on it. the next 20 years will be more amazing. also, we'll use it to do better education and put technology to use to help the poor as well. >> if you could be more specific, i'm going to call my investment guy about that. >> we'll talk to bill gates about the future of technology. also he talks about changing the world, the enormous generosity of his foundation, having given over $1 billion. we'll talk to you about that, mr. bill gates. and the super bowl, the

volkswagen ad that has a white male speaking in a jamaican accent. we asked you at home what you thought and those results were overwhelmingly one sided. after losing all four limbs in the iraq war, he is showing off his new arms after undergoing a double arm transplant. this is very rare, very complicated procedure. coming up, we'll talk to two of the doctors that performed it. we want to get right to the storm system and a threat of the tornadoes for today. al is upstairs and has all of that. >> good morning, savannah. tornado watches are stretching from mississippi all the way up into ohio and west virginia. there are numerous tornado warnings in effect right now throughout parts of tennessee and also on into parts of alabama. we are watching these systems make their way through. here's what's going on.

we've got a risk of these strong storms, tornadoes possible from mobile up to washington. warm, moist air coming up from the south, cold air coming in from the north. where those systems are clashing, that's where we've got the severe storms. as you watch this system make its way across the country into the east, it's a fast mover. you can see heavy rain falling with this and the possibility of tornadoes firing up right on through the afternoon into the evening hours. back side of the system, we've got a lot of snow. rainfall, we've got flood watches in effect right now for much of the northeast. anywhere from two to five inches of rain, stretching from alabama, all the way on up into the northeast. and behind the system, we've got snow to talk about. some area s picking up six to nine inches of snow with this system alone. another system coming in, in a couple of days that, will add to this snow. right now the northeast under

the gun for tornadoes. >> mr. bill gates has relinquished your chair. come on down. nbc's tom costello is in washington, d.c. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. this has been a week of strange weather. normally 44 degrees as ahigh here in d.c. this time of year. an ice storm monday, today it's supposed to get up to 74 and a lot of the country has been enjoying this short reprieve from ice and snow. would you believe this is january in chicago? shorts, t-shirts and no shirts. >> into january, in the heat of winter, be out here running without a shirt, it's great. >> reporter: in fact, it was warmer in the windy city than it was in phoenix tuesday. chicago broke a 99-year record for this date, in the low 60s. >> it's a little weird, but nice. >> reporter: for the east in washington, it was even warmer. the white house, capitol and

national mall all basking under 70-degree skies. >> it's one amazingly nice, yummy day out here. >> reporter: across a large section of the country, the mercury is riding the roller coaster this week from the low double digits to the high 60s, then back to the 20s and 30s by the weekend. this isn't normal. two years ago, we got clobbered here in d.c. d.c., the midatlantic, the northeast, all getting hit very hard. schools are closed, airlines are canceling flights. and a year ago, chicago was digging out. so, what's going on this year? >> essentially right now what's going on, big, big rise in the jet stream. basically you're getting this gulf of mexico air as far north as lower michigan. >> reporter: the bad news, the jet stream is moving south and with it old man winter is knocking. green bay is going from the 50s to six inches of snow today. chicago, expected to drop back to 17 by thursday. and while the midatlantic may enjoy one last day in the 70s --

>> i woke up this morning and the birds were singing outside, sun was streaming through my window and it was very confusing. >> reporter: much of the east coast will be back in the deep freeze by friday. it was nice while it lasted. so here in d.c., they tell us we'll be back in the 30s by thursday, in the 20s with a windchill in the 20s over the wind. not a bad excuse if you need to stay inside and watch the big game on sunday. matt, back to you. >> tom costello in washington. thank you very much. sav yanna savannah? after a gunman burst on to a school bus in alabama, shot the driver and kidnapped a 6-year-old boy. samuel king from nbc affiliate ffa is standing by. what is going on at this hour to get this boy to safety? >> reporter: good morning, savannah. this is a very delicate situation, according to law enforcement. what you see behind me is a command post set up at a church,

in the parking lot of a church. that is not the scene. the scene is behind the church, up a hill to where some people live and the man who is holding this young boy hostage apparently has some sort of bunker. now the man, we're told by police and witnesses, a combination of both this morning, is that the man went on to a school bus about 3:30 central time yesterday afternoon, went on the bus, demanded that two children come with him. the bus driver tried to resist. she actually tried to go in reverse, according to witnesses, to get away from this man. one child, we're told, actually fainted and he was able to get -- capture that child. he also shot the bus driver multiple times. the people who live in this area heard what was going on. they scrambled to try to see what was going on, make sure their families were safe and also try to catch the man, chase after him and also take care of the children, who might have been involved. >> my neighbor got on the school

bus shortly after it stopped and let off a couple of kids. got on the school bus and demanded two children. he was only able to get ahold of one. and then i believe he shot the bus driver three times and then retreated back into his -- on his land and is now hidden in his homemade bomb shelter. >> and some of the neighbors in this area were evacuated. others were told to shelter in place. we've been here at this point ever since. we've moved away from the sort of immediacy of this situation, making sure the children are safe, everyone is safe except for the young boy who has been captured. we're told his condition right now is as good as can be expected. we're still out here, watching this and hope this comes to a solution soon. >> thank you very much. apparently this man did not know the boy. that's the early indication we're getting. natalie is at the news desk

with the other headlines this morning. good morning. >> good morning, matt and savannah. good morning, everyone. tragic new details from brazil. the death toll from this weekend's nightclub fire has now risen to 234. the band performing that night, knowingly purchased and shot off flares intended for outdoor use only. this, according to local police. outdoor flares cost $1 each. indoor flares carry a $35 price tag. other contributing causes to the blaze, including flammable toxic foam, soundproofing on the ceiling and a single exit to the large club did not break any brazilian laws. this, as new haunting video emerges, showing the aftermath inside the club. senate overwhelmingly confirmed massachusetts senator john kerry tuesday to succeed hillary clinton as secretary of state. he submitted his letter of resignation as senator effective friday. the governor of massachusetts will name an interim senator to fill kerry's seat until a special election in june. a senate hearing today on

the issue of gun violence. officials from the national rifle association are set to face off with advocates for weapon control, including astronaut mark kelly, the husband of wounded congresswoman gabrielle giffords. superstorm sandy, help is on the way across the northeast. the president has signed into law a $50 billion measure to allocate funding for the recovery effort. it took congress three months to give the bill the green light. how did nick wallenda cross the road? on a wire about 250 feet suspended above it. here is the bird's-eye view. if that doesn't make you nauseous, taken from a camera hooked to his balancing pole. some 12,000 people came out to watch the death-defying stunt. no tether, no net, matt, savannah and al. pretty scary stuff. >> would he have had to have a camera on the other side of the pole to make that balanced ? >> i was wondering about that. >> natalie, thank you very much. you're back with the local

forecast in. >> that's right. first we want to tell you about this cold air that's coming. we saw records broken up and down the east coast, chicago up to 63. 81 in new orleans. laredo, 94. today, big changes. we're looking at 74 for a high in charlotte, d.c., 70. cleveland will see a high of 63. behind that system, lock at this cold air. bismarck, 5 below. omaha at 21. that cold air will make its way south and east over the next 48 hours. we'll have your local forecast in a moment. first this message. ♪ [ male announcer ] let's take every drop of courage, every ounce of inspiration, every bit of determination, and go where we've never gone before. ♪ introducing the radically new avalon.

toyota. let's go places. >> good morning. temperatures should make it into the 60's. a slight chance for a rain shower. and that's your latest weather. savannah? >> all right, al. stepping down as secretary of sta state, she sat down with andrea mitchell. >> hillary clinton told me it's hard for her to imagine waking up next week with no place to go after four years and almost a

million miles, circling the globe. hillary clinton said the traditional way of doing diplomacy was not good enough for the crisis the obama team inherited. >> we had an overwhelm iing imperative to restore american leadership. it was in question and it was, in part, because of political decisions that had been made prior to the obama administration, but also because of the economic crisis. >> reporter: from the war on terror to the arab spring, they faced upheavals around the world. what went wrong? >> benghazi went wrong. that was a terrible example of trying to get the right balance between being in a threatening place or not being there. >> reporter: but in retrospect, shouldn't a cable warning of a security threat from an ambassador in a conflict zone, shouldn't that get the highest possible attention immediately? >> well, that's what we're hoping to make sure does happen in the future. >> reporter: she made progress, though fragile, on her lifelong

commitment for equal rights for women and girls. >> i worry about extremist groups, fanatics who shoot, you know, teenage girls because they want to go to school. >> reporter: but work for the nonstop clinton came to a halt when she fell, suffered a concussion, blood clot and special eyeglasses. will her health stop her from running for president again? >> i'm healthy enough and i'll be fully recovered to choose whatever i choose to do but i don't have any decisions made. >> reporter: are you convinced that that fall was caused by dehydration? have your doctors ruled out any vascular event? >> it was a virus. i had a vicious viral attack that caused all of the unpleasant things that viruses can cause. >> reporter: in 2011 when savannah asked her about running again -- >> will you run for president in 2016? >> no. no. you know, savannah, i'm very privileged to have had the opportunities to serve my

country and i'm really old fashioned. i feel like i've made my contribution. >> reporter: this time, clinton was not closing the door. do you feel that joe biden, as the vice president, has the right of first refusal, as it were, within in the party? or is it an open competition if you decide to run? >> american politics is always an open competition, but i have no -- you know, i have no position on any of this. i have no opinion about it. i'm still secretary of state. i can't really engage in politics. and for the foreseeable future, i don't think that i will be at all political. >> today, clinton has a farewell lunch at the white house. he could have to eventually choose between both clinton and biden if they choose to run for the presidency. for now she plans to work on the clinton foundation and get some extra sleep. something you can relate to, savannah. >> we'll continue to ask her the

question and i guess she'll continue to dodge for the moment. thank you so much. >> you bet. >> now here's matt. imagine if you had morme money than just about everybody else in the world, once you got past homes, shopping, cars, doing nice things for your family and your children, what would you do next? microsoft founder bill gates has given it away. donating billions of dollars in an effort to fix what he sees as the biggest problems facing humanity. today he is out with his annual update on the foundation's progress. mr. gates, as i said, it's great to have you here. good morning. >> good morning. >> often times we use millions and billions and they almost lose their meaning. we're talking about your foundation, which has now given away more than $26 billion over the last 18 years. when you look at the way you've spent the money, what makes you the most proud? >> it's amazing how we improved health for the poorest children in the world. in 1990, over 12 million

children a year died. now that's down to about 6.9 million. and a lot of that is the vaccine effort that our foundation and governments got behind. we can do more. >> talk about an example of that. last year, based on the work of your foundation in india, a country of 1.2 billion people, 27 million live births a year, there was not one case, new case of polio reported for the first time ever. was that simply a money thing? was that going in and throwing money at a problem or does it take a lot more than that? >> well, we're down to three countries with polio. so, getting india done was a huge milestone. it's going to take a lot of money to finish it, about 6 billion more. but we're going to have to use satellite maps. we're going to have to use little gps trackers to make sure the vaccine teams go where they're supposed to. a lot of technology. a lot of political will, meeting with leaders and making sure

they prioritize this. but we want to make this the second disease ever eradicated. >> reading a letter to people who follow your foundation, often times it's not just about putting money on a problem. ethiopia would be a good example. you have to fix the organizat n organizational structure or else you give money and it's used inefficie inefficiently. >> that's right. you have to talk to the leaders, help them get the system set up, to get medicines out to the rural parts of the country. and seeing how to do that has made a very interesting mark. we've got a lot of people in these countries that come up with solutions. no, it's not check writing. >> there are so many great causes out there. and you cannot help everyone. when you go to bed at night, do you -- are you overwhelmed by the idea that you can't help everyone? and does that trump the feeling

of the pride you have in the people you have helped? >> no, because we're seeing so much progress. we pick two things to focus on, helping the poorest in the world, often with health and nutrition, and taking the education system in this country and making it an engine of opportunity by reducing the dropout rate, helping teachers get better, using technology. we just dive into those and do the best we can. >> you can help in huge way with his the amount of money that you have amassed. we've heard of the generosity of so many other people like warren buffett and our own mayor, michael bloomberg, and others who don't get recognition. the average person out there is generous, i think. they want to be philanthropic but can't give a lot. if someone out there can afford to give $10 to any cause, where would you want them to send it? >> there are a lot of wonderful choices. there's one called donors choose where teachers put up projects

and those are for small amounts of money. you go to that website you can help fund a thing that a teacher is trying to do with their class. can you go to save the children. they help mothers have safe births. you can go to the polio vaccination website t takes donations of any size. you can be sure that these organizations will put your money to good use. >> we talk a lot about the progress that you are achieving here. can you compare for me, though, the feeling you get today from being able to give away millions and billions of dollars to the feeling you had as a young man, being able to make your first million dollars? there's no crime in looking back and saying, boy, that was fun. compare the feelings for me. >> what you really feel is what you achieved. if a piece of software gets out there and lots of people love it. let's them get their work done in better ways, that's exciting.

when polio finally gets eradicated some time in the next six years, that will feel extremely good. it's when you can map that money into making the world a better place. i love this work as much as i loved my work in software. >> and just help me out at home in my last question here. you've got three kids, about 13, 16, 11. those ages. >> yep. >> i have kids. what age do your kids get cell phones? >> we've chosen in our family it's 13 when you get a phone. you're still a little bit limited. they come home, all the other kids have it. i'm the only one without it. it's so embarrassing. >> you just bought me two years. you realize that, right? do you have your kids passwords for e-mail and things like that? do you and melinda keep the passwords? >> not the 16-year-old's. it's a very tricky issue for parents now. >> bill gates, as i said, congratulations on the accomplishments of your foundation.

it's always nice to have you here in new york. thanks for joining us. it's 7:22. for more on the bill and melinda gates foundation, go to our website. a commercial you'll be talking about long after the big game. and also ahead, the man who admits to master minding that hoax against manti te'o. first this is "today" on nbc.

still ahead, an iraq war veteran lost all four limbs, proudly shows off his new arms. we'll talk to the doctors who performed the rare double transpla transplant. >> after your local news. for minor digestive issues. exactly, it's also important for my overall well being because it helps regulate my digestive system. and when you feel good on the inside, it shows on the outside!

whether at work, with friends, on a special night, or just enjoying an activia. shine from the inside out with activia. ♪ dannon >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. in a robbery in pennsylvania leads to a police pursuit and the recovery of more than two dozen guns and a baltimore city. police arrested two men in baltimore tuesday morning. they that spotted the suspect in a vehicle after an alert of robbery of gun stores in pennsylvania.

the vehicle was crashed at chapel gate road. both men were taken to shock, suffering from critical injuries. that's check on the morning commute. kim dacey with details. >> not looking terrible out there, but we have a couple of problem spots. one in parksville at putty hill, with possible lane closures as well. delays forming at rte. 50 because of an accident but closures on the inner and outer loop is. coming in on 295, you will see some delays from the baltimore area. aside the beltway, it looks like you are going to see some slow traffic on the west side. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> a little bit of fog to start the day.

47 in westminster. watching a strong cold front across the ohio valley. these storms will visit us in maryland. during the day, mostly quiet. slight chance for showers. this evening and overnight, some of the thunderstorms will roll through. it gets colder and we will drop into the

daddy, can you play princess with me? >> i would love to, but the guys are outside waiting for me. >> got some doritos. >> what's the holdup? >> pretty cute. that's one of the commercials that advertisers hope will catch your attention on super bowl sunday. >> if i had a quarter for every time i dressed up -- >> that's a different segment all together. we'll have some previews coming up. this is wednesday, january 30th, 2013. i'm savannah guthrie, along with

matt lauer. volkswagen commercial, in it a white man speaks in a jamaican accent. some people thought that crossed the line. "today's" professionals will weigh in on that. and we'll reveal the results of our today.com poll. do you think it went too far? >> you know, donny deutsch is responsible for that ad. we'll ask him about that. an iraq war veteran who lost all four limbs recently underwent a double arm transplant. we'll speak with the doctors involved. and liza minnelli talks about "cabaret" 40 years later. ronaiah tuiasosopo sat down with dr. phil for an interview airing on his show thursday and friday of this week. so what was the motive behind it

all? here is nbc's mike taibbi. >> reporter: ronaiah tuiasosopo told dr. phil mcgraw that as manti te'o became more famous, the online hoax he started two years earlier was sure to blow up and not hurt te'o, but him. >> i wanted to end t after everything i had gone through, i realized i had to move on with my life and had to get, you know, the real me, ronaiah -- i had to just start living and let this go. >> reporter: mcgraw says at the request of tuiasosopo's psychiatrist, he spent hours with the young california man and his parents. >> ronaiah had a number of life experiences that damaged this young man in some very serious ways. >> reporter: they all watched katie couric's interview with te'o and discussed in detail what te'o called his humiliation, falling in love with a picture of stranger, used

without permission, and accompanied by a hoaxer's voice. so persuasive to te'o that even after the heisman runner-up guessed he had been had, he talked about his girlfriend, lennay kekua, as if she were real. >> i will never forget when my girlfriend -- >> absolutely, unequivocally, no. >> the big question, why? why did he keep it going not for months but years, knowing it would likely become public to everyone's regret. >> here we have a young man who fell deeply, romantically in love. >> did you say that? >> i asked him straight up, was this a romantic relationship with you? and he says yes. i said, are you then, therefore, gay? and he said, well, when you put it that way, yes. and then he caught himself and said, i am confused.

>> reporter: te'o believed the voice on the line was his lennay. >> i love you so much, hon. sweet girl. >> doesn't that sound like a girl? >> reporter: but tuiasosopo insists that the voice was his and the relationship, both sides around a totally fake core. >> there was something where they would break up. >> reporter: his life, like te'o's life, now linked by a cruel hoax. for "today," mike taibbi. >> i think in a nutshell he puts it when he says he's confused. >> yeah. >> this guy is confused. and the weather now from al. >> we have some kids from guardian ainngel school in lowe manhattan. you're a good-looking group. i like that. ca

catholic schools raising the standard. very nice. product of catholic schools myself. let's show you what's going on. lake-effect snow coming. the great lakes have no ice on them. they've got strong winds out of the west-northwest and so this is going to dump snow squalls for the next 72 hours. generally about three to six inches, but from traverse city, marquette down to kalamazoo could get a foot of snow, some areas up to two feet of snow, also between syracuse and watertown as you get to the >> good morning. we are starting off with some fog in some neighborhoods. high temperature in the 60's.

>> and that's your latest weather. savannah? >> al, thanks. incredible story of survival and a medical miracle. a wounded iraq war veteran received a rare double arm transplant. we'll talk to two of the doctors who performed it. first, nbc's pentagon correspondent, jim milkuloklasz has the story. >> modern medicine, young man's coverage and determination to overcome an unimaginable adversity. brendan marrocco sat before a group of reporters. >> i never accepted the fact that i didn't have arms. now that i have them again it's almost as if it never happened. >> reporter: as a soldier in iraq he lost both his arms and legs to a roadside bomb, first

quadruple amputee in the u.s. military. after four years of therapy, he mastered his artificial limbs, all four of them. but listen to him as he comes to grips with the loss of one, but definitely not the other. >> i hated not having arms. i was all right with not having legs. not having arms takes so much away from you out of even your personality. >> reporter: last december, a team of doctors at johns hop kins, working 13 hours straight, transplanted two arms from a deceased anonymous donor. to reduce the threat of rejecti rejection, the donor's bone marrow was also transplanted. while the motion is limited and he still has no feeling in his fingers, his progress so far seems miraculous. scratching his nose is now second nature. the first time he actually moved his arms was a shocker. >> one of my friends was just like freaking out. he's like, did you do that on

purpose? >> reporter: marrocco's goal is to drive his car and compete again in sports. with his unbridled spirit and deep determination, his doctors have no doubts. >> i feel like i'm getting a second chance to start over after i got hurt. >> reporter: doctors predict it could take as long as three years before those nerves fully regenerate and before marrocco gains maximum use of his arms. being in that room with him yesterday, you could just feel all his energy and enthusiasm. so i'm guessing he's probably got his own timetable, savannah. >> that, he does. jim miklaszewski, thank you. dr. andrew lee led the group of surgeons and dr. jaimie shores. already using his hands to text. we saw him scratch his nose. is this a lot of progress for

somebody who is only six weeks out of surgery? how do you expect him to develop over these next years to get back the use of these hands? >> brendan has done extremely well since the surgery and we're very happy with his progress. the progress eventually will take time, as you already mentioned. we expect that he will first regain elbow motion in his transplanted right arm and then wrist and eventually fingers. feelings will also gradually come back, which is the important part, with the arm function. everything, again, can easily take two to three years. >> this is a 13-hour surgery as we mentioned. 16 surgeons. it's incredibly complicated. they had to connect plates and screws, muscles and tendons, veins and arteries, nerves and finally skin. can you, dr. shores even put into words what an incredibly complex procedure this is? >> well, it's a procedure that all of us rehearsed multiple times to try to take as much of

the unknown and unexpected out of it so we could break it down into an organized fashion. the way we do that is by surrounding ourselves with excellent surgeons who have a great interest, who are already very good at what they do. then we all put our heads together and come up with what we think is the best possible plan. we practice it over and over. when the real event shows up, everything went just like we rehearsed it. so, we were very happy with the results. >> dr. lee, so many people were impressed with this young man yesterday. he comes across as upbeat, funny, positive. you, yourself, i think called him stubborn in a good way. how much does it make a difference that the patient is able to be so upbeat and so involved in his recovery? >> well, we think that's extremely important and that's why we selected brendan as one of the candidates. he is a very determined person who has endured a lot and, actually deserving. he has sacrificed so much for our country. but mostly it's his motivation

for hard work and his optimism that made him such an ideal candidate for our operation. >> well, we are so happy to see it going so well so far. hope you'll keep in touch with us. dr. w.p. andrew lee and dr. jaimie shores, thank you and congratulations to you as well. >> thank you, savannah. a first look at the commercials you'll see on super bowl sunday right after this. [ kitt ] you know what's impressive? a talking car. but i'll tell you what impresses me. a talking train. this ge locomotive can tell you exactly where it is, what it's carrying, while using less fuel. delivering whatever the world needs, when it needs it. ♪ after all, what's the point of talking if you don't have something important to say? ♪ new honey bunches of oats sogreek yohere we go.ole grain. honey cornflakes and chunks of greek yogurt.

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all right. we're back now at 7:44 with one of the reasons a lot of people watch the super bowl, the commercials. an average 30-second spot going for about $3.8 million this year. advertisers have a lot on the line. matt miller is here with a sneak peek, president and ceo of independent associate producers. good to have you here this year. >> good to be here. >> the audience will get to choose the ending of some commercial commercials. >> it's all about the engagement all together. we're teasing spots, right? we're looking at people using a second screen and actually interacting with spots. and we're hoping that they're going to pass them on. in fact, numbers show they will. 35% looking at super bowl ads before the super bowl. 40% sharing them. so we have these numbers that show a big push towards engagement. >> let's talk about that engagement, that interactive quality. first commercial we'll show is for coke. the viewer has a choice.

take a look. ♪ ♪ >> all right. the idea is the viewer is going to get to choose who gets to the bottle of coke first miechlt money is on the show girls. why do you like this ad? >> again, it brings in gamification. not ohm are you watching the ad but you're going to interact. people have a second or third screen in front of them while you're watching the game. they're going to pick it. my daughters picked the show girls, too. >> doritos always get a lot of

buzz for their commercials. let's take at this year's spot and tell me why you like it. >> daddy, can you play princess with me? >> i would love to but the guys are outside waiting for me. >> got doritos. >> what is the holdup? >> go, neil. >> is that my wedding dress? >> could be. >> so, kids and humor. >> it's seven years that doritos have been doing commercials at super bowl t jumped the shark for a while because professionals actually got into the gag. this ones one that a student did win. it's easy, right? it's basically a sitcom. it's not a real ad but sitcom brought to you by doritos. they're fun, goofy and work well in a big room with a lot of viewers. >> we have talked about go daddy

commercial the past few years. let's look at their entry. >> joe, when are you ever going to put your idea online? >> relax. >> how do you know no one else has thought of it? >> because they haven't, kelly. >> it's totally original. >> one in a gazillion. >> other really? >> really? >> it's idiot proof. >> thank goodness i put it online first. >> more champagne? >> more, sky waitress. >> i don't know why, but i love that commercial. >> great punch line. go daddy, danica patrick for all these years. she has appeared in more super bowl ads than anyone, 12 ads over the last nine years. they've brought it to a new level. they always did this in-house. it was just about her. they brought in deutsch, the agency, so you understand what go daddy is about a bit. we didn't really know what it was about before. >> you'll come back the end of

the week and we'll do this again? >> we'll do it on friday. >> matt miller, always good to have you here, matt. is volkswagen going too far with its super bowl commercial? the professionals will give us their take on that. and a surprise on the new list of america's most popular dogs. but first, these messages. ♪ this is amazing, how did you find us? i thought we might be related, so i had a fiber analysis done and sure enough, we're family. but you're not even shredded. you're...crunchy?! that happens sometimes. and you help keep people full with whole grain fiber? just like you guys. [ female announcer ] they're different, but the same. new frosted mini-wheats crunch. a tasty square packed with a crunch... [ crunch! ] ...of whole grain fiber that helps keep you full. it's a big breakfast... [ crunch! ] ...in new a little biscuit. smile! ohhh bring it in! ooohhhooh! let's see if walmart's low price guarantee can make you the mvp of savings. look at that price. wow! walmart lowers thousands of prices every week. if you find a lower advertised price, they'll match it at the register. no way! yeah! touchdown!

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news and a baltimore. >> good morning. i am sarah caldwell. let's look at the morning commute with kim dacey. >> a few scattered incidents throughout the area. in howard county, at marriottsville road, lane closures there. lane closures in both the inner and outer loop because of a bad crash involving a fire truck, as you become and semi. southbound 95, or 295 from the baltimore area, watch for that

and leave extra time for yourself. in baltimore, 17 miles per hour, and you can see that on baltimore national pike. harrisburg expressway, looking good in both directions. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> skies patchy fog, temperatures generally in the 40's. we should be able to sneak into the sixties this afternoon. thunderstorms coming across ohio and kentucky. we could get some rough weather on sun said. until that time, it is going to be ok. slight chance for rain shower. showers and thunderstorms likely to 9. seven-day forecast, much cooler into the weekend. low 30's over super bowl weekend. chance for light snow and

flurries on friday and sunday. we will stay in the 30's it all the way to the beginning of next week. another chance for rain or

♪ life is a cabaret old chum it's a cabaret old chum ♪ >> how about you sing it for us? >> we're back now on "today," wednesday, january 30g9, 2013. liza minnelli's performance in "cabaret." can you believe it's been 40 years since that hit the big screen. >> wow! >> liza minnelli is here along with joel grey and michael york. i loved that movie.

mid 40s going up where? >> in the 50s and we get knocked back down again tomorrow. >> what's with you? we were trying to enjoy the day. >> chicago, 63 yesterday. by friday it's going to be 14. ha! >> it is nice out here. >> it is. in case the weather man doesn't have an exciting forecast. >> that's true. new website lets you put up six seconds of video at a time. do you know how i like to think of it? >> what do you think of it as? >> instagram but with video. >> wow! >> i heard you say this. do we really need this? we will ask the professionals. also, natalie and i are hitting the road. we'll be in the respective super bowl cities. i'm going to be in san francisco. natalie will be in baltimore. we're going to have our field

trip, our friday field trip. get ready for super bowl. >> like a pep rally. >> that's right, leading the team. >> trash talking. >> oh, yeah. natalie's going down. >> the best person wins. let's go in to the aforementioned natalie morales. >> mark my words, al will be dressed as a big raven monday morning. good morning, everyone. in the news this morning, at least one death has been blamed on severe storms that are on the move this morning, through the southern and central parts of the country. a man was killed by a fallen tree in nashville, tennessee. tornado watches were in effect from mississippi to ohio and west virginia. and the storms threatened to dump as much as five inches of rain as they moved east with snow piling up right behind. an overnight standoff in southern alabama is ongoing this morning after a man boarded a school bus tuesday, fatally shot the driver and escaped with a 6-year-old boy. the gunman is holding the child in a nearby homemade bunker. a police s.w.a.t. team and

negotiators are on the scene. u.s. regulators are investigating whether boeing knew about battery problems on 787 dreamliners months before the problem grounded planes worldwide. they replaced ten of the batteries because of performance problems and told boeing about the swap. boeing in japan said it would not comment while a federal investigation is under way. as she finishes her final week, secretary of state hillary clinton is leaving her options for the future wide open. she told nbc's andrea mitchell that her recent health problems will not be a factor in deciding whether she will run again for president. >> i'm healthy enough and my stamina is great enough. and i'll be fully recovered to do whatever i choose to do. but i don't have any decisions made. >> when asked if vice president joe biden should get first shot at the democratic nomination

clinton replied that, quote, american politics is always an open competition. toyota is announcing two separate safety recalls involving about 1 million vehicles. the first covers 752,000 corolla sedans and crossovers. the other recall involves 270,000 lexus is sedans from 2006 to 2012 model years to check for a loose nut on the wiper wheels. revised app outlies areas where pyongyang operates harsh camps for prisoners. movie fans are talking about a mystery solved after more than four decades. no, it was not co-star ann

bancroft's leg that appeared on the dustin hoffman film "the graduate." linda gray is fessing up she was the leg double and earned just $25 for the shoot when she was just an unknown, aspiring actress. viral prankster is at it again, telling unsuspected victims that they have a be. on them and enjoying their reactions. take a look. >> you've got a be. on you. [ bleep ]. >> you have a bee. you have a be. on your back. it's in your hair. there it is. you got a bee on you. right there. >> atwood pulled the prank on a college campus where most of those stung by the bee were more amused than angry. let's go back outside to al with a check of the weather. >> he's taking a real risk. >> i've seen that one done before. >> all right. thanks so much. talking about "cabaret" and the

cast, an original poster from the movie. you got joel grey's signature on that. >> i just need the other three. >> maybe they'll sign that for you. thanks so much. let's check out your weather, see what's going on. pick city of the day happens to be albany, georgia, nbc 10. severe storms will be developing there. 77 for a high today. we do have a risk of strong storms, tornado watches from mississippi all the way up into ohio and west virginia until later this morning, on into the afternoon. risk of strong storms stretching up into the ohio river valley. wet weather moves in to the pacific northwest. we're also looking at rain here in the northeast. snow in the great lakes. look for snow showers in the central rockies. temperatures looking pretty cold as you get through the plains. bismarck today, a high of five below. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your >> good morning. temperatures should make it into

the 60's. a slight chance for a rain shower. >> and that's your latest weather. >> al, thanks. coming up next, professionals attack today's big talkers. and the cast of "cabaret" reunite live in our studio, 40 years later. big change to gatorade, thanks in part to a young girl who spoke out. we'll have all that and more, next. bright students are getting lost in the shuffle. and administration's work gets more complex every year. when you look at these issues, do you see problems or opportunities? with an advanced degree in education from capella university,

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i do it's always in my fridge. and you know activia isn't just for minor digestive issues. exactly, it's also important for my overall well being because it helps regulate my digestive system. and when you feel good on the inside, it shows on the outside! whether at work, with friends, on a special night, or just enjoying an activia. shine from the inside out with activia. ♪ dannon back now at 8:11 with "today's" professionals, star jones, donny deutsch and dr. nancy snyderman here to weigh in on the day's hot topics. let's get right to the volkswagen super bowl ad. some people think this crosses a line, that it's offensive. take a look. >> i hate mondays. >> yeah, they're the worst.

>> no worries, man. everything will be all right. yeah, man. oh, don't fret. sticky bun come soon. >> hey, dave, you're from minnesota, right? >> yes, the land of 10,000 lakes, the gopher state. >> so in conclusion, things are pretty dismal. >> you know what this room means? a smile. who want to come with i? >> you got the idea, a white guy named dave from minnesota doing a jamaican accent. some feel this is offensive. in fairness, this comes from deutsch l.a. you sit out, donnie. star, do ywhat do you think? >> i like it. jamaica is from a place where people work really hard. >> the minute he started talking, i found myself smiling.

i recognize it as comedy. i think it's funny. >> first of all, serious advertise advertisers take what they do seriously. at agency deutsch l.a., research actually spoke to 150 jamaican-americans to find out. we are very sensitive. overall they thought it was celebratory. you're elevating that culture and the white culture is seen as boring i actually have a bigger issue, particularly when -- on the show yesterday when a white person comes on and says that's racist. you can say we don't like it, but we throw that word ashd a lot. that's a very charged word. >> it takes me back to carefree times, toes in the sand, waves crashing in the beach, no cares, no worries. i love the images. >> i do, too. >> we asked people online what they thought. did it cross the line? was it offensive? 93% of the people said no, it's not offensive.

7% said yes. >> i think it's a reminder that we all need to get over ourselves a little bit. >> let's move on. football. we talked about how dangerous a sport it can be on this show. we talked about, should we let our kids play football? the president weighed in, making this comment. i'm a big football fan. i have to tell you, if i had a son i would have to think long and hard before i let him play football and i think those of us who love the sport will have to wrestle with the fact that it will probably change gradually to reduce some of the violence. will a comment like that help to speed the change in the sport? >> i don't think so very much. i think what's interesting in obama's point of view, socioeconomically where you are on the spectrum depends if you let your son play football. if that's your ticket to gold -- >> race does play a role. >> my brother-in-law played professional football. my other brother-in-law played for howard university. and both my nephews played

football. one decided not to do it in college. >> i wouldn't let my son play. >> my son charlie played football in junior high school. he was so bad that i was so glad he was demoted to giving kids snacks and water. i knew he was going to get block knocked off. >> would you let your son -- >> i would be really hesitant to let my son play. he's not a big kid. i'm more than happy with him in basketball and baseball. >> i've never been so happy to see a kid of mine not do well in sports. >> public safety here. i'm going to play you an audio commercial or appeal by david clarke, sheriff of milwaukee county. it was released recently. take a listen. >> i'm sheriff david clarke and i want to talk to you about something personal, your safety. it's no longer a spectator sport. i need you in the game. but are you ready? with officers laid off a and & furloughed, simply calling 911 and waiting is no longer your best option. you can beg for mercy from a violent criminal, hide under the bed or you can fight back.

but are you prepared ? consider taking a certified safety course in handling a firearm so you can defend yourself until we get there. you have a duty to protect yourself and your family. we're partners now. can i count on you? >> i don't have a lot of time. >> it's irresponsible. >> it's irresponsible and dangerous. vigilanteism, you don't hear anything about safety. arm yourself. cops won't be there. >> he's saying take a course and learn how to use a firearm. >> politically, i'm surprised legally thaerp able to run that ad. >> i'm absolutely surprised that's legal for him to even say and it's irresponsible for him to suggest to put more guns on the streets and to frighten people. that's the only way for them to protect themselves. it really isn't. >> that's not a role of leadership. >> we'll see if we can get david clarke on the show and make that happen. professionals, thank you very much as always. up next, this is going to be fun. the cast of the movie "cabaret" together again, 40 years later in our studio, after this. pleasures can simply hurt.

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a tasty square packed with a crunch... [ crunch! ] ...of whole grain fiber that helps keep you full. it's a big breakfast... [ crunch! ] ...in new a little biscuit. smile! ohhh bring it in! ooohhhooh! greatest movie musicals of all time. the cast is here to celebrate its 40th anniversary. we'll speak with them in a moment. yes, 40 years. a look back at the famous club. when the film adaptation of the broadway musical "cabaret qug was released in 1972, it won eight academy awards, including best actress for liza minunellm.

kit kat club and best director bob fossey. ♪ maybe this time i'll be lucky ♪ >> set in 1931 prewar germany against the backdrop of the rising nazi regime, performances by michael york as sally's boyfriend, marisa berenson as a wealthy germ wealthy jewish german heiress and commentary of the time. with its gritty, realistic approach that broke with the tradition of the old-style musical, "cabaret" was hailed as a groundbreaking film, provocative, risque, and wildly entertaining. liza minnelli, joel grey, marisa

berenson, michael york are here for a newly restored version of "cabaret" released on a 40-year anniversary blu-ray and dvd february 5th. when was the last time you all four were together in a room? do you get together a lot? >> we do, actually. don't we? >> when the print was first made we all had a chance to see it. and it was so gorgeous. >> we've all remained friends for years, you know. we've seen each other over the years. >> such extraordinary experience zblie w . >> i was going to say, you all went on to amazing careers. is there something about this moment in time for all of you, liza? >> well -- >> celebration of life. >> it was great fun, you know. i didn't do the play. and i did the film. they rewrote the film so that michael and i had a great thing

to do. but they sent us to germany, you know. i could hear people whispering, well, what are we going to -- how are we going to advertise it, the nifty nazi froly? no. and they left bob fossey alone. that was one of the best things they could have done. >> absolutely. >> those who aren't familiar with the film or have forgotten, you hear "cabaret" and you think of something so light and airy. in fact, there are elements of this that are very dark and very edgy. is that right, joel? >> i would say it's probably darker than it is light. >> yes. >> the entire idea of this film and this story is dark, dark. and the fact that we get a laugh or two here or there is like, you know, gold. >> and, michael, groundbreaking. you played a character who was not only in love with liza's character, sally, but had another love interest, a man. take us back to this period of time in our country.

this was rather unorthodoxed, was it not? >> it was very repressed. people didn't talk about it certainly not in the movies. this gentleman was bisexual. now, of course, it seems so harmless. but back then it was sort of a big deal. but this was groundbreaking. i think everyone would agree. bob fossey, this extraordinary man, had a vision and for the first time nobody broke into song in the middle of -- except on one occasion. it was all in the nightclub. >> so it made some sense to a lot of people, that's one thing that irritates them, characters bursting into song. they don't do that. you talk about bob fosse. liza, initially he came to you and wanted to show more of liza minnelli than -- >> we were at the waldorf and went down to get a cup of coffee. and he was provocative from the get go. >> thank goodness. >> yes, very.

>> and he said, well, what do you -- how do you feel about exposing yourself? i said, well, how do you feel about exposing yourself? we started to laugh. >> he tried to expose me. he did. >> i said i don't think it's necessary. do you? he said, well, i sort of -- i want to -- let me think about t it. and then he didn't do it, which was wonderful. >> we know who prevailed on that one. marisa, how do you think about this movie? how did it change your life? >> it changed my life completely. it was the second movie i had ever done. they didn't even know if i was an actress or

they kept sending notes, it's too smoky in "the cabaret." >> there was a time you remembered when they were going to close us down. >> so fun to reminisce. we could do it forever. unfortunately, i'm out of time. el >> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am sarah caldwell. here is kim dacey. >> we have a couple incidents in

baltimore county. this has moved off to the right shoulder. eastern boulevard and harford road, and in this city, of brooklyn area of the county, and at morgan road, another one to watch for there. the outer loop capital beltway at 50, the crash as shutdown lanes on the inner and outer loops. 95 to 295, could see some delays as a result of that. you can see the delays from our camera on baltimore national pike. baltimore quite a bit. tony has a check of the forecast. >> a little bit of fog left out there. we are starting to see breaks in the overcast. temperatures in the upper 40's and low 50s. we should make it into the 60s later this afternoon. strong thunderstorms across the

ohio valley. they will visit us in maryland tonight. during the day, mostly dry. tonight could get bumpy. >> thank you for joining us. another update at 8:56.

tell us about that. >> for the first time the bulldog is in the top five. >> bulldog! >> and this is a very courageous, loveable, dependable breed.

they be make great family pets. they're just awesome for family s. >> nice to have the bulldog on the list. at number four, we have a favorite. >> we have the beagle, america's favorite. he is known as a little rabbit hunter. he is very energetic, cheerful, fun and a great family dog. they're all great family dogs. >> number three, the golden retriever. >> super intelligent, easy to please. highly trainable. makes a great pet. therapy dogs, service dogs. >> thrilled to be in our show. >> speaking of dogs that can be trained to do anything, smart dogs, german shepherds. >> they're active, agile, alert. they can be a little aloof with strangers. that's because they're so smart and discerning. most popular breed for our nation's security, watchdog, service dogs. they're amazing. >> last but certainly not least, little lab. tell us about him. >> for 22 years in a row, labrador retriever is america's

most favorite breed because they're loveable, smart, kind, gentle. they're great with all kinds of families and all kinds of hou households. >> you can't knock off the labrad labrador. >> they're adorable. >> from the american kennel club, any time you want to bring cute puppies, you are welcome. >> you can see the complete list on the akc website. >> good morning.eck of the f temperatures should make it into the 60's. a slight chance for a rain shower.

>> and that's your latest weather. >> al, thanks. coming up next, a 16-year-old girl's mission to get an ingredient remove

modern day david and goliath story involving a 15-year-old girl from mississippi that fought one of the biggest beverage companies. >> very few of us read the labels for everything we eat or drink but that's exactly what sarah kavanagh does. when she came across an ingredient that troubled her, she decided to do something about it. when 16-year-old sarah kavanagh from hattiesburg, mississippi, reached for a gatorade after playing outside with her younger brother, she noticed an

unfamiliar ingredient, brominated venlgable oil. the vegan turned to google and was surprised at what she found. >> potentially bad side effects. i don't want my family to drink it. i wouldn't want anyone else to drink it. >> reporter: bvo is a food additive. it's banned for use in foods in places like europe and japan and many have concerns about its safety. >> in animal studies, high doses of bvo clearly are harmful, whether the low doses in human foods are also harmful, we simply don't know. this chemical needs more research. >> reporter: food and drug administration says based on its review of the science, the fda has determined that bvo is safe and presents no health risks at the permitted level. still, sarah decided to challenge the company. with a letter, asking them to remove bvo from their sports drink. >> we know that you can do better than this. >> reporter: over 200,000 people signed the petition. sarah was even invited to be a

guest on "the dr. oz show." >> it's because of brave kids like sarah that have brought awareness to these issues. >> coca cola, dr. pepper and pepsi who use bvo in their products say it's safe and will continue evaluating it. but last week pepsi announced they're in the process of removing the controversial ingredient. while our products are safe, we are making a change because we know some consumers have a negative conception of bvo and gatorade. a big-time victory. >> i'm not afraid to stand up for what i believe in, what i think is right. >> reporter: for this small-town girl. now, pepsi says they've been working on an alternative ingredient for bvo for more than a year, well before sarah began her campaign. the newly formulated drink will be on shelves in a month. matt? >> thank you. sarah is with us now with dr. ó> thank you. girl from hattiesburg,

mississippi, knows the story of david and gm0goliath, doesn't ? >> definitely. >> do you feel like you're david and you defeated the giant? >> i wouldn't take it to that level. they are a very big company.qr(& it's been very empowering to know that somebody as young as i am -- you know, just one person. but backed up by like 200,000 people, we could take down a company like this. >> you were 15 at the time you start this had. >> yes. >> you read that label and saw that ingredient. you had enough curiosity in you to do your research. once you found out what it was, why did you think it was worth your time and effort to actually try to get it changed? >> i saw the side effects. it wouldn't be something that i would want to drink. i wouldn't want my family to drink. i want people to know about it. i don't want anyone to drink it. >> were you surprised that more than 200,000 people joined that petition? >> definitely. i didn't think it would get as much response as it did. it's really great to know that all those people are backing me up and they care about the ingredients and what they're eating and drinking.

>> the fda says it's safe at the proper levels. is it a big deal that pepsi backed down and took this out? >> it's a big step. to be clear, to highlight this, it's not permitted in many other countries. the fda took it off the generally recognized safe list and put it in -- >> a nebulized category. >> and it's stayed there 42 years. what was interesting and why we wa wanted to profile sarah's story for, it made a change that we couldn't do ourselves. >> in the media, we love david and goliath stories. are we making more of this than we should? was this a change that was going to happen anyway? >> ooirm proud that pepsi stepped forward and made the change. i think there was going to be a nudge to push them. i think it's true for all these soft drinks, all the products we have in front of us with the exception of the gatorade, which as you mentioned will be changing, have it in front of us. that's the same family that we

use in fire retardants, flame retardants. why would i want that in my drink, especially since it's the only reason it's there to to emulsify the artificial flavors? why take a chance if you don't have to? >> you call yourself curious and argumentative. do you have another crusade in your future? >> i'm not sure. a lot of other beverage companies use this product and a lot of people have been asking me, what are you going to do next? and give me some suggestions. i have some things in mind. i'm not really sure yet. i'm definitely ready to take this to the next level. >> something tells me you'll be back on this show. sarah, congratulations. >> thank you so much. >> doctor, always good to see you. i know you'll have more on this issue, by the way, on your show today. up next, mr. michael bolton on his struggles and his successes in the music industry. he'll be joining mitch, our audio guy, in just a couple of moments. first this is "today" on nbc

back at 8:44. two-time grammy winner michael bolton has spent more than four decades in the music business, sold 53 million albums. his biggest hit came in 1991 with his album "time, love and tenderness," remained on the charts almost four years. recently bolton found a new generation of fans with an appearance on ""saturday night live"" and his ode to captain jack sparrow. now he's opening up about the struggles behind his success in his new book "the soul of it all: my music, my life." can we start with the jack sparspar sparrow video? >> absolutely. >> i fell in love with you all over again. >> it's great to be discovered four years later. >> did that surprise you at all? and did they have to talk you into doing it? >> yes and yes. they've been doing this on "saturday night live" for years.

i'm a very big fan of their work. we met at this hotel in california and andy was sitting across from me and he said, my mother is so excited that i'm having this meeting with you. i said my daughters are going nuts because i'm meeting with you. that's how it started. i read the script. it's disgusting. i can't do t it's funny. it's too gross. i can't do t he said yeah, we thought you might think that so we'll tweak it. i thought they were too bus toy tweak it. a month passed and all of a sudden andy is e-mailing me. this script is just as gross as the last one. this went on for eight months. >> so you pulled gross off very well. i want to talk about the book. we really get the story of your whole life. we think of you as this singer of romantic pop balladses about bu that is not the person we meet early in life. you wanted to be a rock star. we hear about michael bolton, the star, for lack of a better word. >> i can't dispute that. it's all over the first 40

pages. it was a smoky blur. i was too stoned for woodstock. but -- nice pictures right there. everybody i knew was. that was the hippie generation, the woodstock generation. i thought that was basically what you do. and in music, of course, nobody thought twice about it. but you couldn't get serious about a career or serious about anything until you removed all the distractions. and that was a big turning point in my life, is when i decided i've got a chance to make it in music and i want all this stuff out of my life. >> you did commercial jingles for a while to pay the bills? >> yes. >> do you remember any of them? ♪ be all that you can be >> that's yours? >> that's one of mine. >> that's very memorable. i think you have a future. >> pretty big one. you've got to practice. i did a lot. at one point i did a video. i was going to get something to drink and opened up a cooler and i had sung everything in there. i had sung diet pepsi, cherry

coke, dr. pepper. i had sung everything in there. and i thought, i might need to slow down. i was driving and the first record that was going to be my first hit record came out. i was driving on west side drive coming into new york and i heard one of my commercials and i said oh, this is good. commercials. make some money. then my new single, my new record went came out and i went, wow, they're playing the record. after that was over a new jingle came out. and i called my manager and said we've got to shut the jingles down. >> total saturation. >> too much. >> rock star dream had enormous success around the time mtv was huge which brings me to, what, the hair. >> the hair, yeah. >> you had long hair for most of your life. >> yeah, yeah. the beatles, the british invasion, i blame them. the beatles and the stones

started showing up on tv. my brother and i had two of our own bands. long hair which back then was just over your ears was long hair. got in trouble in school because they didn't want us wearing long hair, influencing other kids. you couldn't walk down the streets in new haven without somebody rolling the window down -- and i mean rolling because they didn't have electric windows back then, and yelling and swearing at you basically because you had long hair. we came up with our own creative rhetorics, of course. >> was it hard to cut it short? >> it was because there was a connection. besides the beatles and the stones and being influenced, you also had to fight for it. then suddenly you became part of the revolution and the individual expression being your freedom and your right. and so, you know, the rebellion is part of who you are as a kid, as a teenager. but 20 years later, columbia records had spent 50 million

dollars picturing posters of you, your likeness, on buses and posters and billboards and one day i just said, i think it's time for a new look. i'm going to cut it. and it was scary. it was really scary. the guy that cut my hair would cut brad pitt's hair and tom cruise and other people in film. so my assistant and my stylist teamed up and conspired actually to get me to cut it while i was thinking about it. his name is chris mcmillan. he cut it. i figured i would look like brad pitt or tom cruise, and it didn't happen. >> no, i think it worked. >> it worked. >> it's not like sampson and deld delilah. the hair is not the source of your power. >> no, it's still there, the voice. >> michael bolton, it's great having you here. thank you. >> thanks for having me. we'll go to the kitchen and have a potato palooza. four ways to cook spuds.

there's thousands of them but we picked four.

back now with how to cook everything "today," potatoes, there are something like 10,000 ways to cook them. mark bittman is teaching us this morning. "how to cook everything."

this is like the three-piece suit you used to buy, with the reversible jacket. >> recent development absolutely the best, if you're only going to have one. they can sort of take the place of russets, baking potatoes, very starchy or waxy potatoes which sometimes are called new and can be red or white. but yukon gold has the features of both. we can use them in everything. >> one size fits all potato? >> absolutely. >> first recipe, what is it? tater tots? the '8 0s called. so excited. >> why did you scoff? >> no, they're my favorite thing in a world. there are nobel prize winning tater tots in the frozen food section. why would you make them at home? >> because a, they're fun and, b, they're better. >> they're fun. >> we boil potatoes then peel. much easier to peel. it is quite a process. we do that.

then we grate them. >> okay. >> that's a demo. >> show that i could. >> we don't need that. >> cornstarch, garlic powder. >> you have to peel it, no getting out of the peeling? >> no getting out of t it's a labor of love. when we get to the end of the -- you may think this really has been worth it. you toss them together. toss together the grated potatoes with the cornstarch and roll this into a log or shape little hand-formed tater tots so your guests and friends know you did this yourself. >> they're not perfect. they go into hot canola oil? >> this is the perfect one made by bianca. there's an imperfect one, made by moi. >> they taste the same. >> they taste exactly the same. when they're done, they all look great. here we take them out.

we have a couple. it all happens this quickly. >> yeah, sure. >> you take them out and you dry -- you know, get the excess oil off. then you whip them into the oven. >> how long? >> 10, 15 minutes maybe until they're beautiful, light this. >> okay. great. >> you can freeze them between this stage and that stage and then you can pretend that they're ore' ida. >> perfect. the next one is more high brow, this is pomanette. >> because they're small versions of pomana. the mandolin which, of course, has caused many a bloody finger. that's not going to happen here. this is just the best possible tool to slice potatoes thinly. then -- good morning. >> good morning. >> toss the potatoes with melted butter and you arrange them in a lovely, concentric circle

pattern which, if you do that, they will then look like this. if you're too lazy to do that -- >> butter, potato, salt and pepper? >> and bake. you turn them -- well, you turn them. >> that's okay. >> by the way, i said four ways. since we're running out of time you also have mashed potatoes with some herbs and -- >> braised potatoes with red wine and pancetta. >> recipes on today.com. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am sarah caldwell. testimony continues in the michael johnson murder trial. jurors heard the statement he gave to police days after phylicia barnes went missing. in it, johnson phylicia barnes

sleeping on a sofa and had no clue what happened to her. almost tastes like one of jack's cereals. fiber one. uh, forgot jack's cereal. [ jack ] what's for breakfast? um... try the mber one! yeah, this is pretty good. [ male announcer ] over a third of a day's fiber. fiber one. ♪ shimmy, shimmy chocolate. ♪ shimmy, shimmy chocolate. ♪ we, we chocolate cross over. ♪ yeah, we chocolate cross over. ♪ [ male announcer ] introducing fiber one 80 calorie chocolate cereal. ♪ chocolate.

>> good morning, everyone. any fog out there should be dissipating shortly. better chance for showers and thunderstorms tonight. high temperatures will be in the 60's. >>