for best picture. host chris rock takes on the oscars so white controversy. >> i'm here at the academy awards, otherwise known as the white people's choice awards. >> this morning, al and natalie are live in hollywood with all the highlights from the show, the red carpet and, of course, the after parties. klan controversy. why did donald trump refuse to disavow support from the kkk and its former leader david duke in an interview? >> i don't know what you're talking about. >> david duke and the klu klux klan here. >> honestly, i don't know david duke. >> the odd exchange that left the billionaire scrambling to explain while his rivals pounced. we'll talk to trump in a live interview. erin andrews and her convicted stalker expected to testify at her $75 million civil trial today. we're live at the courthouse.

another ill-fated voyage for royal caribbean's anthem of the seas, just weeks after passengers were battered by a powerful storm. this time, bad weather and a norovirus outbreak forcing it to return to port today, monday, february 29th, 2016. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a monday morning. february 29th. you don't say that very often. >> every four years, actually. >> exactly right. did you watch the show last night? >> i stayed up all the way to best costume design. proud of myself. >> that's about 9:40, something like that. >> i know. >> way to go. chris rock seemed to have the time of his life. >> seemed to enjoy that. took the controversy right on. there were surprises. al and natalie spent the weekend out in los angeles. they're still up.

>> what a night it was. we haven't gone to bed yesterday. >> it was so much fun. i got to see chris rock at the comedy store, and he did a preview of the oscar performance. it was spot on. >> he was amazing. definitely getting rave reviews. it was, as you mentioned, a big night for leo, "spotlight," "mad max." chris rock responded to the lack of diversity among the knock-kneeknockcome nominees. >> reporter: leonardo finally won best actor for "the revenant." >> let us not take this planet for granted. i do not take this night for granted. >> reporter: inarritu got back-to-back wins as best director.

picture and best screenplay. >> this oscar amplifies the voice. >> reporter: brie larson won best actress for "room." >> thank you to the movie goers. thank you for going to the theater and seeing her film. >> reporter: the best surprise was best supporting actor. sylvester stallone losing out to mark rylance in "bridge of spies." >> thank you so my fellow nominees. i don't know how they separate my acting from your acting and the wonderful films you're in. >> reporter: chris rock took on the controversy immediately and often. >> i'm here at the academy awards, otherwise known as the white people's choice awards. >> reporter: alternating between punch lines and poignancy for his opening monologue. >> is hollywood racist? damn right. we want opportunity. we want the black actors to get the same opportunities. >> reporter: numerous skits

the lack of diversity, with rock getting help from tracy morgan, in a skit recasting this year's films with black actors. >> i'm the danish girl. these danishs is good, girl. >> reporter: the night also droids. him. he happens to look rather like me. >> reporter: toys. >> to infinity and beyond. >> reporter: even the vice president. >> i'm the least qualified man here tonight. >> reporter: who introduced a powerful performance by lady gaga. you don't know >> reporter: highlighting victims of sexual assault. [ applause ] >> as you see, it was an emotional moment. a standing ovation there for lady gaga. overall, "mad max: fury road" grabbed the most awards with six.

actress for the danish girl. "the big short" won best adapted screenplay. >> we'll talk more about this later in the morning. thanks for the recap. we appreciate it. we'll also be talking about all the parties, as well. let's turn to politics. race for the white house, important week tomorrow. super tuesday battles looming large for hillary clinton and donald aiming to build their leads. we'll talk to donald trump live as he finds himself in another controversy, this time over race. let's begin our coverage with peter alexander. good morning. >> good morning. even for this campaign, this was a stunning development. the republican parties prohibitive favorite to win the nomination, donald trump, refusing to condemn former clueklu klux klan grand wizard, david duke. trump claiming to be clueless

>> reporter: donald trump again under fire. this time for not what he said but what he didn't say. >> donald trump refused to criticize the klu klux klan. >> we should all be united in se saying the plan is irrep-- >> reporter: voting against trump is against your heritage. >> i don't know anything about david duke. >> would you say, you condemn them and you don't want their support? >> well, i have to look at the group. i don't know what group you're talking about. >> i'm talking about david duke and the klu klux klan here but -- >> i don't know. honestly, i don't know david duke. >> reporter: after the interview, trump said he did disavow duke. and trump has known who duke is for years. explaining his decision not to run as a reform party candidate in 2000, trump then told the

party includes a klansman, mr. duke. this is not the company i wish to keep. still, the uproar unified even fierce democratic rivals. hillary clinton retweeting bernie sanders who blasted trust as a hatemonger. trump is also fending off questions after retweeting a mussolini quote. >> you want to be associated with a fascist? >> no. i want to be associated with interesting quotes. >> reporter: the website gawker revealing it made up the quote, baiting the billionaire. >> little marco rubio, a total, total weather weight total featherweight. he's 6'2". i don't understand why his hands are the size of someone who is 5'2". his hands are like this.

with small hands -- you can't trust them. >> that was just a sampling. if you were hoping for a campaign of ideas, this was clearly a disappointing weekend, including attacks over who wet their pants and who sweats too much. clearly, rubio's decision to dive head first into the ugly back and forth shows that even his team now believes that their stay above the fray approach wasn't working. >> peter alexander, thank you. donald trump joins us now on the phone. mr. trump, good morning. >> good morning. >> let me just start off where peter just ended up. i'm sure you've heard marco rubio's latest shot at you. him. fair to say, both childish. who has big hands, small hands, big ears, who sweats, who is a loser, who chokes. can you blame people sitting across the country and around the world for saying, wait a minute, these guys are running for the most important and powerful job in the world? matt.

>> i'm not sure people would agree with that. >> sure. but i'm way ahead in the polls. rubio came out and started doing it because he's desperate. he's 20 points behind in florida. he's a no-show in florida. the people of florida wouldn't elect him dogcatcher. frankly, he got desperate and he started doing personal attacks. when somebody does a personal attack, you hit them back. i hit him back hard. >> don't the voters deserve to hear answers to their questions as opposed to childish attacks? >> i do. when you have a person running that gets personal, i believe in answering back. i answered back and i will continue to answer back. you know, it hasn't helped him in the polls because his polls have gone down since he's doing it. he did it because he's desperate. he's losing florida, losing all over the place. i don't blame him for doing it. his other approach was not working, so i don't blame him. but it is politics, matt. it's something that happens. he was desperate. he's down in the polls, he's a

i watched how -- i watched his meltdown against chris christie. >> and -- >> he wanted to go different approach. >> i think we've cleared that up. let's talk about another issue that has bubbled up. this is your comments on a cnn program. you were asked about david duke, former grand wizard of the kkk. you said three times in the interview, i don't know who david duke is, and you refused to disavow or distance yourself from him. people are skrarcratched their heads over that. you disavowed david duke two days prior. why were you presenting you didn't know who the person was? why not disavow david duke, disavow the kkk? what's going on? >> first of all, he talked about david duke and other groups. >> you said three times, i don't know who david duke is. >> excuse me -- no, no. i know who he is, but i never met david duke. when you talk about it, i never met david duke.

on the reform party's platform because duke was a member of it. >> i'm saying to myself, how many times do i have to continue to disavow people? the question was asked about david duke and various groups. i don't know who the groups are. i said, would you do me a favor and tell me the groups? he was unable to tell me that. >> he says, i'm just talking about david duke and the klu klux klan here. you said, honestly, i don't know david duke. >> i'm sitting in a house in florida with a bad ear piece they gave me. you can hardly hear what he was saying. what i heard was various groups. i don't mind disavowing anybody. i disavowed david duke and disavowed him the day before at a major news conference, which is surprising because he was at the major news conference. cnn was at the major news conference and they heard me easily disavow david duke. now i have a lousy ear piece

frankly, he talked about groups. i have no problem with disavowing groups but i'd like to know who they are. it'd be unfair to disavow a group if they shouldn't be disavowed. i disavowed david duke. if you look on facebook right after that, i also disavowed david duke. when we looked at it, the question, i disavowed david duke. all weekend long on facebook and twitter and, obviously, it's never enough. ridiculous. >> there is a piece in the "new york times" yesterday after the republican establishment's efforts over the past couple months to derail your campaign. governors got together and met and talked about writing a letter to the american people, disavowing your brand and your candidacy. in your opinion, right now on the eve of super tuesday, has the republican establishment lost its opportunity to stop you?

a reuters poll came out. i'm 44% and 45% and others are at 11%. i'd love to win texas. it's the only place i'm a little down to a sitting senator that hasn't done a thing for the people of texas. i think i have a chance of winning texas. i think i'll win florida in two weeks because rubio is a no-show. he's done a terrible job for florida. he's defrauded florida. he never shows up for votes. i think i'll win florida. >> you said yesterday -- >> even though i'm doing very well -- >> you said yesterday you feel in a sense if the republican establishment gets together and has some organized way to try to defeat you, that they're violating their pledge to you. if that's the case, what's your next step? what would you do? >> if they violate the pledge, which possibly they've already done, as you understand, i will do something that would make them unhappy. i have millions of millions of followers. we had the endorsement yesterday

the most respected people in the senate. we attended an event that was so incredible in alabama, with 35,000 people. i don't know if you covered -- everybody covered it, but i don't know if you talked about the number of people. 35,000 people in a big football stadium. >> right. >> he said he's never seen anything like that and he's been in politics 30 years. he's never seen an event like that, with that kind of people. we have tremendous support. frankly, the republican party should get behind me. we're opening up to the republican party. when i won in south carolina, we got far more votes than the democrats got. if you look at our votes verse the democrats, we got more votes. more votes than we got four years ago. we're opening up the party. democrats are calling in. >> let's choose that -- >> it's a far bigger party. i've done a great service for the republican party. >> let's choose that as a good place to stop, mr. trump. hopefully we'll get to talk to

thank you for your time this morning. >> thank you. >> thank you very much. let's bring in nicolle wallace and steve kornacki. good morning to you. let's talk about what mr. trump said. has he put it to bed? >> your conversation with him is extraordinary, in that it was the first time i heard him blame the ear piece for -- >> what'd you say? >> old campaign trick. press your ear and pretend you can't hear. what is right about what he says is that the republican party is trying to take steps toward him. then he refuses to disavow david duke. cuddles up to putin. he says things that make it necessary for us to run ten steps back. >> the article in the "new york times" talking about efforts over the last couple months by the gop establishment, what was the headline to you? >> i think it's the failure. there's been concern for a few months among republicans that trump could do this. he could pull away.

could they have done anything in the first place to stop him? there was a failure in the time to get behind any other candidate. it says a lot about the other candidates running. >> can't get behind a vacuum. >> exactly. >> the failure was in theage age analysis that there were three lanes and each contest was separate. it was wrong. it's not like basketball where you have different brackets. the fight should have been taken to the front runner. it's the failed strategy, that they had to first destroy one another. >> there was a democratic primary on saturday night. hillary clinton won bigger than a lot of people expected. >> she put up astonishing numbers, specifically with african-american voters in south carolina. she did better with black voters on saturday night than barack obama did against her in the same state eight years ago. close to 90% of the black vote. >> shorten the campaign with that victory?

>> steve, thank you very much. nicolle, thank you. al has a check of the weather. >> super tuesday, weather will be a factor. to be the, tonight, we have a chance of storms from oklahoma city to wichita falls. strong wind gusts and ping-pong size hail. tuesday, a bigger area from pennsylvania down into louisiana. this also involves the super tuesday states. arkansas, tennessee, alabama, georgia and virginia. 22 million people at risk. damaging wind gusts and we cannot rule out tornadoes. we're really going to be watching this closely.

today...mostly sunny. highs in the upper 60s. west winds 5 to 10 mph. tuesday...partly sunny. highs in the upper 60s. south winds 5 to 10 mph. wednesday...part ly sunny. a chance of showers in the morning. highs in the upper 50s. thursday...mostl y sunny in the morning...then partly sunny with a chance of rain ors in the teo. highs in the mid0s. iday...pt nny wh rcent chance showers. highs ine lower 50s. saturday...mostl y sunny. highs in the mid 50s.ny...most nny. highs od0. coming up in the next half hour, we have winter weather to talk about. mr. lauer? >> al, thank you very much. coming up, a big day at erin andrews' $75 million civil trial. the sports reporter and her convicted stalker both expected

plus, would you fall for it? one of us did. on rossen reports, the new trick hackers are using to get in your computer. first, this is "today" on nbc. steve: today is your lucky y. wo man: (surprised) oh, my goodness mark: you've just won - a thousand dollars! woman: that's amazing! that's amazing! (shrieks) woman: ok, nice job. mark, way better than yesterday.

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just ahead, a clueless appearance.

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i'm ben thompson. investigators are on the scene in cleveland county, after a deadly explosion. the blast happened just before midnight last night on stamey road in fallston, when a truck ran off the road and crashed into a home with two propane tanks outside. the explosion destroyed the house. two people died in the blast. crews are still on the scene, putting out flames that are still sparking up. its a pretty mild morning lets get a check of the first warn forecast with larry sprinkle. today...mostly sunny. highs in the upper 60s. west winds 5 to 10 mph. tuesday...partly sunny. highs in the upper 60s. south winds 5 to 10 mph.

ly sunny. a chance of showers in the morning. highs in the upper 50s. thursday...mostl y sunny in the morning...then partly sunny th a ance of rain showerin theternoon.is the mid 50s. iday...parynny wi 50 rcencnce showe. ghs in eor 50s.saturday...mostl y sunny. highs in e mid 50s. sunday...stly sunny. highsound 60. coming up... we'll update you on a deadly hit and run crash in charlotte. and larry has another check of the forecast in half an hour.

good to be alive right about now good, good, good to be alive right about now 7:30, monday morning, leap day, february 29th, 2016. what are we going to do with the extra day? the oscar red carpet has been rolled up for another year. the stands are coming down at the dolby theater.

late and up early now. >> the first hour was fun to watch. i don't know what happened after that. the 88th awards ended with a surprise with "spotlight" taking home the award for best picture. in the acting categories, lee leonardo dicaprio got his first oscar after several nominations. >> i thank you all for this amazing award tonight. let us not take this planet for granted. i do not take tonight for granted. thank you so much. >> brie larson won best actress for "room." we'll have more later on. a day before super tuesday, donald trump finds himself at the sen thecenter of a new controversy. he's criticized for not disavowing david duke during an interview that aired sunday. this morning, trump had this to say. take a look. >> i'm sitting in a house in florida with a very bad ear piece that they gave me, and you could hardly hear what he was saying.

i don't mind disavowing anybody, and i disavowed david duke and disavowed him the day before at a major news conference. >> trump also said he does expect to do very well at the polls tomorrow. army staff sergeant assigned to the pentagon is facing murder charges in the deaths of his wife and a virginia police officer. police say 32-year-old ronald hamilton killed his wife and opened fire on police. the officer killed, 28-year-old ashley gwindon was on her first day of patrol. in other news, it'll be another emotional day at erin andrews' $75 million civil trial against a man who secretly recorded her and the hotel where it happened. morgan radford is at the courthouse this morning. good morning. >> savannah, good morning. an exclosivee >> savannah, good morning. an exclosiveexplosive day expected in court. erin andrews set to take the stand, making her case as to why

she'll also hear from the man she says damaged her career and left her publicly humiliated. high drama in court as erin andrews and the stalker who took video of her named in her hotel room are expected to testify today. her mom likely to take the stand after jurors and andrews listened to last week's emotional, gut-wrenching testimony about how the sport reporter's life changed after the scandalous hotel video went viral. was. she's mad. she's scared. she's not the girl that we used to know. >> reporter: now, she'll get to tell her side of the story. >> it's important for erin andrews to testify to really look the jurors in the eyes and to explain to them how harmful this was to her. how upsetting. how much it has interfered with her life. >> reporter: michael barrett who

the crime won't be in the courtroom but is expected to testify by video. divorced father of two, he was an executive with money troubles when, according to the defense, he came up with the scheme to alter the peephole in andrews' hotel door and use a cell phone to catch her naked. he planned to sell the video. finding no takers, he posted it on the internet where experts say it'll live forever. >> many people have individual copies out there. i don't know of any way -- i can't think of any way sitting here to get it off. >> reporter: claiming negligence, emotional disstress and evasion of privacy, andrews is suing for $75 million. the hotel maintains it's not at fault and that barrett is responsible because he deceived, connived and manipulated the reservation system to get the room next to andrews so that he could take that video. >> i'm mad. i did nothing wrong. i think i should be allowed to

but this isn't over. >> the last time we heard publicly from barrett was when he was sentenced back in 2010. when he sobbed in open court, saying one day, he hoped that erin andrews could forgive him. >> morgan, thank you. there's new trouble for royal caribbean. for the second time in a month, the anthem of the seas has been forced to turn back to port. tamron has the latest on that. >> good morning. this is no love boat for sure. earlier this month, the massive ship cruised into a violet storm in the atlantic, battling the cruise liner and rattling people on board. now, more extreme weather and an outbreak of norovirus has another group of passengers on the ship desperate to arrive back on dry land. >> reporter: it's been anything but smooth sailing for royal caribbean's anthem of the seas. earlier this month, a major atlantic storm battering the ship with hurricane-force winds and waves as high as 30 feet.

and crew on board, terrified, hunkering down for hours with flying furniture and shattered glass just one day after setting sail. >> i thought, this is it. i'm going to die. >> reporter: now, another vacation is getting cut short by weather. royal caribbean announcing on twitter, the anthem of the seas will return to port in new jersey, quote, immediately, to avoid a severe storm. the voyage ending two days earlier, skipping barbados, meaning a shortened honeymoon. >> we had excursions planned but we'd rather be home safe than worry about going through a crazy storm or something. >> reporter: news comes after the crew told passengers of a norovirus outbreak on the ship. those on board say it's been all hands on deck to increase sanitation levels. >> everybody is required to wash their hands. before they go to eat, when they use the restroom.

caribbean reporting an average of 9 to 10 suspects cases each day, this couple said they'd do it all over again. >> they gave everyone free internet. gave us credit toward a future cruise. we were like, let's figure out what our next one is going to be. >> if i knew what i know now then, i still would have gone through with it. >> royal caribbean says everyone who has been sick has responded well to over the counter medicine. the ship is expected back at its home port on wednesday. wednesday cannot come soon enough. these are the people that are like, what, another day in february? it's leap year? speed up the clock. get me home. >> feel terrible for those people. >> thank you very much. let's head out to los angeles for a check of the weather from al who says winter is coming. >> that's right. we have winter weather advisories, storm warnings from minnesota all the way to michigan and on up into the u.p. of michigan, as well. take a look, here's what's happening. we have a low pressure system

as it does, we look for the system to move into the plains. snow showers north of the low pressure. from omaha into chicago, as we move into tomorrow, gets to detroit and also parts of ohio. on into the u.p. of michigan. it'll be a quick hitter, so that's the good news. snowfall amounts around 4 to 6 inches from waterloo, iowa to central michigan. that'stoday...mostly sunny. highs in the upper 60s. west winds 5 to 10 mph. tuesday...partly sunny. highs in the upper 60s. south winds 5 to 10 mph. wednesday...part ly sunny. a chance of showers in the morning. highs in the upper 50s. thursday...mostl morning...then partly sunny with a chance of rain showers in the afternnhighs t d0s. id.ptlsunny with 50 rcent chance showers. g ine lower 50s.turda..mostlsunny. highs ie mid 50s. nday...mostly nny. ghsaround 60.

>> al, thank you very much. coming up, ever bring your kids to work so they can sell things to your friends? how about if your workplace is the oscars? we'll tell you about a very, very successful girl scout cookie sale. jeff rossen is here. he has a new rossen reports warning for us. >> good morning to you. it has happened to all of us. you're online and a scary message pops up, saying you have a virus on your computer. call this number now to fix it. it looks legit, but experts say it is a fake to rip you off. believe it or not, one of our "today" show hosts fell for it and let strangers into their

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and helped us grow our business, i think it's time we start acting like a business. >>okay... here we go... >>oh, look at this... ok, so number one. no personal items are permitted in the workplace. ...so those will need to come down. we'll be doing some mandatory testing. and there's also a strict no dating policy. >>uh, but honey, we're married. that's going to be a problem. grow your business with the online shipping tools from fedex. look at this sweet face. so sweet. ok, we're going to need a napkin gooey, flaky, happy. toaster strudel. people think californians live in our own reality. with our heads in the clouds. like a bunch of space cadets. huh? what? i've drawn a blank. what's my line? [director]: reset! maybe we do live in a fantasy... ...in our own little bubble. just hangin' out!

but just a bunch of dreamers? no way! we're just like everyone else. you know, average joes. start dreaming big at visitcalifornia.com eat up, buddy. you'll get it this time. yeah ok not too quick don't let go until i say so. i got you... start strong with the lasting energy of 100% you're doing it! whole grain quaker oats. and off you go. hi i'm kristie. and i'm jess. and we are the bug chicks. we're a nano-business. windows 10 really helps us get the word out about how awesome bugs are. kids learn to be brave and curious and all kids speak the language of bug. "hey cortana, find my katydid video." oh! this is so good. if you're trying to teach a kid about a proboscis. just sketch it on the screen. i don't have a touch screen on my mac, i'm jealous of that. you put a big bug in a kids hands and change their world view. [ laugh ] (toilet flush)

you may be sooo constipated it feels like everyone can go ...except you. opioid-induced constipation, oic, is a different type of constipation, which may need a different approach. longing for a change? have the conversation with your doctor about oic, and ask about prescription treatment options. we're back at 7:43. this morning on rossen reports, the trick that hackers are using to put your personal information at risk. >> it's easy to fall for. as a matter of fact, a member of our team became a victim. today, jeff rossen is here with more. thanks for setting us up, jeff. we're all pretty smart people. >> if it can happen to one of us, it can happen to you at

when you're online, you get pop-up ads all the time. selling you something or click here to win. now, there is an official looking warning popping up saying your computer has a virus. it's been blocked and you should call this number to fix it. would you belief itve it? how to shut it down before you lose everything. we're about to reveal the "today" show host that fell for it hard. >> reporter: you're surfing the web and out of nowhere -- >> important security message. >> reporter: -- this warning says your system has been infected, hijacked and your private and financial data is at risk. the only way to fix it? call the number on the screen. it looks legit. like it came from your own computer. but it's actually a fake. it's really a pop-up ad. >> i just opened the door and let somebody in my computer. >> reporter: it just happened to natalie while she was online. she panicked and called the number.

reputable company, that they work with apple and microsoft. so they immediately asked for access to my computer through log me in 123. >> tell me you didn't do that. >> i know i shouldn't have done that. >> you did it? you let them in? >> i did it, jeff. >> reporter: once inside, they scanned her hard drive, telling her she has a virus. good news, for $400, they'll fix it. >> it was like the lightbulb went off. i knew at that point what they were offering wasn't true. >> reporter: security experts say these pop-up ads are misleading and dangerous. >> looks like a warning but it's just a picture telling you there's something wrong with your computer. there's not something wrong with your computer. >> we're going to try this for ourself. we're going to call one of the companies that sends the pop-up warnings. went to the store and bought a brand-new mac book air. it's out of the book. we brought in our computer expert.

this, what does it mean? >> they're trying to rip us off or might try to put their malware on. >> i saw a pop-up that said to call this number about a computer virus. can you help me? >> yeah. >> reporter: the technician immediately asked to tap into my computer. once in, we watch him pope around my laptop in real time. that's him doing all that. within seconds, he has bad news. >> yeah, maybe someone else is trying to access your computer. >> reporter: he says not only is there a virus on my computer, somebody is trying to hack in. >> i'm going to clean up this machine and make this computer brand-new computer. the day you bought this computer. >> reporter: remember, this computer is brand-new. then comes the sales pitch. >> what does this cost me to get fixed? >> if you go for the one year contract, it will cost you 199.9 dollars. >> reporter: time for the big reveal.

i'm the national investigative kor respondspon correspondent for nbc news and this is a new computer out of the box. >> okay. >> where's the virus? >> i'll show you. >> you were trying to sell us a package that our computer expert says we didn't need. >> sir, i'm not trying to sell you a package. i'm offering technical assistance. let me show you. >> reporter: after several minutes, he still can't show us any virus. then watch this. he starts surfing the web. >> you're typing yahoo!.com. thank you very much for your time. >> doesn't matter whether you're smart, dumb, old or young, it's one of those things where when you're caught off guard, you'll fall for it. >> reporter: unrgent warning to protect you. >> i learned a lesson. next time i think, what would jeff rossen do? run. >> good at vice. these technicians can be persistent.

sound, we contacted apple and microsoft. both of them telling nbc news they are not affiliated with these companies who create the ads. best advice if you get the pop-up, hit escape. natalie, you should have hit escape. >> i tried but it was there frozen. also, the way it threatened that my information could be compromised that, you know, i was going to be hacked, i mean, it was scary to me. i'm not the only one who has fallen for it. hundreds of others and probably thousands of others, including my father-in-law, got the same thing on his computer. >> natalie had to bring her computer in to another person and spend hundreds of dollars to make sure a virus wasn't put on it. >> i took it to my computer expert to make sure it hadn't really been compromised or hacked. >> the good news is, jeff, you got a new computer. >> i sure did. i'm not giving it back either. thanks for being a good sport. >> good lesson.

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[ female announcer ] starburst. unexplainably juicy. we're back at 7:51. kind of an embarrassing moment out of the academy awards last night, carson. >> the oscars always make for a big night on social media. there was one tweet that stood out. you probably heard about it. the company total beauty posted this pic saying, we had no idea oprah was catted and it was whoopee goal bergi goldberg. even oprah weighing in, posting, oprah and daughter seeing the beauty editor's mistake. we don't all look-alike. took more than a half hour, but total beauty realized their

apologize to everyone we've offended. it was our error and there are no excuses. we're sorry. took a while to get there but they got to it. in a few minutes, we are going to be live on facebook. it's leap day. in honor of it, you'll get all the extra information -- there we go -- here at the "today" show. i'm going to walk around and we'll go down to the control room and talk to the anchors. all the behind the scenes stuff coming to us on facebook. go to our facebook page, hit like and follow along. i'll be your host for the next hour. >> you're live streaming the whole show? >> 8:00 to 9:00. >> wow, behind the scenes in everything. avoid carson. >> go to the dressing room and look for change. the fashions at the oscars after your local news. >> announcer: this year, leap day means more. one more day and a few more minutes of your favorite nbc shows. now enjoy #more today sponsored

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the very first tuesday! i'm carolyn bruck. right now, cmpd is looking for the driver who hit and killed a pedestrian in east charlotte. police say a person was walking along central avenue near sharon amity road around 2:30 this morning, when a van hit them, then drove off. investigators later found that vehicle at the teal point apartments - not far from the crash scene - but they are still looking for the drive. the victim's name has not been released. got a few promblems on the road.... brooke katz has a traffic update. heavy delays on independence blvd bc of a crash near briar creek rd. use monroe as an alternate. crash on i-77 n near archdale causing delays as well. today...mostly sunny. highs in the upper 60s.

10 mph. tuesday...partly sunny. highs in the upper 60s. south winds 5 to 10 mph. wednesday...part ly sunny. a chance of showers in the morning. highs in the upper 50s. thursday...mostl y sunny in the morning...then partly sunny with a chance of rain showers in the afternoon. highs in the mid 50s. friday...partly sunny with a 50 percent chance of showers. highs in the lower 50s. saturday...mostl y sunny. highs in the mid 50s. sunday...mostly sunny. highs around 60. coming up on the today show... lkthe hottest fashions om the oa.plua check of u fir warnforecast ihalfan ho.the time is 8:26. i'm caron uck.m beompson. lemme get a mcpick 2 check out the brand new mix on mcdonald's mcpick 2 menu!

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talk to me baby it's 8:00 on "today". coming up, red carpet royalty. >> straight ahead. >> which stars won the battle for the best dressed? we'll have the fashion hits and misses from hollywood's biggest night.

>> otherwise, it's not fair that he was this good and didn't get nominated. it's also not fair will was paid $20 million for wild, wild west. >> host chris rock, the best moments from the big -- >> did you see "the big short"? >> i did not. >> "spotlight"? >> nope. >> "straight outta compton." >> i did see that. >> hell yes. >> to the small. >> i want you to buy some of my daughter's girl scout cookies. look at my babies up there. leo, you made $30 million. come on! and -- >> ready to party? >> let's do it. >> natalie and al stay up late to bring you behind the scenes parties of the night. >> al roker. >> did you hear that? the one and only. >> i got al roker. can't walk by him.

>> today, monday, february 29th, 2016. >> took me 28 years to turn 7. happy leap day! >> it's my sweet 16. >> celebrating her 9th birthday! >> happy leap year. >> all the way to new york for the first time. >> good morning. we're from tennessee! >> on our honeymoon in new york city. >> i haven't missed an episode of the "today" show in 25 years. we're back at 8:00 on a sunday morning. it is the 29th day of february, 2016. you don't say that very often. it's leap day 2016. anyone celebrating a birthday?

>> another one there. >> happy birthday. >> love that. >> out on the plaza, matt lauer with savannah guthrie. we'll explain why carson isn't here in a second. al and natalie are on the west coast. we had a big announcement. earlier this month, we said we'd be welcoming cold playplay to the plaza for a concert. >> when are they coming? the big day will be monday, march 14th. the grammy winners are coming off the super bowl halftime show, getting ready for a world tour. head to today.com for information on how you can be here. >> people will be saying, remember me, your best friend? >> remember kindergarten? >> exactly. let's head inside to carson for something else that's cool. >> thank you very much, mr. lauer. we're live streaming on facebook right now. this is always fun for me. it's like my mtv days. loose here and buttoned up here. thanks to our sponsor american express.

today in honor of leap day. more oscars, more fashion, extra trending today and extra cooking segments. more of the "today" show. but extended. that's what we're doing. if you want to ask us something, do it on our facebook page. we'll ask any question. bring it on. that's what's happening on our facebook page for the next hour. let's head over to tamron for a check of the morning's top stories. >> carson, thank you so much. good morning, everyone. on the eve of super tuesday, the race for the republican nomination is dominated yet controversy. rivals marco rubio and ted cruz pounced on trump after he refused in an cnn interview to repudiate statements of support for former klu klux klan leader david duke. duke. however, he did renounce him later on social media. earlier on today, matt asked trump about another aspect of the race.

insults between him and marco rubio. >> when you have one of the people running that gets personal, i always believe in answering back. i answered back. i will continue to answer back. it hadn't helped him in the polls because his polls have gone down since he's doing it. he did it because he's desperate. >> trump also said the republican establishment should embrace him because he's bringing millions of followers into the party. hillary clinton appears to have super tuesday momentum on her side in the southern states. a poll shows her ahead of sanders in georgia, tennessee and texas. both democrats are making appearances today in massachusetts. clinton's lead is much smaller. it took hours to bring an elephant under control after it went on a rampage during a religious festival in southern india. the elephant started flinging vehicles around with its powerful trunk. two helpless riders were on its back.

and give the elephant space. in all of this, no one was hurt. and a pro golfer in florida is caught with his pants off. what? woodland stripped down to his undies sunday during the honda classic. savannah asks why. his tee shot landed on the fairway. he didn't want to get his outfit dirty, so he took off his socks and shoes and his white pants. his shot landed in the bunker but he managed to par the hole. >> if i had a quarter for every time i've played golf with carson and he's taken his pants off, i wouldn't need this job. >> that's so not true. >> how many quarters do we need to put together to see the picture, carson? >> you understand it though, right? the guy had nice pants on, the water's edge. >> that's the 19th hole when i do that, normally. you have to do it. >> good of us to show it one more time. tamron, thank you so much.

energy drinks. it's back in the spotlight. >> one new england college announced plans to stop selling them on campus. hoda has more on that story. >> good morning to you. middlebury college is not banning or forbidding energy drinks but they won't be for sale in campus stores and dining halls. it was approved by the council, which includes faculty, staff and students. some are wondering if it is a radical decision. >> reporter: students nationwide often need a little extra boost to help full an all nighter studying. students at middlebury college who use energy drinks might need to find an alternative. the school is putting an end to all campus sales. on a flier in the cafe, the director of food service says the drinks are linked to problematic behavior, such as alcohol abuse and high-risk sexual activity. >> it's not clear if this is a cause and effect relationship or an association.

highly caffeinated drinks that is affecting people's ability to say no to drugs and alcohol and high-risk sexual situations, or is there something in particular about the caffeinated drinks causing people to engage in risky behaviors? >> reporter: not everyone is on board. the student publication said most of the opposition came from students who thought the decision would violate a student's right to choose what beverages they consume. energy drinks are a thriving business. last year, the industry brought in more than $10 billion in the u.s. alone. >> go, go, go. >> reporter: in a statement to nbc news, red bull says its beverage is a one 8.4 fluid ounce can, containing the same amount of calfffeine as a cup of coffee and available in more than 160 countries because health authorities across the world have concluded that red bull energy drink is safe to consume. according to middlebury, they've done their research and hope the move will contribute to a healthier campus environment.

energy drinks have a lot of sugar or they don't provide any real nutrition. it makes sense for a college campus to not want to serve them in their cafeteria is the goal is to provide nutritious and healthy meals. >> this should take effect on march the 7th. again, kids can go off campus and buy it if they want to, they're not going to sell it on campus. some kids are wondering, what does an energy drink have to do with sexual activity, increased sexual activity? studies say there is a correlation. >> more prone. >> thank you. coming up, did you love it? did you loathe it? what people are saying about the new thank you scroll during the oscar speeches. >> i rest my case. did you get the joke? the story surrounding one of the stranger moments in last night's oscars. and your guide to the most memorable fashion choices at oscars.

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diversity controversy. here are some moments from the opening monologue. >> people are like, chris, you should boycott. you should quit. you should quit. you know, how come it's only unemployed people that tell you to quit something, huh? will was not nominated for "concussion." it's not fair he was this good and didn't get nominated. you're right. it's also not fair that will was paid $20 million for "wild, wild west," okay? hollywood is sorority racist. it's like, we like you, rhonda, but you're not a kappa. some people call it "creed" and i call it black rocky. rocky takes place in a world where white athletes are as good as black athletes. rocky is a science fiction movie. >> there were others. he had a good night. >> he did. it was funny. he wasn't up for awards but

year after this one. his daughter is a girl scout. during the show, he brought them out and helped them sell cookies to the stars. jennifer lawrence was looking for a box. julianne moore had her money out. this video was shared from backstage by chris rock. vice president biden donated $20 to the cause. last year, they raised $600. last night, any guesses? >> $65,000. >> people had cash and just handed it over? >> yeah. >> write out a check? >> probably wrote a check. paid in bit coin or something. >> might have a supply problem. >> another thing and you know this kills me but you were right. the stars seemed to say thanks but no thanks to the new feature at the oscars. during speeches, there was the scroll at the bottom. they were supposed to have thank yous for names there so the speeches would be more heartfelt and wouldn't be a laundry list of people that nobody knows but

a lot of winners blew it off and rolled out the same list of names. i guess the roll did not work. >> would you have given the names in advance to them? >> they did. >> not going to work. people still want to thank others. >> you have to -- it would seem ungracious. >> did you see your name go by? i thanked you. >> terrible. >> i thought it had a chance. you called it. >> you said i was right. >> mark the day. it's a leap day, it's special. >> let's get to pop start. carson has more on the oscars and moments you didn't see on tv. >> instagram sharing the most liked moments from oscar night. in third place, chrissy teigen and john legend on the carpet. the always-popular couple getting more than 312,000 likes. runner up, kevin hart. with his fiance. 368,000 likes. instagram's most liked oscar photo, lady gaga and boyfriend

the black and white photo shared 431,000 times. and the reunion that fans of "titanic" have been waiting for. leeonardo and kate winslet on dry land. they arrived together and posed for the photo on the red carpet. not missing a beat after 20 years. someone cared a photo of the pair. when leo won his oscar, looked like nobody was happier for him than kate. >> cute. carson, thank you very much. let's go to al out in los angeles for a check of the weather. >> thanks so much. hey, want to look at our pick city for the day. it's raleigh, durham, north carolina. our brand-new station, wral. we are happy to be joining the wral family. you've got sunny skies today, 68 degrees. showers and storms tomorrow. 69. wednesday, early morning showers and a temperature of 56 degrees.

looking at a decent day. here in the east, showers moving in later in the day. plenty of sunshine through the southeast. slight risk of afternoon thunderstorms later this afternoon afternoon. in oklahoma and out west, rain. another beautiful day in l.a., high of 80 degrees. that's what's going on around the today...mostly sunny. highs in the upper 60s. west winds 5 to 10 mph. tuesday...partly sunny. highs in the upper 60s. south winds 5 to 10 mph. wednesday...part ly sunny. a chance of showers in the morning. highs in the upper 50s. thursday...mostl y sunny in the morning...then partly sunny with a chance of rain showers in the afternoon. highs in the mid 50s. friday...partly sunny with a 50 percent chance of showers. hig ithe lower 50s. saturday...mostl y sunny. highs in the mid 50s. nday.mostly nnyhhound 60. >> that is your latest weather. savannah? >> al, thank you so much. the oscars red carpet was white hot. we'll break down the fashion choices in a moment.

most memorable and risky looks. >> reporter: one after the other, pose after pose, the hollywood glitter lit up the red carpet. there were those who sparkled and shined. and then there were those who took the plunge. there were softer looks with feminine touches.

shoulder heat. jewel toned colors made a statement this year. just like the men with their classic style. then there were those who took some fashion risks. and growing baby bumps all made for a red carpet to remember. >> style expert june is here in studio 1a with me. and fashion correspondent for e news out in l.a. good morning to you. looking very well rested, considering we know she was out all night. >> cat nap.

who was your favorite last night? >> cate blanchett. >> me, too. >> stunning. lady gaga also wowed me. naomi watts. i loved the metallics and the jewel tones. it was shocking to see the jewel tones going into the spring season. oscar dress. that. >> i'm wearing blue. >> chic. it was my favorite. >> you loved cate, too. who else was at the top of your list? >> the bracelet, incredible. rooney mara was one of my top. she looked beautiful. she really brought a high fashion moment, but it was in a way that was kind of gothic but very bridal, with the amazing hair. it was inspired by the "star wars," with the three buns and the severe lip. fantastic look. >> she hit the trend, which i

she did the cut-out, the sleek look. and she wore white. wedding bell wrss were ringing. >> looked high fashion. how do we feel about olivia wilde? i loved this dress. >> i mean, for me, it was stunning. i have to agree. i loved it from the back. i didn't love the pleats as much, didn't shoot 360 but she can pull this off. i loved it better from the back, i have to be honest. >> when i saw the dress, i was like, i wish i could wear a dress like that. did you like it? >> wool. >> really? >> i love this dress. couture. i love how she took the vintage choker, swapped it from the runway look, which was like a gold harness, wore this vintage neil lain. it was hot last night. it was wool and she managed not

>> i thought it was a light material. what did you think of olivia munn? >> the simplicity and the gran grandeur of this was perfect. >> i loved it, too. >> it was effortless. i was begging for color. please, where is the color? this beautiful tangerine color arrived arrived. i love her. >> there are no losers on the red carpet, well not this show. if there was somebody you thought, it wasn't my favorite look, does somebody come to mind? >> amy poehler's dress was great. she has a banging body. i really wish i would have seen more of it. she could have really gone a little more oscar worthy. >> i like that dress though. it's so pretty. what about you, june? who missed the mark, as far as you're concerned? >> is it -- what's her name? >> which one? >> in the long armani to the floor. >> charlotte? >> yes. >> not your favorite.

>> the dress was stunning. >> she's gorgeous. >> stunning in person but you can't see all the beautiful detail in the photo. it made it look casual and kind of almost like a house coat in a sense. i wanted to see a little more glamorous. she's a mature woman but no excuse not to be sexy. >> what do you think are the big trends we saw? june mentioned the jewel tones. are there others you felt like, well, we saw a lot of that? i saw a lot of boob, to be honest. >> i think the embellishments. this year, vikander had the most beautiful dress on. it had crystals all over it, thousands, apparently. one of my favorites is christy tisy teigen. styling the bump. the runway last week, georgina made her a special dress to fit the gorgeous figure she's now got.

this is a very simple silhouette, but taking the jewels, i mean, just next level. >> gorgeous. so many good looks. always fun to rehash with you guys. thank you so much. if you want more on the oscars, catch a special edition of e news tonight at 7:00 eastern. we'll keep the conversation going on our more "today" live stream on facebook. going on right now. carson is shooting it behind the scenes. also ahead, insider reveals what it takes to dress the stars for a big night like this. first on a monday morning, your

charlize was also beautiful.told a truck has run up a power pole, at wilkinson bouvelard and barry drive. this happaned just before 7 this mroning. we have a crew headed to the scene, and we'll bring you updates as soon as we can. the time is 8:26. i'm carolyn bruck. i'm ben thompson. breaking news right now in west charlotte we;re following breaking news in west charlotte, where police are on the scene of a bizarre crash. we're told a truck has run up a power pole, at wilkinson bouvelard and barry drive. this happaned just before 7 this mroning. we have a crew headed to the scene, and we'll bring you updates as soon as we can. today...mostly

west winds 5 to 10 mph. tuesday...partly sunny. highs in the upper 60s. south winds 5 to 10 mph. wednesday...part ly sunny. a chance of showers in the morning. highs in the upper 50s. thursday...mostl y sunny in the morning...then partly sunny with a chance of rain showers in the aftnnhighs thei5. friday...partly n th a 50 rnchanceof showers. ghs in the lower 50s.

ound 60.e time is 8:56. go big or go home

it is monday morning, 29th of february, 2016. it is leap day. tamron -- >> do me a favor, tell me if carson is anywhere. >> don't worry. >> he's live streaming. hello, carson. how are you this morning? >> nice to see you. dueling media today. live >> live streaming on facebook? >> we are live on facebook. go to our facebook page. in honor of leap day, a little extra content happening because of leap day. >> i like that. that's a cute device. ever go to the store and buy a couple things or looking to buy a couple things, you come back and you have a car filled with things? could be the sign above bigger problems. jenna bush hager will take us into the world of a compulsive shopper. >> can anyone identify with that here? >> i don't know.

all this week, we are learning the basics of baking. we'll have you feeling like a pro in no time. i do have to acknowledge again, crew. >> it matches you perfectly. >> that's not the first time you've worked a boa. >> al is out in los angeles from the oscars. he has a check of the weather. good morning. >> that was close. i'll tell ya. i was a little concerned there. as we look at today, we have a weak frontal system passing through the northeast. showers today. look for showers as we get into the southeast. risk of some strong storms later in the afternoon. snow in the northern plains. sunny from texas to the southwest. from tomorrow, we're looking at more sunshine in the southwest, but wetter weather into the pacific northwest with snow in the inner mountain region. windy and snowy in the upper great lakes.

from louisiana all the way into west virginia. some of those are super tuesday states. we're going to be looking at that carefully. a few scattered showers down in southern florida. that's what's going on around today...mostly sunny. highs in the upper 60s. west winds 5 to 10 mph. tuesday...partly sunny. highs in the upper 60s. south winds 5 to 10 mph. wednesday...part ly sunny. a chance of showers in the morning. highs in the upper 50s. thursday...mostl y sunny in the morning...then partly sunny with a chance of rain showers in the afternoon. highs in the mid 50s. friday...partly sunny with a 50 percent chance of showers. highs in the lower 50s. saturday...mostl y sunny. highs in the mid 50s. sunday...mostly sunny. highs around 60. >> that's your latest weather. savannah? >> al, thank you so much. we are launching a new series. we're calling it compelling compulsion compulsion. >> what happens when an indulgence turns into an obsession or your hobby takes over your life? jenna bush hager is here to

>> we can all indujlge in impulse buys every now and then. but results can be heartbreaking. >> reporter: when you hear the word shop aholoaholoic, the image that comes to mind is the woman that was made famous in "confessions of a shopaholoic." >> belt, vintage. bag, gucci. >> reporter: in reality, while most compulsive shoppers are women, the obsession is no laughing matter. like. >> which is organized. >> reporter: debbie is a self-described recovering shopaholoic, whose impulse to buy had taken over her life. it started as an insecure teen trying to fit and it continued to adulthood. >> i had three closets this size of clothes and my husband had almost no place for his clothes.

clothes in a storage unit. it was out of control. >> reporter: so out of control, debbie began lying to her husband about her over the top shopping sprees. >> i would think, you know, how am i going to get this into the house without him seeing it? in the midst of all this compulsion, you often become somebody that you're not. somebody that i'm not is somebody that lies and hides things. >> what was the breaking point? >> i noticed that i had a problem. i knew that my closets were too full. i was spending too much money. >> reporter: but there is a psychological explanation for why debbie and others like her need shopping for a quick fix. >> i was unhappy i'd shopped. i was stressed, i would shop. anxious, wouldn't feel well, all these things. there was always an occasion. the shopping doesn't get rid of the problems. you escape from it for a period of time. >> reporter: for shopaholoics, stopping cold turkey doesn't

>> they may be more vulnerable at loss and there may be lapses but they have to be vigilant the rest of their lives. >> reporter: dr. april says they need to separate compulsion and asking by asking six questions before making a purchase. why am i here? how do i feel? do i need this? what if i wait? how will i pay for it? where will i put it? debbie used to spend four hours a day thinking about shopping. she estimates it cost her about $100,000. you few years ago, she decided to confront her behavior, and she now shares her experiences on her blog. >> this sort of tracking of what i bought is and how often i wore it. it was part of what helped me to see it was a problem. seeing the waste of it all. it does give me a lot of fulfillment, knowing that my journey and sharing my journey has been able to help other people. >> how much are you shopping now?

shop every month. but i don't buy as much as i used to. i'm a lot more targeted. >> so would you say you're happier now? >> i would say i'm happier than i was. i still have a ways to go with that. i think my marriage is happier because there is more honesty in it. i'm a little more present now because i'm not so engrossed in the shopping. >> debbie says while she's not fully recovered, she's shopping far less. she started a blog called recovery shopaholoic, which keeps her accountable. she lists everything she buys so her readers can say, you're getting better. it's a hard line. we've talked about this a little bit during the piece. everybody likes to shop. a lot of people like to shop. >> but the internet has made it so easy to sit on your couch and go, boom, boom, i'll take that. >> she said she wasn't enjoying time with her family, with her friends, because all she wanted to do was shop. >> wow. it happens. it's like this mindless looking at the internet, scrolling through it.

appreciate it. tomorrow, we'll continue this and look at hoarding and its impact on not only the hoarder but also the family, the friends and the community. coming up next, "vanity fair's" man on the street shows us what it takes to get a star ready for the oscars.

first, this is "today" on nbc. we're back at 8:39. we have more of our special oscars coverage with al and natalie out on the west coast. guys? >> all right, matt. thanks. we've been seeing all morning stars sparkling from last night. what does it take them to get ready for the red carpet? >> we enlisted "vanity fair's" man on the street. went behind the scenes to see how it all came together.

i had attend the oscars. >> there is a general idea that as a stylist, there is chaos leading up to the moment when the women go down the red carpet. >> we try to eliminate that. the last thing i want them to worry about is their dress. the days before are a little hectic. probably more hectic than the day of. >> what are they doing during hair and makeup? drinking champagne, calling their friends, screaming at you on the phone? >> there's no screaming that happens, but they are relaxed. it does feel like a celebration. >> you can walk me through each woman, what they wore, why they wore it and what it was like to put it together. >> reese wore oscar de lalorenza. he originally tried to do it in a neutral color but when she tried it on, we kept the

>> this was a dress we saw on kendall jenner on the runway, but it was modified. a picture of kendall jenner wearing the dress has already been seen. >> we wanted to modify it so it was special for julianne and felt one of a kind. >> her dress last year was also chen chanel. charlize charlize's dress, she wore this beautiful red dior gown. we went through examples of red and kind of ended up choosing this really vibrant kind of lipstick color. >> what happens to you the moment they walk out the door? do you faint? break what's left drink what's left in the hotel room?

pass out in their bed. no, you're anxious. you're waiting for them to alive. watches it on tv. they were just with you in person. it is a little surreal. >> do you ever try to push them out of the comfort zone and do you think it's important to see them in a new light? >> definitely. we have to constantly keep it fresh and new. ultimately, they all have to feel comfortable. when they feel good, they look that much more beautiful. >> good life lesson. feel good, look good. >> yeah. >> i think they definitely scored 100 right there all across the board. cate blanchett, charlize and reese, always stunning. >> another thing, a lot of the actresses changed between the oscars and the after party. >> of course. it has to be a whole new look. >> wow. now you have two, three outfits you have to do. crazy. >> al, carson and i have been sitting here listening to tamron and savannah discuss what women do with their boobs when they're

>> matt, you should know. >> me? >> it's the tape i never used. >> i was curious. tamron had a lot of answers. >> a lot of tape. >> we use a lot of tape around here. >> the backwards dresses, you know. >> there's no strapless bra that fits right. >> moved into hydraulics for a little while. >> impressive. >> all right. >> go to the hardware store. >> for real. up next, baking basics to have you cooking like a pro.

first, this is "today" on nbc. 8:46. back with today food. this goes back to the basics when it comes to baking.

here to teach you how to decorate like a pro, owners of southern sugar bakery in raleigh, north carolina. ladies, good morning. good to see you. >> good to see you. >> you worked in a school together, right? >> we did. >> how did this happen? >> we were school counselors and started cookies as a hobby. it turned into something bigger than we thought it would. >> we're going to make lemon -- >> vanilla rollout cookies. >> i will be eating the cookies. >> awesome. >> all the time while you are making them. who starts on the baking side? >> that'll be me. >> see you in a second. let's look at the ingredients. simple. >> we have eggs, butter, flour, sugar, lemon, vanilla and lemon extract. >> put it in a mixing bowl. >> we'll cream together the butter and sugar, and then start the mixer somewhere. there we go. >> perfect. >> then we're going to add the eggs first. >> great. >> matt, want to add anything? >> i'm really good watching you

i'm about to eat the "today" show cookie here. >> we'll add in the lemon zest. lemon extract and vanilla extract. >> we have tasters downstairs. easiest job of the last year. >> loving. >> we couldn't decide which one to launch into so we're eating them all. >> look at your hair. >> oh, my gosh. >> then our flour. >> don't make a mess. >> this is what we want to end up with in terms of consistency. >> the consistency will be like this. you want it to be like play-doh. >> knead the dough, sprinkle flour on the surface so it doesn't stick. magically, it'll roll itself out. matt, this is new york, you know this, and i know north carolina, press it into the dough. it will come out. mine came out with me. well, i do this a lot. it's okay.

there we go. >> then take it -- perfect. place it on a sheet of lined wax paper. >> how long does it bake? >> 350, 8 to 10 minutes. >> let's move on to the icing. >> we have powdered sugar, meringue powder and vanilla. what we have is the powdered sugar. i'll turn it on low. add the water. we're going to add the meringue powder. this stabilizes the icing and allows it to dry. then we have the clear vanilla extract. >> why not colored vanilla extract? >> personal preference. >> we want it bright and white. we'll add the food coloring later and want it to be true to color. you'll whip it up for a minute. five minutes to get it nice and stiff. that's what it'll look like here. >> great. >> you've added the coloring in some of this. >> we have. >> how easy or difficult is it to actually ice the cookies? >> easy. >> you can do it.

>> you'll rock this. >> this is flooding icing, what lays down the base layer of icing. it'll be the consistency of shampoo or honey. what you have is piping icing. it's a consistency of toothpaste. >> perfect. >> you start. >> how we do it. some people outline the cookie. we keep it all with the same color. i'd start at a corner. >> matt, you can have this bottle. >> bring it straight across. >> then you outline the shape. >> shake it on down. >> there you go. you're doing so good. >> i've got the toothpaste consistency icing. i'll start piping. north carolina is my home state. >> perfect. >> when you're done, this is what it looks like. they're fantastic. tamron and savannah love them. ladies, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> again, our warm welcomes to some people down south, savannah.

>> that's a compliment. you know i love abe. >> she's biting your head off now. >> you're delicious. >> by the way, more baking to do on our more "today" live stream on facebook. up next, natalie and al hit

this is "today" on nbc.

is sponsored by smucker's. with a name like smucker's, it has to be good. each month, we are helping people ring in milestones of all kinds with our special smucker's celebrate "today" series. on this leap day, what better way to celebrate than with two birthday girls who showed up to our plaza today. ladies, happy birthday. tell us your names and where you're from. >> deborah from virginia. >> tina. >> it's your leap day birthday. only comes around once every four years. both of you, it's your sweet 16 today. >> absolutely, yes. >> congratulations to mark the milestone. we have car keys and air fresheners, hats here. have a an orange soda because you're not legal to drink yet. good luck on your driver's license test, too, by the way, and happy birthday. we celebrate big birthdays. a couple leap day birthdays online.

both born on leap days, four years apart. 21st. finally she can have alcohol if she chooses. happy birthday to you guys. let's send it to al and natalie in los angeles. >> we had the access to the hottest spots in town. party. >> it was an unforgettable night. >> first time at the elton john oscar viewing party. >> let's do it. >> i can't wait. >> hi, "today" show. good morning.

>> i have a drink here, please. >> come on. >> sorry, al. >> geez! >> come on. >> i am not coming to this. >> this is it? >> i'm done. >> 24 years now you raised over $50 million. >> it's fantastic, what people have given us over the years at these events. we're fighting the fight. >> this is an important event but also a night for fun and, sir elton, you're performing tonight. >> i am performing tonight. oh, oh, benny and the jets >> off to the "vanity fair" party. >> you look stunning. >> thank you. >> i'm going to drink. >> all right. >> it'll be fun. >> uh-huh. >> it's probably going to be tequila.

>> i thought you were saying it's -- oh, what? >> there's al roker. can't walk by him. >> felt good? >> you never know. you know what i mean? you feel like it went great and then you'll read tomorrow, oh, i didn't know i was horrible. >> [ speaking spanish ]. >> bilingual blow off. >> what's your list? >> finding burgers. >> in n out burgers on the way out. >> i'll be doing an irish good night. i walk right in and right back out. >> i think our work here is done. >> drop the mic moment, al. and we're going to go party. >> that's it. >> sorry. no interviews. >> good times. >> we'll have more in the next

>> well done,i'm carolyn bruck. an update to breaking news in west charlotte, this is a live look where crews just removed a truck that crashed and ran up a power pole. this is wilkinson boulevard at barry drive. the incident happened just before seven this morning. police are investigating what caused the crash. no one was hurt. looks like a great day to be outside... larry has the forecast. today...mostly sunny. highs in the upper 60s. west winds 5 to 10 mph. tuesday...partly sunny. highs in the upper 60s. south winds 5 to 10 mph. wednesday...part ly sunny. a chance of showers in the morning. highs in the upper 50s. thursday...mostl y sunny in the morning...then partly sunny th aance rainowers in the

the mid 50 iday..alnny wh a 50 rcent chance or ghs ine low s.turday...mostl sunny. highs in e mid 50s.nday...molnny. highsound 60. next on theday show... eaking down the highs and lows from the oscars. we're back with more news in half an hour. the time is 8:26.

uh, hello geico?... yeah, i was just talking about your emergency roadside service and how it's available 24/7 and then our car overheated... what are the chances? can you send a tow truck please? uh, the location? you're not going to believe this but it's um... it's in a tree. i wish i was joking, mate, but it's literally stuck in a tree. (car horn honking) a chainsaw? no, no, all we really need is a tow truck. day or night,

this morning on "today's take," an oscar night roundup. the big winners, the big shockers and, of course, all the fashions. plus, we take you inside the after parties where the stars let loose. and three words. caramel apple pie. all that and more coming up

>> announcer: from nbc news, this is today"today's take" with al roker, natalie morales, willie geist and tamron hall, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. welcome to "today". it's monday morning, leap day, february 29th, 2016. boy, we're excited about leap day here in new york city. nice crowd outside. willie along with tamron, who is back after a long time away. chair. >> feel like i only saw you on tv for two weeks. >> busy chasing the republican and democratic candidates all over the country. the minute you get here, al and natalie go to los angeles. >> and they get a glamour gig. >> go hollywood on us. >> i like that. >> literally. >> because it's leap day, does that mean we actually get a whole day back of sleep? >> no. >> that'd be nice. >> not like a time zone. >> i was hoping for 29 hours of sleep or something.

get every four years. "new york times" reports 200,000 people celebrating their first real birthday. something to do with the 28th, i think, on the off years. some do march 1st. let's be honest, you're living in a black hole, a parallel universe, a day that doesn't really exist. >> it's so cool. we had one -- a sister and brother four year aces apart, both leap year babies. what are the odds? it's all sci-fi. >> getting weird. pizza hut, free one-topping personal pan pizza. hard rocca fayekcak cafe offering a free entree, even if it's not your birthday. >> really? >> i think so. >> you can't tell me there is a free list of getting food and think i can carry on with the rest of the show?

fake id? i can get meals all across america. let's talk about the oscars. big winners. as expected, leonardo dicaprio and brie larson for best actor and best actress. "spotlight," but i thought "the revenant" was going to win. chris rock's opening monologue, of course, addressing the controversy and everything that's been stirring around the oscars in terms of no nominees being people of color. let's see how he started the show. >> i'm here at the academy awards. otherwise known as the white people's choice awards. you realize if they nominated hosts, i wouldn't even get this job. y'all be watching inging neil patrick harris right now. is hollywood racist? you're damn right, hollywood is

you've grown accustom to it. hollywood is sorority racist. we like you, rhonda, but you're not a kappa. we want opportunity. we want the black actors to get the same opportunities -- [ applause ] >> >> we didn't put the rihanna joke in there, which was my favorite of the night. >> it was a good one. >> not good for morning tv. what'd you think of how chris rock did, tamron? >> i was flying back in from a shoot so i missed it. nothing is worse than a big event happening on tv and you were able to follow on twitter but you can't see it. the reaction was incredible. obviously, instantaneously. what'd you guys think? >> it was interesting because in the room, it seemed like it was going over fairly well. then we were talking to people on the red carpet and they were kind of mixed. i think as the evening went on -- >> people warmed up to it.

a little like, we needed that, maybe it was a little bit hard. like some of the jokes. he made a joke about lynching. some people were like -- >> it was tough. >> but at the same time, after the fact, everybody was like, you know, it was like a cleansing in a way. that needed to be said. he did. he came out and did what he needed to do. he looked so relieved on the white carpet, at the after party. >> the "vanity fair" party, we didn't think he'd stop. >> he was like, al roker. i need to go to al. >> it's what he said. >> what pressure were you feeling in the moment? >> the pressure to be funny. you know what i mean? >> yeah. >> regardless of the whatever, still got to be funny. >> you got a chance to breathe now. feel relief? >> yeah. hanging out with my mother, you know. >> hello, mrs. rock. nice to meet you. >> good to see you.

>> will you blow off some steam? >> have a good one. >> all right. >> al getting in with the ladies. >> jennifer lawrence ran right to al. >> loved al, yeah. >> she loved al. >> she's been very nice to us. the one thing i think everybody was stunned at was sylvester stallone not winning supporting actor. >> though "bridge of spies" and mark rylance deserved an award. >> not taking away anything from him. >> a career of amazing performances. >> the sentiment was there for stallone. >> there were surprises. willie, as you said, i was so happy that "spotlight" won because, you know, it dealt with such an important issue. the sex abuse in the catholic church. such a great moment in journalism. we were all happy to see that. but i think a lot of people were surprised. you all had picked "revenant."

it's my way of saying we picked right, willie. >> there you go. i'll tell you what else, none of the big acting awards but there was a 45 minute stretch where "mad max's" name was called a lot. if you haven't seen the movie, it's a piece of art. one other shoutout, adam mckay who won for "the big short." teams up with will ferrell. steps into the more serious stuff and wins an oscar last night. great story for adam. >> very cool. we also talked about the fashions a little bit. we gave our list of the things we liked. outfits we liked. >> yeah. >> here's my list. >> what do you got? >> margot robbie. wonderful thing. christy tity tity -- chrissy teigen.

bring it, mama. cate blanchett, my mother called me about this when i landed. armani armani, doesn't just better than that. naomi watts is the only person on the planet that could full off this dress. tailored to perfection. you drip into it. so beautiful. those were my favorites. willie, i knew you'd pick -- i saw this dress when i landed and i said, this is willie geist's dress. >> alicia vikander, congratulations to her, won for best supporting actress. she was wearing louie vuitton, according to tamron. i know she looked good in it. she stopped and talked to you and me at the golden globes for ten minutes. not only beautiful but smart and charming. still wide eyed about being in hollywood and excited to be at the award shows. >> kind of went official with the relationship with michael fassbender. the kiss on camera. we knew they were together, but they showed the world their

natalie, who was on your list? >> i was going to say alicia, people comparing her to belle from "beauty and the beast" in the gorgeous yellow dress. >> she looked better than belle. >> when she had that oscar in her hand, too. i love the simplicity of saoirse ronan. love the color. and brie larson who won the oscar last night and won so many hearts in this award season, she is adorable. that blue was stunning on her. she really stood out in this beautiful sort of ruffles. al had another one that i loved. >> you know, there were two olivias. >> they both were hot. >> very hot. olivia munn was in stella

>> munn. >> it was gorgeous. one of the brightest colors on the carpet and looked fantastic. >> i love the off the shoulder. then olivia wilde had the risque -- >> yeah, and jason sudeikis said he helped fold it. it was origami. >> there was careful folds around these areas. >> yes, there were. you can tell we haven't slept. >> we like it this way. >> more fun this way. so al, you mentioned sylvester. i was heartbroken. i was shocked. nevertheless nevertheless, you got a selfie with him? >> that's right. he was being interviewed. we interview him a moment earlier, and i thought, i didn't take a selfie. i did that. then we interviewed elton john and his husband. that was fun. >> that's actually -- sir elton doesn't own a cell phone he

doesn't do selfies. we're like, well, we have to get a selfie. >> that's right. >> at the after party at "vanity fair," ryan seacrest was hanging out and we took a picture with him, as well. >> on the other side of the partition, guys, it was chris rock and leo chatting, which was cool. >> did you hear anything? what were they talking about? >> i think they were high-fiving each other. >> they were at a distance from them. >> we were doing what everybody else does. take out their camera and pretending to take a picture of themselves but really taking a picture of leo and chris rock. >> i love that elton john doesn't have a phone. gangster move. i don't need a phone. you know where to find me. >> he gets people around him with a phone so why does he need one? >> he actually has a telegraph. >> carrier pigeons, actually. >> i like that. let's take a look and show you what we have as far as our

my golly, weather may affect super tuesday. severe weather today from wichita falls to wichita. tulsa, oklahoma city in the risk of severe weather. strong wind gusts through tonight. ping-pong to golf ball sized hail. tomorrow, the area expands out. look at the states that are under slight risk of severe weather. 22 million people at risk. damaging wind gusts, isolated tornadoes. but the super tuesday states of arkansas, tennessee, alabama, georgia and virginia, all part of this. it may be an effect on voting for tomorrow's primary. that's what's going on around the country.today...mostly sunny. highs in the upper 60s. west winds 5 to 10 mph. tuesday...partly sunny. highs in the upper 60s. south winds 5 to 10 mph. wednesday...part ly sunny. a chance of showers in the morning. highs in the upper 50s. thursday...mostl sunny in erning...thenrtly sunnyth a ance of rain orsn thetno.ighs the mi50s. ida..partly nny with a 50 rcent chanceof showers. highs ie lower 50s.turday...mostl y sunny. highs in the mid 50s.

ound 60. >> that's your latest weather. willie? >> al, thanks. coming up, more of chris rock and the controversy at the oscars. how he addressed it in his monologue and throughout the show. plus, the big moments you missed if you couldn't stay up only kraft natural cheese has a touch of philadelphia cream cheese, so whatever you make, is creamier than ever.

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when you think about success, what does it look like? is it becoming a better professor by being a more adventurous student? is it one day giving your daughter the opportunity she deserves? is it finally witnessing all the artistic wonders of the natural world? whatever your definition of success is, helping you pursue it, is ours. t-i-a-a. everybody get golden hollywood's biggest night as everybody talking. after chris rock took on the issues of the oscars lack of racial diversity. >> here with the biggest moments everybody is talking about. if you were to describe one word overall, what were the oscars for you? >> a little odd.

entertaining. chris rock did a great job of tackling oscars so white and making everyone feel comfortable. but beyond that, after that, once we got to the stretch of the actual show, it felt repetitive, long, as the oscars always feel, but also odd. there weren't very many stars accepting awards. >> it was interesting. given that the oscars were longer than -- >> crazy. >> some of the sketches that chris did, tackling the lack of diversity. here's onewhoopi goldberg and jennifer lawrence together. >> maybe they'll make a movie about a skinny white lady, but the black girl has to cure cancer before they get a tv movie. >> oh, my god. >> i'm not mad.

>> hello? >> i'm the danish girl. these danishes is good, girl. nailed it. >> i love that. i thought it was so great. >> so funny. i think it was smart because it was the idea of inserting himself into the movies. chris rock, who was probably one of the oscar hosts we've had in the last ten years, up there with ellen degeneres, was smart to have whoopi join him, oi ahalong with tracy morgan. >> let's talk about the girl scouts, who scored big last night. >> they did. >> take a look. >> i want you to buy my daughter's girl scout cookies. look at my babies up there. are you going to deny them some cookies? all right, tina fey!

make that money. tina fey. charlize theron, yes! you get him. leo, you made $30 million. come on! >> of course, they're probably all starving so like yes, give me five boxes. >> we're not allowed to eat inside. you are actually starving. i thought it was a fun bit. we kind of saw it two years ago when ellen did it a little better with the pizza. >> the stacey dash thing, what was up with that? >> the oddest thing of the night. people weren't laughing. i think it was too much of an inside joke. they were making fun of the fact that stacey dash had gone on fox news to say -- are we watching this? >> we were just listening to a little bit of it. >> we've gone on to -- they were making fun of the fact that stacey dash went on fox news saying we don't need black history month. most viewers didn't know that so it wasn't funny. >> most people in the audience

>> a lot of people didn't know who she was. >> actress and commentator but hasn't been acting a while. >> why did she do it? >> good question. >> leonardo dicaprio, you know, finally. >> acceptance speech, too. we'll have a look at that. >> i thank you all for this amazing award tonight. let us not take this planet for granted. i do not take tonight for granted. thank you so very much. [ applause ] >> so many nominations and finally getting his due. >> fifth nomination in acting. i think people were very excited about this. it was also a big moment because the other acting nominees -- or winners, mark rylance, brie larson and alicia vikander are smaller actors and have been in smaller performances. this was a big movie star, finally taking the oscar stage. i think people wanted leo to win. it was the most tweeted moment

more than 400,000 tweets a minute for leonardo dicaprio. >> wins there, too. >> sylvester stallone, were you shocked at that? >> i think the academy dropped the ball with their snubs. stallone, 40 years after being nominated for playing rocky in the original "rocky." this would be a huge comeback for him. would have been a beautiful speech. what were they thinking? >> when else does he have a chance to get an award now? hopefully there will be another role for him but -- >> this was his moment. i think a lot of viewers were looking forward to honoring sylvester stallone and excited about that. it was right in the middle of the ceremony. >> i was angry about it. lady gaga, you saw the song. >> that performance was unbelievable. >> biden introducing the song. the sex assault survivals svivors coming on stage and paying tribute to lady gaga. how does that lose to the "james bond" anthem, which wasn't a really good song, to be honest with you? >> yeah, it's unbelievable moment there.

coming up, the celebrities like you've never seen them before, letting loose on the red carpet and at the after parties. al and i hit the town. we'll bring you along after from the dairy farmers of fairlife, this is our promise. we start with delicious, creamy, real milk that's then ultra filtered so fairlife has more protein and and only half the sugar. and never any artificial growth hormones. at fairlife, we believe in better. fortifying the gravity-defying... adventure-collecting...

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nice pass. safety first. like all blood thinners, don't stop taking xarelto without talking to your doctor, as this may increase your risk of a blood clot or stroke. while taking, you may bruise more easily and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. xarelto may increase your risk of bleeding if you take certain medicines. xarelto can cause serious, and in rare cases, fatal bleeding. get help right away for unexpected bleeding, unusual bruising, or tingling. if you have had spinal anesthesia while on xarelto , watch for back pain or any nerve or muscle related signs or symptoms. do not take xarelto if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. tell your doctor before all planned medical or dental procedures. before starting xarelto , tell your doctor about any kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. you know xarelto is the #1 prescribed blood thinner in its class. that's a big win. it is for me. with xarelto there is no regular blood monitoring and no known dietary restrictions. treatment with xarelto ... ...was the right move for us.

coming up, natalie and i painted the town red at some of hollywood's after parties. >> we have your all-access pass to the action. willie, what's coming up from new york? >> we have hollywood glamour in new york city. hanging out the ben mckenzie, star of "gotham." we'll talk about the joy of a real-life baby on the way. we'll show you the perfect piecrust.

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i'm ben thompson. new this morning. extra police are on patrol at a union county school, after someone posted a threat on a bathroom wall. sheriff's officials say the threat at "sun valley high school" in monroe had today's date for a school shooting. investigators say the threat was looked into, but it was found not credible -- however, again - extra police will be on patrol around the campus. this morning, kids at "metro school" in uptown charlotte are back in class. the school reopens today after a norovirus outbreak shut it down on friday. 70 students and staff showed symptoms of the virus last week. crews have been hard at work, cleaning and sanitzing the entire building. nothing but blue skies this morning... larry has a check of the first warn forecast. coming up... a weekend

neighbors worried about crime. and larry will have another check of the forecast in 30 minutes. the time is 9:56.

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headlines for another stormy incident. the ship was damaged a day after it set sail on february 6th when it encountered 30 foot waves and hurricane-force winds. if you feel packed in like a sardine when you get on a plane, help may be on the way. new york senator chuck schumer wants to require the faa to institute minimum seat size rules for airlines. he says leg room on planes used to be 35 inches. but it has shrunk to an average of 31. schumer says seats are getting narrower, too. the faa says the agency will review the proposal. big changes coming to disney theme parks when it comes to ticket prices. seasonal prices for one of day tickets. visitors will now pay more on peak days between $119 and $124. disney has grappled with how no manage crowds during holidays and spring breaks. it's had to stop selling tickets

new data reveals breast augmentation was the most popular cosmetic procedure of 2015. liposuction was second. followed by nose reshaping, eyelid surgery and tummy tucks. the fastest growing plastic surgery last year was buttock implants. for the first time in over 15 years, facelifts slipped out of the top five performed surgeries. investor warren buffet shared his thoughts on the presidential campaign to the fight between apple and the fbi. buffet believes apple should help the fbi unlock cell phone information in the case of a targeted terrorist threat. he also said he is amazed by what's happened to the republican party in this year's presidential campaign. and he said democrat bernie sanders has a tendency to, quote, demonize institutions. well, it's been three weekends and counting.

at the box office. ryan reynolds flick brought in another $31.5 million. "gods of egypt" was second and "kung fu panda 3" was third. here's al roker with your weather. we start with wet weather in new england. snow yi through the through the plains. the mid part of the week, wet weather exiting the east coast. it was hanging on a little bit cht cht sunshine through the gulf coast and wet weather in the northwest. sunshine returns to the northeast. mid-atlantic states looking at a little wet, icy mix. look how far for the early part of the week. the colder air in the plains. midweek period, we see the below normal temperatures moving to the east. much above normal, the western two thirds of the country. latter part of the week, stays

everybody in the west, looking pretty good. that's what's going on around the today...mostly sunny. highs in the upper 60s. west winds 5 to 10 mph. tuesday...partly sunny. highs in the upper 60s. south winds 5 to 10 mph. wednesday...part ly sunny. a chance of showers in the morning. highs in the upper 50s. thursday...mostl sunny in erning...thenrtly sunnyth a ance of rain orsn thetno.ighs the mi50s. ida..partly nny with a 50 rcent chanceof showers. highs ie lower 50s.turday...mostl y sunny. highs in the mid 50s. ny.mostly nny. highs ound 60. >> that's your latest weather. we've been here hanging out, having a blast, mingling with entertainment's a-list. >> the red carpet to the rocking parties, we got up close and personal with your favorite stars. >> here's our spot.

this is all we get. this is the red carpet. this is where the stars will walk. if they don't want to be bothered by people like me, they have this. it's basically an express lane. the easy pass into the oscars, avoiding annoying people. >> this is a midnight satin. >> please don't touch. >> i'm sorry. >> presenting, is there something you're going to pull out that's -- >> i beg your pardon? >> i don't mean in that sense. >> well, at my age, it's not worth pulling out anymore. >> i've never done this for the oscars before. my people! my people! >> who are you looking forward to seeing most? >> i think i already met everyone. >> this is old hat for you? >> yeah. >> what does it mean tonight? >> i'll tell you what it means,

comedians doing what we do best. addressing the elephant in the room, making people uncomfortable and making them laugh. that was great. >> less than 20 minutes to go to the start of the broadcast. it's going to be really hard getting stars to come from the express lane to our lane. i'm going to do my best. it's what i do. hey, tina! tina, please, i'm begging. gaga! >> love you. got to go. >> i know. thank you. gaga says she loves me. not enough to stop, but she loves me. >> i guess everybody is inside. i guess it's done. that's it from the red carpet. >> hot date, ready to party? >> let's do it. >> the elton john oscar viewing party. >> rocking it. >> i would love to dance with you.

make our own music. >> this is how they used to dance, when there were manners. >> awe. charming, al. >> i know. "vanity fair." >> tonight, going in, what's your party plan? >> find a hamburger. >> it's like it's done now. the award season, the whole thing is -- you can take a breath. >> my career, yeah, yeah. i get it. >> the one and only. >> i have al roker. can't walk by him. >> oh, my gosh, wow. >> i see him but, yeah, i haed edhad a good time. >> felt good? >> you never know, you know what i mean? you feel like it went great and you'll read tomorrow, oh, i didn't know i was horrible. done. >> that's a drop the mic moment, al. we're going to go party.

>> all night long. >> i love doing it. it's so much fun. >> it's fun. >> good time. >> by the way, sasha baron cohen stuck in a costume in his wife's handbag and broke it out during the ceremony. >> you asked if he was going to break anything out and he did. >> pulled a rabbit out of his hat, too. >> that's right. >> we like you shouting at the celebrities as they pass by. lady gaga! >> we got blown off so much last night. we were going for a new record. >> they love us. al, i didn't know, so he snuck in the costume? i didn't know that. it's interesting. >> the little things you find out. >> yes. >> right here on "today's take." >> always someone with himthing with him. love him. ben mckenzie is here with us in new york, revealing some secrets of

what about my family? my li'l buddy? and what if this happened again? i was given warfarin in the hospital but i wondered if this was the right treatment for me. then my doctor told me about eliquis. eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots and reduces the risk of them happening again. not only does eliquis treat dvt and pe blood clots, but eliquis also had significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. knowing eliquis had both... turned around my thinking. don't stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. if you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily... and it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures.

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we're excited to have ben mckenzie with us this morning. he burst on the scene a decade ago as the troubled teen on "the o.c." >> he left the teenage angst behind him. >> a while ago. >> i'm embarrassed to have read that. sorry, ben. now he's dealing with a different drama as detective jim gordon on "gotham." when he returns from the short time away, there is a new bad guy. always a bad guy around the door in town. >> something is pressing me on the case. >> what is it? >> last night, some psycho froze a cop to death. >> froze her? >> yeah. told you it was weird. come on. they're waiting for us. >> frozen? >> all right. the first half of the season is rise of the villains. >> yeah. >> second half, wrath of the villains. >> yeah.

>> lots of bad things. mr. freeze is on the scene, as you see. we timed this so perfectly to air right at the end of february, when it was going to be freezing cold in new york. now it's 60 degrees outside. >> how do you get around that? mr. freeze is mr. spring. >> that's right. his technology doesn't work yet, trying to perfect it. people get frozen and then they melt. >> working out the kinks. >> we have villains galore. mr. freeze, hugo strange who is experimenting on people underneath. bad guys come in and worse people come out. including mrs. pinkett smith, who will be back at the end of the season. >> which is great. >> yeah. it's fun. >> why do you call her mrs. pinkett smith? >> i don't want to get hit. >> respect.

>> so many of us grew up on the batman show and we had an image in our minds of commissioner gordon. >> now you're the young >> right. >> how much of batman's history character. >> i actually sat down with jeff johns who runs d.c. comics, just asking for help. what do i need to read? what do i need to know? he really freed me up and said, we've never seen commissioner gordon as a detective. we've never seen this part of his life. what you really need to understand is he's a warrior. he's a policeman. he's a lawman. but you should feel free to interpret this on your own. that's what i've done. i mean, he's a great character because the world that he lives in is lawless, completely amoral, really. but we're watching himescend

where he realizes he has to do whatever it takes to get things done and to get the bad guys. it's a great journey. >> it's a great show. we've talked about the fandom. we're plans and we love you. congratulations on the baby news. >> thanks. thank you. >> you and your co-star. >> any minute. >> really? >> pretty much, yeah. >> do you have an alert button or something? what happens? does the bat thing come in the sky? the baby is here? >> i thought you meant a google alert. he'd learn about the baby. >> never know these days. >> it's like a pink bottle or blue bottle that lets us know. how does it feel? >> great. little terrifying but exciting. every day i leave the house and go to work and i just say, no baby today. no baby today. wait for the weekend. let's get to the weekend. >> plan it on the weekend? >> that's the plan so i can actually, you know, be there for 24 to 48 hours. >> she might do that for you, the little girl. might look out for your shooting schedule. >> can try.

>> congratulations. "gotham" returns tonight on fox. up next, think baking a pie is intimidating? yes, i do. wait until we see what we're being told is an easy recipe. caramel apple pie. i've already tried it. the question is, can we make it? we're going to find out to the couple wondering what a good deal looks like... no. seriously? we'll give it a 6 for composition. scary. wow, what about just putting a fair, no haggle price on the window? not zany enough? sometimes the best deals are pretty plain to see. all new dirt snuggler! the dirt snuggler gently removes dirt while polishing the floor at the same time. why would you want to treat dirt "gently"? this isn't cleaning and polishing is it?

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new theraflu expressmax. the power to feel better. back to baking basics with apple pie. the author of "let's eat cake" is here. >> she'll show us one of her favorite pies and perfect dough that will become your go-to recipe for any pie. good to see you. >> good morning. >> this is life changing. you know how many times i wanted to go to a party and say, i made this pie? >> you can do it. >> you'll show us. >> you are going to do it. >> i believe you. >> cold, cold, cold butter. you don't want it to melt because you want to be able to see the butter once you're done. >> all right. >> i do it in a -- i am going to do it -- >> it's all right. >> we can pretend. i pulse my dry ingredients together, which are flour, salt, sugar.

pulsing and letting it go? >> at this point, not much, really. >> guoyou get the cloud of flour and you're like, oh. cold, cold, cold butter. >> from the freezer cold? >> from the freezer cold. you don't want it the melt. the reason is, people have real trouble with pie crust because it gets tough. >> okay. >> this is what you end up with. >> people look at it and go, it doesn't look like dough yet. if it holds together when you pinch it, it's good. here's the trick, you can just pull it together here. it's holding together fine. too much water makes it tough. >> how do you know if you put too much water in? >> then add a little more flour. you want to see the pieces of butter. you want to roll it out, the bottom crust, into an 11-inch round. divide the dough in two. perfect for a double-trusted pie. >> which is my favorite.

use it? >> thaw it before you roll it or it'll be too hard. i blind bake the bottom crust so it's not soggy. i don't like soggy bottoms. >> i don't either. >> take a like size pyrex and turn the pie over so make it upside down. people have the pie that shrinks. upside down, gravity will make sure the dough doesn't sink and it'll be ferperfect. i cook the apples before i put them in the pie crust. the reason, it creates a caramel. also, you don't get the gap between the crust and the apples. it's perfect. >> all right. >> also caramely, which i like. >> we have 15 seconds left. the recipe is on today.com/food. >> can you point out how you do the top? >> instead of doing -- i just put them on top of the pie. pretend this is a pie.

this is "today" on nbc.

but that's how some presidential candidates seem to be dealing with social security. americans work hard, and pay into it. so our next president needs a real plan to keep it strong. (elephant noise) (donkey noise)

look how beautiful that pie is. quick? >> i cut out little hearts. since the bottom is baked you can't crimp the edges. i like it to look pretty. i do beautiful hearts. i just gather them and put them

>>i'm ben thompson. i'm carolyn bruck. right now, cmpd is looking for the driver who hit and killed a pedestrian in east charlotte. police say a person was walking along central avenue near sharon amity road around 2:30 this morning, when a van hit them, then drove off. investigators later found that vehicle at the teal point apartments - not far from the crash scene - but they are still looking for the victim's name released. this morning behind bars -- accused of firing shots that hit an uptown hotel and two vehicles. police say derek bolton, kevin thompson and howard wright fired at least 50 shots that hit a van, an suv, and damaged the hyatt hotel, sunday morning. authorities say they found an assault rifle on one of the suspects. two people were inside the suv that was riddled with bullets... no one was hurt. its a beautiful day outside... larry has your first warn forecast.

the brakes on a bill that would allow school staff to carry guns on campus. the bill's sponsor says it would protect schools that don't have certified police officers -- but, some law enforcement officials were concerns the staffers wouldn't have enough training. so, a south carolina state house committee voted to set the bill aside for now. up next on the today show. kathie lee and hoda surprise their fan of the week. then we're back with more of today's top

this is "today." with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza.

camera. hello, everybody. beginning avenue week. fundaymond. february 29th. happy leap day. >> leap day it's big for people who have a birthday today. they haven't been able to celebrate for four years. >> this is called "rock bottom." we got a big show today and a big surprise to tell you about in a minute. tim sacks is here with today's buzz and jennifer gardner has broken her silence about ending her marriage to ben. >> the fashion you didn't see last night. bobbie thomas is here and i love when she does this with her red carpet redos. >> always has great ideas. >> if you know somebody who has been sick with the flu and people have been dropping like flies, we'll tell you why it seems to be so bad this year plus what to worry about.