prisoner of the taliban. the pentagon condemns a hostage video showing a 23-year-old american soldier captured in afghanistan. >> i am scared. scared i won't be able to go home. >> as family and friends in idaho pray for his safe return. utter chaos. bystanders race in to save a mother and her two young children trapped inside their burning suv. this morning, an exclusive interview with two men who came tohe rescue.

"idol" threat. paula abdul's manager says she may not return for the next season of "american idol." we'll tell you why "today," season of "american idol." we'll tell you why "today," monday, july 20th, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television welcomeo "today" on this monday morning. i'm meredith vieira. >> i'm lester holt in for matt lauer this morning. family of private 1st class bowe bergdahl obviously pained by seeing that video of him talking about being scared but they know he's alive, they are praying for his safe return. >> the 23-year-old disappeared from a base in eastern afghanistan on june 30th, but over the weekend concerns of bergdahl's safety intensified with the rease of this 28-minute video made by his taliban captors. we'll have the very latest on his oral. we'll speak with private bergdahl's former boss just ahead. also ahead, a woman had

survived her own terrifying hostage ordeal. nancy tyler was kidnapped by her ex-husband and held at gunpoint in the connecticut home they used to share for 12 hours. she managed to escape shortly before her ex burned that house to the ground and she's with us this morning for her first live television interview since that agonizing day. >> she just told me she did not think she would get out of that house alive. she's a lucky lady. on aighter note, rather intimate items of marilyn monroe's put up for auction. they include a bra that the iconic actress used to enhance her famous figure. we'll tell you all about that just a little later. we'll begin with the video of a u.s. soldier being held hostage by the taliban. nbc's george lewis is in hayley, idaho, the hometown of bowe bergdahl. >> we're in front of zany's river street coffee house where bergdahl worked before joining the army. his family and friends prayed

over his safety, deeply worried about him after seeing the video. on the tape, clearly under duress, private bergdahl talked about his family here in idaho. >> i miss them every day. when i'm gone, i miss them and i'm afraid that i might never see them again and that i'll never be able to tell them that i love them again. >> reporter: in his hometown of hailey, bergdahl's family remains in seclusion. family members issued a written statement -- "we hope and pray for our son's safe return to his comrades, and then to our family, and we appreciate all the support shown to us by our family members, our friends and others across the nation." family friend tim baker added this -- >> bowe, if you see this, know that we love you and we are praying fervently for you and prayers are going up for you from all over the world. stand tall and stand firm. >> reporter: bergdahl

mysteriously disappeared from his base on the afghanistan-pakistan border june 30th. this video marks the first time he's been seen since them. >> we condemn the use of this video an public humiliation of prisoners. it is against international law. >> reporter: in the tape, werg dahl's captors show close ups of his dog tags to verify his identity. and repeatedly prompt him about what to say. >> i am scared. i'm scared i won't be able to go home. it is very unnerving to be a prisoner. >> reporter: and very unnerving for his friends and family to watch this. interestingly, many people here in town knew about bergdahl's disappearance almost three weeks ago, but at the request of the family, kept quiet about it until his identity was revealed in the video. lester? >> george lewis this morning, thanks. as you mentioned, private bergdahl worked as a barista at

zany's river street coffee house in hailey, idaho before enlisting in the army in 2008. sue martin is that coffee house's owner. thanks for being with us. >> good morning. >> i know you've seen private bergdahl's family. talk to me about how they're doing and what kind of sport they are getting right now. >> i spoke with bob bergdahl, who's bowe's father, and he expressed his gratitude that the press is respecting their privacy and they need to just remain private and they'll issue their statements, and they have asked us to speak with the media here and to allow zany's to be available for the community and nationwide really to show their support. we've had a lot of calls from all over the nation. >> and i know you probably know

him as bowe when he worked for you in the coffee house. talk to me about what kind of guy he is. >> bowe's a very intelligent, capable young man. he's got a wonderful sense of humor that we all enjoy. he's always going beyond what you ask him to do and do more. i wish we still had him here, obviously. >> it's difficult for all of us, even those of you who don't know him, to watch him in that tape, obviously speaking under duress. you know him, so tell me what you observe spefically as you watch that tape. >> i saw very little of the tape actually. and i saw bowe struggling, as anybody would well imagine you would be, as all of us are. >> tell me how the word circulated about his capture. was it rumor at first?

how did you find out? >> it is a very tight community here, and we knew approximately where bowe was. his father had brought e-mails in and some of our previous employees had been e-mailing with bowe as well. we were concerned it could perhaps be bowe. people who were connected with him on a personal level didn't get a response. it's pretty simple to put two and two together, but we kept it very quiet out of respect for the family and concern for bowe's safety. >> sue martin, we appreciate you spending some time with us this morning. thank you so much. >> thank you. it is now 7:07. once again, here's meredith. now to washington where president obama's full-court press to pass sweeping health care reform is meeting stiff resistance from both sides of the aisle. nbc's white house correspondent savannah guthrie has the very latest on that. good morning to you, savannah. >> reporter: good morning, meredith.

some say this is the first true test of the president's ability to persuade. he wants congress to pass a first version of health care by august, but some republicans, and even some democrats, aren't su they can deliver. back from a family weekend at camp david, the president focus returns again to health care reform. a patient in serious condition after a pair of congressional office budget reports that the plan would add to the deficit and may increase health care costs. health and human services secretary kathleen sebelius on "meet the press." >> this is a work in progress. i think house leaders and senate leaders share the president's goal costs will come down. >> is it a wake-up call to the president? >> i think we know now that more has to be done. >> reporter: the administration is sticking to its call for both houses to pass the bill before their august recess, a deadline white house budget director peter orszag insisted can be met. >> we are working towards that. we have to remember, some are

advocating delay simply because they don't have anything to put on the table. >> reporter: but republicans, and even some democrats, say it's a rushed effort and it shows. >> this is a bill that shouldn't pass at any point, either before the august recess or later in the year. what we need to come up with is a truly bipartisan proposal. >> reporter: the president weighed in this weend inis weekly address. >> i will not sign on to any health plan that adds to our deficits over the next decade. >> reporter: part of an intensifying public campaign. >> don't bet against us. >> reporter: the president was out every day last week, pushing reform, at times sounding like the old candidate. >> and i will not defend the status quo! we are going to change health care reform! >> reporter: and this week an assist from senator sed kennete kennedy -- "this is the cause of my life. this issue has more meaning for me than ever before." >> reporter: continuing the public sales pitch, the

president's scheduled a prime time news conference for wednesday night and on thursday will travel to cleefd. part of the white house strategy to take this debate out of washington and take it around the country. >> savannah guthrie, thank you. i will be sitting down with president obama today at the white house to talk about health care and other key issues. i hope he knows that i'm coming. you'll see that tomorrow on "today." >> he's probably watching like, what? that's what the 1:00 was. okay. let's get a check of the other top stories of the morning. ann curry's at the news desk. good morning, everybody. we begin with the dramatic guilty plea in last year's mumbai terror attack today in india, the lone surviving gunman in the attacks admitted his role in the deadly rampage that killed 166 people. after months of denials, there were gasps in the courtroom when pakistani citizen told the judge, "sir, i plead guilty to my crime." a british fighter jet crashed this morning at a

military base in southern afghanistan. the two-crew members ejected safely on sunday. a helicopter crash at the same base killed 16 civilians. investigators looking into a weekend train crash in san francisco are trying to find out why the operator turned off the automatic controls moments before the accident. at least 48 people were injured when that train struck another. crew members of the apollo 1 11 meet with the president day 40 years after the first walk on the moon. the astronauts had a rare joint appearance at the smithsonian's national air and space museum. they say the next giant leap for mankind should be mars. there is a deal this morning that could keep a big lending firm out of bankruptcy. cnbc's melissa lee's at the new york stock exchange with more on this. hey, melissa, good morning. >> good morning. cit has reached a deal with its major bond holders for a $3 million rescue loan which will allow cit to restructure debt

and avoid bankruptcy. this is good news for small to mid-size businesses who would have had to scramble to find financing. >> melissa lee this morning, thanks. famed author frank mccourt died sunday after battling meningitis and melanoma. he's most remembered for writing "angela's ashes," a best-selling memoir about his impoverished childhood, a book that won him a pulitzer prize. frank mccourt was 78 years old. a private funeral service is being planned for thursday in new york for former cbs anchorman walter cronkite who died friday at the age of 92. a public memorial for the broadcasting giant is expected in the next few weeks. journalistic integrity was his greatestlecy. back to meredith, lester and al. >> there will never be another anchorman like him, ever. so respected by the public and

aide m admired by those who loved him. >> i moderated a q&a with him two years ago at a university out west. i remember the question came up about "that's the way it is," he said, well, we reached the end of the newscast and that' what came out and we stuck with it. >> it worked! >> he will be missed. >> frank mccourt as well. congrats in order for you, sir. "wake up with al" premiered on the weather channel. >> i think they'll let us do it again tomorrow. >> congratulations. >> thank you very much. stephanie abrams, my co-host. let's show you what's going on as far as your weather today is concerned. you'll see that basically the jet stream, band of air, has a big ridge of high pressure out west. we've got a trough in the east that's bringing rain along the eastern seaboard, sizzling conditions out west. temperatures will be sizzling. we are looking at temperatures in the 80s and 90s out there. good morning. this monday morning starting off

cloudy and on radar we do have light rain now falling just near fredericksburg in spotsylvania county. should be moving into the western suburbs of washington, perhaps in a couple hours. temperatures around the region in the 60s to near 70 degrees. d we'll see it only climb in the low 80s. quite a bit of cloudiness. there's a small chance of a passing shower or maybe an afternoon thundershower. then tomorrow greater chance. less of a chance wednesday. greater on thursday. >> and that's your latest weather. lester? >> al, thanks. now theew television tied to the investigation into michael jackson's death and how prosecutors may handle it. this as we learn of more uncertainty for jackson's three children. nbc's jeff rossen is in los angeles. jeff, good morning. >> hi, lester, good morning to you. today was supposed to be the day, the custody hearing, finally an official decision about who exactly gets michael jackson's kids. but there will be no hearing today. the judge put it off again and

this morning we have new information about what's really going on behind the scenes. the jackson kids enter another week in limbo. paris, prince and blanket remain in the care of michael's mother, katherine. sources familiar with the custody case tell nbc news katherine jackson has realized that 79 years old, she can't raise the children alone and wants more time to sort it out. now two o michael's sisters are emerging as possible contenders for custody. janet and rebbie. rebbie the older sister was spotted with the kids in public just last week taking them to a jehovah's witness church. janet's reportedly been with them every day. >> the court would be very interested i think in having a younger person parent these children, provided that person is a relative and has a close loving and continuous relationship with the kids. >> reporter: but you can't forget debbie rowe. sources involved in the custody case tell nbc news both rowe and katherine jackson are

negotiating a possible deal and those sources tell us joe jackson is a sticking point. rowe doesn't want him raising the kids, not after michael said this during a documentary. >> he'd lose his temper. i just remember hearing my mother scream, "joe, you're going to kill him! you're going to kill him! stop it, you're going to kill him!" >> reporter: now "people" magazine reports joe jackson is willing to step aside so katherine can get the kids. but jackson's will has been accepted from 2002 but now a report that there may be a more recent will. "unmasked the final years of michael jackson" -- >> in 2007, my sources say michael jacksowrote another will which would put the 2002 will in jeopardy. the only problem it, it has to be determined whether or not this will is authentic. >> reporter: in it, he says katherine jackson gets nothing. he claims michael wasn't as

close to his mother in his final years. we asked halprin where's the document. he doesn't know. then there's the drug investigation. law enforcement sources tell nbc news murder charges are unlikely even if the autopsy shows jackson died from drugs, sources familiar with the criminal case say prosecutors have a new plan -- they'll take the case right to the grand jury to see what, if any, charges stick. tmz reports dr. conrad murray, the cardiologist who was with jackson when he died, just canceled an interview with police. he remains in virtual hiding but his lawyer denies dr. murray did anything wrong. as one jackson follower put it, this case is followinghe same course as michael jackson's life -- confusing and chaotic. in fact, sources familiar with the family now tell us that jacksons are still choosing a legal team and are currently interviewing lawyers, lester, in some cases at local l.a.

restaurants. >> thank you. is paula abdul about to walk away from "american idol"? her manager is fueling speculation that his client won't be back next season. "today" national correspondent amy robach has the latest. good morning. >> good morning. paula abdul has been with "american idol" from the very beginning but with recent reports of a big payday for host ryan seacrest and another on the way for fellow judge simon cowell, abdul's manager says she's hurt, she's angry and may not return for season nine. from the unusual -- to the emotional. >> you've moved me from the beginning. >> reporter: -- to the confrontational. >> basically what she's saying is you'd make a good rat. >> i didn't say that! no, i didn't. >> reporter: paula abdul has been a fixture on "american idol" for the past eight seasons but her new manager tells the "los angeles times" it appears paula will not be back on "american idol" next season, saying, "she's not a happy camper as a result of what's

going on. she's hurt, she's angry." >> this is "american idol." >> reporter: so what is going on? show host ryan seacrest has reportedly signed a three-year, $45 million deal making him tv's highest paid reality host. there is also talk of a major contract in the works for judge simon cowell. >> the timing of paula's "i might not be coming back" headlis is so sufficient because we just heard about ryan seacrest striking a three-year deal that nets him essentially $15 million per year. if paula abdul didn't try to put something on the bargaining table we'd all think she was crazy. >> reporter: abdul took to her twitter page over the weekend to thank her fans, saying i'm actually moved 2 tears upon reading the enormous amount of tweets showing me your kindness, love and undying support. god bless all of you. if it weren't for you in this specific time and situation, it would feel a whole lot worse." >> kara, were you happy with

last week in general. >> no, some contestants were better than others. >> reporter: last season they added a fourth judge whose own future on the show remains in question. experts say further changes to the show could jeopardize its future success. >> the ratings have been slipping. they don't want to see their rating gold, paula abdul, slip out the door as well. >> we reached out to paula abdul's representatives but did not hear back. the fox network declined to comment. but meredith, time is ticking. auditions for season nine begin next month but the show's set to return in january. >> amy robach, thank you very much. >> think she's putting a little pressure on the producers? >> i think she should. why not? she's very much a part of the brand. she's the unpredictable one. she makes it interesting. >> funny feeling she'll be there. but a little richer. >> good for her if that's the case. still ahead, the woman held hostage by her ex-husband in the home they once shared, a home that he would burn to the ground. this morning she breaks her silence about thatwi hleroarng o

and

still ahead this morning -- i got to tell you -- this is an intense rescue caught on camera. a family's pulled from a burning suv. us>>plhy> w,id dbe memrs of amanda knox's family pose for pictures in front of the crime scene. we'll speak with amanda's mother after your local news. m

good morning. m eun yang. it's monday, july 20, 2009. in the news this morning, a murder investigation is under way after a 19-year-old man was shot to death at a party in sterling. it happened early yesterday morning outside a home in the lowes island community. police arrested two men in the case. the victim's name has not been released. tomorrow, 18 red stops around virginia will close to help shrink a budget gap. in daily city it closes for cars but open to trucks. in september the rest area on eastbound i-66 in manassas will close for cars and trucks as well.

we'll check your weather and tr fic when we come back. if we don't act, medical bills will wipe out their savings. if we don't act, she'll be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. and he won't get the chemotherapy he needs. if we don't act, health care costs will rise 70%. and he'll have to cut benefits for his employees. but we can act. the president and congress have a plan to lower your costs and stop denials for pre-existing conditions. it's time to act.

good morning. a cloudy start to this work week. temperatures in the 60s to near 70. as we look at the forecast, there's a chance of a passing shower this morning and slight chance of a thundershower this afternoon and cooler than average and more of the same tomorrow though increased chance of precipitation. wednesday, partly cldy, highs mid 80s. small chance of a passing shower or thundershower mainly in the afternoon. an increased chance on thursday. jerry, how's traffic? >> problem now in virginia, 95 northbound, triangle accident involving a motorcycle left side of the void tied up. crews on the scene.

they are holding up everybody along 95. elsewhere, doing okay at the wilson bridge, no surprises, lanes open along i-270. eun. >> thank you. tonight on "news 4 at 5:00" a new website to organize your fina

7:30 now on this monday morning, july 20th, 2009. we are happy that some of these smiles and faces got up early to be with us on the plaza. we'll go out and join them in just a bit. meanwhile, inside studio 1a i'm meredith vieira, alongside lester holt. matt is off. coming up, nancy tyler was kidnapped at gunpoint, held hostage by her ex-husband for 12 hours and once tyler managed to escape, her ex lit the house on fire. just ahead, nancy tyler will be with us for her first live interview since that awful ordeal.

we'll see you some home video of a remarkable rescue. a mother and her two young children trapped inside their burning suv. as you can see, bystanders raced to save them. we'll have more of this dramatic video and an exclusive interview with two brothers, off-duty firefighte who happened to be just around the corner, raced to the scene and came to the rescue. a reminder, later this week, a worldwide exclusive. i sat down with susan boyle, the sensation from britain's got talent and we talked about everything from her wild ride to stardom to her time in a mental clinic following the show and then what the future holds. can you see susan boyle "daring to dream" a special edition of "america's got talent." at 9:00. we'll also have a preview wednesday morning on "today." there is also an exclusive clip posted on our website, todayshow.com. everybody's reporting how she seems so unstable. the lady i met was gracious, kind, full of fun. for what it's worth, she looked

fantastic. >> is her life settling down a little bit? >> i think it is. she's cutting an album right now, she's very excited about recording an album and she just seemed to be in wonderful spirits. very, very lovely lady. i look forward to sharing that with you. but now to the connecticut woman held hostage by her ex-husband at gunpoint for 12 hours. we'll speak with nancy tyler in just a moment. but first, this will be her first live television interview since the ordeal. but first, here's nbc's peter alexander. peter, good morning to you. >> reporter: meredith, good morning to you. this is exactly where that bitter divorce nearly turned deadly. you can see all that's left here this morning is the rubble of the burned-out home. also this morning we are learning new details about warning signs that go back for years. in a 2006 application for restraining order, nancy tyler wrote that her estranged husband told her she had just one choice. stay with him or accept the consequences. nancy tyler knew she was trapped in an explosive divorce but never could have imagined it would take this dark a turn. authorities say tyler was

kidnapped at gunpoint by her estranged husband richard sheng man. tyler was allegedly held captive for 12 hours in the couple's old home earlier this month. handcuffed to a bolt in the basement wall, she finally managed to escape before shenkman lit the house on fire and surrendered to police. during the standoff, shenkman called a local reporter with "the day" newspaper. >> tell him to get the [ bleep ] out of the yard. >> reporter: he made ominous demands including asking for a priest to give tyler her last rights. >> i heard him say if you don't do this my way we're going to have a mexican standoff. it is a situation in which a lot of people are dying and nobody's going to emerge a clear winner. >> reporter: shenkman also put tyler on the line. >> i don't want either of us to be hurt. >> reporter: richard shenkman was suns a successful advertising executive who produced a tv show starring

gayle king, oprah's best friend. those who knew shenkman say he was controlling and extremely difficult to work with. in court last week, shenkman looking disoriented and disheveled entered no plea. he's now facing attempted murder and kidnapping charges at the end of a rocky 12-year marriage. >> richard was always making illusions to that movie "war of the roses" in which the couple that are divorcing both end up dead. >> reporter: shenkman already faces arson charges for allegedly burning down the couple's summer house in 2007. legal experts say shenkman's attorney has few options. >> the only place the defense has to go is that he was crazy and it was his medication that made him do it but that's not going to fly. >> reporter: more than a week later, shenkman's words are still haunting. richard shenkman is scheduled to be back in court here in connecticut this wednesday. he's being held on $12.5 million bail. >> peter alexander, thank you.

nancy tyler is with us now along with her attorney, good morning to you both. nancy, just listening to this story, what a nightmare this had to be for you. how are you doing? >> i'm doing well because i've had incredible support. i have an incredible family and friends and colleagues at work and the police have been amazing. so i've been very, very lucky. >> so our audience can understand the context here, you married this man in 1993. you filed for divorce in 2006. he fought you. >> every step of the way. >> every step of the way. were you scared for your life prior to july 7th when this all happened? >> i got a protective order in july of 2006 because of the threats. there were references to death even then. >> as if death do us part. he said that'she only way you'll get out of this marriage. >> the war of the tylers. the only way this marriage was going to end was by death. >> take me back to july 7th. you're at work. you see your ex-husband's car outside and you call a friend. >> i did.

i saw his car. i didn't know why it was there. i called a friend and was talking to her about the fact that the car was there as i was going down to my car to go to court. i came out of the elevator, talking on the phone, and he came up and grabbed me with a gun and i screamed into the phone he's got a gun, call the police. and he then took the phone away from me and forced me into my car and we drove to the old house in south windsor. >> what was he saying to you as you were driving the car there? was he threatening you, saying -- >> he said don't try to signal anybody, don't try to get help, i'm sitting behind you with a gun and i'll kill you where you sit. when we got to the house he spent most of the day telling me that one of us or both of us and a lot of police were going to die. >> he had monitors that were observing everything outside the house? >> right. he had monitors set up in all of the main rooms of the house so that he could see the front, the back, the side, everything happening outside, everything the police were doing. he had a hostage negotiator

manuallready printed out when i got there. >> he also said the house was bobby trapped. it turned out it was not but did you believe it was? >> i absolutely did. he said he had 65 pounds of explosives and propane pockets and all the doors wired and roof set up with motion detectors. i didn't have a clue where to go because everything was supposedly wired up to explode. he was going to blow the house. >> he's so erratic. were there times in that 12 hours when he was kind to you, when heas -- or was he always being abusive the whole time? >> he was angry but what i was able to do was to talk to him. i talked all day because that kept him calm. but when he got angry and enraged, that's when the gun went to my head and there were several instances where there were countdowns, if the police didn't do something with the gun to my head, he was counting down and was going to kill me if they didn't comply with his demands. it got worse as the day went on. >> then he took you down in the baseme. >> he did. he said we're going to the

basement. there's a bunker set up down there. i'm going to blow the house from there. and he said get down there or i'll throw you down the stairs and he handcuffed me to a bolt that was already set up in the wall. >> so how did you get away? >> as he was screaming at the police on the phone, i was using the handcuff to loosing the bolt. once it started loosening, i was untwisting it. this was one of the countdowns. he had the gun to my head, he was screaming for them to get the robot away from the front of the house and he was counting down from 20. then something happened. i don't know what. that diversed his attention from me and he ran out of the room. i could hear him running up the stairs. i yanked the bolt the rest of the way out an i ran out of the room, across the basement and to a door, little-used door that we had in the back and i went out. i didn't know if the door was wired to explode, but at that point, it didn't matter. it was either die with a gun to my head or maybe go out a door and die that way.

>> fortunately there was no boobytraps, as we said. the police helped you get away. norm, there is a hearing tomorrow. what can we expect? >> it is a bond refb case hearing regarding the arson charge with respect to the beach home. the state has asked the court to revoke bond to conclude there are no set of circumstances consistent with safety and ashunk mr. shenkman's appearance in court. it will be difficult to have no bond. a person is entitled to reasonable bond. we are asking the court to make a specific finding in this instance that given the history, the declared violence, the expressed violence, mr. shenkman should be held until the time of trial. >> you are afraid if he gets out he will go after nancy. >> absolutely. >> are you afraid of that as well? >> i'm convince of it. he's told me over and over again the only way this will end is by death, either his, mine or both of us, and whoever else has to go. >> how are you protecting yourself and your piece of mind at this point? >> pulling together with family and friends and waiting to see. i worked in the court system my

entire life and i have faith that the court system will protect me now. it's just a matter of pulling together, praying and hoping for the best. >> we are praying for you as well, nancy tyler. thank you so much. i know it wasn't easy to relive any of that. norm, thank you. now let's get a check of the weather from al. >> good morning. we've got a nice group here. the lyles family reunion? having a good time? >> yes. >> you just joined their family. right? >> yes. >> all right! let's check your weather, see what's happening, sw uyo for today, this week's temperatures below normal in the northeast and great lakes, much below normal in the upper ohio river valley, much above normal out west. precipitationwise, heavy rain up and down the eastern seaboard, off and on, especially mid-atlantic states into florida, wet in the central plains, dry in the pacific northwest and showers in the four corners area.

this poor young lady didn't know that matt's on vacation. oops. well, if you can just keep that on for a week. >> i will. good morning. clouds around on this monday morning on radar we have light rain shower now across spotsylvania county into culpepper county drifting to the north, may make it in the western suburbs, 95 into prince william and stafford county and southern fauquier county. near 70 in washington, 60s throughout much of the region. and we'll have afternoon highs reaching low 80s. mostly cloudy. could get an afternoon shower more thundershower as well. increase in chance tomorrow. >> and that's your latest weather. if you want to check your weather any time of day or night, go to the weather channel on cable, home of "wake up with al," or weather.com online. still to come -- the dramatic rescue of a family in miaulwcauge htnn camera.

we'll talk with two of the men who raced into action right after this.

7:44. with a mother and her two children lucky to be alive after their suv flipped over and caught fire in milwaukee. in a moment, an exclusive interview with the two brothers who rushed to that family's aid. but first, the dramatic rescue captured on home video. we should warn you, it is graphic, intense, and dramatic. >> come on!

come on! >> come on! >> come on, get the baby out! >> reporter: it happened sunday evening on the streets of south milwaukee. an suv flipped on its side and burst into flames. neighbors rushed to the scene to help. >> did someone call 911? >> reporter: they quickly realized that a mother and her two children were trapped in the burning suv. two off-duty firefighters, brothers, who lived near by were driving by and saw the inferno. the wives saw this. they called their husbands to get to the scene before any fire trucks arrived. they were able to get the mother an one child out quickly but another child was still trapped inside. the brothers wasted no time

jumping in to the engulfed suv. but the boy was still stuck, strapped inside. finally free, the 4-year-old was badly burned. the off-duty firefighters got a hose from neighbors and as one brother held the boy, the other doused him with a hose to cool the burns. john and joel are two of the men seen in that video, they're with us exclusively. good morning to both of you. thanks for coming on. >> good morning, lester. >> we should note that the 4-year-old is listed this morning in critical condition and, john and joel, i see you both have bandages on your hands. you were both badly burned. how you doing? >> we're doing just fine.

we're doing just fine. >> we'll be okay. hanging in there. >> we heard in the set-up that you both get this call from your wives who were near by. you were seconds away. described what you witnessed when you got there, john. >> well, when we turned the corner on to where the vehicle was, we saw that it was fully engulfed in flames. there were a number of bystanders around the vehicle, trying to break the front windshield and then we -- when we arrived on scene, that's when i exited my brother's vehicle and ran to the front windshield, assessing the situation and realizing that with the people screaming that there's still somebody inside, that we needed to removehe windshield so we can gain access. >> at this point had the mother and the first child already exited? >> the first child was removed immediately. in fact, joel's wife was holding

the baby. the mother, just as i arrived, she was coming through the windshield and by me helping to remove some of that windshield she was able to exit the vehicle. >> joel, the two of you then decided you obviously have to get to this 4-year-old who is strapped inside. i understand as you're actually in this vehicle, there are parts of it melting. can you describe what it was like and what the situation that child was in was? >> absolutely. it was horrific. you had the car, it was ungulfed in flames and the child was just inside there screaming. all you could -- all i could see was that child's face who it seemed was perfectly fine but you could see the car seat around that child was burning and the child was literally burning in front of me. >> oh, goodness. >> it was very horrific. it just -- it compelled you to

act. there was no question what we were going to do. >> you could only spend seconds inside the car each time. john, you finally get in there, you call for a knife and you were able to free the child with a knife. is that correct? >> that's correct. you know, the child was in a booster seat with the atbelt, lap belt, across the child. both joel and i were just trying to pull the childut and it was to no avail. you try looking for the seatbelt release and you couldn't find it in the mess and that's when i came out. i knew exactly what i needed and i was screaming for somebody to hopefully have something in their pocket. for me, unfortunately, i wish -- normally i carry a pocket knife in my pocket and at that time i didn't. so that to me was extremely frustrating. and that i didn't have that readily available. >> as i say, that 4-year-old is alive and in critical condition, alive because of you.

we should note, there were a lot of people who performed h heroically. thanks so much for being with us and thanks for what you did. >> absolutely. thank you so much. >> thank you. we've got more to talk about this morning on "today." coming up next, the bra shedding insight into marilyn monroe's iconic figure. right after this.

almost 47 years after her death, the public's fascination with marilyn monroe is as strong as ever. now an auction in london has uncovered secrets of her famous hourglass figure. nbc's john yang has details. >> that's a very interesting -- >> reporter: marilyn monroe in "the seven-year itch," a signature moment. and in "some like it hot," displaying her natural appeal. >> look how she moves. that's just like yellow on

springs. >> reporter: but now it turns out she sometimes gave nature a boost, as with ts bra which sold at auction in london this past weekend. >> it is a great souvenir of a sex symbol obviously. >> she had such presence and such magic. a perfect woman really. >> marilyn monroe, the bra. >> reporter: the unidentified winninbid came by phone from hong kong. >> 3,200 pounds. sold. >> reporter: more than $5,200, well above the estated selling price, for an undergarment that was ahead of its time. >> i should imagine it was made for her by the studio to go under a certain dress or costume. >> reporter: katie who designs and sells vintage lingerie at her shop in london designed the feature to make monroe's bust look larger. >> this sling goes both sides of the cup t pull the breasts up but because the top's open it actually gives the illusion that she's not wearing a bra at all. >> reporter: the result -- one of the most famous figures of

all-time. >> this is sort of like breast enhancement before surgery. >> exactly. >> reporter: why would a movie sex goddess require such an elaborate undergarment? >> well, everybody needs a boost occasionally. ♪ happy birthday mr. president ♪ >> reporter: even marilyn monroe, it seems. >> i'm going to get me one of those. >> i don't even know what to say. >> don't say anything. why amanda knox's family is under scrutiny in italy after your local news and weather.

7:56 is your time. 70 degrees. hazy skies over the nation's capital as the humidity returns. tom will have the forecast after the news. it's monday, july 20, 2009 in the news this morning, metro riders can expect more delays on the red line today. there are fewer rush hour trains running and it's operating slower than normal. this will continue through at least thursday while investigators look into the cause of last month's crash. passengers are advised to add 30 minutes to their commute. be on guard after a rash of recent thefts. it's happening in parts of the

district in northern virginia. people are urged to store bikes with locks and take their bike inside at night. weather and traffic up next. ññc

it's a cool and cloudy monday morning. around the region we have had light rain move up from the south now near fredericksburg pulling out of spotsylvania into stafford county. there are sinkles in prince william county, drifting to the north but tending to dissipate. later on we may get a passing shower or afternoon

thundershower. temperatures right now in the 60s to near 70. highs only in the low 80s today. then tomorrow, looks lik an increased chance of maybe a morning shower, afternoon thundershower. and mostly cloudy with highs again only around 80. and maybe an afternoon thundershower wednesday, greater chance thursday. how's traffic? >> we'll take a live look on the beltway south of town. slow getting through the work zone on the outer loop. one to the right, two to the left. all three lanes get you by. one more stop, packed in tightly 395 northbound so the 14th street bridge, haven't had incidents to report. there's the long term work zone on the 14th that slows everybody down. >> thank you, jerry. tonight on "news 4 at 5:00" a tonight on "news 4 at 5:00" a new website to manage yo at suntrust, we help you manage your money at home. and make it easy when you're away. and where ever you go, atm fees won't follow.

get back to what really matters switch to suntrust checking today suntrust. live solid, bank solid. as you c see, we have a boisterous crowd soaking up the morning sun here in rockefeller plaza. coming up in this half-hour, the latest from the italian murder trial of american amanda knox. >> new questions have surfaced about possible evidence tampering, and also recent actions of members of knox's family. why did her sisters pose for pictures at the crime scene. her mother speaks out from italy

coming up in just a few minutes. a little bit later on on a lighter note, a guy who lost 142 pounds the hard way. without surgery. we'll get his story. remember a while back when "today" was going to take a vacation but we postponed it because of some breaking news? well, it is back and we are spanning out across the country. on monday ann i will to go to a popular destination. on tuesday you and matt will kick back in key west, florida. on wednesday, kathie lee and hoda pull on their cowboy boots do some two-stepping in san antonio, texas. then on thursday, natalie morales and amy robach take a trip to las vegas, baby. that is "today takes a vacation" all next week. whatever happens there, they're not saying. that's what they claim. ann is standing by at the news desk. good morning, everybody.

in the news, a u.s. military says it is doing all it can to secure the release of an american soldier captured in afghanistan almost three wee ago. over the weekend we got our first glimpse of the 23-year-old private 1st class bowe bergdahl from idaho on a video posted on the internet by the taliban. the u.s. military's condemning the video as propaganda exploiting a soldier in violation of international law. the lone surviving gunman in the november terror attacks in mumbai, india, has admitted his guilt. it is not clear what prompted 291-year-old to contest. the rampage killed 166 people. president obama will keep pushing for health care reform this week. he meets with health care providers today in washington to get theirdeas and he's scheduled a prime time news conference about his plan on wednesday evening. among those noting today's 40th anniversary of man's first step on the moon are the astronauts currently aboard the international space station. they're also having to do some

important chores today, including fixing a broken ilet, an especially important task in space. a study suggests for the first time children exposed to air pollution before birth may have lower iq scores. researchers say the study of 249 children in new york city supports evidence smog may harm the developing brain. the latest harry potter film conjured up big numbers at the box office over the weekend. "harry potter and the half-blood prince" took it more than $79 according to early estimates. it is now 8:03. let's get a check of the weather from al. >> thanks, ann. got some north dakota ladies out here. just vacation or are you on a fact-finding mission. >> vacation. >> i thought so. good to see everybody. let's check your weather, see what's happening. pick city of the day happens to

be eau claire, wisconsin. mostly sunny, 78 degrees. got some folks from wisconsin over here. let's check your weather today. slight risk of strong storms from texas all the way up into the plains. sunny skies out west, temperatures really warm. reno today, 100 degrees. rain along the mid-atlantic good morning. cloudy around the region. a fesprinkles in prince william and spotsylvania counties. tending to dissipate. it's 71 in washington, in the upper 60s in montgomery, fairfax and prince george's counties. it will be mostly cloudy, a small chance of a shower or thundershower. and tomorrow a greater chance and cooler than average. the mid 80s wednesday. a small chance of a passing shower or thundershower. then a greater chance thursday. >> and nothing says summer in new york city like a balloon head! what's your name? >> gracie.

>> gracie. i like that. somebody just put that on you? well, you think about it. i'm going to throw to lester. >> al, thanks very much. still to come on "toda -- why did members of amanda knox's family pose for pictures at the scene of the murder? knox is accused of committing. wel ask her mother next. knox is accused of committing. we'll ask her mother next. and when you open a checking account, bank of america helps you with $100 when you use your new debit card and online bill pay. plus you get free services and products you can only get from bank of america. this offer's for a limited time so visit a banking center or log on soon. we'll give you a hand -- and $100. it all starts with a checking account at bank of america.

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back now at 8:08. tw a two-month adjournment of the trial of amanda knox, the college student accused of murdering her roommate in italy. we'll speak with her mother in a moment. first keith miller is in italy. >> reporter: amanda knox remained relaxes during the proceedings but for the first time in this trial the legal teams were combative. the defense accused the prosecution of withholding evidence. the prosecution loudly challenged the accusation, leaving the judge to call for order in the court. the alleged evidence apparently concerned dna testing by the state. the judge suspended the hearings until the documents are turned over to the defense. >> i think the prosecution did hold back evidence. i think it was very clear. i think that will be very damaging to the prosecution, probably in the eyes of the jury, and i think that it will be grounds for appeal if they're

convicted. reporter: both knox and her former boyfriend and co-defendant rafael could face 30 years in prison if convicted of murder and sexual assault. they claim they are innocent of murdering meredith kirscher in what the prosecution calls a sex game gone wrong. before court was adjourned, a forensic scientist for the defense testified the dna presented as evidence was contaminated. for example, the clasp of the victim's bloody bra that reportedly has dna from rafael. it wasn't discovered until a second search of the murder scene more than a month after the murder was committed in november 2007. police procedure, according to the expert witness, was all wrong. what is certainly different is how the trial has dragged on. knox first entered the courtroom seven months ago and faces another four months in prison before hearing a verdict.

>> in a normal judicial year would maybe be no more than two or three weeks in a court in the united states or united kingdom. >> reporter: knox, according to her family, is staying positive knowing she needs to be patient. >> that was nbc's keith miller. amanda knox's mother edda mellas is in italy to be with her daughter. i spoke with her earlier and began by asking her how she maintains her patience during this lengthy legal process. >> well, we're all working really hard to stay patient. it's hard. everybody's gone away on vacation and we're sitting and waiting. >> is there a certain amount of frustration in that? they've gone away on this two-month vacation. this trial's already been seven months and no verdict is expected until perhaps november. >> right. yeah, it's very frustrating. i've never seen anything like that where you start a trial, and then the court shuts down for two months and then you resume again. it's definitely different. >> when was the last time that you talk to your daughter, and

how is she tolding up? >> you know, amanda continues to be amazing. she was there -- i saw her on tuesday. on thursday i was driving her sister back to rome so i didn't see her that day. i saw her both days in court but the last time i had a long conversation with her was tuesday. she's hanging in there. >> you and your family have been heavily criticized in e italian media, most recently for photos spread taken of you and your two younger daughters for an italian women's magazine. among the pictures is one of youryounger daughters, 14-year-old ashley and 20-year-old deanna, standing in front of the crime scene of the murder. the family attorney of the victim has called the photo macabre. this is particularly concerning would think for your family because in italy juries are allowed to pay attention to view media coverage. given that, do you regret taking those photos? >> you know, it was an innocent photo that the girls were walking around. i wasn't this at that point in

time. they'd walked with a photographer. he asked them to stand in this spot, they obliged. many people have been photographed there. it was really an innocent thing. and the good news is actually, it's only been kind of two tacky journalists that aren't even italian that have made comments on it. everybody is really not said anything about it. and that was one british journalist and an american journalist actually. >> three weeks ago i understand ashley was removed from court because as a minor she's not allowed to listen to sex-related cases. then deanna raised some eyebrows for wearing what appeared to be like hot pants outfit on july 4th when she was in court. there is a roman-based criminal lawyer who told "newsweek" magazine that juries in italy pay attention to more than just testimony. as she put it, the lawyers should take control of the client's complete image, including who attends court with her, not just the client's personal behavior. having said that, if amanda's lawyers were to say to you, "we'd prefer that you not be in

court," would you oblige? >> , they've always really encouraged us to be in court. that's never been an issue. we were told that ashley could be in court but the judge has the discretion to say that she couldn't and he chose to do that, which was kind of a surprise to us. deanna did not wear hot pants. it was 100 degrees that day and she had on a red, white and ue ensem bol. what's interesting to me is that they don't comment on what the prosecutor wears and what like the police officers would wear, which are usually very revealing, sequined, skin-tight. i think there is a little bit of a double standard going there where it is very common for them to be very provocatively dressed but only we get commented on. >> but they're not the ones on trial or the family of the one on trial. so -- >> right. you know, our lawyers have really just encouraged us to be who we are. they've just really encouraged us to be who we are and not listen to kind of that tabloid

gossip kind of reporting. it is not important. what's important here is evidence. >> speaking of that, in court on saturday the defense accused the prosecution of withholding evidence. they also brought in a forensic scientist who said that some of the dna evidence was contaminated. what do you make of tse developments? >> well, it's absolutely -- none of the defense attorneys have some paperwork that obviously the prosecution had. and that was when the judge called a recess and came back and said they had to suspend court until the defense was given these really important dna documents. so it was very important. and if you look at the video of the handling of some of the very important dna evidence stuff, it is passed around from person to person, from glove to glove. it's put back on the floor, it's picked up. it's just all over the place. it is incredible. >> edda mellas, as always, thank your orou ytime. >> you're welcome. thank you.ou "tomorrow on today," is

brought to you by -- tomorrow on today, we'll have an exclusive interview with ryan o'neal. plus the latest on the investigation into the death of the king of pop, michael jackson. and on a much lighter note, the food to eat to boost your sex drive. all that and more tomorrow on "today." up next, why one critic is calling nbc's new show "the wanted" the neatest. after this.

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8:19. with a front row seat on a hunt for an accused teorist. this is very real. tonit nbc presents "the wanted," following a team out to catch a founder of a terrorist organization living in oslo, norway. take a look. >> i'm moving into the target area. let me set up the camera. >> good luck. >> relative leaving the target building. >> o taet. they leave the house, they go to work, this guy is unemployed and apparently he doesn't like to go out very often. >> two members of "the wanted" team are with us. good morning to both of you. thanks for being here. roger, set the scene. this mullah wanted by the iraqi government for acts of terror

and is living in norway under essentially asylum protection? >> he's been there for quite some time, many years. he's very well known in norway and the norwegian government has been unable to do anything. they've not arrested him, or taken action, they've not deported him and aren't honoring an extradition request given to them by iraq. >> they don't want to extradite anyone to a country where they may be tortured. >> they're signatory to a treaty that doesn't allow them to do that. >> what sort of things was the accused up to in iraq? >> he's been alleged to start a terror group. it leads terrorist groups in iraq in beheadings. involved in ied attacks, suicide attacks and other plain violent acts of terrorism. >> scott, where do you guys come in? you travel to norway -- he's living in plain sight but rather secluded, i understand. >> yes. he's living there within the community.

he keeps a fairly low profile now, doesn't go out very much, doesn't work. basically collects unemployment. does a lot of advising to folks that are still possibly working to cause a lot of hate and discontent around the world. >> you not only find out where he lives, you contact him. and he says, come over for an interview. what was that like? >> that was very surreal. we spent the time that we were there just kind of making sure that he was in the area and making sure that he would actually be there before we contacted him. then s up the interview. >> at one point i think we'll see in the program, he unloads about what they do, terrorism, the need to kill american soldiers, the poison water that american soldiers drink. i don't want to be overly

dramatic, but you're former special forces, you're former navy s.e.a.l. a couple of years ago you would have had this gun in your gun sights. you're listening to this. what was it like? >> it really was surreal. to listen to him talk about his war against america was bothersome. but he said civilians are legitimate targets of war and said every weapon of war is also legitimate. this guy instead of saying i'm not doing that or this, he actually admitted to about everything and said, every rule of law -- or excuse me, rule of warfare that most civilizations agree to, i don't play by those rules. essentially he spent some time admitting to all his crimes that he's accused of and i think to being a war criminal. >> you also, we should note, challenge the norwegian government here at some point to say the iraqis said they won't torture or execute him. what was the response you got? >> it was also a nonresponse. adam's the third member of the team went to iraq and actually receivedwritten assurance from

the iraq government he wouldn't be executed or tortured. we attempted to slide the paper over to someone from the norwegian government and she refused to look at or touch the per. it was bothersome the government would not take action. >> you read the reviews. >> absolutely. >> they are mixed. "the washington post" says its substance is strong and the overall effect, a highly charged knockout. washington globe, it is a documentary. what are the accusations? this is a show that could put other journalists in danger and let the bad guys think of the rest of us as potential cops or working for the government. how do you respond to that? >> we talk to our friends who are also journalists. i have a good network of guys who have been out to iraq, afghanistan, philippines, doing combat journalism. on the contrary. they've been very positive. they've responded positively to this show. they've personally don't feel like this show will put them in any danger. while i've heard those criticisms, the people that again we talk to are really not that concerned about it. >> i think the big controversy

is the fact that these people are living among us right now. and no one's doing anything about it until we come along with this show. >> the show is two episodes. it's -- this monday and next monday. is this perhaps the pilot for something and we'll continue to see these sort of pursuits? >> actually we have six shows. first two focus on terrorism and the four that remain after that focus on people who committed genocide in rwanda in 1994. if viewers like it, hopefully we'll get a few more. >> "the wanted" airs tonight, also next monday, 10:00, 9:00 central on nbc.

8:26 is your time. 70 degrees. you can see it's a bit cloudy outside. the humidity is back. tom will have the forecast. i'm eun yang. it's monday, july 20, 2009. a murder investigation is under way after a 19-year-old man was shot to death in sterling. it happened outside a home in the lowes island community. police arrested two men. the victim's name has not been released. tomorrow eighteen rest stops bill close. on interstate 95 in daily city closes for cars but remains for trucks. in september on i-66 in manassas will close for cars and trucks.

we're going to take a break. if we don't act, medical bills will wipe out their savings. if we don't act, she'll be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. and he won't get the chemotherapy he needs. if we don't act, health care costs will rise 70%. and he'll have to cut benefits for his employees. but we can act.

the president and congress have a plan to lower your costs and stop denials for pre-existing conditions. it's time to act. with the full flavor of aft mayo with olive oil. with half the fat and calories of hellmann's real mayo, kraft mayo with olive oil is the new standard in mayo. good morning. it's cloudy around washington now and radar showing sprinkles in southern prince william county and on the fauquier and stafford county line. maybe a passing sprinkle later on today or passing shower. temperatures now in the 60s to near 70. highs in the low 80s. greater chance tomorrow. how's traffic? >> we'll check out 66 headed in from the west. just volume. getting ready to exit the capital beltway. also let's look at 301 northbound at trade zone has a truck accident. looks likes we're doing pretty

well top side of the beltway and inbound on the dulles toll road. >> tonight a new website to organize your finances and manage your spending. tonight on "news 4 at 5:00." ah! that's fiber one cereal. frosted shredded wheat! yeah, but i'm throwing it away. why? you seem to really like it. i do. my wife wants me to. she says there can't be any fiber in it. (mr. mehta) it's got a third of a day's worth of fiber. it tastes way too good to have fiber! ten crunchy little layers frosted to perfection.

i eat what i want. she's here, isn't she? she is. hey. (announcer) fiber one frosted shredded wheat. cardboard no. delicious yes. 8:30 now on this mon morning, july 20th, 2009. yes, it's who you think it is. our yankee fans on the plaza on cloud nine right about now. that's because current yankee great alex rodriguez, cc is a athian and mark teixeira have stopped by, all three coming off a great weekend.

as you can see, a lot of people very excited. >> talk about something called post week. we'll give you details. did you notice the little house on the plaza just across the way? >> what is that? >> it is identified as the kitchen of the year. they'll tell us how to make fabulous recipes whether you have the kitchen of th year or not. >> apparently also we have a segment coming up about how to make sure that we keep our dogs cool on a hot day. >> is that a big deal? >> yeah, it is. at the can overheat very, very quickly. >> again, congrats on the new show, al. we're so proud of you. >> thanks. >> don't forget, this is the

main gig. >> i'm not going anywhere. let's check your weather, see what's happening. for the week ahead, below normal temperatures in new england, northeast, into the great lakes and into the central mississippi river valley. much above normal in the pacific northwest, into the southwest precipitationwise, a little damp along the eastern seaboard, heavy rain mid-atlantic, down into florida. wet in the central mississippi river va mostly cloudy on this monday morning. good morning. on radar we have a few sprinkles in southern fauquier county and culpepper, sprinkle activity part of the southwest of fredericksburg heading to the north but dissipating. temperatures in the 60s to near 70. now 71 in washington, highs only in the low 80s, quite a bit of cloudiness. we'll have a small chance of a passing shower or thundershower later on as well. tomorrow a greater chance, maybe of a morning shower, afternoon thundershower. highs near 80. less chance on wednesday.

of one of mankind's greatest achievements. 40 years ago man first landed on the moon. nbc's tom costello a is the tisr and space museum in washington. >> reporter: good morning. it was 40 years ago at 11:00 eastern time that neil armstrong and then buzz aldrin first set foot aupon the moon. buzz aldrin coming down the ladder a few hours after neil armstrong. what they did will likely be remembered for hundreds, if not thousands of years. >> picking up some dust. >> reporter: even today, 40 years later, we seem to hold our breath when we see it. >> the eagle has landed. >> reporter: through a miracle of 1969 technology, nasa had defied the odds and landed two men on the moon. >> that's one small step for

man, one giant leap for mankind. >> reporter: 600 million people around the world watched live as neil armstrong and then buzz aldrin took those first steps. only 12 men ever walked on the moon. the last in 1972. the u.s. had won a key battle in the cold war. today the apollo 11 command module sits at the air and space museum in washington. >> by winning that space race, we demonstrated to our allies and potential allies, and indeed the whole world, that the united states was second to none when it came to science and technology. >> reporter: nbc's jay barbree has covered every u.s. manned mission ever launched. he's still on the job today. >> the hardest thing that people of knowledge had to try to understand was why did we go to the moon, and then abandon it? >> reporter: politics got in the way. hardly was envisioned in

the 2001 "a space odysseodyssey" >> what we found out was that by the time we had just stood around in the cockpit for a couple hours, we were completely adapted and when we walked off of the craft on to the surface, we already were right at home and -- you'd really like it! >> reporter: 40 years later, armstrong, aldrin and collins remain heroes. nasa is preparing for a return trip to the moon by the year 2020. meredith, consider this -- how much has the world changed in 40 years? 40 years ago when they launched this mission, 3 billion people lived on the earth. in just 40 years, the population on the earth has doubled. back to you. >> 40 years ago i was alive. that's depressing. thanks, tom, very much. up next,sugary-free weight

loss. a man who dropped more than 140 pounds the hard way. but first, this is "toda taking its rightful place in a long line of amazing performance machines. this is the new e-coupe.

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>> announcer: today's "joy fit club" is brought to you by truvia, honestly sweet. this morning on "look at me now," the "joy fit club," a terrific weight loss story. in just under two years we've c inducted 73 men and women in joy's club. today we welcome our newest memb member, a 33-year-old engineer from washington. >> hi, my name is darren. i've been overweight my entire life. food was something that was always around and i frequently found myself eating when i had nothing better to do. at 27, i met my wife melissa and the trouble really began. she loved to cook, and i loved to eat. we were both overweight. her cooking combined with snacking skills that i'd honed

over 20 years led to my highest weight of 378 pounds. i went from wearing size 46 pants to size 56. you would think that would have been enough to convince me it was time to lose weight. it wasn't. the kicker came in two stages. the first was when i had to start picking up my leg with my hand to put my pants on in the morning. the second was after my annual checkup. my doctor mentioned various weight loss plans in the past but like every other time when he made a suggestion, i quickly forgot about it. this time however, he talked about having surgery and that just scared me. surgery wasn't an option for me. i told melissa about the checkup. she immediately enrolled us in weight watchers online and she called her sister colleen, a newly certified personal trainer. eager to help, colleen put together an exercise plan that helped to lead us both to our new lives. >> what a great story. joy bauer is a nutritionist and "today" contributor, here to help us show off darren's new look.

show what he looked like before. give me a quick build-up. >> true inspiration to all the viewers who are struggling with their weight. in seven months he shed 142 pounds. his transformation is going to blow you away. >> let's see. darren, come on in. wow. >> darren! >> look at you! >> i love . >> i wouldn't have recognized you. congratulations. what is some of the great reactions you've had to people who have witnessed what we just witnessed. >> my best reaction is probably no reaction at all. i've walked by people at work and they have absolutely no idea who i am sometimes. >> you feel better? >> yeah, i feel ebullient. it is incredible. >> more active, more exercise? >> yeah, i'm out doing things now i wouldn't have dreamed about before. >> and he has a 17-month-old son. >> you're eating better. we should credit your wife melissa. with we bring her in? >> melissa has lost 75 unds.

we only did this together as a team. >> congratulations. in terms of cooking, i understand you're a great cook but had you to really change your whole approach to cooking. tell me about what you did? >> i stopped frying foods and cut out a lot of the red meat, cooked us a lot of quicken and ground turkey, lots of vegetables and focused on our portion control. >> but emotionally, you two focused on each other. you really decided to make this change. the discipline involved just blows me away. tell me about that conversation. >> well, i just -- just had an annual checkup for the doctor. they mentioned for the first time i might be a candidate for gastric bypass surgery. that stopped me in my tracks. i came home and told melissa and that's where it all started. >> recognize these, by the way? >> yeah. >> can you believe you wore those? >> no. >> talk about what you ate and what you eat now. joy's going to walk us through this. >> this is a snapshot of what

darren would eat in one day in his heavier days. this is more than 10,000 calories and 500 grams of fat. just to put it into perspective, in one day he wasaking in five sticks of fat and 2 1/2 full pounds of sugar. can you believe? in one day. here's the whole positive turnaround. now in a typical day he's only taking in about 2,000 calories, a fifth of what he was taking in before and only 42 grams of fat. when you look at this food, it is high-quality, it's loaded in produce and fiber. it's lean. it's lowfat. it's driving down his cholesterol. it's driving up his energy. it's all good. >> how long does it take you to lose the first 100 pounds? >> the first 100 pounds? about seven months. >> the overall trend was down? >> yeah. we had bad weeks.

mostly they were good. >> what's interesting is a lot of couples will gain weight together. they did the total opposite. positive attitude and perseverance. they really, really were a team. >> you guys are an inspiration. terrific, terrific story. congratulations to both of you. to find out how you or someone else could be considered for the "joy fit club," go to our website, todayshow.com. up next, the kitchen of the year. barefoot vo: since 2006, walmart has sold over 260 million compact fluorescent light bulbs. saving our customers over 7 billion dollars on their electric bills. save money. live better. walmart.

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and will be featured in "house beautiful" magazine. barefoot contessa is here, she helped design it and you are a contributing editor to "house beautiful" as well. good to see you. are you pleased with the way this turned out? >> it is amazing. i think the kitchen is really the new living room. everybody believes that. when i built my dream kitchen in east hampton, i just thought i'm going to go for it. >> this is based on your kichen? >> exactly based on my kitchen. of cours i don't have the same view. rockefeller center out there. >> but you have the beach. so it is a trade-off. >> what i did was put everything you do in the living room. big, long table for everybody to eat at and lots of stools in front of the counter. big comfortable arm chairs neck to the fireplace. everybody hangs out in the kitchen. there is lots of place to be. >> before we get to the recipe here, give me tips. >> first, two dishwashers. really critical when you give a party. also the dishes.

>> dishwashers are here. >> white crate and barrel plates, great for family time, great for entertaining. they're right behind the dishwasher so you're not walking around. >> tell me about this sink. >> a great kohler sink. it's really deep so you can hide everything while you're having dinner. >> you just leave the utensils on the counter? >> i put all the stainless steel ones together, i put all the wood and white ones together. a dual viking stove, gas on top, electric underneath. >> fantastic. >> you want to cook with me? >> absolutely. >> first thing is a filet of beef sandwich with black truffle butter, parmesan and arugula. there are those at the "today" show that love truffle butter. >> yes. >> i have nice big french baguettes. i'll smother with truffle butter. it sounds expensive but it's like $6. not bad at all. filet these. i cooked at 500 degrees, really

hot temperature, and about 25 minutes. medium rare. it's perfect. first i'm going to do shaved parmesan. >> i notice you use a potato peeler. >> i do. that's the way you shave parmesan. it's fantastic. then arugula. you've got an amazing sandwich. >> let's scoot over here for dessert. >> for summer dessert, it is the best. it is italian. appagato. >> it sounds like you're swearing at someone! >> hazelnut ice cream, vanilla ice cream and i poured hot espresso over the top of this. it melts it. you have that hot and cold thing together. i love these, chocolate-covered espresso beans. crush those up, put it over the top. if you want to really be decadent, have you a splash of tia maria. now who wouldn't want that for

dessert? >> one more splash there. >> we have whipped cream just in case you need a little whipped cream at the end. how's that? you've got the best italian dessert you could possibly imagine. >> thank you so much. more more information, go to todayshow.com. still ahead, we got three of the best out there. yankees. we've got cc, alex and mark we've got cc, alex and mark teixeira dealer: during the autobahn for all event, you can get great als. it's perfect. i just want to make sure it's the right decision. future...us? we got here as quick as we could. look it's the cc. you don't pay for scheduled maintenance, you get the car of your dreams...

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we're back with some of the biggest names in baseball. new york yankees third baseman, alex rodriguez, mets pitcher cc sabathia and mark teixeira, here to talk about something special called hope week. thanks for being here. tell me about what hope week is. >> well, the idea was presented to us at spring training. we were all very excited. no one blinked and everyone was very excited. we have a tight bunch of guys. it is just great that together we're going out and doing some great things in the community. >> we want to be careful because we don't want to give too much away, mark. it is a surprise but give me an example of some of the things you'll be doing this week. >> we'll be going out to little

leagues, kids that maybe don't have the opportunity to come see yankee stadium, kids that have a disease that won't allow them to see a game during the day. we're bringing them there at night, we'll come after the game and a bunch of yankees will hang out and play baseball at yankee stadium. >> it is good being a new player in new york to come out and try to give back to the community as much as possible. >> alex, i understand that the sign-up sheet -- we should note, you guys do stuff year-round like this. but the sign-up sheet went out for hope week and everybody snapped it up. right? >> yeah. everyone on our team is doing something in the community. the irony is we'll do so much good for these causes but we get as much out of it as well. because the platform the yankees provide for us is gat for change people's lives. >> we're talking about this week but i understand there are long-term plans. >> it is hope "week," but at the same time we want this is be something the entire community

in new york city becomes a part of. we want our fans to come out, help make everyone's world a little brighter. >> and maybe other teams around the country will give as well. >> it is not just giving of money, it is giving of time as well. >> the three of you guys had awesome weekends. it is a big time for the yankees right now. you're what? a game out of first behind the red sox? >> right. >> thinking world series already? >> well, anything can happen. we have a special bunch of guys. >> you think about where you are this summer versus last summer, you like where you're going? >> the guys they brought in, it is really a dream come true to have these guys come in. it could be a very special year. >> you already got the bling. >> no, i need the real thing. >> guys, thanks for what you're doing on the field and certainly off the field. it is really important. you'll make a lot of people happy and change lives. >> talking about making somebody happy, our executive producer,

jim bell, it is his birthday today. is jim out here? oh, he's across the street. there he is. there's mr. bell. you want to wish him a ver happy birthday, guys? >> this is a little present from the yankees organization for you. >> thank you very much. >> big happy birthday to our boss. again, thanks to you guys for making some folks happy. wll take a break, back with more right after this.

8:55 is your time now. 71 degrees.

some plas at the tarmac. tom will have the forecast whether they will have a clear flight. it's monday, july 20, 2009. in the news, metro riders can expect more delays on the red line. ere are fewer rush hour trains and it is operating slower than normal. these delays will continue through at least thursday while instigators continue to look into the cause of last month's deadly crash. passengers are advised to add 30 minutes to their commute. police are warning bike owners to be on guard after a rash of thefts. it's happening in parts of the district and northern virginia. bike shop owners say thieves often steal bikes to sell for parts. people are urged to secure their bikes with locks and take their bikes inside at night. we're going to take a break and have weather and traffic when we come back. if we don't act, medical bills will wipe out their savings. if we don't act, she'll be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. and he won't get the chemotherapy he needs.

if we don't act, health care costs will rise 70%. and he'll have to cut benefits for his employees. but we can act. the president and congress have a plan to lower your costs and stop denials for pre-existing conditions. it's time to act.

at suntrust, we help you manage your money at home. and make it easy when you're away. and where ever you go, atm fees won't follow. get back to what really matters switch to suntrust checking today suntrust. live solid, bank solid. good morning. temperatures around the region just in the low 70s now. it's mostly cloudy and we might have a passing shower later on

this morning as well as later on this afternoon. small chance and cooler than average, highs in the low 80s. near 80 tomorrow, mostly cloudy, perhaps morning shower and greater chance of an afternoon thundershower. on wednesday a small chance of an afternoon thundershower, highs mid 80s. a greater chance thursday. how's traffic? >> a live look on the top side of the beltway. a fender-bender at rockville pike over to the shoulder, adding insult to injuries as delays begin at i-95. the outer loop still heavy, just after springfield through the work zone at van dorn. three lanes are maintained. eun. >> thank you. >> thank you. tonight on "news 4 at dealer: during the autobahn for all event, you can get great deals. yeah it's great. i just really want to be sure. whoa, it's us from... ...the future. 11 days in the future. look, you love your new routan. you love the german tuned suspension. you love not having to pay for scheduled maintenance,you- i love what you've done with your hair.

we'll take it. back now with more of "today" on this monday morning, july 20th, 2009. while these folks aren't walking on the moon, they are hanging out in rockefeller plaza celebratinthe 40th anniversary of the famous first footprints put down on the lunar landscape by neil armstrong and buzz aldrin. still 40 years later, a breathtaking, amazing accomplishment. one that still to this day has

ghefr been never been equalled. coming up in this half-hour, the latest in the death of michael jackson. major questions still swirling about the circumstances of his sudden death three weeks ago. we'll go live to los angeles for an update on the investigation. we'll also talk about later this hour back fat. it is a problem all women know something about, unfortunately. it is those unsightly bumps and bulges you can't see coming. we'll tell you why it is so important to fight back fat. you might not be able to see, either, because it is on your back. we're going to tell you how it can actually affect your health and why it is so important to exercise. summer is fun in the sunl but it is not always fun for our pets. we have to keep them co. we'll talk about important things to know if you're a pet owner in a hot climate. the latest on paula abdul. there are rumors out there she

may not be back for the ninth season of "american idol." first let's get the latest in the news. ann curry's at the news desk. good morning, everybody. in the news this morning, the u.s. military's condemning as propaganda a taliban video of a captured american soldier. 23-year-old private 1st class bowe bergdahl from idaho is seen saying he is afraid he won't be able to go home. he disappeared from his base in eastern afghanistan almost three weeks ago. the u.s. military says it is doing all it can to secure bergdahl's release. there has been a sudden guilty plea in last year's mumbai terror attacks. today the lone surviving gunman in the attacks that killed 166 people admitted his role in the attack telling the judge, "sir i plead guilty to my crime." the pakistani dicitizen had earlier claimed innocence. secretary of state hillary clinton tried to smooth ties with neighboring pakistan today as she held talks with india's prime minister. she's pushing prospects for giving u.s. companies more access to india's expanding markets. a british fighter jet

crashed this morning at a military base in southern afghanistan. the two crew members ejected safely. on sunday a helicopter crash at the same base killed 16 civilians. investigators looking into a weekend train crash in san francisco are trying to find out why the operator turned off the automatic controls moments before the train struck a parked train. at least 48 people were injured, including the operator. crew members aboard the apollo 11 meet with the president today 40 years after neil armstrong and buzz aldrin walked on the moon. last night they and fellow apollo 11 crew member had a rare joint appearance at the smithsonian's national air and space museum. they say that the next giant leap for mankind should be mars. a small dog interrupted a horse jumping competition recently in morrowco trying its best to keep up with one of the horses. track officials unsuccessful tried to bring an end to what you might call a real

dog-and-pony show. sorry, that was funny. it is now three minutes past the hour. back outside to lester and and . >> al is standing by with another check of the weather. >> it is an international "today" show. you guys came here from france? are we big -- is "today show" big in france? >> yes, it is. >> it is. you're lying through your teeth. ev ywerre! it's big on tyw! moon it erevywhere! evt's get to your weather, see what'sonoi ng. for today, wet weather is moving its way through florida. strong storms firing up along the mid-atlantic coast. carolinas especially. oking at wet weather through the central plains. look for beautiful weather out west. lots of sunshine. we do have a risk of strong storms, texas on into the plains. but up and down the good morning. our temperatures now in the low 70s, it's mostly cloy on radar we have a few sprinkles showing up here in southern fauquier

county. advancing north but tending to dissipate moving into drier air in place. becoming more humid but not oppressive. mostly cloudy and a small chance of a passing shower and afternoon thundershower. highs cooler than average. more of the same tomorrow. an increased chance of precipitation. a smaller chance wednesday. >> that's your latest weather. got some nice folks here. what's your names? >> john and milan. >> irving and gabelle. >> high five. already. all right. thank you very much. now let's go back inside to ann. >> as are you, al. thanks so much. now we're going to go to some new information on the michael jackson case. information about the drug investigation and how prosecutors may handle it. there's also some uncertainty about the future of the jackson children. nbc's jeff rossen is in los angeles with more on both of these developments. jeff, good morning. >> reporter: hey, ann, good

morning to you. today was supposed to be the day, custody hearing. finally an official decision about who gets michael jackson's kids. but the judge postponed it again and this morning we have new information about what's really going on behind the scenes. the jackson kids enter another week in limbo. paris, prince and blanket remain in the care of michael's mother, katherine. sources familiar with the custody case tell nbc news katherine jackson has realized that at 79 years old, she can't raise the children alone and wants more time to sort it out. now, two of michael's sisters are emerging as possible contenders for custody. janet and rebbie. rebbie, the older sister, was spotted with the kids in public just last week, taking them to a jehovah's witness church. janet's reportedly been with them every day. >> the court would be very interested, i think, in having a younger person parent these children, provided that person is a relative and has a close, loving and continuous

relationship with the kids. >> reporter: but you can't forget debbie rowe. sources involved in th custody case tell nbc news both rowe and katherine jackson are negotiating a possible deal and those sources tell us, joe jackson is a sticking point. rowe doesn't want him raising the kids, not after michael said this during a documentary. >> he would lose his temper. i just remember hearing my mother scream, "joe, you're going to kill him! you're going to kill him! stop it, you're going to kill him!" >> reporter: now "people" magazine reports that joe jackson is willing to step aside so katherine gets the kids. but there could be another problem. jackson's will. the courts have accepted the draft from 2002, but ian halprin now reports there may be another will, more recent. he just wrote the book "unmasked the final years of michael jackson." >> in 2007, my sources say michael jackson wrote another will which would put the 2002 will in jeopardy. the only problem is, it has to

be determined whether or not this will is authentic. >> reporter: in it, he says katherine jackson gets nothing. he claims michael wasn't as close to his mother in his final years. we asked halprin where's the document. he doesn't know. and then there's the drug investigation. law enforcement sources tell nbc news murder charges are unlikely, not enough evidence yet, even if the autopsy shows jackson died from drugs, sources familiar with the criminal case say, prosecutors have a new plan. they'll take the case right to the grand jury to see what, if any, charges stick. tmz reports dr. conrad murray, the cardiologist who was with jackson when he died, just canceled an interview with police. he remains in virtual hiding but his lawyer denies dr. murray did anything wrong. just to give you an idea how up in the air this case is, sources familiar with the family tell us the jacksons are still choosing a legal team and are currently

interviewing lawyers, in some cases as locatit local l.a. res. >> the deputy managing editor of "people" magazine, peter castro, hello. we heard about what "people" magazine's discovering about joe jackson. what's that reporting? >> our sources tell us that joe jackson, knowing he is a sticking point in this whole thing, is willing to sign papers saying -- a he doesn't live with katherine anymore. and b, more important, he has absolutely no intention in being involved in the raising of those children. >> and how significant is this information? >> you know, this could have been a huge firefight in the middle of the bigger battle. so that fight is now removed. it paves the way a little better for the legal team to get this done. >> lot of people, especially now that we've seen images of the children, paris tearfully speaking at her father's uneral, are wonriowng h they're doing. they're in katherine's care. the grandmother's care.

>> that's correct, ann. they're in the encino comund and the credo of the family right now is keep those kids busy. at's what the family's doing. among the aunts and uncles and 20 cousins, they're playing a lot of basketball, video games, water balloon fights and keeping them distracted from the sadness of this. >> sounds like there is a lot of family support, not just katherine. people have asked questions because she is of a certain age, whether or not she can handle the rambunctiousness of three children. there is a lot of support? >> there is a lot of support. whatever you want to say about the jackson family, they are really showing their true colors right now in how they're handling these kids. by all accounts, it's a very close bond. >> normally in these kinds of questions about custody, it takes a while. what's different in this one obviously is that we're looking at it taking a while in front of cameras. so part of that is this question about debbie rowe. what is the latest information there? >> you know, she is still a player in all of this.

and whether or not she is a player because she wants more money or just something as simple as visitation -- you know, she also has her own kind of image in mind and she does not want to be seen as a monster who completely abandoned these kids. so i mean i'm not a fortune teller but i would guess this probably may be less about money and more about, okay, give me visitation rights and let's call it a deal. >> what about some of this reporting about the possible biological father of some of the children possibly throwing his hat into the ring. >> well, this would be dr. klein who was the dermatologist and he has not emerged yet and said anything. i mean if he is the father, ann, i would be very surprised if he ever said anything, because i would guess that there would have been some kind of agreement signed between him and michael, if it was a cash deal, where he would say -- where michael would say you can never talk about it, ever. >> but at this point he's not in the court papers so that's really a side-burner issue.

>> that's correct. >> let's talk about the investigation into the death. i know that "time" magazine has recently reported investigators are looking at criminal charges, including homicide. where are we in terms of understanding who gets blamed, if anyone, for this death? >> well, as you know, l.a.'s not exactly the model city for investigating crime. they want to get this right after a series of big failures. and what they did with the anna nicole case was really good. they took their time and they investigated it. it took two years. i think this is going to take a long time. i think homicide's almost out of the question. it is going to be almost impossible to prove that any doctor had a premeditated motive to kill michael jackson. michael jackson, after all, saw a lot of doctors over the years, took numerous medications, and it is going to be nearly impossible to prove that anybody wanted to kill this guy. i think involuntary manslaughter may be the outcome. >> so you think this could take two years? >> well, it could take two years

in the case of anna nicole smith. >> you think it will take as much as -- >> i think if not a year -- i would not be surprised if it is two years. they want to get this right and this is going to take a lot of time. >> this is not the last we'll hear of it. >> oh, no. >> peter castro, thank you so much. coming up here on "today," is paula abdul actually about to leave "american idol"? she's been a judge on the show since the beginning. but after eight seasons there are some questions about whether she'll walk out on the franchise. also coming up this morning, that ugly bulge we've all got at some point in our lives or another. how to get rid of back fat right after this. this is a typical snack bar.

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the one kids want to eat. in take it off today, back fat. you may not see it coming, it sneaks up from behind but it is something you shouldn't turn your back on for the sake of your health, as well as look. "prevention" magazine has tips to help you get rid of that unsightly back fat. liz, good morning. we could pretend we don't know what we are talking about. but when you've got the bra and it hits you right in the back and you have that tight t-shirt and you think, it's happening to me. >> there are two areas right underneath the shoulder blades and where that bra hits. then right be neath the waist, right before where the pants hit. >> what causes back fat? when you are young, you don't have it. then all of a sudden, boom, it's there. >> it's a natural part of the

aging process. we start to lose muscle tone, skin sags a little and as we gain weight, it makes it a little rse. but ill-fitting clothes can also be a culprit. >> that's when i take "this t-shirt is so not happening," throw it away. is back fat a hazard though specifically? >> it's not. any excess fat on your body raises the risk of heart disease. we want to maintain a healthy weight but there is nothing inherently dangerous about back fat, unlike belly fat which can be very dangerous. >> is there an exercise you can target specifically to try and get rid of that back fat? overall obviously losing weight would help. >> you want to maintain cardio, five days a week, 30 minutes of heart-pumping cardio. you want to get rid of calories that are coming into your body. eat a healthy diet. but you can spot-tone, you can spot-deruse. but as you get rid of the fat over the muscle you want to target, strengthen and sculpt the muscles underlying. >> the more muscle you have, the more fat-burning potential you have as well.

have you a couple of moves that we can try at home to tone the back. we have someone here nice enough to show us how. >> natalie, our fitness editor from "prevention." >> first the super man or super woman. >> this is the super man. you'll do ten reps of these twice a day. you'll lift and lower your legs and your arms simultaneously and hold for a beat at the top and lower. this will target that lower part of the back that causes what we call the muffin top, the fat that spills over -- >> i didn't know what that is. >> yeah. we'll do ten reps of these. >> every day? >> two to three times a week. okay? the xt move is a seated row. this is going to target the top, the middle and top part of your back. >> have you one of those bands can you get just about anywhere. >> almost any drugstore or sporting goods store. you'll hook them around the ends of your feet. put one end of the band in each hand, pull back smaimultaneousl

the back of the shoulder blades. hold, then release. 10 to 12 reps, two to three times a week. the back fat, because we don't have so much fat, can you start to see results in two to three weeks. >> that's exciting. >> the results happen fairly quickly. >> the next es exercise you cane with a chair or stand up. >> this is going to be a lat pull-down. again take the band, make sure it is pretty taut. raise your arms over your head. one arm will remain an anchor. it is going to stay in place. the other arm's going to come down to a 45-degree angle. you are working the entire arm. you see natalie's muscles bulging there. you are also working right under the armpit, the area that the bra can -- >> can you use weights with this or do you need the band? >> you can use weights as well if you hold one arm tight. then pull the other one down. >> you want to do ten of those as well if. >> yeah, do ten of those as

well, twice a day. >> the last exercise, a bent-over row. here we have the weights. >> we'll bend over, keep your knees a little bit soft. the back straight. again you're going to be pulling both weights back and squeezing at the top. you're going to squeeze those shoulder blades together. this again is going to target that muscle that's right under the blades so that if you have a bra that's too tight or too loose, the muscles underneath are going to keep things in place. >> that's great. thanks, liz. these are great exercises everyone can do. again youay you see results very quickly. >> you'll have better posture, you'll be able to move more easily throughout the day. >> and you can wear any t-shirt you want. >> and look fantastic. >> thanks, liz. still to come on "today," is paula abdul saying good-bye to "american idol"? her future as a judge is now in question. we'll find out more about that. question. we'll find out more about that. but first these messages. to break the bank. thatg you're in the right place. only progressive gives you the option to name your price. here. a price gun? mm-hmm.

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to a deep micro-clean. olay deep cleansers reach the micro-particles of dirt some basic cleansers can leave behind for a clean so deep its micro-clean. olay deep cleansers. is paula abdul about to walk away from "american idol"? her manager is fueling speculation that his client will not be back next season. but recent reports on a big payday for host ryan seacrest and another on the way for fellow judge simon cowell, abdul's manager says she's hurt, she's angry and may not return for season nine. from the unusual -- >> touchdown! >> reporter: -- to the emotional. >> you've moved me from the beginning. >> reporter: -- to the confrontational. >> basically she's saying you'd make a good rapper. >> i didn't say that! no, i didn't.

>> reporter: paula abdul has been a fixture on "american idol" for the past eight seasons but her new manager tells the "los angeles times" it appears paula will not be back on "american idol" xt season, saying, "she's not a happy camper as a result of what's going on. she's hurt, she's angry." >> this is "american idol." >> reporter: so what is going on? show host ryan seacrest has reportedly signed a three-year, $45 million deal, making him tv's highest paid reality host. >> i do actually agree with paula. >> reporter: there is also talk of a major contract in the works for judge simon cowell. >> the timing of paula's "i might not be coming back" headline is so sufficient because we just heard ryan seacrest struck a three-year deal that nets him essentially $15 million per year. if paula abdul didn't try to put something on the bargaining table, we'd all think she was crazy. >> reporter: abdul took to her twitter page over the weekend to thank her fans saying i'm actually moved 2 tears upon reading the enormous amount of

tweets showing me your kindness, love and undying support. god bless all of you. if it weren't for you this specific time and situation would feel a whole lot worse." >> kara, were you happy with last week in general? >> well, you know, there were some contestants that were better than others. >> reporter: last season "american idol" changed formats by adding a fourth judge, kara. >> ratings have been slipping. they don't want to see their rating gold, paula abdul, slip out the door as well. >> she'll be back. when we come back -- >> like arnold schwarzenegger? >> i'll be back. >> like arnold schwarzenegger? >> i'll be back. after your local news. bit of a trim. looking sexy! when you demand the very best... oh, yeah.

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monday morning, hazy skies. tom will have the forecast after the news. i'm eun yang. it's monday, july 20, 2009. in the news, the case against a man accused in the deaths of eight people in a street racing crash is expected to begin today. it happened in february 2008 along indian head drive way. two were racing when ll'six t d.hiowcr

good morning. it's mostly cloudy, temperatures climbing into the low 70s, hit the low 80s later on today. there is a small chance of a passing shower or thundershower later on and greater chance tomorrow. >> a live look along 395 at the 14th street bridge, cleared out for the commute, one more stop, south of town to the wilson

bridge, okay. report of a broken-down car inner loop of the beltway, reported in the right lane so it's going to slow north from little river turnpike. >> tonight on "news 4 at 5:00" a new oh, hi! welcome back to progressive.com! how's that car insurance? great! just bought a house... and you just heard progressive offers homeowner's insurance. yeah! i also heard i could save a bundle -- because progressive already insures your car. yeah, and i like -- one-stop shopping! right. i know! anything else i should know? yes -- make sure you stay away from shag carpeting. getting your auto and home insurance all in one place -- now that's progressive. call or click today.

in the last two years i love her more than i ever loved her. she taught us all how to cope. she's extraordinary. i don't know what i'll do without her. >> that's what ryan o'neal said just before his long-time love farrah fawcett love her well-documented battle with cancer. tomorrow on "today" he'll be speaking for the first time since her death about his love and his loss. tough time in all that. it's been some weeks now. maybe he's been able to deal with it. on a much lighter note in this half hour, we'll talk about

summer. >> it is often called the dog days of summer. that doesn't always mean the weather is friendly to dogs. the heat can be very dangerous for your furry friends. we'll have tips how to keep them cool, comfortable and more importantly, safe this summer. >> maybe after you've done all that, you can take them on a little picnic. we have tips for packing the perfect picnic. 'tis the season for outdoor dining but making your picnic prettier with trendy eats. we have some great ideas for you. also some ideas this morning about a room makeover. if you have a room that needs a new look but can't afford one, we'll have an exciting opportunity this morning. >> an interior decorator from hgtv's "rate my space" will bring his expertise to one lucky viewer. get all the info at todayshow.com. >> how about a weather makeover? >> for the week ahead, below

normal conditions in new england, great lakes down into the lower mississippi river valley. above normal out west. much above normal in the interior pacific northwest. precipitationwise, looking a little damp along the east coast, especially mid-atlantic, southeast and down into northern florida. showers an plains, wet weather in the four corners area. wet also in the c it's mostly cloudy and pleasant this morning around the washington region. we've had a few sprinkles advancing to t north out of central virginia. temperatures are climbing into the low 70s, now 73 in washington, we'll only hit the low 80s later on today. much cooler than average. quite a bit of cloudiness, a small chance of an afterno shower or thundershower, a greater chance tonight and tomorrow. then a small chance again on wednesday. a little warmer. a greater chance of precipitation thursday. friday into the weekend mostly dry and hotter. >> and that's your latest weather. coming up next, how to keep

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announcer: what if we could use the sun... - ( ac blowing ) - ...to help keep us cool? ( women vocalizing ) solar-powered ventilation... to help cool you, available on the third-generation prius. it's harmony between man, nature and machine. this morning on "today's pets," tips for keeping your hot pet cool. founder and editorial director of "animal fair" magazine wendy diamond has important hot weather safety advice for you and your four-legged friends. wendy, good morning. we've heard this morning over and over again but yet we see it when i'm walking in to the

grocery store, you see people leaving their pets in their vehicles. >> absolutely. people don't realize that the car, even in the shade, can get up to 120 degrees. if you're sitting in the sun, they say ten minutes only. you absolutely should never leave your pets in a heated car. >> there are warning signs of heat stroke for pets. >> absolutely. it's the staggering gait, when they walk they can barely -- heavy breathing, really loud breathing. also their tongue and their gum tissue is red. if that happens you should absolutely take them in to the shade, cool them off, put ice on their bellies, put water on their paws and make sure they're cooled off. >> we should point out, it is in the just leaving your pet in a hot care. if you walk them during the hotter hours of the day, it can be dangerous. >> absolutely. you should do it early in the morning. especially in new york city in central park, if you bring them earlier than 8:00 in the morning they can go free. it is very important you bring them early in the morning or later when the sun goes down. during midday, it is so hot, it

can cause heat stroke. >> you have tips on providing ade -- these are little doggles. >> just like people, uv rays are bad for dogs. thee also protect from all the beach, the sand, debris. they're actually comfortable for the dogs. he does not even mind! that's a great way to protect them from the sun. >> and she looks cool. >> another thing is this. sunburn. dogs -- some dogs who don't have all the fur to protect them actually get sunburned. like on their noses, spots where they don't have a lot of fur. >> these are cool collapsible water dish? >> when you're walking your dog and it is really hot, you need water. you grab the bottle. this fits in your back pocket. it is really important also, no metal. metal gets really hot tcan burn the dog. another thing is the umbrella. it is really important to shade them. when you're on the beach it is

important just like people, put them under a tent, an umbrella. that's adorable especially if you're walking them. it protects them from the sun when walking. >> you say it is important to keep your vaccinations up to date. >> 100%. definitely in the summer there's heart worm. it is cost by mosquitoes. absolutely you have to protect them from like four months, give them heart worm medicine. also fleas and ticks. keep them groomed. it is also important in terms of their safety. >> fleas and ticks. she's got none, right? >> make sure you also give them the frontline, protect them from fleas and ticks as well. >> we also know dogs hit anything that hits the ground. >> first, it is horrible to give them people food especially if they get into -- you're having a picnic, there's chicken bones, that could actually kill them. also citrus foods. any kind of fruit that has

citrus, that's very toxic to a dog. >> i see little food pads over there for the dogs? >> those are good year-round. those are to protect them from the hot pavement, from the hot sand. also they can use those during the winter for ice and all the chemicals on the ground when they try and break down the ice. those are a great product to have. >> we see a heavy screen on your window, it can save your cat's life. >> cats during the summer months get very anxious. during the summer months it is a high probability that more so than in the winter months they'll jump out of the window. major, very important to make sure they have strong screens so your cats don't jump out the window. >> thank you so much for these great tips. thank you. coming up next, how to pack eerfectct picnic. right after this.

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basket, and pack a piic. daily candy came up with a must-have for your next outdoor dining experience. danielle, good to see you. >> good morning, al! how are you? >> you say we're going to do the perfect picnic. >> what could be more all-american, more summery? you know it is our job to find the latest and greatest stuff so i brought some. we're going on a picnic. >> start with the basket. >> of course, you need the basket. it is sort of the crux of the picnic. these are made by hand of river grass in ghana. so they are $30. all of the proceeds go back to the communities that make them. i think it is important to -- >> you having a good time? >> have a good time and think about helping others while you do it. toss everything in there and you are looking great. >> next something to sit on. >> of course, you can do the old bath sheet. that's cool, too. we found these really lovely

turkish cotton woven things. these look super fancy and they're less than $40. they're from a store called distance in l.a. >> if you're going on a picnic and going with our director, obviously there's probably going to be alcohol. >> it is a likely scenario. >> but you don't want to carry the heavy bottle. >> they always make me carry the basket. i'm fine with the gear but why not lighten your load? this is sometng you can get at outdoor stores. you pour the bottle of wine in here and you seal it. wine lovers will tell you it preserves the wine better than a recorked bottle. you lighten your load and you keep it tasting delicious. >> i love these recycled u tense les. >> they are made out of sustainabsustain a sustainable birch. they are about $8 for a trillion of them. >> a trillion! >> they sort of make it a little nicer and a little lovelier and you aren't wasting plastic.

>> assume you are on a wine with our director. >> you just take a window marker and you write whatever you want on the glass to make sure -- it will wash off but it will stay while you're using it. >> you say honey comb. >> this is really intriguing. you're like what in the world? it is visually delicious. savannah bee produces fresh honeycomb. that is the life's work of two bees. your guests can smear it on bread, fruit, with cheese. it is really the condiment to remember and it is good for you and it tastes great. >> you use a little bread and little apple slice and some honeycomb -- and you're set. >> what more do you need? you are going to love this dessert. crumb daddies. a really neat lady in new york make these, milton point sweep is the company.

it's like top of the muffin but top of the crumb cake. it is all the top of the crumb cake. >> a great idea. what are some of the other desserts? >> all sorts of delicious things. crumb mamas have chocolate and nuts an sort of jazz it up a little bit. but really delicious handmade sweets. >> this is the one we've been waiting for. >> everybody wants to think you'll be all set but there's always going to be a little spill. these are from flight one, a neat travel store. they come in the guise of a packet of pills. these take up absolutely no room. you throw a bunch of these in, then throw in a little bit of water. for that inevitable spill, you don't have to make anyone feel guilty. >> they look like mints. >> be careful, do not eat the towels. but dab a little water and you are ready. it is good to be prepared. >> look at that! whoa! just watch it!

it's amazing! >> it can be your entertainment, too. >> wow! look at that! >> if you are suitably entertained and the pick lick lasts a little longer, you want some romantic light -- al, i told you this was going to turn into something special. >> these are solar powered? >> yes. you set them out and they charge during the day when you're playing with towels, then by night they're ready to glow. they are from a store called bambico. all day, all night we are picnicking, having fun -- >> and you havehese tissues that go in the water! >> it is pretty much a perfect day. >> thank you, danielle. back in a moment with kathie lee and her special guest co-host,

all right. time to check in with kathie lee gifford and her special co-host while hoda takes a day or two off, the lovely, the talented tori spelling. >> so hpy to be here. >> you look beautiful. both of you do. >> we sort of knew each other through the years. >> definitely. >> we're going to talk abouter reality series. we'll talk about yoga. i'm available. >> are you a big yoga fan, tori? >> i have a 2 and 1-year-old so i have to admit that i'm not very good at it. >> we have a script today. >> i was talking to a woman who said i went to go ask paul mccartney for an autograph and they said, i couldn't. i couldn't. because he was so -- can you imagine being a young group from dublin ireland and now you're opening for paul mccartney?

come on. >> are you a little nervous? >> no, don't say that! >> it's too late. >> she knew she had to work with you. >> did you watch the show last week? >> no. >> do i always watch the show. >> tell them what you told me. that ours is the favorite hour. come on! >> i didn't say that, ann. i didn't say that at all. i love every hour. >> i did mention she's a tv star? >> i just checked this morning, she has a pulse. >> are you thinking i really wish i had backed out? >> not at all. >> it's not too late, baby. >> been

9:56 is your time. 71 degrees. tom will tell you what the day is shaping up to look like. i'm eun yang. it's mony, july 20, 2009. police are warning bicycle owners to be on guard after a rash of thefts happening in parts of the district and northern virginia. bike shop owners say thieves often steal bikes to sell for parts. people are urged to secure their bikes and take them in at night. metro riders can expect delays on the red line. there are fewer trains and running slower than normal. these delays continue through at least thursday while investigators continue to look into the cause of last month's

deadly crash. passengers are advised to add 30 minutes to their commute. 18 rest stops will close to shrink a budget gap. on 95 in daly city closes for cars. in september. now let's get a roundup of weather and traffic. good morning, tom. >> it's a mostly cloudy monday morning and temperatures are not warming much. we're enthe low 70s. on radar we're picking up light showers across north central virginia in orange county drifting north into culpepper. it will be dissipating as it moves north. we don't have precipitation elsewhere, in the low 70s now, only going to climb into the low 80s. and maybe a small chance of an afternoon shower or thundershower and greater chance tonight. and greater chance on tuesday. mostly cloudy and still much cooler than average. the average is near 90. on wednesday, partly cloudy, looks like warmer, a small

chance of a passing shower or thundershower mainly in the afternoon. a greater chance on thursday. friday into the weekend, getting hotter. but probably a small chance of showers. and thundershowers. highs near 90 by sunday. how's the traffic? >> we're doing pretty well, crews are patching pot holes as a result the outer loop of the beltway getting -- as you leave the 270 spur slow at the two left lanes closed. headed downtown 395 northbound, to the 14th street bridge cleared out. outbound looks good down to the capitol beltway. >> thank you. tonight on "news 4 at 5:00" a new website to organize finances and manage spending. fios guy! where ya headed?

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call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v before time runs out on this astonishing offer. captions paid for by nbc-universal television hi, everybody. it is mopped, it is july 20th. welcome to our program. and no, you don't have to adjust your set. this is not hoda kotb. might be a little different human being. this is tori spelling. >> i know it is surprising to hear nbc news and tori spelling in the same sentence. >> you know what? i laugh every day when nbc news comes up with my name? i laugh, too. but welcome! welcome! >> thank you. so good to be here.

>> you are on our sister netw k network, oxygen. have you a big old hit with your husband and little one. >> i love doing it. it is like the perfect home video to have for the rest of my life and torture my kids when they look back and see me changing poopy diapers. >> i was reading your book. unfortunately, it came out the same week mine did and has been kicking my rear end on "the new york times" best seller list ever since yours came out. congratulations. >> it is like the story of my life and career. just when i think everyone's taking me down, i rise back up. >> you know what? i think the both of us have a little bit in common that way. that attitude of somebody sort of labels you early on and you spend the rest of your life trying to prove toeople that you're not that label and there's so much more to you than that label. what was the hardest part of that being aaron spelling's daughter, therefore everybody thought you were handed everything?

>> definitely, yeah. aaron spelling's daughter. then came "90210." it was always something i couldn't get out of. i was finally, i can't get past the tori spelling so i'm going to give them tori spelling. and that seems to work. reality show, my book. >> you'll have the last laugh because you're still here. i just outlived my critics. they hated me but they died. you know what i'm saying? >> chelsea's still alive. >> maybe it is because you guys are battling on the book seller list. she's had a very big book on the list for months. >> she's very successful. she''s a very funny woman. she just hates me. >> i bet you're right. i bet she doesn't. >> does she know you? >> she does know me. >> then she probably hates you -- no, just kidding! no. i think she's found something that gets a reaction. you know what i mean? so she goes and she's a comedian. >> i have to think about it, if

it is worthy of her talking about me, maybe it means i'm worthy of people watching. >> long ago had you to develop a thick skin. >> definitely. >> but you don't stop being a human being. >> it still hurts. >> yeah. you want to talk about -- >> being called a man always sucks. >> a man? i hadn't heard that one. i'm sorry. maybe i'm not getting out enough. >> really? no, she said that. >> i'm sitting next to a very beautiful young lady. >> thank you. >> i saw her naked, she's very much a woman. you know where most of it comes from, sweetie? you know this -- it's jealousy. most of it comes from jealousy. people see you, they see you as maybe the girl who had everything, or the girl who has too much. and maybe the girl who was -- and they're not that person. they feel like i had to work my way up. but if you read your book, you're very honest about the struggles you've bn through, very honest about your ups and your downs, mostly your downs with your momhich a lot of

people can relate to. >> definitely. >> so writing the book had to be for you an incredibly cathartic -- this is your second best-seller. >> this is my second book, yes. so from the first book to the second kid, what's the biggest change? dealing with the kids? >> it would be the way people react. after the first book it was a whole different reaction. people would come up to me and all of a sudden they had something in common with me because on the surface it may seem like actors live in a different world. when you start to write about it, people realize, wow, it's a different community but they go through the same issues. you have the same problems with relationships, you're still raising kids. you do the best job that you can. >> i was reading the book a little bit this morning so i could have more knowledge on from the last time we interviewed you. i was struck by how much you said you were aware that your early years, your life, were not normal. >> they were not normal. >> yet you say your greatest hope is that you will somehow provide a normal life for your own children.

>> right. >> and yet, how possible is that, tori? first of all, what's normal anymore anyway? >> i struggle with that daily. what is normal? we're always taught what normal is. growing up, i thought whatever i had wasn't normal because that's what everyone would tell me. live in a big house, you get everything. have you a father that makes magic on television. you're not normal. i was like how do i get that normal? finally in my second book i have to find out i can't find out normal because normal is an illusion. >> are you happy with your life now? is it good to be tori spelling? >> it is. for the first time i can say that without being embarrassed. >> you should be. you've worked hard. >> for so many years i felt so embarrassed, tori spelling. now i'm like i love being tori spelling, i love my family. >> you love your husband, you love your kids. you have quite a few projects. first, you can suck on a lollipop if you want.

it is official lollipop day. somebody's making money off of this. >> who knew? my son would be very excited. i probably shouldn't say i give my 2-year-old log by pops. >> you are a terrible mother, mommy dearest. >> i like this one personally for children because can you close it. because our carpets are just thrashed, they're like la, la, la, and they toss it on the carpet. >> i asked her if her kids were with her today. she said, no, they're in california at the beach. then one of the things 're discussing today is the fact that there are health hazards. a new study by the university of north carolina and u.s. environmental protection agency -- pretty official stuff -- beachgoers who dig in the sand are about 23 13% more likely to suffer from stomach ailment than those who don't. beachgoers who bury themselves in sand like you recently did this year -- i think we have a

picture -- were more likely to get gas toe intestinal illness or die rye arrheadiarrhea. >> i thought i was just having a nice day on the beach and basically i was being buried in fecal matter apparently. >> apparently that's what it is. so this is good at the beach because you can close it up and it will fall in the sand and turn into fecal matter. you can't go anywhere anymore! >> what people don't know. you encounter people every day of your life. there was a big thing about restaurants, you go in where they first have mints at the hostess station, they say don't touch the mints. people go in the bathroom, don't wash their hands, then grab a bunch of mints. you're touching someone else's fecal matter. >> so now you don't do it? >> i still do it. at the end of the day, as a mom, we touch so much fecal matter

anyway. some other person's fecal matter, whatever. what's it going to do? >> i don't know, i haven't had cody or cassidy afecal matter for many, many years, thank god all rightee. we're going to have a lot of fun for the next couple of days. i understand that you are a big champagne drinker. this is the happy hour of the "today" show. so welcome. a toast to you. you're here with me through wednesday. we'll get way beyond fecal matter, to your sex life by tomorrow. >> okay. in the meantime, what's up, miss sara? >> check out my bling. okay. a question for tori from alicia -- do you ever read gossip magazines and when the articles are about you and your hubby, how do you keep from getting upset? >> of course i read them. just like everyone else. in the market. best was recently i was in the market, i was having a pretty good day, feeling good about myself. and -- >> that wasn't going to last long. not in the market. >> and, yeah. i was walking and there i was on the cover and it said "crater

cleavage." >> see? men don't have crater cleavage. >> i have crater cleavage. >> never heard the term. >> the rest of the day i told my husband he couldn't call me my name, had he to call me crater cleavage. yes, of course i read it. just like everyone else. >> read it, don't buy it. coming up, dos and don'ts at the beach. it doesn't have anything to do with the sand. it has everything to do with what you're wearing. we have a great show today. stay with us. 6

this morning on "today's don'ts to do" whand not to wear on the beach. too tight, too little, too skimpy. fashion faux pass when it comes to the beach. >> our expert from "glamour" magazine hit the sand to clean it up.

>> the beach is the best place for dos and don'ts. we're here in jones beach, new york. we brought with us three racks of swim suits and a pop-up tent so we could talk people into going into the tent and trying on our swim suits. >> there's nothing bad with your bathing suit. >> the detail here. >> this is a purp the swimsuit. what were you thinking when you bought that swimsuit? >> rule number one, big prints only make you look bigger. see this? uno, dos. do these two things really come together? >> this isn't a perfectly safe swimsuit. this does nothing for your body. >> see how this shows the lumps and bumps?

you want a bathing suit that has much more compression so it is going to bring everything in. >> when you don't have this -- >> we could do better. >> i don't think so. >> nah. >> you could be a size 24 and look much better than someone who's a size 2. you just have to have the right swimsuit. >> all right, susie's back with us. great woman to go with to jones beach. >> i lov doing it. it is so easy and it is so much fun. everybody looks so much better. you don't have to have a good body, you just have to have a good bathing suit. >> and a good attitude. let's take one more look at the before. >> these were three friends, by the way. >> that's great. now let's see melissa, stephanie and linda.

hello, ladies -- and welcome! >> you are great. >> you are. >> it is freezing here on set. >> are they standing right where they were supposed to. >> more lined up, ladi. >> mechanical today i put in a tankini but the one was she wearing before she had when she was 20 pounds heavier. so she lost 20 pounds. >> good for you! >> we are promoting the fact that we should update herself with some stripes. can supports her breasts, it hides her stomach and the dark on the bottom draws your eye up to her gorgeous face. >> do you feel better? >> yes. >> stephanie, before was wearing a tankini. i don't love them because if you're self-conscious about your stomach you're constantly pulling on it. this is by miracle suit so it suction you in an entire size. it is like the little black dress of bathing suits. >> spanx on the beach. >> yes. it is just sexy, flattering.

if you can face forward a little bit, the neckline is so swimming. it gives her a waist. >> she has a waistline right here. >> you look great. does that make sense to you, too? yeah. >> yes, it does. >> you don't have to think about what you're wearing. just have a great time at the beach and you look amazing. >> and linda, before was wearing a bikini. she laughed at me because she said i was making fun of her. she had no torso left because her bust was hanging down. >> that happens. >> bottom was too tight, she was getting a muffin top. this has a hidden underwire so it is lifting and supporting her bust. then the black bottom just really brings it all in and gives her a torso. >> i love the black and white. >> yeah. again the darker is lower on the body. what is the biggest mistake everybody makes going to the beach? >> it is the same thing as in bras. they don't adjust their straps so their busts are either

hanging out or they're a little bit too low or they don't buy a bathing suit over two years. bathing suits stretch out. people buy them and then never get another one. >> some people are wearing bathing suits that are ten years old. >> my biggest problem is i'm a different size on top than i am on bottom. i love when designers sell a different size on the top, different size on bottom because we're not all built the same way. everybody is selling separates now. >> is there an age when we should put the bikini away? >> no. >> i saw cloris leachman in a bikini. >> i happened to feel more comfortable in a one piece and i think they sometimes look sexier than a two-piece? women look so sexy in their one piece. >> ladies, are you ever going to go to the beach again with those faux pass ever again? because she will come and she will find you. >> they better not because we gave them those bathing suits. >> wear them proudly, ladies. you look beautiful.

>> don't dig in the sand or you'll get fecal matter on you. >> better off going to the pool. though i think you'll find a couple fec pellets there, too. with your kids. thank you, susie. thank you so much. when we come back we're going to learn -- you ready for this? >> i think i am. >> yo-yo things from a champion. right after this.

pat traded in the ups and downs of wall street for another type of up and down, he's the world yo-yo champion. he'll defend his title next week in new york city. >> pat is also the founder of yo-yo nation. he's here with some of his yo-yo friends to show us how it's done. good morning, pat. >> i started in high school. because i was walking by a comic book store, had change in my

pocket and spent $2 on a yo-yo. >> changed your life. >> didn't know two take me here. >> was it instinct? did you immediately say, i can do this? >> i really like the way it felt going up and down. turned into winning a contest and doing some tours for a yo-yo company. here i am. >> you can make a living at anything these days. look at that! do you actually go places? without your yo-yo? >> no. >> do you feel a little lost without it? >> i have a nice little holder here for my yo-yo. i carry it around everywhere i go. >> who are these kids behind you? they all -- >> they're all demonstrating different styles of yo-yo. ryan demonstrating a style called 1-a. giovanni looks like he's doing 1a as well. richard is doing 5-a. it's not actually connected to the finger. andrew is doing a style called

off-string where the yo-yo is not actually connected to the string. >> someone told me you have a person nent permanent indentation on your finger. >> look at that! it is dangerous to be a yo-yo -- that's fascinating. >>show us why you're the champion of the entire world. in other words, prove it. >> this is called two-age. you can change that up and do a lot of different types of variations. you go inside, outside, mix it up with around the world. you can do a trick called milking the cow. >> is th the new walking the dog? >> giovanni, this is a new walk the dog, it is a grind where the yo-yo actually makes contact with your skin. >> you have to practice for years to get this good at this.

>> yo-yo technology or technology of yo-yos these days makes it a lot easier. >> there are different kinds of yo-yos here. who would a total novice know how to buy a yo-yo. >> there are a lot of different advice on our website to point you to different types of yo-yos. >> there's the basic one you can't go wrong with. something with me, just to get it up and down. >> try these out right here. these are actually pretty -- >> it has to match. that's important. >> the blue goes with her beautiful necklace which is by the way her own line. thought i'd get that in for you. >> thank you. >> we're almost out -- darn! we have no time. thank you so much, pat. we'll be right back.

40 years ago today american astronauts reached t moon for the first time. today we'll hear from the men who helped make history and hear from those pausing to remember the achievement. i'm eun yang. also ahead we're following a developing story, an american soldier captured and detained in afghanistan. and what you need to know about a plan to close down a number of rest stops in virginia.

and as a progressive customer, you get to use any of our concierge claim centers. so i can just drop off my car and you'll take care of everything? yep, even the rental. what if i'm stuck at the office? if you can't come to us, we'll come to you in one of our immediate response vehicles! what if mother won't let me drive?

then you probably wouldn't have had an accident in the first place. and we're walkin'! and we're walkin'... making it all a bit easier -- now that's progressive! call or icy.k da making it all a bit easier -- now that's progressive! to >> announcer: today's travel is brought to you by -- chevy. this morning on "today's travel," virtualtours.com, a website dedicated to all things travel has put together a their favorite items to take on vacation. >> john is the general manager of virtualtours.com. good morning. >> you said you were tak larly excited about this because traveling with little ones is not fun. >> i thought it was a beze the first year. now with a 1 and 2-year-old, not

fun. you try to keep them active, entertained an save everyone else's quiet. >> what you got, gene? >> we got some great things. this is called the plain sheet. it is for everybody's inner germ-a-phobe. you don't know if somebody was drooling on this. >> i never thought that before. there could be you-know-what pellets on there. >> fecal. >> yes! could be full of fecal. that would be bad. >> these are great. they come in all kinds of different fabrics for the fashion conscious. different sizes for economy seats and first class. >> you're kidding! it comes in different sizes? >> absolutely. you can get it monograms as well. >> can you imagine? >> that's fantastic. actually i'm ruling that out. this is perfect for my kids because they literally trash the seats. i'm so embarrassed. i'm cleaning up yf wards. people are leaving the plane. >> it is embarrassing. how much does that run? >> that was about $25.

everything is under $50. most of it is $10 to $20. >> absolutely. works for me. >> this is a trable cloth. it is a kid's activity center. it is a little vinyl sheet. you can put the activity sheets here. they come from the website. the neat thing is when you close it up you don't have to take the cloth off. it has pockets for your pens and things. >> that's amazing. >> thank you very much. >> same thing? under $50? >> oh, yes, absolutely. i think that runs $20. >> what's the age range? >> probably 3 to 8 years old. you can use them -- businessmen can use them if they just want a clean area to work on. >> i can't see a businessman using that. >>probably don't want the cartoons on it. this is calleded ride-on carry-on. my sister swears by this thing. it is a little seat that straps on to your roll-away luggage. you put your child on there, there is a connected head rest.

when you're off to the races, you take that with you, child, luggage, all in one. >> or if we use this in l.a., someone will have their dog in there. >> absolutely. >> this is called the luggage locating. it is a little bit like a low-jack for your luggage. put the receiver on your bag, put it in, check it, off it goes. bring this with you. when you get off the plane, you click this, and it finds your luggage for you. sometimes when you get off with a back at the baggage carousel, they've already put your bags in the back. you know when you travel, airlines are charging a lot of fees fur bag's a little bit heavy. >> well, i like shoes. yeah. >> i just travel three pounds over, it cost me $100. you get one of these babies, you turn it on. hello.

this was about 38 pounds. you'd be pretty good. can you also switch units kilograms, pounds, whatever. >> you got your little water thing in there. >> this is really neat. this is called the to-go drink carrier. it is just a little rubber strap that attaches on the upright. you put your cupn there. when you head off, it sort of tilts down. now this cup's a little bit long but it will tilt with you so it doesn't spill. >> yes, but you can't take that through security. i'm just warning you. >> absolutely true. >> one minute for the rest. these are adorable. >> these sandals, open them up, there is a little drawer inside. you can put money in there. >> have you seen those? >> not until now. that's amazing. >> now these you pbably thought i brought my own drinks. i didn't. these are really wonderful little diversions. you open them up, boom, you can store a little bit of jewelry.

>> it looks like something. isn't. fantastic. there's actual real liquid in there so it is indistinguishable. >> i hear you love wine. >> not really. that's an ugly rumor. but go ahead. >> it is tough to bring your wine back with you. you just peel and stick, in you go and off you go. >> thank you so much. all fantastic stuff. next, you know how much our iecalors are actually really in things? we'll find out right after these lssmees ssare actually really in? we'll find out right after these messages.

this morning on "take it off today," we're playing a little game called "you ate it now negate it." unaccounted for calories can contribute to extra unwanted pound and who wants them? >> cynthia sachs is going to quiz us on calorie counting. >> because they do add up. don't they? >> yes. in you had an extra 200 calories a day you didn't burn off, you'd gain 20 pounds of body fat in a year. >> i can't believe it all snuck up on me like that. >> we have six questions for you. you guys are playing against each other. >> i hon noeft lestly do not kn

calories. >> question number one. is it true or false -- there are over 350 calories in one cup of macaroni and cheese. kathie lee? >> true. >> you are right. there's 400 calories in one cup of mac and cheese. >> you were probably going to say that. >> let's bring out our model to demonstrate. believe it or not, you have to negate that with two full hours of swimming. so instead. this is only 250 calories. a big difference. one-third of all the fiber you need for the whole day. you'll feel a lot fuller on fewer calories. >> all right. thank you. >> one point for kathie lee. i'm keeping score. number two -- how many calories are in a medium chocolate milkshake? is it, a, 450.

b, 220. or, c, 700. tori? >> a lot. " a"? >> no. kathie lee? >> 750. >> you are right. another point for kathie lee. >> you don't think about it. >> 700 calories. it would take one full hour of inline skating continuously to burn that off. so instead, at "shape," we love a chocolate-cherry smoothie, frozen cherries, one tablespoon of dark chocolate ips. loaded with antioxidants. >> these are our interns around here. thank you so much. >> two points kathie lee. tori, you got to get on the board here. >> she's been beating me on "the new york times" best-seller

list. it is only fair. >> how many calories did you just eat if you ate one piece of fried chicken with the skin? a, 200. b, 370. or, c, 410. >> 410? >> you're not right. >> no? kathie lee? >> i would have said 410, too. >> okay. that's not the right answer. guess again. >> that's the most. >> it's not the most though. it is either 200 or 370. >> 370. >> you're right. we'll give that point to tory. >> i'll take it. >> let's bring out our next intern here to show you that it would take one hour of fast dancing either disco dancing -- >> that's not fast enough. move it. move it. >> jup just for one piece of fried chicken. instead go with the grilled chicken kabob. you save over 200 calories by making that swap. you don't have that greasy, nasty saturated fat that clogs up your arteries.

number four, true or false -- a 16-ounce glass of lemonade has ess than 210 calories. tori? >> false. >> it is true. kathie lee, you get that point. >> i was going to say the same thing as her thoh. >> you would have to do been hour of gardening to burn off just a glass of lemonade. so instead we recommend going with lemon flavored seltzer, zero calories, all-natural, no artificial anything. bubbles give it that pas today that plain water doesn't have. on our board, kathie lee, three points. tori, one point. >> oh, well, that's life. next, a special musical treat this morning. they opened for sir paul mccartney this weekend at citi field. now they'll sing for us. wait until you hear the script right after this. fios guy! where ya headed?

ah, just installed fios in the whole building. now everyone has the fastest upload speeds. and we're giving them a mini netbook. well, i'm sticking with cable. so's ted.

(voice) no i'm not! he's just goofing. (voice) no i'm not! (sighing) ted has betrayed me. (announcer) unlike cable, fios brings 100% fiber optics straight to your home and when you switch now, you can get a free compaq mini netbook. just pay shipping, handling and taxes. with fios, you'll t razor-sharp tv, blazing fast internet and crystal-clear phone service all for just... sign up today. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v, and for a limited time, get an incredible compaq mini, to get the most out of your fios internet. get it all together with a great deal on fios tv, internet and phone plus get a free compaq mini netbook. just pay shipping, handling and taxes. call the verizon center for customers with disilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v before time runs out on this astonishing offer.

>> announcer: "toyota concert series" on "today" -- brought to you by toyota. toyota, moving forward. since their first visit back in march, they've continued their u.s. invasion with great success. they opened for sir paul mccartney right here in new york at citi field. their hit single "the man who can't be moved" climbs the charts. >> they're back again to perform the song "break even" of their self-titled album. wcome back. >> great to have you guys. >> cute boys. >> things have changed since march. huh? >> it's been incredible. we've been on a european tour. we got the opportunity then to two nights ago to open up for sir paul mccartney at citi field. >> does it get better than that? >> we have to say, this show has definitely led to better things. thank you very much for having us on. >> listen, we are so delighted. you brought your "a" game to

city field the other night. how could you not? i heard a little rumor you guys got a standing ovation from the crowd. >> we did. >> we are thrilled to have you here with us today! we're thrilled to have you here with us. here they are -- the script! ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ >> all right! woo! terrific. where's the next stop for you guys? >> we're at citi field again tonight. >> poor baby! >> we're starting off on an american tour, our very first in new york. >> i'm sure you got a website. >> go to the website. scriptmusic.com. check out all the dates. please come and see us. >> please give my love to sir paul. all right. we'll be back with more. but first, this is "today

allrightee. we didn't get a chance to talk about the jewelry line. >> i need to sit and talk with you for an hour. i love this. >> people who said it wouldn't work are like crazy. tell me about this. >> i'm going to be back in new york next week, working with q-tips which is one of my favorite beauty go-to products at macy's in merld square showing how you can save all that runny mascara down your fais with toothpicks. they have a lovely box you can place on your counter. >> tell us about this gorgeous jewelry line. >> this is my julie line for hsn. i's back next on august 10th. this is the new august collection. >> kids clothing line or something, too? >> i have a kids clothing line coming out this fall in stores now, bloomingdale's. >> in your spare time you're hanging out with me. i'm so delighted. let's see sara sage. >> i'm wearing tori, too. we've got some give-aways with

necklaces and the band. if you're interested in that, write tori on today. >> spell her name right. >> t-o-r-i. if you're interested in the script, write the script and we'll pick temat random. >> do you have the strength to come back tomorrow for another one? >> will you have me? >> you've been terrific. not an easy thing to be thrown into. ♪

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