good morning. harsh words. president obama slams the officers in massachusetts who arrested a prominent black scholar in his own home. >> the cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they weren their own home. >> did he go too far and rewrite the headlines that should have been about health care reform? raid. dozens of police and federal agents descend on the houston clin of michael jackson's personal doctor. are they getting closer to filing criminal charges in the singer's death? and dog's best friend.

a pet owner grabs old of the jaws of a seven-foot alligator to rescue his family's cherished pet and loses parts of his fingers in the process. we'll talk to him today, fingers in the process. we'll talk to him today, thursday, july 23rd, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this thursday morning, i'm meredith vieira. >> and i'm matt lauer. president obama's prime-time news conference last night mostly about health care. but it was the comments he made at the end of that news conference about the arrest of an african-american harvard professor last week that are getting a lot of attention this morning. >> everybody's talking about it. the president said the cambridge, massachusetts, police department quote acted stupidly, end quote, when officers arrested henry louis gates jr. for disorderly conduct after being called to his town when a neighbor suspected a burglary was taking place. of course he had a lot to say

about health care, as well. we're going to get to all of that in just a moment. >> also ahead, if you're one of those people who's been told that you should save your child's baby teeth for the stem cells they contain, question is are you being taken for aride? dr. nancy synderman will be here to fill us in on what some doctors are saying about that. >> and we'll have more of my interview with susan boyle, a singing sensation. we'll also surprise her with the two people that have inspired her most in her singing career. and i get to sing with her. can't wait for that, huh? >> wow. not sure where to go with that. maybe to this first story. the president's prime-time news conference was held last night, and some very strong comments that the president made that had nothing to do with health care. >> i don't know, not having been there and not seeing all the facts, what role race played in this. but i think it's fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry. >> the president was speaking about a man he calls his friend,

henry louis gates jr. last thursday, returning home from a week's travel, gates couldn't get the front door of his house open. after enlisting help from his driver, gates pushed his way into his own home. a woman in the neighborhood thought it was a burglary and called police. upon their arrival, cambridge police reported that gates refused to be cooperative, telling sergeant james crowley, this is what happens to black men in america. other officers were called in and gates was arrested at his home for disorderly conduct amid accusations of racial profiling, the charges were dropped tuesday, and the firestorm appeared to be dying down. until president obama spoke last night using very blunt language. >> number two, that the cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home. >> so were the president's mentions appropriate? michael eric tyson is an author

and commentator who has written tensively about race in america and michael smirconicz is host of the morning show. let's go with dicing and smirconicz. mr. tyson, let me start with you. you think this was a case of racial profiling and it's kind of emblematic of a larger problem that a lot of black men face in this country. let me ask you scifically about the president's words and his choice of words last night. what did you think? >> i think they were quite appropriate. finally somebody with a bully pulpit stepped up to articulate the growing sentiment and fashions of all americans, not just african-americans, that something has to be done to stem this tide of unfairly targeting black men in particular, latino men in particular, for crimes that all people cmit and being suspected of carrying the virus of criminality when nothing more could be untrue. the reality is he used the bully pulpit to tell the truth -- >> you say what all people are thinking. not all people agree with the president on this, and certainly the cambridge police department

doesn't agree with it. and the officer involved, the sergeant involved doesn't agree with it. and what about the fact, michael, that he said, i don't have all the facts in the case, but they reacted stupidly. how does that work? >> well, here's how it works, matt. we can assume, usually black men don't have the kind of high profile that professor gates have and don't usually have a president standing behind them to say look, let's act reasonably here. there are cases, i cases, i believe, in which police people have said things about black people, about black men, they have no kind of social status to back up their words. so i think the president said, look, i don't have all the facts here. but it is clear when aan has proved that he lives in his own home and satisfies the fact that he's not a burglar, to arrest him then, after that fact, is acting rather stupidly and acting not in the best sense of protecting the common good in cambridge, nor protecting the people of cambridge from a potential criminal. >> michael, what did you think of the president's potential use

of words? >> i think he should not have used the word stupidly. i think there was probably plenty of stupidity to go around on all sides of this case. what i notice, matt, is that whatever you look like seems to dictate how you view the facts of a case, where none of us were present. and thatells me that in this country we've still got a great deal of ground to cover in terms of race relations. the president weighed in on disputed facts and came down, admittedly, on the side of a man that he regards as his friend. but if for a moment you look at the police officer's interpretation or side of what transpired, he arrives in response to a 911 call, he's on the porch, he sees professor gates, doesn't know who professor gates is, asks him to come outside, and the first thing that occurs is professor gates says, why? because i'm a blacman in america. and from there it escalates. i think one could reasonably reach the conclusion that it was professor gates who lit the fuse on this incendiary situation. >> getting back to the president's choice of words that the cambridge police acted

stupidly, isn't this possibly and i'll go to you michael dyson on this one, isn't this one of those cases where both pties deserve the benefit of the doubt? >> well, there's no doubt about that, matt. but here's the point, racial profiling has proved that black men rarely get the benefit of the doubt, and innocent until proven guilty. >> but you keep going to the larger picture, michael, and i'm asking you about the president's comments about the cambridge police specifically. >> well, i'm talking specifically about the cambridge police. first of all mr. smerconish detailing of the story is from the policeman's viewpoint. professor gates said he was in his home. he showed s i.d. he satisfied the officer that he lived there. and then, when he followed the officer out trying to get his badge number and his i.d., then he refused to cooperate, then when he was on his porch, he was arrested. so the point is that i think that what the president is saying is that when you have satisfied the case that this man is not a criminal, in cambridge, he is not a thief, he is in his own home, athat point, yes, emotions may rise, yes, it's

harsh words may be exchanged, but the reality is that no justification to arrest this man when the initial call was for breaking and entering, a potential breaking and entering case. i think at that time the facts justified, regardless of what knowing what happened he was acting stupidly and outside the bounds of the initial call of the law. >> michael smerconish, i know you've been talking about this on our radio show. give me a sense of what people are saying about it? is it what you said a second ago, it determines how you look that determines your point of view on this? >> it's almost as if i can see where the call coming from and know how folks will weigh in on this. one thing that's not being said by anybody, if you look at that still photograph that shows professor gates in handcuffs, i take note of the fact that there is a pretty large african-american police officer right in the foreground of that picture. and by the way, the guy who took it said, and he's got no dog in this fight, he said that he saw professor gates as being agitated. look, i don't know what happened. i just am surprised that the president seems to think, and

i'm a supporter of the president, but i'm surprised that the president seems to think he does know what happened. the truth is, none of us know what happened. >> interesting debate and interesting to get both of your perspectives on this. michael and michael, thanks, guys. appreciate it. >> thank you. >> for more, here's meredith. >> matt, thank you. of course the president's real reason for holding a news conference was to seek the public's support for his plan to reform health care. so did he change any minds? nbc's chief white house correspondent chuck todd was there. good morning to you, chuck. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. well, it's been the tenth event on health care in the last ten days that the president held. but last night's news conference was as much a symposium on the issue as much as it was a give and take. >> good evening. please be seated. >> reporter: the president began by trying to calm the political waters of the health care debate. >> so folks are skeptical. and that is entirely legitimate because they haven't seen a lot of laws coming out of washingto lately that help them. >> reporter: mr. obama reiterated his pledge not to

raise taxes on the middle class. but he said he is open to a tax hike on families whose income exceeds $1 million. >> to me that meets my principle that it's not being shoulder by families who are already having a tough time. >> reporter: the president said he still wants to seek coverage for the 47 million uninsured. but acknowledged he could come up short. >> the estimates are at least 97% to 98% of americans. >> reporter: using the president's math, that could still lead 9 million to 10 million people without insurance. as for the politics of this debate, the president bristled at the notion he has been blaming republicans. >> you haven't seen me out there blaming the republicans. i've been a little frustrated by some of the misinformation that's been coming out of the republicans. >> reporter: still, he side-stepped the issue of whether it was democrats who are now the stumbling block to reform, even though they hold large majorities in congress. in nearly an hour he only answered ten questioners. at one point drifting from health care into a discussion of the deficit.

>> everybody who's out there who has been ginned up about this idea that the obama administration wants to spend and spend and spend, the fact of the matter is, is that we inherited a enormous deficit, but health care reform is not going to add to that deficit. >> reporter: now, there were two audiences last night, meredith. one was folks that are worried about health care. and they've learned that maybe their taxes won't go up, but somebody's will. probably the most wealthy americans. but then it was congress. and what they learned last night is the president is a lot more flexible on this august deadline. he didn't really say he was going to hold congress to it. and he seems to be flexible about what -- how you would define some of these things like a public insurance plan. meredith? >> all right, chuck todd, thank you. republican congressman eric cantor from virginia is the house minority whip and senator chris dodd is the chair of the senate health, education, labor and pensions committee. the only senate committee to pass a health care bill so far. good morning to both of you. >> good morning, meredith. >> congressman, if i could start

with you. you said that health care legislation currently moving through congress is taking us down a dangerous course. did you hear anything last night that would change your mind? >> meredith, what i heard last night was a president that seemed somewhat frustrated that people don't understand what this government health care plan is about. and, you kn, throughout the hour-long press conference last night, i think people still have a lot of questions about what it means for them and their families. what does the government plan mean for them? and you know, it is just imperative, i think, that we get this right. and i think that's where all of us are right now, is to make sure we don't rush to judgment, that we don't just try and get something passed, bause we all know what that can lead to, given what this congress has been about over the last several months. >> let me bring in senator dodd, becae it's not just eric cantor saying this, it's members of your own party, and increasingly the public expressing this skepticism. what specifically did the president say last night, specifically, that would change minds?

>> is that a question for me, meredith? >> yes, it is. >> i think he's trying to calm the waters. you described it well in your introduction. this is a question we're getting a lot more fear, and exaggerations about this. the president said over and over again, this is a plan where you get to keep your doctor, you make the choices, if you like the plan you have, we're not going to take it away. most people like the plans they have in this country. we need to leave alone that which is working and try to fix that which is broken. he mentioned the 47 million without insurance. there are about 30 million people in this country who are underinsured. we're consuming about 18% of our gross domestic product, 62% of bankruptcies in this country are direly related to health care crises. 50% of the home foreclosures are related to the health care crisis. >> but he still didn't specifically say how we're going to pay for this and i think that's a concern for most americans. >> it's not just the president's call. and eric made this point and i'll make it as well. obviously that's a decision that we in the congress have to decide on how to do this.

the shared responsibility. there are various ideas out there that are dploeting around but we need to stick with this. the notion somehow we ought to put this off to a later date, which some seem to be suggesting, i think is wrong. that's a washington answer. this is a problem for 70 years, meredith. it's defied the efforts of every president, democrat and republican, and every congress for 70 years. if it had been easy it would have been fixed years ago. our job now is to stick with it, because it's no longer unacceptable that we deal with health care. it's unsustainable economically. yesterday the chairman of the federal reserve board made the case again. this problem of health care must be addressed or our economic recovery is going to be difficult, if not impossible. >> what about the charges against the republicans that they are playing politics here? the president referred to republican strategist bill kristol who said even if the republicans want to compromise, better to go for the kill. he also referenced senator demint who said if the president fails here, it will break him. is that what the republicans are trying to do just by politics here? because it sounds like that. >> meredith, that's just ather

strong man argument. that's just not the case. we have said consistently that republicans do not accept the status quo. but what we want to do is make sure that we get it right. and the president said that, as well. you know, we've got questions of what actually a government health care plan means. i mean, what we've heard in the president's explanation last night was that somehow the government is going to stop doctors from being able to prescribe what it is that the patient needs. now i don't think that the families out there looking and qutioning what a government health care plan is about really want to see that happen. i think they trust their doctors. and we do have a much larger question about how to pay for this. and what we didn't hear last night was the details of what president obama's plan does, which is imposes a huge burden on small businesses. >> all right -- >> that's how he wants to pay for this plan. and right now we've got to be about job creation. >> congressman, we're running out of time. very, very quickly, the speaker

of the house nancy pelosi said she thinks she has the votes on the floor to get legislation passed by august 8th when you go on recess. yes or no, do you believe that will happen? >> you know, i think there's still a lot of unanswered questions. and if they get this thing passed next week, it will have to be a changed bill. because right now there are too many unanswered questions. >> and chris dodd, what do you think will happen on the senate side? >> we've got a good chance. we could keep working at this. but we need to keep at it. again 14,000 people today will se their health insurance, health coverage and that happens every single day. 400 people in virginia lose it today. 100 people in my state. people out across the country here. this is all washington talk. they're going through an awful lot. every one of us in congress have a good health care plan. if we had to go through what most americans are going through we'd be busy trying to fix this. >> thank you so much for your time this morning. >> thank you, meredith. >> let's move over to the news desk right now. ann is standing by. she's got all the headlines. good morning, ann. >> good morning, matt and meredith. good morning, everybody. also in the news this morning,

north korea announced today it will not re-enter six-party talks to end its nuclear program. and it blasted the u.s. for its attitude on the matter. in reaction, secretary of state hillary clinton said this morning that north korea has no friends left to protect it from u.n. sanctions. and she said north korea's nuclear ambitions could provoke a nuclear arms race in the region. there are reports that one of osama bin laden's sons was killed in a u.s. missile strike in pakistan earlier this year. it is believed that 27-year-old saad bin laden was not the target of the u.s. attack but was among those killed when a predator drone fired a missile at an al qaeda target in western pakistan. there was a show of support last night for private first class bough bergdahl captured by the taliban in pakistan. hundreds turned out for a vigil. six people are hospitalized after a shooting last night at texas southern university. police believe the shooting at a community rally may have been gang related. investigators looking into last weekend's rail crash in san

francisco are focusing on human error as the cause of the accident that sent one commuter train slamming into another, injuring more than 40 people. surveillance video of the crash was released on wednesday. general motors says sales fell 15% worldwide in the second quarter of the year, compared to the same period a year ago. but gm insists the car market is beginning to turn around. as for wall street, cnbc's melissa lee is at the new york stock exchange with more. >> good morning to you, ann. in addition to earnings and the likes of mcdonald's as well as microsoft today, investors also have a big drug deal to digest. bristol-myers is buying medarex for $200 million. the two companies have been developing a promising drug for skin cancer. good news for the american taxpayer. the u.s. government has made a 23% return on its $10 billion investment in goldman sachs through the t.a.r.p. program. that is certainly better than if it had directly invested it into the stock market. >> melissa lee this morning, thanks. and california governor arnold schwarzenegger is

defending himself against critics who complained about him going on twitter last week or rather this week brandishing a large knife while talking about budget cuts. on wednesday, the governor said people just need to relax and have a sense of humor. it is now 7:18. let's go back to meredith, matt and al. i watched the tape on twitter and he was trying to be funny. >> i think he went a bit too far with that surface-to-air missile. >> he didn't actually -- >> no, no. >> i was just kidding. >> we all need to have a sense of humor. >> just relax, matt. >> that's right. especially this weekend. because we've got a lot of wet weather to talk about. let's show you what's happening. we've got right off the coast of the carolinas, tropical moisture that's going to probably morph into a low pressure system and by this evening, it's along the new jersey coast, a low pressure area bringing soaking rains. we're talking generally about 2 to 4 inches of rain fm long island into parts of maachusetts. but some of that could migrate to the west and move into the coastal new york and new jersey.

so we're really keeping a close eye on this. clouds clog the skies over washingtonn this thursday morning. good morning. it's a humid start, temperatures in the low 70s. we do have tropical downpours, northern neck of virginia, southern maryland, the eastern shore heading south to north. other light showers shenandoah valley, panhandle of west virginia this morning. these temperatures will climb into the mid 80s by later on this afternoon. there's a likelihood of needed rain, maybe thunder and lightning into this evening. less humid tomorrow and saturday. more showers and thundershowers sunday that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thanks. and still to come, will michael jackson's personal physician be charged with manslaughter? what investigators were hoping to find during a raid on that doctor's office. but first, this is "today" on nbc. ??

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saved his dog from the jaws of a seven-foot alligator. lost the tips of a couple of fingers in the process. he'll share his story. >> plus the first grandmother, marion robinson opens up about her life in the white house. in

good morning. i'm eun yang. it is now 7:26. in july 23, 2009. police are investigating a deadly shooting in southeast washington. it happened in the 1200 block of eaton street. police found one person dead. officers also found a second person shot. that person was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. the identities of the victims are unknown. metro is planning to work with a maryland-based company to design a backup for the train control system. according to "the washington post" that is supposed to prevent crashes. the ntsb investigators have not yet pinpointed the cause of last month's deadly red line crash.

ere killed.ere injured and nink. we're going to take a break now. 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 coition. 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. ♪ till now - ♪ i always got by on my own - ( audience cheering ) ♪ i never really cared ♪ until i met you... a1 makes the burger king steakhouse burger sing. we have a shower here in northwest washington, another on the fairfax prince william county line, across southern maryland across the bay to the eastern shore. later on today may be other passing showers and maybe thundershowers this afternoon into this evening. theness humid friday and saturday. may be more showers and thunder late on sunday. >> a look along 270 corridor, dry pavement so far. we'll check things to the wilson bridge. no hang-ups to report.

pretty heavy 395 landmark to shirlington headed for downtown. >> thank you. tonight at 5:00, a sweet tea taste test. tips to keep your car running. a new way to groom your pets.

7:30 now on a thursday morning. it's the 23rd of july, 2009. we've got some rain in today's forecast here in the northeast. hopefully these people have got parkas or umbrellas handy. hopefully they won't need them too often day. by the way, if they come here tomorrow the weather promises to be a little nicer and we've got a concert out on the plaza, with pop sensation katy perry joining us live out iherehen our 8:30 ut hlfr. inside studio 1a, i'm matt lauer alongside meredith vieira. and here's a question for you at home and i'll ask meredith here. how far would you go, jasper, for example, your prized pet dog

jasper, how far would you go to protect jasper? >> you want to know how far i would go? >> that's why i asked you our question. >> our dog before jasper was willie and willie once connered a rabid raccoon at 9:00 in the morning and i ran outside with a broom to get that raccoon away. what an idiot i was. >> did you get hurt? >> no, but after that happened i think that was a crazy thing to do. >> what happened to willie? >> willie's fine. the raccoon -- >> you want to know about me and pets? or is this all about you? >> would you ever save a pet f >> i had a goldfish named willie and i would pretty much go to the depths of his tank to save him. >> which toilet d you flush him down. >> oh, see! m. vieira. >> just ahead we're going to talk with a man from florida who went to extremes to rescue his family's beloved dog from the jaws of a seven-foot alligator. why did he do it?

and would he do it again? we'll ask him. >> also ahead, first grandmother marion robinson. talked openly about her experiences living in the white house. we're going to hear from her coming up. >> plus more of our exclusive interview with susan boyle. she dreamed of becoming a famous singer for more than two decades before walking onto the "britain's got talent" stage and later we're going to have her thoughts on that long strigle and her sudden success. but let's begin with dratic developments in the michael jackson case. exactly one month after the singer's death. police and federal agents have now raided the office of jackson's personal physician. the doctor who was with him when jackson died nbs jeff rossen is in los angeles. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning to you. no question about it, the criminal investigation just jumped to the next level. detectives flew from here all the way to texas looking for evidence. searching the office of dr. conrad murray. this morning his own lawyer confirms police are trying to build a case for manslaughter.

it was unexpected. los angeles police and federal drug agents showed up at dr. conrad murray's office in texas, armed with a search warrant. he worked out of this medical clinic in houston. they spent more than two hours inside. >> searching for drugs? >> no drugs. this was just records. >> reporter: according to dr. murray's attorney, detectives collected 21 documents, along with a forensic image of his hard drive. >> just to get a search warrant, the feds have to show that there was probable cause to believe there was a felony committed. just getting that search warrant is a big deal in this case. >> reporter: doctor murray was michael jackson's cardiologist and was with him when he died. in a statement his lawyer said the search warrant authorized law enforcement to search for and seize items, including documents, they believe constituted evidence of the offense of manslaughter. his lawyer has maintained dr. murray did nothing wrong. >> the search warrant carrying

that element of surprise may allow the police to seize evidence that may either be hidden or destroyed had dr. murray known they were coming. >> reporter: the lapd has already interviewed dr. murray twice. and just before executing this search warrant, requested a third meeting. author ian halperin says his sources tell him prosecutors are getting help from jackson's own friends. his book "unmasked: the final years of michael jackson" will debut at number one on "the new york times" best-seller list. >> i have learned that two key sources, a doctor, and a michael jackson insider, are cooperating fully with police, revealing all the details of what went down, including who filled out the prescriptions, how michael was able to get the drugs in exchange forartial or full immunity in the case. >> reporter: a source familiar with the criminal case tells nbc news police are looking into at least 19 doctors. late wednesday, the website tmz posted this video of a coroner's official visiting the office of

jackson's former nurse sharalynn lee. she's claimed jackson asked her for propofol or diprivan in the weeks before his death. >> going to get some medical records. >> reporter: proof of an expanding investigation, as new drama unfolds within the jackson family. questions are swirling around this mystery man who had a front-row seat at michael's memorial service. in her column msnbc.com's courtney hazlett reports the mystery man is omer bachy and family members believe he may be michael's secret fourth child. >> sources are saying it's actually his biological son. they say that he's been on the scene and lived mostly at neverland beginning in the early '90s uil the early 2,000s. the family definitely seems to know about this person. this person even referred to himself as michael j. and called michael jackson his dad but they decided it was something michael wanted kept secret so they would keep secret. >> reporter: it is important to

know there is still no official confirmation from the jackson family who he is. but all eyes this morning are clearly on the criminal case. experts say it all rides on the toxicology report and whether that little box on the report will be marked homicide. the results could be out by next week, meredith. and really criminal charges could stem from that if that happens. >> jeff rossen, thank you very much. just gets weirder and weirder. >> no question. let's get a check of the weather now from al. >> hey, guys, thanks a lot. how fuzzy i was this morning, i said 16 weeks free -- oh? what's your name? >> george why i. >> this your first? >> second. >> let's che your weather, see what'sou happening. for today, it is hot, hot, hot out in the west, as the heat wave expands into the western hi plains. billings 95, bismarck 95. henderson, nevada, reno, reno, 97. o esn o intosow in dncooler thanel

xaowten dn texas, alsolso the ? >> colby and alexander. >> what's your name? >> justin. good morning. as we look at radar we have some sprinkles in washington and in southern fairfax county, light sprinkles in maryland. in the northern neck you see the yellow. other showers on the eastern shore and annapolis up to baltimore heading to the north as well as out to the west and the panhandle of west virginia. teeratures are in the low 70s now, it's a muggy morning. highs in the mid 80s. a chance for showers and thundershowers this afternoon and evening. less humid friday and saturday. all right, some friends from harlem. all right, matt. >> all right, al, thank you very much. now to the latest on the high-stakes fight over who owns a $500 million sunken treasure found off the coast of florida. nbc's kerry sanders has the

details on this story. kerry, good morning to you. >> reporter: well, good morning, matt. in documents just filed with the federal court, the treasure hunters who found the wreck out there in the atlantic claim it's theirs, fair and square. the ship went down in 1804, on board a half billion dollars worth of wealth, which explains why there's a lot of hands grabbing for that treasure chest. >> we got a notice coming up on the sonar. >> reporter: silver and gold coins. >> look at them all down there. >> reporter: odyssey marine from tampa, florida, found the frigate named mercedes when her half billion dollar pressure went down. now two years after odyssey quietly found the coins and artifacts about 100 miles off the strait of gibraltar, secretly brought it to the surface and covertly flew it to the united states, it turns out the biggest challenge is figuring out who owns the booty.

odyssey claims finders keeper's. it's theirs. spain says not so fast, the mercedes was a naval ship and as a sovereign nation its cargo belongs to spain. peru says spain looted the silver and gold from the inca indians so it rightly belongs to the peruvian people. and at least 25 families claim their descendents of merchants who owned the treasure. >> we figured out that effectively my great great great great great grandfather was on this ship. >> reporter: maurice from houston says spain is fudging facts, calling the mercedes a naval battleship. >> there were women, there were children on ts vessel. but a war time vessel? it's a little ludicrous. >> reporter: the legal free for all heated up when a u.s. magistrate recently recommended odyssey hand the treasure over to spain. >> this is the property of spain, it's the grave site of more than 200 spanish navy

peopleand that everything that was taken from the ship must be returned to spain. >> reporter: odyssey says spain is playing fast with its own language. ancient spanish records call the mercedes a navio. spain translates that to mean warship. the treasure hunters believe otherwise. they say navio is a cargo ship. >> i don't want to guess what's going on in people's minds. maybe there's just been a mistranslation. >> of the spanish language. >> o the spash language. >> in spain? >> in spain. >> where the native language is? >> spanish. >> well, that treasure is not far from here, under lock and key. and while nobody has publicly said this, that expression, possession is nine tenths of the law, legal experts say it has it roots with sailors and pirates. matt? >> all right, kerry, we'll wait to see what happens with that. kerry sanders in florida for us this morning. and still ahead, meredith's big surprise for susan boyle. but up next the owner who

wrestled his dog from the jaws of a seven-foot alligator. lost the tips of two fingers in the process, will share his story right after this.

we are back at 7:43. it takes a dedicated dog own to pry his pet from the jaws of a seven-foot alligator. that's exactly what david did and he ended up in worse shape than his dog. we're going to talk with him exclusively in just a moment, but first nbc's michelle kossen ski is in west calm beach florida with the details. michle, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. the big gator that lives back he never bothered anybody until saturday morning when it grabbed david brown's 45-pound dog around the middle. >> you're okay. yeah. good girl. >> reporter: reunited with her best friend who just got home from the hospital, you have to wonder if mandy the wheaton terrier knows just how loyal her

owner is? >> i saw the wake in the water from the alligator. >> reporter: david brown saw it slice through the sparkling water sate morning and a second later his best pal mandy, sniffing around in the brush, was trapped between the two hungry jaws of this seven footer. >> i just ran straight through the bushes to her. >> reporter: ran at the gator. to save his trusty friend. >> he had her like this in his mouth. and the upper jaw with this hand and i was hooking his eye and she got out pretty easy and i remember just thinking, that was pretty easy. >> reporter: but then there he is holding a gator's open mouth. he tried to throw the reptile and it snapped off the top of two fingers on his right hand. he considers himself lucky that's all it got away with. mandy was bitten around the middle, but okay. >> she's a really special dog. she's just like all our children. >> reporter: they have had

7-year-old mandy since she was just a puppy and he said his family would kill him if he let anything happen to her. now he can't imagine not rescuing her from the jaws of death. >> i would never got over it. you know. you know, if i hadn't tried to get her free i would have never lived with myself. >> reporter: you have a best friend for life here? >> yeah, for sure. >> reporter: you may be the most loyal owner. >> yeah. >> reporter: david ground, dog's best friend. wildlife officers caught and destroyed the gator. at least six other people have been bitten by alligators in florida so far this year. and in this case, david lost most of the two fingers on either side of his middle finger left with a kind of a permanent message now to petiting gators everywhere. >> thank you, michelle very much. michelle kosinski for us. david joins us along with his son joseph and the beloved

wheaton terrier mandy. good morning to you all. >> good morning. >> hi, meredith. >> you know, david, i think michelle said it right when she said you are dog's best friend, certainly mandy's best friend. certainly how are you feeling? that's quite a chunk that was taken out of you. >> i'm fling pretty good today. we got a good night's sleep last night for the first time. so yeah, i'm feeling good today. >> david, take me back. michelle basically explained the story. but that moment after you released mandy from the jaws of the gator and then you realized you're in a little bit of trouble, what's going through your mind? because the gator begins to literally thrash around with you attached to him. >> well, actually, luckily for me, when he released mandy for a split second, he was still frozen and he didn't move. and i'm thinking, okay, that was easy but now what do i do? and i knew i only had a split second before it would start reacting and i just tried to throw him and run to the right. but unfortunately, he caught my

right hand. >> was there a moment there when you thought you weren't going to get out of there alive? >> no. no. i didn't think that. but i knew i was in big trouble when he had my hand and he was twisting. but in a split second, he had broken my fingers off and i was free and i was above him so, you know, i knew i was safe then from him, at least. >> so you're really operating at that point on adrenaline and just getting the heck away from that alligator? >> yeah, that's exactly right. >> i wan to talk a little bit about mandy. you bought mandy when she was a pup for your son joe who is sitting next to you. joe, two things, one, what does thisog mean to the family? and what do you think about what your dad did? >> well, what mandy means to us, she's pretty much my little sister, and you know, i hate even calling her a dog. i almost think that's demeaning

to her in a way. but what my dad did, you know, is very, very proud of my dad, and very heroic. and i'm very thankful that mandy's okay, and you know, that my dad -- my dad's going to be okay and his hand's going to be okay, as well. >> david, you said you'd do it again if you had to. did you learn a lesson, though, in all of this? >> yeah. i learned a lesson about being more careful, for sure. you know, it won't happen again. but it wasn't a bad trade. mandy for two fingers. >> mandy's a very lucky and very loved dog. david and joseph, thank you so much. >> could we say one thing? >> sure. >> meredith, my mom's in the hospital in miami, and we'd just like to say that we luch her and that we're thinking about her and we're very, very proud of her. >> and we'll see her tomorrow. >> and her name is? >> kathy. >> kathy. >> kathy, best from all of us at

the "today" show, as well. thank you guys very much. and up next, president obama's mother-in-law speaks out for the first time about her life and her role in the white house.

now to the grandmother in chief, president obama's mother-in-law, marion robinson. she rarely speaks in public. but now for the first time, she's opening up about what it's like to live in the white house, and help look after the first family. here's nbc's norah o'donnell. >> how is it to see your daughter married to the president of the united states? >> you know, excuse me, it's an overwhelming feeling. >> reporter: america's first grandma, for the first time, talked about the honor of living in the white house. >> especially when you come from the south side of chicago and she ended up marrying a person who lived the same kind of life that he did, but they both had

great ambitions. >> reporter: her son-in-law campaigned on change. but to her, he's still the same man. >> i remember president obama being a very hard-working individual. and believe me, he still is the hardest-working person i know. >> reporter: marion robinson was reading a book to elementary school students. >> and on that bed there is a granny, a snoring granny. >> reporter: when she was asked about the president's daughters. >> malia and sasha cannot watch tv, i think. they can only watch an hour a day. but they are at the age now where they'd rather read books or play games with themselves, or grandma is beginning to feel left out. >> reporter: t first lady's mother has always helped take care of her granddaughters. but family members say she really didn't want to move into the white house. now, she says it's great. and she's got a very busy social schedule. the first grandma was front and

center this week as the white house celebrated country music. but it was the first lady who turned heads with her new 'do which officials said was just a pinned-up version of her usual style. both the first lady and her mom are looking forward to more quality time with the girls, taking much of the month of august off. >> my life is wonderful. >> reporter: for "today," norah o'donnell, nbc news, washington. >> seems like a kool-aiddy. >> yeah i think she's a very kool-aiddy. nice thing to like your mother-in-law. >> yes, it is. >> that's a very good thing. still to come, more of our exclusive interview with susan boyle and the surprises we have. >> first these messages.

7:56 is your time. 73 degrees. cloudy skies, rain is probably in the forecast. tom will have the answers after the news. good morning. it's thursday, july 23, 2009. police are warning joggers in the area this morning after a woman was dragged off of a path in rock creek park and sexually assaulted. it happened around 7:00 yesterday morning near bingham and beach drives. for the first time since metro's accident the takoma station will be opened past 10 a.m. metro announced the takoma station will remain open all day today and tomorrow.

passengers should still expect co 'rweoi> ge. we're going to take a break and have weather and traffic ç0gó

mostly cloudy around the region, rather humid, in the low 70s. on radar getting a few sprinkles in prince george's, montgomery and howard county and fairfax county there is a shower near burke. and in southern maryland in eastern charles county, northern st. mary's, heavy downpours from annapolis, areas of orange up to severn that park. that's passing to the north. light showers are moving to the north. and continuing on the eastern shore as well. as we look at the wider view, we

have other showers in delaware and southern maryland, those are continuing to pass to the north as well as out of the panhandle of west virginia. later on today showers likely, maybe afternoon and evening thundershowers, highs mid 80s. less humid tomorrow and saturday. how's traffic? >> 66 right now, heavy traffic on the approach to the exits for the capital beltway. all lanes open from fair oaks on in. south of town at the wilson bridge no hang-ups. accident from earlier in the morning downtown the eastbound freeway for south capitol street is gone. nothing left to worry about. >> tonight at 5:00 a sweet tea taste test. a new way to groom your pet. 1x ng

it is 8:00 on this thursday morning, july 23rd, 2009. we have stepped outside to mingle with the folks starting their morning with us here on the plaza. tomorrow in this very spot, pop sensation katy perry is going to take to our summer concert stage. >> she was fun last time she was here. she's a hoot. she really is. >> anyway, miami meredith vieira. >> we kind ran out of stuff. >> exactly. >> also coming up, more of my

interview with susan boyle. this morning the unassuming, unexpected international star opens up about how long she waited for her big break and also one of her biggest influences. plus we had some surprises for her. we're going to get to that in a moment. >> that interview was terrific last night. >> susan boyle comes across as such a sincere, nice person. >> she's lovely. >> next to you. >> oh. >> and also, do you save your kid's baby teeth? >> we have a few. >> do you? >> yeah. >> more and more parents these days are being told to save their children's baby teeth because of the stem cells they contain. and if you heard about the different plans and ways you can go about that, dr. nancy synderman is going to be along to tell us what's good and what's not so good. >> the tooth fairy drops them off. >> exactly. >> after he files them and delivers them. >> and brings them back. >> so first the tooth fairy goes through. >> exactly. >> and of course want to remind

you that next week, "today" takes a vacation. that's right, monday ann and meredith are up first in new york's lake george. then, matt and i hit the beaches of key west, florida. >> whoo, that's right. will we be wearing speedos? not likely. and we've got some other fun stops with hoda and kathie lee. and of course, natalie will be going to vegas. a lot of fun coming. >> looking forward to that. >> that's going to be fun. >> we should head in to the news. ann has the latest headlines. >> in the news this morning, president obama takes his push for health care reform on the road today. he's heading to ohio for a town hall and a visit to the cleveland clinic which he touted as a modern medical facility during the prime-time news conference last night. the president reiterated his pledge not to raise taxes on the middle klaas to find a health care overhaul but he said he i raising taxes on people earning more than $1 million a year. the fda is warnings

americans about so-called electronic cigarettes, marketed as a healthier alternative to regular cigarettes. the government said tests found dangerous levels of nicotine and carcinogens, including the key ingredients found in antifreeze. a win for gun control advocates. on wednesday the senate voted against a measure that would have allowed individuals with a concealed weapon permit to carry their firearm across state lines. as u.s. automakers struggle to survive, surprise earnings news from ford. this morning, the nation's second largest automaker says it posted a $2.8 billion profit in the second quarter. and nasa says a spacewalking astronaut was never in any danger on wednesday when problems with his space suit caused carbon dioxide levels to rise. his spacewalk was cut short just to be safe. now here's brian williams with what's coming up tonight on "nbc nightly news." hey, brian. >> hey, ann, thanks. tonight we're going to talk about something called the summer slide. sounds like fun? it isn't. it's about students who fall behind during the summertime,

especially with programs being cut everywhere. we're going to look at one that's expanding. helping kids with fun and with studies and it's making a difference at the same time. we look for you tonight for "nightly news," ann. >> okay, brian, thanks. it is 8:06. let's go back outside for a check of the weather with al. >> another cutie over here. they're all cuties. but this iis is the littlest cu. who is this? >> elizabeth. >> where are you from? >> bethhem, pennsylvania. >> do you like that? >> yes, she does! >> let's check your weather. why do we talk like that when we're looking at babies? rogers, arizona, knwa -- arkansas, i should say, mostly sunny, warm, 86 degrees as we take a look at the rest of your weather for today. the jet stream, you can see that band of air, and that is keeping the storm track right along the eastern seaboard. the tropical moisture, as we head on doors saturday, moves up to the north, that warm weather. but again that ridge out west keeps the he and sizzling

conditions in the western two-thirds of the country. good morning. a mild and humid thursday morning on radar. we have scattered light sprinkles across fairfax, montgomery, here in the district and prince george's county where you see this area of yellow, heavier downpours, northern neck crossing the potomac, heading to the north into charles county, perhaps prince george's. heavier showers from annapolis up to baltimore. that's passing to the north as well. we have other sprinkles out in the highlands of west virginia and the shenandoah valley. afternoon and evening showers and thundershowers likely. >> that's your latest weather. now let's head back over to mr. lauer. >> all right, mr. roker, thank you very much. when we come back, thieves getting their hands on your credit card information while you use the credit card. we'll tell you what to watch out for. but coming up next, meredith has a couple of surprises for that lady right there, susan boyle. we'll find out what they were right after these messages. i don't always let my bladder problems...

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caught up wh her, we made some more of her dreams come true. ♪ >> reporter: you really were, in a sense, plucked from obscurity. although this has been a dream you've wanted for a long time. >> for years. for a lifetime. >> reporter: susan, when did you realize that you were gifted? that you had a voice? >> i -- >> reporter: you don't think you're gifted? >> i think it's a chance. >> simon had a tear in his eye and i've never seen that before. >> reporter: her magic pipes turned simon cowell into mush and elicited shout-outs from royalty and music icons. >> i think she's fantastic. >> susan's great. >> i hope she knocks this one out of the park. >> reporter: but there is only one man whose praise can take susan's breath away. ♪ and they called it puppy love ♪ >> reporter: i rea that when you were growing up as a little girl one of yr idols was donny

osmond? >> yeah. >> reporter: what was it about donny osmond that you like? >> there was something magical. >> reporter: well, we called donny, told him that we were going to be here talking to you and he wanted to send a message. >> susan, congratulations on all of your success, i think it's wonderful what's happening with your career, and good luck with this new record that you're doing. some day, it's a prediction, you and i will do a record together. we'll remake "puppy love." come out to vegas and see the show, as a matter of fact, we're goingo rename the marquee and have it be the donny and susan show. >> reporter: what do you think of that? the donny and susan show? >> i think it's really good. >> reporter: i don't know if marie would say it's good. would you sing a duet of puppy love with him if he asked you? >> if he asked me, yeah, of course. >> reporter: can you sing a little of it?

♪ and they called it puppy love but i guess they'll never know ♪ >> reporter: and then there's susan's biggest idol, elaine page. she's known as the first lady of british musical theater. and her trademark song "memory" is the one susan chose for her second performance on "britain's got talent." >> ♪ all alone with the memories of my days in the sun ♪ >> reporter: and i remember the first time you were on the stage with simon cowell he asked you who you wanted to be like and yo said -- >> elaine page. >> reporter: have you ever met her? >> no, i haven't. i'd like to one day. >> reporter: would that be another one of those dreams come true. well we have a little surprise for you. elaine? >> oh, my gosh. elaine page. i can't believe it. how are you? >> reporter: we made her speechless. >> are you having a good time?

good for you. that's what i want to hear. >> my inbox is inundated with e-mails from friends saying check out the youtube of you. and i didn't know what it was all about, so i went on to youtube, and there you were, singing your glorious voice. so it was a thrill to hear you and even better to come see you at last now in the flesh. good luck. >> reporter: as we said good-bye, susan was still hpy by our surprises so she gave me a little treat, too. if i sang a little of "i dream a dream" would you sing it with me? >> you want me to? >> reporter: yes. ♪ i dreamed a dream in time gone by ♪ ♪ worth living >> reporter: it's a dream all right. and to think that only three months ago, it appeared unfathomable. >> i've not been given the chance before. >> wouldn't that be an amazing thing, if somebody like susan boil could come from her

background, a tiny village in scotland, and be a star for the next 20 years, to hold a candle to the likes of barbra streisand. >> it's a kind of dream you kill for. and i don't want it to end. ♪ a dream i dream >> she wanted to stop singing right away. >> we all wanted you to stop singing. >> ooh, there are dogs out there howling right now. >> that took guts. that took nerve and moxie. >> it was a lot of fun to be with her. and when she saw elaine page. she's idolized her and elaine page is huge in england. major, major musical star. for her that's the woman she most emulates. >> and donny osmond. >> she knocked marie right off there. move on. >> very good stuff. >> lovely lady.

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"daaly's heth" is brought to you by lyrica. >> and this morning on "today's health," stem cells in baby teeth. it turns out that tooth under your child's pillow could be worth a little more than you think. nbc's chief medical editor dr. nancy synderman has details on that. a lot of parents interested. >> a lot of parents. sort of that insurance marker for way down the road. baby teeth were discovered to have stem cells in them about six years ago. and in the same way families have chosen to store umbilical cord blood some parents are paying to store their child's teeth, primarily to get those stem cells. but the question is, should you bank, or are you being taken to the bank? 12-year-old abby mcloan is missing a few baby teeth. >> like here and here and right here. >> reporter: her parents are keeping track of each one. not for the tooth fairy, but for

something potentially far more important. abby has type i diabetes, and her parents hope that one day, some day, stem cells from baby teeth might unlock a cure. the idea isn't new. for a few years, many new moms and dads have been banking the blood found in umbilical cords, considered a rich source of stem cells, right after their baby's birth. but it's costly. and not every frazzled new mom takes the leap. moms like maria mcloan, for whom health concerns about her daughter seemed a far off worry. until abby's diabetes diagnosis when she was just 3. >> neither of us knew anything about diabetes and had no clue that it was such a huge lifelong change. >> reporter: having missed the opportunity to bank abby's cord blood her parents are hopeful about stem cells gathered from those baby teeth. dr. pamela robey is a researcher at the national institutes of health. in 2003, her team discovered

that nestled in baby teeth are a few of those same stem cells. building blocks that have the potential to develop into many different parts of the body. >> from that single baby tooth we can isolate between 10 and 20 stem cells. the number is very small but they're very powerful in how they can divide. >> reporter: but there's a difference. unlike stem cells from cord blood, baby teeth stem cells so far have only been tested in animals. >> in terms of using dental pulp stem cells, it's too early to say how effective they would be in applications outside of the mouth. >> reporter:evertheless some companies see this emerging research as an opportunity. running ads like these, which se promising. >> stem cells hold the potential to replace diseased or injured tissue with healthy, functioning cells. >> reporter: abby's parents paid $500 to the national dental pulp lab, one of a handful of u.s.

tooth cell banks. for the kid used to collect abby's teeth. they will continue to pay $125 a year to keep them frozen. a price that's half of what it costs for cord blood collection. >> the cost is not so great that we won't pay for this as long as it takes. >> reporter: still, he knows saving baby teeth is a shot in the dark. and that there's disagreement whether it will ever lead to any cure. >> parents in my practice do ask me about baby teeth and stem cells. right now, there is not sufficient science to recommend saving and banking these feat. >> reporter: but stem cell banks insist they aren't taking advantage of customers. >> there's a wealth of evidence to suggest that these cells are going to become very significant clinical players, hopefully in the near future. we make sure these people are educated, they understand that there are no immediate treatments for this. >> reporter: and some doctors

say they're optimistic. >> baby teeth are being discarded every day by parents all around the world. this is kind of a safety net that a lot of people will choose to use just until some further science develops. >> reporter: for their part, the mcloans say that the money they spent is an investment in their daughter's well-being. a small gamble that one day the tooth fairy will bring the greatest gift, a cure. >> it's very new. we're not naive in thinking that this is going to cure our daughter's diabetes, in even five, ten years or ever. but we feel that if we didn't take advantage of every opportunity out there, we'd be foolish. >> so i guess the simple question is, will any of us be around long enough, will our children be around long enough to see the possible benefits from this come to fruition? >> i think your children will be. but it's still an issue of cost. are you willing to put the money aside and bank this for the future with no promises today that something will be develo d developed? and for some people that $5 is

nothing. for a lot of people they say, with no science, why would i waste that money. >> for the people who have been saving baby teeth? >> no good. your dentist has to send them in or you have to wrap it up in tissue, drop it into a glass of milk, refrigerate it and then get it to one of these private companies. there are no public banks for this. >> thanks very much. >> you bet, matt. >> let's go to washington right now and check in with our friend willard scott. hilly, willard. >> i may have to do some washing. that means your sexy if you've got a space between your teeth. did you know that? happy birthday from smucker's. and we have some sexy people to tell you. any,rrot n, rry, not ann, rlgt burlington, north cali inas, 100d. retired tobacco farmer. planted a large garden, still mows. aobeld? seeob tco in theit's re a prettyplt. mpmehis,mehis,

tennessee. three times she tried to get on the show. she hangs in there. boast pet toe salad in the world. potatoal potato sad is fantastic when it's right. belinda flannigan, 102. i love potatool sol add.indepen di insrond a loves to eat athi cnese here is charlie isre charlie dmre , 101. ou 101. proud son,asd monic order for 50 years.itngy,ev m s nglug and dlurives to theeencgk pp r ti fnt tinton falls,je new rsey. 100 years old. retired wewld war ii operator and i s iscs denta enda ofent o.

'twas t ne.he b 'twas the night before christmas. masts. d we have sue krns w our time now is 8:26. kind of foggy and hazy out there. wow. look at that picture looking at trees along side the potomac river. 73 degrees, that's humidity. we'll find out more. i'm joe krebs on this thursday, the 23rd day of july. in the news, police are investigating a deadly shooting in southeast washington. this happened in the 1200 block of eaton road around 2:00 this morning. police found a person dead, another person shot, is expected to survive. investigators have not ruled on what caused last month's metro crash. metro is working on backup system for the control system that was supposed to prevent such collisions. the move after the ntsb said that metro's train protection

system is inadequate and urged adding a continuous backup system. we'll come back and look at weather and traffic. stay with us.

>> miltd mild and muggy. the northern neck, southern maryland from annapolis to baltimore. slen shen valley, panhandle of west virginia. back to you. >> we'll look along 395 northbound, not bad here but again hit-and-miss rain showers.

at the wilson bridge, no incidents, 270 heavy but steady. >> thanks. tonight at 5:00 a sweet tea taste test. a new way to groom your pet. liz crenshaw reports.

♪ it's 8:30 now on a thursday morning. it's the 23rd day of july, 2009. starting to cloud over a little bit here in new york city. possibly some rain showers later in the day for these nice people. but for now, all is good. we've got a nice crowd out on the plaza. i'm matt lauer along with meredith vieira. al roker and ann curry, katy perry out here tomorrow morning in the 8:30 half hour. so if you're in the area, check that out.

coming up in this half hour, we have a warning for debit card users. >> yes, you do. criminals have found a way to actually steal your information after you use your card to make purchases, and even if the atm is called skimming. more on how to protect yourself. >> also we've got a lot of special guests because hoda's taken the time off. so along with kathie lee this morning we've got -- >> mr. steve sherippa. host of a new show called face the ace on nbc. tell us about this. >> this is the show that, it's a little bit of everything. it's reality. it's entertainment. it's a game show. people qualify online. they play online poker. they g to play against the best players in the world. >> how can they possibly beat them? >> because when you play online poker, they play hundreds thousands of hands of poker. sometimes more than people that play live.

they're sitting in their house, in their underwear, playing poker. >> hold on, let's just pause and take that in for a second. >> that's right. >> you're eating a grilled cheese sandwich in your underwear. and now if you qualify you play against the best poker players in the world. >> are you playing for a lot of money? >> no, no, no. they qualify, you play for $40,000. you beat one pro, you win -- if you win that you win, you go for the 200 if you choose. $ 00,000. you go for the third pro you win $1 million. you beat three pros you win a million dollars. if you lose you go home with nothing. >> oh. >> the people who want to be a millionaire. >> exactly. >> you don't have to know poker to play. because it's so exciting. you've got a guy living in his mother's basement. >> in his underwear. >> in his underwear. >> and then two weeks later he's playing against the best poker

player in the world. >> you've been a guest on "sopranos," and now you're with kathie lee co-hosting our fourth hour. >> i look forward to it. >> i hope she's ready. >> it will be all right. it will be all right. >> who's going to end up getting whacked? >> i don't know. i beat up tony soprano. >> especially when he's wearing his underwear. >> okay. we'll see him later with kathie lee. "fe the ace" premieres saturday august 1st, 9:00 p.m., 8:00 central time op on nbc. the "c" stands for cheese. >> mr. roker. >> let's show you what's going on. ; it is mostly cloudy and muggy this morning, in the low 70s now. we have scattered showers all around the region from the panhandle of west virginia to the central shenandoah valley,

north central shenandoah valley. some of these areas of orange and yellow, that's heavy downpours, the northern neck o virginia into southern maryland as well as on the eastern shore. very heavy rain, northern anne arundel dell county passing to the north as well. we could get showers, downpours, maybe thunder and lightning. less humid tomorrow and saturday. and at's your latest weather. now let's head back up the plaza to meredith. >> me? >> meredith. >> me. what do you mean me? i don't know what i'm doing. 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.

every night when you go to sleep and put your head on your pillow, tens of thousands of

u.s. soldiers are serving overseas. and "today's" jenna wolfe met a woman who made sure it's her mission to make sure those soldiers have a place to rest their heads, as well. >> reporter: good morning. joseph ron, father of two, was a pilot stationed in iraq. like most solers he had to balance the grittyness of war with the emotional weight of leaving his family back home. until one act of kindness brought home a little closer to him. it was an early morning in baghdad. spring of 2005. chief warrant officer joseph ron was in the rec room shortly after getting his orders for the day. meanwhile, at the same time, 6,000 miles away in midland park, new jersey, virginia fawcett was giving her students their orders for the day. >> that's it. >> reporter: little did they know at that time just how big a role they would come to play in each other's lives. shortly after the war in iraq

broke out, mrs. fawcett came up with an idea. >> when i found out that the soldiers didn't have pillows to sleep on, they had to fold their clothes to sleep on, i cried. >> reporter: so she gave the kids an assignment. sew one pillow for yourself and one for a soldier in iraq. how come you're making pillows for the soldiers? >> because they don't have any pillows. >> reporter: kids here start as young as 4 years old. their little heads filled with instructions, and their little pillows filled with heart. >> i see your hand in there. tell me what you're making? >> pillows for the soldiers. >> reporter: the soldiers overseas, right? >> mm-hmm. >> reporter: let's test it out and see if this pillow is good. why don't you take a little nap? is it good? >> yeah. >> reporter: that one is a goner? we can put this one up here now? week after week mrs. fawcett was having pillows and shipped them

out. never knowing if they'd ever reach the soldiers. but one box did reach a soldier one early morning. >> i wasn't scheduled to fly, and so then i would go use the phones to call my wife and right there was a box of pillows. i thought about it, i just spent last night without a pillow so i grabbed one of these pillows. >> reporter: as a token of his gratitude, he sent the kids at needlecraft school a letter and a picture of himself in a sandstorm with his new pillow. that pillow, he said, made him feel closer to his own kids back home. after finishing his tour in iraq, joe came home, with his pillow. which his kids n sleep with every night. >> my dad got it in iraq and it's very special to me. >> reporter: and joe's letter of appreciation earned a special place on mrs. fawcett's wall. have you ever met any of the soldiers? >> no, i haven't. i just have my treasures up on the wall there that i got from the soldiers. >> reporter: i'm looking at this framed letter and picture from

chief warrant officer joe ron. >> the thing that means a lot to me is that he is holding a yellow pillow. if you notice none of these pillows are sand color. >> reporter: can i ask you if you would read the letter for me? >> i am a pilot in the alaska army national guard. i want to thank you for the pillows. i use -- >> and when i need it to support my back when i fly. more importantly i want to thank you for the thought and consideration. rt i'd like you to meet chief warrant officer joe rahn. >> oh, how wonderful. how wonderful is this. you've been on my wall for all these years. >> that's what they tell me. >> oh, my gosh. this is the most exciting day of my life. remember this picture on the wall? >> yeah. >> this is joe. >> it told me that somebody cares back home. you know. that's all it meant to a soldier. one little pillow. that's all it does.

come on, give me some hugs, you guys. this is awesome. >> reporter: and what's so interesting, matt, most of the children that make these pillows weren't even alive when the war first started. so they didn't really understand why they were doing this. but they understand now. >> i hope after seeing that story more people think of doing things like that. great story, jenna. thanks very much. it's 8:41. up next, martha stewart throws some shrimp on our barbie. but first, this is "today" on nbc. the distance from the field to your table just got shorter.

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we're back at 8:4r 3. this morning on "martha on "today"" we're talking shrimp. martha stewart is here with some tips on cooking these crustaceans as featured in the august issue of "martha stewart living." >> good morning. >> fresh or frozen? can you only go fresh? >> no, you can also have flash frozen. and what we get up here, these are coming from louisiana for

the most part. >> right. >> where the shrimping industry is alive and well after katrina. and we did a big story in the magazine, in the current issue, about the shrimping industry. it's a charming story, and the recipes are delicious. >> we've got four recipes to get to. real quickly, people knock shrimp, high in calcium, high in protein, high in cholesterol. >> you know what? there are so few calories in these dishes, and they're so healthy, i would suggest a good alternative to a lot of other things. >> you're making grilled shrimp with cilantro, lime and peanuts. >> the heads have been removed. these are tails on, shells on for grilling. salt and pepper lightly and you can put them on the grill. >> okay, pop them right on? >> we're using a grill pan here. but the open barbecue is great. once they're all grilled, and wah -- >> that's quick. >> shrimp for all of you guys, shrimp you should, when you're cooking shrimp you do not answer the telephone, you don't go to the bathroom, you don't leave.

>> always good when you're cooking, don't go to the bathroom. just remember that. >> they cook so fast. >> we've got four recipes. tell me quickly. >> scallions, a little tiny bit of sugar, wonderful fish sauce. this is a little vietnamese. lime. zest of lime. cilantro, and peanuts. you toss that up and you have what looks like that delicious. >> there you go, meredith. >> this is barbecue. >> but barbecue shrimp that never go near a barbecue. this is cooked in butter. tabasco. one whole stick of butter by the way, and rosemary. worcestershire, quarter cup. >> this isn't a low calorie one then? >> no. >>nd three cloves of garlic. >> how come mine have the head on? >> because that's the best way to cook them, flavorful. and down south everybody loves to just suck on the heads. >> oh! >> oh, martha! >> hey now. >> family show. >> no, no, that's basically --

and look how beautiful these shrimp are. and three or four minutes. just watch it. >> that's it? >> yep. >> salt and pepper. >> and just serve as-is? >> that's what they look ke. they're really, really good. >> i love a good cocktail sauce. you say you can make one and it will taste even better. >> this is a remoulade that we're going to make. this is celery chopped up, mayonnaise, three quarters of a cup. you can use low calorie. spoon of creole mustard and three tablespoons of a good ketchup like hein or really tasty. stir it up, celery. scallion, the green part of the scallion, and a lot of parsley. >> mm-hmm. >> and we have mangoes, you have your own horseradish, tomato, lettuce. and look, this is a good thing. this is shrimp, ice underneath. >> oh, look at that. >> these are just poached lightly in a -- >> great for parties. put that on the table. >> absolutely. >> yea. >> this is perfect for a warm summer afternoon.

>> and for diets. really great if you're on a diet. i don't know if you are, you look so thin. >> oh, come on. >> poached. these are the little popcorn shrimp. >> rock shrimp. >> and they're so good. fresh corn on the cob. just cut it off, cooked. salt, pepper. and that's it basically. >> and bib lettuce. >> garnish with mint. >> mm-hmm. >> a wedge of orange. isn't it a pretty first course? >> it really is. >> and some nice little avocado. >> that is lovely. >> very pretty. >> and smaller shrimp, too. >> rock shrimp. >> and rock shrimp. we've got some cocktail sauce. >> how are you doing? >> we're still cooking but we're in good shape. >> and all recipes, august issue of "martha stewart living." >> absolutely. >> martha, thank you very much. >> do a little forrest gump. >> up next, how criminals are targeting your debit card information. we'll tell you what you need to

know. p

this morning on ""today's" boomer nation" a sophisticated way crooks are targeting your debit card information. lea thompson, host on retirement living tv's fraud squad covered the topic.

>> it's great to be back. it's really fun. fraud squad is all about schemes and scams and scoundrels. and one growing trend we're seeing is debit card skimming. that's when your card information and p.i.n. numbers are toen when you swipe that bank card in the machine. it's important that people know how this works. so you don't become a victim. >> she came out with this stunned look on her face and she said there's no money in the account. >> she said there's insufficient funds. so i tried a different account. same thing. tried a couple of times. and i thought i didn't know what was happening. >> reporter: kathy and ken st. thomas had been swindled. and all they did was use their bank card to make a purchase. >> they had a camera, they're watching me punch in my number. >> reporter: the st. thomass weren't alone. over 150 people lost at least $100,000 to five criminals who hit atm machines at convenice stores. that's canadian detective jeff

castle. he shows us how easy it is to rip you off. >> this is now a video of the atm itself. >> reporter: watch that guy in the red hat walking confidently into that atm. he attached a device that fits over the top of the legitimate card reader. it's battery powered and it recorded debit card numbers being used. here comes his accomplice. he's got something else under his coat. a long light bar with a pinhole camera concealed inside that recorded people's p.i.n. numbers. >> they can get hundreds of different people's bank information each hour. >> reporter: now all a crook has to do is marry the card number to the p.i.n. number to get into people's accounts. this video helped convict these two. but for kathy and ken, it was a hassle getting their financial lives back together again. >> i just felt like i was robbed. you know, they can do whatever they want when they get that

p.i.n. number. >> reporter: studies show most of us don't bother to hide our p.i.n. numbers when we use our debit cards. if you think about it, a debit card is like a blank check. so you've always got to cover it up when you use that card. >> you have some other tips. u say people should choose a complicated p.i.n. >> you know, you would think we'd all know by now but people are still using their house numbers, their phone numbers, the names of their children. so easy for a crook to get. mix it up. you've got to put numbers, and letters. >> that's a lot harder to remember, lea, that's why we do something like the name of our kid. >> well, that's true. but you've got to come up with something and then you've got to memorize it. 30% of identity theft is from stolen wallets and purses. >> where you've left the p.i.n. number? >> people take a little piece of paper and they write their little p.i.n. number on it. if you've got to write your p.i.n. number down then put it

under your mattress but leave it out of your wallet. >> you also say avoid isolated atms. >> yeah, crooks and isolation go together. and i think it's also important to tell people, if you walk in -- like we saw on this tape. if you walk into an atm booth, and there's something fishy about it, something looks like it's pasted down, it's the wrong color, there's some guy who's kind of lurking around outside, get out of there, call the police, and call the bank. i mean it's really important to call the nk, because only if you call the bank will you be protected and will your money be protected. >> what about the scam artist that we just saw in this piece? what happened to them? >> needless to say, they both got convicted with that tape. the adult only got 90 days in jail and probation. he got out, he went undercover for just a little while, he got back out and did it again. he's a pro. and they've got him again. but you just need to know that these kinds of guys, and gals,

are out there. >> and they operate in rings, as well. it's not just an individual here, an individual there. >> that's right. in that case there were maybe 10 to 12 people involved. and they were working together as a team. you know, these things, there's a lot of money in identity theft. and this, of course, is an identity theft. and that bank card doesn't have quite the protection that your credit card does. so take care of it. >> thank you so much. to see more of the fraud squad, check your local cable station. 'lacwe bberight t af br your local news.

our time now is five minutes until 9:00 in the morning. 73 degrees. we have a blanket of clouds

above us now. a lot of rain and haze in the area. let's get the latest from tom kierein coming up. i'm joe krebs. in the news, police are warning joggers in the area after a woman was dragged off a path in rock creek park and sexually assaulted yesterday morning around 7:00 near bingham and beach drives. for the first time since metro's deadly accident the takoma station will remain open past 10:00 at night. it's been closing to accommodate investigators working on the tracks. metro announced t station will remain open all day today and tomorrow. passengers should still, however, expect continuing delays. we'll take break and come back and look at weather and check out the traffic, too. ñññ

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♪ ♪ mmm! ( giggles ) ♪ and i would do anything ♪ ♪ for love ♪ and i always doooo thisssss ♪ a.1. makes meat loaf sing. you can too at singforyourbeef.com news. jerry has details on an accident in montgomery county. >> the accident live pictures of the intersection of meresville road and connecticut avenue. two vehicles ran into each other. a school bus is stopped there. not sure if it's involvedr how damaged it is. we've not seen children on the bus but we'll continue to gather information. police, fire and rescue crews on the scene. on 270, no worries, right now pretty good if you're headed out to the wilson bridge, lanes are open. how about the forecast? >> we have scattered showers

around this morning, it's humid, in the low and mid 70s now. we have some showers producing heavy downpours now, the northern neck of virginia and southern maryland. and we've had light to moderate showers in washington and in anne arundel county. other showers, the panhandle of west virginia into western maryland. later on passing downpours and maybe thunder and lightning. highs in the mid 80s. less humid on friday and saturday. a slight chance of a thundershower tomorrow afternoon. joe, thanks very much. >> tonight at 5:00, a sweet tea taste test. a new way to groom your pet. viewers tell liz what happened afavñ

we're back now with more of "today" on a thursday morning. 23rd day of july, 2009. rain on the way here but it has not started yet. that's good news for the people lining our plaza this morning. as always we thank them for stopping by. out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer with al roker and natalie morales. honest question for the two of you. are you always good about putting on sunscreen on yourself or your children? >> certainly on the kids. >> definitely on the kids. i'm trying to be better about myself. >> no baking in the sun? >> no, no, no. >> it's good to know because melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, the rates are on

the rise, especially among women. so coming up we are goingo have more on what is, for some, a rite of summer, baking in the sun. dr. nancy synderman is going to answer questions about how to protect your eyes, your skin, how to avoid age spots, things like that. we'll have that information in just a couple of minutes. >> all right. also coming up, more of meredith's exclusive interview with susan boyle. of course she lived in obscurity for almost 40 years. now she's certainly a name, a sensation. she became an instant star. this morning she's going to open up more, sharing more of her dreams. and also meredith has a couple of surprises for her. >> pretty cool. >> very sweet. >> and then a little bit later on we're going to be heading into the kitchen for some fantastic gadgets that will make your cooking this summer so much easier. it will make you want to stay in the kitchen. and speaking of staying in the kitchen, a little bit later on, a scrumptious summer dessert courtesy of superstar chef mr. tyler florence. >> that shrimp looked good, by

the way. >> you guys ate them all. they were gone. >> ann's standing by at the news desk. got all the headlines. >> thanks a lot, matt. good morning. by the way, welcome back to natalie and good morning. with the news this morning, president obama heads to ohio today seeking support on health care reform. he will lead a public forum and visit the cleveland clinic, which he praised for putting patients above bureaucracy. at a white house news conference last night, the president addressed some of the polls suggested are an increasingly wary american public. he said those who already have health insurance will face skyrocketing premiums and out-of-pocket expenses if the system is not overhauled. the president also weighed in on last week's arrest of harvard professor henry gates jr. he said that the police in cambridge, massachusetts, quote acted stupidly when they handcuffed gates at his own home after someone reported a possible burglary. this morning, secretary of state hilry clinton said north korea has shown no sign it is interested in scrapping its nuclear program.

this after north korea says it would not rejoin six-party disarmament talks. clinton said that the communist nation has no friends left to protect it from u.n. sanctions. the food and drug administration gets its first in-depth progress report today on efforts to develop, test and manufacture a swine flu vaccine. on wednesday the national institutes for health called for several thousand volunteers from babies to the elderly to receive test batches. an australian company began human testing of its own vaccine this week. six people are hospitalized this morning after being shot on the campus of texas southern university in houston. it happened during a rally for community service and voter registration. police bieve the shooting was gang related. and a cat was in a very tough spot on wednesday when it got stuck in a drain pipe until firefighters in massachusetts used aigh pressure-hose to push the cat through the tight squeeze into theaiting net of

an animal control officer, and today, the cat is just perfect. whoo. let's go back outside to matt, al and natalie. >> all right, you've got al roker over there? you he a birthday girl? >> i do. >> who is this? >> this is carlisle. today's her first birthday. >> she doesn't look that happy. >> i know, it's been a long day. >> you woke her up. >> we're from brooklyn. >> you even got a sign holder for you. very impressive. the guy holding the umbrella. les check your weather, see what's happening. we've got this big area of tropical moisture working its way up the eastern sea board bringing heavy rain. rainfall amounts generally are going to be kind of high, as you see this thing working its way up the coast. becomes low pressure coastal flood advisories in effect. we're expecting up in parts of eastern massachusetts up to three inches of rain. some of that could work its way west and come up along the coast. we're going to keep an eye on

th; it is mostly cloudy, warm and humid. temperatures climbing into the mid 70s. on radar we've had passing showers around this morning from northern virginia, shenandoah valley, panhandle of west virginia, here in washington as well as southern montgomery county around silver spring. heavier downpours in charles, st. mary's county, anne arundel, heavy rain falling now passing to the north. northern neck getting a downpour. later on today passing showers and downpours, maybe thunder. that's your latest weather. what's your name? >> chris cover. >> and? >> matt. >> and? >> brenda. >> i thought you skipped you. what's your name, bud? >> i'm chris. >> what happened to your foot? >> i broke it playing frisbee. >> i hope that's okay. now let's go back in to ann. natalie. somebody. >> it's me, al. thanks so much, al. this morning on "today's daily dose" the abcs of spfs and uvbs.

with the sun shining bright after weeks of wet weather, many sun worshippers are making up for lost time. nbc's chief medical editor dr. nancy synderman is here to answer your questions as well as the questions of the crowd outside. nancy, good morning. >> hi, ann. >> let's get to it. lots of questions, first one comes via web cam from ashley in stillwater, oklahoma. what is your question? >> good morning. >> good morning. >> hi. >> my question is, i have trickley skin. so in the summer it seems that spots seem to come out that in the fall and winter they go away. what can i do to help those? >> the best thing to do, ashley, is avoid how much sun you're getting during the summer months because what's happening is those age spots, just like the dark pigmented laters, the skin cells that are the deep layers and the sun stimulates them and they come to the surface and that's what gives you the splotchy skin. the reason they go away in the winter is becse you're not in the sun that much. one word of caution. you're a young woman.

if you keep doing this, those splotchy spots will stay. and if you get to be my age you'll even find out that some areas become depigmented. you get little white spots on your skin. take it as a warning sign. use a good sunscreen and limit how much sun you get directly to your face. >> next question, viewer e-mail from jade in washington state. she writes i'm an african-american woman and i know that individuals of color usually have more melanin in their skin. is it necessary to wear sunscreen? >> i'm going to pick on our good friend hoda kotb. because we all know, we've seen her wonderful dresses with suntan lines. so women of dark color can still get suntan so, although women with dark skin will not be as susceptible to skin cancer and changes as a white woman, yes, your skin can still take a beating. so if you have dark skin, still use a sunscreen or at least a good moisturizer. >> you can worry less? >> you can worry less but you

can't go through life with no worry. >> okay, because it might actually -- sun can age your skin. >> it can absolutely age your skin. >> all right we have a question from fran on the phone in coral springs, florida. hey, fran. >> good morning. >> hi, fran. >> this is my question. we're told that it's beneficial to have spf in our makeup, i have spf 45 in my moisturizer, 15 in my foundation. but sun protection should be applied every two hours to be effective. how do we go from having it in our makeup? >> assuming you put on a good spf in your moisturizer and you go to work you're probably not going to be in the sun that much. however if you sweat off the makeup or go from the office to the outside you have to take off the makeup and really. >> you say sweat it off. you're saying if you don't sweat off your makeup -- put it this way, if you don't sweat off you're sunscreen you're okay or do you still have to reapply? >> most of us are not going to put a sunscreen over makeup when they go to work. but if you are indoors all day

you don't have to worry as much. if you go outside. if you do an activity, go for a brisk walk at lunch and the makeup comes off you have to go back to the basics and reapply. >> ay-yi-yi. >> it's a pain but when you're 60 you'll like that. >> natalie has a question. >> i'm here with carrie from atlanta. >> i have light eyes. how often should i wear sunglasses? >> if you have light eyes like i do you probably already know that your eyes are very sensitive to that light. and the answer is, even for people who have dark eyes, your eyes can take a beating from the uva and uvb rays so the real answer to you is to wear sunglasses every day. and look at the hang tag that's on your sunglasses. because the sunglasses should be polarized and filter out the damaging rays. if those glaes are fashionable but they don't filter out the rays, they're not doing any good. and the reason that's important, ann, is because sunscreen -- i mean sunlight to your eyes is the number one cause of

cataracts and blindness later in life. >> holy cow. i thought you wore them to look cool. >> no. they should be cool, and keep you from getting cataracts. >> very good. now we've got a viewer e-mail from kristen in oregon. she writes i've heard infants under six months shouldn't use sunscreen. is there a reason for this or should they not have sun exposure? >> it's really not that babies can't get sunscreen. although the manufacturers of sunscreens will tell you they're intended for toddlers and over. the concern is no one wants you to be lackadaisical about oh, well they've slathered a 3-month-old in sunscreen and everything is okay. baby's skin is so thin and so susceptible to light and so easy to bur that babies shouldn't be in the sun, period, for the first six to nine months of life. so a baby in the shade with little advisers, that's it. forget the sunscreen, just don't put your baby in the sun, period. >> actually, it's probably a good idea to make sure that your kids until they're 18 years old have very limited or at least a

lot of protection from the sun. >> absolutely. because we know it causes a problem. we're going to talk in the next part, which is skin cancer. >> very important topic. i'm not going to say good-bye to you. we're going to take a break and come right back and talk to you about what melanoma looks like. and a little bit later the kitchen gadgets that will make cooking this summer smooth sailing. you know what, this looks just like the tree house i built with my dad. (girl) really? yeah. there you go. okay, i'm gonna work on the roof. dad, i'll be right back! (announcer) it's more than just that great peanut taste, choosing jif is a simple way to show someone how much you care. you made that for me? well you're making this for me. (announcer) choosey moms, and dads, choose jif.

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we're back now with more of "today's daily dose" on sunscreen. dr. nancy synderman is here with the hard facts with melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer. important we talk about this, because between 1980 and 2004 melanoma increased in u.s. caucasian women by 50%. why? >> we think there may be a new gene that sort of gets turned on

with estrogen. women below the age of 50 have seen this great surge. and there's a thing called an ocogene which may turn on cancer cells. it's called mdm2. women below the age of 50, there's a four-fold increase. we're not taking away the environmental issues. but for some women there may be a genetic hit. >> sunburns can also help cause it? >> sunburns, fair skin, freckles, the normal environmental factors are still at play. and that's why we still talk about people having to use sunscreen. >> if they discover there may be a genetic trigger, is there a genetic test? >> there will be a test more widely used in the future. but for women who have these high risk factors and for whom may be at risk under the age of 50 you can ask for the new genetic testing. >> let's look at the list of risk factors. it also includes moles. >> fair skin goes without saying.

the history 6 sunburn we know. moles and family history are very important. because any mole that changes can be a cause for concern. any new mole can be a cause for concern. and in some families, you'll see a familial link of cancer from generation to generation. >> i worry about it in some members of my family because on one side of my family there is a history. but i don't know what to look for. i mean, do you just go to the doctor every couple of months, or can we learn how to look for it? >> dermatologists will say don't run to the doctor, because it doesn't make sense. but, know your own body. and that means taking a mirror and i mean knowing from the soles of your feet up to your ears, know what your body looks for. the american cancer society has been great about putting out the abcdes of moles and snkin cance. we should take a look at the. y" stands for asymmetry. u start to see a mole thatif changes and isn't completely round, that's concn. >> the border, ift' is irregular. iyo c syoee a regular mole and one onopnt'ha ts not.

any guirreharir border is a problem. lo if anything changes from brown to black t blue, that's a concern. the diameter. we talk about foe tix t millimeters. anything that suddenly starts to grow also a concern. >> it can happen in people of all ages, as well. >> it can happen. any mole that suddenly starts to bleed also a concern. just remember anything that changes, prompts a call or a visit to your doctor. >> there's new technology that might help detect it? >> tre's a new technology. this has been really done a lot at duke. you can take a licer light and look down into the skin, and it is really cool way to look for melanotic skin cells and early cancer changes. frankly before the skin cells become really important and hard to treat cancers. only the great medical centers right now have this test. so if you, again, have a family history, if you know you're at

risk, then you can ask your dermatologist to see if they have the laser light that can do this. >> we've got a little time left and i'm not sure. let me ask you something that i didn't tell you i was going to ask you about. >> my trick question? >> no, it's not. but the president last night talked about there being a lot of waste. >> yes. >> in the system. >> yes. >> can you vouch for that? is there a lot of waste in the system? >> there is a lot of waste. here's where i think the medical profession is going to have to get its act together. we've been telling people for years, early screening, early testing will save lives. you know what? we're not so sure that that's really true. we know that for cancer of the cervix, and for colonoscopy, early detection saves lives. even mammography, the cutoff may not be 40, perhaps it should be 50. so now i think we're going to have to say to everyone, especially people i call the worried well. people like you, who are healthy, really have no concerns, but you might have

extra income where you could say i'll plop down the money, who cares? sometimes the worried well use the system to just sort of make themselves feel okay. we access the system, we charge tests. just so that we'll feel that there's no problem. when we do that we gobble up funds, and if you get a test and then another doctor orders a test, and the third doctor orders a test, which is what the president talked about last night, you have three doctors who may not even talk to each other. there's a lot of waste. and i think americans are going to be asked to frankly show a little more personal responsibility, and take care of ourselves, and remember that if we talk about access to medicine, that doesn't mean that everybody gets everything. we are going to have to self-regulate ourselves a little bit, and not assume that everybody gets to order a la carte but still pay for the blue plate special. >> all right, dr. nancy synderman. looks like i can throw you a curve ball. thanks so much. and coming up this morning,

still to come, a youtube sensation, susan boyle, gets a second surprise of her lifetime courtesy of meredith. we're going to show you what happened. oh, what's this? breakfast. it's kind of early, buddy. you've got to need to take some cholesterol off you. honey, have you been reading the cheerios box again? he got that off the box. (announcer) cheerios is made with 100% natural whole grain oats to help lower your cholesterol. that was very thoughtful of you. very early, but very thoughtful. (announcer) cheerios. good for the heart. ó/ light & fit has 80 calories versus 100 in the other leading brand.

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so tasty and nutritious it's hard to believe it's dry dog food. chef-inspired. dog-desired. chef michael's canine creations. all right, well now to the sad loss of a pop culture icon from the '90s. gidget the chihuahua known best for playing -- taco bell s. she died following a stroke tuesday night. but she made that catch phrase famous. >> how old was she? >> 15 years old. >> and obviously a male voice. and the supreme. went on to be on reno 911. >> right. >> but you know, she had a good, long life. clearly made that phrase very famous and sold a lot of tacos.

>> any time you have tacos you think of that phrase. >> meantime we've got susan boil. >> and making a berry desert for us. m buzzes ] [ elevator bell dings, telephone rings ] [ indistinct conversations ] [ elevator bell dings ] good night america. [ alarm buzzes ] [ elevator bell dings, telephone rings ] [ indistinct conversations, elevator bell dings ] good night amer-- [ alarm buzzes, elevator bell dings ] [ female announcer ] nutri-grain. mmmm. one good decision can lead to another. ♪ made with real fruit and now with more of the whole grains your body needs. nutri-grain can help you eat better all day. with special savings on select fabrics on all frames you choose the fabric we custom make it it's more affordable than you think. n offer ends july 31st.

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lots of soft clouds and rain in the area. tom will have the forecast after the news. good morning. it's thursday, july 23, 2009. in the news this morning, police are warning joggers in the area this morni after a woman was dragged off a path in rock creek and sexually assaulted. it happened around 7:00 yesterday morning near bingham we'll checngl checkouthr weaker y; w

sun breaking out. on radar we're seeing showers in southern maryland, northern neck of virginia, heavy downpours north of baltimore. sprinkles around the northern shenandoah valley. later on we could have passing tropical downpours and maybe thunder and lightning. remaining humid but less humid friday and saturday. how's traffic? >> still dealing with a lot of heavy traffic. this is the inner loop of the beltway leaving springfield. you lose the right lane headed up to little river turnpike and beyond. all thru lanes are open.

wilson bridge now looking okay. eun. >> thank you. tonight at 5:00 a sweet tea taste test. tips to keep your car running and a new way to groom your pet. the art of getting dirty.

the art of getting clean. w powerfully formulated wisk®... is better on tough mud stains than tide total care. wisk®. powerfully clean. perfectly priced. ♪ that's what you get for waking up in vegas get up and take the glitter ♪ ♪ that's what you get >> katy perry, everybody, with the smash hit "waking up in vegas." we're going to be waking up with katie tomorrow, with al and katy. he's taking to our summer concert stage tomorrow here on "today." come and listen. in the meantime, coming up in this half hour, we've got the aforementioned al down in the rockefeller plaza because he's going to be dng some cooking, al, right? >> not doing any cooking, ann. we are here on the deck of the

beautiful house beautiful kitchen of the year. and what we do have, we have some fabulous gadgets. some great gadgets to use in your kitchen that will make your cooking so much easier. so much so, that you will never look at hulling strawberries the same way again. >> hulling strawberries? >> that's right. >> i always lose so much of the strawberry. >> that's true. >> they're a hull of a gadget. >> oh, good. you look very relaxed. >> i am. >> you just need a little drink in your hand and you'd be perfect. >> okay, speaking of cooking, also in "today's kitchen," we'll show you how to make home made ice cream but without the gadget or the machine. but with all the great taste. chef tyler florence is going to show us how it's all done. >> also coming up more of meredith's exclusive intervierv with the instant and perhaps unlikely superstar susan boyle. we've got some surprises -- meredith has some surprises in store for her.

it's really going to be fun to watch her reaction to some of the surprises. first a check of the weather with al. >> as we take a look, show you what's happening for today, we've got beautiful weather in the pacific northwest, along the coast, 74 seattle. 78 up in portland. 91 degrees down in miami. tomorrow, look for rain in the northeast. hopefully it will be out of here in time for the katy perry concert. sizzling conditions for the western half of the country. warm weather extending from the pacific northwest. sizzling in the southwest and texas. good morning. here we have temperatures in the low to mid 70s now, it's a muggy morning. we have some passing showers, we've had them with heavier downpours in southern maryland right now. and some very heavy rain north of baltimore, another heavy downpour coming into the northern neck. these are passing south to north. other sprinkles around the shenandoah valley and the central blue ridge. later on we could have downpours and maybe thunder and lightning, highs in the mid 80s.

less humid friday and saturday. a chance of a thundershower tomorrow. and that's your latest weather. okay we're inside house beautiful's kitchen of the year, with a selection of inexpensive gadgets that are going to make your life in the kitchen so much easier. sean sullivan is the director's project of special events at "house beautiful." good to see you. >> welcome back. >> thanks so much. i tell you, a lot of these gadgets, they're terrific, but they don't cost that much. >> they don't cost that much. this kitchen is about big ideas. wonderful cabinetry from kraftmaid. and also have the kitchen of the year to focus in on things that can make entertaining easier. this is called the peeler. it's the swiss army knife of peelers. it's got surgical steel and the blades retract and it does a perfect julienne. i want you to try it. you peel a carrot regularly, get those wonderful strips. put that in a salad. you can give it a quick saute. it's really wonderful. >> very cool.

next we've got a strawberry huller. and these are difficult. >> they are. and actually it does a perfect job every time. this is call the stem gem. >> the stem gem. >> the stem gem. it's got these little grabbies. very nice. >> that looks dangerous. >> you stick it in, give it a twist. >> voila. from the stem gem. >> what's this bad boy? >> surprisingly enough it's called the red square colander. >> the red square colander. >> where did they come up with that name? >> what's the point? >> one handle so it's really easy to use, instead of tipping pasta towards yourself and all the steam goes away. you simply can drain it out like we did here and then i should have drained it a little bit more. we can clean up later. but it's very easy to pour. it's a natural pour. so that is cool. >> and you've got this handle thing. >> also in our red family of gadgets. it's a basket teamer.

what makes it unique is it has this handle that snaps in. it's made out of silicone. heat resistant to 600 degrees. you can reach into the pot when you're summering and just pluck it out. you don't have to fish out with a little hook and it won't scratch a nonstick pot or your countertop. >> this time of year, everybody wants to make lemonade >> this is a citrus reamer. it has a small reamer for lemons or limes, and you can pop this in for something larger like a grapefruit or an orange. got this measuring line here so you can be very, very precise. and it's got a nonskid base. >> that's great. sean sullivan, thank you so much. >> thanks so much for coming by. oh... rollerblading. you poor thing. skiing accident? um, mountain biking. mmm. snowboarding? um... hand gliding! respect.

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regenerist. t you make me another meatloaf ♪ - ♪ no - ♪ forget the mac and cheese ♪ - ♪ oh no ♪ i want some fun piled on a bun ♪ ♪ i want a manwich, please... ♪ make tonight a manwich night. - ♪ i want a manwich, please ♪ - ♪ ahh-a-ahh. dinner with the girls tonight. mmm... mexican, or italian? i really want dessert tonight. i better skip breakfast. yep, this is all i need.

( stomach growls ) skipping breakfast to get ahead? research shows that women that eat breakfast, like the special k® breakfast, actually weigh less. the special k® breakfast, now in blueberry. so why skip? when you can eat all this... and still weigh less. victory is... sweet. susan boyle rocketed to the spotlight last spring, shocking the world with the voice of an angel. susan had been dreaming the dream for a long time, and when meredith caught up with her, some more of her dreams came true. ♪ >> reporter: you really were, in a sense, plucked from obscurity. although this has been a dream you've wanted for a long time. >> for years. for a lifetime. >> reporter: susan, when did you realize that you were gifted?

that you had a voice? >> i -- >> reporter: you don't think you're gifted? >> i think it's a chance. ♪ >> simon had a tear in his eye and i've never seen that before. >> reporter: her magic pipes turned simon cowell into mush and elicited shout-outs from royalty and music icons. >> i think she's fantastic. >> susan's great. >> i hope she knocks this one out of the park. >> reporter: but there is only one man whose praise can take susan's breath away. ♪ and they called it puppy love ♪ >> reporter: i read that when you were growing up as a little girl one of your idols was donny osmond? >> yeah. >> reporter: what was it about donny osmond that you like? >> there was something magical. >> reporter: well, we called donny, told him that we were going to be here talking to you and he wanted to send a message. >> susan, congratulations on all of your success, i think it's wonderful what's happening with your career, and good luck with

this new record that you're doing. some day, it's a prediction, you and i will do a record together. we'll remake "puppy love." ♪ and they called it susan's love ♪ come out to vegas and see the show, as a matter of fact, we're going to lose the name mariend put your name up there, it will be the donny and susan show. >> reporter: what do you think of that? the donny and susan show? >> i think it's really good. >> reporter: i don't know if marie would say it's good. would you sing a duet of puppy love with him if he asked you? >> if he asked me, yeah, of course. >> reporter: can you sing a little of it? ♪ and they called it puppy love but i guess they'll never know ♪ >> reporter: and then there's susan's biggest idol, elaine page. ♪ all alone with the memories she's known as the first lady of british musical theater. and her trademark song "memory" is the one susan chose for her second performance on "britain's got talent." >> ♪ all alone with the memories

of my days in the sun ♪ >> reporter: and i remember the first time you were on the stage with simon cowell he asked you who you wanted to be like and you said -- >> elaine page. >> reporter: have you ever met her? >> no, i haven't. i'd like to one day. >> reporter: would that be another one of those dreams come true. >> it would be, yes. >> reporter: well we have a little surprise for you. elaine? >> hello, susan. hello. >> oh, my gosh. elaine page. >> i came to see you. how are you? >> reporter: we made her speechless. >> are you having a good time? >> every minute, every second. >> good for you. that's what i want to hear. >> my inbox is inundated with e-mails from friends saying check out the youtube of you. and i didn't know what it was all about, so i went on to youtube, and there you we, singing your glorious voice. so it was a thrill to hear you and even better to come see you

at last now in the flesh. good luck. >> reporter: as we said good-bye, susan was still happy by our surprises so she gave me a little treat, too. if i sang a little of "i dream a dream" would you sing it with me? >> you want me to? >> reporter: yes. ♪ i dreamed a dream in time gone by ♪ ♪ worth living >> reporter: it's a dream all right. and to think that only three months ago, it appeared unfathomable. >> i've not been given the chance before. here's hoping it will all change. >> wouldn't that be an amazing thing, if somebody like susan boyle could come from her background, a tiny village in scotland, and be a star for the next 20 years, to hold a candle to the likes of barbra streisand. >> it's a kind of dream you kill for. and i don't want it to end. ♪ a dream i dream

>> go susan boyle, go. coming up next, a trick to making homemade ice cream by hand. courtesy of tyler florence. up, there he goes. look at that. [ female announcer ] looking for a stronger bath tissue that leaves fewer pieces behind? fortunately, there's charmin ultra strong. its diamondweave texture is soft and more durable, so compared to the ultra rippled brand, it holds up better. fewer pieces left behind. charmin ultra strong.

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"today's kitchen" is brought erstou by pillsbury t oa strudels. the ones kids want to eat. >> this morning in "today's kitchen," a sweet summer dessert. as an author, chef and host of food network's "tyler's ultimate" hot chef tyler florence is a busy guy. he's made some time to stop buy and make a summer berry. we never get you here enough. we're glad to have you here. >> thank you so much. if you go to the farmer ate market right now, berries are really popping. they're very cheap and they're absolutely delicious. really at the peak of the seen right now. i made this for dinner two nights ago. it absolutely killed. and it's really delicious. >> easy, easy right fl >> it's very easy. almost like the idea of making homemade ice cream without the ice cream machine. so we've got strawberries, we've

got blueberries and blackberries. these have all been washed. put them in a sauce pot and start to warm them up where the joyce is going to breadown. we're going to add the juice of two lemons and about half a cup of powdered sugar. it contains cornstarch so once it starts to cook and cool down a little bit it will make a really delicious sauce. this needs to cook about seven to ten minutes. >> when it reduces and gets syrupy. >> this is what it's going to look like after you strain it. a really intense flavor. cook it, strain it, get the seeds out, this is what youave after that. it's really simple, we've got whipped egg whites and whipped cream. >> how many eggs? >> four egg whites. we've actually taken half the egg whites and put them into a little pastry bapg. if you don't have a bag you can do it by hand but we're going to make a crispy meringue. >> take half of that and put it asi aside. >> absolutely. this is very traditional and very italian.

>> the color's intense. >> we want to take the egg white and fold the egg whites into the berry puree. and just like that. the last thing you want to do, take this as the whipped cream, exactly -- >> can you use like regular whipped cream, or do you actually whip the cream your self? >> i actually whipped the cream from scratch. >> it tastes better that way, i agree. >> it really does. >> you can buy the store bought stuff. >> if you want to. it's like a little bit of muscle work and all of a sudden you've got something nice. isn't that beautiful? what we've made is actually a berry mousse. if you want to fill this into a cup and let them chill you're going to have a beautiful dessert. here is how you can make this family style, so it's a big, beautiful, almost like a loaf of frozen dessert. >> that's exactly what you're going to do, put it into a loaf pan? >> it's a 3x9 loaf pan. it's got a little bit of vegetable oil and plastic. >> and the plastic. >> the plastic wrap is going to make it easy to pull out. smooth it out. drop this into the freezer.

it's going to freeze for probably three hours. i wouldn't let this go overnight because the moisture is going to start to crystallize. >> you want it creamy, not icy? >> exactly. that goes in the freezer. >> with the other egg whites, we see how you're making the meringue? >> exactly. here's a cool garnish. we're going to take our egg whes and piet little snow cones out of these things. these are going to go into the oven at 200 degrees and start to dehydrate. egg whites and powdered sugar. the powdered sugar contains cornstarch so it will let them set up and get nice and crispy. this is what they look like. >> i had one earlier. i love them. >> a good crunch. >> with a good dessert you'll always want something crispy on top. so check this out. so here's what it looks like once you take it out. we've got a little bit of the berry sauce left er. right down the side here. >> beautiful. >> and then we're going to top it off with our little sw caps. >> a refreshing dessert, too. >> i made this for din twoer

nights ago, it was one of those desserts people started taking pictures of. they were talking about. with the little snow caps and fresh rememberries right down the middle. powdered sugar. a beautiful, simple dessert that people are absolutely going to love. >> wow. this is what it looks like. >> you put the sugar on top. by the way, you're on twitter, too. >> yep. >> you tilely get a lot of people follow you on twitter, some recipe tips. >> we host every friday. check it out. it's a lot of fun. we have about 2700 people show up last friday. just an interactive live cooking class. we're going to ask you questions. >> that's great. questions r tyl florence. >> check it out. >> a little powdered sugar. >> perfect. >> i cannot let this just sit here. tyler florence, thank you so much. we're going to be right back. fú er

hey, we got a couple of familiar faces with us. kathie lee and tori spelling -- oh, no, no! it's steve schirripa. >> my boobs are bigger than hers. >> yeah, but they're man boobs. >> you've got a manseiere. >> what do you have coming up on the food? >> we're doing goo food. food that guys like. dorito pie. >> dorito pie? >> body language. >> and then, of course our "ambush makeover." >> wow. >> so it's going to be a very big hour. >> big day. >> so you beat up tony soprano. now you're working with kathie lee. >> and i hope i don't have to battle it out with her. >> you have to. >> i've got to do what i've got to do. >> my money's on kathie lee. >> i know. he's the perfect gentlemen. >> we've done it before. he's a class act, i don't care what anybody says. >> you want to stay tuned for

this one after your local news and weather.

our time now is 9:56. 76 degrees out there. dramatic looking sky this morning. we'll take a look at the forecast after we look at the news. good morning. i'm joe krebs on this thursday, the 23rd of july. in the news for today, police in the district are asking joggers to be on alert after a woman was sexually assaulted while running in rock creek park around 7:00 yesterday morning at bingham and beach drive. people are urged to not run alone. metro is working to design a backup for the control system that is supposed to prevent crashes. the move after metro's train system is inadequate president and urged metro to add a continuous backup system. there is no official rule on

what caused the metro crash that killed nine people. for the first time since that accident the takoma station will remain open later than 10:00 at night, it's been closing to accommodate investigators still working on the tracks there. metro announced the takoma station will be open all day today and tomorrow. passengers should still expect some continuing delays. now let's look at weather and traffic. we'll start with tom kierein. >> we've had the highest humidity of the summer so far moving in. it's in place this morning and on radar with a little bit of sunshine breaking out and a flow out of the southeast we've had popping up showers and a little bit of thunder, especially north of baltimore. heavy rain, all of this heading north gettinghowers in southern maryland, northern neck, sprinkles around the shenandoah valley, panhandle of west virginia. and the temperatures around the region at this hour are continuing to climb. later on today we'll see them hitting the 80s by later on this afternoon. and we're right now in the 70s around the region and dew points

are near 70 degrees. we'll have this flow out of the south with a coastal low pressure system also bringing in possibility of showers and thundershowers later on today. now jerry, how's traffic? >> check out the beltway north of town. the inner loop slow, the issue was on georgia avenue at the beltway. an accident jammed things off getting off 495. outer loop looks pretty good. northeast, no late issues to report. kenilworth and new york avenue and for the moment we're okay at the wilson bridge. >> thank you. tonight at 5:00 a sweet tea taste test, and a new way to groom your pet. ñ

captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello, everybody. it's thursday, it's july 23rd. no, you do not need to adjust your set. this is not hoda, this is not tori spelling. this is steve schirripa. >> hey! >> good to see you, buddy. >> how are you? >> i'm really glad to you back. you did a great job last time. >> a pleasure. >> how is your summer going? >> it's going great. i've been spending most of it in california, with my family. >> working on that great show that's on another network, but

we can talk about it, called the secret life of the american teenager. >> it's a terrific show. it's on monday nights at 8:00. it's doing great. >> it is. and it's great critical raves because brenda hampton is behind it. >> she is the absolutely brilliant writer. she created seventh heaven. she created the show. and it's about a 16-year-old kid that gets pregnant and how it affects everyone's life. i mean everyone. everyone at school and the other kids. it really is a show that you can watch with your kids. >> and learn something. >> actually. >> be a real family. >> and it's good stuff. and it's funny. it's got a lot of drama. it's got a little bit of everything. you'll cry. you'll laugh. >> so you have another show coming out on nbc? >> august 1st, 9:00. >> and that is poker, right? >> it's a poker show. but it's also a reality show. it's a game show. it's entertaining. you don't have to be a poker -- >> aficionado f >> it's really good stuff.

regular guys get a chance to win a million dollars. >> that ain't bad. they play against professional poker players? >> yes. >> how are yo going to win if you're a dumb schmo? >> you qualify on line. and these guys that play online, they're sitting home >> yeah. >> as i said earlier, they're in their underwear. you're sitting home. >> i don't like the visual, all right? >> eating a grilled cheese sandwich. you qualify, you get flown to vegas. >> there's the guy. >> and then you could win a million dollars. >> okay. >> you beat three pros you win a million dollars. >> you're trying to beat regis is what you're trying to do? >> hey, hey. do i wear makeup in the middle of the day? >> oh, stop it. come on. >> the guy wears makeup walking along fifth avenue. who are you kidding? >> stop it! >> come on! >> oh, my gosh. >> don't get me started on him. >> he lives across the street from the studio. he's just going home to joy. >> i know. >> you leave my regis alone. why are you sweating so much? we need to get a large towel for

this man. >> you make me excited. >> it's so hot in here. >> you get meo excited. you told me to say that, didn't you? >> yeah. you cannot say that. >> i'm with the great kathie lee. >> my kids are here today. don't tell them that i'm making you excited. >> i didn't say excited. you're making me sweat. >> i didn't know you're half italian and half jewish? >> yes. >> how's that working out for you? >> so far so good. i bob in and out. >> is there a world you feel more comfortable in? >> well, i was raised in italian neighborhood, and catholic. i have a whole jewish side of the family. my mother's name is laurie bernstein. >> my nadine name is epstein. my daddy's name is aaron leon epstein. >> i feel very comfortable with you. >> i'm delighted that you're here. we have a lot of booze on this table. first of all some sad news the taco bell dog died. gidget. gidget, she had a stroke at the

age of 15. that's pretty good. >> she had a good career. >> she had a good career. >> for awhile, everyone was saying that. >> hard of hearing, but so frank. come on. and she's -- >> you're not comparing frank to a chihuahua? >> my husband cooked dinner last night. we had a wonderful couple over. i don't know if you know doug morris and his wife monique. >> dropping names now. >> head of universal music group. but he is such a sports fan. so it was fun to see this guy who like, i talked to bono every day, you know, sort of excited to meet frank gifford. >> yeah. >> you a big sports fan? >> i'm a basketball fan, knick fan. >> you don't like frank gifford? >> i love frank gifford but i'm not that into football. i love your husband. >> you didn't play football? >> no, i was skinny. i was 100 pounds. i played basketball in college. >> what happened? >> 100 pounds ago. i went bad. but you know what?

>> i heard the craft service food over at the sopranos rivalled any in the world. >> but i was fat before i got there. >> you're not fat. i didn't say you were fat. >> this is my theory about that. there's a lot of skinny good-looking actors tending bar. i happen to be working. >> and all the time. >> you can't be a little fat on tv. you've got to be like really fa you can't be ten pounds overweight. you've got to be like 40 pounds overweight. >> you're not fat. you're not morbidly obese. >> oh, thank you. all the way from fat to morbidly obese. >> do you have kankles, is that what they're called? crankles? >> i don't have crankles. >> apparently this summer women have a brand-new body part that they have to worry about. what is your favorite part of the female anotmy? >> the mind. i love women's minds. >> yeah.

bada bing. >> i'm sweating again. >> look at that, beautiful. >> apparently -- >> this is medicated. >> oh, my gos >> oh, this is beautiful. >> gold's gym has declared july cankles awareness month. i didn't know you could gain weight in your ankles. >> there's a lot of guys, seriously, a lot of kooky guys that look at the feet. if they don't have nice toes. if it's over the shoe and all that stuff. >> right, right. >> but there are guys that look at these cankles and get turned off. >> or turned on. but it turns out apparently, that you're supposed to -- the average size of an ankle is supposed to be what? 11 inches. i have never had my ankles -- >> eleven inches. >> you said you'd measure anything. but here we go. >> i'll measure anything on you, baby. >> okay.

>> your son is here. he's big. i don't want to mess with him. look at this tiny little thing. you have a nine inch ankle. >> nine? and i'm feeling bloated today, too. >> nine inches. >> that's probably really eight. >> so you're under. you're under the cankles. >> should i measure yours? >> no. keep on rolling it out. >> what do you -- >> keep rolling this thing out. you know, you don't lookat guy's cankles. there's girls not going to the beach going i love his muscles, i love his small waist, but look at those ankles. who does that? does anyone do that? >> nobody i know, steve schirripa. >> but they have liposuction. >> they do. >> liposuction that you could get, and suck out the fat in your ankles. >> now we're both in this business. i've, you know, i've been pretty honest about most of the stuff i've done. not everything. would you ever have plastic surgery, or you ow, some lipo or anything like that?

>> i am so far gone. nothing would help me. >> that is -- >> what would help me? i've got to get a nose job? >> i think you're a handsome man. >> look, i'm a guy. i'm a regular guy. guys like me don't get plastic surgery. >> no? >> what am i going to do? a little nip and tuck? >> no. >> what about your wife? is she still a gorgeous woman? >> my wife is great. married 20 years. april is 20 years. >> where did you guys meet? >> in vegas. no, stop that! >> i didn't say a word. >> did you see that look? >> i don't like your tone. i take umbrage. >> my -- oh, you use those big words with me now. >> what is umbrage and where do you take it? >> oh. >> you met her in vegas. >> she lived in vegas. my wife and kids were born in vegas. >> how many kids to you have? >> two daughters. i have two dogs. >> and you live in jersey most of the time? >> no, i live in manhattan.

>> but you've been living in laguna beach. >> all summer. i'm not sweating there. >> take your jacket off. >> no, no, no, i'm all good. >> are you? >> how about a refreshment. this apparently is pizza beer. >> pizza beer? the margarita is put in and steeped like a tea bag. it's available from select retailers. >> this is also when you don't have team to eat the pizza. you have it all in one? >> it's called multitasking. >> absolutely. i got an uncle doing la chaim. >> to life. >> not bad. it's not bad. >> mamma mia. you know what i just learned the other day? i love learning things like this. you know where the cheers thing came from? when two kings, way back, i always say 1600s because a lot of weird stuff, i don't know when. when two kings would make some sort of a deal together they would have some liquor in front

of them. they would do this, they would clink glasses. but with robusto, and liquid from this one would go into that. liquid from that would go into that, so that meant -- >> you keep talking i'm drinking. this is a long story. >> no, it's not. >> wow. we're not on "60 minutes." wow. >> i don't know about ou, but i like to learn new things. >> yeah, yeah. i want to drink the beer. >> drink it, drink it. if one of them d tried to poison the other one they would both die. so that's how they could trust each other on the deal that they weren't trying to murder each other. >> okay. wake up, everyone. wake up! i know you dozed off. come on! get off the couch! >> all right. let's have a little artichoke rum or whatever it is >> artichoke. >> artichoke something. ank you, god bless you. >> this is an acquired taste. >> that's artichoke.

>> this is an acquired taste. >> that's a real acquired and i haven't acquired it yet. this is milk wine. choco wine. >> oh. >> salud. >> it's like a liqueur, like an irish -- >> like bailey's. >> what is this champagne stuff? >> i wonder why you and hoda are always -- you're loaded in the morning. >> what's -- what is in this? >> it's a combination of a french sparkling wine and vodka. >> french sparkling wine. that's not such -- that's good. >> but if a guy ordered this in a bar you get beat up. >> oh. not in a lot of bars in new york. >> frank wouldn't order this? >> no. he doesn't like frutti. he does like a nice rum punch. excuse me, we're not vinished with the vodka stuff. what's it? >> bacon flavored. >> you've got to have that with

your umbrage in the morning. i'm sorry, that is putrid. am i not -- oh! oh! >> who is buying this stuff? >> i don't know. but listen -- the only one that was nice was this one. >> the pizz beer is when you're on the go and you don't have time for a slice and a beer you just do it all at once. >> have you met the beautiul sara sage? >> hi, steve. how are you? >> they're talking about how sexy steve is. >> i told you. >> thanks. it's my wife laura. >> bobby wrote in i'm 16 and i think that steve schirripa is the sexiest man alive. >> there you go. move over johnny depp. up next something you are very familiar with. ambush. except ours is a nice one. and it involved hair and makeup. >> pretty nice. >> what else? >> after these messages. in.t's where i com

after these messages.

"today's" makeor is brought to you by mbe leve,an new york. maybe she's born with it. maybe it's maybe lean. >> all righty. we were back with the results of today's "ambush makeover." earlier "today" ivillage contributor and stylist to the stars louis licari and fashion expert and "us weekly" contributor jill martin plucked another two deserving ladies from the plaza for instant makeovers. >> and now it's time to reveal the results. is everybody ready? >> yes. >> wow. >> so in the summer, nice ladies out there ready to go? >> we found two great candidates. for me it was a color story. for jill, i don't know exactly -- >> it was a hot body story. >> all righty. the first lady is katherine, 50 years old from springfield, missouri. she met her husband bill of 27 years when she and her college

boyfriend, get this, her college boyfriend and her went to the husband-to-be for counseling. >> really? >> you got that story. >> she's been teaching gifted second graders for over 20 years and during the summer she works in a retail department store. she's a girly girl. loves shopping for shoes and clothing. and she has had the same look forever and is finally ready to change it up. i think we've heard her story. let's take a listen. >> all right, missouri is the show-me state, and you tell me you want her to show her stuff. >> show her stuff. that's correct. >> why do you want a makeover? >> well, i tured the big 50 this year, and i feel so young. so i guess i want to still look as young as i feel. >> all right. well we are going to make you look and feel ten years younger. >> yea! >> are you ready to go? >> let's go for it. >> terrific. katherine is here with two of her high school friends. we've got them all covered up. let's take one last look at katherine before, and now let's bring katherine out.

♪ walking on sunshine >> oh, my gosh. oh, my gosh! all right friends and family, why don't you take off those blind folds and get a load of katherine. >> oh! >> oh, you look great! >> turn around, katherine. what do you think? >> what do you think, katherine? >> i'm totally in a dream right now. >> you look beautiful. >> katherine, naturally born blonde, started to go gray, then just became too light. so i added a little depth. kept the highlights, but all of a sudden notice how her eyes show. and that lipstick just makes the whole look come to the. >> that outfit, jill, is smokin'. >> look at his body. the top is calvin klein, the

bottom is from macy's. these are two pieces you could keep in your wardrobe to mix and match. now she will look cool like you wanted her to look. >> all righty. ladies what do you think? >> fantastic. >> congratulations. >> are you going to keep this look up? >> absolutely. >> all right. why don't you join them, sweetie, because we have the second lady coming out. what's her name steve? >> this is linda abbey. she's 55 from richmond, virginia. she's a physician who for the last 25 years has spent her days making house calls to geriatric patients. >> this is a good lady. >> she can't remember the last time she focused on herself. she loves to travel in her spare time, stays active by running, biking and swimming. she's a single mom to 13-year-old emily who would love to see her mom with a new look. >> well, that child is here with us. there's emily. but first let's listen to her story. >> emily, you have never seen your mother in makeup? >> not in my lifetime.

>> why do you want a makeover? you tell me you feel young, you just want to look young. >> i think this is new york and i just want to be glamorous to match the city. it's just so exciting here. >> and you're single, so men watch out. are you ready for a whole new look? >> i'm ready. ready as i can be, i think. >> all right. so what are we going -- >> emily's er,ov here all blindfolded. we're going to take one last look at linda. her before picture. now let's bring the new linda out, everybody. oh. oh, my goodness. oh, my gosh. all right emily, take off your blindfold. see mom. >> wow. >> all right. hey, linda, come on over and take a look at yourself, sweet with heart. you look gorgeous. it is quite the transformation. turn around for us, please. look into the camera.

yes. >> okay, another example of a natural blonde starting to go gray. it just made her turn invisible. >> it's a difference, excuse me. >> put the hair color back in your hair you'll have the hair color -- the skin color back in your skin. you came alive. she got a great, layered haircut. younger, fresher. >> look at the body on linda. >> that is a donald deal dress. >> one of the greatest designers in the world. >> and it redesigns the little black dress. the beaded number. and the earrings are lisa yeager. >> they've been ambushed. we're gog to give them their t-shirts. thanks so much, everybody. we'll be right back after this message.

would you say you're a touchy feely kind of guy? >> i'm more touchy, not so feely. >> we're going to find out what your body language is telling people while you're busy talking. >> plus how to get up close and personal with a wolf. why you want to, i don't know.

it's called one of the biggest corruption investigations. two new jersey mayors, legislator and several rabbis arrested by the feds. we'll have the latest. good morning. i'm joe krebs. also ahead, metro takes action with a plan to prevent future crashes. the anti-cigarette that is supposed to be less harmful to y m

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we're back with more of "today" on this ursday, talking about what your body language tells the world about you. >> today correspondent sara haines teamed up with body language expert janine driver to explain the verbal -- >> i know. yeah. >> about dating. >> and some are their findings left us sightless and speechless. here you go. >> without any of them knowing why our cameras were there, we had two ladies go on a blind date with lucky guy alex. observing the first date from a distance, our expert waiter reviewed their actions. >> sara, look what's happening

here? we're zooming in on the hands. watch what's about to happen. we don't want to see on a date your hands folded like that. that's very passive. not a lot of openness with her. >> he is. >> so he's super confident. this arm here on top. he is creating a barrier to everybody else. his other arm, his inside arm is actually lower. so it does show that he's treating her with respect. but look at this. they're like sev fee apart. if they liked each other they would literally move the chairs. they'd want to get closer to each other. >> after the date we checked in with the couple. how did you like him? like was there -- >> i, you know, i liked him. he was an interesting guy. he had a lot to say. >> you had your hands up on the table. there was kind of a blocked off body. did you feel closed at all? >> yeah, i like my personal space. >> hands on the table mean don't come here. >> how do you think it went? >> i thought we had a few things in common. it was interesting. she's not quite into the things i'm into. >> okay. maybe not a match made in

heaven. so we set him up at a different venue. observe the play by play. >> did you see it? >> look how wide his feet are now. legs crossed this way. >> that masculine display. >> she's emotionally engaged? >> i think we have some chemistry. >> the nonverbal cues suggted a love connection. let's see how the daters felt. would there be a second date? >> i hope so. >> you think it went well? >> yes. >> maybe better than the first one. >> definitely more chemistry there on this one. and you could tell by her eye contact, body language. >> but how does body language work in the business world? we peeped in to a "today" show meeting being run by senior broadcast producer don nash and show writer sarah pine. one hand on the hip.

now that's attitude. you know you're in trouble when you see this. can i talk to you for a second. how do you normally stand? >> i probably normally would stand like this. probably not good, right? >> no, most people think it's bored and disinterested. but a study said crossed arms will increase your production rate 30% more because it's more resilient. it's internal motivation. >> do the fig leaf. >> do you see the difference? this now sends insecurity. now put it behind your back. bam. see that? and he's got his hip to the side which is confidence and sex appeal. right? bam, that little bit right there. has a beautiful dress on, makes a "v," this is vulnerability. it says it can be vulnerability. most men sit how sarah is sitting, because her right arm is draped across this whole entire wide chair. >> in the end, by the looks of things, it was all good energy. >> he must like you guys. i look at his toes completely pointed toward you, not towards me. that's confident.

likes you guys, that's good. he doesn't like you much. the rest of you he likes a lot. >> okay. so now that you're probably afraid to move a limb without wondering what people are concluding about you, that did seem a little voyeuristic and a little rude. anyway, we are here with janine. and you say that body language is really something different than what -- >> go ahead. >> it's how it's perceived. explain that to us. >> you get these body language experts and they say you do this, it always means power and authority. but a lot of people think it's arrogant. body language does not mean one thing, it's how it's perceived that's matters. kathie lee, you're sitting like this -- it's freezing in here. >> except he lives it. >> instead of being closed or disinterested, you're smart, you knew that. >> what doesmy body language? >> you're leaning towards kathie lee, which tells me you're engaged, he enjoys working with her. >> he's married. >> you're in a dark color that's erceived as powerful.

if we didn't know who you were, we'd think you were the powerhouse. >> that's very interesting. wear dark colors and you come off as more -- >> you wear a light colored shirt you'd come across as less of the tough guy, right? so the darker is perceived as really the, you know -- >> i wear a dark shirt so they don't see me sweating. >> see. >> okay, you say there are three first impression body clues that impact the way you're perceived positively as opposed to negatively. the first is the touch. >> so the touch. when i shake your hand, kathie lee, nice to meet you, i'm going to look at how am i shaking your hand. am i pulling you into my space? am i creating distance? am i turning your hand? upper hand? i'm letting you perceive that you have the power. then i dominate you. you feel dominated? >> i can see my bra. >> the next body clue is the lean. >> what is it about the lean that we lean that is a nonverbal message to others? what message does it send? >> with the touch, am i touching

you or myself with nervousness? >> a lot of people don't like to be touched. >> you have to read body language. that's exactly what the lean is. i touch you,ththie lee leans backwards, she says i need to create distance. i touch her and she leans forward, this is saying hey, i'm engaged, i really enjoy you. people who lean back are not liking what you say or do. people who lean forward are engaged. >> what about the hand shake? sometimes you shake someone's hand. it's really hard. sometimes it's a fish hand. >> you don't do any of those sexual gestures in the middle. that's what that is. >> all right. >> don't do that. >> and the face. a real smile with wrinkles around the eyes. gets pulled back to the ears, not to the jaw. feet, kathie lee your toes are facing out. when we face our toes up to the sky we tend to be hearing good news. and when we cross our ankles it sends the message we want to be someplace else.

when you're in the dentist's chair and you hear that cubicle at the dentist, what do you do? you cross your ankles. >> really? >> without saying a word we're conveying more than we think. >> very interesting. thank you, janine. >> up next, a kooky bird lives in an old oak tree. except for day. >> right after this.

"today." we're about to go wild with animals. >> it's a good thing hoda's not here. she's not comfortable. >> i'm not comfortable myself. this is a wolf right here. animal ambassador julie scardina is -- well she's the expert and she's brought along some of the most popular ambassador animals from sea world, busch gardens and discovery park cove. >> discovery cove. >> i'm sorry, but he's making me a little nervous. >> believe it or not, these guys aren't even 12 weeks old yet. >> who cares? they're wolves, right? >> they are still wolves. but they're still puppies and they still act like puppies. >> are they going to get much bigger than this? >> they definitely are. up to 85, 100 pounds even when they're full grown. right now they're only about 35 pounds total. >> they're like puppies. >> right now they are.

they definitely have wolf behavior, though, that we see. >> like what? biting hosts of shows? >> they're very social animals. and they're a lot more timid than people think they are. people think of wolves as being boland attacks. >> and monogamous, you said? >> monogamous. they raise their upups together they regurgitate. i'm going to show you how sweet and loving they are even towards members of what they think are their human pack, as well. >> julie, why are people afraid of wolves? every movie, everything you see the wolf is always -- >> dances with wolves. i love that one. >> that is such a great question. because they're so misunderstood. people think -- there's no documented case of a healthy wolf attacking a human in the united states. >> really? >> and people think that there are. >> don't freak out if you see them in one of the parks and don't try to hurt it or anything like that. >> these guys will be in wolf canyon at busch gardens williamsburg growing up with a

wolf pack. >> why is it important for us to -- the producer is going to get mad at me. why is it important for park guests to interact with wolves? most people are quite surprised to learn they're quite timid. >> she just answered it. >> he said he's going to get mad at me. >> they're into everything here. see if we can get them going. let's take them off. >> i'm not asking no more questions. >> you don't have to. we've got julia. she knows everything. >> you know -- in the united states has been very successful, but still very controversial. >> yes. >> because people think that they're going to go and attack them. >> they have a bad reputation. >> all right, what's the next one? >> this is a kookaburra. >> a kookaburra. are they from australia? >> they are. but they were used in all those jungle movies in africa. but they are an australian animal. one of the loudest in the animal

kingdom. >> that's the one making that noise. you want to help me? go like this. kook, kook, kook, kook, kook. >> that was great. >> now does the bird bite? does this bird bite? >> yes, you know, it's the beak on this one that actually is the thing that you want to watch out for. you think they're birds of prey and it's their feet. i'm not having to wear a glove because it's feet are actually very weak. >> can i hold it? >> i'm going to give you this so it doesn't fly off. >> hold on, kathie lee. >> now you've got his toe. there you go. >> oh. >> now hold onto just the leather there. you know these guys can actually, they are carnivorous. so they do hunt animals. be a little careful about that. they can swallow a snake that's

three feet long. >> oh, boy. >> they whack it against the side of a tree. >> stay away from kathie lee's cankles. don't go near kathie lee. >> we've got some lemurs coming out now. >> oh, good i was hoping for a lemur? >> lemurs are beautiful animals from only one place in the entire world, and that's the island of madagascar. >> oh. >> most of them are endangered. they look like little toys, i know. >> do these bite? >> any animal can bite. that just depends on the mood that they're in. >> this one loves to bite. >> no, he's loving the underarm scratches. that's what he's doing. you can hang onto this guy. >> really? >> his name is jeffrey. scratch him under the arms. that's his favorite thing. >> and belly rubs. >> bananas. >> primarilyly fruit eaters. >> they're sweet. >> they're sweet because there aren't very many predators on the island of madagascar. >> oh, i likes that.

>> these are wild animals that we spend ten hours a day with at the park. >> they're domesticated. >> that's why they're like that. >> you're the best, julie. we've got to go. >> one look at this. >> oh, i know. >> beautiful. what kind of bird is this? >> this is a spoonbill. his name is padre. >> up next we have a -- >> finally a segment right up my alley. food. we're going to get to that right after this.

we're back with "today's kitchen" and we're getting saucy with dude tood. >> i've been waiting for this segment the whole day. finally i get to eat something. >> he believes men cannot live by beer alone so he started blogging on mixingbowl.com about easy recipes for busy dads. >> good to be here. the thing about diet in your derwear with grilled cheese

sandwich. i need to make some changes. this is the place to get the recipes. there's no measuring. super easy and it's just stuff you have around the house. we're talking about pizza beer. this is coke steak. >> all of this stuff is on mixingbowl.com? >> that's right. >> and you swap recipes? >> share. it's kind of like facebook meets food recipe stuff. >> and did you start this? >> i did not but i post some of my favorite recipes. >> can we cook, please? >> okay. here's a steak. it's been marinating in coke. >> in coke? >> in coke. did you come home drunk one day, you wanted to make a steak, you spilled something? hey, this is a go idea? >> no. it's a much better story than the real one. this is a handful of onions, can of coke, pour it out and put it on here and make an easy rub for it. >> if you try to lose weight do you use diet coke? >> ba-dum-bump. >> i'm going to take this out.

why don't you take two spoonfuls of brown sugar and put it in that thing. one spoonful of salt. doesn't have to be exact. >> don't worry, it's not going to be. >> one spoonful of pepper. >> all right. >> kathie lee you're waiting. >> i'm waiting with my meat. >> and a half spoonful of paprika. mix that together th your fingers or a spoon and i'm going to take this out. this is a great way if you have a cheaper cut of meat and you want to fix it up. >> so you're a cheap skate, this will make it taste a little bit better? >> it works really well with beer, as well. >> in beer anything is going to taste good. >> okay. pour that over the top. >> all right. all right. a little tequila, some beer, and everything -- you can eat the pan, it'll be good. >> i don't recommend that, though. >> okay. kathie lee, stay with us, baby. >> i'm just -- >> we're dudes, i'm sorry. >> i'm letting you dudes be. >> all right so then you can do this with beer.

you can do this 20 minutes, 4 hours, whatever. >> marinate it, put it in the refrigerator? >> you put it in four hours for a meal you probably don't need my help. you put this in the pan over medium heat like that. it's perfect. >> all right. >> we're running out of time. >> this is cookies over here. this is called the world's fastest cookie recipe. >> let's see it. >> pull this out. >> it's pretzels? >> pretzels with -- >> hershey kiss, 350 one minute and push down the m&ms. >> boom. >> oh, i cannot see. >> is there really a recipe for this? >> no, that's about it. >> i got my younger dudes. >> cody, come on in. >> cody, would you ever, in college make these little cookies? >> no, i don't think so. >> and what do you have here? what is this? >> that is doritos casserole and pork which will be called a hot dish. >> this thing going in? >> no, it's all good.

>> did anybody learn anything at all? i don't know. >> cody, here. >> you can find more on klgandhoda.com. we'll be back with more of "today" on nbc. how is it? >> dude food!

okay, that's it for us on this thursday. thanks, steve is going to be back with us tomorrow. if you're in the market for a man we're going to show you why you may never have to shower for a first date. don't listen to this. >> and right to is here. >> have a great day, everybody.